We are thrilled to be guests at the Indigo Eaton Centre, Downtown Toronto, where our young family spent most of the day, browsing the two floor store.

Book Signing Event, March 20th at Noon. Join co-authors Lee Bice-Matheson & J.R. Matheson

Of course, we left with arms full of books! Printed books! Never did we think we’d return as Mom-Son co-authors of the Paige Maddison Series! Come on out, Friday, March 20th, and join the fun. Share this with your friends, family, neighbours and all who love Fantasy/Adventure, Ghost Stories and Family Relationships. We write for tweens and teens but our series is read by all ages.

“Live from a place of love. It conquers all that is evil.“ Destiny’s Gate’s co-authors Lee Bice-Matheson & J.R. Matheson are overjoyed. Join us at Noon, Friday, March 20th 🙂 It’s the New Moon and First Day of Spring! #supernatural #fantasy #YA

We have a special gift for those who buy both books in the series! Hand-crafted by Muskoka Pewter. Thank you so much, Garrett! 

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Siobhan Quinlan from Ireland, the winner of the SuperFan contest, reveals on Youtube, the prize. You may remember in December, we ran the contest for the Paige Maddison Series. Entrants had to review one of the books in the series and express enthusiasm for Paige’s journey. Siobhan surpassed the requirements and we are so happy that she won! Click on: Youtube link as she unboxes our gifts. Next in store for Siobhan? She is going to review both books in the series on Youtube. If you are a fan of the Paige Maddison Series, subscribe to Siobhan’s channel for future postings. We love Siobhan’s honesty, emotion, and passion for the Paige Maddison Series. Thank you so very much, Siobhan!! J.R. Matheson and I are highly encouraged while writing book three in the series…to carry on. 🙂

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I’ve read social media expert’s opinions on Twitter. They’re reporting 10% less usage. Meet my new friends, the Pirtles. I read a tweet about Venture Galleries, followed through to the post, which led me to Caleb Pirtle III and his lovely wife, Linda, a debut novelist. Imagine how happy I was when I contacted them and they said, “Yes, we’d like to feature your book, Destiny’s Gate, on our site.” And so begins our friendship. Not only have they listed the second book in the Paige Maddison Series, they are featuring the first book, today. Click on the following link to see the Authors Showcase for Book One in the Paige Maddison Series: Wake Me Up Inside. Thank you kindly, Caleb and Linda. It is so amazing to meet veterans and debut novelists in the world of books that are true to their word and so very kind. Enjoy the bio of the Pirtles:

Caleb and Linda Pirtle of Hideaway Lake founded Venture Galleries to publish, promote, and market both fiction and nonfiction books on a national landscape. Its goal is to connect writers, readers, and books. During the past two years, since its inception, Venture Galleries has published more than 40 books for authors from California to Florida and North Carolina.

Pirtle’s most recent books are the suspense thrillers, Golgotha Connection, Secrets of the Dead, Conspiracy of Lies, Night Side of Dark, Deadline News, and Wicked Little Lies, as well as a collection of vignettes on unforgettable characters he has met, Other Voices, Other Towns. Secrets of the Dead, was a semi-finalist for best Indie Book of the Year.

Novelist, The Mah Jongg Murders

Linda Pirtle published her debut novel in 2013, a cozy mystery entitled The MahJongg Murders. The setting is a small, picturesque, gated lakeside community much like Hideaway Lake.

She is a graduate of The University of Texas at Arlington and earned her Master’s Degree from Texas A&M Commerce. Linda taught English and became principal of Ennis High School, then Director of Federal Programs for the Ennis School District.

Linda is presently working on her second book in the Christian/mystery series based on games: Death by Dominoes.

Author of over 60 novels including Secrets of the Dead

Pirtle has always considered himself to be a thief. He says, “I’ve spent my whole life stealing bits and pieces of other people’s lives, experiences, and memories, then writing them down in newspaper stories, magazine articles, and books – both fiction and nonfiction. I would be lost if they had not come along. I would have been terribly disappointed if our paths hadn’t crossed and I had not been able to sit down and talk to them for a while. I am convinced that everyone who walks across the street has a great story to tell if someone will just take the time to listen.”

Pirtle takes the time. He listens. He has been doing it all of his life. Many of their stories have found their way into the more than sixty books and novels he has written, including such award winners as XIT: The American Cowboy, The Unending Season, Echoes from Forgotten Streets, and The Grandest Day. His article about Nick Rowe, the first American soldier captured during the Vietnam War, won the National William Randolph Hearst Award.

He also wrote the acclaimed Gamble in the Devil’s Chalk, the true story of the fight and feuds between oilmen battling for riches in the Austin Chalk. And he has written the teleplays for three television movies: Gambler V: Playing for Keeps, Wildcat: The Story of Sarah Delaney and the Doodlebug Man for CBS, and The Texas Rangers for TNT.

In the beginning, Pirtle was a newspaperman. He loved the frenetic pace that met him every day at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram where his articles won the Associated Press and Headliner’s Awards. At Southern Living Magazine, his writings earning him the National Discover America Award three times, and he was named Travel South’s Man of the Year.

For a decade, he wrote about destinations, to be sure, but Pirtle always wrote about the people he met along the way. As he said, “A great historian, R. Henderson Shuffler, taught me years ago that what happens is never as important as the people who make it happen. So some people collect coins and stamps. I collect stories and people.”

J.R. Matheson and I are honoured to be featured on Venture Galleries Blog. We have the Pirtles to thank. Very kind, indeed.

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We are thrilled and honoured to be mentioned in the Publishers Weekly Select January 2015: New Titles from Self-Publishers. They say, “Booksellers, publishers, and agents are encouraged to take a look at the listings of 78 self-published books below. Some of these authors are waiting to be discovered; others have a track record and a following and are doing it on their own.” Scroll down the page to Children’s Fiction and see Destiny’s Gate. 

Destiny’s Gate: Paige Maddison Series, Book 2
Lee Bice-Matheson and J.R. Matheson. FriesenPress. $26.99 hardcover (277p), ISBN 978-1-4602-4607-8; $22.99 paper (277p), ISBN 978-1-4602-4606-1; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B00N29FO8Y; BN ID 2940150617841
Friesenpress.com; Amazon; BN.com
When Paige Maddison’s premonitions, nightmares, and ghostly visions return, she realizes there is no way of getting back to the normal she once knew. Paige becomes the target of the Earthbounds, anguished souls who seek revenge and retribution. But she soon learns that she is being called upon by a greater power beyond her wildest comprehension. Should she embrace her special gift and fulfill her destiny? Or will she succumb to the evil that surrounds her and deny her true identity?

Publishers Weekly, familiarly known in the book world as PW and “the bible of the book business,” is a weekly news magazine focused on the international book publishing business. It is targeted at publishers, booksellers, librarians, literary agents, authors and the media. It offers feature articles and news on all aspects of the book business, bestsellers lists in a number of categories, and industry statistics, but its best known service is pre-publication book reviews, publishing some 8,000 per year. Thank you PW!  We are thrilled and grateful to see this.

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Santa was busy giving the gift of reading this past Christmas, 2014. Since then, Destiny’s Gate has received 3 – 5 star reviews. We are so happy. Here is the latest review, in full, from Amazon.com:

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KIRKUS REVIEW:  TITLE INFORMATION: DESTINY’S GATE, second Book in the Paige Maddison Series. Bice-Matheson, Lee and J.R. Matheson, FriesenPress (277 pp.) c2014.

BOOK REVIEW

In the second entry of Matheson and Bice-Matheson’s (Wake Me Up Inside, 2012) series, ghosts, werewolves, spirit guides and angels both complicate and support Paige Maddison’s quest to discover the truth about her family’s supernatural heritage.

Just as her parents go from Canada to Italy for an indeterminate period of time, teenager Paige Maddison is dumped by her boyfriend from the previous volume. Alone in the guesthouse on her grandparents’ estate near the Canada-U.S. border, Paige moves into the main house with the old folks. Now, as school starts and autumn wears on, the weirdness of O’Brien Manor that had manifested over the summer in the appearances of ghosts is being augmented by new developments: the arrival of Allan Brewer, a werewolf gardener; Paige’s developing friendship with local psychics Peggy and Carole; the discovery of psychic powers in her own grandfather and mother; unexpected messages from First Nation spirit guide Grey Owl and the Archangel Michael; and literal messages from God. As matters progress, Paige and her family are threatened by the ghosts of a boy and his uncle abused in centuries past by O’Brien ancestors as well as an indeterminate evil force that has Paige in its sights. Throughout, Paige learns more about her heritage and powers as she develops her skills in leading departed souls into the Light.

Paige comes across as a true teenage girl, with all the emotional drama and self-questioning that entails. In a pleasant change for this type of story, the budding romance between her and Allan is recognized by both of them as something that needs to be put on the back burner until danger is past; equal time is also given to Paige’s friendships with the teenage Carole, elderly Peggy and Allan’s young stepdaughter, Trixie. However, this novel ends with little resolved and feels more like the setup for the next installment.

An enjoyable supernatural teen adventure…

Kirkus Indie, Kirkus Media LLC, 6411 Burleson

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I read Destiny’s Gate again and I would like to congratulate the two of you for writing one page in particular. Writers in their guise of readers often go haywire over prose that shows both inspiration and restraint and that leaves behind the suggestion of considerable achievement and maturity as well as future promise. The perfect balance is attained on page 267, Chapter 35: Epiphany. You reach this peak elsewhere, too, of course, but this is one page that left me feeling “Wow!” Smooth ….  JR  Colombo 05/01/15

Thank you JR Colombo from both J.R. and I. We are thrilled and honoured to hear this. You have been my mentor for many years and biggest supporter. Our son, J.R., and I thank you for your kindness and generosity. Happy & Healthy, 2015, to you and your lovely wife, Ruth, our dear friends.

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I intentionally saved posting about the Youth Drop-In Day Teen Writing Workshop I performed in Gravenhurst on Monday, October 27th and the Orillia Youth Centre’s Halloween Spooktacular Justin at OYC Halloween on October 30th for a reason. Any time you can gather kids in one room for an occasion is a very special time! This is when I learn about the youth of today and what they are all about. Let me begin with the Teen Writing Workshop:

Set in the rumoured ‘haunted’ Gravenhurst Opera House, I was not sure what to expect as we drove up to the beautifully built structure, after our work day ended. It was raining and unfortunately I could not bring in

Sasha Grace and Blue Eyes at INSPIRE! TIBF GALA NIGHT NOV 13’14 with Lee and sister Lynn

Sasha Grace and Blue Eyes as intended. The material they’re made from would have been damaged. Nonetheless, I entered with books in hand and writing workshop material already prepared, to the sounds of laughter. I loved it! Walking in, I knew guest entertainer, Johnny Ahsome, had really entertained the kids with his playful nature and board games. Bryan White came right over to welcome me to the group by introducing me. I set up for the workshop with a podium and big screen for the Power Point Presentation. We began with writing anagrams from our names. I gave the group 5 minutes and the best anagram writer won a poster of the first book in the Paige Maddison Series called Wake Me Up Inside. Nick Jasmine and Dylan down in Front Congratulations, Nick! Followed by a presentation on the start of my career as a writer in 2007 to present day. It includes authors John Robert Colombo, Cheryl Kaye Tardif, and Philip Henry. They wrote blurbs for Destiny’s Gate and this is my way to thank them by explaining who they are to young teens. It was well received. Then I read our tagline from Destiny’s Gate: Live from a place of love. It conquers all that is evil. And I asked everyone to write a short story using these two sentences. I was astounded at the talent in the room. I asked each writer to come up to the podium and read their short. Congratulations to the winner for best short story, Jasmine! We hung on every word! Dylan won for the best presentation – Congratulations, Dylan! And Bryan White, my host, wrote a heart-wrenching short story that brought tears to my eyes. I was proud of this very special group of teens and their supervisors. They are all talented writers!! It was a night that I will never forget. Thank you for inviting me Krista Storey,  Manager of Arts & Culture for Gravenhurst, and to Bryan, for hosting. I would return again!

I was happy to be included in the Orillia Youth Centre’s Halloween Spooktacular. By this point, I had attended many events for the release of Destiny’s Gate.

Kevin Gangloff introduces Lee Bice-Matheson at the Halloween Spooktacular held Oct 30’14

Kevin Gangloff, Director of the Centre, and I, decided it would be fun if I dropped in at 6:30 with costume on and perform a reading from the book. My husband, Kevin, is such a team player. He dressed up as well. Thank you Kevin. A 15-20 minute reading in a room filled with 50 – 60 kids is a tall order but they managed to sit and listen through it all. Thank you kindly! It made writing the book worthwhile. Afterwards, just as they all got up to return to their games night, I whispered, “Oh, but there’s one more thing.“ The kids snapped around and my husband, Kevin, announced, “You are all getting a copy tonight gifted from Lee Bice-Matheson!” I have never been mobbed before but the supervisors had to come over and lead me out of the group. This meant a great deal to me. I was lucky to have a few minutes with each teen and hear their thoughts on the night of Halloween. Imagine my surprise to discover that they were thrilled to have a book given to them, not candy!! Their enthusiasm was amazing.

Lee Bice-Matheson with tween dressed as a fairy at the Orillia Youth Centre Halloween Spooktacular, 30/10/14

There was a long line-up and I signed every copy to each tween/teen. It was a night I will never forget. Thank you Kevin and  Todd Greenwood for having me back again. I organized a tour of the haunted Orillia Opera House in 2012 and we had a fun-filled night including games, a book reading from Wake Me Up Inside, dinner provided by Brewery Bay, and the haunted tour by Terri Rossiter. The people of Orillia still talk about this night, which makes me very happy.  I’ve met so many local people that did not know I was the author that organized it along with the Orillia Youth Centre, who asked Georgian College students to host the games. I love the look in people’s eyes when they realize it was me, Lee Bice-Matheson, the new kid in town. Thanks to Krista Storey, once again, who agreed to have this Halloween Spooktacular on Halloween in the Orillia Opera House and suggested I should do it with the Orillia Youth Centre! I love the OYC kids and the staff. They are always most gracious.

We need to listen to our kids and hear what is in their hearts. They are our future. Never underestimate this truth. Anytime you can help to guide a youth in this very troubled world we live in, is essential for the health of our society.  I thank you for all of the opportunities I’ve had this year to promote the Paige Maddison Series, especially with my co-author and son, J.R. Matheson by my side. 2014 has been the best year of my life to date. Thank you to my husband, Kevin, for supporting us 100%! And a huge thank you to all of our family and friends across the globe who support #Indie #Authors. May all of you find, Peace, Joy, Happiness, Health, Love and Light in 2015.

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Who knew only an hour’s drive away is the beautiful township of Uxbridge, Ontario? When I researched Independent Bookstores I knew as soon as I saw a photo of the storefront that I wanted to do a book signing at Blue Heron Books. Little did I know, Shelley Macbeth, the owner, is a friend of Susan Chamberlain’s. Remember the bookstore owner of The Book Keeper in Sarnia, ON, my hometown? Courteous and supportive, the staff agreed it was a good fit and the book signing began on Saturday, December 6th, at 1 pm. The bookstore is charming and

Featuring the music of the talented composer, Michelle Quereshi. CDs played throughout the afternoon from Of Light and from Illumination. Thank you Michelle for being a part of this special day. It made it magical.

Waiting excitedly as I signed Destiny’s Gate for them. Taya was shaking when she exclaimed, “I cannot wait to read it.” I’ve been told Taya is half way through the book and loving it! Thank you for the feedback. Natasha, just a few more years and you can read it too! 🙂 xo

Authors and book lovers will declare THE BOOK IS BETTER ALWAYS

Blue Heron Books, Uxbridge, ON

has a variety of children’s, tweens, teens and adult fiction plus, of course, non-fiction. It was interesting to find a display of ebooks too!  I enjoyed this lovely afternoon from 1 – shortly before 5 pm. Many interesting people streamed into the store for Christmas shopping. I was delighted when book lovers bought both books in the Paige Maddison Series, as gifts. I also had a wonderful conversation with Stefanie Cole, Teacher-Librarian for Quaker Village Public School. I explained our series is a literacy award winner and is included in the Battle of the Books for Simcoe County, 2013-2015. She bought Wake Me Up Inside for her grade 7 readers and promised to let me know what they think. Thank you, Stefanie!  The Santa Claus gingerbread cookies were baked by Bredin Bakery located down the street from Blue Heron Books. And they made chocolate coconut balls. How delicious were they? Hmmm…they disappeared throughout the afternoon. Lynn, my sister and editor, brought baklava, cookies and Italian chocolates too. Thank you so much.  They were enjoyed by browsing patrons. What made this also very special to me? Accompanying the book signing, I played the beautiful music from the talented composer/musician, Michelle Qureshi! Her CDs Illumination and Of Light were enjoyed by many. It was an honour to have your music playing at Blue Heron Books. Thank you, Michelle!

Thanks to everyone who came out to Blue Heron Books on Saturday and bought our books. Thank you for the lovely conversations too, and also with the browsers in the store. Thank you so much to Shelley Macbeth for having me and your lovely staff for all of the support.

Susan, Education Specialist on the left, me, Shelley Macbeth, Owner, and Katy. Thank you for supporting Indie Authors.

Two of my biggest supporters. Thank you so much for coming and sharing your enthusiasm about the Paige Maddison Series. Merry Christmas.

Wonderful to have cousin Jason, Michelle and Taya and Natasha drive from Innisfil to Blue Heron Books. Sister Lynn and niece Katy drove from Mississauga, and friend Angie and family from Vaughn. Thank you so much for coming to this book signing and supporting Indie Authors, J.R. and I.

Stefanie Cole, Teacher-Librarian, From Quaker Village Public School, Taken at Blue Heron Books

What a novel display! 🙂

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The first time I ran into an inspiring person was Thursday, pre setup.  My husband, Kevin, dropped me and all of the paraphernalia for the weekend at curbside as he was only allowed to park for a few minutes. Maddy Curry, Executive Director for the International Book Fair (who I had been emailing back and forth with), was there and she helped to move my trolley and cut-out characters Blue Eyes and Sasha Grace inside. What are the chances of that? Thank you Maddy for your kind support. She also offered words of encouragement for our success, J.R. Once inside, I set up our table and was thrilled to meet the authors on my aisle in the Hub. From Elvis Deane, author of Pistachio the Tyrant!, Periwinkle author Lina La Rocca, Marilyn Philips of The Daughter We Didn’t Know We Had, to Jen Frankel author of  Undead Redhead and more, to Veronica Tanzen author of LOL 🙂 Living Out Loud. Excitement was in the air as we put the finishing touches on our tables and left to dress for the Inaugural Gala for INSPIRE! TIBF. It was an exciting first night with jazz playing on the main stage, champagne and hors d’oeuvres for the attendees. George Stroumboulopoulos was in the building though we did not see him. 

Over the course of the weekend, as I sold copies of the Paige Maddison Series to fans of fictionalized ghost stories, an amazing thing began to happen. I met Mark Leslie Lefebvre, author of non-fiction ghost stories, Director of Self-Publishing for Kobo, and the author of  Tomes of Terror, which I had won in a Goodreads Giveaway. Very nice man and he offered many tips to me in the world of bookselling. Thank you Mark for your support and encouragement. I watched Anne Rice talk about life as an author. I mean she was right there, on the main stage, for all to listen. She speaks eloquently and is a wise, kind soul. Another adventure was stumbling upon Elaine Lui of LaineyGossip from TV. She was announcing her book club pics and smiled at me as I snapped her picture. She was merely ten feet away.

There was one word in Destiny’s Gate that I had been struggling to pronounce – Anishinaabe! I decided to go to the First Nations booth and ask for assistance. Lucky for me Lisa Bird-Wilson was there signing her book Just Pretending and helped me. She did it kindly in a non-judgemental way. I thanked her profusely and said I would return to talk to her. When I did, she was speaking in the First Nations, Metis, Inuit Literary Circle. I’m sorry I missed you Lisa. Thank you for your kindness! On Saturday, right before my talk at 3 pm on the Hub Soapbox, I ran into Margaret Atwood in the ladies room. She smiled at me and I decided to say nothing. Just feeling her presence and her energy was enough for me. Two other ladies walked in behind me and were gasping at spotting Margaret, too. It was serendipity to bump into the famous speaker on the Main Stage, around the corner from the Hub, Margaret Atwood. Thank you to my family members who attended my book reading. And as I looked at each one of them sitting in the audience feeling quite proud, I noticed while reading about Grey Owl, an older gentleman with a camera man. They stopped abruptly in the aisle. He tapped his camera man on the shoulder and pointed at me. I was filmed for probably 5 minutes during my reading and wondered if I’ll ever know who they are? Afterwards, we caught a few minutes of Margaret Atwood and she was addressing darkness in books. She merely stated, “Oh, it’s been around for centuries. Think of MacBeth.” The audience members laughed. Point taken, Margaret.

Later that day, I was approached by a Rogers Cable TV producer who asked if I would consider being a part of a future show. My motto is yes as I go through this writing  journey of mine. He smiled and took my business card and book information. Next thing I know, another man walked quickly towards me and asked, “Are you Lee Bice-Matheson?” I answered, “Yes.”  He responded, “I am putting together a new show and I would like you to be a part of it. Would you?” I said, “Sure.”  He took my Author Information Sheet, my business card and said he would look over my social media and be in touch.

I heard there were librarians in the building and seeing as that is my former career, I wanted to meet them and discuss books and how great it was to be in the building with so many and the people who love them. I was introduced to Maria. A very special lady, energetic, and loyal employee of the Toronto Public Library. She shared it’s only been in the past six months that ebooks were added to their collection. She highly encouraged me to get my books on Smashwords so they could get them in the system. Plus, she encouraged me to submit the print book information. Thank you, Maria. Did I mention she said, “We love JR Colombo!” who has endorsed the Paige Maddison Series, and is my mentor, along with his lovely wife, Ruth.

I had the distinct pleasure of meeting fellow FriesenPress authors from Roland of R.J.R. Books and M.D. Heathers of The Kilted Lover. Lovely to connect with FP self-published authors. I also met the ladies of the Canadian Authors Association, and they live in and around Orillia! What a wonderful invitation to join their amazing group.

Then Sunday hit. The last day of the book fair and by this point most authors were tiring. It is a lot of work to sell and market your own books. I had the pleasure of working next to Elizabeth Hirst of Pop Seagull Publishing, and her mother. They were a breath of fresh air as they are like me – excited and passionate about promoting fantasy fiction and marketing the books themselves. On my left was author Marilyn Philips. Marilyn came up from Virginia and she made many great contacts for her book and sold daily. Across from me was Elvis Deane. He had many children drop by his table and pick up copies, as Lina La Rocca experienced too. Did I mention Lina has porcelain figures that will be available online in the next month or so? When young children came by and looked at our series, my husband Kevin and I happily directed them across the aisle. The minimum age for the Paige Maddison Series is 11 and I am upfront about this. At the end of the weekend, Elvis approached me and informed me he is a documentary filmmaker about planes. However, he wanted to do a mini documentary on self-published authors. Imagine my shock and amazement! Elvis interviewed me and it was my first time on film. It has always been a fear of mine to be on camera but Elvis, I thank you. You’ve laid that fear to rest.

Serendipity hit on the last day of the book fair. We met a wonderful gentleman, Dennis Martel. He happened by our table and I asked him if he liked ghost stories. We engaged in a long conversation that led into this life. When he found out we are originally from Sarnia, he told us how he helped with the Ipperwash standoff in 1995 while Premier Mike Harris was in office. When we mentioned we now live in Orillia,  Dennis mentioned he helped smooth negotiations for the building of Casino Rama and he knew the previous Chief Steve Payne of Rama quite well, and, recently retired Chief Sharon Henry. Small world! He read the dedication to the Aamjiwnaang First Nation and knew many of the people and smiled. His business card reads Consultant – First Nations and Metis Relations. Very interesting and wise man.

Susan Chamberlain, this narrative goes out to you! There was one author I had really wanted to meet when I first saw his name written on The Book Keeper chalkboard. Edmund Metatawabin, author of Up Ghost River. His book signing was 2 days after mine in September. It has bothered me that I was unable to be in Sarnia and listen to him speak. I first saw Mr. Metatawabin on Friday, dressed in colourful clothing, hair braided. He looked striking. I couldn’t stop as I was late for an appointment. I thought the opportunity was lost until I looked up from my table, on Sunday around lunchtime, and there he stood looking at my books. My eyes widened and I said, “There’s something you might want to read.” I opened Destiny’s Gate to the dedication page for the

Waters family and the Aamjiwnaang First Nations. Edmund read it and smiled. We had a long talk afterwards. What a kind, wise man he is. He also spoke of his home in Port Albany and it sounds beautiful. I hope we make it there someday but it’s quite secluded and not so easy to get to. How does Mr. Metatawabin make it to all of these public appearances?

Drum roll, please…And the winner is Kat from Missadventures won the Kindle Fire 7 HD from J.R. and I. She was overjoyed as Kat had always wanted a Kindle. Follow her on Twitter @katdoingstuff  She has an amazing story.

Something happened to me over the weekend that I did not expect. As I spoke to interested book lovers about the Paige Maddison Series, I realized I am not a horror author. I am a spiritual, fantasty-adventure author with a very unique message. I write for tweens but people of all ages who are young at heart are reading the Paige Maddison Series. I love to help others in their journey. Ask my neighbours at the fair. I’m not afraid to ask for help as I did ask Lisa Bird-Wilson. I love books and being in a room full of people who love books as well. It was my first book fair, after all. And finally, I realized: Tweens love the Paige Maddison Series,

Ben was excited to receive his copies of the Paige Maddison Series.

Lee Bice-Matheson with tween dressed as a fairy at the Orillia Youth Centre Halloween Spooktacular, 30/10/14

teens challenge it, and adults adore it.  Just google Lee Bice-Matheson and you’ll find the bookstores that are picking it up and ordering in the paperback editions. Ebooks are doing well on Apple ibooks. It is a slow but steady process in promoting books and one I am in for the long run. Elvis asked me a question, that surprised even me when I answered. He asked, “Would you go with a large publishing house?” “At this stage in the game,” I replied, “YES.”  To date I’ve enjoyed the autonomy of self-publishing from the book cover design, to the print version and everything in between. Now I’m ready for the big leagues. I want to be on the Main Stage next time I attend INSPIRE! TIBF. 🙂 Thank you to all of the organizers of the biggest book fair in years! It was a smooth ride for this author and one I will never forget. The people and their stories touched my heart, forever. And last but not least, I missed my co-author, J.R. Matheson. He has promised in 2015 to come along on the book tour. 🙂

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