Q & A with Naicam School students' cards - 2

 In November 2013, we visited Naicam School in central Saskatchewan, and I talked about my writing and publishing career. We recently received thank-you cards from the Grade 6 students. I posted some of them in my previous blog. Here are the rest of the cards - in no particular order - and my answers to the students' questions.

       Wow. Thank you for your compliments! Many of our books are inspiring, and I am glad that you liked hearing about Dionne Warner's story of fighting cancer with a costume and a laugh. She is a wonderful, fun-loving, inspiring person, and I am so pleased to have written Never Leave Your Wingman about Dionne and her fun-loving, caring husband Graham. Almost everyone is touched by cancer these days, and I am pleased to give some of Dionne's hope to those I meet in my travels. As Dionne would say, "Let's Keep Hope Alive!"     

And thank you for the great drawings on the front of your card. They made me smile. Good artwork!

       I'm sorry that you weren't able to be at my presentation, but thank you for writing anyway. I did have fun talking with your classmates and I am glad to hear that they it was very good. I live in Regina, Saskatchewan, and have written five books. All of them are true stories. I am happy that you are enjoying the bookmark and I am sure that you will love Letters to Jennifer From Maudie & Oliver by Sharon Gray. The author did a great job of writing those letters as though they were written by the cats. The letters are funny, silly, and often heart-warming. They're perfect for your age group.

       I really enjoyed reading your card. It sounds like you love learning, whether it be history or other topics. That makes me happy. It is so important to read and learn from what you've read. Did you know that both the books you mentioned - The Sailor and the Christmas Trees and The Little Coat focus on events that happened on the same day in time - December 25, 1944? How crazy is that?
       I am happy to hear that I may have influenced some children to become writers when they're older. My mom was the person who encouraged me to start writing when I was about eight years old. It's never too young to start writing. You can do it for your whole life. You sound like you are already a writer. Keep it up! Maybe I will read some of your published work some day!

       Well, there you go. That's the reason that I come to schools and speak about our books - to encourage students to write, write, write!  I hope you do write your own books. And I hope you also inspire people - if not in your writing, in your everyday life. Thank you for your kind words.

Thank you, again, to all of you Grade 6 students at Naicam School for these kind thank-you cards. 

I'm putting all your cards in my 'Smile File' - a special file I have in my office that I created to cheer me up on days when I am tired, upset or anxious about something. 

I hope we meet again. Maybe on my next trip to Naicam...

Take care, everyone.