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Seven Things I Didn’t Know About Canadian Wildlife
Some years back, as I was in the middle of writing The Ravenstones series, I discovered the Canadian Wildlife Federation and their monthly journal, Canadian Wildlife. One particular issue I recall provided a great deal of information on the wolverine, detail that had been challenging to obtain elsewhere. Realizing the value in ensuring accurate information… Read more
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Hans Christian Andersen
I’ve long been a fan of Hans Christian Andersen, the creator of some of the world’s most famous and enduring of fairy tales – The Tinder Box, The Princess and the Pea, Thumbelina, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Little Mermaid, The Nightingale, The Ugly Duckling, The Snow Queen, The Red Shoes and The Shepherdess and… Read more
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Who Do I Write For?
Maurice Sendak has been quoted (The Joy of Reading Children’s Literature, Bruce Handy, p. 59) as claiming to write “for no one but himself”. Doris Lessing, on being asked about giving advice to a young writer, has been quoted as saying that: “You should write, first of all to please yourself. You shouldn’t care a… Read more
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Trouble at the Zoo
Back in 2011, October to be exact, I read a story online (originally sourced from the Wall Street Journal) about a private zoo in Zanesville, Ohio where the owner released all the animals and killed himself. Yes, I know, it’s not a nice or humorous story. The tragic result was inevitable, as the story’s headline… Read more
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The Ravenstones
Three glass ornaments (see below) were the original models for the actual magic Ravenstones. Readers will note that – except for the colors – the descriptions of the gemstones in the books match (more or less) these pieces. In my younger days, I collected glasswork (both blown and cast) along with prints and paintings. Ione… Read more
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Narnia
Readers of The Ravenstones will doubtless claim that I owe a great deal to C.S. Lewis and the Narnia series. Rightfully so, and I’d be the first to admit it. I’m a great fan of Lewis, and not just for The Chronicles of Narnia, but also his brilliant, insightful religious works (The Screwtape Letters, The… Read more
