The Rise and Fall of Derek Cowell

 Hi, my name is Derek Cowell.

You might remember me from when I was popular.

Before that, I was invisible. And after.. well, that's a long story.

I never expected to become popular. It just sort of happened.

An accidental photobomb, a chance encounter with a real live celebrity, and suddenly, I was somebody.

These things never last, though, unless you help them along.

That's where I ran into trouble.

Read the first chapter here!

  

Reviewed in Atlantic Books Today 

 

Award News for this book:

 

Shortlisted for the 2021 Red Maple Award! 

Shortlisted for the 2022 MYRCA Northern Lights

 

 

Random Acts

In the haze of a food-induced stupor, Zoey Dalton and her best friends Bean and Jenna make a pledge to begin performing random acts of kindness—anonymously. Their previous track record for good deeds is pretty much a flat line, so anything they do to help others is bound to be an improvement.

Or is it?

What if the random acts of kindness are unwanted and misunderstood? What if, instead of spreading joy and good will, the trio’s actions stir up trouble, wreak havoc and maybe even cause bodily harm?

That, of course, would be a different story.

This story, in fact.

News Updates for Random Acts!

Random Acts was one of ten titles selected for the 2016 All-Star Reading Challenge, 

kicked off by DeMar DeRozan!

Random Acts has been reviewed in:

Quill & Quire

CM Magazine

Driftwood

A personal favorite!!

It never stops being thrilling - seeing a new book for the first time. I'm especially excited about this one - it's the first time I've written a novel that has stories within the main story. Loved my main character -- loved all the characters, actually, and the way everything came together.

About the story:

Adam's summer is off to a disappointing start. His so-called "best friend" has bailed on him, choosing to stay behind to care for a sick dog, instead of joining Adam and his family at the seaside campground as planned. Adam is furious with Billy for abandoning him, impatient with his mother for her artistic obsessions, and embarrassed by his dad's lame attempts at being funny. At least an ever-changing cast of new summer friends proves to be an entertaining distraction: Joey, the shoe-thief with the cute sister; the mischievous Linden twins; enigmatic Nevin; and Ethan, the adventurer. But it is Theo, the blind gentleman up on the hill, with his magical stories of driftwood, who helps Adam to see the true nature of friendship.

A middle grade novel.

Updates for Driftwood

Shortlisted for the Canadian Library Association 2014 Book of the Year for Children

Shortlisted for the 2015 Rocky Mountain Book Award

Shortlisted for the 2016 Hackmatack Award