Year in review photo montage

Here's a few of my favourite photos

Ice Dogs Trailer debut

You will not guess where my trailer is debuting today. 

It's being revealed exclusively over at School Library Journal! 

I'm so honoured to be part of Betsy Bird's wonderful blog. And I'm thrilled with the results of the trailer made by Bookcandy Studios. It's full of mushing goodness. 

To share my good fortune, I'm giving away:

• FREE CRITIQUE of your first ten pages. 
• FREE SWAG
• Winners randomly selected from comments. 

Please go check out the ICE DOGS TRAILER here

I've had other good news lately for ICE DOGS, so I'll share now:

• Ice Dogs was picked up by Scholastic Book Fairs for 2014! 

• It's a Junior Library Guild Selection!

• It's a featured book in Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's MIDDLE GRADE MANIA website with its own page! Check it out for excerpt

Publishers Weekly full review

"a page-turner full of white-knuckle action…Readers will be riveted until the end." -- Publishers Weekly

Add it to your Goodreads list 

Preorder a copy

Leave a comment - what do you think of the trailer? Now you're entered to win. Easy as that!

Dogsled Race Education Programs

Putting the kayaks away is always a sad event. But the good news is - it signals the start of my favourite season...

DOGSLEDDING

Many dogsled race committees are joining the growing trend to include an educational component to their race.

If you are a teacher interested in following a race with your class, or even just a fan wanting to learn more, there are blogs and websites you can follow along with.

• Pick a favourite musher (I'm a loyal fan of Martin Buser, my musher-crush)
• Meet the dogs
• Follow the race via GPS
• Live Chats
• Read news reports from a Canine news team
• Contests, videos for classrooms, games and more!

Here are a few links to get you started

Yukon Quest Education Program

Beargrease site

Iditarod 2014 Teacher on the Trail, Jennifer Reiter

Iditarod Education Links 

Wyoming Stage Stop Race Follow the Lead Teacher

Alaska

We're back from an epic adventure in Alaska where my mg novel ICE DOGS is set.

For nearly three weeks we backpacked up mountains and camped, hiked across glowing glaciers, and kayaked our way through spectacular scenery.

One of the best things about travelling is sharing pictures! Here's a few:

note: I missed getting a really cool shot of a humpback whale breaching as well as a sea otter eating an octopus. The octopus was larger than the sea otter! The otter floated on its back while tearing at a rubbery tentacle. It was so cool to watch it smacking its lips while peering over to make sure we weren't trying to steal the prize.

Can't wait to go back!

Grizzly on the Denali Park road

Killer Whales in Kenai Fjords National Park

Having fun on Mat-su Glacier

Hiking the back country of Denali

Sea Lions Kenai Fjords National Park

View of Mt McKinley

Kayaking out of Homer

Denali Park road

Up on the Kesugi Ridge, Denali State Park

great view

Kachemak State Park - the marmots were everywhere on this trail! Standing up and screaming their alarm. 

one of those moments

'Scuse me while I gush a bit...

You know those moments when you've worked at something for years, and dreamt of how it would be, and visualized what you would do and how you would feel if you achieved it, and then it finally COMES?

I had one of those yesterday when my ARCs of ICE DOGS came in the mail. It was even better than I imagined it. The cover is so shiny and gorgeous! It looks like a real book, feels just like a real book - but with my name on it.

I wrote a book. Yes - I've been writing books since I was eight. Yes, I always said I was going to grow up to be a writer.

But it actually happened.

Here's what my moment looked like.  Tell me about yours!

COVER REVEAL for ICE DOGS

I am truly blessed with a spectacular cover for my next middle grade novel,
ICE DOGS, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Feb. 2014

I couldn't be more excited about this amazing piece of art!

add ICE DOGS to Goodreads
like the author page on Facebook 

ARC's will be available in April. Note that the publisher gives out ARC's. If you are interested in receiving an ARC for review, please fill out the request form on the tab at the top of the blog.