Kudos to Erin, Jill, Nella, and Melanie, plus a special call-out

Hello, everyone.

This is a special call out: If you have some writing news to share, send me an email. And especially if you’ve already sent me an email and I haven’t posted your news, please send again. Sometimes I miss emails (because I get a lot of them). But one of my new year’s resolutions is to try to keep more on top of things.

So if you’ve had a story (or a book!) published, if you’ve won or placed in a writing contest, if you’ve gotten yourself an agent, or if you have any other news, send me an email so I can share your success. As writers, we’re all in this together, and your good news gives us all a boost.

Or if you’re looking for Beta readers – or have anything else you want to get out to your fellow writers, let me know.

In the subject line, put: Writing news

And email me at: brain.henry123@gmail.com

Hi, Brian. 

New book alert! Gone Forever? Places to See (and Save) Before They Disappear is out February 17. I took an informative (not literal!) trip around the world to write this book. Thank you @orcabook, @xulinillu and everyone who shared their work and stories with me. So many people and organizations to name:

#torontozoo #elladjbaldé #colinparker #elizabethenglishdesign #drjackiereed #natalieknowles #impossible2possible #earthrangers #galapagosconservancy #culturalfiremanagementcouncil #jessicasantacruz #ecopeacemiddleeast #climateresiliencecentre #TREDJENATUR #antarcticandsouthernoceancoalition @alisoncriscitiello

Yours,

Erin Silver

Read more about Gone Forever? Places to See (and Save) Before They Disappear or pre-order your copy from Orca Books here.

For information about submitting to Orca, see here.

Note: If you’re interested in getting published, join our “How to Get Published” workshop on Feb 8, with literary agent Olga Filina of Five Otter Literary (see here), and if you’re especially interested in Kid Lit, join our “Writing for Children and for Young Adults” workshop with literary agent Andrea Cascardi of the Transatlantic Agency (see here).

Hi, Brian. 

I hope you are well. I am writing to tell you about my good news. This year I was one of the two winners in the Picture Book category in CANSCAIP for my children's story "A Bus for Placid Street". The story will be submitted to publishers in the new year. I will let you know if it gets picked up and published. Fingers crossed.

I only knew about this competition because of taking your classes, and several writers I respect were submitting. 

Thank you for your ongoing support of emerging writers.

Best,

Jill Malleck 

(writing as MJ Malleck)

 

Hello, Brian.

I am happy to announce the launch of Nuances of Love, from Guernica Editions. This 40th anniversary anthology (AICW) includes one of my short stories, “The Quiet One,” work-shopped some years ago in your class.

Many thanks for your many years of being there to provide direction, information, support and guidance to so many aspiring writers. 

With my warmest good wishes,

Nella

Nella Cotrupi

Writer, Scholar, Translator

Note: Nuances of Love is an anthology of prose and poetry in celebration of the Association of Italian Canadian Writers' 40th anniversary. The theme of the anthology is love and friendship. It’s available from Guernica Editions here.

For information about submitting to Guernica Editions, see here.

 

Brian,

It's been a while, but I was a frequent attendee at your workshops in North Bay and Sudbury and I remain a subscriber to your newsletter and Substack.

I'd like to share the following news:

First: I’m pleased to announce that my poem "Vasilisa," originally published by Graeme Cameron in Polar Borealis 30 is in the Year’s Best Canadian Fantasy and Science Fiction, Volume 3.

I’m deeply honoured to be among such stellar company.

Second: I was on two panels at this year's Can-Con (October 17 to 19, 2025 at the Brookstreet Hotel, Kanata, Ontario)!

The first was “The Art of Rest” and the second was “The Taste of Sadness: Writing Emotional Dysregulation.”

best regards,

Melanie Marttila

https:// melaniemarttila.substack.com/

https:// melaniemarttila.ca/

 

Note: See all my upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and four-day  retreats here. ~Brian

See where else your fellow writers are getting short pieces published here (and scroll down).

See new books by your fellow writers here (and scroll down).

Guernica Editions wants your manuscripts, plus Guernica Prize for Literary Fiction is open for entries

Guernica Editions

1241 Marble Rock Road
Gananoque, ON, K7G 2V4

https://guernicaeditions.com/

Guernica Editions was founded in Montreal in 1978 by writer and filmmaker Antonio D'Alfonso with the expressed mission to publish books that address social justice issues, discover and cultivate our innate humanity, and transcend individual cultures and nations.

n 1991, Guernica’s head office was moved to Ontario where. In 2010, writers Michael Mirolla and Connie Guzzo-McParland took over the reins from Antonio D’Alfonso, maintaining the same original commitment of tearing down borders and creating ties between cultural and social groups. Since its founding, Guernica Editions has published over six hundred titles. 

Guernica seeks out books that are fresh, terse, edgy and self-aware; that dare to cross boundaries and that speak to readers on a universal level.

Imprints:

Guernica Editions

This imprint features the publisher’s Essential Prose, Poetry, Essays, Writers Series, Anthologies and First Poets Series. Novellas.

Submission period: February 1st - February 28th

MiroLand

Created in 2013 under the management of Michael Mirolla and Connie Guzzo-McParland, MiroLand is an imprint for more commercial projects. Since its inception, MiroLand has published genre literature, including mysteries, thrillers, speculative fiction and fantasy, cookbooks, self-help and how-to’s, memoirs, political nonfiction, YA and children’s books, self-help books and more.

Submission period: February 1st - February 28th

Note: If you’re interested in writing for children or for young adults, sign up for our upcoming   “Writing for Children and for Young Adults” workshop, where we’ll have an industry insider (either an editor from a children’s publisher or a literary agent specializing in kid lit) as the guest speaker. Details here.

Guernica World Editions

Guernica World Editions is for authors outside of Canada’s borders. To date, Guernica has published authors from the US, the UK, France, Israel, Dubai, Italy, Switzerland, Japan, and many other countries across the world. 

Submission period: Year-round

Submitting:

Guernica will only accept manuscript queries by email. Please send manuscripts as Word documents (.doc or .docx) to michaelmirolla@guernicaeditions.com

The manuscripts should be single-spaced, in a 12-point easy-to-read type. If at all possible, please give the manuscripts a name that includes the title and the author: The Dubliners, James Joyce.

Please note: Guernica is not accepting nonfiction submissions for the 2026 submissions period. 

1366 Books

1366Books is home to works of accessible yet innovative and experimental fiction – works that challenge the conventions of narrative and form, and perhaps even challenge the conventions of the sentence or the page itself. 1366Books seeks to explode readers’ expectations and explore the possibilities of the novel and the short story.

They welcome manuscripts that meet the above criteria by all Canadian writers, including writers of colour, Indigenous writers, LGBTQ+ writers, writers with disabilities, and others who identify as part of marginalized groups.

Manuscripts should be about 20,000 to 40,000 words.

Submission period: Year-round

Please email 1366 editor Stuart Ross at: 1366Books@gmail.com 

Include a brief cover letter and a PDF of your manuscript.

Note: If you’re interested in meeting an agent and in getting published, join us for a “How to Get Published” workshop where we’ll have a literary agent as a guest speaker. Details here.  

The Guernica Prize for Literary Fiction

Now open for submissions!

The Guernica Prize recognizes the best literary fiction novel that pushes boundaries and is cutting edge. Each entry must be an unpublished novel of at least 40,000 words. A $50 entry fee (online submission through Submittable only) must accompany each submission. Authors may submit more than one manuscript but each manuscript must include a separate entry fee. The name of the author or anything identifying the author should appear nowhere in the manuscript.

The prize consists of $1,000 and a publication contract with Guernica Editions. The winning author agrees to publication with Guernica. Please name your file your manuscript title or the first three words of the manuscript title if the title is longer than three words.

The Guernica Prize is open to Canadian citizens and/or residents of Canada only. Please note that submissions to the prize are final. If a submission is retracted, there is no refund of the entry fee.

Click here to see a list of previous winners. 

Submission period: January 1^st – April 30th 

Note: For more children’s and young adult publishers, see here {and scroll down}. For book publishers in general, see here {and scroll down}.

See all my upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and four-day retreats here. ~Brian

 

Join us for a Kid Lit workshop with literary agent Andrea Cascardi

A Wolf Called Fire by Roasanne Parry
represented by Transatlantic Agency

Writing for Children
      and for Young Adults

With Andrea Cascardi 
        ~ Senior Literary Agent
            at Transatlantic Literary Agency

Sunday, March 1, 2026
 1:15 – 5:00 p.m.
Online via Zoom and accessible wherever there’s Internet

If you want to write the next best-selling children’s books or just want to create stories for your own kids, this workshop is for you. Learn how to write stories kids and young adults will love and find out what you need to know to sell your book.

This is your chance to speak with someone within the publishing industry in a small group setting and to pull back the curtain and see how it all works. Be sure to bring your questions – we'll have lots of time for interaction.

Special option: Participants are invited to submit the opening couple pages (first 500 words) of your children’s book or young adult novel (or up to 800 words if that gets you to the end of your picture book or to the end of your first chapter). Email your pages to me prior to our workshop.

Andrea and I will publicly critique about half a dozen submissions so everyone can see what works, what doesn’t, and how to improve your story-telling. Get your pages in early if you want to be part of this. If you’re not currently working on a children’s story, don’t worry, we’ll get you started! ~Brian

Guest speaker Andrea Cascardi is a senior literary agent with the Transatlantic Agency, a leading literary management company with a team of 22 experienced agents based in New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Portland, Oregon, Boston, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Andrea herself is based in New York.

Transatlantic offers a full spectrum of career representation to authors (Adult, Children’s & YA, and illustrators) and storytellers (Speakers, Industry leaders & Influencers) across all genres and formats for book, content development, speaking, and TV & Film.

Andrea has held senior editorial positions at Random House, Disney/Hyperion, and Egmont USA. As an editor she acquired and edited Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King winner Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold, the Raffi Songs to Read series, and Pura Belpre winner Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez, among many other award-winning books.

As an agent she has represented many bestselling and award-winning titles including Clare Vanderpool’s Newbery winner Moon Over Manifest and Printz Honor winner Navigating Early;  e.E. Charlton-Truillo’s Stonewall winner Fat Angie, New York Times Bestseller Nubs: A Mutt, A Marine, and a Miracle, and Texas Bluebonnet winner Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break if You Want to Survive the School Bus.

Workshop leader Brian Henry has been a book editor, author, and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada’s most popular blog for writers and is the author of a children’s version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Tribute Publishing Inc). But his proudest boast is that he’s has helped many of his students get published.

Read reviews and reflections on Brian’s retreats, classes and workshops here.

Fee: $45.13 + 13% hst = $51 paid in advance by mail or Interac

To reserve a spot now, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

See all of Brian’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and four-day retreats here.

“My Boots Hit a Bump in the Road” by Jessica Weber

Fall 2024

My boots have always loved the feel of dirt beneath them. I sat down on the edge of the trail on a large and level rock, balancing myself precariously so I could get just the right angle to take a picture of my hiking boots, with my legs stretched out far in front of me, the brilliant turquoise waters and Rocky Mountains behind them.

My boots are tan suede with red laces like the ones Cheryl Strayed wore in Wild, only I had them before they were famous.

Just a few years prior, Tavi and I were married in an afternoon wedding in Elora, Ontario, overlooking waterfalls and cocooned amidst the trees. Opting for a first hike instead of a first dance, we went for a stroll through the woods after the guests departed. These same boots were laced up on my feet under my white wedding dress.

Oh, if boots could talk, they would boast about what they have seen. They climbed their way through the Lares Trek in Peru, summited coastal mountains in British Columbia, and scaled the red rocks of Arizona. 

Yet their biggest challenge came when they were stuck in the closet throughout my cancer treatment. I was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive sinus cancer and was plunged into a world of scans, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments that left me rather broken.

During this time, I kept a list in my journal called Live Life All The Way. It was a collection of things that I would do if I made it to the other side. If, not when, was my mentality at the time. It ranged from simple things like go for long and luxurious brunch, to more ambitious pursuits like hike mountains again. Writing this list gave me something positive to look forward to and hope in all the darkness.

I made it! My boots were now laced up tight, covered in dirt, miles high in the Rocky Mountains. I was through treatment, alive at the top of a mountain, over seven kilometers away from the trailhead with 500 meters of elevation gain. It wasn’t lost on me for a second that six months prior, I could hardly make it up the stairs.

When we got the all-clear to go away, I picked the Canadian Rockies. I had travelled to Banff as a young girl and remembered the awe and amazement that I experienced then. I needed to lace up my boots in these memorable mountains again.

Sitting atop the Highline Trail viewpoint tucked high above Lake Louise, I was pleased we were climbing these steps, on this day, in these mountains. The skies were blue, with clouds occasionally sweeping their way through, providing a break from the intense sun. There was a crispness to the air that only autumn could bring. The weather was perfect for a climb.

As we hiked higher and higher, stopping to take deep breaths because of the altitude, Tavi remarked that it smelled like the pine scented candles we burned throughout the winter, but so much better, crisper.

“It’s not only the pine I smell,” Tavi said.

I looked around. We were surrounded by Mountain Thyme and Juniper Berries - an impressive bouquet.

“I can smell it all,” I said, and that simple fact made me giddy; the giant tumour in my nasal passages had blocked my olfactory senses. But now my nose was clear, and I could smell all the wonderful aromas of the landscape around me.

Near the top, we took a break to fuel ourselves with a protein bar and some water. We had now hiked along the Lake Louise shoreline to the very end of the turquoise waters and up the mountain along the moraine to the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House.

We could see Lake Louise in the distance and she shone like an emerald gemstone. When the sun caught the yellow leaves of the Aspens dispersed between the lush hues of evergreens, they glowed like nuggets of gold.

Lake Louise shoreline bustled with tourists, all maneuvering to get the best angle for an iconic photograph. Most visitors never venture farther than the paved sidewalk. They miss so much by just seeing the lake from one perspective. How true this is of life.

When we are rushed and busy, and our quest is just to take that famous snapshot, we miss seeing all the other vantage points. We miss the well-earned pride from ascending difficult terrain and then miss being overcome with emotion at the top. We miss the joy in the journey.

Maybe I’d been like that before cancer. Maybe I was too consumed with all the shoulds to make time for the want to’s. I’m not happy I got cancer, but I’m happy with what I can now see because of it.

When I laced up my boots on our wedding day, little did we know that “in sickness and in health” was closer than we could have imagined. But love and partnership and joy were also at hand, and maybe that’s the point. The hills that we climb together, the battles we face, the sorrows we feel, all enable us to appreciate the abundance around us.

My boots have always appreciated the rugged terrain that leads to impeccable views and I thank them for getting me past this bump in the road.

Jessica Weber lives in Kitchener, Ontario with her husband Octavian and Bernedoodle Daisy. She explores the quiet beauty of personal non-fiction, capturing moments of growth, reflection, and the joy of the journey. Jessica can often be found with her hands in the dirt tending to her gardens, taking a stroll down the quiet streets of her neighbourhood, or joining a class to learn something new.

For more essays, short stories, and poetry by you fellow writers see here (and scroll down).

See Brian Henry's upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and four-day retreats here.

Happy New Year!

 

Auld Lang Syne

by Robbie Burns

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne.

Chorus:

For auld lang syne, my jo,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne,

And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp!
And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

Chorus

We twa hae run about the braes
And pu'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin auld lang syne.

Chorus

We twa hae paidl'd i' the burn,
Frae mornin' sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin auld lang syne.

Chorus

And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right guid willy waught,
For auld lang syne.

Chorus

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And long, long ago.

Chorus

And for long, long ago, my dear
For long, long ago,
We'll take a cup of kindness yet,
For long, long ago

And surely youll buy your pint-jug!
And surely I'll buy mine!
And we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
For long, long ago.

Chorus

We two have run about the hills
And pulled the daisies fine;
But we've wandered manys the weary foot
Since long, long ago.

Chorus

We two have paddled in the stream,
From morning sun till dine;
But seas between us broad have roared
Since long, long ago.

Chorus

And there's a hand, my trusty friend!
And give us a hand of yours!
And we'll take a deep draught of good-will
For long, long ago.

 

Chorus

 

“The Prophecy Stones of Smoo” by Sheila Eastman

 

To My Children:

When I’d dead and gone you’ll find front and centre among my odd keepsakes two small rocks with holes right through the centre. Before you toss them out, I want you to know their story.

Here’s the Short version:

I found these two stones in a riverbed in Smoo Scotland, on the very north coast, in 2013. One is igneous I think and the other sedimentary. They are about 1.5 inches each.

As for the longer version:

I get yearnings. There are forces all around me leading me, pulling me pushing me in various directions. Invisible of course. Do I hear a Banshee wailing to me across the ocean that divides us? Is there a witch beckoning with wings of a black swan? Is there an ancestor’s lonely song calling from beneath rarely travelled sod?

I had to go to Northern Scotland. Where that pull came from, I don’t know but I’ll tell you what I do know. The moment the plane landed in Edinburgh I felt at home. More intense than feeling at home, what I felt was cellular. I belonged here. Though I’d traveled alone, I felt accompanied.

Edinburgh is wonderful. Centuries old, ornate, cobblestoned, hilly, snaked with dark alleys and spooked up with ghost tours. But the north called. I found a tour, which edged into and around the highlands, to Inverness (a good base for going elsewhere), then to the tip of the country, and then a ferry across the cold ocean to Orkney.

We toured the ruins of Pictish houses, Norse structures, and most important for me, the prehistoric standing stones that comprise the Ring of Brodgar. No one knows why they are there. No humans that is. They stand as giant shadows against the evening sun, and in the daytime stalwart sentinels. 

I leaned into the one that called me and placed my hand on it, wanting a response. It stood there stoically but I was convinced there was a little warmth of response under my hand. Really.

Back on the little tour bus, and loaded on the ferry, we left Orkney, heading for the mainland. The next day at a very Scottish breakfast I sat with the bus driver, who was focussed on the small stone in his hand. It had a remarkable hole straight though the middle.

He looked up. “It’s a prophecy stone,” he said.

My spidey sense perked up. “Do tell,” I said.

And he told me if the bearer peers through it she may see spirits or fairies or see through a witch's disguise. It will protect her from witches and ne'er-do-wells, those things that go bump in the night. Whether she sees fairies or not, no bother, the stone will bring good luck.

I wanted one. “Where did it come from?” I asked.

He was coy at first. “Oh, a wee cave not far from here.” He took a drink of coffee, teasing.

“Around here?” I was already mentally lacing up my boots to get going to wherever that was.

He nodded. “Smoo. The stones are in the river there just outside the cave. You may find one or two. Some do, some don’t. What I think is, if you’re blessed or need blessing, you find them.”

“Are we going?” I had to go but I was a prisoner of the bus route.

“Oh, that I canna tell,” he bit into a piece of black sausage. “Up to the tour guide.”

But of course, he knew. We did stop at the famous Smoo Cave (I know of its fame now). My anticipation could have combusted everyone within five feet of me. A prophecy stone!! My very own!!

The driver winked at me on my way out of the bus. We stumbled in a touristy line down a steep hill to a riverbed that opened on one side to the ocean, on the other to a wide-mouthed cave.

It was a nice enough cave. I wandered in there a bit, admired the waterfall within it, appreciated the Durness limestone, (my, isn’t that nice rock) came out again to examine the riverbed. I was looking for my stones. He said they’d be in the river.

It was a sunny day in Scotland. (True!) The river teased me. Stones of every colour glimmered in the sunlight beneath the shallow water. All I could see was a jumble of lovely stones with no holes.

My technique was primitive. I kicked stones over, getting my toes wet, plunged my hands into the freezing water. Finally, the stream revealed a small grey treasure with a perfect hole. Of course, I was thrilled and zipped it into my jacket pocket.

But the river wasn’t done with blessing me. I stole time for one more look. The bus was leaving and I had to catch up to the others stumbling up the slippery hill to the road. And there it was! A white triangular stone with a slightly skewed hole, yes! Right through the centre.

I scrambled up the hill, and boarded the bus with a smile at the driver.

It’s been some years now since I packed my little treasures in my homebound bags. So far the stones are silent. But perhaps quietly, invisibly they do bring me blessings and luck. But so far no fairies.

They do bring memories of a wonderful trip, and a call to the north coast of Scotland that I’m glad I answered. You may wonder why I felt so at home there when my ancestors are Irish. More to be revealed.

Geology:

Google Pics tells me both stones are also called hag stones, having a naturally occurring hole that runs completely through, caused by wave action or the burrowing of bivalve mollusks. That does sound dull. If they were Irish stones I’d picture leprechauns with tiny drills working away all night on the job.

The lighter stone is probably pumice, volcanic, porous, light coloured, ejected from a volcano. Dissolved gases escape as the rock cools, creating the foamy texture. I picture it flying through the atmosphere with the eruption wondering where to land.

The grey stone’s beginning is more elusive. I see various small rocks embedded within it. Perhaps it’s a conglomerate. Undoubtedly it had a quieter birth, settling in slowly as it gathered other smaller stones in one unit.

Do they relate to me? One stone is light in both weight and colour, but had a violent beginning. Perhaps the dichotomy applies. I have what you consider a goofy sense of humour, yet I’ve been through some deep and distressing times. The darker stone is a mystery, comprised of various smaller rocks and smoothed eons by time.

Both reflect the concept of impermanence. Everything changes no matter how slowly, reminding me to stay flexible and to try to accept the sometimes-unsettling fluidity of life.

And so my children, my grandchildren, this is the story of the two stones that spend hours of every day with me at my computer. So far they are withholding visions of fairies. But they continually remind me I am blessed. When I am gone, do toss out whatever you like, but at least you’ll know there is meaning and story behind the things that surround me.

Sheila Eastman is a musician living in Mississauga. She plays and teaches piano and performs in local concert bands in the percussion section – hitting things. Her writing reflects detailed observations of human behavior and her bizarre sense of humour. 

She is a past winner in the Mississauga Library writing contest, poetry division, and was runner up in the Alice Munro short story contest.

Publications include obscure articles on medieval music, an equally obscure monograph on a Canadian composer and totally relevant and exciting articles on wildflowers. Because of her short attention span she writes mainly short stories.

For more essays, short stories, and poetry by you fellow writers see here (and scroll down).

See Brian Henry's upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and four-day retreats here.