Apparently, we all just survived “Blue Monday”. Who knew that was a thing? The third Monday in January is supposedly the most depressing day of the year; Christmas is well and truly gone leaving only the bills in its wake, the sugar cookies are still on the hips, the gym has lost its sparkle, and its freezing cold. Boo. Whatever are we to do, poor us?

Happy 2016 everyone! The Christmas tree is hibernating for another year, the yummy goodies are pretty much gone (oops), and school’s back in… normality reigns again!

No, I’m not talking about any issues I may or may not have (although that would make for a very interesting blog post)— TEARS, FEARS, AND FAME is the name of my brand new book, and it’s been published just in time for Christmas! Best author Christmas present EVER! Allow me to introduce you to my third Christian teen fiction book…

Hello December, you stealthy, surreptitious month, you! Every year without fail, you coyly hint at your upcoming arrival as soon as the temperature plummets; yet your entrance always manages to catch us by surprise.

…but now I think it’s a blessing of epic proportion. You see I, like many others (maybe even you, dear one), have long been a people-pleaser who just can’t seem to utter the word “no” when asked to do something—anything. It’s taken me many, many years to realize I can...

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! Plump pumpkins, crunchy red leaves, a nip in the air, and turkeys on sale all remind us that it’s that time of year when we need to press the pause button and count our blessings.

I’m a big fan of the word “tapestry”. You know how certain words evoke richness and wondrous visuals and all sorts of possibilities? Well “tapestry” does it for me. Weird? Possibly. But here’s the thing—my article “A story of Survival: Mother of the Bride” was recently accepted into a local anthology, and they selected my suggested book title: “An Okanagan Tapestry”. Happy dance right here.

Where, oh where did the summer go? Are we seriously falling into fall already? This week I’m in limbo, lamenting the end of carefree, schedule-free, long, hot days of summer—yet desperately ready for structure, sanity, and cute boots. I love, love, love summer, it’s truly my favourite season, but I hyperventilate with excitement just a little at the thought of the family back to bustling and me having the house to myself again…

Anyone who knows us well, knows that we have really tried to be at one with nature. Embarking on our adventure from the tame UK to the wilds of Canada was bound to bring its challenges, and I like to think we have maintained a British stiff upper lip and embraced the differences, but this summer has thrown us a curve ball. The deer. Seriously.

Just to warn you, I’m fluctuating from reflective to rapturous here today as I share my special days and giveaways! My little guy (who is 5 foot 10) turned 16 last week. Sixteen years old. How can this be? He now has his “L” for goodness sakes and sits behind the wheel of a real vehicle. What happened to that bright yellow and red Little Tykes car he used to shuffle around driving with his pudgy feet? Is it really THAT long ago since I snuggled my infant close and lived in that crazy-baby-toddler-homeschooling-survivor mode? Admittedly, there are chunks from the cray cray years where I have zero recollection. None. But I do remember they were special days, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything…