Member Profile

Paul J. Toffanello (the “J” is for Joseph) grew up in Timmins, Ontario, a small northern mining town that once held the distinction of being the greatest gold mining town in the world. He grew up in a family of five boys, nearly driving his mother crazy. Both parents worked, mother in life insurance and dad as an auto mechanics teacher. Paul majored in English and minored in Psychology at Ottawa’s Carleton University and became an elementary school teacher in 1979 after a year of Teacher’s College at Nipissing University. He later became a high school English teacher, a Vice Principal, a Principal at two different high schools, a Superintendent of Education and finally a Director of Education. Currently, besides writing, he operates a private counselling practice and does consulting work in both Ontario and British Columbia.

Paul had been writing most of his life, and the first draft of Popchuck’s Ghost (currently in publication) was written in 1984, but it wasn’t until Paul met Frank B. Edwards (Bungalo Books) that he gave serious thought to publication. Since then, Paul has written and published Popchuck's Ghost, Popchuck's Revenge, and Popchuck's End and he most recently completed the draft of the 4th book in the Popchuck Chronicles series.  To date, sales of The Popchuck Chronicles is nearing 17,000 copies sold! On a side note, Calgrove Media out of Los Angeles has purchased the option to The Popchuck Chronicles and movie/t.v. series development is underway. Go to www.thespookyauthor.com for more information on the novels and www.calgrovemedia.com for more information regarding the movies.

Paul has travelled extensively across Canada and the U.S. and visited more than 800 schools presenting to kids, teachers and parents. He offers writing workshops for both students and teachers, and he has developed curriculum support document for teachers when working on novel studies and or his children's books. with students. As well, Paul has presented to parents on the topic of creating rich, literature home environments and helping their children get smart through reading. Paul also writes children’s rhyming stories, and three stories in his series, In Blackburn Hamlet, have been published. A fourth in the series will be out in the fall of 2020. 

Paul has written movie screenplays, treatments for television, has pitched to broadcasters and production companies, and he has written and published professional articles in the educational and leadership realms. Paul currently resides in Vancouver and he and his wife enjoy their 3 daughters and 4 grandchildren. He and his wife spend their summers at his quiet lake cottage in Northeastern Ontario where Paul writes, chops wood, swims, hikes, bikes, canoes, and sits by the bonfires long into the nights pondering, imagining, dreaming, and just being.