Monday: Saskatoon McNally Robinson. My principal and I took 3 student-contest winners for lunch at Prairie Ink and to buy a book. As I rounded the top of the spiral staircase and stepped into the Children’s / YA department, I saw it. Something I have dreamed about for many years. There on the McNally Robinson… Read more »
Monthly Archives: March 2015
DO YOU REMEMBER A SPECIFIC TIME OR SPECIAL TEACHER THAT MIGHT HAVE INFLUENCED YOU TO BECOME A WRITER?
What a good question! And it’s the first one I received via my new website from a fan, so I wanted to include my response here. If you have a question that you’re dying to ask me too, please write to me – I promise to respond, and I might include your question here too!… Read more »
Review by SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
“The atmospheric descriptions of the spooky scenes and inhabitants of Nightside create a strong sense of place, and the children’s well-crafted dialogue adds humor to balance macabre scenarios… “The action unfolds at a steady pace that will keep readers curious about what happens next.” [March 1, 2015]
Review by ALICE KUIPERS
“A dark, yet delightful tale for readers who love the unexpected, who long for secret passages and who live for annoying their siblings. “When Dekker is trapped in the scary world beneath his strange Aunt’s spooky house, he and his sister have to discover what really matters to even have a hope of seeing the… Read more »
CM MAGAZINE – RECOMMENDED REVIEW
Here’s another review for Button Hill that appeared today in CM Magazine. I love reading the Canadian Review of Materials because it is a true labour of love: an all-volunteer crew of librarians, teachers, and professors review of what’s new in Canadian writing and illustration for youth. And they publish every week! So far reviews seem to… Read more »
What’s your best advice for aspiring writers?
Read more than you write. Read what you love. Challenge yourself to read things you didn’t think you would be into. For me, I’m a sci-fi and fantasy junkie. But make myself read all kinds of non-fiction, and I have better ideas for writing because of it. Write every day if you can. Your subconscious… Read more »
What are you currently working on?
Right now I’m working on a sequel to Button Hill. Dekker and Riley left some unfinished business in Nightside at the end of the story, and some of the citizens of Nightside have been waking me up at night to tell me that they’re not finished with Dekker and Riley, either. Also, where Dekker and… Read more »