Today is Kidlit Postcard Day, when illustrators publish charming samples of their current artwork. This little girl, communing with her baby bird friends, is the main character in my soon-to-be released picture book, called "Springtime is Waiting". It's about beauty, new life in nature, and learning to be patient. I'm hoping to publish it in October. That's a bit out of season, but the art and the message are timeless. If you'd like a heads-up for more information, please sign up for my newsletter!

Here it is August already, and I'm still working on my next book. My spring and summer were very busy, as I helped my son, and his lovely bride, prepare for their wedding. The beautiful ceremony took place in St Albert Botanical Gardens and was filled with colourful roses. I took pictures of the flowers as inspiration for my summer story. Only three more pages to finish on my upcoming book (working title - Spring is Waiting). I'm excited to finish soon and share it with you. 

Last week, we had a wonderful time at the Jasper Museum and Archives. We held a book talk, read "Warmest Winter Heart" out loud, and enjoyed the company of old friends and a whole gaggle of tourists from China. It was a rainy weekend, but I was able to get out into the forest and take reference photos for my next picture book called (I think) "Waiting for Spring." I took some lovely photos of wild rose branches, just about to bud. My next few weeks will be dedicated to working on spring palettes drawings. It is nice to paint with soft pinks, blues, and a wide assortment of greens and browns. 

I'm so excited! Only a few more sleeps until the "Warmest Winter Heart" Book Launch. I've crafted some cute colouring books and bookmarks to hand out, and I'm practising my best read aloud voice. There will be goodies galore and time to colour and chat. You can pick up a copy of "Warmest Winter Heart" and I'll be thrilled to write an inscription for you and sign it personally.

I just learned how to generate a QR code that links directly to my book on Amazon. I'm going to put it on this blog post to see if it works. If it does, I'll print it on labels and stick them on all the little bookmarks I'm handing out. How does it work? No idea! My guess is dark magic, but I really don't know.

Everyone is invited to a book release party on May 8th, at VASA in St Albert. Join me from 6:00 to 8:00 for a reading and a sneak peek at my work in progress - a book about SPRING. Children are very welcome. There will be goodies, punch, and colouring activities. If you already purchased "Warmest Winter Heart" from Amazon.ca I would be happy to write a personal inscription for you. Books will be available at the party, as well. Hope to see you there.

"Warmest Winter Heart" is now available on Amazon. If your little ones like cozy stories with cute and original illustrations, this is the book for you. I'm thrilled to present my debut picture book and I hope you'll love reading it as much as I loved writing and illustrating it. The first few pages set the scene for a magical snowy adventure. 

After many setbacks, delays, and some teeth-knashing levels of frustration, I finally pushed the PUBLISH button today. Getting a book out into the world is a bit more challenging than I thought. I had to go through two rounds of revising book drafts, and the subsequent technical difficulties, but I got my little book to a place where there is nothing else to correct. I am a terrible perfectionist and have always found it difficult in both my art work and my writing to be satisfied with what I've created. However, at this point, I think Warmest Winter Heart is exactly what I dreamed it could be. Although it was frustrating to make mistakes and to have to understand all sorts of technical stuff, I know that my next picture book will be so much easier because of everything I learned in the process. So now I wait a few more days and the book will be available on Amazon. In the meantime, I am going to work on my new SPRING book (next in the series) and celebrate with a nice cup of cardamom tea!

Happy St. Patrick's Day. I can't believe it's already mid-March. I had hoped to publish my debut picture book LAST month, but the whole self-publication thing has a very steep learning curve. Formatting is proving the most difficult step so far. But, I'm almost there. A few more little difficulties to overcome and my book will be ready to go! 

Some wonderful people are planning to host book launches to introduce "Warmest Winter Heart" with a bit of a flare! I'm so grateful that they are excited about my little book's debut. Coffee, juice, and goodies will definitely be involved. I'm not sure of exact dates but one book launch will be in Edmonton, and a second will be in Jasper. Updates to follow soon.

It's snowy outside, but inside a cup of tea is brewing and homemade bread is warm from the oven. I love working on my books. Writing and drawing bring me such joy during these difficult times. In a cold and often cruel world, I find that the act of creating something beautiful, something warm and heartfelt, is the best way to create an oasis of peace. My stories are about children enjoying friendships, and discovering how to be brave, kind, accepting, and resilient. They are set in a lovely forest and feature the little things that kids notice - twigs, flowers, pinecones and pebbles. The more we teach our children to love and appreciate nature, family, friends, and community, the more we can help to heal the world.