This week marks Remembrance Day in Canada and Veterans Day in the United States.
It’s a bittersweet time, thinking of the sacrifices made on our behalf. We are proud of them, and sad for them, and most of all, thankful for them.
Clearly 2020 has been a challenging year for all of us. I am reminded again and again that the only thing that helps us make it through difficult times is by sticking together for the common good. Certainly my grandfather must have thought that when he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force at age thirty-nine.
For me, November is also a month for remembering my parents and my grandfather, all of whom passed away this week. It’s a funny thing, how grief can be so white hot in the beginning, then eventually settle to a lovely shade of evergreen.
I often feel a pang of grief when I finish a writing project, too, for my characters have become fully formed individuals who continue to live on to me.
I’ve been writing another book, a book I personally find kind of creepy, and I wonder as I write what the final version will be, where it will go, what kind of life (if any) it will have.
Books are living things and I can’t tell you how often I’ve finished reading a book and grieved that it was done, which for me, is the highest compliment a reader can give an author!
But enough melancholy! We are six weeks away from the holiday season and I’d like to give you a chance to win a gift from me!
How about a copy of every one of my books, plus the companion Christmas story to The Frame-Up?
Leave me a comment below, and I will choose a winner on November 17th and pop it in the mail to you! And of course, this giveaway is a open to both Canadian and U.S. readers!
Good luck!
UPDATE!
Congrats to Michelle Carlos – who’s the winner! Thanks for entering everyone and stay tuned for more giveaways!
The Copycat is such a sweet, magical book! I’d love to share all your titles in my school library!
Aww thanks! Good luck! And coincidentally, the last name of my main characters in the book I am writing is Richardson!
Thank you for sharing. I’m so sorry that this is a sad time of remembrance for you. Sending you some virtual hugs from Houston.
Can’t wait for my future students to read your work!
Me, too! Good luck!
~My grandchildren would love to have your books~Many Blessings~
Good luck Michelle!
This is amazing! I love exploring and finding new authors to share with my students, especially when the author put so much of themselves into the characters they created. Thank you for this great opportunity.
Thank you Ingrid! And good luck!
Thanks for the opportunity. These would be so well loved in our school library. We will be virtually gathering to honour Remembrance Day today.
It’s always a comfort to go to ceremonies for Remembrance Day. I’m sad that I can’t attend the one at Fort York in Toronto.
Thank you for this contest & I hope your grief is eased by happy memories of the ones you’ve lost.
Thank you for the opportunity. I can picture exactly which student would choose each of your beautiful books.
I’d love to share these wonderful books with the kids in my life!! As a mom and teacher-librarian I’ve got lots of readers looking for new books.
These books all look wonderful. My middle grade readers are tearing through books at a pace of 3-6 books per week!!! Always looking for more great tales for them!
I would love to share these with students! Thanks for the chance and all you do for literacy.
I can certainly see why November is a difficult time for you. My brother passed suddenly 5 years ago the Thursday before Easter so that is now a bittersweet time for my family too. Sad for the anniversary of his death yet comforted by the promise of Easter.
This is an amazing giveaway!! I would love to have copies of all your books to share with my students! Thank you for the opportunity! ?❤️
Your writing is delightful and I would love to have all your books to share amongst my grandchildren. They are MacKnights, also!
Congratulations on your new project, and thank-you for your post.
Wendy, I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your parents and grandfather. I love your colorful analogy of grief. I wish you strength as you continue to heal from your losses. Collectively, we’re all fortunate that we live in an age where we have such wonderful tools (internet, Zoom, etc…) to soften the pain of separation we need to endure to keep ourselves and the ones we love safe. If there was ever a time that illustrates the value of art (of all types) as coping mechanisms, it’s now. With a good book, we’re never alone really… and we’re never prevented from traveling and adventuring! Also, it’s wonderful to connect with artists and creators (like yourself) to hopefully inspire your own creativity. So, thank you for what you do, and I wish you and your family well during these difficult times.
I agree this is a bittersweet time of year. I also feel grief when I finish reading a really excellent book, and I can imagine the author of that book feels the same, yet more. I always enjoy seeing your insights from your author’s perspective. A creepy book this time? How intriguing! Thank you for your post and for hosting your giveaway!