Wordy Wednesday

None of my words would ever have appeared in print without my amazing critique groups. Yes, I have two. Today I want to tell you about the Critical Mass: we’ve been meeting for over a dozen years and though our membership has shifted a bit, the current group has held steady for several years. We recently snuck away to Shangri-Lar where we did some work but mostly ate, laughed and made s’mores.

Bonny Becker, me with a bored Winston, Dave Patneaude, Kathryn Galbraith, Sylvie Hossack

 I’m so honored to call these wonderful writers my friends. And I wanted to brag on them a bit:

Of course, Bonny Becker ends up winning some prize or another about every other day but I was especially excited that her The Magical Ms. Plum won the Scandiuzzi Award Children’s Book Award, which is a category of the Washington State Book Award. Ms. Plum is like a contemporary Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and everyone should read it.


Kathryn Galbraith‘s newest — and lovely — picture book, Arbor Day Square, won a Parent’s Choice Award, in history. Inspired by the first Arbor Day, this warm story celebrates relationships and community.


Dave Patneaude‘s latest novel, Epitaph Road, a thought-provoking dystopic, made the YALSA Best Fiction for YA list.

So you can see I am very lucky to have this fine crew to help shepherd my stories from rough drafts to finished manuscripts.

(and I’m also lucky that Judy Patneaude loves to take photos; she took all of them on this page, except Bonny’s bio photo)

No Responses to “Wordy Wednesday”

  1. Jenn Chushcoff

    Very nice post! I’ve had the opportunity to meet all of you except for Sylvie, and I must say, what a lucky group! (Though, I am quite partial to mine 😉

    Kirby, I like your use of the word, “shepherd.”

  2. bonnybecker

    Kirby, I hadn’t realized Winston was quite so bored. He never looks like that! Ha! I feel so lucky to be part of this group. I can imagine better “shepherds!”