Hi, !

In this newsletter:

-Book Awards: It's official! I'm a loser!
-Blog post: Self-Publishing: The Hard Truth
-Deals from fellow authors

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Remember this time last year when we couldn't WAIT for 2020 to be over? We were so certain 2021 was the magic portal to better days. How did that work out for you?

My year has been a mix of ups and downs. The low point was in March when my husband and I had to put our sweet, beloved dog, Chai, to sleep. I couldn't believe how deeply this affected both of us. We were devastated. You can read the story here.

By early summer, when that certain pesky virus seemed to be under control and travel started opening up, I took a long-overdue trip to my hometown of Victoria, BC, to visit family and friends. It was so good for my soul to see everyone in person! Then in August, my in-laws came out this way to celebrate my husband's birthday. It was about as normal as life could get (sigh).

Anyway, I hope you were able to connect with your friends and loved ones this year, too. Here's to more of that in 2022! 🥂

The WIBAs

Way back at the beginning of this year, I thought I'd try my luck and enter TimeBlink in the Whistler Independent Book Awards, which were set up in 2016 as a way to recognize excellence in Canadian self-publishing. There are two categories: fiction and non-fiction, with three finalists chosen in each category.

Well, I didn't make the cut. But for the cost of the entry fee, I did receive a glowing review of my book, so in a way, I guess I did win. 

Valerie Dunsmore's haunting debut novel, Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit, took the top prize in the fiction category, and I'm reading it as we speak.

The story follows Lily, a young girl whose antagonistic father has just returned after an eight-year absence only to disrupt the entire balance of the family. When Lily discovers she has mystical powers, she sets a plan in motion to get rid of her father forever and save the rest of the family from his wrath. But soon Lily's powers spiral out of control, and she must learn how to rein them in before everything falls apart.

I'll be including a micro-review of this book in my annual Reading Roundup blog in early January along with other books I read this year. Hope you'll check it out.

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As always, thank you for sharing this big, crazy journey with me.