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How do you comb your own life for a story that will resonate with readers? What's the burning question every reader asks about memoir? And this authorial mystery known as a voice: how do you connect with yours? Rona Maynard, memoirist and former Editor of Chatelaine, covers all the essentials in an intimate, one-day workshop that suits all levels. [more]

The most challenging threat to any work force is the one nobody sees. It doesn't put people in wheelchairs or cause hacking coughs. Because it strikes the mind and not the body, it's easily mistaken for a bad attitude. When mental illness struck one of my most gifted staffers, I was slow to recognize the signs. Hear the story--and the lessons for your organization--at the HRPA 2013 conference in Toronto on January 24. [more]

It's been more than 25 years since I felt so unworthy of life that my fantasies involved a bathtub and a razor blade. But I'll never forget the soul-crushing despair that touches one in five of us at some point in our lives. That's why I'm so honoured to be sharing my story across the country. Next date: May 10 at a fundraiser for Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg, Ontario. Tickets are selling briskly, so don't miss out--order yours today. [more]

Save the date, Toronto friends: on May 4 I'm the opening keynote speaker at Ignite 'n' Connect, and I'd love to see you there. If 2012 is your year to start living your dream instead of consigning it to the bottom of your "someday" list, this conference is for you. [more]

Do you ever find you've got so many demands on your time, your to-do list could paper every room in your home? I know the feeling. That's why I'm excited to be the opening keynote speaker for Breathe Now, a one-of-a-kind conference in Victoria April 14-15. It's still not too late to order your ticket. [more]

In the closing moments of my memoir workshop, someone always exclaims, "Five o'clock already? The hours flew by!" Or words to that effect. No one can believe it's so much fun to focus hard for a whole day on pulling a vivid, forward-driving tale from the raggedness of real life. Now's your chance to find out what you've been missing. I've just scheduled spring sessions for March 24 and April 21. [more]

Is there a woman on your Christmas gift list who already has plenty of sweaters but can't resist a book to sink into? I have just the book for the occasion--my memoir, My Mother's Daughter, which Alice Munro called "wonderfully honest and enthralling." Buy your personally inscribed copy directly from me at a special price including postage. [more]

When I landed a career-shaping job as Editor of Chatelaine, I brought a history of chronic depression dating all the way back to childhood. Every day I was cajoled, challenged and chewed out by people with all manner of agendas. I didn't relapse. I thrived. In fact, my job did a lot to keep me well. That's why I'm excited to be the keynote speaker at Business Takes Action's upcoming conference on October 19 in Mississauga. [more]

I've been a woebegone kid in a family ravaged by addiction, a new mother flattened by post-partum depression and an outwardly competent young professional who fantasized about bathtubs and razor blades. None of it stopped me from reaching the top of my profession and the most rewarding job I could imagine. On October 5 I'll share my story as keynote speaker for CMHA Windsor's second annual Making It Work conference. [more]

In the closing moments of my memoir workshop, someone always exclaims, "Five o'clock already? The hours flew by!" Or words to that effect. No one can believe it's so much fun to focus hard for a whole day on pulling a vivid, forward-driving tale from the raggedness of real life. Now's your chance to find out what you've been missing. I've just scheduled fall sessions for October 24 and November 12. [more]

Ever since I signed on to speak at the Breathe Now conference, I knew it would attract my kind of women--loving, loyal, supremely competent types who in the course of one action-packed day do pretty much everything except...well, slow down and breathe. Sound like you or someone you know? Then Breathe Now is your perfect girlfriends' outing. So mark your calendars for September 30 - October 1 in Victoria, one of my favourite places for spending a getaway weekend. [more]

Chocolates: you've given them a time or two. Ditto roses and perfume. Your local gift shop offers the same old scented candles. Doesn't Mom have enough of those? Be the first to give her a personally inscribed copy of my beloved memoir, My Mother's Daughter, in which women of all ages, all over this continent, have seen themselves reflected. [more]