Hello Readers,
Jen and I will be working the Renaissance table at Readers Take Cornwall, this Sunday September 29th.
Join us for a book lovers market for readers by readers! Drop by our table for some excellent books!
Hope to see you there!
Éric
Books
Aurora Awards Voting is Open
Hello Friends, Family, and Fans;
The Travelling TARDIS is nominated for the Aurora Awards.
The Voter’s Package is available for download! Make sure you’re logged in, and then go get your books.
Voting started June 8 and runs until July 13. Please consider The Travelling TARDIS, nominated in the Fan Writing and Publication category. Thank you to all who nominated us!
Happy reading!!!
What are the Aurora Awards?
The Aurora Awards are awards “for excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy works and activities.” They are administered by the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association.
It’s a fan-voted award with awesome people.
In Conclusion
Sign up, get ebooks, read, and then vote for your favourites. It’s a great deal and you’ll love the books.
So go to https://www.csffa.ca/ and click on the “Become a Member” button.
Stay safe and be kind,
Éric
Aurora Awards Voter’s Package
Hello Friends, Family, and Fans;
As we’ve mentioned The Travelling TARDIS is nominated for the Aurora Awards.
Now the Voter’s Package is available for download! Make sure you’re logged in, and then go get your books.
Voting starts on June 8 and runs until July 13. Please consider The Travelling TARDIS, nominated in the Fan Writing and Publication category. Thank you to all who nominated us!
Happy reading!!!
What are the Aurora Awards?
The Aurora Awards are awards “for excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy works and activities.” They are administered by the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association.
It’s a fan-voted award with awesome people.
In Conclusion
Sign up, get ebooks, read, and then vote for your favourites. It’s a great deal and you’ll love the books.
So go to https://www.csffa.ca/ and click on the “Become a Member” button.
Stay safe and be kind,
Éric
Speculating Canada interviewed Éric
Hello Friends, Fans, and Family,
Speculating Canada is an award winning podcast and interview series that interviews fantastic Canadian and genre personalities.
You may remember a few months ago that Jen was interviewed by the wonderful Derek Newman-Stille. You can see her interview on their website.
Well I (Éric) was interviewed last week. It was a lot of fun, and Derek is a fantastic interviewer, steering my hectic mind in a semi-coherent direction.
Go watch the interview on their website.
Stay safe and be kind,
Éric
Travelling TARDIS Nominated for Aurora
Hello friends, family, and fans!
I’m so proud of Jen, this is her 7th nomination in seven years. It’s the TARDIS’s sixth.
The Travelling TARDIS
Thanks to all who nominated. You really made a difference.
Now, it’s onto the voting! You will receive an email on how to download the voters package sometime in mid-May. If not, check the website when you’re logged in, and follow the instructions.
The Travelling TARDIS isn’t part of the package because you can access it for free on this site.
Voting
If you think The Travelling TARDIS is worthy of your vote, voting for the Auroras will be open on June 8th.
Thank you to everyone who nominated and especially to everyone who reads and enjoys our content.
Thank you!
Éric
Doubt is Still There…
Hello Family, Friends, and Fans;
I think I can say that I’m a moderately experienced author at this point… (2 unpublishable novels, 7 solo published novels, 2 co-authored published novels, 2 co-authored unpublished novels, 10 years of serial stories, a dozen or so short stories, and over 15 years of blog posts)
I’m currently 2/3rd of the way through a novel, in the last stages of a TTRPG system, writing a serial story, and writing a novel with my wonderful wife. (I’m tired just thinking about it all.)
I have a giant secret to tell you… come in close… closer… hey, stop licking your screen…
It doesn’t get easier
The mechanics get simpler, once you understand how to use quotation marks and construct sentences. I’ve heard wild tales of authors taming commas but I’m sure that’s just a tall tale.
The actual writing doesn’t get easier. You try your best to put one word in front of the other and stay coherent, and in the end you have a pile of them that have to be cleaned and organized into something resembling a story. All the while, there’s a little voice that says, “Can you really do this? No, probably not.” Even after writing 11 novels, I still hear that voice and it’s hard to ignore.
That doubt is something I’m told all authors live with (if it’s just me, please don’t tell me. Leave me to my delusions) and it’s one of the greatest obstacles.
Having finished something does give me the extra little confidence to say, “I did it before, maybe I can do it again”. It’s not enough to silence the doubt but it does help.
Whether it’s your first or your hundredth writing project, you’re not alone. I understand.
Now, go write something,
Éric
The best queer cozy YA romances that make you want to fall in love
I wrote a list of 5 books for a website called Shepherd. The goal was to curate a list of my favourite 5 books with similar vibes to my own book.
I had a lot of fun writing this list and even more fun reading the books.
I have since read another book that I would add: Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada, but I read it after I submitted to the website, so it missed out, sadly.
Crushing It by Jen Desmarais is available now!
Physical from Canadian indie bookstores, physical from Indigo, electronic version
Speculating Canada interviewed Jen
Hello Friends, Fans, and Family,
Speculating Canada is an award winning podcast and interview series that interviews fantastic Canadian and genre personalities.
Jen was interviewed by the wonderful Derek Newman-Stille. You can see the interview on their website.
It’s a great interview and gives you a great insight into how she works and does so many fantastic things.
Jen says:
I was interviewed for Speculating Canada yesterday!! It was so much fun.
We discuss Queer writing, the interrelationship between craft-making and writing, writing with a community, and writing with a partner (specifically my husband).
It’s a long interview, about 50 minutes, so get comfy!
It certainly made me blush from all the compliments.
Stay safe and be kind,
Éric
Queer Christmas Craft Fair
We’ll be at one last show this year, so if you haven’t yet bought coffee for your friends, family, teachers, and neighbours, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE!
Renaissance Press will also be attendance, and will have all our books! If you want to get them signed (you can buy the books at your local bookstore and bring them in to us too), we’ll be there!
From the organizer:
Get ready for a festive and inclusive event you don’t want to miss! The Queer Christmas Craft Fair is here, and we can’t wait to see you on November 25th from 10:00am to 2:00pm at The Good Companions (670 Albert Street).
This is not just your average craft fair – it’s a celebration of diversity, creativity, and community! By joining us, you’ll not only be supporting Ottawa’s small LGBTQ2+ businesses but also local service agencies that do incredible work for our community. It’s a win-win!
What’s even better? Parking is absolutely free, making it hassle-free for you to come and enjoy the day. And let’s not forget about our famous chili! For just $6.20, you can satisfy your taste buds with a delicious bowl of chili and a side of corn bread. Trust us, it’s the perfect fuel to keep you shopping and mingling.
But wait, there’s more! The Queer Christmas Craft Fair will showcase an array of incredible handmade products. From unique jewelry and fashion accessories to home decor and art pieces, you’ll find the most wonderful gifts for your loved ones (or even yourself). Support local artisans and find something truly special to spread love and joy this holiday season.
So bring your friends, family, and colleagues to this fabulous event. Together, let’s create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, celebrating love, diversity, and the magic of the holiday season.
Mark your calendars and don’t miss out on the Queer Christmas Craft Fair on November 25th. See you there!
We’re Writing Again :-)
Hello Friends, Family, Fans, and Readers,
It’s happening again! AGAIN! Jen and I are writing another book.
This is the third Gates of Westmeath book and I’m absolutely loving writing and reading it.
Local Canadian bookstores
Amazon.ca ebook
Kobo ebook
Indigo/Chapters ebook
Indigo/Chapters paperback
I absolutely love writing with Jen. It’s like having a super-fan to pump you up for writing and like getting to read your favourite book as it’s being made!
This going to be book 3, and book 2 Monsters! Incidental Wedding Guests will be coming out spring 2024. We’ll post pre-order links as soon as we get them, and stay tuned for the cover reveal and other sneak peeks!
I’m so excited to be writing this book and I can’t wait to see what happens.
Stay safe and be kind,
Éric