Welcome to My Blog
Writer in Residence
Yup, that’s me. But don’t mistake me for someone who has been hired by the local university or library to offer advice and suggestions to budding writers. That’s not the case at all. it’s just that the COVID-19 pandemic has meant everyone is safer staying at home....
One book to move you
"One book to move you" is the theme of this year's Canada Reads. From March 25-28, a panel of celebrities will engage in five hourlong discussions, defending their book of choice. Although one book is eliminated each day, the celebrity advocate remains to debate and...
An Evening with Jean Chrétien
A consummate story teller, Jean Chrétien shares personal and professional anecdotes about his decade as Canada’s Prime Minister from his book, My Stories, My Times.
The Boy on the Beach
The world remembers the photo of two-year-old Alan Kurdi, who died on a beach while his family was escaping the war in Syria. His aunt Tima Kurdi,a Vancouver-based journalist, was among the over 70 local, national and international authors invited to present at...
Home Children
The newly-written subplot of my novel, Finding Home, underscores the mistreatment of the Home Children and the suspicion with which they were viewed. The earliest child immigrants were brought to Canada in 1869 by Annie Macpherson, who predated the better-known Dr....
Recruit
The origin of this personal memoir was an exercise at my Writers’ Group. We had all contributed one word to ‘the hat’. At each meeting we read a short piece of writing based on the word drawn the previous week. This was my response to ‘Recruit’. I was happy with the...
The National War Memorial
Barricaded and fenced. Accessibility denied. The National War Memorial in downtown Ottawa has been cordoned off from the public since April for 'major restoration'. The work will be completed in time for the Remembrance Day ceremony on November 11th. I was sad not to...
Throwing rocks at Sarah
Our novel, Finding Home follows: 1) Sarah, an English orphan as she makes her way to Canada in 1870 to find her family, and 2) Richard, the privileged son of a sawmill owner who is trying to find his place in the world and regain his father's respect. When the...