orca author/illustrator catalogue 2009

Orca Author/Illustrator CatalogueA Who/What/Where/When Guide to Author Visits and School Presentations

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

Anita Daher Carol Matas

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

Caroline AddersonKristin ButcherNorma CharlesBev Cooke Becky Citra K.L. Denman Dayle Campbell GaetzChristy GoerzenJames Heneghan Shelley Hrdlitschka Melanie Jackson Carolyn Jones Laura LangstonSara LeachAnnabel LyonCarrie MacChris McMahenMichelle MulderRachel Dunstan MullerCynthia NugentSylvia Olsen Jacqueline Pearce Lois PetersonJeff Rud Andrea Spalding Shannon StewartRobin Stevenson Nikki Tate Meg TillyChris Tougas Diane Tullson Richard Van Camp Kathleen Cook WaldronAnn WalshGregory WaltersJohn WilsonKari-Lynn WintersPam Withers

BCAB

SK MB

ON

QC

NSNB

NL

NT

YT

NU

Catherine Austen Monique Polak Raquel Rivera

Lesley Choyce Vicki Grant K.V. Johansen Diane Carmel Leger

Michael Kusugak

Caroline AddersonVancouver, British Columbia

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, BrunoBruno For Real (Spring 2009)

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. ([email protected])

martha attema

martha attema was born on a dairy farm in Friesland, one of the northern provinces in the Netherlands. In 1981, she immigrated with husband Albert and their three children to Canada. They settled in North Bay, Ontario. After graduating from Nipissing University, she took creative writing classes and became a member of the North Bay Children’s Writers’ Group. When their children left home, Albert and martha built an off-the-grid straw bale home. In ther new office, she feels inspired to write about her concern for the environment. Martha has published six novels for children from 7-16 years old. She is cur-rently a grade one teacher.

Published title(s) with Orca:A Time to ChooseHeroThe Paper Wagon

Presentation region: Local and regional. She travels to Vancouver once a year and could coordinate a West Coast event at that time.

Preferred audience size: Up to 50 students.

Age group: Junior kindergarten to grade 9.

Presentation venue: Classrooms, schools, libraries and book-stores.

Presentation style: Readings, writing workshops and book talks.

Presentation fee: One to one-and-a-half hour presentation is $200, plus travel expenses. This is negotiable depending if venues can share the cost.

Contact: [email protected]

Website: www.marthaattema.com

Catherine AustenQuebec

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 environ-mental 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)

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: [email protected]

Andrea BeckUnionville, Ontario

Presentation region: Locally, regionally and nationally.

Preferred audience size: 45 for kindergarten, 65 for older children.

Age group: Junior kindergarten to grade 8, grouped in like age groups.

Presentation venue: School or public libraries.

Presentation style: Andrea offers 4 different presentations:

Primary Presentation: A jam-packed session of stories, art, role play and inspiration. After reading one of her stories, she uses role play and props to follow the story through each stage of development from first idea to final art. Andrea starts and ends at the easel and leaves the drawings at the school. Afterwards, kids declare they want to be authors too!

Inside the Writer’s Mind - or - Believe in Yourself and Dream Big (Grades 4-8): A motivational session that shows students how much FUN it is to live in a world of stories, images and ideas. Modeling the principles of “go for your dreams” and “believing in oneself,” Andrea shares how she landed her first series, Elliot Moose. She shows that a writer’s imagination is always “on,” and using examples from her stories, she shares how characters and stories are devel-oped. The session ends at the easel and drawings are left at the school.

Illustration Workshop (Grades 4-8): For details please contact: [email protected].

Primary Writing Workshop (Grades 1-2): For details please contact: [email protected].

Presentation fee: $575 for 2 sessions, $825 for 3 sessions, $1000 for 4 sessions. Full day can be split between 2 schools.

Contact: [email protected]: www.elliotmoose.ca

Celebrated for her work as author/ illustrator of the popular book series and TV show, “Elliot Moose,” Andrea Beck is delighted to launch the Pierre Le Poof! series. Andrea is known for cre-ating earnest characters that inhabit a world of warmth and friendship, appeal-ing to children and parents alike. Her irrepressible Pierre was inspired by the glimpse of an overly coiffed poodle at a dog show. Andrea melded that mutt with the characteristics of her beagle Toby—the family darling and master escape artist—and Pierre Le Poof was born. Andrea draws upon her childhood memories to create stories that speak deeply to children. She studied at the Ontario College of Art and Design, York University and the University of Toronto, and began her career as a toy designer. Her award-winning designs were fea-tured in Canadian media and sold from coast to coast. Later, reading to her chil-dren, Andrea was inspired by picture-books and she began to write. She lives in Unionville, ON, with her two sons, her beagle Tillie and about 30 goldfish in the backyard pond.

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

Holly BennettPeterborough, Ontario

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 BonemenderThe Bonemender’s OathThe Warrior’s DaughterThe Bonemender’s ChoiceShapeshifter (Spring 2010)

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.


Michele Martin BossleyCalgary, 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).


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 seven-teen novels for young people. Many of Michele’s books focus on dif-ferent 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:JumperSwipedCracked KickerBio-pirateFraud Squad (Fall 2009)

Sigmund BrouwerRed Deer, Alberta


Preferred audience size: 400 people maximum.



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.


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 en-courages students to reach for their dreams, giving them fun and practical advice and the reading and writing skills that are the foun-dation of future success. Sigmund’s presenta-tions 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 EchoesTimberwolf ChaseTimberwolf RevengeTimberwolf HuntTimberwolf TrapTimberwolf ChallengeTimberwolf TracksTimberwolf Rivals (Fall 2009)

Orca CurrentsWiredSewer Rats

Orca SportsAll-Star PrideRebel GloryTiger Threat Blazer DriveCobra StrikeTitan ClashHurricane PowerHitmen TriumphWinter Hawk StarChief HonorScarlet ThunderMaverick ManiaThunderbird SpiritAbsolute Pressure (Spring 2009)Oil King Courage (Fall 2009)

Maureen BushCalgary, Alberta

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

Preferred audience size: Maximum 75 people.

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


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.


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

Kristin ButcherCampbell River, British Columbia


Preferred audience size: Ideal size is 15-40, but Kristin will speak to as many as 90. For workshops, Kristin’s maximums are 25 for students and 40 for adults.

Age group: School presentations and workshops for grades 4-12. Kristin also offers writing workshops and book talks for adults.

Presentation venue: Classrooms, theatres, bookstores, libraries, but no gymnasiums if possible.

Presentation style: Formerly a teacher, Kristin adjusts her pre-sentations to the needs of the audience. She can speak about writing in general or her writing experiences in particular, focus on a specific book, or can gear the talk to fit a specific theme or skill. Kristin leaves time for a short reading and a question-and-answer period. For workshops, the focus is based on the specific needs of the group.

Presentation fee: $250 for a 40-60 minute presentation plus GST (and expenses if travel is involved). A full day (maximum of 3 sessions) costs $650.


Kristin Butcher taught everything from primary science and intermediate math to junior high art and senior high English before becoming an author. She credits her experience in the classroom with both helping her understand children and teens better, as well as making her a whiz at Trivial Pursuit. Kristin has always had a wild imagination, and can’t imag-ine that she’ll ever run out of ideas for stories. In 2010, she will have published 18 books for children and young adults. Kristin lives in Campbell River, British Columbia.

Published title(s) with Orca:The Gramma WarThe Hemingway TraditionThe Trouble with LibertyZee’s WayChat RoomEl Plan de Zee (Zee’s Way in Spanish)

Dayle Campbell GaetzCampbell River, British Columbia


Preferred audience size: Up to 60 people.


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


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 addi-tion to writing, she teaches a correspon-dence 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 HistoryNo Problem Barkerville Gold Alberta AlibiSpoiled Rotten Sea Dog Something Suspicious in SaskatchewanCrossbow

Lesley ChoyceEast Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia

Presentation Region: Local, regional, national.

Preferred audience size: 10–50 people.



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: [email protected] 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, environ-mental 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 newspa-per 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 CoveThunderbowlSudden ImpactWave Warrior Skate FreakRunning the Risk (Spring 2009)

Becky CitraBridge Lake, British ColumbiaPresentation region: Local, regional, national.



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 brain-storming, 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 demon-strates how ideas for stories are developed. There is also an over-view of the steps from an idea to a published book.

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


Becky Citra lives on a ranch in a tiny com-munity 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 mys-tery 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 MoonDanger at the LandingsDog DaysRunawayJeremy and the Enchanted TheatreStrawberry MoonJeremy in the UnderworldNever to be ToldJeremy and the Golden FleeceJeremy and the Fantastic Flying MachineWhiteout (Spring 2009)Sam’s Ride (Fall 2009)

Norma CharlesVancouver, British Columbia


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.


Norma Charles has written many books for kids including The Accomplice, winner of the Sheila A. Egoff Children’s Litera-ture 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 Waldron100 Mile House, British Columbia


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 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.


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, chamber-maid, tree planter, house painter, teacher, and of course, writer.

Published title(s) with Orca:Loon Lake Fishing DerbyRough Day at Loon LakeFive Stars For EmilyForestry A-Z (Spring 2008)

Bev CookeVictoria, British Columbia


Preferred audience size: 5–40 people

Age group: Book target audience (ages 14 and up).


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.


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 has been entrenched in the book publishing industry for several years, writing books, articles and re-views, and leading workshops and pre-sentations. 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 CanyonTwo Foot Punch Racing For DiamondsPoachers in the PingosOn the Trail of the Bushman (Spring 2009)

Anita DaherWinnipeg, Manitoba



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 audio-visual 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.


Website: www.anitadaher.com

K.L. DenmanPowell River, British Columbia



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: [email protected]: 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, multi-faceted 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 BandsMirror ImageRebel’s TagLa guerra de las bandas (Battle of the Bands in Spanish)The ShadeSpiralPerfect Revenge (Spring 2009)

Natale Ghent is an award-winning journalist and the author of six novels. Her work has been critically acclaimed, garnering awards and recognition inter-nationally. Natale was born near Chicago. As a child, she loved everything to do with puppets, magic and science. She used to invent stories and was encouraged by her aunt to write them down. Natale’s family moved to Woodstock, Ontario when she was a child. Natale studied English Literature at the University of Guelph, then moved to California to study communications and novel writing at the University of California, San Diego while working as a writer for several publications. Eventually, Natale moved back to Canada and began writing novels. Her first book was Piper. She hasn’t stopped writing since and can’t imagine doing anything else.

Published title with Orca:Piper

Natale GhentToronto, Ontario

Presentation region: Local, regional and national.

Preferred audience size: 10–300 and beyond.


Presentation venue: No preference; any venue is fine.

Presentation style: Natale offers a powerpoint presentation to students.

Presentation fee: Please contact Natale for her fees.


Website: www.nataleghent.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 faer-ies. 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 re-viewer, copywriter, marketing consultant, television writer, bookseller and writing mentor. Christy is currently the communica-tions 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 with Orca:Explore (Spring 2009)

Christy GoerzenVancouver, British Columbia


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 presenta-tions 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 one-hour 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.


Vicki GrantHalifax, Nova Scotia

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:PigboyI.D.Dead-End JobQuid Pro QuoThe Puppet WranglerRes Judicata Un trabajo sin futuro (Dead-End Job in Spanish)Identificación (I.D. in Spanish)Nine Doors (Spring 2009)



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 expens-es. Price negotiable for multiple presentation bookings.


Website: www.vickigrant.com

Jacqueline GuestBragg Creek, Alberta


Preferred audience size: From 1 to 100.

Age group: School age through adulthood.

Presentation venue: Any.

Presentation style: Jacqueline offers several different types of presentations, including a Historical/Cultural Presentation for grades 3-12, Writing Workshops for grade 3 to adult, and In-Service Power Point Presentations for teachers and librarians.

Presentation fee: Please contact Jacqueline for details.

E-mail contact: [email protected] Website: www.jacquelineguest.com

Published title(s) with Orca:Belle of BatocheSecret Signs

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 interac-tive 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.

Marilyn HelmerBelwood, Ontario

Presentation region: Locally and regionally. Will consider nationally on a book tour.

Preferred audience size: The smaller the better for the children’s sake, but Marilyn has presented to groups of 150 or more. She is flexible and prefers to work out the size of the group with the event coordinator.

Age group: Grades 1–5, and could include grade 6 as well.

Presentation venue: School or public library, but also happy to do bookstores.

Presentation style: Marilyn usually speaks to children about where writers find their ideas. If speaking to a grade 2 or 3 class, Marilyn would concentrate on her two recently published Orca Echoes books.

Presentation fee: $225 for a single presentation and $175 for each additional presentation.

E-mail contact: [email protected] 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 cre-ative 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 sto-ries, 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 BeachSharing SnowyThe Fossil Hunters (Fall 2009)

James HeneghanVancouver, British Columbia

James Heneghan is the best-selling author of dozens of books for kids and young adults. His popular, award-winning books, acclaimed for their realism, adventure, action, and suspense, often tell the stories of teenagers struggling to overcome personal difficulties. He grew up in England and Ireland before moving to Vancouver, where he eventually became a teacher and writer.

Published title(s) with Orca:Waiting for Sarah (with Bruce McBay)Torn AwayHit SquadSafe HouseBank Job (with Norma Charles)


Preferred audience size: Ideally enough people to fill a school library.

Age group: Age 11 to adult.

Presentation venue: Prefer school libraries.

Presentation style: James has a variety of different presentations to offer. Please consult with him regarding the needs of the group.

Presentation fee: $250 for a one-hour presentation, $450 for 2 hours.

E-mail contact: [email protected] Website: www.jamesheneghan.com

Shelley HrdlitschkaNorth Vancouver, British Columbia

Shelley Hrdlitschka discovered her love for children's literature while teach-ing 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 award- winning 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 NakedKat’s Fall Sun SignsGotcha!Sister Wife (Fall 2008)


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.


Website: http://members.shaw.ca/shelleyhrdlitschka/

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 CatsTJ and the Haunted House TJ and the Rockets TJ and the Sports FanaticTJ and the Quiz Kids

Hazel HutchinsCanmore, Alberta


Preferred audience size: 80–120 students.


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 discus-sion 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.


Website: www.telusplanet.net/public/hjhutch/home

Melanie JacksonVancouver, British Columbia

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 MoonstoneThe Spy in the AlleyThe Mask on the Cruise ShipThe Summer of the Spotted OwlShadows on the TrainQueen of Disguises (Spring 2009)The Big Dip (Fall 2009)


Preferred audience size: Any size, as long as everyone in the audi-ence can see a screen for slides and movie clips. However, for work-shops, 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 desiré.

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.

A Mystery Story: The Essentials: Using her Orca Currents novel (ages 10-14), The Big Dip, Melanie presents the elements that go into a mystery. Will engage both regular and reluctant readers.

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.


Kate JaimetOttawa, 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: [email protected]

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 ambi-tions. After high school, she completed a degree in journalism at Ryerson Uni-versity. 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. JohansenSackville, New Brunswick


Preferred audience size: In a school setting, no more than two classes at once. In a more formal setting (i.e. a public library), any size will work.

Age group: Grades 4 to adult.

Presentation venue: Schools 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 work-shop. 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 VirusNightwalkerTreason in EswyWarden of Greyrock (Spring 2009)

Carolyn JonesVancouver, British Columbia

Presentation region: Lower Mainland.


Age group: Primary students.


Presentation style: Carolyn Jones’ presentations include read-ings, 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.


Email contact: [email protected]

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 KerzScarborough, Ontario

Anna Kerz is a dreamer of impossible dreams. A life-long reader, she spent years and years in the classroom teach-ing 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.

Published title(s) with Orca:The Mealworm Diaries (Spring 2009)


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, role- playing, writing exercises and storytelling: •Writingwhatyouknow:Nothingeverhappenstome. •Creatingcharacterstoremember. •Writingdialogue:“Whotalkslikethatanyway?” •Howwasthatagain?Retellingastoryfromadifferent point of view.

Presentation fee: $250 per session plus travel costs.


Michael KusugakRankin Inlet, Nunavut

Presentation region: Local, regional, national, international.


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 [email protected].

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 LabattPort Rowan, Ontario

Presentation region: Port Rowan and local area.


Age group: All ages.


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: [email protected] 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 LangstonVictoria, British Columbia

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 maga-zine. 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 PointHannah’s Touch (Fall 2009)


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


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 [email protected].

Website: www.lauralangston.com

Sara LeachWhistler, British Columbia

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 fam-ily, 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)

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).


Diane Carmel LégerMemramcook, New Brunswick



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: [email protected] 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 es-caped expulsion. Its sequel, Retour à la butte à Pétard, partly written in Louisiana, has been nominated for the Prix France-Acadie.

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

Leanne LiebermanKingston, Ontario

Presentation region: Local and regional.

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

Age group: Ages 14–18.


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


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 hus-band and two sons.

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

Deb LougheadToronto, Ontario


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

Age group: Grades K – 12.


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: [email protected] 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 LyonNew Westminster, British Columbia





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

Presentation fee: Please contact Annabel for details.


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 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 moun-tains 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 BeckonersCharmedCrushPain and WastingsJacked (Fall 2009)

Carrie MacPemberton, British Columbia


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


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

Presentations: The 5 W’s of Censorship The Writer’s ToolboxCarrie Mac: Fact and FictionStealing, Lying & Snooping: 3 Outstanding Qualities in a Writer

Presentation fee: $250 for a one-hour presentation, $400 for two hours, $500 for three hours.


Website: www.carriemac.com

Carol Matas is an internationally acclaimed author of over thirty-five novels for children and young adults. Carol writes contemporary and his-torical 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 WhirlwindThe Burning Time

Carol MatasWinnipeg, Manitoba

Presentation region: Local regional, national, and the US.

Preferred audience size: Any.


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.


Website: www.carolmatas.com

Shirlee Smith MathesonCalgary, Alberta

Presentation region: Locally, regionally, nationally.

Preferred audience size: Maximum 100 for readings; maximum 25 for workshops.

Age group: Grades 4–12 and adults.

Presentation venue: Schools, libraries and other organizations.

Presentation style: Please contact Shirlee for details.

Presentation fee: $500 for one day, which includes 4 one-hour readings or 2 two-hour workshops, or a combination (plus travel expenses).


Website: www.ssmatheson.ca

Adventures and mysteries abound in Shirlee Smith Matheson’s 15 published nonfiction books and teen novels, and her numerous short stories. From aviation mysteries to urban dramas, she writes of characters that live on the edge. Shirlee works at the Aero Space Musem of Calgary and travels widely to discover more exciting tales.

Published title(s) with Orca:Fastback Beach

Norah McClintockToronto, Ontario

Presentation region: Greater Toronto area.


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.


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:SnitchTellBangDownMarkedWatch MeBackPicture This (Fall 2009)Taken (Fall 2009)

Chris McMahenArmstrong, 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 work-shops with smaller groups, particularly as part of gifted programing in schools.

Presentation fee: Please contact Chris McMahen for details.


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:KlutzhoodTabloidology (Spring 2009)

Melody DeFields McMillanSimcoe, Ontario


Preferred audience size: Small.


Presentation venue: No preference. Presentation style: Melody offers an informal style of presentation.

Presentation fee: Negotiable; please contact Melody for details.

E-mail contact: [email protected] 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 MulderVictoria, British Columbia

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 writ-ing 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)


Preferred audience size: This depends on the age of the audi-ence; 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.


Website: www.michellemulder.com

Rachel Dunstan Muller began writing fiction seriously in 2001, while ac-companying 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 SamThe Solstice Cup (Spring 2009)

Rachel Dunstan MullerLadysmith, 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.



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.



Preferred audience size: Depends on the type of presentation: 60 students for the interactive presentation with demo or a full auditorium for a presentation with PowerPoint.

Age group: All age groups. Cynthia tailors her presentations to the needs of the group.

Presentation venue: Any type of venue, as long as there is a digital projector and screen available and the room can be made dark.

Presentation style: Cynthia does a reading from one of her books with digital slides of the illustrations. She describes the process of creating a picture book from manuscript to finished book with the aid of display boards, and finishes with a paint-ing demo using one of the children as a model. For grades K–1, she also does a short sing-a-long.

Presentation fee: $250 for a one-hour presentation, plus travel expenses.


Website: www.cynthianugent.com

Cynthia NugentVancouver, British Columbia

Cynthia Nugent is a nationally recog-nized and award-winning children’s book author and illustrator. Her first book, Mister Got To Go, is now considered a Canadian classic. All of her books have been on the Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Our Choice lists. She has acted as judge for literary prizes and is a much-requested presenter at schools and libraries. Cynthia lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her Yorkshire terrier Emma.

Published title(s) with Orca:Fred and Pete at the Beach (Fall 2009)




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 (20-30 students). More information about Liam’s presentations is available on his website.

Presentation fee: Please contact Liam for details.


Website: www.liamodonnell.com

Liam O’DonnellToronto, Ontario

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 RatsSoccer Sabotage (Spring 2009)Media Meltdown (Fall 2009)

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 LineMiddle Row

Sylvia OlsenVictoria, British Columbia


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



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.


Jacqueline Pearce grew up on Vancouver Island and currently lives in Burnaby, British Columbia. She has degrees in English lit-erature and environmental studies and has worked at various jobs, including museum accessioner, cartoon researcher and envi-ronmental 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 en-joys 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:ReunionDiscovering EmilyEmily’s DreamDog House BluesThe Truth About Rats and DogsManga Touch

Presentation region: Lower Mainland, southern Vancouver Island, and possibly elsewhere in the region if funding is avail-able 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 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 cur-rent 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: $250 for a one hour presentation.


Website: www.jacquelinepearce.ca

Jacqueline PearceBurnaby, British Columbia

Lois PetersonSurrey, British Columbia





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: [email protected] 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 lives in Montreal, where she spends her days doing her two fa-vorite things: writing and teaching. In ad-dition 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 InvasionFinding ElmoNo More Pranks121 ExpressWhat World is Left Junkyard Dog (Fall 2009)The Middle of Everywhere (Fall 2009)

Monique PolakMontreal, Quebec




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


Website: www.moniquepolak.com

Susan Rennick JolliffeOttawa, Ontario

Susan Rennick Jolliffe alighted into the world of children's books after many years as a visual artist known for her humourous and beautiful transforma-tions 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 SummerLady Ginny’s Tea Parties



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.


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 exclusive-ly 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

Raquel RiveraMontreal, Quebec


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.



Graham RossMerrickville, Ontario


Preferred audience size: Less than 100 people.



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


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:AlphabetterRhyme StonesWhat a Hippopota-Mess!The Paper WagonCheetahBy a Thread

Jeff RudVictoria, British Columbia





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 non-fiction 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.


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 (Rain-coast, 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 TenCrossoverParalyzed (Fall 2008)

René SchmidtBrighton, Ontario

Presentation region: Anywhere in the Eastern and Central Ontario region, including Toronto.

Preferred audience size: Will present to any size, but prefers 1 or 2 classes together (30-60 students).

Age group: Junior division up to secondary school and adults.

Presentation venue: No preference (as long as there is a coffee machine).

Presentation style: Rene can do dramatic readings for stu-dents, show background material, or do seminars for adults on writing for children.

Presentation fee: $200 for a full day; $150 per half-day plus applicable travel expenses. E-mail contact: [email protected] 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 depart-ment. 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 SkeneCoburg, Ontario

Several years ago, Pat Skene left corporate life to pursue her passion for writing. And now she's a story inven-tor! 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 [email protected].

Published title(s) with Orca:What a Hippopota-mess!Rhyme StonesMonster Lunch (Fall 2008)

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 work-shops 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 story- related 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.


Andrea SpaldingPender Island, British Columbia


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 con-ference 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 con-ferences 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 work-shop fees given on request.


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 picture-book, 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 CrowsIt’s Raining, It’s PouringThe White TalismanSolomon’s TreeDance of the StonesHeart of the HillBehind the Sorceror’s CloakSecret of the DanceDance Baby Dance (Spring 2009)

Barbara SpurllToronto, ON


Preferred audience size: 30–60 students.

Age group: Grades 4–6 are preferred, but Barbara can present to any age group.

Presentation venue: School classrooms and public libraries.

Presentation style: Barbara begins with a story, then shares samples of how an illustration progresses step-by-step from initial sketches through to completion of final artwork. This serves as an introduction to a discussion about drawing and illustrative skills for young people, including demonstrations.

Presentation fee: $200 per hour with a minimum charge of $300 per location +GST and travel expenses.


Website: www.barbaraspurll.com

Barbara Spurll, the illustrator of many many children’s picturebooks, is originally from England. Her family traded the English fog for the wind-chill factor of Winnipeg when she was three-and-a-half. She survived the winters and Cream of Wheat, eventu-ally moving east to Toronto to study art at the Artists’ Workshop, the New School of Art and George Brown College. Barbara’s humorous style has been said to portray “animals with attitude.” In her presentations she encourages her students to draw, to draw every day without waiting for inspiration. Subjects she touches on are contour line drawing, understanding proportions of the face and body, techniques for coming up with engaging visual ideas, us-ing pictorial symbols, and using composition to strengthen a picture’s impact.

Published title with Orca:Theodora Bear (illustrated)

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 OrderDead in the WaterImpossible ThingsBig GuyA Thousand Shades of BlueInferno (Spring 2009)In the Woods (Fall 2009)

Robin StevensonVictoria, British Columbia


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: [email protected]: www.robinstevenson.com

Shannon Stewart was born in Ottawa, and spent most of her childhood in Vancouver devouring Tarzan novels. After attending Université Laval, Carleton University and Concordia University, she returned to Vancouver and received her MFA from the University of British Columbia. She has worked as a sessional instructor in the Department of Creative Writing at UBC, an ESL instructor and writer-in- residence at both elementary and sec-ondary schools throughout Vancouver.Her first collection of poetry, The Canadian Girl (1998), was a finalist for the Milton Acorn People’s Poetry Award and Gerald Lampert Award for Best First Book of Poetry in 1999. She also writes adult fiction and children’s non-fiction, early chapter books, and picturebooks.

Published titles in print with Orca:Captain Jake (Fall 2008)

Shannon StewartWest Vancouver, British Columbia


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


Presentation venue: Different venues suit different presentations and workshops, so Shannon is flexible.

Presentation style: Multi-modal presentations and workshops which can include community storytelling, writing strategies and exercises, and multi-media workshops. Shannon has worked as a writer-in-residence and literary presenter at a number of schools in Vancouver’s Lower Mainland. For younger students, she uses her picture books and storytelling for workshops/readings that explore emotions, language play and the natural world. Older students can explore a variety of workshop experiences, including creating narratives using Tabloid head lines, Synaesthesia Synthesis and AlphaTEEN Abecedaries. Workshop outlines are avail-able upon request.

Presentation fee: $250 for a large-group presentation. Fees vary for author residency and half-day workshops.


Website: www.shannonstewart.ca

Nikki TateVictoria, 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 notall ages in the same session.


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: $450.00 per single presentation, $1200.00 per day, maximum three presentations per day; plus GST and all travel expenses for talks outside Vancouver Island. Prices for workshops, keynote speeches, and special presentations, by request.


Website: www.stablemates.net

Nikki Tate was born in Birmingham, England, but spent her childhood roaming the globe. In Australia, Nikki battled a taran-tula, 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 build-ing 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 JourneyJo’s TriumphVenomRazor’s Edge (Fall 2009)

Meg TillyLantzville, British Columbia


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 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: [email protected] 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 on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, with her family.

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

Chris TougasVictoria, British Columbia

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 inaugu-ral Bolen Books Children’s Book Prize for Mechanimals.

Published title(s) with Orca: MechanimalsArt’s Supplies

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 read-ings 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.


Don TrembathSt. Albert, Alberta


Preferred audience size: 50–150 people, however this is flexible



Presentation style: Please contact Don for details.

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

E-mail contact: [email protected] 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 news-papers, 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 CafeFly Named AlfredA Beautiful Place on Yonge StreetLefty Carmichael Has a FitFrog Face and the Three BoysOne Missing Finger The Big ShowThe Popsicle JournalRooster HypnotizedEmville Confidential

Diane TullsonDelta, British Columbia



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


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: [email protected] 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 short- listed for White Pine, Red Maple, and Stellar Awards. Diane is a member of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, Vancouver Children’s Literature Round-table, 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:LockdownThe Darwin ExpeditionRed SeaRiley Park (Spring 2009)

Richard Van CampVancouver, British Columbia





Presentation style: Richard Van Camp is a traditional story-teller, 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.


Richard Van Camp is a proud member of the Dogrib (Tlicho) Nation from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. A gradu-ate 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 antholo-gies 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

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 journal-ism 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 syna-gogue's Hebrew school. She is married and has two children.

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

Debby WaldmanEdmonton, Alberta



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

Presentation venue: Any place that is quiet, climate-controlled 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 pos-sible to write the kinds of things you want and love, as long as you don’t limit yourself.



Ann WalshWilliams 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.


Presentation venue: school library, public library, school activ-ity 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 pre-sentations 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.


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 collec-tions 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 PowerHorse PowerForestry A-Z (co-written with Kathleen Cook Waldron)

Eric WaltersMissisauga, Ontario

Eric Walters began writing in 1993 as a way to entice his grade five students into becom-ing more interested in reading and writing. Since then Eric has published over 60 novels. His novels have all become best-sellers, 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 educa-tion 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)

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

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 attention-seeking miniature schnauzers, Lincoln and Hoover.

Published title(s) with Orca:Fouling Out

Gregory WaltersGibsons, 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.


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-to-back presentations at a single site


Janet WilsonEden Mills, Ontario


Preferred audience size: 60–90 people, but will present to up to 200 students.



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 spe-cifically 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: Janet’s rates vary depending on length of presentation, size of audience, and number of presentations. For example, 2 60-minute presentations to 100 students (half day) would be $500 +GST. One full day with 4 presentations is $925 +GST, plus all applicable travel expenses. Please contact Janet for a complete list of her rates.

E-mail contact: [email protected]: 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 illus-trations 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. MahNo Two SnowflakesSolomon’s TreeOne Peace (Fall 2008)

John WilsonLantzville, British Columbia

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, John Wilson grew up on the Isle of Skye and out-side 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 Vancou-ver 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 seven-teen 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 histori-cal background and getting young read-ers energized and wanting to read and find out more about the past.

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


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


Presentation venue: No preference. Presentation style: John prefers to give an informal style of presentation.

Presentation fee: $250 per session.


Kari-Lynn WintersVancouver, 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 hour-long arts-based workshop (using dance, drama, visual art, and music) several age-appropriate reading comprehension and writing compo-sition 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, discov-ering 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 recom-mends author to another school/library resulting in a booking).


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 through-out 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 Depart-ment 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 WishinskyWillowdale, Ontario

Presentation region: Local, regional, and national.



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: [email protected] 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 Inter-national 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 ThroatA Bee in Your EarA Noodle Up Your NoseDimples DelightEach One SpecialJust Call Me JoeQueen of the Toilet Bowl



Age group: Grades 4 and up are preferred.

Presentation venue: School classroom or public library.

Presentation style: Pam’s one-hour presentation is comprised of short readings, tales of her own adventures, humorous anecdotes of how she researches her material, the patience and persistence it takes to achieve success, special encourage-ment to boys, the importantce of re-writing and accepting criticism, tips on writing and getting published, and extreme sports video clips. Visit her website under “talks” to learn more.

Presentation fee: $325 within Vancouver Lower Mainland, $375 within BC outside the Lower Mainland, and $425 else-where, all expenses included.

Contact: c/o her agent, Chris Patrick at [email protected]

Website: www.TakeItToTheExtreme.com

Pam WithersVancouver, British Columbia

Pam Withers is an award-winning speaker and the author of 13 best- selling 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 ClubCamp WildBreathless

orca author/illustrator catalogue 2009

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