Michelle Berry and me at the Random House Canada Student Award in Writing held at the Faculty Club at the University of Toronto.

Lee Gowan and me at the Random House Canada Student Award in Writing at the Faculty Club at the University of Toronto.

On November 21, 2012, Mike and I went to Toronto. We stayed at the Toronto Thompson Hotel and on November 22 we arrived at the Faculty Club at the University of Toronto for the Awards Ceremony for the Random House Canada Student Award for Writing. I was a finalist in this competition and invited to do a reading from the story I had submitted. It was pretty nerve-wracking reading in front of a room full of writing talent like that but I got through it and managed to do some great networking. I got to meet Michelle Berry – an award winning author and my online instructor. She was a great motivator in getting me to submit a story to the competition in the first place. I also got to meet Lee Gowan, who heads the creative writing program at the School of Continuing Studies at the U of T (and is also an award winning author).

The Calico Lady is a strange little story of a lonely woman who sets out to find her heart’s desire and, unfortunately, gets exactly what she asked for.

I got some fantastic news. One of my short stories –The Calico Lady  – was selected as a finalist in a writing competition sponsored by the University of Toronto and Random House Canada Publishing. The ten finalists were invited to Toronto in November to do a reading of their winning entry at the awards celebration.  I was told that I am the first online student to be a finalist in the annual competition. So, I’m off to Toronto on November 22 to attend the celebration and do a short reading from The Calico Lady. I’m really looking forward to meeting Lee Gowan – author and Program Head, Creative Writing at University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies – as well as Michelle Berry – author and my instructor in my creative writing courses I took through the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. I may also get an opportunity to meet Joy Fielding (New York Times and Globe and Mail best-selling author of many thrillers and mysteries) who will be attending the celebration as well as Anne Collins – VP Random House Canada.

This Saturday, September 8, is the International Day of Literacy. I’ll be doing a reading for a group of students and faculty at the Kingstec Campus of the Nova Scotia Community College on Friday, Sept 7, as part of the college’s event to commemorate this great recognition of literacy.