Birthday

Dear Dragon – Welcome to Level 9

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Dear Dragon,

This past year has felt so fast, and you’re growing so much emotionally and intellectually. It leaves me in awe and makes me so proud. We’ve spent the past year closer to home without any big trips. We did go to a bunch of conventions. You’ve become extremely helpful during them. You’re helping with set up, tear down, and you’ve even started selling a little.

This year you’ve:

  • Did really well at school, your favourite subjects were math, music, and dance
  • Cooked several meals as head chef (you have a great instinct for flavours)
  • Really improved in piano and even performed your first concert at the school talent show
  • Played Clue with your mom and even came close to winning
  • Had a huge reading leap and are reading full novels now
  • Read mine and mom’s complete catalogue of books (not the pen name stuff)
  • Were diagnosed with ADHD and Gifted like your mum and I

There have been some hard times, fights with friends, and frustrations on understanding why people do things. I wish I could help, but I find so much of human interactions confusing. We’re in the process of getting you assessed for autism (again like your mum and I) and that could explain some of last years frustrations with friends but it could just be the randomness of kids. Either way, I understand. All last year’s angst seems to have been washed out over the summer, so that’s a good thing.

I’m consistently impressed by your mind and strength of personality. You are so good at seeing patterns in stories, puzzles, and games. You are getting better and better at guessing the end of a mystery. You also stand up for what you think is right. We’ve had other parents say that you’ve been a good influence on their kids.

It’s hard to get you to bed or to whatever is the next thing we need to do because I love talking with you so much.

You have some bad moments; you get angry/snippy when hungry and really rude when you’re stressed, but that’s just with us not with others. It’s something to work on but I’m not as worried as I once was.

We talked about IQ the other day and I told you that what is more important is: kindness, knowledge, and curiosity. You embody these three in most of your interactions.

I love you so much little Dragon!

Your Papa

Contest and Winging It and The Copper Tarnish Release party TOMORROW!

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Hello Readers,

We have a Release Party tomorrow!

Enter our contest to win a copy of any book in our catalogue in the format of your choice!

Both Winging It and The Copper Tarnish are set in the same universe but they are twelve years apart. One is set in Westmeath in Eastern Ontario and the other in Ansonville in Northern Ontario.

Despite all that, what four characters appear in both books?

Contact us through this form or tell us on Saturday:

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    Good Luck!

    Sign up on Eventbrite or Facebook.

    Winging It
    by Jen Desmarais

    A wedding and a summer camp that Tommy and Carter are never going to forget.

    Tommy discovers magic exists, his boyfriend is a rock giant, and his sister is marrying one of the leaders of a supernatural community called Aetherborn.

    Carter learns to navigate an in-person relationship, introducing Tommy to the magical world, and being involved in his Ariki’s wedding.

    Both boys need to build their confidence in each other, themselves, and their relationship. The Door Tech summer camp seems to be the perfect way to do that, until they get magically transported to the not-so-fictional world of Everdome. In this realm of Domed continents floating in space, winged beasts, and new cultures, the boys will have to overcome challenges beyond anything they’ve seen before.

    The only way they, and their relationship, can survive is if they start Winging It!

    49th Shelf Crushing It
    Indigo Books Crushing It
    Archambault Crushing It
    Amazon Crushing It
    Rakuten Kobo Crushing It
    Apple Books Crushing It

    The Copper Tarnish
    by Éric Desmarais

    Until last summer, I was the most popular girl in school. Then I was accused of killing my boyfriend when he disappeared. Luckily, he didn’t die, but he wasn’t the same when he came back. Murder accusations are nothing compared to the rumours that I kissed said boyfriend’s sister. That rumour proved to be the real killer for my popularity.

    Now everyone hates me except the gorgeous new girl who seems determined to ruin any chances of being popular by hanging out with me. There’s also a cute soldier hanging around my mom’s diner and freaky sounds in the woods.

    Autumn definitely won’t be dull. All I need to do is graduate…and stay alive.

    eBook
    Paperback
    Hardcover

    2 Days Until Birthday and Book Release Party!

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    Hello Readers,

    Éric turns 42 today and Jen turned 40 this year, so we decided to celebrate our birthday with a book release party. There will be food, coffee, and cake; along with our whole catalogue of twelve (what?) books.

    When

    July 19th (1pm-3pm)

    Where

    9 Rossland Avenue Ottawa, ON

    Cost

    FREE (But you’re welcome to buy some books and get them signed)

    Sign up on Eventbrite or Facebook.

    Join us for a FREE event celebrating the launch of Winging It and The Copper Tarnish!

    Presented by Renaissance Press and River City Siren Press.

    We’re thrilled to invite you to our launch event happening at 9 Rossland Ave on July 19th from 1:00-3:00pm (EST). Come enjoy an author discussion moderated by FADHILI SAMBA. Readings, refreshments, and a giveaway to follow.

    Enter the giveaway!

    Enter to win a $250 gift certificate to Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club, courtesy of Dylan Black. Valid for a table for 10.

    • Each book purchased at the event grants two entries into the draw.
    • Each book signed at the event grants one entry into the draw.
    • Only books authored by Jen and/or Éric are valid for entry.

    We hope to see you there!

    Jen and Éric

    Birthday and Book Release Party!

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    Hello Readers,

    Éric is turning 42 next week and Jen turned 40 so we decided to celebrate our birthday with a book release party. There will be food, coffee, and cake; along with our whole catalogue of twelve (what?) books.

    When

    July 19th (1pm-3pm)

    Where

    9 Rossland Avenue Ottawa, ON

    Cost

    FREE (But you’re welcome to buy some books and get them signed)

    Sign up on Eventbrite or Facebook.

    Join us for a FREE event celebrating the launch of Winging It and The Copper Tarnish!

    Presented by Renaissance Press and River City Siren Press.

    We’re thrilled to invite you to our launch event happening at 9 Rossland Ave on July 19th from 1:00-3:00pm (EST). Come enjoy an author discussion moderated by FADHILI SAMBA. Readings, refreshments, and a giveaway to follow.

    Enter the giveaway!

    Enter to win a $250 gift certificate to Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club, courtesy of Dylan Black. Valid for a table for 10.

    • Each book purchased at the event grants two entries into the draw.
    • Each book signed at the event grants one entry into the draw.
    • Only books authored by Jen and/or Éric are valid for entry.

    We hope to see you there!

    Jen and Éric

    Dear Pegasus – Welcome to Level 6

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    Dear Pegaus,

    This has been a big year for you. I’m both proud and amazed at everything you’ve accomplished.

    This year you’ve:

    • Gone to in-person school
    • Learned to speak and understand French
    • Developed a love for drawing
    • Made lots of friends
    • Continued to read voraciously

    Your fifth year started with a nice calm summer and a big trip to Disneyland. We went with Grannie, Grand-dad, and Aunt Lindsay. We stayed in a house we rented that had a pac man arcade game, a massive pool, and enough room for everyone to be comfortable for a couple weeks. You loved the Spider-Man ride and Soarin’.

    You started out the school year hating everything about it. Slowly you grew to love your teacher and some of the other kids. You even had an “arch-nemesis” who would run up to you and push you. You treated it like a nuisance and not bullying and you promised to tell the teacher.

    There were a few incidents of you bringing toys home when you weren’t supposed to. We think you didn’t realize that the teacher paid for the toys. Once we explained it, you just kept bringing home things you found in the sandbox. (Like a GPS tracker… What?)

    You also had a spat of not washing your hands because you wanted to stay home sick. You felt pretty bad when you realized that it got the rest of the family sick too. I wasn’t impressed but I understood the logic.

    The biggest thing you seem to not like about school is that you say you’re bored. Your reading is advanced in both languages, as is your math, and your logic. I understand. Hopefully you’ll feel more challenged in grade one.

    I love watching your mind work. You’re brilliant and I have a lot of trouble following how you’re thinking. Hopefully, I’ll get better at it and you’ll get better at explaining.

    I can almost see the person you’re going to become and I’m proud of him. Don’t hurry too fast, I’m still loving the snuggly, loving, and stubborn kid you are right now.

    Six is a big year. You’ll do great. Hopefully we can help you thrive and guide you to good decisions.

    I love you, little Pegasus!

    Your Papa

    Dear Dragon – Welcome to Level 8

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    Dear Dragon,

    The past year has been exciting and stressful. You started in-person school and did fantastically. You have shown a strong sense of justice, defending your classmates and the rules. You also had a few surprise interactions; one who told you Santa didn’t exist and another who made hateful comments.

    You learned a lot and did lots.

    • You learned a lot at school. Still loving art and math but discovering dance and dramatic arts
    • You still need a little help in French but you’re doing fantastically
    • Your reading is doing great, you’re devouring books
    • Your swimming is amazing you can swim very fast
    • You caught a dozen colds, including RSV (hopefully we’ll have less this year)
    • You spent all of December sick and at home
    • You played a lot of escape room video games with mum and Adrien
    • And lots more.

    Our big adventure this summer was going to California and Disneyland. We went with Grannie, Granddad, and Aunt Lindsay. It was nice to have the 7 of us in a relaxing situation. It certainly helped my mental and physical health. It was also a lot of fun. We did the parks, lots of shopping, and we went to an aquarium. You and your brother were excellent. You didn’t want to leave and I understand why.

    Dragon in line for the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, sticking her hand in the mouth of a snake statue.

    You are growing into a strong and kind person and I can’t be more proud of you. You do your best to make sure everyone is included and feeling comfortable. You stand up for what you think is right and you don’t let others push you around.

    I hope you’re having a good childhood. Sometimes it feels like the world is spiralling into hate and anger. As parents, we try to give you the tools to survive and a safe environment to use them. With in-person school and me going back to work more, there’s so much of your life I’m not part of. I worry about the things you don’t tell us and I worry about you.

    Eight feels like an important number and I hope you have a wonderful year with less disease.

    I love you my Dragon,

    Your Papa

    Dear Pegasus – Welcome to Level 5

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    Dear Pegasus,

    You’ve had an impressive year. You’ve grown in every way and I’m really proud of the person you’re becoming.

    This year you’ve:

    • Done homeschool with Mum
    • Taught yourself to read (What?)
    • Learned to use a mouse and computer
    • Learned how to add and subtract
    • Done a lot of baking and cooking
    • Played video games
    • Learned the rules for Battleship

    You are all signed up for school in September and I’m just as nervous with you as I was with your sister. I worry about teasing and you having trouble with kids your age. You have had so little time to learn how to play with kids that aren’t Dragon. I’m sure you’ll be fine.

    Your big sister loves you, she might fight with you, yell at you, and sometimes go out of her way to get on your nerves, but she loves you. She wanted to go into your class for the first few days to make sure you’re okay. I hope that level of mutual concern continues. I never had anyone like that in school and I’m glad you two will be together for 4 years.

    Dragon is more concerned about teasing and fitting in, but I’m also worried about your language and dealing with a real classroom where you’re not the centre of attention.

    Before that happens, there’s a whole summer to get through. We have a big trip planned and you’re excited to get on the first plane you remember.

    Something really special that I’m going to miss next year is spending time with you during the day. You would randomly ask me to read you a book (or 12) and snuggle into me. We’d play phone games and you just snuggle close.

    You climbing into my lap and putting your head against my chest and demanding we do something is soothing and wonderful. I’m going to miss that with you at school all day and me coming home late 3 days a week.

    You are stubborn in ways I’ve never seen before and sometimes you do things just because your sister does, but you are a joy to be around and I love you dearly.

    Welcome to Level 5 and all the new challenges it’ll bring.

    I love you lots!

    Papa

    Dear Dragon – Welcome to Level 7

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    Dear Dragon,

    What a big year. It started out a little rocky when the digital school switched their teachers around and you went from Mme Natalie’s class to Mme Francine’s class. It was a 1-2 split and you were inconsolable for almost a month. In the end, Mme Francine won you over and proved to be an excellent teacher.

    This year you learned and did a lot:

    • Lots of math and arts (Art was your favourite subject)
    • French (You’ve improved so much it’s amazing)
    • Reading (You’ve gone from struggling to read a small book to devouring novels) Seeing you go to the library and how excited you got was the highlight of my summer.
    • You had your first crush and it’s freaking cute
    • You learned to swim in Grannie and Granddad’s pool
    • and so much more

    This weekend you had your first birthday party with friends. It was super stressful for Mum and I, but you seemed to enjoy yourself, mostly. You had a small meltdown when you struggled to keep up with the 4th and 5th graders that were at the party. You loved your presents, although you said, “My friends over-estimated how much I like unicorns.”

    You had definite Ideas of what you wanted at your party.

    I’m extremely proud of how welcoming and inclusive you were. You made sure everyone was having fun and felt included, which isn’t easy with a group of shy kids. You’re showing signs of a good leader.

    Another big step was going to in-person school. I think that was much harder on me then it was on you. Not seeing what you’re doing makes me feel like I’m missing out and simultaneously like an overbearing parent. Sigh. You seem to be loving it and have made friends. One of which you actually remembered their name. Lol. I wonder how long we’ll refer to the one as, “the girl with the same shoes”, another as “the cute girl”, or the “cousin of the girl with the same shoes”. You seem happy and that’s what matters. I hope you’ll be able to learn and experience as much as you did the previous year.

    You are clever, sassy, strong willed, and fast to help others. I worry about your penchant for being distracted, anxious, and having meltdowns when you don’t understand something.

    You are still highly competitive and precocious, two things that can be great assets as you grow up. They can also be negatives if you’re not careful. As long as I’m around, I’ll support you and help guide you as best I can.

    Happy Birthday and I hope you have a great year.

    I love you so much my Dragon girl,

    Your Papa

    Shameless Birthday Promotion

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    Hello Readers,

    Tomorrow is my birthday. Why not buy yourself something nice in my honour?

    Here are a few options:

    Books

    • A Study in Aether
    • The Sign of Faust
    • A Case of Synchronicity
    • Everdome
    • Parasomnia

    All of these are available from the following stores:

    Preorder my newest novel

    Coffee Shop Between the 'Verses
    Coffee Shop Between the ‘Verses

    Available at the following stores

    Coffee

    Buy some coffee from JenEric Gourmet Coffee

    Other Options

    If you’re not comfortable or able to buy anything, why not consider reviewing the books you’ve already read? Review them on the site you bought them and/or GoodReads.

    Thank you!

    Stay safe and be kind,

    Éric

    Dear Dragon – Welcome to Level 2

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    Dear Toddler Dragon,

    Tomorrow will be your birthday. You’re turning two years old. I might be biased but I think you’re awesome.

    It’s been absolutely amazing watching you grow up. You’re clever, strong, quick with a smile, and so funny. You have some fantastic timing for jokes.

    You’re at a point in your life where you’re learning faster than I can follow and I am so proud of you. I’d love to take credit for everything you’re becoming and everything you will become but I know you’re getting there on your own. You are and you’re going to be a wonderful person.

    You don’t understand yet, and you may never, but the best parts of my day are those that we spend together. Playing, reading, singing, roaring, pretend sleeping, and so much more.

    When you cry out for me at night I’m exhausted, grumpy, sore, and none of that matters when I hold you in my arms and sing. You are the best thing I have ever created. (That’s saying something cause Everdome is really good.)

    So to my second level human; I hope you are having a good childhood, you to feel safe, you’re comfortable, free to be yourself, most of all I hope that if you remember anything about turning two it’s that you are loved.

    I love you so much and happy birthday,

    Papa