Winner 2022: International Thriller Writers’ BIPOC Middle Grade crime novel  Scholarship. The judges included bestselling Goosebumps author R.L. Stine.

Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence Finalist 2022 for “Dead Man’s Hand,” published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine

Scorpion Scheme: sold Chinese translation rights outside of mainland China to Sharp Point Press

Joy Kogawa Award for Fiction shortlist for “White Snow and the Seven Dreams”

Profiled in the New York Times’ financial section

2022 Stage One Festival of New Canadian Work at Lunchbox Theatre: I Am the Most Unfeeling Doctor in the World, Calgary

TACTICS Production Development Workshop Series (Spring 2023): Terminally Ill

Ottawa Community Foundation Grant: Terminally Ill and theatre outreach work, 2022-2023

under development Grant 2022-23

The Wuchien Michael Than Fund Phase I grant 2022-23

Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award Finalist for Best Thriller: SCORPION SCHEME, 2021

International Thriller Writers’ Best First Sentence, selected by Allison Brennan, 2021

My mom told me I could do whatever I wanted for the whole summer I was fourteen, so I decided to find the Red Rock serial killer.

City of Ottawa Grant for Terminally Ill production, 2021

TACTICS Workshop Series: Terminally Ill hits the virtual stage with talented Ottawa performers, including an aerialist, 2021

Staunch Prize Longlist for Best Feminist Thriller: “My Two-Legs,” by Melissa Yi & accepted for publication in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, 2020

Behind the Rideau Award Finalist: I Am the Most Unfeeling Doctor in the World’s Dramaturg, Catherine Ballachey, 2019

Best of Fest: I Am the Most Unfeeling Doctor in the World, Ottawa Fringe 2019 (Arts Court)

World Stroke Congress Physician Bursary October 2018 & Presentation at Ottawa Stroke Summit November 2018

Arthur Ellis Award Finalist, 2018, for “The Sin Eaters” (best crime story in Canada)

Globe & Mail names Human Remains one of the best Canadian suspense books to read at the cottage.

Roswell Award Finalist for Short Science Fiction, 2016, for “Humans ‘n’ Hot Dogs”

Derringer Award Finalist, 2015 for “Because” (best mystery short fiction in the English language)

Roswell Award Finalist for Short Science Fiction, 2015 for “Cardiopulmonary Arrest”

Winner, 2011 Aurora Award for Best English Related Work: The Dragon and the Stars, edited by Derwin Mak and Eric Choi, DAW; features my story, “Dancers With Red Shoes.”

“Indian Time” named one of the best short mysteries of 2010 by criminalbrief.com.

Cornwall Public Library’s Annual Writing Contest in Partnership with Cornwall and Region Writer’s Society

  • Poetry, Second Place & Fiction Honourable Mention 2014
  • Fiction, Second Place 2010
  • Best Fiction 2008
  • Best Children’s Literature 2008
  • Honourable Mention, Best Children’s Literature 2009

SD&G Writes Creative Writing contest, 2nd Prize, 2010

InnermoonLit Award for Best First Chapter of a Novel 2008, The Popcorn Girl Meets Darwin Jones

Writers of the Future, 2nd Place

Year’s Best Science Fiction, Honorable Mentions

  • “Iron Monk”
  • “Growing Up Sam”
  • “Waiting for Jenny Rex”

Winner, McMaster University “Unearthly Love Affair” writing contest

CBC Radio Noon Romance-Writing Contest, runner-up