Canadian author of magical middle grade books. Probably in the garden. CHALICE OF CALADRIAI 2025-11-04 shop.nptwrites.com/ | books2read.com/NPTwrites | nptwrites.com/links
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C'mon, really? If we don't do something about climate change, large parts of this planet will become literally uninhabitable within our lifetimes, and we're already crossing some critical tipping points. Crops are already failing and freshwater is already disappearing. Seems kinda important to me.
That too. This whole situation just sucks & the fact that none of our governments are doing anything to stop it is infuriating. As a Canadian, that's especially annoying. We live in the shadow of the behemoth next door & if we want to have a cultural sector of our own we need to protect it.
THIS.
OMG!!! 😍 Why are baby turtles so stinkin' *adorable*!
Email and call your MP. Give them hell and make sure they know how angry you are. I emailed the same night the story broke.
Also, I'm Canadian. Why would I file for US Copyright?
Copyright is payment for a number linked to a title (and titles cannot themselves be copyright... anyone can write a book that has the same title as someone else's). How the hell does that prove you wrote the book that title refers to? It just seems very unfair.
Never going to not be angry about that. I have every draft version of every book I've ever written, filled with hand written edits and rewrites filed away in boxes. Dated computer files with version histories. My books are registered with ISBN Canada and copies are archived with Legal Deposit here.
And if you don't know what Project 2025 is, it's the blueprint Trump & GOP have been using to destroy America. If Carney wanted a better understanding of that, it's available online. He could have just read it himself. He did not need to invite the guy who wrote it over for tea & crumpets. 😑
He invited the fascist mastermind behind Project 2025 to come and workshop with cabinet. Because, according to Champagne, they wanted to get "different perspectives".
And what makes you think that wasn't exactly what he was doing? He's ignoring climate change, essentially ended WAGE, going all-in on AI despite the enormous damage it's doing to climate, & multiple industries, & implementing an austerity budget that will put tens of thousands of people out of work.
So, basically, most indies get shafted.
Same here!
My early thoughts on the Anthropic settlement: a) good, fucking pay us b) no, that’s not enough c) shouldn’t have stolen our shit to train your stupid mediocre plagiarism artbarf robot in the first place, you fuckers d) this isn’t something to celebrate; it is a Pyrrhic victory at best
Mark Carney does not need to to invite a fascist who doesn't believe women should work and who thinks contraception is evil to come and speak to "understand him better."
Not just in Montreal. Rents in my area are astronomical.
$3K USD for each of the 2 books of mine that I know were stolen (don't know if any were in the second database since it's behind a paywall so I can't check 😑) would pay for my son's jaw surgery that isn't covered. Sigh.
I also wish indies and non-Americans were also going to get some sort of compensation for having our work stolen, too.
Something is squeaking and I can't figure out where it's coming from and it is really NOT helping my multi-day headache. 😫
Are you serious? Is there a link to a news article where this is mentioned? I haven't seen it in any of the ones I've read. If true, this makes me even angrier! 😡
People in education predict we will see major universities going bankrupt in the near future, at a time where the opportunity to take advantage of an American brain drain has never been greater
When Carney was elected it was clear so many areas that required major investment, in the name of national protection and nation building: military, housing (public housing specifically), tariff supports, infrastructure (towards econonmic diversification), health care, but hugely, *education*
*sweats in "I refer to the same watery area as a bog and a swamp in the upcoming book" 😰*
I am REALLY getting tired of the "never criticize the Liberals, ever, or you're an un-Canadian MAGA wannabe" faction. And I say this as someone who did vote for Carney in a desperate effort to keep PP from becoming PM. 😑
And I think austerity budgets will only hurt the people of this country and that trickle down economics only ever benefits the already wealthy. I also think inviting the extremist architect of Project 2025 to talk to cabinet shows, at best, a spectacularly poor lack of judgement. ymmv. 🤷♀️
That took some doing. Couldn't figure out how to get the thumbs to show up on top. 😂 #ReadCanadian #ElbooksUp
I’m quoted in today’s issue of Forbes.
Add your own books! #ReadCanadian
This. Seriously, people. "At least he's better than PP" is a pathetically low bar and we should be holding Carney to a much higher standard than we are currently doing. At the very least we should want better for ourselves and our kids and this country in general than "not as bad as the CPC". 😑
Psst... pre-launch bundle sale is now available on Itch, too! Get all three books at 40% off each or pick up the bundle and be all caught up when book 4 comes out in November. :) 📚📦 #ReaderSky #BookSky itch.io/s/159675/pre...
I think not having to worry about money all the time would be great for my writing. Initially, I think there would be less writing though. 2 or 3 months of not doing anything with any pressure, just to decompress and focus on my health, and maybe get some actual sleep. And then get back to writing.
So much for hoping the NDP would get their shit together and give us a real alternative to the Liberals. 😑 C'mon, NDP. Give me a Canadian Mamdani. Pick someone who actually cares about this country and the people who live here. Give me bold ideas and a plan for a better tomorrow.
Omg... this is so cute and I want to get it for someone I know! Thanks for posting. :)
Leaf! :)
Please look at those percentages, Canada. If our schoolchildren can have vaccinations for measles as low as 10-24% that tells us the non- medical vaccine exemptions are being abused. We must close these loopholes that endanger our children and society at large. This is 🥜 #Canada #measles
Good read. Many excellent points raised. And this bit, in particular, is one the Carney sycophants seem to be wilfully ignoring.
Everything is trash and it's hard not to feel like we've already lost. Buy books about defeating authoritarians and give yourself hope. (Also, these ones have magic. And enchanted crows.) shop.nptwrites.com books2read.com/nptwrites/
Thread.
What I want is for every reporter who has access to any Liberal MP to ask this question. And I want them to point blank ask if it is PM Carney's intention to create a Canadian version of Project 2025. Every time. Over and over again until they get an answer.
Any teachers or librarians in need of "emotional support ghosts"??? (I totally need an emotional support ghost.)
How do I submit my upcoming book to this list? 🤔😂
ALSO THIS.
THIS.
Here is the exciting thing!! Oliver reads the first little bit of my novella, The Barbarian at Dream's End aloud! He did an absolutely fabulous job.
Rents in Canada remain unaffordable for low-to-moderate income households, costing in some cities more than what two people, making minimum wage, can earn together. New report by @marclee.bsky.social + @davidmaccdn.bsky.social breaks down the issue. #canlab
I have just now received an email informing me that CRA is automatically, without my permission, changing my contact preferences to online mail. 😑
In response to questions about the mind-boggling decision of this government to invite the notorious architect of Project 2025 to speak to cabinet today, Champagne said this. Also, sounds like this budget is *really* going to hurt. www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...
Oh, those were good ones. When I think "one hit wonders", the first ones that usually pop into my head are Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy" and Joan Osborne's "What if God Was One of Us?" (Of course, that last one might be in head b/c I've been rewatching Lucifer eps of late and it was featured. 😅)
Best one-hit-music-wonder from your youth?
Disturbing article. Dragging America back to the 50s.
COVID outbreak risk remains in #ONhealth hospitals without layers of protection. Universal masking in ALL areas of #Ontario hospitals is essential for safe healthcare access. Let regional decision-makers know this is a priority. @safecare.initiative.works Take action: safecare.initiative.works
The fact that this guy was going to address Cabinet at a moment when govt of Canada is poised to axe a whole bunch of civil service jobs, is a really, really bad look.
Everything is trash and it's hard not to feel like we've already lost. Buy books about defeating authoritarians and give yourself hope. (Also, these ones have magic. And enchanted crows.) shop.nptwrites.com books2read.com/nptwrites/
Apparently he just cancelled, but they're still planning to work with him. 😑 bsky.app/profile/jour...
This is really, really bad. Do you really need to rub elbows with Nazis to know thy enemy? Do people not see that these are fascist grifters who created an authoritarian hellhole and are now selling how-to advice to the opposition? Nothing about this is defensible.
Project 2025 is available online. If they wanted to know what's in it, they could have just read it -- they did not need to invite this monster into the country for a workshop session. 😑
So PM @mark-carney.bsky.social thought it would be a good idea to invite a leading American Christo-Fascist activist & Project 2025 architect of the current regime for a chat with cabinet. You know, to hear his perspective. Maybe pick up some tips? Are you fucking joking? www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
I can't decide which is worse: either our government doesn't understand that these guys are Nazis, or they think it's a good idea to invite Nazis to their cabinet retreat.
Jesus fucking Christ.
Some things really do require swearing. Apologies if it offended you, though I stand by what I said.
What the HELL is Carney thinking inviting the Project 2025 mastermind into this country at all, LET ALONE inviting him to talk to cabinet? This is unacceptable. And it should fucking terrify every thinking person in this country. We CANNOT go the route of the US.
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!?! 🤬 Istg if even ONE person pulls a "relax, he's playing 3D chess" after this.
reminding again hoo boy could i use a few crumbs of freelance
I should do this, too. Sigh.
Oh, I'm so glad he's back! I was worried. (Also, he looks exceedingly unrepentant. 😂)
I am so tired of being lied to by people who get to make major decisions that affect all our lives. I am so tired of outdated economic theories being the driving force behind everything, at the expense of everything. We're going to burn the planet because the GDP isn't increasing fast enough, ffs.
oh, geez, AQI of 180? I stay in over 60. if you're out without a mask, you're a fool. lung problems materialize YEARS later. don't fuck around. all the chemicals I breathed in back in college photo labs, etc, have wreaked havoc years later. wear a mask.
Doug Ford has paid lawyers 1,672 taxpayer-funded hours to keep his political agenda secret, while quietly cutting $6.3 billion from education. Is this someone we should trust to do what's right for our kids? Tell Doug Ford to keep his hands off our schools: ontariondp.ca/hands-off-ou...
Really enjoyed this one -- just read it recently!
So many people are going to suffer. I voted for an alleged Liberal. I got a Conservative cosplaying as one.
i hope this email never finds you. i hope you are free
Well, I’ve a had an epically shitty morning. If you’d like to help improve my day, please read “Through the Machine.” If you’d like to go above and beyond, share it or upvote it on the Nebula list (if you have access to that). Thanks in advance.
Actually using the word "austerity" himself now, I see. This kind of math is beyond me, but if our population is over 31% more than it was in 2014, then what would a corresponding budget spend pegged to *number of people* look like, taking inflation into account? www.reuters.com/world/americ...
Oh, cool! I have never actually seen a hollow in a tree before!
People need to stop equating "endemic" w/ "mostly harmless". Endemic just means it's very common in a particular area. Does not mean it's okay to ignore it or pretend it's harmless. There are places in the world polio *is* still endemic. Doesn't mean it's not ruining lives there. (See also: COVID.)
I will just say it again for those in the back: Ai is a knowledge killer and an epistemic suicide machine, it is a digital cage meant to silo human creativity and learning. A digital back hole that destroys your cognitive development and ultimately our collective humanity. Generative ai is a threat
Make Polio Endemic Again. 😑
I'm also getting accused of being "MAHA" because I call out the fuckery of PH orgs and IC people who, btw, are currently fighting against a proposal for new PPE standards in healthcare settings that would protect everyone, including healthcare workers. So, yeah, I'm ANGRY. 😡
But YOU are so angry about the fact you had to spend all day with your own kids for a couple of months five years ago that you think we should just be willing to die so you never have to think about that horrible infringement on your "rights" ever again.
Yes, you bet I'm angry! I'm angry b/c these COVID-minimizing takes put people who are even more clinically vulnerable than me at risk. You people can't even be bothered to PUT A DAMNED MASK ON IN A HEALTHCARE SETTING, FFS. Places vulnerable people *have to go*.
What we need are better vaccines that actually prevent infection, rather than just keeping people from dying (which, don't get me wrong, is still a good thing). But this bizarre insistence on ignoring COVID is putting that research in jeopardy. Same with LC treatment research! No urgency, no $$.
Also, *it's not just deaths*! We have tons of research documenting the damage COVID does to every single organ and system in the human body. It is mind-boggling to me that everyone just shrugs that off as inconsequential.
Should also mention that current "excess death rates" are sus since, for most trackers, the baseline is based on the previous 5 years. 😑
Not to mention the number of people w/ new infections who honestly believed COVID is "over" b/c everyone stopped taking any sensible precautions at all the second the WHO declared the public health emergency of international concern over, despite being very clear to say we are still in a pandemic.
Let me make myself perfectly clear: COVID vaccines work to keep people off ventilators & people should absolutely have access to them & get them. The widespread push to ignore COVID, however, has resulted in cuts to much needed funding for LC research and better vaccines.
You can't make this kind of statement b/c at every turn, the people in charge have done everything they can to *bury* COVID data. They're still quoting global death rates at 6-7 million, ffs. Excess death rates during the first 4 years alone were likely over 30 million, according to The Economist.
Or the people who show up at the hospital w/ issues, like liver failure, strokes, heart attacks, lung damage, etc. that were caused by a previous COVID infections? Or the ones who don't even KNOW they have major COVID damage b/c PH is so corrupt they've allowed people to think COVID is long "over"?
And how many times have the powers that be changed the definition of a COVID death? If I go to the ER & get admitted because I need surgery, then get infected WHILE IN HOSPITAL and then die, my death should be a counted as a COVID death, but it wouldn't be. It would be "complications from surgery".
This is a ridiculous take. We haven't been tracking infections for over a year, so there is no way of knowing actual COVID death rates. You can't even get a PCR test unless you're part of a very narrowly defined sliver of the population. Most people aren't even bothering with RATs anymore either.
It's kind of infuriating that the only way to check whether one's books have been stolen is hidden behind a paywall. 😑 Going to assume that if they're in the LibGen one, they're in the books3 one, too.
Omg, it's showing up on my page now! Thank you SO much! Will the remainder of the books (there will be 3 more in this series, for a total of 7) show up automatically now that it's been created? Also, if you have kids in your life, can I thank you w/ a free e-book bundle for them? 💖
Psst... pre-launch bundle sale is now available on Itch, too! Get all three books at 40% off each or pick up the bundle and be all caught up when book 4 comes out in November. :) 📚📦 #ReaderSky #BookSky itch.io/s/159675/pre...
Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to use chatbots
Anyone? Would very much like to get my series to show up properly. 😕 #WritingCommunity #Goodreads
Hey, #WritingCommunity friends... does anyone know how to get that "Series By [Author Name]" section to show up on one's Goodreads author profile page? All the books in my series show in my main books page, but there's no series section like there should be.
This character gives the team a couple of critical pieces of information (one piece has major repercussions for the MC), and he'll also be back in book 5, dropping a HUGE bombshell that will affect several of the characters. (Seriously. So. Excited!)
The thing I'm most excited about in CHALICE OF CALADRIAI is the introduction a new character! I hadn't planned to add a new character in this book, but this one popped into my head with a whole backstory and I HAD to include him. #KidLit #MiddleGrade #BookSky books2read.com/ChaliceOfCaladriai
Video credit: itsjuliencohen Description: "11 and 8-year-old prodigy sisters played Vivaldi Winter with me" This is serious musical talent 🎻🎻🎹🎶🎵 #VivaldiWinter #Song #music #Piano #Violin #Instruments #Instrumental
Curtis Yarvin, btw, is the guy who proposed "a more humane genocide" (literally his words) by turning those of us he considers "non-productive" into bio-fuel. I keep saying it: if you don't know who Yarvin and Thiel are, you cannot begin to understand what's happening in the world right now.
If you are in the Edmonton area Fiasco is still missing - please check garages and sheds and engines! Let's get him home, please share x