Aurora Awards 2026

NASA#2007934

Dear Readers,

The Aurora Awards, which are for Canadian science fiction and fantasy writers and artists, are open for nominations for the 2025 works! (Nominations are open until April 5) This means the LONG lists of eligible works are being narrowed down to 5-6 per category.

Once they have a list of nominated works, every single person who signed up and paid the $10 membership fee gets ALL the nominated works as downloads. That’s all the adult novels, YA novels, novellas, short stories, graphic novels, and related works (usually anthologies), so about 36 works, for just $10 CAD, which is a great deal.

Getting nominated for an Aurora Award is a BIG DEAL in the speculative fiction writing community. You get a nomination pin (only once, so I’m terrified I’ll lose mine!), and you’re part of an elite group of people.

Nomination forms are not ranked.

How do you nominate?

  1. Go to this website: https://www.csffa.ca/members-home/
  2. Join, pay membership fee
  3. Nominate up to 5 works per category https://www.csffa.ca/members-home/nomination/

It would mean a lot to all of us if you’re willing to nominate us! (Categories are in alphabetical order by work)

  • Eligibility Category 2 – Best Young Adult Novel
    • The Copper Tarnish by Éric Desmarais
    • Winging It by Jen Desmarais
  • Eligibility Category 3 – Best Novelette/Novella
    • The Scarlet Thread Irregulars by Éric Desmarais
  • Eligibility Category 4 – Best Short Story
    • Harvest Special by Jen Desmarais
    • I am Snowman by Éric Desmarais
    • Plants, Fungus, and Zombies! by Éric Desmarais
    • Snow Day by Jen Desmarais
    • The Puzzles of Everdome by Éric Desmarais
    • The Summer of ’99 and How I Died by Éric Desmarais
  • Eligibility Category 6 – Best Poem/Song
    • The Ballad of the Phantom and the Wraith by Jen Desmarais, found in Winging It by Jen Desmarais
  • Eligibility Category 7 – Best Related Work
    • Connections! The Unexpected First Collection by Jen and Éric Desmarais
  • Eligibility Category 9 – Best Fan Writing/Publication
    • JenEric Movie Reviews by Éric Desmarais
    • The Travelling TARDIS by Jen Desmarais

In case you’re wondering why Winging It is not included in the best cover art category, it’s because our cover artist is Vietnamese! Only Canadian creators are eligible, unfortunately. We forgot to include The Copper Tarnish in this category because we’re not used to having art made by us! Éric did the cover for it.
Thank you so much for your time, attention, and support. If any of the above does make it through the nomination round, which ends April 5, we’ll write another post for the voting round, which will be taking place starting in June 2026.

Read safe!

Éric

Shadowbox: Faymous

I got the idea to make shadowbox out of the cover image of our books, and I thought it would be fun for you to have access as well.

Materials:
Paper (or cardstock)
Colour printer
Scissors
Exacto knife
Cutting board
Tape (or glue)
Patience

Instructions:

  1. Print the template provided (PDF download above)
  2. Cut out the pieces using scissors
  3. Cut out the greyed out background with the Exacto knife
  4. Tape (or glue) the parts together.

Note: I left some of the empty space on the ‘people’ level to help stabilize it. You can’t actually see it though, because it’s behind the bushes.


Faymous by Jen and Éric Desmarais
Cover art by Pinkpiggy93
eBook
Paperback

Faymous Style Comps

Faymous is a YA portal fantasy roadtrip romance. There are several other books that have a similar style, in one way or another, to our book. Here is the image made with all the covers of the style comparisons.

Books that have a similar style to Faymous. Pictures of Nothing Special by Katie Cook, The Realms of the Gods by Tamora Pierce, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, So This Is Ever After by F.T. Lukens, Jack of Kinrowan by Charles de Lint, Tamora Carter, Goblin Queen by Jim C. Hines, Georgie Karras and the Niddle of Nern by Kate Mathos, Swordheart by T. Kingfisher, Winging It by Jen Desmarais, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, Stuck With You by ‘Nathan Burgoine, The SIlver Chair by C.S. Lewis, The Lost Heir(s) by D.M. Mewha, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol, Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire, Otherland by Louie Stowell, The Hunter’s Moon by O.R. Melling, and Ethan Cadfael by S.M. Carrière all surround the image of the book Faymous by Jen and Éric Desmarais.

Faymous by Jen and Éric Desmarais
Cover art by Pinkpiggy93
eBook
Paperback

Our Tropes for “Faymous” – image

The tropes we use in Faymous

Every book utilizes tropes, even if it’s to subvert them, and Faymous is no exception. This book covers: roadtrip tropes, Young Adult, music & riddles, portal fantasy, Hidden magical world, Dual POV, No angst romance, and magical shenanigans.
Faymous by Jen and Éric Desmarais
Cover art by Pinkpiggy93
eBook
Paperback