New year! New reads! Below, in no particular order of awesomeness, you’ll find five fantasies for YA fans that I am particularly looking...

Last month, master storyteller Philip Pullman, published The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage, marking a return to the world of His Dark...

Timekeeper by Tara Sim Paperback Release: Oct. 31, 2017 Publisher: Sky Pony Press Available in Canada through Thomas Allen & Son 404...

Today, the Canadian Children’s Book Centre announced its slate of fantastic finalists for the annual TD Canadian Children’s Literature...

Sometimes, I have the privilege of writing guest book reviews for the incredible folks at The Book Wars. You can check out my review of...

Next month I finish my Master’s degree, so I thought it time to weigh in on a question many aspiring writers ask : should I get a degree...

Today is Harry Potter’s 37th birthday and in homage to the birthday boy-who-lived and the continuing summer festivities marking the 20th...

Still seeking to feel foolish—or read foolish? Now’s the time to double the fun with this  Jester & Fool Book List #2! Below, you’ll find...

It’s All Fools’ Day and so I’m devoting my April posts to books about the colourful court jester characters of children’s literature. A...

For March, I have the special pleasure of doing a guest post for the wonderful folks at The Book Wars, an awesome site devoted to...

It’s the Super Bowl today and people around the world will tune in. Some will watch for the halftime show, some for the ads, and some...

Well, we’ve turned the page on 2016 and are getting into the swing of the new year, but if you’re still seeking fresh inspirations for...

Further Resources on the Hero’s Journey I hope you’ve found my summary of hero’s journey plot lines useful, but there is really no...

Happy New Year to all! We have reached the 10th and final stage of a hero’s journey plot line and a fitting stage it is for January 1st...

Huzzah! We have reached the Climax, the grand hurrah, the big shebang, a moment so exciting that only funny-sounding words can express...

The beginning of THE END! We enter the third and final phase of a hero’s journey plot line. Act 3 Propelling Event Climax (aka Death &...

The Hero’s Journey – Reward Well that last post on the Ordeal was so frightening, I almost couldn’t go on! But after a bit of a break,...

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger!” Quoting Nietzsche might seem a bit intense for a post on children’s stories but he...

We really shouldn’t go in there—but we have to! We’re now well into the Middle Phase (Act 2) of a story. The characters have started to...

Perilous tasks! Noble Companions! Dastardly Villains! At this point in their journey, characters tackle initial challenges, making new...