Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon | Updates

WRITE ON BOWEN!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I will be reading during the Saturday event Literary Cabaret and then offering a ROMANCE workshop on Sunday, September 20, at 1:30 p.m. For full info and to register, visit: https://www.writeonbowen.com/festival-schedule

For more info about my ROMANCE class: https://www.writeonbowen.com/event-details/writing-romance-that-actually-works-tension-chemistry-and-emotional-payoff-with-jenn-sommersby

Will I see you there? :D

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Catch my sessions at When Words Collide, Calgary, in August!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Tickets still available! WWC 2025 was my first rodeo with this conference, and I had the absolute best time I've ever had at a gathering of writerly humans. This year's bar is set pretty high, so I cannot wait to see friends and meet new faces and scrape all the bits out of my brain to share with you! Link for more: https://www.whenwordscollide.org/

These are my sessions as of April 1. I'll let you know if anything changes!

The plan is to also have our Bard & Bloom market booth in the Vendors Room, but I am concerned about the price of gas at the moment. I flew last year with our merch, and it was expensive with four heavy suitcases full of product, so I'd rather drive this year. We shall see if gas hits $5/L my then. *gulp*

JOIN THE FRAY. Dragons of all ilk welcome. I cannot wait to see you IRL!!!

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When Words Collide -- MY UPDATED SCHEDULE!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Hello, fellow Colliders!

My calendar for WWC is PACKED full of juicy goodness:

I will also be doing Blue Pencil appointments on Saturday morning at 9 a.m., in case you want to have a sit-down with me about your WIP. Add a blue pencil appointment with your conference registration, which is via this link (75% sold out as of June 14): https://www.whenwordscollide.org/registration.html

I hope to connect with you IN REAL LIFE!

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Um, so THIS is cool -- plus it's almost time for CowTown!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Lookie here! Your girl is in BC BookWorld's BookLook Who's Who! I had no idea until my friend Jen Landels (from Pulp Literature) pinged me on Discord and said HEY LOOK. Wow! What a lovely surprise. Thanks to BC BookWorld and to whoever chose to include Eliza Gordon/Jenn Sommersby in the list with Wish Upon a Rosie. I am absolutely chuffed! I'm not sure if this is just the digital version or if it's in the print edition that folks can grab on BC Ferries (and elsewhere), but I am so, so, so excited to see that a romance/women's fiction made their list. I've spent hours poring over these newspapers, dreaming about how cool it would be to someday see one of my books in the local spotlight ... I hope that means a few more readers will find Rosie Grant and Ben Strong.

ALSO: Tomorrow night, I'm heading to Calgary to haunt the Hyatt for When Words Collide! I will be presenting a workshop on using IBPA standards to professionalize indie-published books as well as a workshop on what to expect when working with a freelance editor. I'm moderating a couple panels too, and I adore talking to and hanging out with WRITERS. (Can you see me bouncing in my chair? Because I'm definitely bouncing in my chair and it's not because of ants in my pants or a need to use the loo.) I AM SO EXCITED, MY HEART MIGHT BURST.

Except I can make sure my cardiac health is stable because my darling friend Tara upgraded her Apple Watch and gave me the one she wasn't using, so now I can monitor my ECG in real time. I will definitely know if my heart is gonna burst from excitement. I also don't know if it's good that I can obsess over my cardiac tracings. Stay tuned.

If you are GOING to When Words Collide, please make sure to find me and say hello! I'll be in uniform, like always. 😉 And if you're going on a BC Ferry, grab me a copy of BC BookWorld!

More updates to follow. Wish me travel luck!

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Fiction writers -- does CMoS freak you out?

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Sun, 2 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

First, a few of you are probably like What the hell is a CMoS, Jenn? Sorry. Totally fair question. CMoS = the Chicago Manual of Style, which is the industry-standard style guide used in North American publishing. It's a brick of a book, in iconic orange (though the 18th edition has a spunky yellow dustjacket), and "serious writers" usually have a copy on their shelves, even if they don't have the first clue how to use it. (LOL, maybe that was just me back in the '90s ...)

Since I'm a FT editor, CMoS is very much part of my day-to-day practice; I've even gone so far as to call it my bible. I mean, it is pretty holy to the editorial minded among us. SO MANY ANSWERS to vexing questions.

BUT if you are looking for quick, helpful answers to common conundrums, they have a very cool section in the Shop Talk section of their website called Fiction Plus. It answers some of the most common questions I get asked, from punctuation and grammar to manuscript preparation and fair use. Give it a gander at https://cmosshoptalk.com/fiction-plus/.

Hope this is of use!

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THIS WEDS: I get to chat with Canada Reads winner LOGHAN PAYLOR!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Sun, 2 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Hello, bookish darlings!

This week, I will be talking with 2026 Canada Reads winner Loghan Paylor, and I'm actually kinda nervous because I might spend the entire hour of WRITER TALK telling them what a bloody genius they are and how much I love The Cure for Drowning, so much so that I might read it again once I finish just to highlight specific sentences. Like, how do some authors just make it look so effortless? Aren't we lucky as readers that they do?

JOIN US. Free to the public (donations to the Fed always welcome, of course), Wednesday, August 5, 7 p.m. PT.

Register: https://www.bcwriters.ca/event-6742863

Come get inspired.

Locals, grab your copy at Western Sky Books or find your preferred retailer at https://loghanpaylor.com/.

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My next WRITER TALK is this Wednesday!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Where are my romance fanatics? This Wednesday, July 29, at 7 p.m., I am excited to welcome multi-published novelist Jody Holford (who also writes as Sophie Sullivan) and debut author Kalie Holford to my Zoom stage! Bring your questions about writing, publishing, romancelandia, and the latest on what our authors are up to.

About my guests:

A mother-daughter writing duo? YES, please!

Jody Holford/Sophie Sullivan is a multi-published, Canadian author of romcoms and cozy mysteries. She's written more than thirty books and never gets tired of swoon-worthy moments in books she's reading or writing. When she's not lost in words, she's watching reruns of Friends, hanging with her family, and playing with her puppies.

Kalie Holford is an author and grad student studying Library and Information Studies. She resides in British Columbia where she lives with her family and two puppies. She loves Mamma Mia!, country music, and love songs and stories. Her passion is writing books about messy girls who make mistakes, learn to love, and grow alongside each other, and her debut, The Last Love Song, features all of these things. When she's not writing, she's likely making graphic designs, studying, or re-organizing her bookshelves for the thousandth time. She can also be found at @kalieholford on Instagram and TikTok.

After the initial Q&A, attendees will have the opportunity to ask their own questions and join the discussion. If you’ve ever wanted to sit in on the kinds of conversations that usually happen behind closed doors, then we shall save you a spot!

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Curious about indie/self-publishing? Have I got a CLASS for you!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I am SO EXCITED that I finally get to teach a Self-Publishing 101 class!!! Join me via the Federation of BC Writers, starting July 11 and running for seven Saturday mornings from 10:30 till noonish (minus the BC Day long weekend) for everything you've ever wanted to know about self-publishing and how to get YOUR book into the world!

I will do my absolute best to leave no stone unturned. I want to give you the latest, most up-to-date info about best practices, the 101 basics, pitfalls and potholes and how to avoid them (or at least bandage your ankle so you can keep going) ... I've been indie publishing and editing for indie authors since the Kindle gold rush days of 2010 and have learned a few things. Join me so I can fill your brain full of knowledge and inspiration!

The cost is $210 CAD for FBCW members (works out to just $30/session) or $280 CAD if you're not an FBCW member (why aren't you an FBCW member ...). I am an open book and will provide exhaustive resources for you to make SMART DECISIONS about the future of your publishing endeavours.

REGISTER HERE: https://www.bcwriters.ca/event-6729143

I'm stoked to finally bring this class to life. JOIN ME.

See you on the INKSIDE!

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Our next (free!) WRITER TALK is a week from today ... register now!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Wed, 8 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A casual Q&A chat via Zoom about the publishing industry with The Rights Factory agent Jennifer Chevais.

Price: Free! (Donations always welcome.)

Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 7 p.m. PT

Link to register: https://bcwriters.ca/event-6693612

About my guest:

Literary agent Jennifer Chevais is a generalist with a strong interest in commercial horror, speculative fiction, as well as children’s fiction and “just the right fit” nonfiction projects. As a generalist she is primarily drawn to character-driven stories peopled by characters so strong they'll either break your heart or pull it right out of your body.

She can be found online at www.therightsfactory.com/Agents/jennifer-chevais.

See you next week!

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I'm teaching SELF-PUBLISHING 101, starting this Saturday! See you there?

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Wed, 8 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Three more days until we get underway! My seven-week Self-Publishing 101 course will include:

Understanding Self-Publishing
Strategy, Manuscript Readiness, and Project Planning
Book Packaging, Design, and Production
Platforms, Distribution, and Publishing Setup
Author Platform, Branding, and Reader Pathways
Marketing and Launch Planning
After Publication and Long-Term Author Business

There will be some wiggle room and/or switcheroos if folks have very specific topics they want/need addressed. And if this course goes well, I hope to do a "201 level" class this fall!

Link: https://bcwriters.ca/event-6729143

See you on the inkside!

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I am teaching my DREAM CLASS: Self-Publishing 101! We start July 11!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I am SO EXCITED that I finally get to teach a Self-Publishing 101 class!!! Join me via the Federation of BC Writers, starting July 11 and running for seven Saturday mornings from 10:30 till noonish (minus the BC Day long weekend) for everything you've ever wanted to know about self-publishing and how to get YOUR book into the world!

REGISTER HERE: https://www.bcwriters.ca/event-6729143

I'm stoked to finally bring this class to life. JOIN ME.

See you on the INKSIDE!

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The WRITE ON BOWEN Festival schedule is LIVE -- and I'll be presenting!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Write on Bowen runs Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20, 2026, on Bowen Island -- it will be my first time there (and Saturday is my birthday, so come party with me)!

Early bird tickets are available now at their website: https://www.writeonbowen.com/festival-schedule

I will be participating in the Saturday evening Literary Cabaret (https://www.writeonbowen.com/literarycabaret) and then offering a ROMANCE workshop on Sunday (because of course I am). A bunch of my amazing word warrior friends will also be teaching during this weekend event, including Eileen Cook, Andrew Buckley, Lynne Melcombe, and Michelle Barker and David Brown of the Darling Axe! I'm so looking forward to hanging out and learning all the things.

For those interested in my Sunday session:

Writing Romance That Actually Works: Tension, Chemistry, and Emotional Payoff, with Jenn Sommersby

Time & Location: Sep 20, 2026, 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., Bowen Island Public Library Annex, 430 Bowen Island Trunk Rd, Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G0, Canada

About the Event

Romance is one of the most commercially powerful genres in publishing, yet it’s still often misunderstood, dismissed, or reduced to cliché. In this interactive workshop, author and editor Jenn Sommersby explores what actually makes a romantic storyline work on the page. We’ll look at the difference between attraction and chemistry, how tension grows through scene work and character dynamics, why emotional payoff has to be earned, and what common missteps weaken a love story. Ideal for romance writers and for fiction writers who want to create stronger emotional and relational arcs in any genre.

Let me know if you're going. We should grab a drink and catch up!

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EDIT TREK: THE NEXT ITERATION starts Monday!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

JOIN US! Resistance is futile -- at least when it comes to revising and editing your work.

LINK: https://www.bcwriters.ca/event-6694048

We start Monday, June 22 at 11 a.m. with a tech run-through, followed by the first instructional session at 2 p.m. with award-winning author and longtime editor Gail Anderson Dargatz teaching Big-Picture Revision: Turn Your Good Book into a Great One, and a 7 p.m. session with editor Cindi Jackson bringing us Practical Editing Tools: More Than Just Find & Replace.

SO much excellent advice and education headed your way. Here's the full schedule:

YES, these sessions will be recorded (except the Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. sprints, since we don't record writing sprint sessions). Paid participants will receive the recordings after the week has concluded and have 45 days to view the sessions.

SEE YOU ON THE INKSIDE!

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THIS WEDS: WRITER TALK feat. award-winning author and Orca Books editor, GABRIELLE PRENDERGAST!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Wednesday, June 17, 7 p.m., via Zoom. FREE to the public! Register here: https://www.bcwriters.ca/event-6695097

WRITER TALK is the Federation of BC Writers' new live interview series designed to pull back the golden curtain on the publishing world. Casual chitchat—not a workshop or webinar—a low-key Q&A between host and guest where you can bring your writing and publishing questions.

Each session features a guest from within this crazy industry—writers of all career stages repping a variety of genres and styles, successfully published authors, freelance and publishing house editors, agents, publicists, and other book-world professionals—in a candid chat meant to inform and inspire. We’ll dig into the real questions we all have about how to go from page 1 to published.

Digital doors open at 6:55 pm!

**This event will be recorded. A link to the recording will be emailed to registrants within a week of the session. The recording will be available for 45 days.

About our Guest:

G. S. (Gabrielle) Prendergast is the bestselling author of numerous books for children and teens. Her books have received nominations for the White Pine Award, the Silver Birch Award, the Canadian Library Association Award, the Vancouver Book Prize, and several other honors. She won the BC Book Prize for her YA sci-fi Zero Repeat Forever and the Westchester Award for her YA novel in verse Audacious. Born in the UK and both an Australian and New Zealand citizen, Gabrielle now writes and works as a children’s book editor and lives in East Vancouver in a permanent state of “under-construction."

She can be found online at gsprendergast.com.

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ROSIE is a finalist!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I don't enter contests ... it's a confidence issue, I suppose. Some folks will balk at having to pay an entry fee for a contest, which I find kind of funny and entitled at the same time. You do realize humans are behind the considerable administrative work AND the part where they have to read your book, right? So, they're supposed to volunteer their time to read 800 submissions? I think not.

Also, if your writing is that stunning, chances are the awards are chasing you. For the rest of us, however, a little admiration goes a long way. So I was thrilled to learn that Wish Upon a Rosie was a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards. Nope, she didn't win a cash prize or a promise of publication with a big 5 or a one-on-one with an agent. But that's not why I entered the contest.

I thought it would be cool to see how she did against her peers. She did OK, being one of seven women's fiction titles chosen as a finalist for a twenty-year-old awards program with a solid reputation among independent presses and self-publishers.

That's a win in my book.

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WRITER TALK is happening! June 3, 7 p.m., via Zoom!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Join me in conversation with Canadian best-selling author KA Tucker. We're going to hang out for an hour-ish and talk shop--about her publishing journey, lessons learned, and OF COURSE, about her imminent new release (June 16), North Country, which I looooooved.

This event is free (donations always welcome since, ya know, nonprofit and all that), via Zoom, 7 p.m. PT. Please do register in advance.

REGISTER HERE: https://www.bcwriters.ca/event-6692057

Preorder her book and learn more about KA Tucker here: https://www.katuckerbooks.com/

See you there!

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Where are my MEMOIR writers? Join our writing intensive!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Sun, 3 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Hey, personal essayists and memoirists! The Federation of BC Writers is putting on a week-long MEMOIR INTENSIVE writing event online via Zoom, from May 11 to 15, 2026! The team has been working hard to put together a stellar lineup of talent, so I hope you grab a ticket and pull up a chair.

The full schedule and registration information is available on the Fed website at: https://bcwriters.ca/event-6629006

I will be hosting a bunch of sessions that week, including the 9 a.m. sprints (with prompts provided!), so take an hour or two out of your busy day to focus on your creative work.

Yes, the instructional sessions will be recorded for viewing at a later time, so if the daytime schedule doesn't jibe, you have 45 days post-event to catch up.

Hit me with questions at jennifer@bcwriters.ca!

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Going to Word on the Lake? COME SAY HELLO!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Sun, 3 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I will be hanging out with the Federation of BC Writers, so pop by, say hello, pick up the latest copy of WordWorks, buy our just-released anthology, and/or JOIN THE FED FUN if you haven't already. We would love to see you!

For more info on the Festival, click through: https://wordonthelakewritersfestival.com/

Can't wait to visit Salmon Arm for the first time!

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I know it's late notice, but JOIN US TODAY AT 10 A.M. PACIFIC for an Instagram Live author chat!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

GOING LIVE on Instagram this morning @ 10 a.m. PT to talk about WISH UPON A ROSIE, upcoming books, and the writing life. Join us!

Follow https://www.instagram.com/jhscolloquium to tune in.

Wish me luck! 🤓

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Up at Loon Lake Retreat Centre in Maple Ridge, BC, this week with the Federation of BC Writers!

Jennifer Sommersby / Eliza Gordon — Thu, 9 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Quick check-in to say HELLO from Loon Lake, BC! I cannot believe this place is a mere 40 minutes from my house; I feel like I've traveled a great distance to find this kind of solitude, in the middle of a forest on UBC property. It's a 15-minute drive on a gravelled, bumpy road to reach the lodges from the main gate, and I love it up here. Have I mentioned today how much I love living in British Columbia?!?

The lake itself is like glass in the morning, unless it's raining and then the fog hovers low and the water's surface wavers and shimmies from raindrops and whatever breeze sneaks through. I've yet to see a loon (or a bear or a cougar), but we do have a squirrel named Jeremy who will sneak in through any open doors to steal any available snacks. (And apparently we have a mouse in our building who helped herself to some chocolate-covered ginger snacks on Tuesday; this morning upon making my coffee, I discovered that the whiskered perp had climbed into my Ziploc bag containing my mushroom coffee, etc., and helped herself to the napkin-wrapped cranberry cookie I'd purloined from the dining hall yesterday. If I fall ill with hanta virus in the next week, blame the mouse. I mean, it was a good cookie, I will say.)

The Fed has use of the Johnson Cabins, which are two gorgeous log cabin buildings with eight lodging rooms each (and accommodation for multiple people per room), plus the expansive downstairs meeting rooms where our workshops and writing sessions happen. I've been staying in another building called the Pan Abode -- SO cool -- rooming with fellow author and editor Cadence Mandybura, a delightful roommate all around. (Her half of the room is super tidy; mine looks like a bomb went off. Naturally.) The Pan Abode has its own kitchenette and huge meeting space for folks to work and talk at tables or in the comfy forest-themed sofa chairs. The buildings pretty much all have gas fireplaces, which are great on chilly nights. Oh, and we get delicious three meals a day in the Bentley Dining Hall. Seriously -- staying in the middle of the forest in a warm cabin with running water, plenty of bathrooms, 24-hour access to hot coffee, and three scrumptious meals every single day? WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER.

Click through for more on this gorgeous place: https://loonlake.ubc.ca/. Honestly, I wish I could live up here all the time.

On Tuesday night some of the braver souls in our troupe of scribes willingly and voluntarily did a cold plunge IN THE LAKE, followed by a spell in the sauna. Alas, I am not a brave soul. I am still shivering from the mandatory swimming qualification lesson in the unheated pool that sat in the shadow of huge trees at Campfire camp when I was 10. Brrrrrrr. Big ol' nope.

Last night we were treated to a "fireside chat" (which was actually indoors and not anywhere near a fire, other than the digital one on the projector screen, LOL) with Dr. Finnian Burnett, one of my MOST favourite people and writers on the planet. They read a few flash fiction pieces from their latest novella-in-flash, Redshirts Sometimes Survive, and damn it, they had half the room in tears. Finn's writing is so raw and powerful. PLEASE check out their latest release (especially you Star Trek fans!): https://finnburnett.com/.

Since I'm on the Federation of BC Writers team, this week I've continued with my online morning sprint group "on location." We did the Monday night as normal too; tomorrow (Friday), I will be back home in plenty of time for the 5:30 p.m. session, so you should join us! I will be sad to leave this gorgeous venue, but Rosie Cotton will be glad to have her mom back.

Today is another workshop with Finn Burnett and their partner-in-most-crimes, the hilarious and talented Andrew Buckley (https://www.andrewbuckleyauthor.com/), I have a couple of one-on-one sessions with folks who want to talk about publishing options, then tonight is our open mic. Not sure if I'll read anything yet ... there are 33 people in our group, which is a LOT, so we'll see. They've probably heard enough from me this week.

Seriously, if you ever have an opportunity to do a Loon Lake writing retreat (or a retreat anywhere outside of your usual four walls), I highly recommend it. Though I've been working on client edits -- my day job follows me everywhere -- I have squeezed in a few hundred words here and there on Please Don't Make Me Read This, which continues to expand like two-part insulation foam. Wow.

Also, if you're interested in sprint sessions on the WEEKENDS, Alli will be running one from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Sunday, starting this weekend. Register here: https://www.bcwriters.ca/event-6636787 - As always, free for Fed of BC Writers members or a guest ticket is $35 CAD for eight writing sessions.

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