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.
Samantha’s Sandwich Stand by Sonia Saikaley and illustrated by Nathan Caro Frechette (children’s picture book)
Samantha is bored. It is summer and her friends are on vacation. When she sees a lemonade stand, she wants to open one but her father convinces her to sell something different: her mother’s homemade Lebanese cream cheese and cucumber pita sandwiches. But can she convince others that her sandwich treat is just as refreshing and delicious as lemonade? When her friends return from their holidays and offer to help her, along with a very hungry eagle, will customers finally come and buy her sandwiches? Samantha’s Sandwich Stand is an inspiring story about believing in yourself, accepting help from others when something doesn’t succeed at first, and celebrating each other’s differences.
Coffee Shop Between The ‘Verses by Éric Desmarais (YA)
Jackie sometimes likes to have conversations with the characters, and as he reads five novellas in the small Ontario town of Baker…
In The Ridiculous Adventures of Felix Felicitous, the grumpy Felix is thrown into an adventure through time, despite his protestations.
In Only Human, Rachel has accidentally signed up for the University of Monsters.
In Wargrave Island, Inspector Riko Dulac has to find out who’s killing all her former high school classmates before there’s no one left.
In Database of the Ageless Kings, Sophia rebuilds an alien ship, only to find the galactic prince still inside.
In Devices of Desire, follow Artemis, Diana, and Ezekiel as they navigate secret identities, demons, and love in the kingdom of Cillian.
Are the characters Jackie is talking with real? Is he just talking to himself? Or is something else going on?
Beyond the Stone by Jamieson Wolf (queer paranormal romance)
After a schism renders the world unrecognizable, Magic comes out into the open.
Bane is a Supernatural who works for the Clocktower, the organization that is supposed to protect mortals from themselves. Jackson is able to teleport long distances and is also a clairvoyant, something that no mortal should be able to do. That’s the least of their troubles, however. Sparks fly when they meet, even if relationships between mortals and Supernaturals are frowned upon.
When they learn that the Clocktower is keeping mortals and Supernaturals prisoner, Bane knows that they will have to go against the Clocktower in order to break them free… but will they break themselves in the process?
Dissatisfied Me: A Love Story by Bruce D. Gordon (humour)
Rick “Dickie” Duncan is turning fifty. Meh.
On the eve of this mid-century milestone, he finds himself alone in his mother’s Ottawa basement, surrounded by gaudy decor and a carpet that hasn’t been raked in years. Grabbing some brews and frozen hotdogs, Rick rummages through the clutter that’s made up his dissatisfied life.
From the death of Santa to the last days of Scottish Rot, Rick meanders through the decades, mapping his existence amid the pop culture of the ’70s to the present day.
Marking key moments of his unsated misadventures and real-life dating disasters, Rick reminds himself that his journey is a love story. Sort of.
Artificial Divide, edited by Robert Kingett and Randy Lacey
Step into a world of rogue screen readers, Braille in fantasy worlds, a friend meeting an acquaintance after several years, and more.
This #OwnVoices anthology features fiction by Blind and visually impaired authors showing readers how they thrive, hurt, get revenge, outsmart bullies, or go on epic adventures. Artificial Divide is an own-voices story collection that captures the many layers of Blindness and, for once, puts visually impaired protagonists in the driver’s seat, letting us glimpse their lives.
When we think about it, we’re not really divided.
With stories by: Eunice Cooper-Matchett – Anita Haas – Rebecca Blaevoet – Tessa Soderberg – Laurie Alice Eakes – Melissa Yuan-Innes – Jamieson Wolf – Ben Fulton – Felix Imonti – Niki White – M. Leona Godin – Ann Chiappetta – Lawrence Gunther – Heather Meares – Fabiyas M V – Jameyanne Fuller
Shifting Trust by Madona Skaff-Koren
Tyler Demir left the RCMP after an undercover operation he was in charge of turned deadly. Refusing to make life and death decisions anymore, he now works as assistant head of security for a military funded Canadian nano-tech company. But when one of their scientists is kidnapped, the military send Tyler to England to retrieve him.
Not sure who to trust, Tyler uses contacts from his undercover days to get the scientist to safety. At every step, he sees the rescue crumble around him and again he has blood on his hands.
How the hell did he manage to go from a stress-free job, where lives didn’t depend on his split-second decisions, to this?
Join us for an evening of literature as we announce our next releases! We will reveal the covers to our upcoming releases, show you our brand-new book trailers, and you will hear some exclusive readings.
On top of all that, we have some FABULOUS prizes to give out to the attendees: coffee, signed books, art, and so much more! Make sure to come so you have a chance to win something!
The event will happen over Zoom. You will receive the link via email after registering.
Join us for an evening of literature as we announce our next releases! We will reveal the covers to our upcoming releases, show you our brand-new book trailers, and you will hear some exclusive readings.
On top of all that, we have some FABULOUS prizes to give out to the attendees: coffee, signed books, art, and so much more! Make sure to come so you have a chance to win something!
The event will happen over Zoom. You will receive the link via email after registering.
A Case of Synchronicity by Éric Desmarais: A young adult supernatural time-travel mystery partially set in the 1980s.
The Unavoidable Quests by John Haas: A fantasy comedy involving dimensional treasure hunting.
Death by Association by Madona Skaff: A thrilling contemporary mystery with a disabled amateur sleuth.
To Pluck a Crow: Death Stalks the House of Herbert by Sue Taylor-Davidson: A gripping historical mystery following a dual narrative and concerning itself on the Shakespeare authorship question.
So come by and see the awesome stuff we’re doing for the launch.
:00/:30 – Introduction of Topic with Questions and Answers :10/:40 – Game :15/:45 – Promotions of other fantastic businesses :20/:50 – Reveal of product :25/:55 – Announcing winner of Game
There will be readings from Everdome and the other six books being launched.
Join us for the launch of six extraordinary novels! Humour, romance, sci-fi, fantasy, and reality TV? There’s something in here to please everyone!
There will be author readings, you can get your books signed, and we’ll be drawing door prizes. Plus, there will be much fun and merriment!
ACCESSIBILITY NOTE: the elevator is situated in the back of the pub. Please ask staff upon entry and they will guide you to it!
FOOD: Because of the large numbers we usually bring in, they asked us to tell our guests they will have a choice from the group menu. We went with option number one; there will be gluten-free options such as gluten-free buns or lettuce wraps, and there will also be vegan alternatives on site.
My wonderful cover designer Nathan sent me the cover file for my book that should be out this spring, hopefully in time for Renaissance Press’s 5th anniversary.
Without further ado, here is the cover for The Sign of Faust:
The Sign of Faust will be available at Amazon and Renaissance Press.
My hope is that by the end of the series, all the books together with make a rainbow.
