Top 5 Memories from Forest of Reading 2017

Here's a post from a few years ago, to celebrate the Forest of Reading week May 12-14, 2020, which is postponed this year. My book OCULUM was a Silver Birch nominee. I hope this post reminds us all of better days ahead.

Original Post, May 24, 2017:

Well, the OLA Forest of Reading adventure is over for another year. My 6th book, Myles and the Monster Outside, was nominated for the Silver Birch Express award, and WON HONOUR BOOK!

A thousand, thousand thanks to the OLA for  running such a spectacular reading program for tens of thousands of young Ontario readers. Thanks also to the super-hero librarians, teachers and educators who bring Canadian books into Canadian schools and libraries, and to publisher Dundurn Press for letting me tell such a weird little story. SUPER thanks to Shawna Daigle, the wonderful series illustrator.

Thank you to the school who posted this!

Finally, thanks to Ontario school kids, who read so many books, and picked the story of anxious Myles and his monster, as one of their winners!

The Forest of Reading is always a major event in the life of any writer, and here are my top 5 memories from this year:

1. FOREST FRIDAYS. This year, the OLA ran a pilot project, called Forest Fridays, which was entirely online. Each week, one nominated author presented in the Friday lunch time slot, using Adobe Connect, talking to kids across the province, and across the country, in lunchrooms, gyms, libraries and classrooms, for 45 minutes. My Forest Friday was March 24: here's the link to find out more.  We had @ 100 schools and close to 1000 kids listen in.

Best FOREST FRIDAY Question: What would you say to an aspiring writer?
A: Keep writing, write what you're passionate about because your readers will feel that passion and enjoy your story, don't let anyone tell you you can't be a writer.
2020 update, Watch a free Forest Friday (OCULUM) with Philippa Dowding

Myles WINS the London Regional Award!

2. LONDON FESTIVAL OF TREES: Driving to London for the first of the 3 major festivals in early May, I got a ride with the Executive Director of the Forest of Reading and author, Richard Scrimger (Lucky Jonah). We laughed all the way (Richard will do that to you!). That night I had dinner with authors Teresa Toten (Shattered Glass), Helaine Becker (Worms for Breakfast), Kira Vermond (Half-Truths and Brazen Lies), Niki Tate (Deep Roots), Richard Scrimger, Karen Bass (The Hill), and we talked late. The Festival the next day was fantastic, with 1700 kids, and Myles WON the Silver Birch Express London Regional award! Thanks to all for a great day!


Best London Festival of Trees Moment: a young boy came up to me after my presentation, to tell me that Myles and the Monster Outside, "blew him away." When I asked why, he considered very carefully, then said, "It's the care you put into it." Awww. Thanks young man, that's a keeper.

Rock Star Moment on stage with Shawna (L) in Toronto
Photo courtesy Riley Murray

3. TORONTO FESTIVAL OF TREES: If you've ever wanted to feel like a rock-star ... the Festival of Trees in Toronto is just the ticket! This year, I got to share the experience with my awesome illustrator, Shawna Daigle, who rocked the stage wherever we went. We did a signing, a presentation, and the award ceremony together. It was Shawna's first Festival, and it was so fun to share it with her.

Best Toronto Festival of Trees Moment: Standing on stage with Shawna at Harbourfront, and holding up our favourite books: Charlotte's Web and Animalia. I said, "Books unite us, inspire us, and stay with us, our whole lives." Thanks Toronto!!

Second Best Moment: telling Kevin Sands (The Blackthorne Key) about my Star Trek: TNG script from 1987, and apologizing for it being so weird. His response? "We're writers, nothing is weird."

Thanks Maggie Ewert for the pic; Chi-Cheemaun, Toronto

4. SAULT STE. MARIE Festival of Trees:
Part of the excitement of being a nominee for the Forest of Reading, is travelling and talking to kids and librarians in other cities  you've never been to before. This year, I joined the Festival in Sault Ste. Marie. Yep, I'd never visited. It was so fun to fly in over the lake, to talk to the hosts, other authors, and the local librarians at a party the night before.

Me with my sign holder and presenter, in Sault Ste. Marie!

 It was fun to be part of the literary and school community in a fairly remote part of my home province.
And ... Myles won the Algoma Regional Silver Birch Express Award, THANK YOU!

Best Sault Ste. Marie Festival Moment: talking to my sign holder, Matteo, who was SO EXCITED about talking to me, because he loved my book. It's just so inspiring to meet a young reader like him.

At left: What authors do after the Festival of Trees!
L to R: Vikki VanSickle (If I had a Gryphon), Joel Sutherland (Haunted Canada 6), Me, Helaine Becker rocking her pink bag, (Worms for Breakfast), Rob Laidlaw (Elephant Journey), Shane Peacock (The Artist and me)

5. Winning Silver Birch Express Honour Book.
Yes, I can honestly say, that winning Silver Birch Express Honour Book 2017, was one of the thrills of the year. Congrats to all the nominees this year, and to Jess Keating for her Honour book win (Pink is for Blobfish) and to Andree Poulin who won the Silver Birch Express top spot for The Biggest Poutine in the World. We chatted afterward, I congratulated her, and she said (because she is totally cool) ... but we all win right?

View from the stage, Toronto Festival of Trees Ceremony

And that's pretty much the whole idea.

We do all win, the nominees, the libraries, the schools, the publishers and mostly, the kids. Thanks to all for another fantastic Forest of Reading year! Keep reading, everyone.





Forest of Reading Posts from Previous Years:
Red Maple, 2015: The Strange Gift of Gwendolyn Golden
Silver Birch Express, 2014: The Gargoyle at the Gates
Silver Birch Express, 2012: The Gargoyle Overhead
All Forest of Reading Posts

Alex and The Other is one of The Year's Best Books 2018!

Book 4 in the award-winning
Weird Stories Gone Wrong series

"With each chapter Dowding develops tension and a strong sense of Alex’s isolation and despair. Readers will no doubt relate to Alex and root for him as he tries to reclaim his life.  E (Excellent)"--Resource Links, 2018

Love a good evil twin horror story? Resource Links magazine does! They named Alex and The Other a Summer Tween Highlight last summer.

Now they've picked  Alex and The Other as one of
The Year's Best Books 2018. A real honour, thank you!

Here's the whole list: The Year's Best Books 2018

It's a short list of great Canadian authors: Eric Walters, Cary Fagan, Arthur Slade, Rachelle Delaney, Heather Smith, Ken Oppel and yours truly among others. Go take a look and choose your next great middle-grade read!

Here's an author's plea: the next time you're looking for a good book, consider reading Canadian. And if you enjoyed it (or your child did), please review it somewhere online. Your favourite authors will thank you!

Watch the Alex and The Other BOOK TRAILER

More about Alex and The Other on this blog.

More about the Weird Stories Gone Wrong series on this blog.

PRE-ORDER BOOK SIX COMING SEPT. 2019: Quinn and the Quiet, Quiet

CM Magazine Recommends Alex and The Other

"The realities of middle school life combined with a creepy mystery adventure story make Alex and the Other a fun and fast-paced tale that fans of spooky stories will enjoy. RECOMMENDED" 

-- CM Magazine, Feb/2018

This review for my creepy, middle-grade, doppelganger horror story, came out this time last year. Alex and The Other is book 4 in the award-winning Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, and is being showcased at an upcoming Battle of the Books event for schoolkids in Ontario (April, 2019).

Still a great review!

Here's the complete review: 
Alex and The Other

Resource Links Review (E for Excellent, and Kid Summer Read List Selection)
More Reviews on Goodreads
Here's the Booktrailer with illustrations by series illustrator Shawna Daigle
ORDER Alex and The Other on Amazon

All Posts about Alex and The Other and Weird Stories Gone Wrong on this blog.

Kids draw Blackwells and the Briny Deep!

Terrifying Cover art!

Just a quick blog post to highlight some of the terrific mermaid and briny-type drawings I received from kids this week. 

Inspired by Blackwells and the Briny Deep, some of the drawings are from a contest held at Bloor-Gladstone library last week and some were sent to me from a kind librarian whose students are reading the book.

I LOVE seeing children interpret my books, and draw inspiration from the wonderful, creepy art by series illustrator, Shawna Daigle.

Thanks for all the hard work everyone!

Terrifying mermaid with TOO MANY eyes...

Scariest Mermaid EVER

Emma, Jonah and William Blackwell on board Peregrine ...

Ceolacanth and mermaid?

More about Blackwells and the Briny Deep on this BLOG.

Win free books with a 49th Shelf Giveaway and Colouring Contest!

Just back from a week in Paris (!) and I've got a few exciting free book contests for you.

First up, you could WIN a FREE COPY of OCULUM on the 49th Shelf Giveaway. Contest ends October 28th/2018.
One of 5 copies to be won, all you have to do is enter.

Enter to win OCULUM here: 49th Shelf Giveaway

Second, your child can win a copy of Blackwells and the Briny Deep in the Bloor-Gladstone Colouring Contest. Contest ends October 27th/2018. I'll be selecting the winners and doing a reading from the book that day at the library.

More info and how to enter the Blackwells and the Briny Deep Colouring Contest. 

Note: your child can pick up a colouring contest form at the branch any time between now and October 27th, or join us at the branch before 1:30 that day. Or just drop by to join in the library halloween festivities.

Hope you enter and win some books!

More about OCULUM on this Blog.
More about Blackwells and the Briny Deep on this Blog.

And also, a picture of me in Paris this week:

The author, October 2018

Blackwells and the Briny Deep is up for review on NetGalley!

COMING September 2018 from Dundurn Press

It's been a busy year with three books out! 

I'm so excited to share book #5 in the award-winning Weird Stories Gone Wrong Series with you! Introducing Blackwells and the Briny Deep.

And another fantastic cover by series illustrator, Shawna Daigle.

The book comes out next September, 2018, but you can request an e-ARC for review now at NetGalley.

More about Blackwells and the Briny Deep soon but for now ... hope you like screaming mermaids, zombie pirates and enchanted islands with strange creatures wandering around...

Request to Review on NetGalley

Alex and The Other and some serious crayons ...

My new book in the Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, Alex and The Other, had a day out on Saturday at Indigo Yonge and Eglinton (Toronto). Thanks for having me!

I handed out bookmarks, talked to people, sold a lot of books. Kids enjoyed the colouring sheets that I made using illustrations from the book, thanks to the talents of series illustrator Shawna Daigle.

There was some serious colouring going on!

It's always interesting for an author to sell books at a busy bookstore. I had an old friend pop in, totally unexpectedly. A teacher who has been a huge supporter was there too, just passing through, someone who I always bump into in bookstores. We laughed. I met a filmmaker who then friended me on Facebook. Our one mutual FB friend is also the only other person I've ever friended after meeting them in a bookstore, which is weird. Maybe it's a film industry thing?

I met lots of sweet kids. 

And I had a signing first: a young woman had been sitting reading near the book table. When I was alone, she came up to me and said "I heard you talking about a gargoyle book for kids set in Toronto and I just wanted to tell you that you were my favourite author when I was kid." (FYI, my first series was called The Lost Gargoyle series.)

I was really touched ... and also a little shocked to realize that the first readers of my books are now old enough to say things like "when I was a kid." But I guess I HAVE been doing this for 9 years now. She might have been 11 or 12 maybe when she first read my books. I told her that she was the first person to say that to me, and she said, "I never would have expected to meet you. Your books meant a lot to me." I told her that I think I should write some more gargoyle books!

It was a very sweet moment for both of us.

I enjoy bookstore events like this, but I had a good teacher. I grew up next to a lovely lady who was also a gifted potter. When I was about 12, she hired me on weekends to help her sell her pottery at art shows all over southern Ontario. I loved it. And I also learned the fine art of direct sales to the public. How to be pleasant, chatty but not too chatty, excited about your product but not annoying, how to display your wares, how to make people feel comfortable purchasing without pressure, the delivery of the straightforward spiel ... most importantly how to take "no thanks" for an answer.

She taught me well! I think she'd be proud that all those mugs and vases and beautiful plates that I sold at her side as a child, helped me as an author later in life. Thanks Dorothy!

Alex and The Other Booktrailer
Reviews on Goodreads
More about Alex and The Other on This Blog

Kids predict what happens in Alex and The Other!

Last week I got this great letter in the mail:

"Dear Philippa!

A grade 4/5 class in my school has been completely taken over by “Alex and The Other” in your latest installment of the series Weird Stories Gone Wrong!

I showed them the cover and read them “This part is mostly true” and “Chapter 1” and stopped … many groans erupted so I threw them a challenge: to predict with from the cover or from what they heard, what this “Weird Story” could be about.

Enclosed are their eager responses. The Teacher was amazed at their enthusiasm ... I am tickled they are this anxious to write their thoughts to you!

Thank you for taking time to read them!"

Thank you to the wonderful teacher-librarian for sharing this, and thanks to the kids for sending their thoughts! I absolutely loved reading their responses. Some of them got pretty close to what happens next, like this one ...

"I’m wondering if the two figures in the background have to do something with the fog. The cat has green eyes, maybe because it might have looked at the two figure’s eyes."

This student has the right idea too: "I think the guy in the mirror is Alex because it winked at him."

And this student: "I think when he looks in the mirror that’s gonna be his double-ganger (sic)!"

Here are some more wildly inventive possibilities:

The Optimist: "I think that Alex is going to go to school but everyone is going to like him because the Alex in the mirror is going to go at night and make everyone be his friend."

The Pessimist: "My guess is that he will get sucked into the mirror because the mirror is doing weird things."

The Realist: "I think that Alex lives in the house because why else will she add that in the story? I also think that the two figures have something to do with the mirror."

Predicting is fun! They're going to be pretty surprised when they read a little further ...

Alex and The Other is NOW AVAILABLE
CM Magazine Review  
Goodreads Reviews
Recently Read Teacher-Librarian REVIEW
Well Worth A Read REVIEW
Geekreads Kids REVIEW
See the BOOK TRAILER 
More About ALEX AND THE OTHER on this BLOG

Alex and The Other BOOK TRAILER and ARC letter!

Beware The Other! My next book in the Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, Alex and The Other, is in the house! The Advance Reader Copies are now at the publisher, Dundurn Press, about to be mailed out to reviewers and bloggers soon. Stay tuned!

Here's the letter that accompanies the ARC:

"Dear Middle-Grade Reviewer,

As a child, I went through a phase of being utterly convinced that I had an identical twin — I just hadn’t met her yet. Do we all imagine that there is an exact copy of us out there, somewhere, I wonder?

I’m delighted to present my fourth book, Alex and The Other, in the award-winning Weird Stories Gone Wrong Series for middle-grade readers. Each story explores a different horror sub-genre, for kids ages 8-12, including a tall tale (Jake and the Giant Hand, 2014), a psychological road-trip thriller (Myles and the Monster Outside, 2015, Winner of the OLA Silver Birch Express Honor Book award), and a time-travel/historical fantasy (Carter and the Curious Maze, 2016).

The latest addition, Alex and The Other, is a doppelgänger story about a lonely boy who has to stand up to an evil twin trying to take over his life. Alex must decide who he is, what matters most to him and, … who is the real Alex, anyway?

All alone, his family, his town, and his beloved cat seemingly tricked forever by the evil twin, Alex finally has to ask for help from a weird pair of pig-like strangers in trench coats and dark sunglasses, who might not be entirely what they seem …

Please enjoy this psychological, evil-twin/alien story, combined with seven creepy illustrations from Shawna Daigle. I hope it reminds young readers that many struggles go unseen, and sometimes you have to ask for help, and keep asking even though it’s scary, until someone hears.

Philippa Dowding"

Check out the wonderful new Book Trailer, featuring fabulous illustrations by Shawna Daigle.
Pre-Order Alex and The Other Now.

It's A Diamond Willow Nomination for Myles and the Monster Outside!

I'm so honoured that Myles and the Monster Outside, my 6th book, has been named a Diamond Willow Nominee, for 2017/2018! 

Thank you to the Willow Awards and the Saskatchewan Young Reader's Choice nominating committee! 

Here's the Press Release from my publisher, Dundurn Press.

It's a wonderful award, young readers in Saskatchewan get to read the nominated titles--10 in all--from a curated list, and then vote on their favourite next May, 2018.

Here's the full list of Willow Award nominees this year, congratulations to all: Willow Awards 2017

This is the third nomination for Myles, including a Hackamatck Award and Silver Birch Express Award nomination. I'm just delighted, and very honoured. Thanks to all, for reading and enjoying this weird story!

I see you, Myles ...

Here's the Book trailer, featuring illustrations from the book by Shawna Daigle
More about Myles and the Monster Outside on this blog.

Creepy candy apples, terrifying twirly birds, haunted houses...

Check out the awesome shading and haunted house details

... kids draw a fantastically creepy day at the fair for the Carter and the Curious Maze contest!

Last month, I had a reading and held a contest to win 1 of 5 copies of my new book at the Bloor/Gladstone Library. It was so fun. Congratulations to the 5 winners (drawn at random), thanks to the library staff for running the contest, thanks to my publisher, Dundurn Press, for donating the copies, and finally, thanks to all the kids who entered their wonderful drawings.

Enjoy the creepy!

This one I call "The Abandoned"...

Would you eat these?

Here's more info about Carter and the Curious Maze:

CM Magazine Review (4/4 Stars)

Terrifying unicorns ...

Goodreads Reviews
Book Trailer, Illustrations by Shawna Daigle

What is it like to draw a monster made of fog ...

... or a giant's hand ... or a creepy, time-travel maze?

This week on the blog, I'm delighted to highlight the terrific work of the illustrator of my latest series, Shawna Daigle.

"I've always loved drawing creepy." Shawna Daigle interview, Aug/2016

Shawna created the fabulous covers and all the inside illustrations for the three books in the Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, that's 22 illustrations in total, and each one is a work of art. She drew giant flies for Jake and the Giant Hand, a monster made of fog for Myles and the Monster Outside, and three different time periods, including a little-known French trading fort, in 1750 for Carter and the Curious Maze.

I can't possibly pick a favourite, but I do love the illustration of Carter travelling back in time to the CNE (a large Canadian summer fair), in 1903, at left.

I was so lucky to be able to work with Shawna. It was so fun to collaborate, to pick the highlights of each story, and so hard to wait to see what she came up with. As an author, it's really interesting to see how someone else interprets your description of a scene or a character. I guess picture book authors get to experience that, but it's a new thing for me, and so much fun. She nailed it, every time. Thank you, Shawna!

Creepy Leaf Girl, Carter and the Curious Maze

Tumble chicken, Myles and the Monster Outside

Here is her interview with our publisher, Dundurn Press, on their blog this week: Creating Carter: A Q&A with Illustrator Shawna Daigle. Now I finally know which book of the three is her favourite (it's mine, too). We're a perfect match!

Check out the following book trailers that highlight more of Shawna's amazing work:

Carter and the Curious Maze Book Trailer
Myles and the Monster Outside  Book Trailer
Jake and the Giant Hand Book Trailer

A delicious spine-chilling treat for middle grade readers

"Myles and the Monster Outside is the second book in the Weird Stories Gone Wrong series by Philippa Dowding. The eerie, time-bending trip along a strange road in the middle of the night pushes the horror-story buttons...
In classic ghost story tradition, an exquisite tension builds. This book is a delicious, spine-chilling treat for middle grade readers. Every scary page makes it imperative to keep reading..."

Recommended, BookNews, Spring 2016

What a fabulous review for Myles and the Monster Outside, from CCBC BookNews, thank you! I couldn't  be more pleased. The reviewer, the wonderful writer Charis Cotter (The Swallow), really made my day. A few weeks ago, the book was nominated for a Hackmatack Award, and now this! Here are some more reviews, thanks all:

Canadian Teacher Magazine (11-year old reviewer), Jan/Feb 2016
ALA Booklist, Oct 2015
Kirkus Reviews, July 2015
Goodreads

Here's the spooky Book Trailer with illustrations from Shawna Daigle, enjoy!

You can review Carter and the Curious Maze now!

Forthcoming Aug 2016

Do You DARE to Enter the Curious Maze?
(Not everyone comes out!)

Reviewers, librarians and friends, Carter and the Curious Maze, book 3 in the award-nominated Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, is now available on NetGalley!

Read & Review on NetGalley Now

Here's what folks are saying about the series on Goodreads.

The series has recently been nominated for a Hackmatack Children's Reader's Choice Award, 2017, thank you! Here are a few more links about the earlier books in the series:

Hackmatack Nomination for Myles and the Monster Outside
Review in Canadian Teacher Magazine
Review in American Library Association Booklist
Kirkus Reviews compared the series to Goosebumps!

Watch the Book Trailer

Stay tuned for book launch information, coming this summer!!

Writing horror for kids: love your monster

AVAILABLE NOW: 2 books, just $9.99

The #1 rule I've learned about writing horror stories for kids? Love your monster.

Today is the launch date for my new 2-book bundle of Weird Stories Gone Wrong: Jake and the Giant Hand (2014) and Myles and the Monster Outside (2015). It's a good deal, 2 books for 1 special launch price.
Check it out here.

It's been interesting to try my hand at middle-grade, quick-read horror, and the younger end of middle-grade at that. There are challenges for sure: what's too spooky, what's not spooky enough, how do you keep a younger reader engaged without giving them nightmares?

One way to keep the scare factor in the right ballpark is to hire a talented illustrator who understands the market. Shawna Daigle did the covers and illustrations for both books (and a third book coming in 2016, Carter and the Curious Maze) and nailed the tone for kids 8-12.

Another way to keep the right tone is to love your monster.

Myles & his monster, by Shawna Daigle

A few months after I finished graduate school, my brother-in-law took me to Robert McKee's fantastic, all-weekend scriptwriting course. I highly recommend it. I learned about story arc, character definition, subplotting, humour, horror, and a lot more. There were no MFAs in creative writing in those days, so I'd never actually heard a lecture on HOW to write. It was 36-hours well spent (and at $400 each, far too expensive for me to afford at the time, it was a graduation gift). I learned a lot that weekend, but the one thing that has really stuck out over the years was McKee's discussion of how to love your monster.


It means this: give your monster an eccentricity or recognizable human trait that readers/viewers can relate to. A slight humanity makes your monster more terrifying. Mr. McKee used the example of Peter Boyle as the monster in the movie Young Frankenstein. When he's dressed in top hat and tails, ready to dance with his master (Gene Wilder) on stage at Carnegie Hall, he tips his hat to himself in the mirror just before they go on.

There you have it, monster love. It makes the monster both human and horrifying (because he's not human). We see ourselves in the monster for a second and what could be scarier than that?

I have two monsters. The first in Jake and the Giant Hand, is never seen. He's a missing giant if you will, all we have left of him is the mysterious legend of his long-buried hand. But there's a secret about him you discover (and I can't reveal here!), which makes him very, very human.

The second monster in Myles and the Monster Outside, is a man of fog and mist, following along outside Myles's car as he and his family move to a new home. Myles is only one who can see him ... and once the monster starts to whisper Myles's name, he's the only one who can hear him, too. Is the monster real, imagined, a symbol of Myles's fears made manifest? Or just an annoying echo of the storm outside the car? It was a lot of fun to imagine the monster whispering to Myles whenever Myles was most vulnerable ... and to change his message each time, just enough to eventually become annoying. Kind of like a little brother whispering at the door...

He-he. It's been fun! Monsters are pretty lovable, I've discovered. Who knew?

Read Goodreads review of the series. Read Kirkus Reviews
New author Q&A about writing horror for kids on the Dundurn Blog
Book Trailer for Myles and the Monster Outside
Buy the 2-book bundle now

Happy Book Birthday to Myles and the Monster Outside!

Ages 8-12, IN STORES NOW!

Happy Book Birthday to my newest title, Myles and the Monster Outside, which officially launches today!

Book 2 in the Weird Stories Gone Wrong series (following Jake and the Giant Hand, 2014) this is a paranormal, road-trip thriller about Myles, an anxious 12-year-old boy on a long car trip to his new home with his travel-weary family. On their final night in the car, Myles starts to see, then hear, something following them out in the night.

A monster? A ghost? His fears made manifest?

Read Myles and the Monster Outside to find out!

Available in bookstores now
Read my Q&A about the book, writing horror for kids and more on my publisher's blog.
Kirkus Review: "a carefully written Goosebumps from north of the border ... a gentle but still shivery spook tale."
Goodreads Reviews
Book trailer featuring 6 spooky illustrations by Shawna Daigle and music by the author

On writing horror for kids

Two-book bundle now available

My new book, Myles and the Monster Outside, is coming out this week. I answered a Q&A about the book on Dundurn's blog. We talked about monsters, writing for kids, and more. Here's a taste:

"What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Horror for kids takes a deft touch. What’s too tame, what’s too spooky, how do you strike the right balance between scary and believable, plus provide a satisfying ending that’s not just a Scooby-doo reveal (not that there’s anything wrong with Scooby-doo)? 

Because Myles and the Monster Outside is a psychological, road-trip thriller (which may be a first for a children’s book), much of the spookiness comes from the late night, and the blurred line between what’s real and what’s imagined. I had to keep the tension high inside the car, too – a tall order!"

We talked about audience, readership and more. 
Click here for entire Q&A.

Here are some reviews of Myles and the Monster Outside:  Kirkus Reviews  Goodreads

And hey, the book is the Dundurn FB title page this week!

Myles and the Monster Outside is now available on Amazon.

Check out the fantastic Myles and the Monster Outside Book trailer (that's me playing an original composition on guitar, btw) with all 6 spooky illustrations from Shawna Daigle (who also did the amazing covers).