And another month goes by…


I am not much farther along than I was last month, although I can feel the heat of the fire that someone needs to light under me.

The release of my new book is just over a month away. Already I made a short intro video for United Library Service reps to use as they promote my book, and agreed to do a Schools Presentation for Vancouver’s Readers and Writers Festival and perhaps talk to the media about the book in relation to the presentation. And I am working with fellow author Jacquie Pearce – whose own book What Aniamls Want: The Five Freedoms’ comes out the same day as mine – to create a series of three short videos ‘She Said / She Said’ in which we interview each other about our books. Oh – and I am also working on a book trailer for my own book, which you will see here first.

The next thing to do is to pin down just how and where to do a book launch. I am hoping it will be hosted by the First Unitarian Fellowship of Nanaimo as 25% the the author roylaties from the book will go to the Unitarian Shelter they oversee, and I am a member of that supportive and loving community.

Problem is – How? In person with limited numbers? On Zoom? Where? In person at the Fellowship Hall or by Zoom? I am hoping that Nanaimo’s Windowseat Books will be the launch bookselller, and that I can pitch the launch to both Fellowship members, my writing freinds and peers, family and anyone interested in the issue of homelessness.

It’s a lot to get my head around given the shifting circustmances of COVID. And more and more it’s looking like this will be an online event. But I must ‘get my finger out’ and make some decisions.

But whatever else I decide and how I plan to do it, I do hope my writing mojo will come back. My creative energies have recently been directed into sketching and watercolours… and I just don’t seem to have the urge to do much with words on paper, right now. Possibly because the whole process of promotion and making ‘art’ uses completely different parts of my brain than writing.

An early ‘dabble’. One of my favourite views in the world. The Seven Sisters, from Seaford Head, Sussex, UK.


It’s been a while

COVID – and life – seems to have upended all my routines and messed with my goals in recent months. But I have managed to plod on, word by word, line by line, and have especially enjoyed the magic of dipping in and out of picture book stories – older ones languishing in my files, and a few new ones. And I even have a few out on submission now.

But the past week or so I have been preoccupied with the intracies of iMovie and Zoom’s recording function as I struggle to put together a couple of videos and book trailers to help promote my forthcoming book.

All the technology is there. But my tolerance for and patience with it is diminishing. Even a recent update on this platform has got me frustrated and confused. Which could explain my recent blog silence.

But I will keep at it. And soon, I hope, be able to post a clip or two of a conversation with another writer whose latest book releases on the same day as mine, and a trailer for mine. Meanwhile, stay tuned for that, as well as details as events and activities around the Oct. release and book launch for SHELTER: HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

And perhaps, if I’m lucky, I might even some good news about one of those pieces drifting out there in the publishing ether.