A busy fall & start to winter!

"A heartfelt story of navigating emptiness and finding hope for the future... 
[This book] offers a great way to encourage young people with grief and depression to open up."
- Kirkus Reviews on The Semicolon

Behind the scenes, a lot is happening in every book launch – especially for an independent author! The past several weeks have been devoted to setting up worldwide distribution channels, smoothing out pricing wrinkles (think currency conversion rates, shipping costs, etc.), and getting the word out about the book every step of the way.
 
All the updates on the book front could fill a novel, so here are the most exciting takeaways:
 
I was incredibly honored this past month by the opportunity to author a piece for the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s e-magazine The Catalyst about the challenges of writing and marketing a children’s book about depression. The article, “Making a Point,” is a great place to learn the backstory of The Semicolon, as well as the alarming statistics that reinforced my decision to self-publish (we need conversations about mental health to start early!). 

​In other big news: my Kirkus Review is in! Kirkus is a leading name in the publishing industry for book reviews, and I am thrilled to share that The Semicolon was praised as a “heartfelt story of navigating emptiness and finding hope for the future.” The review also observed that the book “offers a great way to encourage young people with grief and depression to open up,” which thrilled me as the story has always been about sparking those critical conversations. The full review is available here (be warned: it contains plot spoilers!)

Since its full launch in November, the book has touched readers all the way from B.C. and the prairie provinces to Texas, Hawai’i, and the U.K.! As a debut author, reaching new audiences is a challenge, and I am immeasurably grateful for everyone who has not only bought the book, but taken the time to share feedback and their photos of the book with me.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me. If The Semicolon has resonated with you too, I’d love to know about it.