Author/Illustrator Catalog Spring 09

Orca Author/Illustrator Catalogue

A Who/What/Where/When Guide to Author Visits and School Presentations

Michael Kusugak

YT NT

BC Caroline Adderson Norma Charles Bev Cooke Becky Citra K.L. Denman Dayle Campbell Gaetz Christy Goerzen Shelley Hrdlitschka Melanie Jackson Carolyn Jones Laura Langston Sara Leach Annabel Lyon Carrie Mac Chris McMahen Michelle Mulder Rachel Dunstan Muller Sylvia Olsen Jacqueline Pearce Lois Peterson Jeff Rud Andrea Spalding Robin Stevenson Nikki Tate Meg Tilly Chris Tougas Diane Tullson Richard Van Camp Kathleen Cook Waldron Ann Walsh Gregory Walters John Wilson Kari-Lynn Winters Pam Withers

NU

AB SK

MB

NL

QC ON NB

Michele Bossley Sigmund Brouwer Maureen Bush Hazel Hutchins Jacqueline Guest Don Trembath Debby Waldman

NS

Lesley Choyce Vicki Grant K.V. Johansen Diane Carmel Leger Anita Daher Carol Matas

Andrea Beck Holly Bennett Marilyn Helmer Kate Jaimet Susan Rennick Jolliffe Anna Kerz Mary Labatt Leanne Lieberman Deb Loughead Norah McClintock Liam O’Donnell Graham Ross RenÊ Schmidt Pat Skene Eric Walters Janet Wilson Frieda Wishinsky

Catherine Austen Monique Polak Raquel Rivera

Caroline Adderson Vancouver, British Columbia

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Up to 100 children with teachers present.

Age group: No preference.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Readings, talks and workshops.

Presentation fee: One-hour presentation - $250 Two-hour Creative Writing workshop - $400 (plus travel expenses if applicable.)

Contact: Please contact Leslie Bootle at Orca for Caroline’s e-mail address. (leslie@orcabook.com)

Caroline Adderson is the author of three books for children: Very Serious Children (Scholastic 2007), a novel for middle readers; I, Bruno (Orca 2007), a collection of stories for emergent readers featuring seven-year-old Bruno and his true-life adventures; and its sequel, Bruno for Real (Orca 2009).

Caroline also writes books for adults— Bad Imaginings, A History of Forgetting, Sitting Practice, and Pleased to Meet You— and has won two Ethel Wilson Fiction Prizes, three CBC Literary Awards, as well as the 2006 Marion Engel Award, given annually to an outstanding female writer in mid-career. Most recently, Caroline was theVancouver Public Library’s 2008 Writer-in-Residence.

Her eight-year-old son Patrick and his many friends inspire her children’s writing. Caroline and her family live in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she also teaches in the Writing and Publishing Program at Simon Fraser University.

Published title(s) with Orca: I, Bruno Bruno For Real (Spring 2009)

Catherine Austen Quebec

Presentation region: Locally and regionally; nationally if travel expenses are covered.

Preferred audience size: Any. Age group: Any. Presentation venue: Catherine prefers libraries, but is flexible around the needs of the group.

Presentation fee: $250 per session plus travel costs. If multiple presentations are booked at one venue, discounts may apply.

E-mail contact: c_a_austen@hotmail.com Catherine Austen was raised in Kingston, Ontario, the youngest of five children. She studied political science at Queen’s University and environmental studies at York University. While procrastinating in the face of exams, she wrote several short stories for literary journals. She worked through the 1990s in Canada’s conservation movement, campaigning for federal endangered species legislation. In 2000, Catherine quit office life to raise her children and work as a freelance writer for environmental organizations and First Nations.

While procrastinating in the face of deadlines, she began writing children’s fiction. Walking Backwards is her first novel. Catherine writes from her home in Quebec, which she shares with her husband, Geoff, and their children, Sawyer and Daimon.

Published title(s) with Orca: Walking Backward (Fall 2009)

Andrea Beck Unionville, Ontario

Presentation region: Toronto area, although if several schools in a different area would like to host a visit, she will travel.

Preferred audience size: Prefer 50, maximum is 65.

Age group: K-3, although character and illustration workshops are available for older students.

Presentation venue: Prefer school libraries.

Presentation style: Presentations are 50-60 minutes and very interactive. They end with a drawing demonstration, and the drawings are left in the school as teaching tools.

Presentation fee: One or two sessions - $450 Three sessions - $400 Four sessions - $750 Days split between two schools: $850 Contact: abeck@elliotmoose.ca Website: www.elliotmoose.ca

Andrea Beck loves animals. She had a beagle named Toby whose black spots reminded her of cow patches. She has written and illustrated 9 books in the “Elliott Moose” series (published with Kids Can Press), and is currently working on the 10th.

Buttercup’s Lovely Day is the second book that Andrea has worked on with her sister, Carolyn. The illustrations were done using acrylic paint on watercolour paper. She currently lives in Unionville, Ontario, and wishes all cows lived Buttercup’s life.

Published title(s) with Orca: Buttercup’s Lovely Day Pierre Le Poof! (Fall 2009)

Holly Bennett Peterborough, Ontario

Presentation region: Within two hours of Peterborough, unless part of a larger tour.

Preferred audience size: Less than 50 people.

Age group: Grades 6–12.

Presentation venue: Classrooms, libraries, and bookstores.

Large auditoriums and gymnasiums are not favoured. For larger groups, a microphone is preferred, especially for readings.

Presentation style: Presentations are informal and include talks about Holly Bennett’s work and the writing/publishing process, followed by a discussion and question period.

A workshop-style writing session focusing on helping readers develop their own writing process is in the works.

Presentation fee: $250 for a one-hour presentation. Less for local schools.

E-mail contact: hbennett27@cogeco.ca

Holly Bennett was a researcher for Aboriginal organizations and worked as a youth employment counsellor before settling on writing and editing. She is now editor-in-chief of Today’s Parent Special Editions, heading up the “birth and babies” beat.

Born in Montreal, Holly lives in Peterborough, Ontario, with a houseful of musicians (three sons and husband, John) and a nice, quiet dog. She loves to talk to kids about reading and writing.

For more information, please visit www.hollybennett.net Published title(s) with Orca: The Bonemender The Bonemender’s Oath The Warrior’s Daughter The Bonemender’s Choice Shapeshifter (Spring 2010)

Michele Martin Bossley Calgary, Alberta

Presentation region: Local Calgary area.

Preferred audience size: No preference.

Age group: Ages 8–12 preferred, but other age groups are possible.

Presentation venue: Schools and libraries are preferred.

Presentation style: Michele offers workshops, writing seminars and keynote speeches.

Presentation fee: $300 per half day (includes two workshops of approximately 60 children each). $500 per full day (includes four workshops of approximately 60 children each). $450 for keynotes (includes 1/2 hour book signing after session).

E-mail contact: mbossley@telus.net

Michele Martin Bossley was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but grew up in Calgary, Alberta. She graduated from the University of Calgary in 1991, and began working seriously on writing children’s books. Michele is the author of seventeen novels for young people.

Many of Michele’s books focus on different sports. A former athlete, she now coaches children’s swimming, hockey, and soccer teams. When she is not writing, Michele frequently speaks at writing conferences and schools. She still lives in Calgary with her husband and four young sons.

Published title(s) with Orca: Jumper Swiped Cracked Kicker Bio-pirate Fraud Squad (Fall 2009)

Sigmund Brouwer Red Deer, Alberta

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: 400 people maximum.

Age group: Grades 4–6.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: For information on presentations, please visit Sigmund’s website: http://www.coolreading.com/educators/educators.htm username: teachers password: literacy Presentation fee: One-hour presentation: $450 plus any travel costs. Maximum of 3 presentations per day.

E-mail contact: sbrouwer@mac.com

Sigmund Brouwer is the best-selling author of many books for children and young adults.

He and his family live in Red Deer, Alberta, and Eagleville,Tennessee.

In his school presentations, Sigmund encourages students to reach for their dreams, giving them fun and practical advice and the reading and writing skills that are the foundation of future success. Sigmund’s presentations are an hour of high-level energy. He especially reaches out to reluctant readers and gears the talk to engage their attention.

Published titles with Orca: Orca Echoes Orca Sports Timberwolf Chase All-Star Pride Timberwolf Revenge Rebel Glory Timberwolf Hunt Tiger Threat Timberwolf Trap Blazer Drive Timberwolf Challenge Cobra Strike Timberwolf Tracks Titan Clash Timberwolf Rivals (Fall Hurricane Power 2009) Hitmen Triumph Winter Hawk Star Orca Currents Chief Honor Wired Scarlet Thunder Sewer Rats Maverick Mania Thunderbird Spirit Absolute Pressure (Spring 2009) Oil King Courage (Fall 2009)

Maureen Bush Calgary, Alberta

Presentation region: Locally; will consider presenting regionally and nationally.

Preferred audience size: Maximum 30 people.

Age group: Book target audience (ages 8–11).

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Maureen gives interactive presentations which include discussions about her book, readings, photos and conversations with the kids. For older students the focus will be on writing, getting published and being a writer.

Presentation fee: $250 per one-hour presentation.

E-mail contact: mbush@telusplanet.net

Born in Edmonton, Maureen Bush was raised in Edmonton and Calgary. She has worked as a public involvement consultant and trained as a mediator.

Her first book was The Nexus Ring (Coteau Books, 2007). Maureen lives in Calgary, Alberta, with her husband and two daughters.

Published title(s) with Orca: Feather Brain

Dayle Campbell Gaetz Campbell River, British Columbia

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Up to 60 people.

Age group: No preference.

Presentation venue: School classrooms and libraries, public libraries, and bookstores.

Presentation style: Dayle speaks to groups about the writing process, discussing how ideas for some of her books have been inspired, and how this eventually led to a specific book, which is discussed and read from.

Student involvement is encouraged. Props and photos for each book add to the overall presentation.

Presentation fee: $250 per session (approximately 60 minutes). Two same day sessions in one school: $450.

Three same day sessions in one school: $600 E-mail contact: gdgaetz@shaw.ca

Dayle Campbell Gaetz grew up in Victoria and attended the University of Victoria. Her writing career began on Salt Spring Island where she wrote her first 16 novels. For several years she wrote a column for the local weekly newspaper and published the occasional article in children’s magazines. Dayle now lives in Campbell River, where, in addition to writing, she teaches a correspondence course on Writing for Children and Teenagers. She has published 21 books for readers from ages seven to 17. Never knowing what idea will strike next, Dayle writes books that range from science fiction to history and from biography to mystery.

Published title(s) with Orca: Mystery From History No Problem Barkerville Gold Alberta Alibi Spoiled Rotten Sea Dog Something Suspicious in Saskatchewan Crossbow

Lesley Choyce

East Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia Presentation Region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: 10–50 people.

Age group: No preference.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Lesley Choyce is an animated speaker who discusses creativity, imagination, fiction and poetry. He includes poetry music videos in his presentations.

Presentation fee: $225 per one-hour session.

E-mail contact: lchoyce@dal.ca

Lesley Choyce teaches part-time at Dalhousie University, runs Pottersfield Press and has published nearly sixty books for adults and kids. His young adult novels concern things like skateboarding, surfing, racism, environmental issues, organ transplants and rock bands. Lesley surfs year round in the North Atlantic and is considered the father of transcendental wood-splitting.

He’s worked as a rehab counselor, a freight hauler, a corn farmer, a janitor, a journalist, a lead guitarist, a newspaper boy and a well-digger. He lives in a 200-year-old farm house at Lawrencetown Beach overlooking the ocean. He also hosts a nationally syndicated TV talk show on Vision TV. His recent novel, Cold Clear Morning (Porcepic Books, 2001), is currently being developed as a feature-length movie.

Published title(s) with Orca: Refuge Cove Thunderbowl Sudden Impact Wave Warrior Skate Freak Running the Risk (Spring 2009)

Becky Citra

Bridge Lake, British Columbia Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Up to 60 students.

Age group: Grades 1–7.

Presentation venue: Classroom, school library or public library. No gymnasiums.

Presentation style: PRESENTATION 1: Grades 1 to 3 (45 minutes) A wonderful way to introduce your class to the Enchanted Theater series, a time travel fantasy series written for a grade two level.

Jeremy and the talking cat Aristotle travel back in time into the ancient Greek myths, solving riddles, overcoming obstacles and meeting all kinds of scary monsters! The presentation includes brainstorming, role playing, readings and lots of exciting props. It is a great springboard for starting a literature unit on mythology with your students and includes a handout with twenty-one ideas for using the series in the classroom.

PRESENTATION 2: Grades 3 to 4 (60 minutes) This presentation focuses on the Max and Ellie historical series.

There are five books in the series and they follow the adventures of Max and Ellie in Upper Canada in the 1830s. The books tie in well with the BC curriculum. The presentation includes readings, hands-on artifacts from Upper Canada and an overview of the steps from an idea to a published book. Teacher Guides to accompany the books are available for free at www.orcabook.com.

PRESENTATION 3: Grades 4 to 7 (60 minutes) This presentation focuses on the Max and Ellie historical series and the juvenile novel, Never to be Told (nominated for the Hackmatack and the Silver Birch Award.) This presentation includes readings, hands-on artifacts from Upper Canada and a slide show that demonstrates how ideas for stories are developed. There is also an overview of the steps from an idea to a published book.

Presentation fee: $250 for one hour, $150 for a second presentation in the same school and $500 for a full day in a school.

E-mail contact: ercitra@hotmail.com

Becky Citra lives on a ranch in a tiny community called Bridge Lake, British Columbia, with her husband Larry and her daughter Meghan. Her joy of writing began when she was a child. An avid reader of The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, she started scribbling her own mystery series at eleven years old. She took a long break from writing when she became a teacher. Reading wonderful books out loud everyday to young children in schools inspired her one day to give it a try—and she has never looked back!

Published title(s) with Orca: Ellie’s New Home Freezing Moon Danger at the Landings Dog Days Runaway Jeremy and the Enchanted Theatre Strawberry Moon Jeremy in the Underworld Never to be Told Jeremy and the Golden Fleece Jeremy and the Fantastic Flying Machine Whiteout (Spring 2009) Sam’s Ride (Fall 2009)

Norma Charles

Vancouver, British Columbia Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Up to 100.

Age group: Grades K–8.

Presentation venue: Prefer classrooms or libraries.

Presentation style: Norma focuses on the writing process.

She demonstrates how a book is made, right from the initial germ of an idea through brainstorming, multiple drafts, editing, marketing, and the finished product.

Presentation fee: $250 per one-hour presentation, $400 for two presentations.

E-mail contact: normacharles@telus.net

Norma Charles has written many books for kids including The Accomplice, winner of the Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Literature Prize.

Norma was born in Ste. Boniface, Manitoba, but moved to British Columbia when she was still a young child. Norma has been a high school teacher and a teacher-librarian, and taught Creative Writing at UBC in the Continuing Education Department. She loves doing author visits and has toured extensively in schools and libraries across Canada. Norma is active in key children’s literature organizations such as the Children’s Book Roundtable in Vancouver and CWILL BC. Norma’s first book with Orca, Bank Job, was inspired by a newspaper account of three teens who robbed seven banks in Vancouver.

Published title(s) with Orca: Bank Job (Spring 2009)

Kathleen Cook Waldron 100 Mile House, British Columbia

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Up to 100 people for readings; up to 12 people for workshops.

Age group: Kathleen can present to any age group, but prefers each presentation to focus on a particular age or grade range, such as K–2, grades 3–6, or 7–9. As most of her books are written for younger readers, presentations for older groups focus more on the business of writing picture books, using examples from her own books.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Kathleen offers lively, informative and interactive presentations ranging in length from half an hour to an hour for readings, and longer for workshops.

Presentation fee: Please contact author for details.

E-mail contact: kathleencookwaldron@gmail.com

Kathleen Cook Waldron was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. In the spring of 1975, she and her husband Mark set off with their one-year-old son Levi to begin building their own log home off the grid in central British Columbia. They immigrated to Canada the following year, welcomed their daughter Rosy the year after that, and have lived in the Cariboo ever since. Her rural pleasures include swimming in mountain lakes, canoeing, cycling, cross-country skiing, and hiking.

The Waldrons became dual Canadian/US citizens in 1991.

Kathleen’s work experience includes being a swimming instructor, playground supervisor, lifeguard, waitress, chambermaid, tree planter, house painter, teacher, and of course, writer.

Published title(s) with Orca: Loon Lake Fishing Derby Rough Day at Loon Lake Five Stars For Emily Forestry A-Z (Spring 2008)

Bev Cooke

Victoria, British Columbia Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: 5–40 people Age group: Book target audience (ages 14 and up).

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Bev talks about the writing process and the background and evolution of her books. She welcomes discussion on these or related topics.

Presentation fee: $200 per day, plus applicable transportation costs, or $50 per classroom.

E-mail contact: bevcooke@shaw.ca

Bev Cooke was born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario. When she’s not writing or thinking about writing, she likes to talk with her two kids, figure out where her husband is so she can distract him from renos, read, daydream, think about gardening and pet her cats. Feral is her second book for children. Bev lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Published title(s) with Orca: Feral

Anita Daher Winnipeg, Manitoba

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Up to 200 people.

Age group: Students in middle school, junior high or high school.

Presentation venue: Preference given to a library or classroom for a cozier, more personal experience, but a gymnasium or theatre is suitable as well—as long as audiovisual aids are available and functioning.

Presentation style: Anita’s presentations for middle grades are highly interactive, informative and fun, and often include props. All presentations include photos, either shown on 8 ½” x 11” cards for smaller groups or as a slide show through laptop and projector.

Presentation fee: $250 per large group presentation; fee is negotiable for smaller groups.

E-mail contact: anita.daher@shaw.ca Website: www.anitadaher.com

Anita Daher has been entrenched in the book publishing industry for several years, writing books, articles and reviews, and leading workshops and presentations. She has also worked on the publishing end of things as a marketing director. Anita holds memberships in the Writers’ Union of Canada, the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, the Manitoba Writers’ Guild and the Saskatchewan Writers Guild, and was a founding member of the Territorial Writers Association. When she’s not writing, she likes to spend time baking, playing her guitar (badly) and turning her backyard garden into a haven for neighborhood bunnies. Anita lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with her family, a farty old basset hound and two saucy young horses.

Published title(s) with Orca: Flight From Big Tangle Flight From Bear Canyon Two Foot Punch Racing For Diamonds Poachers in the Pingos On the Trail of the Bushman (Spring 2009)

K.L. Denman

Powell River, British Columbia Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Up to 30 students.

Age group: Ages 10–13 for book talks and ages 12–18 for workshops.

Presentation venue: Classrooms and libraries preferred.

Presentation style: Presentations involve book talks that include readings and discussion of the process involved in writing novels. Also, creative writing workshops are offered for students who are keen to develop their writing skills.

Presentation fee: $250 per hour; $750 per day E-mail contact: write@shaw.ca Website: http://kldenman.wordpress.com.

K.L. Denman began writing young adult fiction after reading the books of some talented authors and discovering the evolution of this fascinating, multifaceted genre. With her teen children and their friends providing abundant raw material and re-kindled memories of this challenging passage, writing for teens became an irresistible venture.

She was born in Calgary, Alberta, but spent most of her life in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, with the exception of the summers when she worked at a ranch in Alberta. She now lives in Powell River, British Columbia, with her family of people, dogs, cats and horses.

Published title(s) with Orca: Battle of the Bands Mirror Image Rebel’s Tag La guerra de las bandas (Battle of the Bands in Spanish) The Shade Spiral Perfect Revenge (Spring 2009)

Christy Goerzen Vancouver, British Columbia

Presentation region: Local, regional and national.

Preferred audience size: Up to 25 for a writing workshop, up to 60 for a presentation.

Age group: No preference; Christy can adapt presentation style to audience.

Presentation venue: Classrooms, libraries and bookstores; no gymnasiums or other large venues please.

Presentation style: Christy offers lively, interactive presentations with photos, readings, discussion and information on the writing and publishing process. As she has produced or published fiction, poetry and screenwriting, she is able to discuss any or all three forms of writing. She offers one-hour presentations and one-hour or two-hour writing workshops.

Presentation fee: $200 for local schools/libraries for a onehour presentation; $250 per hour for regional and national presentations, plus travel expenses if applicable; $175 for each additional hour in the same school on the same day.

E-mail contact: csgoerzen@hotmail.com

Christy Goerzen has been writing since the age of two, when she forced her parents to be the scribes for her long, convoluted stories about sheep and faeries. Passionate about everything to do with reading and writing, Christy holds a Master of Arts in Children’s Literature from the University of British Columbia. She has worked as a book reviewer, copywriter, marketing consultant, television writer, bookseller and writing mentor.

Christy is currently the communications manager for the North Vancouver District Public Library, where she is blissfully surrounded by books and gets to work with the coolest children’s librarians ever. She loves daydreaming, dancing in the kitchen, wearing costumes, and goofing off with family and friends.

Born and raised on the West Coast, Christy lives in Vancouver with her husband Joshua and two funny cats.

Published title(s) with Orca: Explore (Spring 2009)

Vicki Grant

Halifax, Nova Scotia Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Up to 60 students.

Age group: Grades 4–12, as well as teachers and writers groups.

Presentation venue: Classrooms.

Presentation style: Please contact author for details.

Presentation fee: $250 per hour, plus applicable travel expenses. Price negotiable for multiple presentation bookings.

E-mail contact: v.grant@ns.sympatico.ca Website: www.vickigrant.com

Vicki Grant left her career in advertising and television to write her first novel, The Puppet Wrangler, in 2004. She enjoys writing for young adults, with a particular interest in reluctant readers: Nine Doors is Vicki’s fourth title in one of Orca’s reluctant readers series.

Vicki’s books have gone on to win many awards, including the prestigious Arthur Ellis Award in 2006 (Quid Pro Quo). Vicki lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with her husband and three children. More information is available at www.vickigrant.com.

Published title(s) with Orca: Pigboy I.D. Dead-End Job Quid Pro Quo The Puppet Wrangler Res Judicata Un trabajo sin futuro (Dead-End Job in Spanish) Identificación (I.D. in Spanish) Nine Doors (Spring 2009)

Jacqueline Guest Bragg Creek, Alberta

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Up to 50 students is preferred, but more can be accomodated if necessary.

Age group: Grades K–12 Presentation venue: Libraries for presentations, classrooms for workshops.

Presentation style: Jacqueline’s workshops move at the speed of light, encouraging students to put pen to paper and write from the heart. Writing exercises range from whimsical to practical with students given license to let their imaginations soar. Technical tips ensure higher marks in written assignments. Descriptive writing combined with clinical elements, such as the proper way to structure a story, ensure students learn the secrets of beating-boring-basics, jump-starting ideas, and wild-ride-writing!

The workshops are tailored to fit the age and talents of the audience and have the flexibility to fit from grade four through adult. Jacqueline uses handouts, overheads and various visual aids for a fast-moving, informative and fun-filled session.

Topics covered are diverse, and the session includes several writing exercises.

Presentation fee: Please contact Jacqueline for details.

E-mail contact: writer@jacquelineguest.com Website: www.jacquelineguest.com

Jacqueline Guest is a Métis children’s author with fourteen published books.

Her multicultural lead characters are smart and funny, and provide excellent role modeling for today’s youth. Her fast-paced contemporary stories receive great feedback from students, educators and parents. All books are Accelerated Reading Program-rated and provide a much-needed resource for teachers with reluctant readers. Jacqueline’s interactive and highly visual curriculum-based presentations link Canadian history and the era of the fur trade with literacy as they engage her students in a way that is unforgettable for both students and teachers.

Published title(s) with Orca: Belle of Batoche Secret Signs

Marilyn Helmer Belwood, Ontario

Presentation region: Locally (Orangeville, Fergus, Elora, Guelph and Kitchener/Waterloo) and regionally (Burlington, Hamilton and Oakville). Nationally is a possibility as well, as Marilyn does quite a bit of travelling, especially in the Maritimes.

Preferred audience size: Maximum 50–60 students is preferred, but more can be accomodated if necessary.

Age group: Grades 1–5, with a preference for grades 1–3.

Presentation venue: School or public library so that children can sit comfortably. Marilyn also likes to have a table for displays beside her.

Presentation style: Marilyn offers a presentation titled: “Ideas— Where Do Writers Find Them?” Using a combination of visuals and storyrelling techniques, Marilyn shows children how, with a little imagination, a writer can use ideas from everyday life to write interesting stories.

For Grades 1–3, Marilyn can end the presentation with a brief talk about fairy tales and ask some riddles from her riddle books, or she can end by reading from and talking about her chapter book Sharing Snowy and some Critter Riddles.

For Grades 4–5, Marilyn discusses her two published novels and how authors get their work published.

Presentation fee: $225 for a 45–60 minute presentation.

E-mail contact: marilyn@marilynhelmer.com Website: www.marilynhelmer.com

Marilyn Helmer was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and has lived in New Brunswick, Quebec and Ireland. She loves to travel, both in North America and abroad., but Marilyn’s main passion is writing for children. She discovered a knack for storytelling at a very young age when she made up wild and creative excuses for the occasional bout of naughtiness. Much later, while reading to her son and daughter, Marilyn’s dream of writing for children was born. Her stories, poems and articles have appeared in children’s magazines and anthologies in Canada and the United States. Her published books include picturebooks, chapter books, novels, riddle books and retold fairy tales.

Published title(s) with Orca: Dinosaurs on the Beach Sharing Snowy The Fossil Hunters (Fall 2009)

Shelley Hrdlitschka

North Vancouver, British Columbia Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: For writing workshops, not more than 30 people. For book presentations, not more than 90 people.

Age group: Ages 9 and up.

Presentation venue: Preference given to classrooms, multi-purpose rooms and libraries.

Presentation style: Shelley focuses her school and library presentations on the value of perseverance. She describes the pitfalls she encountered on her path to becoming a published author. She discusses where ideas come from using examples from her books, and how they change and develop. She touches on numerous literary devices, depending on the age of the audience. Shelley also reads from some of her many rejection letters—the part of the presentation that students seem to like most. She is also available for writing workshops.

The presentations are interactive, and depending on the age of the audience, various literary elements are discussed.

Presentation fee: $200 for a one-hour presentation $175 for each additional presentation in the same school on the same day.

E-mail contact: shelley.hrdlitschka@shaw.ca Website: http://members.shaw.ca/shelleyhrdlitschka/

Shelley Hrdlitschka discovered her love for children's literature while teaching elementary school in the eighties.

Then, while on a parenting leave, she began writing children's stories. It took ten years, but she eventually decided to focus on juvenile and young adult fiction and is now the author of six awardwinning novels, all published with Orca.

Shelley lives in North Vancouver with her husband, three daughters and menagerie of pets. When she's not writing, she can be found hiking, sailing, snowshoeing, or hidden away with a book and some good music.

Published title(s) with Orca: Tangled Web Dancing Naked Kat’s Fall Sun Signs Gotcha!

Sister Wife (Fall 2008)

Hazel Hutchins Canmore, Alberta

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: 80–120 students.

Age group: Grades K–6.

Presentation venue: Schools and public libraries.

Presentation style: Hazel gives a lively presentation carefully adjusted to the changing interest levels from Kindergarten to grade 6. With humor and student involvement, she talks about becoming an author, finding unusual ideas, creating characters and coming up with great endings. Her story-telling is animated and energetic. She bring examples of rewriting, printers sheets that help to illustrate how books “come together,” rough art from the illustrator and objects related to research. There are finger plays and chants for younger children, greater discussion of story elements for older students, time for questions throughout and a good deal of pure enjoyment along the way!

Presentation fee: $250 per hour plus gst and travel expenses. $650 for a full day, plus gst and travel expenses.

E-mail contact: hjhutch@telusplanet.net Website: www.telusplanet.net/public/hjhutch/home

From her home in the mountain town of Canmore, Alberta, Hazel Hutchins has written over forty books for children of all ages. She gives lively presentations at schools and libraries across Canada.

Published title(s) with Orca: TJ and the Cats TJ and the Haunted House TJ and the Rockets TJ and the Sports Fanatic TJ and the Quiz Kids

Melanie Jackson

Vancouver, British Columbia Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Any size, as long as everyone in the audience can see a screen for slides and movie clips. However, for workshops, a one-class maximum is preferred.

Age group: See presentation description below.

Presentation venue: Any, but preferably with access to a screen for showing slides and clips. If a screen is unavailable, Melanie can use a large storyboard.

Presentation style: The Red Balloon Workshop on Creative Writing: For grades 4 to 7 with slides, video clips and readings from various Dinah books. This presentation and others partly in French si desirĂŠ.

Clues to the Art of the Mystery Workshop: For grades 4 to 7 with video clips and readings from various Dinah books.

Creative Writing/Mystery Workshop: With hands-on exercises for grades 4 to 7, one class maximum, with video clips and readings from various Dinah books.

The Surprising History of the Mystery: For all grades, with slides, sound effects and readings from The Spy in the Alley.

The Race to Save the Endangered Spotted Owl Presentation: Grades 4 to 7 with slides, sound effects and readings from The Summer of the Spotted Owl. Presentation fee: Within BC’s Lower Mainland, $200 per session (in the case of several presentations a lower rate will be negotiated.)

Outside the Lower Mainland, $250 per session (with the same proviso) plus travel expenses if applicable.

E-mail contact: melaniejackson@shaw.ca

Melanie Jackson was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and grew up in Toronto. Like Dinah, Melanie was curious and rather pest-like and decided to pursue a career in journalism. She started out at the Toronto Star and has worked for Chatelaine and Vancouver. Melanie is convinced that people who like mysteries are optimists, because they expect problems to be resolved. A creative-writing mentor for the Vancouver School Board, Melanie lives in East Vancouver with her husband, daughter and cowardly cat.

Published title(s) with Orca: The Man in the Moonstone The Spy in the Alley The Mask on the Cruise Ship The Summer of the Spotted Owl Shadows on the Train Queen of Disguises (Spring 2009) The Big Dip (Fall 2009)

Kate Jaimet Ottawa, Ontatio

Presentation region: Ottawa, Toronto, Kingston, Montreal and points in between.

Preferred audience size: Any size.

Age group: Prefer 10-16, but is open to younger students as well.

Presentation venue: Any. Presentation style: Kate begins by doing a writing exercise, which can be geared towards fiction or journalism, and follows with a Q & A period.

Presentation fee: $75 for half-day, $150 for full day E-mail Contact: kjaimet@sympatico.ca Kate Jaimet grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, where her life outside of the classroom revolved around the basketball, volleyball and soccer seasons. She played on all three teams, until a torn knee ligament quashed her competitive sporting ambitions. After high school, she completed a degree in journalism at Ryerson University. She has worked as a newspaper reporter for the Edmonton Journal, the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, and now the Ottawa Citizen. Kate lives in Ottawa with her husband and two daughters.

She enjoys canoeing, kayaking, biking, yoga and women’s hockey. Slam Dunk is her first book.Visit www.katejaimet.com for more information.

Published title(s) with Orca: Slam Dunk (Spring 2009) Dunces Anonymous (Fall 2009)

K.V. Johansen

Sackville, New Brunswick Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Dependent on venue.

Age group: Grades 4 and up.

Presentation venue: Classrooms and libraries.

Presentation style: K.V. gives one-hour sessions for groups of 40–50 people for a reading; no more than 25 for a writing workshop. Mixing a range of ages for one session is fine, as long as they are grades 4 and up. Workshops are not grade specific but require that the children be able to write and be interested in writing and stories. K.V. offers 2 sessions/morning and 2 sessions/afternoon.

When doing a reading with elementary or middle school children, K.V. Johansen reads from one of her books. Then, assuming enough time is available, the children create a related illustration for that chapter. She follows this with another selection and ends with time for questions about writing.

For story workshops, she varies the program depending on the participants’ age but starts by talking about some aspect of creating a story, such as narrative perspective. She uses a number of pictures to act as a springboard for students to jump into a story. After participants write their own stories, they are invited to share what they have written.

Presentation fee: Please contact author for details through her website: www.pippin.ca.

K.V. Johansen has master’s degrees in medieval studies and English. Her main scholarly interests are ancient and medieval history and languages, and the history of children's fantasy literature.

She has an arboretum in her backyard, grows exotic trees indoors, watches a lot of anime, and should probably have been an eighteenth-century landscape gardener.

Published title(s) with Orca: The Cassandra Virus Nightwalker Treason in Eswy Warden of Greyrock (Spring 2009)

Carolyn Jones

Vancouver, British Columbia Presentation region: Lower Mainland.

Preferred audience size: No preference.

Age group: Primary students.

Presentation venue: Schools and libraries.

Presentation style: Carolyn Jones’ presentations include readings, a question and answer period, and student involvement such as creating artwork to go along with a story or a writing exercise. Students’ artwork is often posted on Carolyn Jones’ Theodora Bear website.

Presentation fee: Please contact author for details.

Email contact: carolynrosejones@gmail.com Website: www.theodorabear.com

Carolyn Jones teaches high school English and Spanish in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. She lives in the Strathcona neighbourhood of East Vancouver with her beloved teddy bear, Theodora. Theodora Bear was written to entertain Carolyn’s goddaughters, Emma and Sarah. They always want to hear about Theodora’s latest adventures, and particularly enjoy stories in which the bear outsmarts the girl she lives with.

Carolyn Jones was born in Havana, Cuba, and has also lived in New York City, Philadelphia, Toronto and Vancouver.

Theodora Bear is her first book.

Published title(s) with Orca: Theodora Bear

Anna Kerz

Scarborough, Ontario Presentation region: Local, regional and national.

Preferred audience size: A one-class maximum for workshops; larger groups can be accomodated for talks and presentations.

Age group: Grades 4 and up.

Presentation venue: Classroom-sized spaces are preferred for workshops.

Presentation style: Anna offers two different styles of presentations: 1. For larger groups:

Jeremy’s world: A potpourri of reading, storytelling and

discussion about the characters and settings in The

Mealworm Diaries.

2. Hands-on workshops that involve brainstorming, roleplaying, writing exercises and storytelling:

• Writing what you know: Nothing ever happens to me.

• Creating characters to remember.

• Writing dialogue: “Who talks like that anyway?”

• How was that again? Retelling a story from a different

point of view.

Presentation fee: $250 per session plus travel costs.

Anna Kerz is a dreamer of impossible dreams. A life-long reader, she spent years and years in the classroom teaching children to write, to express their ideas dramatially, and to develop a love of reading. Now that she is retired from teaching, she writes short stories and novels, works as a storyteller, and loves sharing tales that touch the hear and tickle the funny of listeners of all ages.

The Mealworm Diaries is her first novel.

Anna lives in Scarborough, Ontario.

E-mail contact: annakerz@rogers.com Published title(s) with Orca: The Mealworm Diaries (Spring 2009)

Michael Kusugak Rankin Inlet, Nunavut

Presentation region: Local, regional, national, international.

Preferred audience size: Up to 100 people.

Age group: Grade 2 and up.

Presentation venue: No preference Presentation style: Michael is keen to provide information and stories about growing up in the North, living in a nomadic world, living in igloos, traveling by dog sled, fishing and hunting seals, caribou, walrus and whales. He enjoys telling the timeless Inuit legends of his grandmother, in addition to his own stories, and how wonderful it is to be an author.

Presentation fee: $350 per one hour presentation; $500 for a half-day.

E-mail contact: Please contact Michael’s agent, Geraldine Pflueger, about booking a presentation at itimaq@yahoo.com.

Website: www.michaelkusugak.com

Michael Kusugak is Inuit and was raised in Nunavut. He writes books for children and travels, often telling the stories he heard from his grandmother when he was growing up. Michael's work has won the Ruth Schwartz Award for children's literature and has been short-listed for various other awards. In 2008, Michael was the recipient of the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children’s Literature for his body of work.

Michael lives and works in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut.

Published title(s) with Orca: The Littlest Sled Dog (Fall 2008)

Mary Labatt

Port Rowan, Ontario Presentation region: Port Rowan and local area.

Preferred audience size: No preference.

Age group: All ages.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Mary does readings from her book and discusses the writing process.

Presentation fee: $250 per hour (plus travel expenses if applicable).

Email contact: labatt@amtelecom.net

Mary Labatt breeds collies with her daughter, Elizabeth. She has written two series of books about dogs, Dog Detective Sam (Kids Can Press) and Puppy Sam.

Mary lives and writes in Port Rowan, Ontario.

Published title(s) with Orca: A Puppy is for Loving

Laura Langston Victoria, British Columbia

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: 60–70 is ideal, but Laura is flexible.

Age group: Grades 2–12.

Presentation venue: Laura will present at any venue except bookstores, where she prefers to do signings.

Presentation style: Laura likes to present to people who like to read—audience enthusiasm is what she likes most! Her presentations to children and young adults are highly interactive.

Presentation fee: $250 plus GST. E-mail contact: info@lauralangston or langston@telus.net.

Website: www.lauralangston.com

Laura Langston is the award-winning author of fifteen internationally acclaimed books for children and young adults. A former journalist with the CBC, Laura also writes non-fiction for such publications as Canadian Gardening magazine. When she’s not writing, reading or walking her Shetland Sheepdog, she can be found in the garden or the kitchen.

Laura lives with her family and assorted pets in Victoria, British Columbia. For more information, visit www.lauralangston.com.

Published title(s) with Orca: Exit Point Hannah’s Touch (Fall 2009)

Sara Leach

Whistler, British Columbia Presentation Region: Local (Whistler, Pemberton, Squamish) and regional (Vancouver and area).

Preferred audience size: Up to 40 children.

Age group: Ages 6 to 12.

Presentation venue: Classrooms, libraries, bookstores. No school gymnasiums, please.

Presentation style: Readings or presentations on the writing process.

Presentation fee: $200/half day (2 presentations), $300/full day (3-4 presentations).

E-mail contact: sara@leachfamily.ca

Sara Leach is the teacher-librarian at an elementary school and spends her work day sharing children’s literature with her students. When she isn’t writing or teaching she likes to ski with her family, hike, dance and read. Since she was three years old, Sara has spent part of her summers on an isolated island in Georgia Strait. Although she’s never run into a wolf, she’s heard them howling in the night. She lives in Whistler, British Columbia, with her husband and two children.

Published title(s) with Orca: Jake Reynolds: Chicken or Eagle? (Fall 2009)

Diane Carmel Léger Memramcook, New Brunswick

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Up to 60 people.

Age group: Ages 5–9 for picturebook presentations, ages10–14 for novel presentations.

Presentation venue: Classroom or library.

Presentation style: Please contact author for details.

Presentation fee: $150 per presentation, based on 3 presentations per day.

E-mail contact: dianecleger@rogers.com

Diane Carmel Léger grew up in the Acadian village of Memramcook, New Brunswick. For 20 years, she lived in Victoria, British Columbia where she taught French Immersion and wrote books in both languages. Upon her arrival on the West Coast, Diane had the incredible luck of living in Emily Carr’s House of All Sorts for a year and amazingly, once again for her last year in Victoria. Diane has left the West but a little part of herself stayed behind in the virgin rainforests of Vancouver Island where her family was very involved in saving some of the world’s tallest trees.

Diane has come full circle and is now living in her native village, which was called La butte à Pétard before the deportation of 1755. This is also the name of her first book, an award-winning novel which depicted the resistance of her Acadian ancestors who escaped expulsion. Presently, Diane is awaiting the publication of her sequel, Retour à la butte à Pétard, partly written in Louisiana.

Published title(s) with Orca: Emily Carr’s Attic Maxine’s Tree Who’s in Maxine’s Tree?

Leanne Lieberman Kingston, Ontario

Presentation region: Local and regional.

Preferred audience size: Single classroom preferred, but will consider larger groups.

Age group: Ages 14–18.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Leanne begins with a short reading and discussion about why and how she wrote Gravity before involving students in getting their ideas down on paper.

Presentation fee: $250 per presentation; rates negotiable for multiple presentations in one day E-mail contact: leahdevorah@hotmail.com Leanne Lieberman grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her work has previously been published in The Windsor Review,The New Quarterly,The Antigonsh Review and other magazines.

Leanne's novel Gravity was her master's thesis at the University of Windsor.

Leanne works as a teacher in Kingston, Ontario, where she lives with her husband and two sons.

Published title(s) with Orca: Gravity (Fall 2008)

Deb Loughead Toronto, Ontario

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Up to 100 at a time, but always negotiable.

Age group: Grades K – 12.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Deb discusses her writing roots, how she writes and what inspires her. She shares the stories behind the stories with her audience, as well as offering readings and workshops.

Presentation fee: Half day $350, full day $700.

E-mail contact: deb.loughead@rogers.com

Deb Loughead is the author of 16 books for children and young adults. She completed an English degree at the University of Toronto before working as a copy editor. She turned to creative writing after deciding to stay home to raise her three sons.

Deb’s books have been translated into Swedish, Norwegian, German and French.

In addition to having extensive experience with educational writing, Deb has conducted workshops and held readings at schools, festivals and conferences across the country.

She has written and directed children’s plays and taught creative writing classes for adults in Toronto. Her award-winning poetry and adult fiction have appeared in a variety of Canadian publications.

Deb likes to spend her non-writing time reading, knitting or hanging around horses as a therapeutic riding volunteer. She lives with her family in Toronto, Ontario.

Published title(s) with Orca: Struck

Annabel Lyon

New Westminster, British Columbia Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: No preference.

Age group: Grades K–6.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Readings, lectures, teaching, question and answer periods.

Presentation fee: Please contact Annabel for details.

E-mail contact: annabellyon@telus.net Annabel Lyon is the author of two books of adult fiction, Oxygen and The Best Thing for You. All-Season Edie is her first work for children. She lives in New Westminster, British Columbia, with her husband and two children.

Published title(s) with Orca: All-Season Edie

Carrie Mac

Pemberton, British Columbia Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Up to 60 for school or library visits, up to 300 for well-prepared larger venues, i.e. festivals. Maximum 12 students for writing groups.

Age group: Grades 7 and up.

Presentation venue: No preference, as long as the audience is committed and prepared.

Presentations: The 5 W’s of Censorship The Writer’s Toolbox Carrie Mac: Fact and Fiction Stealing, Lying & Snooping: 3 Outstanding Qualities in a Writer Presentation fee: $250 for a one-hour presentation, $400 for two hours, $500 for three hours.

E-mail contact: carrie@carriemac.com Website: www.carriemac.com

Carrie Mac is an award-winning author who has moved too many times to count. For now, she lives in Pemberton, a very small town nestled in the mountains north of Vancouver. Carrie Mac's first novel, The Beckoners, won the Arthur Ellis YA Award, is a CLA Honour book and is being adapted for film. Her contributions to the Orca Soundings series, Charmed, Crush and Pain and Wastings, continue to get reluctant teens excited about reading. Carrie Mac has been known to hold the interest of a couple hundred teens where others have failed. Maybe it's the tattoos.

Published title(s) with Orca: The Beckoners Charmed Crush Pain and Wastings Jacked (Fall 2009)

Carol Matas Winnipeg, Manitoba

Presentation region: Local regional, national, and the US. Preferred audience size: Any. Age group: Grades 4–12.

Presentation venue: Theatre, auditorium, classroom, library; anywhere except a gymnasium.

Presentation style: A one-hour discussion covering the themes of the book in an interactive format, followed by a short reading and question-and-answer period.

Presentation fee: $350 per hour, no more than 3 hours a day.

Also hotel, meals and travel.

E-mail contact: carol@carolmatas.com Website: www.carolmatas.com

Carol Matas is an internationally acclaimed author of over thirty-five novels for children and young adults.

Carol writes contemporary and historical fiction, as well as science fiction and fantasy. She first began writing historical fiction when her Danish husband told her stories about his parents' experiences fighting the Nazis in World War II. She has often written about Jewish themes and is well known for her books concerning the Holocaust.

Carol is an inspiring and passionate speaker who is frequently invited to address children and adults alike across North America.

Published title(s) with Orca: The Whirlwind The Burning Time

Norah McClintock Toronto, Ontario

Presentation region: Greater Toronto area.

Preferred audience size: 50–75 people.

Age group: Grades 7–11 only.

Presentation venue: Schools and public libraries preferred.

Presentation style: Norah discusses the process of writing mystery/crime novels for young adults.

Presentation fee: $275 per one hour presentation.

E-mail contact: nmbooks@web.net Website: www.web.net/~nmbooks

Norah McClintock's fascinating mysteries are hard to put down. Her novels often deal with young people in unusual relationships— three half-sisters with three different fathers in The Stepfather Game (1990) and a tall girl liking a short boy in Shakespeare and Legs (1987)—that often remind you of something in your own life.

Norah is a five-time winner of the Crime Writers of Canada's Arthur Ellis Award for Best Juvenile Crime Novel. Although Norah is a freelance editor, she still manages to write at least one novel a year. She lives with her family in Toronto, Ontario.

Published title(s) with Orca: Snitch Tell Bang Down Marked Watch Me Back Picture This (Fall 2009) Taken (Fall 2009)

Chris McMahen

Armstrong, British Columbia Presentation region: Local region.

Preferred audience size: Preference is given to groups of 60 people or less, but up to 100 is possible.

Age group: Ages 9–12 for talks and presentations. Writing workshops are tailored for ages 9 and up.

Presentation venue: Schools or public libraries.

Presentation style: Chris does readings from his books and also explores the writing process. He uses examples from his books to show how ideas are generated and formed into stories. In addition, he also works with the group to create an on-the-spot short story, thus illustrating his writing process.

He has a background of doing more intensive writing workshops with smaller groups, particularly as part of gifted programing in schools.

Presentation fee: Please contact Chris McMahen for details.

E-mail contact: chrismcmahen@gmail.com

Chris McMahen is an elementary school teacher-librarian living near Armstrong, British Columbia. When he’s not busy writing, teaching or spending time with his family, he can be found cycling the back roads of the Spallumcheen Valley or making peculiar pottery.

Published title(s) with Orca: Klutzhood Tabloidology (Spring 2009)

Melody DeFields McMillan Simcoe, Ontario

Presentation region: Local and regional.

Preferred audience size: Small.

Age group: Grades 3–5.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Melody offers an informal style of presentation.

Presentation fee: Negotiable; please contact Melody for details.

E-mail contact: melodymcmillan@sympatico.ca Melody DeFields McMillan grew up in the countryside in Southwestern Ontario, and now lives in Simcoe, Ontario, not far from where she grew up. As well as being a writer, she is a teacher and the mother of a daughter and a son.

Published title(s) with Orca: Addison Addley and the Things That Aren’t There Addison Addley and the Trick of the Eye (Fall 2009)

Michelle Mulder Victoria, British Columbia

Presentation region: Local and regional.

Preferred audience size: This depends on the age of the audience; usually up to 80 school-age students.

Age group: Age 3 to adults.

Presentation venue: Michelle will present at any venue— school classrooms, public libraries and bookstores.

Presentation style: Michelle offers author talks, readings and writing workshops.

Presentation fee: $200 per presentation for schools; $250 per presentation for libraries.

E-mail contact: michelle@michellemulder.com Website: www.michellemulder.com

Michelle Mulder is the author of several books for children, and she enjoys telling the stories of kids who seize life’s opportunities.

When growing up in Port Moody, British Columbia, her favourite spot was the library.

At university, Michelle studied literature, and between courses, she helped dig a water pipeline in the Dominican Republic and flipped burgers for a summer at a McDonald’s in Germany. After graduating, she cycled 6000 kilometres across Canada, became a travel writer, taught creative writing in the Arctic, and worked as a simulated patient for medical students to practice on.

She also married the pen pal that she’d been writing to since she was fourteen years old, and together they traveled around his home country of Argentina.

These days, when she’s not writing or going on adventures, she enjoys reading, swimming, baking, hiking, and pedaling her bicycle around Victoria, British Columbia, where she lives with her husband and daughter.

Published title(s) with Orca: After Peaches (Fall 2009)

Rachel Dunstan Muller Ladysmith, British Columbia

Presentation region: Southern Vancouver Island on weekdays, Northern Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland on weekends.

Preferred audience size: Any size from intimate groups in a workshop setting to large, multi-classroom assemblies.

Age group: Ages 8–12.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Presentations are adapted to the needs and interests of the audience and include storytelling, reading (usually with audience participation), discussion and time at the end for questions and answers. Rachel is an animated speaker, and incorporates props to make presentations more interesting.

Presentation fee: $200 for a one-hour presentation, $400 for a full day.

E-mail contact: racheldm@shaw.ca

Rachel Dunstan Muller began writing fiction seriously in 2001, while accompanying her husband on a teaching exchange to Northern Ireland. During her year abroad, she completed her first draft of Ten Thumb Sam and began an early version of When the Curtain Rises.

She currently lives with her husband and five children in Ladysmith, on the east coast of Vancouver Island.

Rachel enjoys sharing her love of writing and storytelling, and welcomes invitations to do school presentations.

Published title(s) with Orca: When the Curtain Rises Ten Thumb Sam The Solstice Cup (Spring 2009)

Liam O’Donnell Toronto, Ontario

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Up to 60 people.

Age group: Grades 4–8.

Presentation venue: Classroom, school library, public library.

Presentation style: Liam gives a “how comics are made” talk that is perfect for schools. He also gives a “writing comics” workshop, which is good for schools and smaller groups (2030 students). More information about Liam’s presentations is available on his website.

Presentation fee: Please contact Liam for details.

E-mail contact: liamodonnell@gmail.com Website: www.liamodonnell.com

Liam O’Donnell was born in Northern Ireland and came to Canada when he was five years old. He studied media at Ryerson University and has worked on film sets in Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. From chapter books to comic strips, Liam writes fiction and non-fiction for young readers. He is the author of the popular Max Finder Mysteries. A proud member of CANSCAIP and The Writers Union of Canada, Liam lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Published title(s) with Orca: Wild Ride Ramp Rats Soccer Sabotage (Spring 2009) Media Meltdown (Fall 2009)

Sylvia Olsen

Victoria, British Columbia Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: No preference; however, similar age groups are preferred.

Age group: Grades 6–12.

Presentation venue: Schools and libraries.

Presentation style: Sylvia enjoys talking about the art of torytelling and how people get along, with an emphasis on First Peoples. She does a lot of cross-cultural work and her books reflect that theme.

Presentation fee: $250 per presentation, $400 for a full day.

E-mail contact: yetsa@shaw.ca

Sylvia Olsen is the author of several books for children and young adults.

She lives on Tsartlip Reserve near Victoria, British Columbia.

Published title(s) with Orca: Catching Spring Murphy and Mousetrap Yellow Line Middle Row

Jacqueline Pearce Burnaby, British Columbia

Presentation region: Lower Mainland, southern Vancouver Island, and possibly elsewhere in the region if funding is available for travel.

Preferred audience size: 30 to 60 people; however, a larger group is possible.

Age group: Grades 3–6, 7–9 and teachers.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Jacquie reads from her books and talks about the writing process, providing historical and background information on topics related to the subject matter of her current books (for example, Emily Carr, dogs, rats, Japan, animals, etc.) She also gives workshops on writing historical fiction, writing about animals, writing about nature in the city, or she can tailor a wokshop to the needs of a school or group.

Presentation fee: $150 for the first class and $50 for each additional class (maximum of two classes at once or three separate talks in a row.) The presentation usually takes 45 minutes to one hour, depending on the number of questions students have. Workshop fees and time-length may vary, depending on the workshop.

E-mail contact: jacquiepea@telus.net Website: www.jacquelinepearce.ca

Jacqueline Pearce grew up on Vancouver Island and currently lives in Burnaby, British Columbia. She has degrees in English literature and environmental studies and has worked at various jobs, including museum accessioner, cartoon researcher and environmental educator. As well as her novels with Orca, she has published a collection of short stories for young adults and poetry for adults. When not writing, Jacqueline enjoys creating art, playing ball hockey, visiting school classes, and exploring the city. She recently started a blog to talk about some of her inspirations and discoveries: www.wildink.wordpress.com.

Published title(s) with Orca: Reunion Discovering Emily Emily’s Dream Dog House Blues The Truth About Rats and Dogs Manga Touch

Lois Peterson

Surrey, British Columbia Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: No preference.

Age group: Grades K–12.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Readings, book talks, writing workshops, storytelling.

Presentation fee: $200 per presentation; $500 for a full day of up to 3 presentatons per school or library system, plus applicable travel expenses if beyond the Metro Vancouver area.

E-mail contact: lpwordsolutions@hotmail.com

Lois Peterson wrote short stories and articles for adults for twenty years before turning to writing for kids. Recently retired from her job as a librarian, she lives in Surrey, British Columbia, where she writes, reads and teaches creative writing to adults, teens and children.

Published title(s) with Orca: Meeting Miss 405

Monique Polak Montreal, Quebec

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Up to 120 people.

Age group: Ages 12 and up.

Presentation venue: Classrooms and libraries.

Presentation style: Monique combines a short reading with a writing workshop to give students hands-on exercises. She also talks about how she began writing and encourages young people (and older ones too) to follow their dreams, even when obstacles get in their way.

Presentation fee: $250 per class, daily fee negotiable E-mail contact: monique@moniquepolak.com Website: www.moniquepolak.com

Monique Polak lives in Montreal, where she spends her days doing her two favorite things: writing and teaching. In addition to being a frequent contributor to The Gazette, Montreal’s English language daily newspaper, Monique is the author of five novels for young people. She has also taught English and Humanities at Marianopolis College in Montreal since 1985. She lives with her husband, a newspaperman, and her daughter Alicia.

Published title(s) with Orca: Home Invasion Finding Elmo No More Pranks 121 Express What World is Left Junkyard Dog (Fall 2009) The Middle of Everywhere (Fall 2009)

Susan Rennick Jolliffe Ottawa, Ontario

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Up to 40 people.

Age group: Grades 1–3 for book readings with drawing; grades 3–6 for illustration or paper sculpture workshops.

Presentation venue: School classrooms, libraries and bookstores.

Presentation style: Susan does readings from her book as well as drawing and illustration or paper sculpture workshops.

Presentation fee: $300 per classroom presentation; $400 per day with no more than 2 classes a day, plus travel expenses if applicable.

E-mail contact: susanjolliffe@rogers.com

Susan Rennick Jolliffe alighted into the world of children's books after many years as a visual artist known for her humourous and beautiful transformations of what most people consider junk.

Her first illustrated book is The Twelve Days of Summer written by Jan Andrews (Orca 2005), which combines her love of whimsical drawing and nature.

Her own book, Lady Ginny’s Tea Parties, was inspired by her standard poodle and even wilder Canadian animals.

Published title(s) with Orca: The Twelve Days of Summer Lady Ginny’s Tea Parties

Raquel Rivera Montreal, Quebec

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: 10–40 people for workshops; up to 150 for talks or presentations.

Age group: Grades 1–6 Presentation venue: Libraries and bookstores for readings; workshops preferrably in a room with work-table space Presentation style: Raquel’s presentations combine talk, questions, and some activity for the students.

Presentation fee: Please contact author for details.

E-mail contact: raquel@sitedish.com

Raquel Rivera was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. After graduating York University with a B.F.A. in visual arts in 1987, Raquel Rivera moved to Barcelona, Spain, for two years. There she found work as a teacher of English, pursued her drawing and learned Spanish. In 1999 Raquel began raising a family and focusing exclusively on her own writing and art. She has since published poems, exhibited her drawings and written three children's books: Arctic Adventures,Tales from the Lives of Inuit Artists, Orphan Ahwak and Tuk and the Whale.

She now lives in Montreal with her husband and two children.

Published title(s) with Orca: Orphan Ahwak

Graham Ross Merrickville, Ontario

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Less than 100 people.

Age group: Grades 1–8.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Graham gives slide presentations that include a step-by-step demonstration of his illustration technique and process of creating a picturebook as well as a reading from one or more books. The presentation is flexible and can be tailored to the grade or a particular theme.

Another presentation/workshop: Children are asked to bring in their favorite book or an excerpt from a book. Graham will help the children develop that particular passage into an illustration, following the stages of thumbnails, roughs and finished art.

Presentation fee: $250 per presentation; $450 per day E-mail contact: graham@kidwithacrayon.com

Graham Ross began his freelance illustration and graphic design career in Ottawa, Ontario. He has illustrated books for such publishers as Orca Book Publishers, Scholastic Canada, and Meadowside Books of the United Kingdom, as well as numerous Canadian government agencies and private design firms.

He lives in Merrickville, Ontario, with a circus-star family: his juggling wife, a helldriver daughter, a canine cannonball, and a fire-breathing cat.

Illustrated works with Orca: Alphabetter Rhyme Stones What a Hippopota-Mess!

The Paper Wagon Cheetah By a Thread

Jeff Rud

Victoria, British Columbia Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: No preference.

Age group: Ages 6–17.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Jeff enjoys presenting to individual classes, as well as several school classes at once. Generally, he speaks about writing as a career, the differences between writing nonfiction and fiction, and the differences between writing for a newspaper or magazine and writing a book. Character and plot development will be covered, as well as writing effective dialogue. Student involvement is encouraged in the session, and to some extent the audience is able to self-direct the session through their questions.

Presentation fee: $250 per presentation; negotiable if doing more than one presentation in a day at a single school.

E-mail contact: jrud@shaw.ca

Jeff Rud has authored eight books, including three young adult fiction titles for Orca in the South Side Sports series.

Jeff has been a sportswriter, columnist and sports editor for newspapers in Western Canada for more than 20 years.

His non-fiction works include Canucks Legends: Vancouver's Hockey Heroes (Raincoast, 2006) and Steve Nash:The Making of an MVP (Penguin, 2007.)

Born in Red Deer, Alberta, Jeff now lives in Victoria, British Columbia, with his wife, Lana, a middle school teacher, and their two children.

Published title(s) with Orca: In the Paint High and Inside First and Ten Crossover Paralyzed (Fall 2008)

René Schmidt Brighton, Ontario

Presentation region: Toronto area and eastern Ontario.

Preferred audience size: No preference.

Age group: No preference.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Please contact René for more information.

Presentation fee: $300 per day; $150 per half-day plus applicable travel expenses.

E-mail contact: reneschmidt@accglobal.net

René Schmidt always wanted to write books, but only got Cs in high school.

He has traveled many countries and worked as a miner, taxi and truck driver, construction worker and ship's crew. He eventually entered university, where he discovered the creative writing department. Now he is a father and teacher in Brighton, Ontario, encouraging boys to read and write.

Published title(s) with Orca: Leaving Fletchville (Fall 2008)

Pat Skene

Coburg, Ontario Presentation region: Local, regional, and national. Most presentations are scheduled in April, May and June.

Preferred audience size: Small groups in a classroom setting, or large groups of 120 people in an auditorium or school library. Smaller groups are more effective for workshops and interactive discussions. If the group is larger than 150 kids, a lapel microphone is required.

Age group: Grades 1–4 preferred.

Presentation venue: School classrooms, libraries and community centres.

Presentation style: Pat Skene’s presentations are focused on rhyming stories and poems. Each reading introduces a subject in story-poem style and is followed by a discussion of interesting and educational facts. In addition to the storyrelated props Pat brings with her, she also wears a variety of special shawls—each one designed to add to the overall theme of a specific story. Throughout the presentations, children are engaged in discussions about the writing process, where stories come from, the power of imagination, writing in rhyme and any curriculum-related focus suggested by the teacher. In 2008, the focus of the presentations will include an exploration into the wonderful and mysterious world of caves!

Presentation fee: $200 per one-hour presentation, plus travel expenses. Fees for multiple sessions or special circumstances may be negotiated.

E-mail contact: pat.skene@sympatico.ca

Several years ago, Pat Skene left corporate life to pursue her passion for writing. And now she's a story inventor! She has written over sixty articles and stories for children and adults, and is widely published in newspapers and magazines.

Pat loves to write in rhyme— seamlessly meshing together the elements of delicious poetry, story excitement and all those fascinating facts kids just need to know!

Pat is a member of CANSCAIP and the Writer's Union of Canada. She enjoys hearing from her readers and can be reached at pat.skene@sympatico.ca.

Published title(s) with Orca: What a Hippopota-mess!

Rhyme Stones Monster Lunch (Fall 2008)

Andrea Spalding

Pender Island, British Columbia Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Maximum three school classrooms per presentation.

Age group: Presentations are tailored for each of the following three groups: grades K–2, 2–4, 5–6, as well as adults.

Presentation venue: School libraries, public libraries, and conference venues.

Presentation style: Andrea offers one-hour presentations for elementary students which are related to the books and the age group. Andrea also offers keynote presentations for conferences and workshops for young writers.

Presentation fee: Schools: $300+GST per presentation plus travel if over 50km from Victoria; $800+GST if 3 sessions are booked at one school on the same day. Conference and workshop fees given on request.

E-mail contact: andrea@andreaspalding.com Website: www.andreaspalding.com

Andrea Spalding is a prolific writer for children. Born in Manchester England, she trained as a teacher. She emigrated to Canada with her husband in 1967. After living in Alberta for 24 years, Andrea and David relocated to Pender Island, British Columbia.

Andrea's books have garnered much praise and many award nominations. Her fantasy novels — The Summer of Magic Quartet — are avidly read by both children and adults. Her picturebook, Secret Of The Dance, is her thirtieth book.

Written with Aboriginal Elder Alfred Scow, it has gained accolades from both aboriginal and white communities.

Andrea gives school presentations across the country and in-service presentations to teachers, librarians, and anyone interested in her passion for children’s literature.

Published title(s) with Orca: The Keeper and the Crows It’s Raining, It’s Pouring The White Talisman Solomon’s Tree Dance of the Stones Heart of the Hill Behind the Sorceror’s Cloak Secret of the Dance Dance Baby Dance (Spring 2009)

Robin Stevenson Victoria, British Columbia

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Robin will present to any size audience.

Age group: Grades 4–12, as well as adults; workshops will be tailored accordingly.

Presentation venue: Any, but preference given to classrooms and libraries.

Presentation style: All presentations can be tailored to the needs of the particular group and can include readings and discussions about Robin’s books and writing process. Workshops are also a possibility, and vary in length from 45 minutes to a half day. All workshops and presentations are interactive and include writing exercises and student participation. Workshops include: Creative Writing - Using personal memories, experiences, questions and curiosity to create compelling writing and convincing characters.

Editing Your Work - It is said that writers write but published writers revise. Tips for turning a rough first draft into a polished manuscript.

Getting Published - A step-by-step guide to researching your market, writing a query letter and submitting your work.

Presentation fee: $250 for a one-hour presentation, plus travel costs if outside Victoria. A reduced fee will be offered for two or more presentations at one school.

E-mail contact: robin@robinstevenson.com Website: www.robinstevenson.com

Robin Stevenson is the author of a number of novels for children, teens and young adults. Robin has also worked as a social worker, counselor and university instructor. She enjoys reading, traveling, visiting schools and talking to people of all ages about books and writing. She was born in England, grew up in Ontario, and now lives in Victoria, British Columbia, with her partner and their son. For more information about Robin, please visit www.robinstevenson.com.

Published titles with Orca: Out of Order Dead in the Water Impossible Things Big Guy A Thousand Shades of Blue Inferno (Spring 2009) In the Woods (Fall 2009)

Nikki Tate

Victoria, British Columbia Presentation region: Local, regional, national, international.

Preferred audience size: Any size.

Age group: Kindergarten to adult. However, for school presentations, Nikki prefers to speak to groups within a three-year age range. For example, one session may include grades 2/3/4 or grades 8/9/10, but not all ages in the same session.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentations: How a Book is Made for Grades 3+ (60-75 minutes) A general presentation about the process of creating a novel. Anecdotes relate to various different novels.

Dare to Dream for Grades 4+ (60-75 minutes) The focus is on the biography Double Take: Karen Brain’s Olympic Journey.

Truth Stranger than Fiction for Grades 4+ (60-75 minutes) The focus is on writing non-fiction—Behind-the-Scenes series, Double Take, and writing for magazines and newspapers.

Legends of King Arthur—Storytelling Presentation for Grades 8+ (60 minutes) Where Do Stories Come From? for Grades K-2 (Short presentation—25 minutes. Nikki usually replaces one longer talk with two of these shorter sessions. Fees are reduced accordingly for single sessions.)

The focus is on the picturebook Grandparents’ Day and the Orca Young Reader Jo’s Triumph.

More information is available on Nikki’s website (below).

Presentation fee: $350 +GST and travel expenses for one presentation $900 +GST and travel for a full day, maximum 3 presentations per day Prices for workshops, keynote speeches, and special presentations, by request.

E-mail contact: nikkitate@gmail.com Website: www.stablemates.net

Nikki Tate was born in Birmingham, England, but spent her childhood roaming the globe. In Australia, Nikki battled a tarantula, in Banff she was chased by a mother black bear, and in Ontario she wrestled with a Canada goose.

Nikki has always enjoyed writing stories and still has the notebooks she used when she was eight years old. She made up stories about animals, plane crashes, outhouses, and Doctor Dolittle's travels in outer space.

A born ham, Nikki danced, acted, and modeled her way through her younger years. She still loves to perform, most often as a storyteller. She also enjoys camping, kayaking, horseback riding, travel, and building big things with sticks and string. Nikki and her father, artist E. Colin Williams, live on Vancouver Island. They share their home with a collection of furred, feathered, and finned creatures including three dogs, four horses, two cats and four goats.

Published title(s) with Orca: Jo’s Journey Jo’s Triumph Venom Razor’s Edge (Fall 2009)

Meg Tilly

Vancouver, British Columbia Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: Up to 30 people. For groups larger than 30 students, teachers are required to stay. For groups larger than 100, a microphone is required.

Age group: Grades 8–12, as well as adults.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: A short reading followed by a question and answer period Presentation fee: $250 per presentation; $225 each for two presentations; $200 each for three or more presentations; plus travel expenses when applicable.

E-mail contact: mt_authorvisits@yahoo.ca Please write “school” or “library” in subject line of e-mails.

Website: www.officialmegtilly.com

Meg Tilly is the author of two adult novels, Singing Songs (A Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, 1994) and Gemma, both published with Syren Book Company. Her first YA novel, Porcupine, was released by Tundra in September 2007; First Time is her first book published with Orca.

Tilly is a former actor, whose films include The Big Chill and Agnes of God, for which she won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar. At present she is working on an untitled adult novel. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her family.

Published title(s) with Orca: First Time (Fall 2008)

Chris Tougas

Victoria, British Columbia Presentation Region: local, regional, national Preferred audience size: less than 70 people Age group: grades K–6 Presentation venue: preference given to classrooms and libraries Presentation style: Chris Tougas’ presentations include readings and a Powerpoint presentation featuring several illustration styles. Chris will also walk the class through some fun drawing exercises.

Presentation fee: One-hour presentation - $200, plus travel costs if outside Victoria.

E-mail contact: tougart@yahoo.ca

Chris Tougas is a writer-illustrator who loves dogs, the great outdoors, writing fun stories and making art.

Chris lives and works in Victoria, British Columbia. He won the inaugural Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize for Mechanimals.

Published title(s) with Orca: Mechanimals Art’s Supplies

Don Trembath St. Albert, Alberta

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: 50–150 people, however this is flexible Age group: Grades 5 and up.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Please contact Don for details.

Presentation fee: $500 for a half day, $1000 for a full day.

E-mail contact: dontrembath1@mac.com

Don Trembath began writing when he was thirteen years old. He was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the third youngest of four boys. Don attended the University of Alberta where he studied English. From there, he wrote for newspapers, local and national magazines, and a host of trade publications.

In 1996, his first book, The Tuesday Cafe, was published. Don also teaches writing at MacEwan College in Edmonton and regularly visits schools and libraries across the country.

He lives in the town of Morinville, Alberta, with his wife, Lisa, their three fine kids, three laidback cats and the neighbour's big dog.

Published titles with Orca: The Tuesday Cafe Fly Named Alfred A Beautiful Place on Yonge Street Lefty Carmichael Has a Fit Frog Face and the Three Boys One Missing Finger The Big Show The Popsicle Journal Rooster Hypnotized Emville Confidential

Diane Tullson

Delta, British Columbia Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: No preference.

Age group: Grades 7 and up. Adult reading groups, student groups, educators, any kind of groups.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Diane gives presentations on the art and craft of writing. She also offers workshops and professional development sessions on literacy education.

Presentation fee: $250 per one-hour session plus travel expenses if applicable.

E-mail contact: diane@dianetullson.com

Diane Tullson has written seven novels for young adult readers. She was born in Calgary, has a BA in English Literature from the University of Calgary and has studied journalism and editing. Before becoming an author, Diane worked in newspaper, radio and travel. Diane began writing non-fiction essays for Canadian Living and Westworld Magazine. Her young adult books have been shortlisted for White Pine, Red Maple, and Stellar Awards.

Diane is a member of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable, Children’s Writers and Illustrators of British Columbia, and The Writers Union of Canada. Diane lives with her family in Delta, British Columbia.

Published title(s) with Orca: Lockdown The Darwin Expedition Red Sea Riley Park (Spring 2009)

Richard Van Camp Vancouver, British Columbia

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: No preference.

Age group: No preference.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Richard Van Camp is a traditional storyteller, celebrating life in the NWT and in BC. He speaks about the beauty of Aboriginal culture and the miracles that happen all around us in daily life. He also reads from his children’s books, his novels and short stories for teens and adults, and his baby book.

Presentation fee: $650 plus GST per day.

E-mail contact: rvancamp@shaw.ca

Richard Van Camp is a proud member of the Dogrib (Tlicho) Nation from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. A graduate of the En’owkin International School of Writing, the University of Victoria’s Creative Writing BFA Program and the University of British Columbia’s Master of Arts program in creative writing, Richard currently teaches Creative Writing for Aboriginal Students at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC. Richard’s poems, short stories and novellas have been published in anthologies and journals since 1992. Three of his short stories from Angel Wing Splash Pattern—“Mermaids”, “Sky Burial” and “The Night Charles Bukowski Died”— have been narrated by Cree actor Ben Cardinal and broadcast nationally as radio dramas on CBC. Richard wrote for CBC’s North of 60 television show for two months under their Writer Internship Program and was a script and cultural consultant with them for four seasons. He recently cowrote the short movie “The Promise” with Kent Williams and Jason Alexander of Neohaus Filmworks.

Published title(s) with Orca: Welcome Song for Baby

Debby Waldman Edmonton, Alberta

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: No preference.

Age group: Elementary and junior high school students; book target audience.

Presentation venue: Any place that is quiet, climatecontrolled and smoke-free.

Presentation style: Debby talks to her audience about how to grow a writing career—how one can earn a living as a writer, but not necessarily by writing novels and short stories. It’s possible to write the kinds of things you want and love, as long as you don’t limit yourself.

Presentation fee: Please contact author for details.

E-mail contact: debbyw@shaw.ca

A journalist, book reviewer, and humourist, Debby Waldman calls herself a jack-of-all-trades writer. Her articles and reviews have appeared in a variety of publications including People, Parents, Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Publishers Weekly, American Baby, Chatelaine,The Washington Post and The Edmonton Journal. Debby has a journalism degree from Syracuse University and an MFA in creative writing from Cornell University.

Debby has taught journalism, creative writing and magazine writing at Cornell University, Ithaca College, St. Lawrence University and Grant MacEwan College. For the past five years she has also taught Judaism and ethics to grade three and four students at her synagogue's Hebrew school.

She is married and has two children.

Published title(s) with Orca: Sack Full of Feathers Clever Rachel (Fall 2009)

Ann Walsh

Williams Lake, British Columbia Presentation region: Ann is willing to present anywhere, but if significant travel is required, a minimum of 6 presentation bookings (two full days) per trip is necessary.

Preferred audience size: Up to 80 elementary students and up to 60 high school students.

Age group: Grades 4 and up.

Presentation venue: school library, public library, school activity room. No gymnasiums.

Presentation style: Readings—historical fiction and the BC gold rush and/or an interactive, high-energy presentation about the Flower Power series. For grade 8 and up, the presentation can be based on the ways teens and young people deal with loss and grief, as exemplified by stories in the anthology Dark Times (Ronsdale Press), edited by Ann Walsh. Ann is willing to gear her presentations to the needs and requests of a particular school or classroom.

Presentation fee: $300 for a one-hour presentation. A daily rate can be negotiated if desired. Maximum of 3 sessions per day.

E-mail contact: annwalshwrites@hotmail.com More information: http://www.cwill.bc.ca/search/member_detail/62.

Ann Walsh is a long-time resident of Williams Lake, British Columbia, who has taught both in elementary schools and at the college level. She is the author of seven novels for young readers, most of them set in Barkerville during the gold rush. As well, Ann is the author of a book of poetry and the editor of three collections of short stories for young people.

Her books have been nominated for major Canadian book prizes and all of them have been selected as “Our Choice” titles by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.

Published title(s) with Orca: Flower Power Horse Power Forestry A-Z (co-written with Kathleen Cook Waldron)

Eric Walters Missisauga, Ontario

Please visit Eric’s website www.ericwalters.net for information about his presentations.

Eric Walters began writing in 1993 as a way to entice his grade five students into becoming more interested in reading and writing.

Since then Eric has published over 60 novels. His novels have all become bestsellers, have won over thirty awards and have been translated into several languages.

Eric writes in a variety of genres, including humor, historical fiction, contemporary, first chapter books, picturebooks, sports and mystery, but often his stories incorporate themes that reflect his background in education and social work and his commitment to humanitarian and social justice issues.

He is a tireless presenter, speaking to over 70,000 students per year in schools across the country.

Eric lives in Mississauga with his wife, Anita, and three children, Christina, Nicholas and Julia. When not writing, or playing and watching sports, he enjoys listening to jazz, playing his saxophone and eating in fine restaurants featuring drive-through service.

Most recent published title(s) with Orca: In a Flash (Fall 2008) When Elephants Fight (Fall 2008) Special Edward (Spring 2009)

Gregory Walters Gibsons, British Columbia

Presentation region: British Columbia and Washington State.

Other locations in the US and Canada are possible during summer months.

Preferred audience size: 30 people or less.

Age group: Ages 10–13.

Presentation venue: Gregory is open to school, public library, bookstore and book club presentations.

Presentation style: Gregory talks about becoming an engaged reader and the process of writing a novel. He also reads selections from published and unpublished work, and gives a Powerpoint slide show to support the presentation.

Presentation fee: $200 per presentation; $275 for back-toback presentations at a single site E-mail contact: gregoryjameswalters@yahoo.com

Gregory Walters was born in Hamilton, Ontario. When he was thirteen, his family moved to Texas. He began his teaching career in Dallas and eventually settled in British Columbia.

He currently resides in Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast and enjoys his job as an elementary school principal.

When not working, Gregory tries to find time to write, but his efforts are often dashed by his two attentionseeking miniature schnauzers, Lincoln and Hoover.

Published title(s) with Orca: Fouling Out

Janet Wilson Eden Mills, Ontario

Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: 60–90 people.

Age group: Ages 8 and up.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: Janet has several presentations from which to choose, depending on the age of the audience, the occasion and the subject. One presentation focuses on the process of making a picturebook, while another focuses specifically on activism and the power of one, as derived from One Peace:True Stories of Young Activists. Janet is also available to give art workshops about drawing or illustration for children, young adults and teachers. For presentations, Janet requests a laptop & LCD projector with a table for props and book display, plus an easel if available.

Presentation fee: $300+GST per presentation, although rates are negotiable for multiple presentations in one day. One day with 4 presentations is $900, plus all applicable travel expenses.

E-mail contact: janet@janetwilson.ca Website: www.janetwilson.ca

Janet Wilson is an award-winning artist and author, holding over 50 publishing copyrights in the children's literature field.

She graduated with honors from the Ontario College of Art and Design. Janet's love of books combined with a particular talent for drawing children has brought her into the world of "kidlit."

Her awards include Best Illustrated Book in the United States in 2004 for Jasper's Day, Canadian Information Book of the Year for her artwork in In Flanders Fields, and she is the first non-native artist to be awarded the Native Reading Week Award for her illustrations in Solomon's Tree. Janet is a career artist known for her fine art commissioned portraits and still life paintings.

Published title(s) with Orca: Me and Mr. Mah No Two Snowflakes Solomon’s Tree One Peace (Fall 2008)

John Wilson

Lantzville, British Columbia Presentation region: Local, regional and national.

Preferred audience size: John is flexible, but most audiences tend to be 50–60 people.

Age group: Grades 5–12.

Presentation venue: No preference.

Presentation style: John prefers to give an informal style of presentation.

Presentation fee: $250 per session.

E-mail contact: johnwilson-author@shaw.ca Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, John Wilson grew up on the Isle of Skye and outside Glasgow without the slightest idea that he would ever write books. After a degree in Geology from St. Andrews University, he worked in Zimbabwe and Alberta before taking up writing full-time and moving out to Lantzville on Vancouver Island in 1991.

John is addicted to history and firmly believes that the past must have been just as exciting, confusing and complex to those who lived through it as our world is to us. Every one of his seventeen novels and six non-fiction books for kids, teens and adults deals with the past.

John spends significant portions of his year travelling across the country telling stories from his books and their historical background and getting young readers energized and wanting to read and find out more about the past.

Published title(s) with Orca: Death on the River (Fall 2009)

Kari-Lynn Winters Vancouver, British Columbia

Presentation region: local and regional. Occasionally presentations are possible in Ontario.

Preferred audience size: Performance/Presentation: up to 6 classes (180 people). Workshops: up to 2 classes (30 people).

Age group: Performances/Presentations: PK–4. Workshops: PK–8.

Presentation venue: A school library is preferred, but presentations and performances can be done in the school gym or cafeteria, and workshops can be done in school classrooms.

Presentation style: Performance/presentation: This 45 minute interactive presentation incorporates puppets, songs, improvisation, and readings from her published works (books and magazine stories/poems.) In addition, several different literacy strategies will be highlighted. Following the presentation Kari will offer a question period and a book signing session.

Moving into literacy workshops for grades PK-3: during this hourlong arts-based workshop (using dance, drama, visual art, and music) several age-appropriate reading comprehension and writing composition strategies will be demonstrated.

Dramatic Writing Workshops for grades 4-6: Using her published works, Kari will lead a one-hour workshop which emphasizes the 6+1 Traits of Writing. This workshop will incorporate dance, drama, music, and visual art techniques.

Editing and Publishing Workshops for grades 7-8: Students will share their short stories (500 words max.), picture books, or poems in this 90-minute workshop. Using drama and visual art techniques, students will come to better understand some important editing strategies, such as: making connections, visualizing the text, discovering point of view, and building vocabulary. In addition, Kari-Lynn will discuss ideas about publishing, including: researching a publisher, writing a cover letter and the process of creating a book.

Presentation fee: $250.00 for one hour; $300.00 for a half day; $400.00 for a full day (or $350.00 for a full day if school recommends author to another school/library resulting in a booking).

E-mail contact: kari@kariwinters.com Website: www.kariwinters.com

Kari-Lynn Winters is the author of Jeffrey and Sloth (2007), a picture book about the daunting task of overcoming writer's block, and The Meaning Maker, a children's play about reading strategies which is currently being toured throughout the Lower Mainland. A graduate of Canada's National Theatre School, she is currently performing with a Vancouver children's theater group, The Tickle Trunk Players.

Kari has taught a range of students in Canada and the United States, including pre-school, special education, primary, intermediate, high school, and now university teacher education.

She is currently completing her PhD in the Language and Literacy Department at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests are children's literature, print literacy, and multimodal forms of learning.

Published title(s) with Orca: Jeffrey and Sloth

Frieda Wishinsky Willowdale, Ontario

Presentation region: Local, regional, and national.

Preferred audience size: 60–120 people.

Age group: Grades K–6.

Preferred presentation venue: Library.

Presentation style: Frieda’s presentations are interactive, lively and fun for both kids and staff. Links to the school curriculum are inherent in the presentations.

Presentation fee: $250 plus GST per session E-mail contact: frieda.wishinsky@gmail.com

Frieda Wishinsky is the international award-winning author of over forty trade and educational books. She loves humor, history and exploring new ways to tell a story. She uses drama, group participation, chants and storytelling to engage her audience.

Frieda was raised and educated in New York City, where she earned a B.A. in International Relations with honors in History and a Master of Science in Special Education. She taught children and adults with learning disabilities in New York, Israel and Canada. She also established a number of school libraries.

Frieda has worked on educational documents and projects for the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Girl Guides of Canada.

Frieda began writing in the 1980s. She wrote book reviews, profiles and articles for magazines and newspapers. In 1990, her first picture book, Oonga Boonga (Little Brown & Co.) was voted "Pick of the List" by American Booksellers.

Published title(s) with Orca: A Frog in My Throat A Bee in Your Ear A Noodle Up Your Nose Dimples Delight Each One Special Just Call Me Joe Queen of the Toilet Bowl

Pam Withers

Vancouver, British Columbia Presentation region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: No preference.

Age group: Grades K–12, although grades 4–9 are preferred.

Presentation venue: No preference; however, Pam usually presents in school libraries or auditoriums Presentation style: Pam’s one-hour presentation is full of humour, fun and stories of her outdoor adventures. She also focuses on the themes of research, patience, persistence, and constructive criticism. Visit her website under “talks” to learn more.

Presentation fee: Please visit Pam’s website for information on her rates.

Contact: c/o her agent, Chris Patrick at jcpem@shaw.ca Website: www.TakeItToTheExtreme.com

Pam Withers is an award-winning speaker and the author of 13 bestselling teen adventure novels. Besides kayaking the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, she has done time as a whitewater raft guide, kayak instructor, journalist, editor and associate publisher.

Pam lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her husband and son, where she enjoy cross-country skiing and kayaking when she’s not writing.

Published title(s) with Orca: Daredevil Club Camp Wild Breathless