Our 2024 White Pines Authors Part 2

The Port Moody Public Library created the White Pines Local Author Collection to highlight and support local authors, poets, and illustrators from our community. We launched the collection in May 2019 with 12 inaugural authors.

Now, with over 100 authors represented, the collection has grown to house even more creative and diverse submissions from members of our community. You can browse our White Pines Collection online to place holds on items, or in person at the Library under the green White Pines sign.

Juliana Negreiros

Dr. Juliana Negreiros

Juliana Negreiros, Ph.D., is a devoted mother of two, registered psychologist, and clinical director at Beacon Psychology Clinic in Port Moody. Her passion lies in empowering children and youth facing anxiety, OCD, and behavioural challenges to have fun and fulfilling lives. Juliana's commitment to helping kids extends beyond her clinic walls. In collaboration with Anxiety Canada, she has created online resources and province-wide classroom lessons tailored to equip students to manage anxiety. In addition, Juliana is an energetic and engaging speaker who has contributed to podcasts and speaking engagements nationwide. Find out more about Juliana at https://www.beaconpsychology.ca/

Book cover of Getting Comfortable with Uncertainty for Teens by Juliana Negreiros

Book: Getting Comfortable with Uncertainty for Teens: 10 Tips to Overcome Anxiety

In this friendly guide just for teens, you’ll gain a greater understanding of how uncertainty can trigger feelings of anxiety, fear, worry, and self-doubt. Grounded in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), the book offers ten skills-based tips to help you take “smart risks,” stop avoiding the things that make you feel uneasy and bounce back from challenges and setbacks. Most importantly, you’ll learn to become more comfortable with uncertainty, and take valued actions toward creating positive change in your life—and the world.

Borrow Getting Comfortable with Uncertainty for Teens from the Library.

What inspired Juliana to write Getting Comfortable with Uncertainty for Teens?

Throughout her career, Juliana has had the privilege of helping kids, teens, and families who've made amazing progress in therapy. Seeing how well her strategies worked inspired her to share them beyond therapy sessions. She wanted to reach homes, schools, and mental health places. As a result, writing a book with strategies that work allowed her to connect with many more people at once.

What challenges has Juliana encountered while writing?

Juliana wears many hats, so balancing her life and work with writing was tough. This was especially true when it came to writing a book for teens during the start of the pandemic! The book had to be interesting, relatable, and helpful for any teen, and it had to be written before the sun came up (and her young kids woke up).

Christine Henry

Christine is a navy brat, born in England. In her childhood, she experienced numerous moves: starting in the UK, then Canada coast to coast. The only constant during this time was her books, her siblings, and their family pet, a black cat named Sam. Sam was an amazing cat. She helped Christine transition and even accompanied her to and from school. Sam was a brave,  bold cat and lived to twenty years of age.

Parenthood started Christine on a new path of creativity, which she didn’t know she had. She learned to paint with her then young son, and create funny stories about their family adventures, including their pets. Since Christine has always been intrigued with the black cat personality, she created the story of Burt, a very clever cat.

Find out more about Christine at https://christinehenryauthor.com/

Book: Burt the Airport Cat

Burt is a black cat about to embark on a family adventure. But at the airport, he is separated from his family and accidentally left behind to fend for himself. Burt is a curious cat by nature and decides to take advantage of his new surroundings and explore the airport. He meets new friends: Valkyrie, Scout, and the Padre, and samples local cuisine. The kindness of his friends is remarkable and enduring. But will he ever reunite with his family? Join him on a quest to learn more.

Borrow Burt the Airport Cat from the Library.

What inspired Christine to become a writer?

For most of her life, Christine dreamed of being a writer, but because of school struggles and a learning disability, writing eluded her. Not until university did Christine master the craft of writing and take an English course in children’s literature which truly inspired her. Christine loved revisiting children’s classics, such as The Hobbit, The Wind in the Willows, and Peter Pan; and shared her enthusiasm with her then young son. Together they enjoyed story time, especially when Christine made up stories of family adventures including their mischievous cats. Thus began the story of brave, bold Burt, and his airport family adventure. Christine pitched her story to friends and even the airport chaplain, all of whom were encouraging.

What has been the most challenging part of writing for Christine?

The most challenging part with writing is starting. As a first-time author, Christine didn’t know how to execute her story nor her drawings. A friend encouraged her to just write a “crappy” draft, adding the illustrations later. He was right! Many rewrites later (including her partner's editorial input), Christine finally had a working manuscript. Only then could Christine visualize the illustrations. She sketched the storyboard, and her watercolour illustrations followed soon after.

David Carey

David Carey is a photographer living in Port Moody. He received his Master of Fine Arts (Photography) from Bard College, New York and his work has been featured in a number of one-person shows.

Recent local shows include: “The Gnomes of Port Moody” at PoMoArts, “A Boy’s Dream” at the Outlet Gallery, and “Old Shacks – New Context” at Place des Arts. Previous shows have focused on childhood themes: toy animals taking over a house, “bookworms” who live in books and build structures to help the characters in the book, and the adventurous life of a cactus.

Find out more about David at https://www.davidcareyimages.com/

Book: Mashups – Classical Paintings Altered

This book presents a selection from the photographer's project, Mashups, which are classical paintings (in the public domain) modified to produce new art that is humorous and sometimes poignant. The art works can be appreciated for their original beauty along with the sometimes-quirky modifications.

The term "mashup" implies a creative remixing or recombination of existing elements to produce something new and often unexpected. When creating his mashups, David starts with a photograph of an original piece of art, usually a painting, and then uses Photoshop to add modifications to it. The small thumbnail in the book shows you what the painting looked like before it was altered.

Borrow Mashups – Classical Paintings Altered from the Library.

What inspires David to photograph?

David has been taking photographs ever since his mother gave him her folding camera at age twelve. The exciting challenge for David through the years has been to produce distinctive and unusual photographs. His work has been described as “quirky”! He also enjoys trying to produce pleasing compositions in his artwork. Growing up he was very influenced by his favourite painter, Alex Colville, whose paintings had mathematically perfect arrangements of subject matter.

What challenges has David faced with his photography?

The biggest challenge David has faced through the years has been to come up with ideas for unique photographic projects. Though he is inspired by other’s portfolios he strives to achieve a balance between their influence and creating his own distinctive shows.

Carmy Stubbs

Carmy Stubbs is a reader, writer, storyteller, and poet. She is a lover of the Word and its power for transformation. She is the author of The Six Knowings of ASAIRA, where all her loves - the poems, the magic, the storytelling, the creative force of the Heart, the profound mysteries of life, and the search for the Divine - weave themselves alchemically through text and illustration. Carmy lives in Port Coquitlam with her husband, Antonio, and the newest member of the family, their sweet little doggy, Milo. 

Find out more about Carmy at https://www.carmystubbs.com/

Book: The Six Knowings of ASAIRA

This is a story of transformation; a spiritual quest that takes a young woman named Aileen into six magical realms, each with a profound revelation or 'Knowing'. Things take an unexpected turn when the Storyteller spirals into an existential crisis while Aileen is lost in one of the Realms. Finally, the Reader must enter the story to save both Aileen and the Storyteller and ultimately, fulfill an Ancient Promise made at the beginning of humanity: that “The 3” - Aileen, the Storyteller, and the Reader - are destined to meet and remember who they really are, a realization that will change our world forever.

Borrow The Six Knowings of ASAIRA from the Library.

What inspired Carmy to become a writer?

There have always been books in Carmy’s world! As a child in England, she was an avid reader, and her favourite school subject was creative writing. Later, as an adult living in Spain, she majored in English Philology, which included studies of English, Spanish, and French literature. However, even though Carmy loved writing, she never saw herself as a writer. That all changed about twenty years ago when Carmy found herself on a spiritual path of self-realization and discovery that made her see the world in a new and different light. And her heart yearned to express and share all that it was feeling! Since then, Carmy hasn’t stopped writing, drawing and creating. First, it was mostly poetry from the heart, then it was short stories, and then one day, one of the short stories started growing and growing, and after twelve years, the short story had turned into a five hundred and sixty-three-page illustrated, metaphysical fantasy!

To answer the question of what inspired Carmy to be a writer: Carmy would say that it was an alchemy and synergy of all her experiences living in England, Spain, and Canada, as a reader, a teacher, a spiritual seeker and finder, and most importantly, fearlessly listening to the heart and its creative force.

What has been the most challenging part of writing for Carmy?

Self-doubt, fear, and imposter syndrome. All three manifested themselves also on the spiritual path, and that’s how the writing and Carmy’s inner journey intertwined. They are also the themes present in The Six Knowings of ASAIRA. To find one’s true voice and to know one’s true self can take a lot of courage, and the doubts may overwhelm and paralyze. Yet, these challenges became part of the fuel for Carmy’s writing and the actual story. For Carmy, the solution was to carry on, no matter what the fear might say. On another level it was crystal clear for Carmy that she had to get to the end of the story, and that she needed to share it, however terrifying that appeared to be. The heart was open and exposed, and of course, that felt frightening, but it was also magical and exciting, and truly astonishing and amazing to see how the story unfolded as if Carmy had nothing to do with it!

Logan Macnair

Logan Macnair is a researcher, criminology instructor, and novelist based out of Burnaby. His second novel Troll  is a fictionalized account of his PhD research on extremist movements, online radicalization, and the roles and effects of modern digital media.

Find out more about Logan at https://www.loganmacnair.com or on social media:
Instagram: @loganmacnair
Twitter/X: @LoganMacnair

Book: Troll

When aspiring actor Peter Riley is given the assignment in his drama class to perform in a YouTube-style video, he creates the character of 'Petrol Riley,' a satire of a politically extreme right-wing conspiracy theorist. Peter is soon surprised to learn that the video he has uploaded has gone unexpectedly viral, with thousands of viewers misinterpreting his satirical performance as genuine. Seeing this as his path toward fame, Peter commits to portraying the hatemongering character of Petrol full-time, building a devout and rabid fanbase of online supporters that only grow more loyal and extreme the more hateful Petrol's rhetoric becomes. As his reach grows, Peter must reconcile with his notoriety and decide whether this newfound fame is worth the influence he is having on his legions of impressionable online admirers.

Borrow Troll from the Library.

What inspired Logan to write Troll?

Like many of his generation, Logan was raised on the early days of the Internet, and he watched it change and evolve as he grew up alongside it. He was inspired to write Troll after witnessing over the years how the Internet, despite all the positive impacts it has had on modern life, also tended to draw out the worst and ugliest aspects of both individuals and society more broadly. For a long time, Logan has been deeply curious about the role that the Internet has had on things such as political extremism, the spread of conspiracy theories, social division, and alienation, and with Troll he attempted to provide what he saw as a potential answer for some of these things. Logan decided to write Troll at the same time he was writing his PhD dissertation (which tackles the similar topic of online extremism) when it became clear to him that he had much more to say about the subject that he wouldn't necessarily be able to convey in the sometimes more limiting form of academic writing. When writing fiction, you are provided certain creative freedoms that really allow you to explore a topic in unique and, in this case, often unsettling ways.

What has been the most challenging part of writing Troll?

The most challenging part of writing Troll was the research that needed to be done in order to effectively capture the 'voice' of some pretty hateful and misanthropic people. This involved a years-long exposure to certain dark corners of the Internet that would normally be better left unexplored. The struggle to get inside these characters' heads and portray them with authenticity and accuracy (rather than just as hollow tropes) took a bit of an emotional toll on Logan after a while. After finishing the book, he took an extended (and much needed) break from the Internet to readjust himself!

Cara Komukai

Cara Komukai is a fifteen-year-old girl who loves art, singing, dancing, make up, and creating stories. Cara also happens to have Down syndrome and a repaired AVSD heart defect, but that doesn’t hold her back. Cara wrote her book, Rainbow Puppy Daycare, when she was thirteen years old and had to take classes online because of the pandemic. Nowadays, she enjoys visiting schools to read her story and show young people that they can do anything they want. All you need is the right support and a big imagination!

Book: Rainbow Puppy Daycare

Reggie and Olive are two naughty puppies who are causing a lot of trouble at Rainbow Puppy Daycare until Cara comes up with a clever solution. Rainbow Puppy Daycare  will delight children with its rhythmical style and colourful illustrations. This playful story comes from the imagination of Cara herself, a thirteen-year-old girl with Down syndrome. Cara and her Education Assistant studied online for many months during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this book is a testament to Cara's hard work, determination, and creativity.

Borrow Rainbow Puppy Daycare from the Library.

What inspires Cara to write?

Cara wants to show other people who read her book that they can be an author too. She wants to tell children with Down syndrome, "Don't give up!", and if you get bullied, "Stay strong!"

What was the most challenging part of writing for Cara?

Cara wrote her story when she was taking classes online during COVID-19. The challenge was feeling sad and frustrated because she was at home every day, but creating the story helped her cheer up.

Melody and Arric Fowler

Melody and Arric are a husband and wife writing team. Melody is a free spirit, a recognized painter, and a poet native to Vancouver, BC. Arric was born in Chicago, Illinois, an entrepreneur whose colourful life includes the heavy influence of his beloved late Grandmother with whom he lived in Mississippi for many years. The time they both spent listening to Arric's late Grandmother, Loucindia's stories inspired their current work, the multi-award winning How We Healed. They now live outside Vancouver, where their backyard, affectionately known as the "Fowler Vineyard," continues to produce amazing wines and jellies.

Find out more about Melody and Arric at https://www.melodyfowler.com/ or on social media:
Instagram: @melodyfowler_poeticgems
X (Twitter): @LadyLuckMelody
Tiktok: @melody_fowler

Book: How We Healed

How We Healed follows Drunetta Brown, an oppressed black housewife desperate to escape her drunkard husband and small-town southern life. After fleeing with her youngest children to New York City in 1957, she finds unlikely friendship with Sister Rose, a church secretary, and Miss "Raycie" Rayceen, a boisterous bar singer. These women prove to be the right friends at the right time as they help Drunetta navigate her journey of self-discovery. With a determination uncharacteristic of her time, Drunetta ultimately learns what's worth sacrificing - and, more importantly, what isn't - to secure her place in a changing world

Borrow How We Healed from the Library.

Book: Life Lyrics: Love, Sex and Other Deviances

Life Lyrics are insightful reflections that leave you with the sensation that Melody has reached into your heart, held your feelings in her hands, and then lets her pen tell your story, and often hers.

Borrow Life Lyrics from the Library.

What inspired Melody to become a writer?

Since learning how to, Melody has been an ardent reader, finding that it broadens the mind to infinite possibilities. Through books, one can traverse not only the globe but entire universes, gaining insight into lives and perspectives otherwise beyond reach. For Melody, reading became the catalyst for writing, a desire to share the gift she’d received.

What is the most challenging part of writing for Melody and Arric?

Richard Wagamese taught Melody a crucial lesson: perfectionism has no place in the initial draft. The essence lies in getting the story onto paper, refining it later. The true challenge lies not in the writing itself but in resisting the urge to overanalyze that first draft. Writing serves as therapy for both Melody and Arric. They both feel that it's not the act of writing that poses difficulty, but rather the daunting task of marketing oneself. Even for extroverts, putting oneself out there is no small feat.

About the White Pines Local Author Collection

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