writing, speaking, web-making, and best of all, I get to dance later
I'm the author of YA novels, Rhythm & Blues and Break On Through.More about me »
Teachers, librarians & principals, take note! I’ve been working with school Librarian, Carol-Ann Hoyte to prepare this classroom discussion guide. Carol-Ann wrote the summary, discussion questions, thematic links, and projects, and I laid it out, and added some of my favourite questions from author interviews I’ve done. You can download the Rhythm and Blues Classroom [...]
Last week, I posted about the term “Alternative Lifestyle” and asked friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter if they thought it was necessary to warn readers about LGBT content in YA books. Here’s what writers, parents, librarians and readers had to say: “‘Alternative lifestyle’ sets up a separate but equal category for LGBT people, [...]
I’m a part of this week’s broadcast of CBC Radio 1′s The Next Chapter. The theme of the episode is YA, and it covers some pretty wide and varied territory. The full list of guests is: Rukhsana Khan on Wanting Mor. Eric Walters on what kids oughtta know. Jill Murray on staying cool to teens. [...]
Online interviews are sprouting up like daffodils this week! My interview with My Ever-Expanding Library is now live. I got to talk about dancing, inspiration and the open-mindedness of teens, so I had a lot of fun. Here’s my answer to a question I liked, about the challenge of writing a second novel, compared to [...]
I’m interviewed by Christine Hart, as part of the Y-Eh! Blog Tour– a special blog tour circuit I’m setting up for Canadian YA and Middle grade authors. Christine asks great questions about life, work and ultimate goals, relating to her YA novel, Best Laid Plans. So what is my dream job? Click on over to [...]
The first review of Rhtyhm and Blues has come in from Queer YA: Fiction for LGTBQ Teens, and… it’s a hit! “Murray really nails the voice here, and the plot is anything but trite. I want to read more by this author, and was delighted to learn this book is actually a sequel. Recommended for [...]
I’m on the National Post’s “Popcorn Panel” today, discussing The Runaways– the new movie about Joan Jett’s all-girl teen rock band, before she went solo. It stars that Twilight chick, Kristen Stewart, and lots of nice eyeshadow. I answered 20 Writerly Questions for BookLounge.ca. This one was my favourite: 17. Do you have any writing [...]
I used Flash to create this book trailer for Rhythm and Blues. I’m so excited to finally unveil it!
I’d like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who came out to the Montreal launch for Rhythm and Blues at Babar en Ville, and to everyone who was there in spirit. There was some reading. And some signing. And some mingling. And a whole bunch of happy. It was really nice to see [...]
My very first sample copy of Rhythm and Blues arrived in the mail this week! Behold: The ENVELOPE. Gah! Another envelope inside the first envelope. The suspense is killing me! This newborn gets delivered spine first, like an alien baby. Memorize this view in case you need to find it on a shelf this way! [...]
Look at the fun thing that landed in my inbox today! It’s the cover for my next book, Rhythm and Blues, due out on February 9, 2010!
I just reviewed the copy-edit of my upcoming YA novel, Rhythm & Blues and sent it back to my editor– the last benchmark to pass before typsetting. Hard to believe after working on it so long, that it’ll be on bookstore shelves in just five months! Even harder to believe that by then it will [...]
It’s been a chilly summer so far in Montreal, but the weather isn’t the only thing keeping my mind on next winter. I’m in the final stages of preparing my February 2010 novel, Rhythm & Blues, for publication. I’m plugging away hard at revisions, and today I got this pleasant surprise in my inbox: catalogue [...]
