Member News

 

Valerie Behiery‘s (Member at Large) novel From Curse to Conversion is available through Amazon and Kindle. Her publisher, Book Publishing Pros, say they love it. Happy reading!

Glenn Niemi (Member at Large) was pleasantly surprised to have his nonfiction story, “Musical Rides: My Roadtrips to Rock Royalty in 1974″, published in the webzine Rock n’ Heavy on October 2, 2024.

 

Melanie Marttila (Member-at-Large) is pleased to announce the publication of three of her poems in The /tεmz/ Review, Issue 28, Summer 2024. She was also honoured to be part of the literary lineup for Wordstock 2024 Festival. Melanie and Kelsey Borgford were in the “Poetry Primer”, moderated by Sudbury’s current poet laureate, Alex Tétreault, on November 1, 2024, at Place des Arts in Sudbury. Melanie’s debut poetry collection, The Art of Floating, was published by Latitude 46 and you can order your copy at Latitude 46, Chapters-Indigo, and Amazon.ca.

 

Susan Wadds’ (Member-at-Large) debut novel, What the Living Do, is a finalist for the Canadian Book Club Awards, and has received a stunning review from Foreword Reviews: “A novel of beauty and bracing nuance, What the Living Do follows a woman’s reconciliation to the pains of her past in pursuit of a better future.” See the full review at https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/what-the-living-do/.

 

Margaret Lynch‘s (Toronto chapter) essay “Talisman” was published in 805 Lit + Art (Vol. 10, Issue 1), an award-winning US-based literary magazine. explores a belief in superstition, prophecy, and good luck charms as the “need for a magical tapestry of faith in the presence of life’s threats, a way for me to believe that the universe has my back.” Available at https://www.805lit.org/10-1-cnf-margaret-lynch. Her essay “Endangered” was published in The Examined Life Journal, Vol. 11, and is available at https://theexaminedlifejournal.com/. Margaret won the 2020 Penguin Random House best nonfiction book proposal prize for TRANSFORMED: When My DNA Changed, So Did I. The National Post published an excerpt on July 4, 2020, “How my sister’s cells attacked my body, and changed my life.” 

 

Pam Clark (Advocacy Committee Member/Member-at-Large) is thrilled to share that two of her poems have been published in The Prairie Journal, A Magazine of Canadian Literature, #82.  “Clouds” explores sharing a child’s grief and “Peaks and Valleys” transports readers to the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia. You can connect with Pam at https://pamelak2023.wordpress.com/.

 

Kati Lyon-Villiger‘s (National Capital Region chapter) latest book, The Rahel Poems, has just been released and is available worldwide, penned under Kati’s pseudonym Klothild de Baar. The Rahel Poems is a diverse assortment and mixture of poems, ranging from the horrors of wars to the glory of love, and from the whimsical to the poignant.

 

Susan Wadds (Member-at-Large) thought it pretty sweet that River Street Writing invited her to write a guest blog on how her life experiences dovetailed with her debut novel, What the Living Do (Regal House Publishing, 2024). Susan also spoke on What the Living Do during a recent interview with Tara Patey for the podcast, Canada Reads American Style. You can listen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYlSMQr2cy0.

 

Deborah L. Cannon’s (Toronto chapter) feature article “Social Justice in Crime Fiction” was published in the Summer 2024 quarterly print issue of Mystery and Suspense Magazine. Quoting from her article, “By exposing the dark corners where society hides its flaws, crime fiction might be the perfect vehicle to address social justice”. It is also available in free digital download at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Summer2024.pdf.

 

Karen Gansel (Niagara chapter), beloved CAA member and long-serving Board member, passed away in January 2025. Her novel The Inheritance can still be enjoyed and is available for purchase in both hardback and paperback copy. Read the story of Sarah, a single mother with an adolescent daughter, Jasmine, struggling with the conflicts from her own dysfunctional family which causes her to behave in infuriating ways with those she loves. Buy it online at www.amazon.com, www.kobo.com, or www.newfictionwriter.com. 

 

Gordon K. Jones (Toronto chapter) new crime fiction, Fighting for Decency, was released by DarkWinter Press on June 24 and is available in print and e-book at https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Decency-Gordon-K-Jones. A private investigator on his first case finds himself attempting to assist the police in taking down a new violent white supremist organization.

 

Ewa Anderson (Toronto chapter) has published The Copper Briar, the second book in her dystopian trilogy, Sabanto. Discover the truth of the new world through the eyes of strong female characters, , where the value of a human being is diminished, worker safety is a myth, and healthcare is only available with the employer’s permission.

 

Louise Rachlis (National Capital Region chapter) had her story “Technology 101” selected for inclusion in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Young at Heart. Louise has previously had stories published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: O Canada – The Wonders of Winter and Chicken Soup for the Grandparents Soul. Louise wrote the book Feeling Good: Life lessons from my friends 10 years ago for her 65th birthday. Now, the Ottawa writer has created a new paperback, Feeling Good II, a compilation of how 12 contributors managed the Covid years. You can order Feeling Good II through https://www.lulu.com.

 

Susan Wadds (Member at Large) is proud to share a remarkable review of her debut novel, What the Living Do (Regal House Publishing, 2024), written by Pushcart-nominated author Joanna Acevedo and published in The Masters Review. Read the review in full at https://mastersreview.com/book-review-what-the-living-do-by-susan-e-wadds/.

 

Kamal Parmar‘s (BC chapter) most recent poetry book, Vanishing into the Blue, is available at https://www.amazon.ca/Vanishing-Into-Blue-Kamal-Parmar/dp/1774032937. Kamal served as Poet Laureate of the City of Nanaimo from 2021 until 2024, having her term extended.

 

C. Fitton (Toronto Branch) is excited to announce the publication of her debut novel, Her Dead Boyfriend, a gripping thriller infused with obsession, betrayal, and murder. Available for purchase through Amazon at https://www.cfitton.com/.

 

Jane Callen (BC Branch) can be heard discussing her novel, Bernini’s Elephant, on the Writers Radio recent podcast at https://writersradio.ca/podcasts/P078-jane-callen/.

 

Deborah Cannon’s (Toronto Branch) story “Tang’s Christmas Miracle”, first published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas in Canada (2014), was selected for a new title in the series called Chicken Soup for the Soul: Me and My Dog. Released on February 6, it is now available in bookstores and online. Proceeds go to American Humane.

 

Suzanne Craig-Whytock‘s (Toronto Branch) latest novel, Charybdis, (March 2024, JC Studio Press), is now available for purchase at https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CW1MD9ZZ/?tag=a_fwd-20. Follow Greta Randall, a Ph. D student who stumbles across a rare volume of Victorian poetry in a local antique market, which may shed light on the book’s mysterious young author, Louisa Duberger…but at what peril?

 

Raymond Beauchemin (Member at Large) will read from his new book, The Emptiest Quarter, a collection of novellas set in Abu Dhabi, twice in March 2024. Deborah Dundas, books editor of The Toronto Star, will host the event at 6:00 pm ET on March 15 at Queen Books (914 Queen St. E., Toronto), and Denise Roig, author of Brilliant, will be a guest reader at the event at 5:00 pm ET on March 24 at the Staircase Theatre Lounge (27 Dundurn St. N., Hamilton).

 

Attention wordsmiths! Jeffrey Kippel and Mindy Blackstien (Toronto Branch) don’t want you to miss out on the new audiobook version of The Ridiculous, also available in paperback & eBook. Let the voice actor bring this Amazon chart-topper to life, delivering messages and insights to fuel your creativity. Available on 40+ platforms, including at https://a.co/d/ajfi1tk.

 

Carlos Laya’s (Toronto Branch) book, Travels Through Time, is available for purchase through Amazon and is now also available in Spanish.

 

Susan E. Wadds (Member at Large) was interviewed by radio and podcast host, Brian Crombie, about her debut novel, What the Living Do. Catch the recording at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A9O9tYqIJ0.

 

Heather Rath, (Member at Large) proudly announces the publication of her book, Stalker, which invites you to take a journey into two worlds: the dark and light sides of life. Available through various sites, including Amazon, Goodreads, and www.manor-house-publishing.com. Please don’t forget to post a review!

Doley Henderson (Toronto Branch) is thrilled to share that she won the 2023 Eden Mills Writers’ Festival (EMWF) Creative Nonfiction contest. Doley read from her winning story, “Wild Mustard”, at the 35th EMWF in September. To order copies of the chapbook featuring the poetry, fiction, and Creative Nonfiction winners, email sonia@musagetes.ca or anna@musagetes.ca.

 

Scott Overton (Member at Large) has published his 6th novel, Indigent Earth, a science fiction adventure with a strong theme of colonialism. Indigent Earth takes place 500 years after the rich and powerful have abandoned the damaged Earth. Learn more at www.scottoverton.ca.

 

Lara Okihiro (Toronto Branch) is thrilled to announce the publication of Obaasan’s Boots, a children’s novel based on her family’s experience of internment as Japanese Canadians, and co-written with her cousin, Janis Bridger. Copies can be purchased from all major and independent bookstores. For more information see https://secondstorypress.ca/2023-books/obaasans-boots and www.laraokihiro.ca.

 

Frances Peck (BC Branch) will launch her new novel, Uncontrolled Flight, at Audreys Books in Edmonton at 7:00 pm on October 25. Joining Frances is NeWest Press author Ruth DyckFedherau. All are welcome. Winnipeg Free Press called Uncontrolled Flight “an absorbing, intense contemporary tale…rife with loss, love and secrets”.

 

Jerena Tobiasen (BC Branch) is delighted to announce the release of her fourth novel, Tsarina’s Crown, the first story in The Nightingale and Sparrow Chronicles. Inspired during a 2018 visit to St. Petersburg, Russia, Tsarina’s Crown ushers the reader through high seas adventures, Russian vistas, royal exposé, political conspiracies, and stuff of which spies are made. Tsarina’s Crown is a fast-paced, WWI historical drama that takes the reader from naval life in the North Sea to the Russian revolution, full of action, intrigue, and just a little romance. For more information about Jerena and her books, tour her website at jerenatobiasen.ca.

 

The Sound of a Rainbow, a new novel by Sharon Frayne (Niagara Branch), has received CBC Books Recommendations for YA Readers. As well as participating in the Eden Mills Writers Festival and Bookapalooza, Frayne is the featured guest at the Niagara Parks Coast to Coast ‘Family Women’ Literary Series, on November 9, at the Laura Secord Museum in Queenston, ON. Find more information at niagaraparks.com/coast-to-coast.

 

A firefighting pilot crashes in the BC Interior, leaving a traumatized colleague, a grieving widow, and an accident investigator to unravel what happened in Uncontrolled Flight, the “impossible to put down” new novel by Frances Peck (BC Branch). Register now for the online launch on September 12, or join Frances for in-person events in Vancouver on September 28 (7:00 pm PT at the Canadian Memorial Centre for Peace) or Ottawa on October 3 (at Perfect Books). Launches are in the works for Edmonton and Victoria later this fall. Check francespeck.com for details.

 

David Finnie‘s (Toronto Branch) unpublished manuscript, “Unrewarded Risks”, is a finalist in the Page Turner Awards. “Unrewarded Risks” follows Samuel Fredricks as he joins a new startup bank and tries to unravel hidden agendas and corporate intrigue. Samuel begins internal fraud investigations, going underground until all the dots are connected and the final unexpected piece falls into place.

 

Adrienne Stevenson‘s (National Capital Region Branch) debut novel, Mirrors & Smoke (Equae Books), is now available on Amazon worldwide, with ePUB release on Kindle and Kobo forthcoming. For more information, please see https://adriennestevenson.ca. Mirrors & Smoke is a finalist in the Historical category of the Pacific Northwest Writers’ Association (PNWA) 2023 Writers’ Contest.

 

Barbara Black (BC Branch) won First Prize in the Fiction category of the Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society (SCWES) Book Awards for BC Authors, for her short story collection Music from a Strange Planet. See details and all winners at https://www.scwes.ca/contests.

 

Niran Ojomo, MD, (Member at Large) is thrilled to announce the release of Alive or Not Alive, a gripping adventure into community, well-being, and aging that challenges orthodoxy and human nature and what it means to be Alive. This highly anticipated book takes readers on an exhilarating journey that will keep them on the edge of their seats! Purchase your copy here, and visit Niran’s website at https://niranojomomdservices.com/.

 

 

Sophie Jai’s (Toronto Branch) Wild Fires, the 2023 Fred Kerner Book Award Winner, has also been longlisted for the 2023 Toronto Book Awards! See the full longlist at https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/awards-tributes/awards/toronto-book-awards/toronto-book-awards-jury-finalists-winners.

 

Arwinder Kaur (BC Branch) is Tellwell Publishing’s Author of the Month for July 2023. Arwinder’s debut novel, Living While Human, has won several awards, and she graciously shares what inspired her novel and her theory behind its success in this blog interview.

 

Join award-winning author, Renee Sarojini Saklikar (BC Branch), for the launch of her new book, Bramah’s Quest, an epic fantasy in verse/verse novel about climate change and global inequality. This free event is at 7:00 pm on August 30, at The Lido, 518 East Broadway in Vancouver. Please register in advance at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/launch-for-bramahs-quest-tickets-680921523607?aff=oddtdtcreator.

 

Linda Walsh’s (Toronto Branch) novel, At Half-LightA Story of Tango and Memory, has been released through Kenton Road Press.

 

Katerina Vaughan Fretwell (Niagara Branch) has published her tenth poetry book, Familiar and Forgiveness, through Ace of Swords out of Montreal.

 

Todd H. William (Toronto Branch) has won first place in the general category of the 2023 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards for his children’s book, Benefelence the Elephence and the Wonderful You. His book also received honourable mention in the Charitable and Make a Difference category, the Health category, the New Author category, and the Picture Book 6 and Over category.

 

Arwinder (Arwi) Kaur (BC Branch) has won an Honorable Mention in the biography/autobiography/memoir category of the San Francisco Book Festival awards for her first book, Living While Human.

 

Frances Peck (BC Branch) was a finalist for the 2023 Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize (Literary Fiction category) for her first novel, The Broken Places. Read more about the prize here at https://www.kobo.com/media-hub/rakuten-kobo-emerging-writer-prize. The Broken Places was also named a best book of 2022 by the Globe and Mail.

 

Susan (Deepam) Wadds (Member at Large) is delighted to announce that an unprecedented (for her) three of her short pieces have been recently accepted and published. “Mostly Sorry”, a flash something-or-other, is in the May issue of The Waterwheel Review (https://waterwheelreview.com/); the poem, “Can a Locked Door Save a Marriage” (https://third-street-review.org/poetry/#Could-a-Locked-Door-Save-a-Marriage?) appears in the current issue of Third Street Review; and Funicular Magazine accepted her poem “Word for Word” for an upcoming issue. AND…the ARCs are on the way for her debut novel, What the Living Do, set for release on March 19, 2024, by Regal House Publishing.

 

Deborah Cannnon (Toronto Branch) has sold her short story, “Stone of Heaven”, a murder mystery being published in the 2023 Summer issue of Mystery and Suspense Magazine (No. 11). Available for free digital download at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/wpcontent/uploads/2023/05/Summer2023.pdf.

 

Aubrey Kagan (Toronto Branch) is pleased to announce the publication of his first non-technical book, his mother’s “autobiography”, entitled A Tourist From Petach Tikva: Growing Up Alongside the Creation of the State of Israel. Details are available on www.aubreykagan.com.

 

Todd H. William‘s (Toronto Branch) first picture book, Benefelence the Elephence and the Wonderful You (Dizkorce), won the 2023 IPPY Awards Bronze Medal for Best Children’s Illustrated eBook! See full details at https://ippyawards.com/171/medalists/2023-medalists-1-54/2023-audiobooks,-regionals-and-ebooks, and purchase Benefelence the Elephence and the Wonderful You at https://www.amazon.ca/dp/1778094228.

 

Christopher Butt (Niagara Branch) has been shortlisted for the Dark Winter Literary Magazine 1st Anniversary Contest, for “Shortlist Saturdays: A Blind Eye”, published on May 27. Read the full story at https://www.darkwinterlit.com/post/shortlist-saturdays-a-blind-eye-by-christopher-butt.

 

The official launch of Donalee Moulton‘s (Member at Large) new mystery, Hung Out to Die, will take place on Sunday, May 28, at 3:00 pm at the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia in downtown Halifax. There will be a reading, Q&A session, and some munchies.

 

TP Wood (Member at Large) celebrates the launch of his debut novel, 77° North, at the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia facility in Halifax on June 14. Find full details at https://writers.ns.ca/member-events/launch-of-77-north/. Read more about TP Wood and 77° North at https://miramichireader.ca/2023/05/77-north-by-tp-wood/.

 

Renee Sarojini Saklikar’s (BC Branch) epic fantasy in verse, Bramah’s Quest, will launch late spring/early summer with Nightwood Editions. The year is 2087 and the time-travelling demigoddess, Bramah, a locksmith, is back on planet Earth, helping seed savers and resistors survive climate change and global inequality. Visit https://thotjbap.com/ for more information.

 

Tara K. Torme (BC Branch) has published two new books this year, Ite, Missa Est Volume II and In Conversation Volume IV. You can purchase all her books at http://www.silverbowpublishing.com/torme—taylor.html. Tara also posts new blog updates at https://tktorme.wordpress.com/2023/05/.

 

Purabi Sinha Das (Toronto Branch) has published her third book, Twenty-Two For 22, a collection of 22 stories, poems, and magical travel vignettes, and the book is available in all formats through Amazon. Purabi’s is also thrilled to announce her debut novel, Moonlight – The Journey Begins, was a book club pick three times within a year. Purabi wanted to shine a light on female courage; how despite insurmountable odds she is able to overcome social barriers, love her family, forgive them for their mistakes, find inspiration from ancestors and lead her life with dignity. She released her debut collection of essays, What Will It Be This Time, in April 2020. Published by Amazon Digital Services as an e-book, it is a selection of essays touching on the differences and similarities in life between India, where Purabi immigrated from, and Canada. Purabi was the featured guest on Episode 2 of Words with Writers Podcast in June 2020.

 

Joyce Goodwin‘s (BC chapter) poetry book, Fragments: A Poetry Mosaic (First Choice Books), is “a poetry collection created from fragmented memories; a lifetime of writing. These poems show a fractured and fragile planet that is still a place of wonder and beauty.” See more at https://canadianauthors.org/national/book/fragments-a-poetry-mosaic/.

 

Arwinder (Arwi) Kaur (BC Branch) is surprised and delighted to announce that Living While Human is a 2023 Silver Nautilus Book Award Winner in the Memoir and Personal Journey category.

 

Suparna Ghosh (Toronto Branch) invites you to take a short ride with her through her blog series at
https://suparnaghosh.com/2023/02/07/past-months-in-my-blind-spot/.

 

Elaine Cougler (Member at Large) will be interviewing Stephen Leacock medal winner and Canadian icon Terry Fallis at “An Evening with Terry Fallis”, presented by the London (Ontario) Writers Society May 8, 2023, at the London Public Library, Central Branch. Find more information and advance tickets at https://londonwriterssociety.ca/events/. Elaine will be launching her seventh book, Canada: Brave New World, an anthology of shocking stories of beleaguered people forced to flee from their home country and settle in Canada. All are welcome on June 4, 2023, from 2:00 – 4:00 pm ET at St. David’s United Church, 190 Springbank Avenue N, Woodstock, Ontario.

 

Seye Oloruntoba (Toronto Branch) is thrilled to announce her new young reader’s book, Who Will Wear the Crown?, has just launched. This is the story of a castaway tree, Thorny Bee, who teaches the mean trees a lesson about love and respect for everyone’s uniqueness. A book for young readers to learn about love and acceptance.

 

Darlene Madott (Toronto Branch) invites you to the launch of Winners and Losers (Guernica Editions) on Sunday, April 30, at the Centre for Social Innovation, 192 Spadina Avenue, Toronto. Doors open at 4:00 pm, with remarks and readings at 4:15 pm, and light refreshments, wine and hors d’oeuvres. Please RSVP by April 15 to dmmadott@gmail.com.

 

Catherine Graham’s (Toronto Branch) ninth book, Put Flowers Around Us and Pretend We’re Dead: New and Selected, appears this April. It’s included on the CBC Books Poetry Collections to Watch for List.

 

Samar Samir Mezghanni’s (National Capital Region chapter) novel Things (in Arabic) was featured on CNN prime time with Becky Anderson. The novel, released in 2022, follows the lonely journey of a dysfunctional family through their addictive “things”. Things become the masters, the agents, and the storytellers; reflecting a consumerist world that humanizes materials and materializes humans.

 

Patrick Connors (Toronto chapter) poem, “Darkness”, was the featured poem in an issue of Canadian Stories magazine. His newest chapbook, Worth the Wait, was released by Cactus Press, and launched at Accent Reading Series in Montreal on April 16. Patrick has had 5 poems published in the anthology Consonant Lights, a book review accepted by Freefall Magazine, and hosted an event under the 100,000 Poets for Change banner at Hirut Café in Toronto. Pat’s first full poetry collection, The Other Life, published by Mosaic Press, is now available at the Indigo bookstore at Bay and Bloor, and on many online platforms.

 

Sophie Jai (Toronto Branch) will be launching her debut paperback, Wild Fires (which came out in August 2022 in Canada with HarperCollins), at Blackwell’s in Oxford, UK, on February 25. She’s also proud to announce that the book will finally be coming out in the US in May 2023.

 

Jennifer Harris (Peterborough Branch) is thrilled to declare the publication of her new book Whisper Their Names: The journey to peace after losing your child, now available on Amazon and through other channels as both an e-book and a paperback.

 

Frances Boyle’s (National Capital Region) third poetry book, Openwork and Limestone, was published by Frontenac House in October 2022. After fall readings in B.C. and a launch in Ottawa, Frances’s upcoming Ontario tour will be with fellow Frontenac House author, Kim Fahner (Emptying the Ocean). Both authors will read in Ottawa at Perfect Books on March 14, in Kingston at Novel Idea on March 15, and in Cobourg on March 16.

 

Christopher Canniff‘s (Toronto Branch) audiobook of Intervals of Hope (Blue Denim Press, 2021) is now available. The amazing voice talent of veteran actor David Lane Pusey can be heard as the narrator. See more information and purchase your own copy at https://www.intervalsofhope.com/ and http://www.christophercanniff.com/.

 

Suzanne Craig-Whytock (Toronto Branch) is thrilled to announce the release of her second short story collection At The End Of It All (Potter’s Grove Press) on February 7, 2023. In addition, her second novel The Dome (Bookland Press) was recently translated and published into Arabic by Arab Scientific Publishers in Lebanon.

 

Anne Lazurko’s (Member at Large) novel What Is Written on the Tongue (ECW Press, 2022) was shortlisted for the $20,000 Glengarry Book Award. The award is funded by Clare Kramer and administered by the Saskatchewan Foundation for the Arts.

 

One Arctic Night by D.F. Whibley (Member at Large) of Montreal, QC, has won The Canadian Book Club Award for Best Novel: Children’s Early Reader Category. This award will be added to The Global Book Awards, Bronze Medal: Teen Social and Family Issues, which he received December 2022.

 

Tara Kimberley Torme (BC) has updated her blog! Read her new posts and like, comment, follow, and subscribe at https://tktorme.wordpress.com/2022/12/.

 

Jean Van Loon’s (National Capital Region) second poetry book, Nuclear Family, was published in April 2022 by McGill-Queen’s University Press. Jean’s book has received positive reviews in Arc Poetry Magazine, Marrow Reviews, and Humanities and Social Sciences Online (H-net), and through a thoughtful interview by David O’Meara on the Writers Festival Radio podcast. Jean read from Nuclear Family at the Manx Pub’s first Plan 99 readings since the onset of Covid-19. Stay tuned for future readings in the Ottawa area.

 

Rebecca St. Pierre (Member at Large), a freelance writer and photographer, is pleased to announce her poem about the war in Ukraine, “Will Nightingales Sing”, has been published on The Lit website.

 

Christopher Butt (Niagara Branch) has had a short story, “The Painting”, published on Dark Winter Literary Magazine on November 24.

 

Peter Freeman‘s (BC chapter) many publications, including The Silent Boy and Deadly Delivery, can be seen at http://petersfreeman.ca. Peter was previously selected by the editing team for The Fieldstone Review, the University of Saskatchewan’s literary magazine, as the winner of The Fieldstone Review‘s literary prize, for his short story “Hidden Message”.

 

Anne M. Smith-Nochasak’s (Member at Large) second novel, The Ice Widow: A Story of Love and Redemption, was released November 2022. She is sharing at local Christmas markets.

 

Gwen Tuinman (Toronto Branch) has just signed a deal with Random House Canada for publication of her latest historical novel, Unrest, due out in 2024.

 

Cathalynn Labonté-Smith and Frances Peck (BC Branch) will read and discuss tales of disaster and rescue, real and imagined, in an interactive conversation at the West Vancouver Library on January 28, 2023, from 2:00 – 3:30 pm. All are welcome. Cathalynn’s new book, Rescue Me: Behind the Scenes of Search and Rescue (Caitlin Press), is a collection of harrowing accounts from those who survived natural disasters and misadventures, and those who risked their lives to rescue them. Frances’s debut novel, The Broken Places (NeWest Press), explores what happens to society, and a group of wildly different yet interrelated characters, when the fictional Great Vancouver Earthquake hits.

 

Jason Waddle’s (Member at Large) second book, Falling Through the Cracks, will be released on January 6, 2023.

 

Dorothee Komangapik (Member at Large) is pleased to announce the release of her book, Ukuaq: A Woman’s Arctic Memoir (Crowe Creations, 2022), now available on amazon.ca in paperback and digital formats. This is a memoir, ranging from 1974 to 1986 with flashbacks, illustrated with author and archival photos. Details at https://vpl.bibliocommons.com/events/6318ed5b6f49c0fd8f2be640.

 

Gordon K. Jones‘s (Toronto Branch) novel, Saving Tiberius, has been translated into Arabic and is being promoted by Bookland Press at the Sharjah International Book Fair in the UAE. The English versions of his new novel, Predators and Prey, and his previous one, Saving Tiberius, are also being promoted at this prestigious bookfair. http://www.gordonkjones.com/

 

Susan Wadds (Member at Large) is pleased as proverbial punch to have her short story, “Speaking with the Dead”, published in Quagmire Literary Magazine. Ian Canon is this writer’s dream editor. You can read the story here: https://www.quagmiremagazine.com/read/speaking-with-the-dead.

 

Susan J. Atkinson (National Capital Region Branch) will join five award-winning Ottawa Poets to finally celebrate their debut collections in person that were published during the lockdowns in 2020 and 2021. Join Susan, Jacqueline Bourque, Conyer Clayton, Doris Fiszer, and Deborah-Anne Tunney as they read at Redbird Live, 1165 Bank Street, Ottawa.

 

Susan Mockler’s (Member at Large) memoir, Fractured, detailing her experiences of acquired physical disability following a car accident that left her partially paralyzed, was released by Second Story Press in September 2022. Fractured is an illuminating look at healthcare, ableism, and Susan’s acceptance of the mantle of disability activist.

 

Michael Gates (Member-at-Large) celebrated the launch of his seventh book, Hollywood in the Klondike (Harbour Publishing), with about 100 attendees in October 2024 in Whitehorse, YT. After a short reading, there was a musical performance by Danchic Duo, and the screening of silent films accompanied by Whitehorse musician Annie Avery on piano.

 

Deborah Cannon (Toronto Branch) has a feature article published in Mystery and Suspense Magazine called “Romantic Mystery Objects: the appeal of mysterious objects in romantic mysteries”. The article was requested after the release of her new title Twilight over the Aegean, book six in her Fresco Nights romantic mystery series and available on Amazon.

 

D.F. Whibley (Member at Large) is pleased to announce that his book, One Arctic Night, has been chosen by the Canadian Book Club Awards as a finalist in the young readers category.

 

Christine Topjian (Toronto Branch) has been awarded the eLit Awards 2022 Bronze Medal for her children’s book, The Chrissie Series: Chrissie Meditates & Visualizes. Christine has three new books available: The Chrissie Series: Chrissie Speaks Nicely, Preparing To Say “I Do!”, and The Art of Getting It Done: Secrets of Overachievers and How Anyone Can Be One.

 

Nancy Chislett (Member-at-Large), author of Bombing the Moon, did a Book Chat with the Manitoba Writers’ Guild. Bombing the Moon was awarded a grant from The Canada Council of the Arts for $22,000 (over two years) to support Nancy as she writes her second novel. Bombing the Moon was released April 2022 and the book launch was held on April 22 at McNally Robinson Booksellers in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with comedian, award-winning playwright, CBC Debater, and activist Lara Rae hosting. Learn more about Nancy at https://nancychislett.com/.

 

Gordon K. Jones (Toronto Branch) is pleased to announce his new crime thriller, Predators and Prey, will be released by Bookland Press on October 7, 2022. Now available to order from Indigo, Amazon, or your favorite independent bookstore.

 

Carolyn Trickey-Bapty‘s (Member at Large) new book To My Boy Baby is her first foray into children’s literature. In a series of letters to Ella’s boy baby, George, the book chronicles the siblings’ struggles, happiness and their love for one another. Questions at the back help parents create a space for children to voice their feelings. www.tomyboybaby.com

 

Nancy M. Bell‘s (Member at Large) novel Kayla’s Cowboy was released in November 2022 by BWL Publishing Inc. Kayla Dunbarton is in Las Vegas at the National Finals Rodeo for the sole purpose of promoting the sport of Dressage. She has no intention of getting mixed up with champion bull rider Rob Chetwynd, but…

 

James Arnett’s (Toronto Branch) novel Bean Fate was reviewed in the Winnipeg Free press. See full review HERE.

 

R. J. Hore‘s (Member at Large) final omnibus volume, #4 of The Housetrap Chronicles, featuring the novellas in his fantasy detective series, has just been released at the end of August 2022. It includes #10 The Road to Hell is Paved with Parsnips, #11 ‘Twas the Week Before the Night, and #12 The Mid-Winter Cuckoos at Midnight. Available now through Champagne Book Group, Amazon, and the usual suspects.

 

Andrew Palmer‘s (Toronto Branch) debut literary novel, The Bridge, is receiving fantastic critical reviews. From Indiereader.com, to Reedsy, and OnlineBookClub.org, this intriguing Canadian story, illustrating the tragic events behind the 1907 Quebec Bridge disaster, is captivating readers of all ages.

 

Christopher Butt (Niagara Branch) has had his latest work, The Call of the Dullahan, published at Darkwinterlit on August 22, 2022.

 

Arwinder Kaur (Member at Large) received a lovely review from the Whistler Independent Book Awards of her book Living While Human: “A flowing style that is simple, yet captivating to keep the reader glued to the book. Very informal style with a personal touch which is endearing to the reader. A book worth reading.”

 

Nduka Otiono (National Capital Region chapter) was shortlisted for the Archibald Lampman Award for poetry for his collection of poems, DisPlace: The Poetry of Nduka Otiono. His book launch was hosted at Carleton University’s Institute of African Studies and the Department of English Language and Literature and included Guest of Honor, His Excellency, Mr. Adeyinka Asekun, the High Commissioner of Nigeria to Canada. DisPlace: The Poetry of Nduka Otiono, was published as part of Canada’s most prestigious poetry series, Laurier Poetry Series (LPS) of Wilfrid University Press. The book is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.ca/DisPlace-Poetry-Nduka-Otiono/dp/1771125381 and other major online book vendors and traditional bookstores across Canada and internationally.

 

Anne Kathleen McLaughlin‘s (National Capital Region Branch) novel Singing the Dawn is now available for online orders HERE. A small community of women with a shared calling to prepare for the Rebirth of the Sacred Feminine live as hermits on islands off the west coast of Ireland and gather to celebrate the earth festivals of the Celtic Year.

 

Robert W. Mackay‘s (BC chapter) The Forgotten: A Novel of the Korean War is available now. Learn more about Robert and other books such as Soldier of the Horse and Terror on the ALERT https://www.robertwmackay.ca/.

 

Tara K. Torme (BC Branch) will be teaching two upcoming poetry workshops at Roundhouse Community Centre and West Point Grey Community Centre. She also has new blog posts at https://tktorme.wordpress.com/2022/08/ and new books at Torme & Taylor.

 

Genni Gunn’s (BC Branch) novel Tracing Iris has been published in Italian as Alla Ricerca di Iris by Les Flâneurs Edizioni. Genni will be in Italy to promote the translation and present the book at ten different venues – Rome, Bari, Rutigliano, Monopoli, Siena, Forte dei Marmi, Viareggio, Torino and two in Udine – from September 5 to October 4. Tracing Iris was published in 2001, and was made into a film, The Riverbank, in 2011. And now it’s gone to Italy!

 

Liz Rachel Walker (BC Branch) was runner-up in the 2022 Debut Dagger competition, offered by the UK Crime Writers’ Association for the opening of an unpublished manuscript, and her manuscript excerpt from The Dieppe Letters was honored as “highly commended.”

 

Christopher Butt (Niagara Branch) has had his story, The Salesman, published on the website www.darkwinterlit.com on June 6, 2022.

 

Richard Tattoni (Niagara Branch) has published work this past year available through his website and through Amazon. Besides the publication of Richard’s last traditional novel, Richard has published a magazine of articles, short stories, and audio file stories as a graphic novel comic book, including poetry, through WordPress. The Technossance Magazine is an alternative story-telling e-zine, available only online. Richard’s novel, The Stoned Theory of My Own Destruction, in multiple formats, has earned a five-star review.

 

K. R. Wilson’s (Toronto Branch) novel Call Me Stan: A Tragedy in Three Millennia was longlisted for the Leacock Medal for Humour. His tragical-historical-comical novel Call Me Stan: A Tragedy in Three Millennia — in which a self-described immortal under investigation for a horrific crime takes his interrogator on a wry, anachronistic tour of 3200 years of Eurasian history — was published by Guernica Editions.

 

Suzanne Craig-Whytock (Toronto Branch) recently launched a new online literary magazine called DarkWinter Lit (www.darkwinterlit.com). As Editor-In-Chief, Suzanne is thrilled with the quality of the submissions so far, and the magazine is currently open to short fiction (one or more pieces under 2,000 words) and poetry (one or more pieces under 500 words).

 

Elaine Cougler (Member at Large) is excited to announce the launch of her latest book, My Story, My Song and the prequel to her Loyalist trilogy, The Loyalist’s Daughter. During Covid having a launch was impossible so Elaine launched both books in April of this year.

 

Susan Sommers (Toronto Branch) is thrilled to announce the release of her new audiobook, The Magic of Walking: Your Guide to a Balanced, Purposeful Life, designed to add to the paperback and e-book editions, which were launched in 2021. Available on major audiobook platforms.

 

Catherine Little‘s (Toronto Branch) picture book, Twelve in a Race (Plumleaf Press), illustrated by Sae Kimura and published March 30, 2022, is a read-aloud rhyming book that retells the origin story of the Chinese zodiac in an engaging and creative manner, while teaching children about the history and culture of Canadians of Asian descent.

 

Genni Gunn (BC Branch) is pleased to announce her third poetry collection, Accidents, was released April 14, 2022, by Signature Editions. In Accidents, Genni takes us through past and present and different continents, to examine the emotional, political, and geological upheaval that inevitably shape and alter our lives.

 

Frances Peck’s (BC Branch) debut novel, The Broken Places, is now on the shelves at bricks-and-mortar and online bookstores across Canada and the US. This “wonderfully sophisticated and razor-sharp” novel about a major earthquake rocking Vancouver has been called a “beautifully layered and compelling” story with “nuanced, stunning characters.” Details and early praise at NeWest Press.

 

Natalie MacLean (National Capital Region Branch) has just signed with Dundurn Press for her third book, a memoir. Wine Witch on Fire: Rising from the Ashes of Divorce, Depression and Drunk All Over is the inspiring story of one woman’s quest to rebuild her shattered life. She’s forced to choose between despair and overdrinking or digging deeper to find the magic inside herself.

 

Betty Guenette (Member at Large) will have her mystery novel, A Burning We Will Die, available April 19 through Renaissance Press. An amateur protagonist, Erin Rine is a community Registered Nurse who literally trips over her dead patient in our Northern Ontario woodland. See the video prelaunch, book cover, trailer and author reading at Renaissance Press Facebook.

 

Catherine Graham (Toronto Branch) is happy to announce that her second novel, The Most Cunning Heart, is on CBC Books “Fiction to Watch For” list and 49th Shelf’s “Most Anticipated Spring Books” list. Pre-orders are now available through your local bookstore. The novel will be published by Palimpsest Press this May. She is also excited to be co-hosting The Hummingbird Podcast: Conversation & Inspiration with Jessica Outram.

 

Aaron S. Bayley (Toronto Branch) recently published his first book, Why Baseball Is A Sport and Golf Is Not: Separating the Players from the Poseurs. It received a positive review from Kirkus Reviews and part of the proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to Autism Canada. It is available at https://www.wbiasagin.com.

 

Darlene Madott (Toronto Branch), author of Dying Times, will be speaking at the Hot House Restaurant at 5:30 pm, on Monday, March 28, 2022. To reserve your spot, call Amanda at 416-366-7800 between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm Monday to Friday and pay via credit card. Dying Times (Exile Editions) can be ordered through the Exile website, or through the dedicated author’s website: www.DyingTimes.com.

 

May Q. Wong (BC Branch) is honoured to share her contribution to the new 4-part series, BLK: An Origin Story, launched February 26, 2022. Telling little known stories about Blacks in Canada from the 1600s to present day, May was interviewed about the stories of Black pioneers in BC in her book City in Colour. Find details here: https://blkoriginstory.com/.

 

JoAnn Catania (Toronto Branch) is happy to announce the release of the audiobook version of her novel, A Scarcity of Virgins, narrated by award-winning narrator, Cassandra Campbell (Where the Crawdads Sing). This feminist period piece explores with psychological depth the full emotional palette of a woman caught between worlds. Available as a print and eBook on Amazon.

 

Anne Lazurko‘s (Member at Large) second novel, What Is Written on the Tongue (April 2022), is on TIFA’s list of Canadian Books to Read in 2022: https://festivalofauthors.ca/2022/01/12/new-canadian-books-to-read-in-2022/. See book details here: https://ecwpress.com/collections/books/products/what-is-written-on-the-tongue.

 

Nan Williamson‘s (Peterborough chapter) poem, “Poets Practice In These Times”, was published by Dreamers Creative Writing Magazine in their print magazine and online, and they published her poems “Waiting” and “Heard in the Shell” on their website. Her poem demonic snow was chosen for Fresh Voices through The League of Canadian Poets.

 

Ron Hore, writing as R.J.Hore, (Member at Large) announces the January 31st release of his latest novella, The Mid-Winter Cuckoos at Midnight, the final tale in his twelve-part fantasy detective series, The Housetrap Chronicles. Available now as an ebook, Mid-Winter will be included in a print anthology called The Housetrap Chroniicles Omnibus, Vol 4, due in the next month.

 

Richard Pyves’ (Toronto Branch) book, Sir John James Taylor De Facto Ruler of Ireland: Assistant Under-Secretary of Ireland 1918-1920, is available at amazon.ca. It is the story of the author’s great-grand-uncle, a commoner who rises through the ranks of the British Civil Service in Ireland to a position of influence during the Anglo-Irish War of Independence. richardpyves.com

 

Christine Bergsma (Toronto Branch) converted a screenplay that was listed as a semi-finalist in the Austen Film Festival into a historical fiction YA novel called Ximena. After the devastating mudslide of 1970 decimates her village, Ximena’s only hope of survival and reuniting with her family is the reliance on Mango, a gangster that mugged her the week before. Available on Amazon here. Christina’s novel Ace of Cups, a women’s commercial fiction novel exploring the aspects of immigration of a young girl from South Africa to Canada, is also available on Amazon.

 

Jacquie Dankner’s (Member at Large) debut novel Unscented, a paranormal, romantic suspense (self-published through FriesenPress), is now available for purchase online as a paperback, hardcover and as an ebook. Details can be found here: http://jacquiedankner.ca.

 

Doreen Vanderstoop (Member at Large), author of Watershed, will participate in an online panel as part of Talking Fresh 2022, a free annual festival hosted by the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild. On March 2, 2022, from 7:00 – 8:00 pm, Doreen and two other climate fiction authors will discuss climate-related issues and answer questions. Details here: https://skwriter.com/.

 

Catherine Graham’s (Toronto) second novel, The Most Cunning Heart (May 2022), is on CBC Books Canadian Fiction to Watch For list (https://www.cbc.ca/books/66-works-of-canadian-fiction-to-watch-for-in-spring-2022-1.6283875) and is featured here: https://www.cbc.ca/books/the-most-cunning-heart-1.6300052.

 

Tara Kimberley Torme (BC), current member of the Canadian Authors Association, has published two more poetry books through Silver Bow Publishing. See book details here: Torme & Taylor.

 

Martin Neil Campbell’s (Toronto) second published book Essential Life Behaviors (January 2022, Core Driver Press) is available on Amazon. It is a self-help guide which, by analyzing and improving our behavior, we can develop loving and resilient relationships and our desired path in life through self-choice.

 

Barbara Wade Rose’s (Toronto) middle-grade children’s (and childish adults’) book, MARABEL or The Great Exception, was published in November: the adventures of a girl who becomes London’s most original nanny. Reedsy gave the book Five Stars and Faber Academy has praised it as “Great Fun!” MARABEL is available on Amazon. An audio version comes out later this year.

 

Dr. Ian Prattis (National Capital Region) has a new poetry book coming out in the spring of 2022 called Four Poetic Phases: Ignored, Impermanence, Bittersweet, Caring. Each poetic phase encourages different short stories – often colliding in fusion! https://ianprattis.wordpress.com/2022/01/04/writing-books-2/

 

Elaine Cougler (Member at Large), author of the historical fiction Loyalist series and the non-fiction The Man Behind the Marathons, is giving a virtual talk entitled “What Did the Loyalists Do Anyhow?”, via Zoom from 2:00 – 3:00 pm on January 13, 2022. Presented by the Women’s Canadian Club of London, Ontario.

 

D. Neil Elliott’s (BC) book, A Higher Road, was recently published and is available on Amazon and in bookstores. A Higher Road is a hybrid of inspirational memoir and empowering self-help book. Neil’s story, from the brink of suicide to spiritual awakening, offers a seven-step process to help you find peace, joy, love, and abundance.

 

Christopher Canniff (Toronto) recently launched his latest novel, Intervals of Hope (Blue Denim Press, November 2021). Nicholas Dixon, armed with his father’s wartime journal, a spirited imagination, and a taste for insurgency, embarks on a quest to reunite his family. See https://bluedenimpress.com/books/intervals-of-hope/, www.intervalsofhope.com and www.christophercanniff.com.

 

Susan Wadds (Member at Large) is feeling both euphoric and a bit stunned. Her novel, What the Living Do, has been acquired by Regal House Publishing in North Carolina, with its release scheduled for spring 2024.

 

Tina Kamakaris’s (Toronto) publishing company, Owl Publishing, is pleased to announce one of their authors, A. H. Nedani, has won the Canada Book Awards Historical Fiction Category for her debut novel The Broda Salt Cabin. The novel is based on a true story set during World War II and the civil war between Greece and the communist guerillas known as the partisans. The Broda Salt Cabin has also won a five-star review from Reader Views. owlpublishing@bellnet.ca

 

Christopher Gorman’s (Toronto) latest short story, Finding Balance, is featured in an anthology titled Dreaming the Goddess, now available on Amazon. Finding Balance is about a gay man trying to find his way spiritually and discovering the importance of balance between the male and female aspects of himself through a journey with the goddess Elen of the Ways.

 

Frank Spezzano’s (Toronto) new book, Desires… Of Love, will be released in December 2021. Stay tuned for more details on his upcoming book launch event.

 

Dr. Ian Prattis (National Capital Region) has released his latest book, Past, Present, Future; Stories that Haunt. The book is available now at Coles at Billings Bridge Plaza, Singing Pebble Books on Main St. opposite St. Paul’s University, Perfect Books at 258a Elgin St, and Books on Beechwood. www.ianprattis.com

 

Eleonore Schönmaier (Member at Large) will launch her poetry collection, Wavelengths of Your Song/Wellenlängen deines Liedes (McGill-Queen’s University Press /parasistenpresse), in German translation on November 7 at 1:30 pm EST. She will read in English and German and will talk in English with her translator Knut Birkholz. Register here. On December 12 at 1:30 pm EST Eleonore will read new work plus selections from her four collections (MQUP). The event will include live music from pianist Panos Gklistis. Register here. On January 23 at 1:30 pm EST she will launch Field Guide to the Lost Flower of Crete (MQUP) alongside a conversation with the Greek composer Michalis Paraskakis. Join the event here.

 

Bill Arnott’s (BC) new travel memoir, Gone Viking II: Beyond Boundaries, the sequel to his award-winning bestseller Gone Viking: A Travel Saga, Gone Viking II: Beyond Boundaries, has just been released by RMBooks. Bill will be signing books and reading at bookstores and events around Vancouver. Find details here: https://rmbooks.com/book-author/bill-arnott/.

 

CAA member and author, Renee Sarojini Saklikar (BC), will be reading from her new book, Bramah and The Beggar Boy, an epic fantasy in verse, at the 2021 Vancouver Writers Festival at 2:00 pm on October 24 at the Waterfront Theatre, Granville Island: writersfest.bc.ca. Bramah and The Beggar Boy debuted in July on the B.C. Independent Booksellers bestsellers list and is book one in Saklikar’s epic poem series, The Heart of this Journey Bears All Patterns. Find out more at thotjbap.com.

 

Susan Wadds’ (Member at Large) creative nonfiction piece, The Story As It Is Told, has been published on The Blood Pudding’s fall issue.

 

Dr. Ian Prattis (National Capital Region) has had three poems accepted by Ariel Chart Magazine that will be in their October Magazine. In addition, Dr. Prattis has a new book review from Reader’s Favorite for Past, Present, Future: Stories that Haunt. www.ianprattis.com

 

JoAnn Catania (Toronto) is happy to announce that her debut women’s fiction novel, A Scarcity of Virgins, published by Iguana Books, will be released October 15, 2021. The novel touches on many relevant women’s issues, including love, marriage, family, fidelity, sexuality, and self-fulfillment. To learn more, please visit https://www.joanncatania.com.

 

Christopher Canniff (Toronto) is pleased to announce the publication of his latest novel, Intervals of Hope (Blue Denim Press). Nicholas Dixon lives with his mother and brother in London, England between the world wars. His father works in the mines of South Leeds. Armed with his father’s wartime journal, a spirited imagination, and a taste for insurgency, Nicholas embarks on a quest to reunite the family. See https://bluedenimpress.com/books/intervals-of-hope/ and www.christophercanniff.com.

 

Suzanne Craig-Whytock (Member at Large) has had a busy summer. Her debut short story collection, Feasting Upon The Bones, was released in July by Potters Grove Press, and her third novel, the supernatural thriller The Seventh Devil(Bookland Press), was just launched on September 12, 2021.

 

Ms. Ifeoma Chinwuba (National Capital Region) was appointed Writer-in-Residence, 2021-2022, of the English and Film Studies Department at the University of Alberta, Edmonton. Chinwuba is the author of Merchants of Flesh, Waiting for Maria, Fearless and African Romance, poetry in dialogue. For interactions with Ms. Chinwuba in and around the Edmonton area, email ichinwub@ualbeta.ca.

 

Bill Arnott’s (BC) travelogue Gone Viking: A Travel Saga is the Winner of The Miramichi Reader’s 2021 Very Best Book Award for nonfiction, in addition to winning Finalist awards at the Whistler Independent Book Awards and ABF International Book Awards. The sequel, Gone Viking II: Beyond Boundaries (Rocky Mountain Press), will be released this fall.

 

JF Garrard (Toronto), a Toronto-based publisher/writer/editor, has created an ongoing podcast about writing and publishing, “The Artsy Raven,” which is released bi-weekly. Writers on the podcast showcase their work by reading from their book. Editors, agents, publishers and other art industry professionals share their thoughts on what inspires and what led to their success. jfgarrard.com/arpodcast

 

Sylvia Barnard (Niagara) from Penetanguishene, Ontario is pleased to announce the publication of her début novel, Rhubarb, Strawberries, and Willows, a historical fiction spiced with time travel and romance involving the 1910 Spanish River Train Disaster in Northern Ontario. Learn more about Sylvia and the book at www.sbarnardauthor.ca.

 

Bill Waiser’s (Member at Large) latest book, In Search of Almighty Voice: Resistance and Reconciliation, was launched at the One Arrow First Nation powwow at the request of the One Arrow First Nations Elders. https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/photos-historians-book-launched-at-one-arrow-first-nation-powwow.. Bill also did a follow-up interview with CBC Sask about the book launch with the One Arrow chief. Listen here: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-66-the-morning-edition-sask/clip/15862733-historians-book-launched-one-arrow-first-nation-powwow.

 

Doug Jordan (National Capital Region) has published his latest novel, The Treasure of Stella Bay, a nostalgia trip for anyone who has grown up in the 1960s, or anyone who remembers the anguish of transitioning from childhood to their looming teen years: new school, new friends, first love, and solving a mystery. Find out more at Doug’s website: www.afspublishing.ca.

 

Catherine Graham’s (Toronto) seventh poetry collection, Æther: An Out-of-Body Lyric (Wolsak & Wynn/Buckrider Books), is shortlisted for the Toronto Book Awards.

 

Tonya Liburd (Toronto) has been interviewed by the folks over at What’s In The Box podcast, https://telluswhatsinthebox.podbean.com/e/ep-36-soucouyants-guest-tonya-liburd/. “Settle in with your soucouyants, islands, and heat and listen as we unbox two short stories by Tonya Liburd (Mimosa Versus The Soucouyant and 10 Steps to a Whole New You).” Find these stories in American Monsters 2, edited by Margrét Helgadóttir and http://www.fantasy-magazine.com/. Visit Tonya’s website at https://thespiderlilly.wordpress.com/.

 

Hanna Park’s (Toronto) debut novel, Finding Tiegan, is now available to the big wide world. Published by The Wild Rose Press and available at all major online retailers. A romance, touching on contemporary, erotic and paranormal genres. A binge worthy read with sizzle and pop! Visit Hanna’s website today at hannapark.ca.

 

Maria Saba (National Capital Region chapter), an Ottawa-based writer, Storyteller, and arts educator born and raised in Iran, has published three books of nonfiction (in Farsi) and over a hundred articles, essays, interviews, and stories.  “My First Friend”, her short story published in Scoundrel Time, was nominated for the Pushcart Prize and won the Editor’s Choice Award. Maria founded Tirgan short story contest open to the Farsi speaking world in 2011. She was awarded the 2021 Wallace Stegner Grant for the arts by the Eastend Arts Council in Saskatchewan and was the writer in residence at the Wallace Stegner House.

 

Catherine Graham’s (Toronto) Æther: An Out-of-Body Lyric (Wolsak & Wynn /Buckrider Books) has been longlisted for the 2021 Toronto Book Awards. The Jurors have narrowed the field from a record-setting 93 submissions to just 10 books competing for a spot on this year’s shortlist, which will be announced in August.

 

Anna V. Leigh (Toronto) is delighted to make her authorial debut with The Russian Girl: A Noir Romance. The novel tells the story of Roxana, a young woman who spies, seduces, steals, and scams – anything to win the heart of a Russian mobster. Follow a cast of anti-heroes, mafiosos, hitmen, petty thieves, and the living, breathing city of Toronto itself while Roxana searches for love in all the wrong places. Read the book today at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0968TNQS1/

 

Guglielmo D’Izzia (Toronto) is pleased to announce that his debut novel, The Transaction, has won the 2021 IPPY Awards Silver Medal in the Europe – Best Regional Fiction category.

 

Sharon Frayne (Niagara) is delighted to announce that her YA novel, The Sound of a Rainbow, won the 2020 Muskoka Novel Marathon. Latitude 46 Publishing has acquired the novel and expects to release it in 2023. Sharon is the President of the Niagara Branch of the Canadian Authors Association.

 

Dr. Ian Prattis (National Capital Region) has won the eLit Awards Environment/Ecology/Nature Silver Medal for his 18^th book, Past, Present, Future: Stories that Haunt. www.ianprattis.com

 

Guglielmo D’Izzia’s (Toronto Branch) debut novel, The Transaction, has won the Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence Best Crime First Fiction. See full details HERE.

 

Eleonore Schönmaier’s (Member at Large) Field Guide to the Lost Flower of Crete is being published June 1, 2021 by McGill-Queen’s University Press. Wavelengths of Your Song (MQUP) was published in German translation as Wellenlängen deines Liedes in 2020 (parasitenpresse, Cologne) and Dust Blown Side of the Journey (MQUP) was a finalist in the 2020 Eyelands Book Awards. Her latest poetry film can be viewed here.

 

Guglielmo D’Izzia’s (Toronto Branch) award-winning debut novel The Transaction is shortlisted for the Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence Best Crime First Fiction.

 

Jean Baker (Niagara Branch) is delighted to announce her historical fiction novel Albatross Hall has now been published by Friesen Press. Available for sale HERE.

 

Tamel Wino’s (Metro Vancouver Branch) debut book, Ekleipsis, which was released on December 18th 2020, has won a Reader Views bronze award in the Anthology/Short Stories category. See the Reader Views Awards page here: https://www.readerviews.com/winners-2020-2021. Purchase Ekleipsis from amazon here: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08LR1PCJH.

 

Ron Hore, writing as R.J.Hore, (Member at Large) is pleased to announce that volume three of the “Housetrap Chronicles” collection of novellas is now available as an eBook or print version. This collection contains three novellas in the fantasy detective series: Menagerie @ Trois, Murder on the Disoriented Express, and Silence of the Sands. Available through the publisher, Champagne Books, or the usual on-line outlets.

 

Tara K. Torme (Vancouver Branch) is pleased to announce that her new website is up: https://wordpress.com/home/tktorme.wordpress.com. Her poetry books, In Conversation Volume I and In Conversation Vol 2, have been released by Silver Bow Publishing. Tara’s latest book, Bull, has also been released and is available here: Bull.

 

Carmel M. Toussaint (Toronto Branch) is pleased to announce her new book, Humanity’s Struggles with Inequality: More Inequality Divides – Less Inequality Unites, is now available on Amazon. This book presents a systematic analysis of inequality, its origin, development, and potential solutions. Buy your copy here: https://www.amazon.com.br/Humanitys-Struggles-Inequality-Inequality-Divides-ebook/dp/B08X7GDCBV

 

Catherine Graham’s (Toronto Branch) seventh poetry collection Æther: An Out-of-Body Lyric launches on Thursday, April 15 2021, at 7:00 pm EDT, a partnership between Toronto Lit Up, Wolsak &Wynn, Toronto Arts Council, and Toronto International Festival of Authors. Special guest is Kathleen McCracken, a wonderful poet from Northern Ireland. To attend, please register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/ther-an-out-of-body-lyric-book-launch-tickets-146961825777.

 

Gerald Richardson Brown (Metro Vancouver) has finished his trilogy of three books linked by the contents of a sea chest brought to America by early European settlers. In Road to Ganneious, (vol.1), five generations of a European family leave the mountains of Austria to finally settle in a former Iroquois village in Ontario. In The Villager, (vol.2), the protagonist grows up in a village in Ontario during hard times and war. In North to Crying Rock, (vol.3), a retired professor flees his earthquake devastated city, and finds refuge in an Indigenous village high in the mountains of British Columbia, itself a refuge from the clan’s flooded village on the coast. conundrumpress.com

 

Gordon K. Jones (Toronto Branch) is excited to announce that he has been signed by Bookland Press to record an audiobook of his crime thriller, Saving Tiberius, which is currently available in print and as an e-book.

 

Guglielmo D’Izzia (Toronto Branch) is pleased to announce that his debut novel, The Transaction (published by Guernica Editions), is a Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist.

 

Adam Smith (Toronto Branch) is pleased to announce the completion of his mystery trilogy entitled, The Freedom Flaw. These three novels tell the story of a Canadian psychology professor and former CSIS spy after a Harvard associate turns up dead on the same day they were to meet. When the local detective determines the death is suspicious, the investigation unravels a complicated conspiracy that originated in 1965 to hijack the U.S. Congress. The probe expands to the Massachusetts State Police, then the FBI, and progresses all the way to the President. Public Deception, Public Discovery, and Public Action are available on Rakuten-Kindle (eBook) and Amazon-Kindle (eBook & Paperback).

 

Sharon Lax (Member at Large) is pleased to announce the book launch of her short story collection, Shattered Fossils, published by Guernica Editions. The launch will feature Sharon in conversation with Su J Sokol, author of Cycling to Asylum, Run J Run and Zee, and will be held via Zoom at 5:00 pm EST on Sunday, February 28, 2021.

 

Jean Kay (Metro Vancouver Branch) is a published poet who has written a poem every morning for 23 ½ years. She contributes monthly to a local newsletter and IAUSM magazine. Her interview with Silver Lining Conversations is here https://bit.ly/3dPuC53. Some of her poems are on her website: https://poetrytoinspire.com.

 

Catherine Graham (Toronto Branch) is pleased to announce that her seventh poetry collection Æther: An Out-of-Body Lyric will be launched this spring. “Graham has created a luminous homage to family, to cancer and to the strange windings of truth. Memories mesh with visitations and multiple stories unfold of pain and loss, hidden tragedy, forgiveness and growth. With an otherworldly delicacy Graham stitches it all together to create a book-length lyric essay of lingering and profound beauty, a paean to the complexity of love and survival.” Pre-order here.

 

Gordon Jones (Toronto Branch) will be participating in 2 live virtual Author Events with Bookland Press at this years Ontario Library Association Super Conference, Ontario’s largest book trade show. One will be on February 4, 2021, for his latest novel Saving Tiberius, and the other is on February 5, 2021, for his non-fiction book Defending the Inland Shores. See details at https://www.eventscribe.net/2021/OLASC/searchGlobal.asp.

 

Jerena Tobiasen (Metro Vancouver Branch) is pleased to announce that her novel The Crest is available as an audiobook, narrated by the talented James Meunier of the UK. The multi-award-winning story is a fast-moving historical tale of war, prejudice, crime, love and heartbreak that spans more than 70 years and both World Wars. Find it on Amazon, Audible and iTunes. http://jerenatobiasen.ca/

 

Gail Sidonie Šobat (Alberta Branch) has won the 2020 International Eyelands Book Awards Grand Prize for her poetry manuscript, Lessons from the Greeks. The book will be published by Strange Day Books in both English and Greek, and Gail will spend a week at Three Rock writers’ resort on the island of Crete.

 

Ligia Carvalho (Metro Vancouver Branch) published her third children’s book, My dragon doesn’t want to wear shoes, in November 2020, to bring the message about bullying and confidence to kids. The book follows the journey of a little dragon named Freddy, who is struggling with self-confidence because his friends make fun of his green shoes. https://ligiacarvalho.ca/books

 

Karim Bhaloo (Toronto Branch) and Shirley Lum have published a book called Italy – Some Day! through Kindle Direct Publishing. A story of their journey that started with a fateful meeting in 2009 and resulted in discovering new places, including a trip to Italy and a food and wine tour. Purchase a copy (e-books also available) here.

 

Dan Buchanan (Peterborough Branch) is pleased that his new book, The Wreck of HMS Speedy: The Tragedy That Shook Upper Canada, is up front in bookstores across the country through the holiday season. Interest has been growing for this Canadian history story since its release on August 18, 2020. Makes a great Christmas present! www.danbuchananhistoryguy.com

 

Dr. Ian Prattis (National Capital Region Branch) is releasing PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE: Stories that Haunt, in 2021 through Manor House. This collection contains stories, personal essays and futuristic writings illuminating facets of humanity that are both wholesome and deadly. www.ianprattis.com

 

Aaron Barry (Metro Vancouver Branch) announces his latest release, Young Adult Prompts Gone Wild. It’s a continuation of his first book, Writing Prompts Gone Wild, and offers fresh, offbeat, and hilarious YA writing prompts for wordsmiths who like to challenge the conventional. For sample pages or additional info, check out @promptsgonewild on Instagram!

 

A Light from Below, written by Chadham Thomas (Toronto branch), was published on October 7th, 2020. The novel, Thomas’s debut, was self-published with the aid of FriesenPress. It is available for purchase through both Amazon and FriesenPress, and links for both are available on his website, chadhamthomas.com.

 

Michael Newman (Toronto Branch) has received national recognition through the 2020 New York City Big Book Award for his debut novel Between These Walls, which was recognized as a Distinguished Favorite in the category of Historical Fiction.

 

Sue Farrell Holler (Alberta Branch) is pleased to announce the publication of her new picture book Raven, Rabbit, Deer (Pajama Press). Writte n in English, it introduces words in Ojibwemowin. A starred review in Publishers Weekly said, “Holler’s story gains from the interplay of dimensions: the affectionate relationship between the boy and his grandfather, the growing vocabulary they share, and their slow-paced appreciation of the natural world.”

 

Gordon K. Jones’ (Toronto Branch) novel, Saving Tiberius (Bookland Press), is being released as an e-book available through Chapters/Indigo and Apple Books on November 1, 2020.

 

Michael Newman’s (Toronto Branch) debut historical fiction novel Between These Walls received a “Lightening Bolt” review in the October 12^th, 2020 print edition of Publishers Weekly. In the magazine’s BookLife section, the review gave Michael’s book a “Lightening Bolt”, indicating an Editor’s Pick book of outstanding quality.

 

Susana Molinolo‘s (Toronto Branch) poem I, Humminbird has received an acceptance from  Contemporary Verse 2: The Canadian Journal of Poetry and Critical Writing, also known as CV2. Susana first submitted poetry to the journal back in 2003, and has held onto the paper rejection because it contained such constructive and encouraging feedback. Although it’s taken 17 years, Susana’s over the moon to receive an acceptance from CV2!

 

Ingrid Betz (Member at Large) is pleased to announce the October 22nd, 2020, online launch of her sixth novel, The Borrowman Cell, by the feminist press Inanna Publications. Animal-rights activists are not the only ones involved when China starts poaching bears in Algonquin Park. The bears may be saved, but human lives will be forever changed.

 

Myrtle Siebert (Metro Vancouver Branch) has written Float House Family Favourites for young people and new cooks who may need a few dependable recipes and methods to help prepare tasty and healthy meals for themselves, their housemates, and their family members. The author has developed these recipes and used them her entire life. Learn more about the author at https://www.myrtlesiebert.com/

 

Alison Clarke’s (Alberta Branch) book of poetry, Phillis: A Poetry Collection, will be published by the University of Calgary Press on October 15, 2020. Phillis Wheatley was the first African American to publish a book of poetry, and she was a slave, publishing her book of poetry in 1773.

 

Julie Whitley (Waterloo-Wellington Branch) is pleased to announce that the sequel to her Secrets of the Home Wood series, The Stalker, has been recently released and is already a 5-star Readers’ Favourite and receiving great reviews. It can be found on KINDLE at https://amazon.com/dp/B089QVCJBX and in paperback at https://amazon.com/dp/0228816378.

 

Renée Sgroi (Toronto Branch) is hosting a virtual book launch to celebrate her debut poetry collection, life print, in points (erbacce-press) on Thursday, September 24th, at 7:30pm. FREE event, but registration required: https://us04web.zoom.us/meeting/register/upUode-hrTwuHND5glatPeAJYVWSUzWZdvIO.

 

Michael Newman’s (Toronto Branch) debut historical fiction novel Between These Walls received a sterling book review with four out of four “A”s from BookLife Reviews. Mr Newman is also collaborating with a BC screenwriter to bring a screen adaptation of the novel to the TV screen in a six part series.

 

Jerena Tobiasen (Metro Vancouver Branch), author of The Prophecy saga – The Crest, The Emerald and The Destiny – is pleased to announce that The Destiny won Readers’ Favorite 2020 Bronze Medal for Historical Fiction. In 2020, The Prophecy also received awards from Canada Book Awards, Independent Press and Next Generation Indie Book. http://jerenatobiasen.ca/.

 

Guglielmo D’Izzia (Toronto Branch) is pleased to announce that his debut novel, The Transaction (published by Guernica Editions), was a 2020 International Book Awards Finalist in the Literary Fiction category.

 

Diana Chan-Salitter (Peterborough Branch) is pleased to announce her debut novel, The Search for Sally, is now available as an eBook and a soft-cover edition from Amazon. Take a journey with Elena, a young woman who struggles with poverty, as she gathers all her courage to leave her home country. She travels alone for the first time halfway around the world to search for her family in a cold, unfamiliar place.

 

Ron Hore (Winnipeg, MB; Member-at-Large), writing as R.J. Hore, is pleased to announce that Hammer Across the Stars, the middle book in his Of Destiny’s Daughters trilogy, was released on July 13, 2020. It is currently available in ebook format through the usual outlets and through the publisher, Champagne Books, and will be available in a print edition at a later date. The final chapter, Expeditions to Earth, is set to be available by the end of this year. Hope you enjoy Canadian-flavored space opera!

 

The memoir written by Leila Kulpas (Metro Vancouver Branch), Into the Eyes of Hungry: Growing up in the Wilds of Australia (published in 2019), was a finalist for the 2019 Book Excellence Awards.

 

Sam Thiara’s (Metro Vancouver Branch) Lost and Found: Seeking the Past and Finding Myself, is a moving memoir documenting an impossible quest to find her grandfather’s village – with just a faded photograph. The story is for anyone who has felt adrift in the world; what was once lost can be found. Available for sale through Amazon.

 

Bestseller Bill Arnott (Metro Vancouver) is pleased to announce the New Edition release of his adventure travelogue Gone Viking: A Travel Saga (WIBA Awards Finalist) from RMBooks, which has been awarded Finalist at the ABF International Book Awards. Bill’s eight year trek and exploration writing his travel memoir has also earned him a Fellowship in the Royal Geographical Society of London (fellow fellows include Darwin, Shackleton, Livingstone and Palin).

 

Ed Seaward (Toronto Branch) held the official book launch of his debut novel Fair on July 21, 2020, as a virtual event via Zoom. Fair was published June 22, 2020 by The Porcupine’s Quill.

 

Rajesh Sehgal’s (Toronto Branch) book NOT GUILTY: Fabricated Implication Report – FIR is now available on Amazon. This book describes how the laws in India have been misused and the criminal justice system abused over the years—leading to arrest, humiliation, and sufferings of tens of thousands of innocents who are implicated in false cases. It also touches on police abuse and atrocities.

 

Alberta author Sue Farrell Holler (Grande Prairie, AB, member-at-large) won the 2020 R. Ross Annett Award for Children’s Literature. Her YA novel Cold White Sun is based on the true story of a child refugee from Ethiopia. Jurors said, “The writing is vivid, often raw, and the protagonist’s story lingers far after the final page.”

 

Gordon K Jones (Toronto Branch) is pleased to announce that his crime thriller, Saving Tiberius, is scheduled for release by Bookland Press in July 2020. When word is leaked that  Morgan Watson’s cat, Tiberius, miraculously cured itself of diabetes and may hold the key to a cure, he is attacked and almost killed. As he and a strong-willed police officer, Paula Rogers, search for who is behind the brutal attempts to get Tiberius, they find themselves intertwined with the growing list of dead bodies.

 

With twenty-five reading events postponed (so far!), Bill Arnott (Metro Vancouver Branch) created Gone Viking Online, a virtual book tour with actual reading. Join Bill for quick, lighted readings from his Whistlers Independent Book Award finalist travel memoir Gone Viking: A Travel Saga, with mini-video tours, here on YouTube.

 

Canadian Authors–Toronto co-president Lee Parpart received an honourable mention in the Negative Capability Press Spring 2020 poetry contest for her poem “Deadheading in Late August,” and wonArc Poetry Magazine’s inaugural Award of Awesomenessin May 2020 for her poem “Hello goodbye.”

 

Michael Newman (Toronto Branch) is launching his debut novel Between These Walls and invites you to his virtual book launch on May 14, 2020, at 7:00 pm EDT. He will have several special guests, including Wendy Gruner, author of Children of a Faraway War, and an exclusive performance by award-winning singer, songwriter Jill Barber. RSVP atmnewman@boardwalkcapital.ca and join the Zoom meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86509584495?pwd=WGI3TkFxTHBFQUFFTEVuNmZtTHdLdz09

 

Pamela Yuen-Elkerbout and Susana Molinolo (Toronto Branch) co-wrote the poem “Postcards We Never Sent”, which has been published in the anthology COVID-19: Poems from the Lockdown. It’s now available on Amazon.They co-read their poem at the Canadian Authors’ Toronto poetry month event on April 23.

 

Susana Molinolo‘s (Toronto Branch) 5-word poem “Nervous gut like garbage truck” was published in Neutral Spaces, Issue Concrete, available at neutralspaces.com/concrete. She also read poems at the first virtual edition of Draft Readings on April 26.

 

With twenty-five reading events postponed (so far!), Bill Arnott (Metro Vancouver Branch) created Gone Viking Online, a virtual book tour with actual reading. Join Bill for quick, lighthearted readings from his WIBA Finalist travel memoir Gone Viking: A Travel Saga, with mini video tours, here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqqHfvXtRDc

 

Guglielmo D’Izzia’s (Toronto Branch) debut novel, The Transaction, winner of the Marina Nemat Award, was released by Guernica Editions on May 1, 2020. On May 9, he will also appear as a featured author at this year’s edition of Librissimi – Toronto Italian Book Festival.

 

Spiritual writer Donald Lee (Alberta Branch) recently published his first book, The Band Director’s Lessons About Life (available at online & real stores). It’s a book of modern-day parables inspired by his career as a band director. In the style of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Donald draws spiritually inspirational lessons from everyday classroom foibles.

 

Author R.J.Hore (Winnipeg, MB, member at large) with 13 novels and 9 novellas published, is trying out something new starting February 12. He will be posting a chapter of an unpublished novel each Wednesday on his Facebook author page https://www.facebook.com/RonaldJHore/ to provide a sample of one of his writing styles. This project will continue until all of the novel has been displayed, or demand for a free reading dies.

 

Ingrid Betz (London, ON member at large) will be reading from her latest prize-winning short story, Colours In the Rain, at the launch of this year’s  CAA – Niagara Branch anthology, Fifteen Stories High.  Date: March 28th. Time: 2 pm.  Place: St. Catharines Public Library, 54 Church Street, St. Catharines, Ontario. [This event was cancelled due to COVID-19.]

 

Nancy Taber (Niagara Branch) published her short story, “Secrets and Stockings,” in The Blake-Jones Review, available at  https://www.blakejonesreview.com/short-stories/secrets-and-stockings/ The story is about a journalist who steals her grandmother’s journal from the code-breakers museum at Bletchley Park. It is part of an in-progress collection inspired by her research in war museums; the collection immerses the reader in diverse tales about strong and complicated women whose stories have been overlooked or forgotten.

 

Romantic writer Robert Joseph Greene (Metro Vancouver Branch) believes there is a tangible format to understanding love and will be presenting his findings on the age-old question “What Is Love?” to an academic as well as public audience at UBC’s Green College. This free event takes place on Tuesday, February 11, 2020, at  Coach House, Green College, UBC 6201 Cecil Green Park Rd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm, with a reception to follow. Wikipedia lists Greene as Canada’s only male author dedicated solely to romantic fiction. This will be his second appearance at Green College. For more information, to go https://greencollege.ubc.ca/civicrm/event/info/.

 

Anita Kushwaha‘s (National Capital Region Branch) novel Secret Lives of Mothers & Daughters about the ties that bind mothers and daughters together and the secrets that tear them apart, will be released on January 28th by HarperCollins Canada.

 

Gill Foss (National Capital Region Branch) is announcing the publication of her new poetry book Personal Perspectives. It covers her journey from the north east coast of the UK, through a variety of travels to her life now as a Canadian citizen and CAA Member of many years standing. It concludes with her anxiety about climate change on our future. The book is currently available through Amazon.ca at a cost of approximately $10 CDN.

 

Bernice Lever’s (Metro Vancouver Branch) poem Taking Spiders Out received Honourable Mention in The World Around Us poetry anthology contest by The Ontario Poetry Society. In November, two of her poems were included in The Prairie Journal (editor: Anne Burke). In December, Bernice did a reading of her poems from Tenfold on World Poetry Café on Vancouver Co-op Radio. (World Poetry Café is a multilingual and multicultural radio show with listeners in 106 countries. They feature poetry both local and from around the world, including book launches with poets and writers and CD launches with a number of musicians, artists, and filmmakers. For more info, go tohttps://www.coopradio.org/content/world-poetry-cafe-2 and https://worldpoetry.ca/).

 

Hannah Long (Barrie, ON member at large) has sold her Viking-inspired adult fantasy Hall of Smoke to Titan Books in a 2-book deal, with audio rights sold at auction to Recorded Books. The book follows a disgraced warrior-priestess as she evades armies and meddling gods to regain her goddess’s favour. Publication is set for Spring 2021.

 

Elizabeth McLean‘s (Metro Vancouver Branch, formerly NCR) story “95%” was shortlisted for the Bridport 2019 Short Story Prize in the UK. The story is about the coming into adulthood of a young man who finally has to take responsibility for a child he had fathered in his younger years. See https://www.bridportprize.org.uk/results

 

Nancy Taber (Niagara Branch) published her short story, Climbing, on CommuterLit, available at http://commuterlit.com/2019/10/thursday-climbing/. The story explores the intersection of the female protagonist’s personal and professional lives. It combines the allegory of Greek Gods and Goddesses with an archeological bent using a Nike statuette. She is currently working on a collection of short stories, inspired by her research in war museums, which immerse the reader in diverse tales about strong and complicated women whose stories have been overlooked or forgotten.

 

Jerena Tobiasen (Metro Vancouver Branch) recently released The Destiny, the third volume of an intriguing historical saga called The Prophecy. As prophesied by Punita Kota, future generations of the Lange (“The Crest”) and Kota (“The Emerald”) families collide, resulting in manipulation, deception and false beliefs, resulting in an international kidnapping and vicious court battles.Jerena’s books are available on Amazon (print and e-book). Print copies can also be ordered through most bookstores.

 

Suparna Ghosh, (Toronto Branch) one of the founding members of the Art Bar, the longest-running, weekly poetry readings in Canada, was one of the poets at the Dead Poets Society Night on December 17, 2019, at the Supermarket on Augusta Avenue. She read Rabindranath Tagore’s poems, the first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913. Tagore’s short story, Post Office, was staged at the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto in 1914. Please visit suparnaghosh.com.

 

Kathleen Jones (Toronto chapter) is excited to have published her second novel, The War on Sarah Morris, telling the story of a middle-aged book editor struggling to stay employed when her employer tries bullying her out of her job (Legacy Book Press). You can find out more about The War on Sarah Morris, and her first novel Love Is the Punch Line, at https://kathleenjones.org/about/.

 

Ed Burrows (Peterborough Branch) has published his book Putting Your Affairs in Order through Self-Counsel Press. His book allows the reader to enter into it all the information that will be needed on their death, saving substantial costs for the estate. It is available at Chapters and Staples stores across Canada.

 

Joan Boxall (Metro Vancouver Branch) has authored DrawBridge: Drawing Alongside My Brother’s Schizophrenia (Caitlin Press), which includes a colour insert of her brother’s drawings. The book lends itself well to book clubs in its handling of the subject of mental health and the power of art to heal. For discussion questions and reviews, go to www.joanboxall.com and http://caitlin-press.com/our-books/drawbridge/

 

Tommy Schnurmacher‘s (Montreal Branch) memoir Makeup Tips from Auschwitz: How Vanity Saved My Mother’s Life is now available through Amazon, Indigo, and Barnes and Noble. It was recently listed in the bestseller rankings on Amazon.ca as #1 in both Hot New Releases/Judaism and Hot New Releases/Jewish Biography, #3 bestseller in Judaism, #5 in Hot New Releases in Humorous Essays and #6 bestseller in Jewish Biography. talkradiotommy.com and https://www.amazon.ca/Makeup-Tips-Auschwitz-Vanity-Mothers/dp/0228805155/

 

Edythe Anstey Hanen (Metro Vancouver Branch) is a finalist in the Whistler Independent Book Awards for her novel Nine Birds Singing. The winners will be announced at the Whistler Writers Festival on October 18, 2019.

 

Patricia Sandberg‘s (Metro Vancouver Branch) short story The Colour of Us, first published in The Cabinet of Heed, is newly published in an anthology from the Lit Mag Love course community. The anthology features work from 25 writers with comments on their road to publication. Free copies available at litmaglove.com/anthology.

 

Gord Grisenthwaite (Kingsville, ON member at large) and the works of roughly 14 of Canada’s best Indigenous writers are collected in Bawaagigan: Stories of Power, available on November 1, 2019. Gord will give a reading at the Toronto book launch in early December.

 

In September, JF Garrard‘s (Toronto Branch) Dark Helix Press published their twelfth book, Immersion: An Asian Anthology of Love, Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction, which is Book 2 in the Ricepaper Magazine book series. Featuring 15 speculative fiction stories, characters include a lost samurai, shape shifters, hopping vampires to an unground society of janitors. http://www.darkhelixpress.com/acww/immersion/.

 

Ann Shortell (Toronto Branch) is a finalist in the Whistler Independent Book Awards for her novel Celtic Knot: A Clara Swift Tale. The winners will be announced at the Whistler Writers Festival on October 18, 2019.

 

Sharon Frayne (Niagara Branch) was the Young Adult Novel Winner with Chain of Broken Hearts at the 2019 Muskoka Novel Marathon. This 72-hour write-a-thon raised funds for the Muskoka/Simcoe YMCA Adult Literacy Program. Sharon was also the 2019 Winner of the South Simcoe Arts Festival Short Story Award and was shortlisted for the 2019 Eden Mills Writers Festival. www.fraynesharon.com.

 

Elaine Cougler (Woodstock, ON member at large) is launching The Man Behind the Marathons: How Ron Calhoun Helped Terry Fox and Other Heroes Make Millions for Charity on Sept. 8, 2019 at Quality Hotel in Woodstock ON from 2–4 pm. Area book club members are invited to a special session with the author and the subject, Ron Calhoun, at 1:30 pm. The first launch was very well attended in London ON in June and the third launch will be in the Beaty Room at the Thamesford, ON Library on October 10, 6:30–8:30 pm. www.elainecougler.com and www.themanbehindthemarathons.com

 

Jerena Tobiasen (BC chapter) has published her second book The Emerald, which is Book II in The Prophecy saga. This is a story about a Roma family forced to flee Germany to avoid Hitler’s round-up of undesirables. Jerena’s first novel The Crest and this recent publication are both available on Amazon. Learn more about Jerena at http://jerenatobiasen.ca/.

 

Dick Bourgeois-Doyle‘s (National Capital Region chapter) What’s So Funny? Lessons from Canada’s Leacock Medal for Humour Writing has been reprinted by Burnstown Publishing House. It is also available in digital format. Find out more at https://burnstownpublishing.com/product/whats-so-funny-lessons-from-canadas-leacock-medal-for-humour-writing/.