Dear Dragon and Pegasus – Interesting Traditions

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Dear Dragon and Pegasus,

I’m sure that by the point you’re reading these, you have already figured out that we had some… different… traditions.

When I you were sick in December 2023 (half a dozen ear infections between you on top of RSV) and I was recovering from RSV, Mum played an escape room game on the TV. Since, whenever you’re sick, we tend to play one. Especially if Mum is sick, or has a broken foot like now.

This past week we all played, (I played from a distance since I was working) a game called Enigmatis. It’s a puzzle and hidden object game with a storyline. We played all three and will probably play more from the same company, Artifex Mundi.

I really enjoy watching you guess the stories, figure out the puzzles, and find the hidden objects. The game was a little scarier than I would have wanted, but you loved it.

It’s nice to relax and do something together when a large portion of us aren’t feeling well.

I know someday you’ll probably find this “cringe” but I’m going to enjoy as long as I can.

I love you!

Papa

Edits for The Copper Tarnish

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Hello Friends, Family, and Fans;

Sorry for the late post. The little mythological creatures have been fighting a cold all week and now Jen seems to have caught it. I’m in my yearly war with allergies, and I’ve been exhausted.

Today I got the edits for The Copper Tarnish. EEEEEEE! I’m excited to go look at them and get this ready.

The ebook pre-orders are available now!

The Copper Tarnish by Éric Desmarais available June 3rd, 2025.

Be kind and stay safe,

Éric

Crushing It Google Search

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If you were to search “Crushing It” in Google, this is what might show up…

Not really, but these are related to the book!

Looking for a new read? “Crushing It Jen Desmarais” in the search bar reveal the following six results: “young adult romantic fantasy”, “shared hidden magical world”, “cozy romance”, “music and STEM”, “queer and diverse rep”, and “teenage shenanigans”. Under that and the cover in ebook form reads: “How good does this look? Get it here: jeneric-designs.ca/UBL-CrushingIt“
Cover art by @pinkpiggy93 on Tumblr and Instagram

Crushing It by Jen Desmarais is available now!

Physical from Canadian indie bookstores, physical from Indigo, electronic version

The Legend of Zorro

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How This Works – Read Other Reviews

Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2005 film The Legend of Zorro.

Story

A straight sequel to the first one, it relies on miscommunication to move the plot forward. It also fall into the superhero trope of only failing when it’s a plot point.

Score: 0.5

Characters

The kid is adorable and the two leads are just as charismatic as the first time. Unfortunately, they are split up most of the movie when they work best as a team.

The villain is mustache twirling, British, and evil.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

There’s some amazing banter between the two leads and with the villain.

Score: 1

Visuals and Music

The movie looks just as beautiful as the first and the fight scenes are amazing.

Score: 1

Fun

I hate that the characters can’t just be happy… It’s frustrating and feels forced when they work so well as a team. That being said, it was still an extremely fun movie.

Score: 0.5

Overall

The movie suffers from needing to split its leads but it’s still an excellent movie.

Final Score: 3.5 Stars out of 5

The Copper Tarnish – Updated Cover

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Hello Readers,

Last weekend I asked the incomparable Talhí Briones to comment on the cover I had designed. She didn’t hold back and reminded me of things like balance and the rule of thirds.

It led me to redesign the cover. I think the changes, although minor, make it a much stronger cover.

What do you think?

The Copper Tarnish Original Cover
The Copper Tarnish Final Cover

Pre-orders for the book will be coming soon.

If you want a book that you can pre-order now, check out Talhí’s Mrs. Victoria Buys a Brothel.

1865, United States— It took thirty years and a dislocated arm for Victoria to leave her abusive husband. Heartbroken, she has to choose her own life over the hope of ever seeing her son again. She escapes the manor in the dead of night, only bringing with her a white wedding dress.

She ends up in Swainsburg, a minuscule town in Wyoming, where she’s adopted by the local prostitutes. To save them from expulsion, she buys the building and learns that in these parts, entertainment is worth more than gold. It’s almost easy, even fun, to organize piano recitals and cancan shows for the cowboys of the area, but being a Madam comes with responsibilities and dangers she isn’t ready to face. Her husband, after all, has contacts everywhere.

It’s hard to navigate the delicate tensions between respectable ladies and whores, between white society and the ‘others.’ Her new friends are women who carved their place in this merciless life; people who, like her, ended up in Swainsburg when they got tired of running.

Victoria doesn’t notice, can’t even imagine the possibility; but she falls in love. The townfolk say the widow Díaz is strange, but Natane is actually incredibly awkward, kind, and very lonely. Victoria has no name for this burning friendship, but the feeling grows and demands to be acknowledged.

This is a story about women who age, gossip, drink, love… and help you hide the body of your dead husband.

Launch: May 20th, 2025

Here are some places you can order the book:

You can also ask for it at any local bookstore or library 🙂

Thank you,

Éric

Thank you Mercury Stardust

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Hello fellow humans,

This morning I woke up to a MASSIVE puddle in front of the fridge. I started to panic but then I remembered that Jen gave me a book on home repair for Christmas.

In big bold letters on the back are written, “Don’t Panic – I’m here to help!”

Honestly, if it was just for those words, the book would be worth it, but inside there were details on fridge cleaning and maintenance. Which helped me find the largest dust bunnies I’ve ever seen. I also found an ice wall that John Snow would be proud of. Hopefully cleaning those out will fix the issue.

Did you know that over-filling your fridge or freezer could cause issues? I didn’t before I read this book.

Mercury Stardust’s book is a must for renters! (and useful for those of us homeowners that have no idea what they’re doing)

She also has a wonderful podcast and extremely entertaining TikTok. You can find the book in all the places you buy books.

Find everything you want to know on her website.

Stay safe and be kind,

Éric

Winging It Google Search

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If you were to search “Winging It” in Google, this is what might show up…

Not really, but these are related to the book!

Looking for a new read? “Winging It Jen Desmarais” in the search bar reveal the following six results: “young adult romance”, “shared hidden magical worlds”, “portal fantasy”, “music, STEM, and fight training”, “queer and diverse rep”, and “teenage shenanigans”. Under that and the cover in ebook form reads: “How good does this look? Get it here: jeneric-designs.ca/UBL-WingingIt“
Winging It by Jen Desmarais is available June 3rd, 2025!
Cover Art by Pinkpiggy93
49th Shelf Crushing It
Indigo Books Crushing It
Archambault Crushing It
Amazon Crushing It
Rakuten Kobo Crushing It
Apple Books Crushing It

Spy Kids: Armageddon – JenEric Movie Review

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How This Works – Read Other Reviews

Hello Cinephiles,

Today we’re talking about the 2023 film Spy Kids: Armageddon.

Story

I can’t stand stories that require parents to be stupid and incompetent. On top of that, the story is a watered-down remake of the original. Don’t get me started on the weird magical computer stuff.

Score: 0

Characters

The kids were fantastic actors and did a great job with what they were given. The parents were terrible at everything including being likeable. The main villain was interesting but his story arc felt too fast and shoehorned in.

The spy organization was even more of a joke than usual.

Score: 0.5

Dialogue

It’s hard to believe this was the same writer who wrote, “Do you think God stays in Heaven because He too lives in fear of what He’s created”.

The dialogue is saccharine and bland.

Score: 0

Visuals and Music

Once again, the movie relies on special effects and videogame tropes instead of good action or locations. It makes the movie look cheap and dated even only two years later.

The music was acceptable but not great.

Score: 0.5

Fun

The kids liked it but all the adults were unimpressed. I find that the weird fun of the first one never translated the the rest of the series and it’s worse for lack of it.

Score: 0

Overall

This movie could have been a tumblr meme screenshotted to Facebook. It’s a self-indulgent remake of a much better movie. The only thing that shines is the optimism and the kids.

Final Score: 1 Stars out of 5