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Photo of Member Andrea Torrey Balsara

Andrea Torrey Balsara

Author/Illustrator

2377 Hwy. #2, Unit 120, Ste. 431,
Bowmanville ON
L1C 5E2
Phone: (905) 442-4134
Email:
Web: www.torreybalsara.com

Born: April 3, 1964. Suffolk, England
Family: Andrea lives in Bowmanville, Ontario with her husband, Nav, and their two daughters born ten years apart, as well as their motley retinue of unruly pets. One of Andrea's latest projects with her family is the development of wildlife habitat on a 99-acre parcel of land they recently purchased in Ontario, Canada. In the cottage nestled in their forest, she and her family devise plans for enticing bats, frogs, deer, and songbirds to their patch of paradise.

Biography

Andrea Torrey Balsara studied children's writing through the Institute of Children's Literature, book illustration with Martin Springett, and story graphics through Joe Kubert's World of Cartooning. A self-taught oil painter and watercolorist, she has used those mediums to often illustrate her own stories. Alternating between writing and art gives Andrea great satisfaction and flexibility in creating stories that resonate with young people.

In her ongoing community Virtue Classes for children, Andrea also teaches ethics using stories, music (she plays guitar and piano), activities, and community service projects. A strong advocate of giving young people the knowledge to make informed choices, she strives to inspire them to "reach for the stars."

Devoting many years of her life to developing her talents and skills in the arts, Andrea holds an Associate of Arts and Science from the University of Maryland, Munich Campus, as well as a Post Graduate Acting Diploma from Mountview Theatre School in London, England. She also worked as a freelance American Sign Language interpreter for many years before becoming a children's writer full-time.

Published Works

Upcoming

The Wild Ones, Pearson Education (Raupo), 2008
The Present, published under Nitty Gritty Novels, by Pearson Education (Raupo), 2008

As an Author

Parker Shanahan, Survivor Against All Odds, Scholastic, 2008.
The Amazing Frankie, Pearson Education (Raupo), 2008.
The Gift, Heinemann Education (Reed), 2006
The Forty Coats Man, Heinemann Education (Reed), 2006
Me, Dan, And The Dragonfly, Heinemann Education (Reed), 2005
Saving Zoop, Heinemann Education (Reed), 2005

As an Author-Illustrator

"Mikey, Super-Hero", Varqa Magazine, February/March 2006
"Me, Doug and the Dragonfly" What If? Magazine, July/Aug 2003
"The Gift" What If? Magazine, March/April 2003
"Just a Box" Wee Ones Online Magazine, February 2002

As an Illustrator

"One Starry Night" and "Monster on the Wall" , Varqa Magazine, Nov/Dec 2005
"The Hic-Brow Cold", Varqa Magazine, June/July 2005
"The Dragonfly's Eye", Varqa Magazine, April/May 2005
"A Song of Parading Pairs" and "Bagpipe Dreams", Varqa Magazine, Feb/Mar 2005
"The Mysterious Moai of Easter Island", Varqa Magazine, Sept/Oct 2004
"Obsession", What If? Magazine, Jan/Feb 2005
"Cat in the Shadows" and "Hunter's Moon", What If? Magazine, Nov/Dec 2004
"Trevor and Cancerman", What If? Magazine, July/Aug 2004
"To a Memory", What If? Magazine, Feb/March 2004
"The Green-eyed Dragon under the Bed", What If? Magazine, July/Aug 2003
"The Special Gift", What If? Magazine, May/June 2003
"Friends of the Forest" , What If? Magazine, March/April 2003
The Tiny Elephant - Picture Book, Small World Publishing, February 2003
"Spangles for a Spiffle Spider", Wee Ones Online Magazine, March 2002

Other Memberships

SCBWI

Available For

Workshops
Andrea Torrey Balsara offers a range of workshops geared to writing, art and illustration as well as her very popular youth empowerment workshop "Reach for the Stars." To learn more about these workshops, please visit her website at www.torreybalsara.com.