Please tell me a bit about yourself.

I am a children’s author, educator and illustrator living in Ontario, Canada. I loves to find inspiration in the world for stories, for drawings, for paintings and just to enjoy! I often work with groups of kids to create books as I find their ideas truly inspiring.

I have been writing for most of my life, got a university degree in English but devoted time to raising my kids before I decided on making writing a career.

I self-published my first book, a chapter book called Ghosts on the Soccer Field, in 2013 and have been enjoying creating and printing books since then!

Tell me about your most recent work......what inspired the premise? What about your story is topical right now?
 
My most recent book is Let Your Imagination Soar which is a book to build storytelling skills in kids. Inspiration can be found in so many places.

It was inspired by a painting tutorial I was following by Michelle the Painter. She posted Flight of the Imagination and while I was painting it I got an idea for a book. (and that painting is on the cover!). As I continued to paint I continued to be inspired and created a book of creative writing lessons along with paintings and prompts to inspire stories.

I think inspiring creativity is very important. Working with kids to help create books was one way I could do that, this book has the potential to reach more kids than just those in the workshop. It can inspire them, encourage them and allow them to get lost in their imaginations.

What do you hope young readers, and perhaps even parents take away from your story?

Many of the books I create are meant to get the conversation started with kids about topics that might otherwise be difficult to talk about. I have a series on emotions, bullies, eco-footprints, and grief and loss, all of which have inspired conversation, compassion and understanding from the readers.

With the new creative writing book I hope kids will be inspired to tell stories that help them understand themselves better, help them cope better, or help them dream and plan for their future.

What are your fav scenes (and why)?
 
I really enjoyed doing the paintings for the book. And, I have really enjoyed hearing some of the story ideas that have come out of my testers. I love the creativity that kids have, and I hope they send me stories so I can enjoy more!

Join the flock for more fun -- a reading of Chloe the Unfeathered Parrot by the author, followed by a tour of
The Parrot Sanctuary!

Gather with the flock at the northeast corner of Berkeley and Dundas Streets in Toronto on
Sunday August 21st at 1:30pm ...
the friendly folks who work and volunteer at the Parrot Sanctuary will take you up to the roof deck for a reading of the book, followed by book signings and refreshments. Small groups will then tour the Parrot Sanctuary, meet some feathered residents, and check out Chloe's pre-forever home digs!