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I get a lot of questions about the publishing industry, from “How do I submit?” and “Do I need to draw my own pictures?” to “Do I need an agent?” and “Is my book good enough?” And it’s for good reason—unless you’re IN it, the publishing industry can be incredibly opaque. That’s why, when the Writers Union of Canada (TWUC) sent out a call for expressions of interest, I jumped on the opportunity—I want to help more stories, a wider variety of stories, make their way into the w

As authors, the success of our books often depends on things like Amazon reviews, and whether or not Heather at Indigo gave them her seal of approval. But many don't realize that indie bookstores are the lifeblood of our industry. They handpick the special books that the hype machine missed, and they handsell them to their customers with love. To celebrate that, the Ellis On Guard preorder campaign focuses on three independent Canadian bookstores: Woozles Bookstore in Halifax

Plans are coming together for the Halifax launch of Ellis on Guard , and I'm so excited to share that it will be on February 19, 2026, at Woozles Children's Bookstore in Halifax. I have a longstanding fondness for Woozles, starting in elementary school. We had a trivia contest via the announcements, and one of the questions was "Who illustrated Thomas's Snowsuit ?" It turns out spelling counted, and no one knew how to spell Michael Martchenko — but my mom's a librarian, so I

We're just a couple of weeks away from the release of my newest picture book, Ellis on Guard, and little by little, our nervous pet parent and their canine companion are starting to get some media attention! 2026 Spring Preview: Books for Young People – Picture Books ( Quill & Quire ) Upcoming Releases for Winter and Spring 2026 (CanLit for Little Canadians) Publishing in Canada 2025 (Publishers Weekly)