Here’s my new video trailer for Pure, a futuristic novel about genetic engineering, the healing power of art, family secrets and lies. I got the idea for Pure when I heard an interview with Maureen McTeer on CBC radio. She had published a book about the ethical and legal implications of genetic technologies. The interviewer asked [...]
YA Dystopia novels are uber-popular ever since the release of Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. So if you like dystopia novels and are looking for more to read, check out this list of Half a Century of English-Language Young Adult Dystopias, compiled by Amy H. Sturgis. My novel Pure is on the list, as well as many [...]
Cleavage: Breakaway Fiction for Real Girls, which features my short story “Profanity,” is on the 2010 Amelia Bloomer List, part of the American Library Association’s Social Responsibility Round Table. Here’s the link for more info.
Check out this new trailer for my novel Take the Stairs, which was nominated for the Ontario Library Association White Pine Award. Resource Links says, “Through reading Take the Stairs, one develops a greater appreciation for the commonality that runs through people’s lives: suffering, struggle, and hope.” Thanks to Air Productions for creating the trailer, and [...]
My novel-in-progress received a second writing grant, this time from the Toronto Arts Council. The novel is tentatively called The Yoyo Prophet. It’s about fifteen-year-old Calvin Layne, who becomes an overnight sensation as a yoyoing street performer. With almost three-quarters of the book written, it’s great to have the support and encouragement to finish it! I [...]
I’m thrilled to announce that Cleavage, an anthology about teens and body image that includes my story “Profanity,” now has a book trailer. Thanks to Air Productions for putting it together and Jamye Dawicki for the awesome music.
Cleavage was named a Best Book for Teens by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Canadian children’s books. Here’s what they had to say about the book: “An edgy new collection of 15 stories about girls who challenge convention and those who wish they could. Hilarious, comforting and intense, these stories [...]
The life of a writer can be ruled by the mailbox. Sometimes I get pleasant surprises in the mail, like a letter from a reader or an acceptance from a publisher. Other times, the news is not so great. On June 23, I went to my mailbox to find I had been awarded an Ontario [...]
At long last, I have created a teacher’s guide for Take the Stairs. These teaching ideas were prepared with contributions from Kathleen Moro of St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Secondary School in Oakville, Ontario, and Diane Tursman of Vaughan Secondary School in Thornhill, Ontario. Thanks to you both for sharing your ideas. To read the guide, [...]
Cleavage: Breakaway Fiction for Real Girls has been selected by Resource Links as Best of the Year 2008. It was also nominated for a Cybils Book Award, the children’s and young adult bloggers’ literary awards. A review in the School Library Journal called Cleavage edgy, charming, funny, and sweet. It’s “an aptly named collection of stories [...]
Cleavage: Breakaway Fiction for Real Girls, which includes my short story “Profanity,” received a highly-recommended rating from Canadian Review of Materials. The review, posted December 5th, says “the stories are very strong, with sympathetic girl protagonists, colourful purposeful mothers, realistic family situations and the gleaming knife of raw emotion. Highly Recommended.” You can read the [...]
A ‘n’ E Vibe posted a great new review of Cleavage here. Monika Wierzbicki writes “When we get very lucky we come across a book that expands our minds, enlightens us, and miraculously is still entertaining enough to make us want read it again.” Cleavage is “written in a wonderfully direct and often hilariously offbeat [...]
A full crowd gathered at the Canadian Children’s Book Centre last night to celebrate the launch of Cleavage: Breakaway Fiction for Real Girls. We enjoyed mocktails and cool snacks before settling in for readings from five of the contributors to the book. Thanks to all for the enthusiastic response.
Teens and adults are welcome to join me at the official book launch for Cleavage: Breakaway Fiction for Real Girls, which includes my story “Profanity.” The event will be held on Wednesday, September 24 from 5:30-8:30 at the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (Suite 101, 40 Orchard View Blvd, Toronto). Please drop by to celebrate with us [...]
My latest story for teens, “Profanity,” will be published this Fall in Cleavage – an anthology about mothers, daughters, and body image (Sumach Press). In “Profanity,” teenaged Claudia is repelled by her mother’s pregnant body, referring to her as “the human whale.” Editors Deb Loughead and Jocelyn Shipley preview some of the issues in the [...]