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!

For those of you who know me, I am a huge Marvel fan. (For those of you who don't and read this blog, I'm sure this comes as no surprise.) I took my kids to see Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness this week. Why did I rush to see it? Well, my kids were insistent, and they wanted to see it before the movie got spoiled for them by the other kids at school. Seriously, why would they do that? It just seems mean. They'd already had No Way Home ​spoiled for them at school before we could get to see it together, and the bitterness still ran strong within them. Stop spoiling the movies guys!

Two out of my three kids were nervous about the movie. They had heard that it was the closest thing Marvel had to a Horror film. The third one, well, Phillip was more excited than I had ever seen him about something like this. This kid? We watched Poltergeist together and he said it wasn't scary at all. We tried Insidious- not scary. Guys, I'm at a loss. He wants to be scared, and I don't want to inadvertently traumatize him. I'm open to suggestions. Please send them my way.

Well, the good news was that all three of them loved the movie.  No one was scared, and we had a great time. The conversation on the way home was lively, and we discussed the various character arcs and wether or not we agreed with how they were handled. (I'm torn, but the kids thought things were handled brilliantly. Eh, what do they know? They're eleven.) I say that we talked in the car, because the kids are aware of my policy- No discussing the movie out loud as other people are waiting to see it!

I suppose this rule is similar to a rule I share with my husband when we see theatre- no critiquing the play in public within a five kilometer radius of the theatre. You just never know who is sitting around you. And if you thought the play sucked, you don't want to say that in front of a cast member, or a member of the production team. (We know people this happened to.) The reasoning behind it is different, but the spirit of the rule is the same.

But, back to the movie- what I can say without getting too spoilery is this: Hailey has a new favourite superhero. America Chavez captured her interest from the second she got on screen. It was great watching my daughter watching her. So far, Hailey's favourites of Scarlet Witch, and Wonder Woman were adults. They seemed to be unattainable figures, and aspirational in a way that America just isn't. She seems more real to Hailey- a kid like her. It helps that she's played so well by Xochitl Gomez. Hailey, like all the other girls in her class (and her brothers), absolutely loved The Babysitters' Club on Netflix (a cancellation, that like Julie and the Phantoms really upset our entire household. Seriously Netflix. WTF?) and Xochitl was Hailey's favourite actor on the show. She ended up liking the new Dawn, but it just wasn't the same. So seeing a real kid up there, kicking butt on the bog screen was amazing for her to see. We can't wait to see what happens next with her. We got home, and Phillip immediately handed her his collection of Young Avengers comics so she could have more Amerca Chavez!

If you've read my books, you know I'm all for representation. It matters. And knowing that there are more characters out there representing all sorts of people, I'm excited to see what's next. Bring on Ms. Marvel, and SheHulk​, and all of it. I'm ready, and so are my kids!

For those of you who follow this site, you know that I have written a sweet little Middle Grade novel with my son Joseph. It's called Lucky at Bat, ​and you can find out more about it on this page here. What I am super excited to announce is that it is being published! Lucky at Bat will be a published book with Koëhler Books on November 22, 2022. 

Joseph will be able to call himself a published author at age eleven, and as a kid who was never really into reading, the fact that he has worked so hard to create the world of Jack- a baseball loving eleven-year-old boy, and his pet rats, I am so proud. 

I am throwing Joseph into the world of writing, and this past Tuesday, he had his first taste of it. We took Lucky at Bat to Bampot tea house and did a reading from it. Much kudos goes to Jen Frankel for hosting and inviting us! (Everybody, buy her books. Undead Redhead is amazing!) It's been way too long since we saw each other in person. Joseph was in his element, schmoozing around and making friends with the other writers, and performers. He certainly didn't get this from me. I am far more introverted. Give me a script, and I'm good to go, but put me in a room full of strangers, no matter what we have in common, and I tend to clam up. 

We started the evening with Joseph bluntly telling me all the things I got wrong in the intro I wrote for him to say (thanks, Jo!). I took his corrections with aplomb. We found our window seat pillow pile, ordered our teas and freshly popped popcorn, and we were on our way. 

This time, Joseph didn't read. He was more into the snacks and the people. But he got up to the mic, said his piece, and he was proud of himself. He should be. It was far more than I was able to accomplish at my first reading. (Spoiler alert- I chickened out on reading, and cozied up to a cheese plate instead.)

Soon, Joseph will be up to his eyeballs in cover art, edits, and marketing. It will be an education for him, and he is working on growing his love of books. Any recommendations for an eleven-year-old who loves rats and baseball are always appreciated. 

More news on Lucky at Bat will be forthcoming. I will be sure to keep you all updated here. Joseph, we are ALL proud of you.