Okay, so it's a lot less than a week. It's actually... four days! Four days and one of my kids can call themselves a published author! That's right, on December 20, Lucky At Bat will officially be out, just in time for the holidays! It will be the third night of Chanukah, and four days before Christmas Eve. So, you all know you want to preorder your copy. Right? (*wink, wink, nudge, nudge*) So, hop on down to Amazon, or to Barnes and Noble and get your orders in. I mean, look at that little face. How can you say no to it?

There's also the added bonus that a portion of all proceeds is going to Teeny Snoots Rat Rescue. Doesn't that just give you the warm fuzzies? You get the gift of literature, and you get to help these adorable little animals. What's not to love about that?

In other bookish news, I have finished going through my substantive edits of The Crash of Worlds. So all followers of the Sitnalta saga are finally going to see what happens next in the Kingdom of Colonodona. This book has been a long time coming, and I have worked so hard on this particular manuscript. I can't wait to take the story where it's headed next. My plans for Book Four are quite different from anything else that my characters have had to face before. Could it be... Sitnalta the Horror Story? Or maybe more of a mystery? It's all a surprise. Revel in the suspense!

It's December! In exactly two weeks, Lucky At Bat will have its official release. That's right, December 20, 2022 is the date that this book will be officially out in the world. As of right now, you can pre-order the book on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble. So, please do, and help the little ratties at Teeny Snoots Rat Rescue! Because, as I've said before, a portion of all proceeds goes to help them stay open, and help more of these little animals. 

What's happening as we gear up for release day? Well, Joseph and I will be participating at the Leo Baeck Day School book fair! I am ridiculously excited for this. As a Leo Baeck alumni, the book fair was my absolute favourite time of the year. I would show up with my allowance, and a little extra from my parents, and I would browse the displays set up in the school gym, buying the latest Goosebumps or Fear Streets (when I was a bit older) as well as stickers and cool looking pencils. I never once thought that I'd be an actual part of it one day. But we will be there with all of my books, as well as a Leo Baeck exclusive! Joseph and I will be setting up with Advance Reader Copies of Lucky At Bat! So to help both the rats, and the Leo Baeck library, we will have ARCs on sale at the fair for whoever gets there first. 

Joseph will also be doing readings for the first time ever. He is a bit nervous about this, and I completely understand. I still get butterflies every time I have to stand up in front of an audience and read from my books. But I know that he will be awesome. 

​Anyways, check out baby me! 

Can you find me in this picture? Here. Let me help you a little bit...

I look ridiculously happy about something. I have no clue what it is. All I know is that I'm currently thrilled that ancient photographic technology means that this is in black and white, and you don't see my braces in this blur, or the fact that at age thirteen, I thought it was the height of fashion to match my braces elastics to the season. Since class photos were done usually in the Fall, I was probably wearing a pattern of Halloween black and orange on my teeth. Wasn't I the absolute coolest? (Insert eyeroll emoji here.)

But I digress. School book fairs were the best. Weren't they? I am definitely looking forward to tomorrow. The me in that picture would be beside herself with joy if she knew what her future held in that regard. Let's go!

This week was Halloween. The kids went trick or treating for the first time in two years. Phillip ended up going later than his siblings, because this year he's on a rep basketball team for the first time, and his team had a practice. 

So, Hailey took Joseph around the neighbourhood with their bubbie. I say that Hailey took Joseph because, while she was practically dressed as Robin from Stranger Things, Joseph was an inflatable T-Rex. The costume wasn't the most practical for climbing up and down porches, and visibility wasn't great, but he was determined that this was what he was going to be, and stuck to it.

I took Phillip around after his practice, and we hit up the few houses that were still doling out candy. Happily, his coach had provided loot bags of treats for the kids at practice, and some came in costumes, which were discarded as soon as practice formally started. Phillip said that Halloween was fun for him. Any day that he gets to play basketball is a good day for him. 

What Monday also was, was Loki and GusGus's Gotcha Day. Last Halloween, Teeny Snoots Rat Rescue came to our home, and Loki and GusGus chose Joseph as their boy, and our house as their home. Here's a bit of what that looked like in 2021.

Each of the kids celebrates the day they got their animal in their own way. Hailey celebrates her hedgehog Sonic in July, and gives him treats and extra cuddles. Phillip celebrates his gerbil Stitch in August, and gives him new toy chewies that he goes through quickly (the little guy loves to chew!) and lets him climb all over his shoulders in a game of tag where Phillip is it, and the course for Stitch to run all over. GusGus and Loki celebrate with cuddles, and many many extra little ratty "doughnuts" (treats for small animals that are crunchy and good for them).

We all celebrate our pets in our own way. Simba, our dog gets special treats on his birthday every year, and gets lots of pets. What do you do to celebrate your furry little (or big) family members?

Well, it's crunch time as we gear up for December 20, and the release of Lucky At Bat! But guess what? You don't have to wait until that day to order the book! What's that? Oh, yes, the book is available right now on PRESALE!  You can just hop on over here and preorder your copy! This way you can rest easy knowing that you've done your part to support a young author (Joseph, not me, as he keeps pointing out with regards to my age.) and you have supported a wonderful rat rescue in Teeny Snoots.

I really should write commercials. 

Now, what else am I up to besides shilling my books? Well, now that the school year is in full swing, this means that I am back to my other job of being an unpaid taxi service for my children. This year, they switched schools, and can no longer walk themselves to school. So, every morning I drive them, and every afternoon I pick them up. I am also driving Phillip to basketball practice several times a week, and Hailey has taken up riding.

I am very proud of Phillip, as he has made a Rep Basketball team for the very first time! He is an official team member of the Avengers! (I question the legality of this, but then he also tried out for the Warriors and I wonder how these little leagues get away with this, and then my head hurts.) Joseph is trying out for each and every team possible at his new school. He is also a part of the school play and he and Phillip are part of the school's Dungeons and Dragons club. (Which to their eternal disappointment is NOT called Hellfire.)

This year was also our first year as season's tickets holders for the Toronto Blue Jays, and the kids loved being able to take turns seeing the games, watching their team work to get to post season. Joseph and I were at the last game we played in the WildCard series. Here is us, as the game started:

So excited in our jerseys. Mine said Romano on the back, and Joseph's was for his favourite player- Teoscar Hernandez. We started out that day so happy. We got to the stadium early, watched the Jays do some batting practice. Joseph got to meet Hazel Mae, and told her all about how he's a catcher for his Little League team. The game started and our team was doing so well! And then...

I don't want to talk about that. I did not take a picture commemorating the end of the game. But, there's always next year! Right? Right?

At least Joseph and Phillip ended their season champions. Let's see what that looks like:

Look at these boys! So happy! So winning! So Champions!

Now we're focused on Phillip's basketball season, and Joseph is excited for Loki and GusGus's gotcha day. Halloween has become so much more festive now that our little ratties have joined the family. 

So, in honour of Halloween, and Loki and GusGus, why not pop over to that link in the first paragraph and do your thing?

​(Nailed that commercial!)

You guys did it! Nearly 1,500 of you voted, and a cover was chosen! Of the two choices, which one won the day? Well, drum roll please.....


​It was this one!

Look at how cute that little ratty looks! You know, I think that may actually be GusGus on that cover. He's going to be so pleased. He's now a famous little guy. The people have spoken, and I think that the people did an excellent job picking a cover. (Don't tell Hailey that. She was rooting for the other cover.)

Now, wait here for more Lucky At Bat news, and a preorder date will be forthcoming! That's right, you will all be able to order your copies soon! I know that Joseph can't wait to get his hands on an author copy. It just doesn't feel real until you can see, feel, and smell the book in person. (In case you can't tell, I am a book smeller. Ebooks don't have a thing on the tactile experience of flipping through actual pages.) How about you guys? How will you read Lucky At Bat? On your Nooks, Kindles, Kobos, phones, or as an actual page turnable papery wonder? (My bias is definitely showing.) Sound out about it below!

I'll be honest with you. Having a book published hasn't been this much fun in a while. I don't know if it's the company I'm keeping, or what, but I'm having a blast. Working with illustrator Erin Cutler has been great. Both Joseph and I were ecstatic to see the drawings she did of our characters Lucky, GusGus, and Fred. (Who's Fred? Well, you'll just have to read the book to find out!) But I think that part of what's made the process so much fun is seeing the publishing world through Joseph's eyes. Everything is new again, and so much of his excitement was rooted in the creation of our cover. He had a very definitive idea of what he wanted this book to look like. We discussed these ideas with the publisher, and were given four options. Each of these Joseph and I discussed together, and narrowed it down to the final two. And this is where the title of the post comes in! 

Drumroll please.......

We are having a cover poll! That's right! We need your help to decide which of these two lovely covers ends up being the perfect fit for Lucky At Bat! Now let's take a look at them both:

OOOOOhhh...

AAAAAhhh...

So, which one should it be? Sound off in the comments. But, even more importantly, hop on over to Koëhler Books' website and VOTE! That's right, you can vote, and see how many people agree with your taste (or, even better, DISagree with your taste) in real time. Let's get as many votes in as possible, and share it with your family and friends. Let's get as many people's opinions as possible, so we can figure this out. Let's get Lucky his time in the spotlight, and the best darn cover possible!

Click on over, right here!

This may be a shorter one today. This week GusGus had his follow up appointment, and it went very well. He had his stitches out, and we got the histology report on his tumour. Joseph and I are very happy to report that there was no malignancy! GusGus is slated to make a full recovery and to hopefully live a long, and healthy ratty life! To say that Joseph is over the moon is an understatement. We are all very happy with this news. 

I can not express enough how important it is for your pets to get regular check ups. Even the littlest of animals should be seen by a vet every now and then. They can't talk to you and let you know how they're feeling, or if they're hurting. A little bit of preventative care can do a world of good. 

In related ratty news, I just had my cover art meeting with Koehler Books for Lucky at Bat. Joseph was stuck in school, so I had to handle it on my own. Good news is that Joseph had already expressed his vision for the cover to me at length and in great detail. I have to say that I am very excited to see what they come up with based on our ideas. It is going to be adorable! No. Joseph doesn't want this to be adorable. It is going to be... bad ass. (Can an eleven year old say that? He probably would even if I asked him not to. Oh well.)

Now, here's the man of the hour. Our newly healed GUSGUS! (He's helping me blog today.)

You can see in the pictures above, that he still has a bit of a bald patch from the surgery, but the fur is growing back nicely. He isn't the Frankenrat he was before, so that's a good thing. And he is climbing about and moving around as if nothing happened at all. He's back to his cuddly, happy self again! 

Hey everyone! This might be a bit of a longer one, since I've missed a few weeks. August has always been a hectic month for me, with Pirate Fest, and FanExpo coming right at its heels. This year, we also took our first family vacation in two and a half years, and drove to Montreal. As for writing stuff, Lucky at Bat is coming along, and we have some news about its status! We are delayed, but just a bit. With everything since the pandemic, the publishing business has had some delays as well. The good news is that it's only been delayed by a few weeks. Our new date is... December 20th, 2022. So, we'll have a preorder date in time for holiday orderings, and some ARCs coming soon. As this is Joseph's first book, he has been following this whole process with fascination. He came with me to every day of Toronto FanExpo; attending my panels, learning how to sell books, and seeing just why I am utterly exhausted at the end of August each year. He became a photographer, learned the ins and outs on convention food, and why the hotdogs are pretty terrible, and saw first hand the hard work cosplayers put into their costumes. It was a great experience for him, and he can't wait to go back!

Once FanExpo was over, it was time to head back to real life. Lucky at Bat is going to have some gorgeous illustrations for each chapter, drawn for us by the incredibly talented Erin Cutler. I sent her pictures of Joseph's very real rats- Loki and GusGus, who are the inspiration for our fictional ratty protagonists- Lucky and GusGus. I can say that I have seen all the pictures done for the book, and they are absolutely perfect. (You can catch a sneak peak of one of them here.) I can honestly not say enough good things about being a rat owner. They are exceedingly affectionate, intelligent, and just so darn cute! I mean, look at their little faces!

But I have to say, it doesn't matter if you have a dog, cat, gerbil, hedgehog, rat, or any kind of pet. You have to be responsible for them no matter what. And we had a great example of that with GusGus following FanExpo. It was discovered that he had a lump just over his left shoulder. The vet told us that this was a tumour, and strongly suggested he go into surgery to have it removed. Of course we want our animals to be healthy and comfortable so we said yes. 

Things I never thought I'd be doing: Cutting a sock into a rat vest so he doesn't chew on his sutures, and learning to administer pain killers via oral syringe to a cuddly rat who keeps trying to climb down my shirt to avoid the drugs! But with Joseph's help, we are making this work. We anxiously await the histology results on his tumour, but we remain optimistic. GusGus is in good spirits, and still acts like his cuddly self (even with a giant bald patch on his back from surgery). Loki awaits the day that he and GusGus can be reunited for playdates. This will happen next week, after all of his stitches are removed. 

​These little guys are Joseph's pets and he loves them so much. Next month, on Halloween it will be the first anniversary of the day he got them. We are using Lucky at Bat as a fundraiser for the rescue that we adopted them from. Teeny Snoots Rat Rescue does fantastic work rehabilitating rats, and finding homes for all the little ratties who need them. Check out their instagram for pictures of all the adoptable little ratties and the pet boxes they have for the small animals you already have in your life. 

Keep GusGus in your thoughts, and we'll keep you updated.

It's been way too long guys! I have to say that out of all the events I've done as an author, my absolute favourite has to be the Ontario Pirate Festival! Why? Well, it's three days in a field, dressed as a pirate, eating pirate-y grub, enjoying great entertainment, and surrounded by some awesome people! What's not to love?

It's been a while since I've last done this, and my fellow vendors and I were frequently talking about how we'd forgotten "how to people". So many people showed up to partake in the festival. It seemed they'd all missed this as much as I did. The place was totally hopping. Hailey was away at overnight camp for the very first time, so her brothers took turns being there with me, and in exploring the festival. They each had their own favourite bits: Joseph adored Blackbeard's animals, and definitely the Pickle Man. Phillip was very much a fan of the Mud Show. (Maybe a little too much of a fan.) As for myself, I was just so happy to be back in that field with all my fellow pirates!

​And now, for the pictures!

I think the mudshow performers need to watch out. Phillip is definitely gunning for their jobs!

What's next for me? Well, I am set to be a guest at Toronto FanExpo! Hope to see you there!

It's been over two years of waiting, but the Toronto Fringe Festival is back! Back in 2020, I had two shows written and waiting to premiere as a part of the Toronto Fringe Festival's KidsFest: Jay & Shilo: Prop Catastrophe and Jay & Shilo: Nightmare Neighbours. But the pandemic hit, and the festival was cancelled. We managed to film and put together the short film Jay & Shilo: Phrantic Phone Call. But, as much fun as it was to do that (rehearsals over Zoom! Our actors filmed themselves! There was no audience reaction because it was all virtual!), it just wasn't the same. I missed the camaraderie that I associate with the Fringe, all my theatre friends, the Beer Tent, hanging out, being a part of a live audience, and hearing the reactions of the kids to the antics of the actors on stage. So, my shows were shelved, and I kept telling myself that it was all temporary. Then 2021 happened, and once again, no Fringe, and we deferred our spots one more year.

Finally, this year, we got the announcement that it was finally going ahead! Nightmare Neighbours and Prop Catastrophe are a go! We have put together a cast, and a crew, and a team, and we are currently hard at work rehearsing and learning the shows. I have to admit that I feel a bit rusty when it comes to putting a show together. But I am reminding myself as I go. The almost fly by the seat of your pants aspect that feels so Fringe is definitely here. Can I build a video camera out of shoe boxes and toilet paper rolls? Certainly. Can I steal my children's toys and Halloween costumes for my show? Of course! Can I spend a stupid amount of hours sourcing and finding theatre cubes and then find out that they do not fit in my car? Absolutely. But just like every year, the shows will go on, and they will be epic, and hilarious, and I will probably cry from happiness that this is actually happening.

Rehearsals look a little different with masks, and sanitizers on the stage managers' desk. But the enthusiasm is here, and it is inspiring to see. I honestly can't wait until opening.

Our art! I am so excited!

The Toronto Fringe Festival KidsFest is at St. Vladimir Theatre, 620 Spadina Avenue.

KidsFest information and tickets are available here. See you at the Fringe!