BOOKS BY FRIENDS, BOOK ORNAMENTS AND A NEW FAVOURITE AUTHOR We all have, from time to time, some kind of collection. Some last a lifetime, others are limited to a specific time of our lives, or the sheer volume proves unmanageable and we have to part with all, or some...
I'm sharing a short story from a prompt at my last writer's circle meeting. The prompt was write a scene, or story that includes a piece of candy. Let me know what you think. The Sweetest Story I gazed at the store window with its jars and boxes of candy. Every colour...
I am extremely grateful for my local bookstore, The Sherwood Park Bookworm for working with me to host a children's colouring contest. As my little monster, Rumble's story takes place at Halloween it is the perfect time of the year to get kids involved and read the...
How has your teaching experience influenced the characters you write about? It has definitely helped me make authentic and relatable teen characters because this is who I’m surrounded by everyday. I also have a group of students who generously donate their time as...
Unfortuntely, political and religious banning of bookshas been shown to be harmful in many ways, apart from inhibiting free speech and independant thought. Research shows it is bad for mental health, especially impacting: Marginalized Individuals People of colour's...
It's taken a few days to come down from the 'high' of the When Words Collide conference this past weekend. It was a superb writers conference to say the least. The keynotes, sessions and panels were interesting, informative, inspiring and fun. You really need to be...
A writer's conference gives you the opportunity to learn about specific writing skills as well as network with your peers, mentors, heroes and industry experts. Both of these are valuable to the novice, but also experienced writers. We are constantly learning and...
We all know, as readers, we can experience multiple worlds, settings and characters through narratives, but should we be looking at experiencing more? Ask yourself: Do you typically read the same genre? Then ask why? What does this specific genre aid? Is it an...
Photo by Wendy Wei on Pexels.com There has been an increase in the number of paperback books being purchased lately. Can it be we missed the tactile feel of a book? The weight, the process of turning pages, the aroma of a book, whether old or new. It even has its own...