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I will be reading THREE of my picture books at a FREE event hosted by T.Y.T. Theatre That’s at the Wychwood Barn Theatre, 76 Wychwood Avenue, Studio 176, Toronto, ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 23rd AT 10am!!! SIGN UP VIA EVENTBRITE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/716544101697?aff=oddtdtcreator What’s really great is I am reading one book from each of my publishers: 🐱 Beverlee Beaz the Brown Burmese illustrated by Alex Zgud and published by Mirror World Publishing, Windsor, Ontario 🐶 Dog Band illustrated by Wei Lu and published by Iguana Books, Toronto, Ontario 🐢 Tamara Turtle’s Life So Far which is being re-published by Pandamonium Publishing House, Hamilton, Ontario. Originally illustrated by Javier Duarte, now illustrated by Wei Lu. Bring the kids to story time, enjoy the Farmer’s Market, and stick around for the new T.Y.T. show, Pinkalicious! DO NOT MISS OUT! 😊🤗
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Welcome, Tamara! First of all, tell me a bit about yourself, and your writing background. Hi Regan! Thank you so much for this opportunity; I really appreciate it. :) I wanted to be an author since I was around nine or ten years old. For many years, when my parents asked my brothers and I to write our Christmas wish lists, I would include ‘book deal’ on mine, so being able to call myself an author really is a childhood dream come true. My first book (Unfrogged) came out in 2017; at that point, I had already been writing professionally as a journalist for about a decade. Now tell me a little something about your picture books: Pants! and Big Bother Brother. Pants! is all about the different kinds of pants that a person might wear in a day – fancy pants, cranky pants, etc. Big Bother Brother is about how big brothers can be such a big bother. But you know, maybe brothers aren’t so bad sometimes … What inspired each of these picture books? The inspiration for Pants! came from one my nieces and two of my nephews. For a while when I was babysitting them, the phrase ‘banana pants’ was the funniest thing to them, so I started using the idea of different pants to communicate more effectively with them. The idea for the book came out of that. As for Big Bother Brother, I have five brothers in total; four older and one younger. I’ve often said that I threw them under the bus to write this book (sorry, guys – love you!). What are your favourite scenes and illustrations from each book? I love the concept for the illustrations with Pants!; it was actually publisher Lacey Bakker’s idea that the characters should all be invisible, and it’s just the clothing and accessories that are moving. I think that’s such a cool concept, and illustrator Erin Cutler absolutely knocked it out of the park. I also love how this book has some colouring pages in the back, which allows readers to be creative in their own way. For Big Bother Brother, one of my own big brothers, Christopher Botting, did the line work on the illustrations. He’s super talented, and I’m so glad he was able to take this project on – he also did a phenomenal job! One of the coolest things about having my own brother do the line work is that he put in a bunch of different little Easter eggs – some that Pandamonium Publishing House fans will spot, and some that are more for close friends and family, including a few little touches from our childhood. What are the takeaways for both kids and parents for your picture books? Pants! is a great book to open a dialogue about emotions and actions, time and place. For instance, you might be ‘wearing’ your cranky pants or liar, liar pants on fire at the moment, but that doesn’t mean it’s permanent. Similarly, there’s a time and place for fancy pants or sports shorts. As for Big Bother Brother, like I said, I’m the second to youngest in my family. I wanted to acknowledge and affirm for kids that it’s pretty normal for siblings to get on each other’s nerves from time to time. But I also wanted to point out that even though it’s not always easy to get along, when we do, it can be really great.
I'm bringing ALL my books to my special pop-up store at Little Ghosts Books in Toronto (930 Dundas Street West, Toronto) THIS SATURDAY. That's right...ALL of my books will be there, including my "Trilogy of Horrifically Half-baked Ham" (Space Zombies! / They Suck / Horror at Terror Creek) plus copies of Space Zombies: 13 Months of Brain-Spinning Mayhem! on DVD; my middle-grade novel Peter Little Wing; and I'll bring along a few copies of my picture books, too...especially Mixter Twizzle's Breakfast! You can also meet the Mixter Twizzle puppet, who is half adorable, half scary... Then you can find me with my own table at the CNE Cat Show (Enercare Centre, Mezzanine, Hall D, Exhibition Place, Toronto) on Sunday! I will have all my picture books there, too, as well as Peter Little Wing, but the special feature that day will be my picture book Beverlee Beaz the Brown Burmese. Partial proceeds from Beverlee Beaz sales will go to the Annex Cat Rescue. Check out all the books I have to offer, discover a local horror & genre book shop, and enjoy all the diverse kitties (while also helping rescue cats) at my Saturday Pop-Up at Little Ghosts and my Sunday book vending table at the CNE Cat Show! We had such a great time sharing Mixter Twizzle's Breakfast with the camp kids at Simpson House at the Farm... 
I'm in an episode of "Bestest Day Ever With My Best Friend" on CBC Kids...Watch Now on CBC Gem!8/4/2023 I am proud to announce that I have appeared on an episode of Bestest Day Ever With My Best Friend produced by Lopii Productions & CBC Kids! I appear in the Stella and Snowy the Cats' Bestest Day Ever episode which aired at 9:38am Thursday August 3rd on CBC Kids and is now streaming on CBC Gem as of July 31st, along with all the other episodes! I'm there as Kuri K9 Massage, and a Feline Massage Therapist for Stella and Snowy's special spa day. Watch all the fabulous episodes on CBC Gem!
 Welcome, Gloria! First of all, tell me a bit about yourself, and your writing background. Yikes! I was never very good in school. Not behavior wise, but learning abilities. My reading was very slow, and I had a hard time staying focused, so I felt very self-conscious and always tried to get out of reading if I could. Reading the back of the book was my go-to for book reports. Which I found out later, (after getting found out!) was highly unacceptable to my teacher. Who knew… Lol! She was an amazing teacher (my favorite out of all) and she was quite understanding and helped me along afterwards. A few years back (2012 to be exact!) I decided to take a writing course from The Institute of Childrens Literature to write children's stories, which I felt very good about once I got started, and with the help of the fantastic instructors at the institute, I graduated with several stories under my belt, with one story almost ready to publish. But, you might say I was never a very good writer growing up, or as an adult, and never thought I would ever become a children's author, but with a lot of determination, and self control to stay focused and learning how to overcome my learning issues (which I still have,) a lot of patience, and to take breaks when I need it, I can feel successful knowing I have completed my new journey into publication. I find now that I have succeeded with my first book, I'm motivated to get my other stories in the works. Your picture book Something More Important was just re-released last month by Pandamonium Publishing, correct? Tell me about this story, and how you came to be with Pandamonium. Something More Important is a beautiful story to inspire children to think not only about themselves but about others around them. Although children are normally very thoughtful, loving and caring, sometimes children get inside their heads and think about their own wants and needs, and this story helps them to realize that sometimes there is something more important to think about at that time. With added activities and word descriptions and questions in the back of the book, it helps the children to communicate their thoughts and feelings and identify with the story. It's a fluke actually, how I came to be with Pandamonium Publishing House. I was at a small carnival in Niagara Falls and Lacey Bakker, the owner of Pandamonium was across the path from where I was at her book booth, and decided to check it out. After talking with Lacey for a while, I took a pamphlet. After 2 years, I finally called Lacey back and she spoke to me on the phone for probably an hour and a half about ideas she and I had about my book, and I was impressed with not only her knowledge but how willingly she was to spend that time with me. I… was….sold!! I never looked back after that and I am now published and extremely happy with the results! You were inspired to write this story by your sons Cody and Jordan, correct? Tell me about that. I was sitting at a friend's house with my sons, watching them playing with her children, and as I was watching them, the older boys took on the role of caregivers and made sure their toddler siblings were safe and didn't get hurt. I thought that was amazing how beautifully and willingly they took on that role. And sitting there, a story popped into my head. Although the story line changed several times throughout the editing process, I was finally finished the story. Because of this, I dedicated the book them. What is it you hope young readers (and listeners) take away from “Something More Important”? That sometimes we need to take a step back and think about why our plans get canceled. That sometimes, that reason is more important and maybe someone needs that time more than we do. That life isnt perfect, and when we think about others, it not only make us feel good about ourselves, it make the other person feel good too. What is your favourite moment from the book, and why? I'm not going to spoil it for you, but I love the end of the book, as it really shows Cody's heart and what he receives from being so thoughtful and forgiving. Im also very excited about the added features we put in the back of the book to bring it all together for the kids, and to help the parents and kids communicate and spend time together. What drew you to the Institute of Children’s Literature? I also took courses there! And what drew you to write children’s literature in general? Actually, I received a postcard in the mail with the words,"You can be a children's author," and after reading their content on the website, I knew I wanted to write my own children's book. Children were all around me in every aspect of my life at that time, and I knew it was the perfect fit for me. With the Institute's personal instructor teachings and help throughout the process, they made it a very positive experience. Tell me about the other stories you have written. Oh well… if I tell you that, the surprise will not be a surprise! I can tell you though, I have many stories in the works from mischievous, to funny, to adventure, and a little silly. Some animal characters may be added as well. But I'm still in the thinking process with a few stories. Do you plan to write more picture books? Or any other forms of children’s literature, or literature for adults? Yes, I really enjoyed writing my picture book, Something More Important. The other stories I have in the works are picture books, so I'm excited about that. I have thought about doing adult literature in the romance genre. I always implement my faith into stories as well, as I believe God is at the forefront of everything I do when I'm writing. What is your advice for aspiring children’s authors? Don't let your fears stop you from trying something new. If your thinking about writing… then do it! Just… start… writing, and see where it takes you. Even if it's one word, or sentence at a time. I never thought I would be a published author, and now look at me. If I can do it, so can you. I live by a saying, "face your fears and watch it disappear." I say that to myself everytime something is trying to hold me back, and then I talk myself out of that negative thinking. Then move forward. Keep climbing, and eventually you'll get to the top of that mountain. Tell me something about yourself that others probably don’t know about you. I'm a country girl at heart and live in the farm lands of Caistor Centre, Ontario, Canada. I was born in Welland, Ontario and raised in Fort Erie, Ontario, which at the time was mostly beautiful fields. My friends and I would walk down the side road (no sidewalks… gotta love it!) Picking wild strawberries at the roadside. Wild berries are the best and so flavorful! After meeting my husband 34years ago, we moved to the city. After having our two boys, we wanted out in the country again. Which is where we reside today. My favorite thing to do is sit outback sipping tea. My other favorite thing to do is off road with my kids, out in God's country.  My Review of Something More Important Figuring out what’s more important is a part of growing up.
Something More Important by Gloria White is a book about a youngster dealing with confusing feelings of anger stemming from a phone conversation his mother has that he overhears. He is upset with his mom and must decide whether or not to forgive her. He has lots of mixed emotions to grapple with when he later reads a book at school that reminds him of his baby brother, then hears further news tied to the phone call his mother received. This is a highly relatable tale and an excellent opportunity for children to read about rising above disappointment and anger, and to work through their feelings with maturity. Who hasn’t been mad at one or both of their parents at some point? But growing up sometimes means figuring out what’s more important, and doing the right thing. This book gets that message across. There’s a great section at the back that includes questions meant to facilitate discussion with your children, as well as a helpful glossary of words, a maze, and a “find the five teddy bears” game. I think it’s a great idea to include activities after the story. And the illustrations by Kelly Ulrich are absolutely delightful. 5 stars! 🧅 It’s National Onion Day on June 27th 🧅 🥝 Onion just happens to be the name of the little blue penguin—best friend to Peter—in my middle-grade novel, “Peter Little Wing” 🥝 🎂 AND June 27th is also Onion’s Birthday!!! 🎂 💙 So, let’s celebrate all things Onion today—including this sweet character from “Peter Little Wing” 💙 Get your copy of “Peter Little Wing”: https://www.reganwhmacaulay.com/peter-little-wing.html 🐶 It’s National Dog Party Day… …and World Day of Music 🎼 🐩 You know what’s perfect for both of these days? DOG BAND—my picture book featuring four dogs asking all their animal friends what kind of music their band should play! 🎤 Get your copy NOW and show the kids in your life how this Dog Band likes to party 🎉 🎈🎶 https://www.reganwhmacaulay.com/dog-band.html It's Animal Rights Awareness Week, which occurs the third week of June every year (June 19 to 25 this year), and this week raises awareness about animal welfare and how to best protect and respect animals. 🦥 Topics for this week include: animal cruelty, puppy mills, animal testing, and more. 🐇 The week was first established and observed in 1991 by the In Defense of Animals organization. Each year, it is observed to raise public awareness about global animal rights issues and speak up for animals that humans have exploited for millennia. 🦢 With my picture book, “Tamara Turtle’s Life So Far”, I aim to teach children about the plight of both pet and wild, invasive and native turtles and their rights. And partial proceeds go to Little RES Q Reptile Rescue to help them help turtles, too. 🐢 In my picture book, “Chloe the Unfeathered Parrot”, I tell children the story of Chloe to teach them about parrot rights and rescues. And partial proceeds go to The Parrot Sanctuary, also featured in the book. 🦜 What would you like to do this week to raise awareness about animal rights?  |
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