The Importance of Early Literacy
I began writing stories for all the right reasons, more than 20 years ago.Having been an avid reader for as long as I could remember, I was rather upset that my eldest daughter, then age nine, chose not to read. She could read, and she could read well – she just didn’t want to. I didn’t understand that logic, and so like any good mother would do, I set out to guilt her into reading; child abuse at its finest. I decided to write a story about magic and mermaids, two of her favourite subjects, and this story would without a doubt, change her life forever. My evil plan worked, and I...
Read MoreAlong the Way
My recently released a 12-volume series of children’s books introduces young readers to each of the Canadian provinces and territories. Entitled “Along the Way”, the series features a young dinosaur named Albert, who takes his readers on make-believe road trips to points of interest around the country, where they learn amazing geographical and historical facts and are introduced to different cultures, cuisine, horticulture, science and more. The series is dedicated to encouraging children aged 6-12 to broaden their horizons; be all they can be – all the while sharpening their...
Read MoreSO… THAT SKILL IS AN ASSET?
I worked on a fishboat for a few years, which was heavy gruelling work One of the jobs I had – yes, there were multiple – was cooking meals in the galley. I prepped meals, watched the sounder for the inevitable shallow spots, and steered, the floor pitching wildly underneath. I careened from one spot to the other. The spaghetti I made for lunch one day, was topped with Parmesan cheese, the smell of which promptly drove me outside, to lean gasping over the rail. Under normal circumstances I do not get seasick. This ‘moving feast’ no longer qualified as normal. My ignorance made...
Read MoreThe shy one
I was born in Nova Scotia. My father was in the Navy and we were moved back to Victoria in 1961. In August of 1962 my family was in a very serious car accident, which changed our lives forever. My parents were told if I lived, I wouldn’t be able to do anything. My father said. I was a fighter. As life went on I worked through bullying, and I worked through discrimination. When I was 29 years old, my son was born. When he started school, he encourage me to volunteer at his school. Then he encouraged me to try to get a job at his school. He also encouraged me to write down stories...
Read MoreMay we all walk in light and peace
My first look at Vancouver Island in Victoria BC was in 1970. I was blown away by the view on Dallas Rd and wanted to live here as soon as I saw it. The houses were so cute and cozy. I tried living in Vancouver for a few months but it was too rainy and big so we moved to Victoria. BC. We immigrated to Canada running away from the Vietnam War. I finally felt at home after living in Sweden for a few cold years. I am an artist through and through and would like to share my book with you called Journey of a Mystic Artist. It is a colorful, mystical adventure where I go to sacred shrines and...
Read MoreGREEN IS DEFINITELY MY COLOUR
At the time I met my husband, Bill, he’d been a commercial fisherman on both east and west coasts of Canada for the majority of his working career. As a young man, he’d gone around the world on a research vessel owned by Columbia University, as a chief oiler, which gave him his taste for sea life. After that He’d worked as a longliner, dragger, and lobsterman. By the time we finally met, he was a BC commercial fisherman with his own troller, catching salmon off the north west coast of British Columbia. We decided I would work as his deckhand. Both of us had gone through divorces,...
Read MoreI am delighted to introduce Teresa Schapansky, an accomplished published author.
Teresa will be posting regular articles and excerpts from her books. Thank you Teresa for joining us at Island Woman Magazine, Trish Summerhayes. Publisher, Island Woman Magazine ************************************* In June of 2016, I received a message from a cherished high school friend. Polite folk that we are, he and I exchanged our usual pleasantries before he got down to business. His dad had been hoping to have his story written for quite some time, and he asked if I might be interested in taking on a project such as this. Would I ever. Since then, I have met with Jamal 45...
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