The SCBWI convention is coming up! In a little more than a week I’ll be on my way to Los Angeles to what could arguably be one of the biggest opportunities of my career. But then with the exception of Susan Boyle, I don’t actually think you have only one chance to impress. And in […]

Today I didn’t feel like doing anything. So I didn’t. Except for working on the sequel–yeah! It’s coming along! And I emptied the dishwasher. And I’m making some supper–chicken chow mein. And later I’ll probably water the garden since it’s the hottest day of the year. Oh… And blog. Believe it or not, that’s actually […]

At the Saskatchewan Festival of Words, we were being housed at Temple Mineral Spa which had renowned healing waters. They told us to bring our bathing suits. Yeah right! But the lady I was corresponding with was adamant. ‘Bring your bathing suit, you’ll want to partake in the healing waters!’ So I packed a spare […]

I knew a guy once who worked years to get his first book published in the children’s market. He was on a board I frequented. The first school visit he did, I think he showed up in jeans and bragged to the kids that he could work in his pyjamas. I think he only ever […]

And what an experience. I’m starting to hate the travel that’s involved. I’m starting to dread packing and going to the airport…especially during summertime when I’m supposed to have some time to myself. But I’ve learned not to grumble because everytime I think this will be a lot of work, I end up having a great […]

On Monday I did a favour. I spent a day storytelling at an Islamic summer camp. I wonder if it would have gone differently if I hadn’t received, a few nights before, an email announcing the visit of a self-published Muslim author who was getting the ‘royal’ treatment. It is so true that familiarity breeds […]

In Urdu we have a word for a kind of excited fascination about something. This word is ‘showk’, don’t know if I’m spelling it right but you get the idea. I can’t seem to find an English equivalent for ‘showk’. It’s more than enthusiasm, it’s more than being charmed by something, and it’s more than […]

Not sure why I should be suffering this now! But it sure feels like I am. I googled ‘symptoms of burnout’ and came across this website: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/burnout_signs_symptoms.htm And wow, of all the symptoms listed, I have most of them! And tired! I’m bone weary! It doesn’t help that my shoulders went into some kind of […]

You know when  you’re first starting out writing you dream of people reading your work and being touched, even moved by it. You know how books touched and moved you in your formative years and you long to have that kind of effect on other people. Especially with children’s books, they can leave an impact […]