Writing, editing, and manuscript reviewing.
Pep talks are heartfelt and free of charge.
My first picture book, Wild Trails to the Sea, is out now with Nimbus Publishing!
Exquisitely illustrated by Elena Skoreyko Wagner, a paper-collage genius, it’s full of the coastal nature adventures we had all the time when my children were little. (It is secretly also about the excruciating passage of time, and climate change, and the desperate hopes parents hold for their kids, but no one under the age of at least twenty will notice.)
Quill & Quire gave it a starred review: “The narrator’s descriptions are whimsical and graceful… Every page of this picture book is richly filled with warm colours and varying textures…a fresh, bright, exciting picture book.”
Atlantic Books Today says “Lyrical and meditative text is filled with sensory delights that are magnificently rendered in Elena Skoreyko Wagner's vibrant and dynamic illustrations.…the story is introspective and also filled with the warmth and tenderness of a parent's love for their children.”
“A beautiful book that is a wonderful wish for all children.”
–Atlantic books today
Everyone neds an editor.
I am a Halifax-based editor and author working in children's and adult fiction and non-fiction books. With over two decades in the publishing industry, I am passionate about making text of all kinds excellent.
I work with emerging writers just finding their voices, as well as award-winning and bestselling authors honing theirs to perfection. I welcome the opportunity to help you shape and polish your ideas.
My own children’s books can be found here.
“Penelope is a consummate editor.”
— George elliott clarke
I’m the senior editor at the small yet mighty Uphill Books. I also work with authors preparing to submit their work or to self-publish, as well as publishers including Acorn Press, Fernwood Publishing, and Nimbus Publishing and Vagrant Press (where I spent a happy decade as an in-house editor specializing in children's books).
My ghostwriting projects range from children's picture books to adult non-fiction books. My copywriting is mainly for existing clients now, although I do sometimes take on new work if I’m well aligned with it.
“Penelope comes along and sweeps away all the unnecessary flotsam and jetsam.”
—Lesley Crewe
I judged the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour for four years, which was an immense honour—not just because it confirmed that my sense of humour is exquisite.
I am a musician and gardener and the parent of two half-grown children who prefer not to be called feral anymore, though it still seems pretty accurate to me. As a family we hike, swim in the ocean, and, of course, read book upon book.