Having a fun Summer

During the last month I have been very busy with my other career as ESL teacher. During the summer months we have a program for children and as I'm a children's book author, the director of the school thought it would be a great idea for me to work with our kids in the ESL summer camp.
He was right, I'm having a great time. Oh, and so are the children!

My students have gone to a cooking school, they've gone hiking, watched movies, created a few art masterpieces. They are scheduled to do a few more very fun activities before they leave at the end of August. They have also learnt some basic English, such as Simple Present, Simple Past and Present Progressive and they are practicing everyday.

In the afternoons I take some of our older students around to see the sights of Toronto and other areas well worth seeing.
We've gone to Niagara Falls,Niagara -on- the -Lake, saw a winery and got soaked on the Maid of the Mist. We saw The Distillery district, the CN Tower, went to a Baseball game to see the Blue Jays( sadly they lost that game). We've gone shopping, bowling, toured the University of Toronto, went to a movie and saw the St. Lawrence Market. We also had a fun day at Canada's Wonderland.

The fun part is that I get to play tourist or better yet tour guide in my own city. Toronto is a great place to visit............. even now when we have a garbage strike where well paid city workers throw a temper tantrum, which we are the brunt of. I strongly feel that all the BIAs ( Business Improvement Areas) should work with the locals of that area and hire private garbage pick ups that listen to us, their employers. Then the city workers can strike to their hearts delight............we don't need them anymore!

On a lighter note, I have another 2-3 weeks of playing tour guide . Then, I get the chance to work on the publication of Freddy. I hope to introduce him and his friends soon.

Expansion into Quebec

As a Christmas gift, I gave my French mother-in-law, who lives in Quebec, my book. Even though English is her Second Language, she took the time to read "A Winter Solstice Celebration". When she came to visit us this week, she told us, that she laughed at the funny antics of the animals and she smiled to see how Miya helped the animals. She really enjoyed the story.

Now my book is doing the rounds through the rest of the Quebec part of my family, young and old.
This of course has set the stage to go forward to translate into french for all of the Quebecois to enjoy "A Winter Solstice Celebration"

Happy New Year- May all your dreams and wishes come true!

Hello Everyone!
Happy New Year!

I hope you have a great year.

Remember: 2009 will be fine!

For 2009 I have been working on a Marketing strategy for my book
"A Winter Solstice Celebration"

Staying focused and planning one or two main activities and go after them is the best way to get things done.

My two are:

1)
Getting approved by the TDSB so that I can promote my book and the values the children learn at the schools in Toronto.

2)
Get a list of all the independent book stores in the GTA area and then expand to southern Ontario to get them to carry -sell- my book.

I hope there that I'll be successful with them.


I wish everyone a very prosperous and happy year.
May all your dreams and wishes come true.