As I look back on my writing journey, I feel inclined to express my gratitude to all of those that have supported and taught me how to be a better writer and human being.
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Family & Friends are my foundation.
My Husband – For your constant support and encouragement, celebrating every book with me. You are the inspiration for every love story I write.
My Kids – Your enthusiastic encouragement keeps me energized.
My Friends – Just for all the shits and giggles to cleanse the heart when most needed.
Robin – I blame you and your crazy ideas of NKOTB Fanfic that blew my mind … I’ve been trying to find all the pieces since.
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Word Weavers, Artist’s Way Workshop, & the Twisted Sisters
My first writing group way back in 2001 was the Word Weavers. We started at our local public library after a literacy week seminar. There were so many people that joined this group, we split into four sub-groups to accommodate all the different genres members wrote in. From that same seminar, The Artist’s Way workshop was developed and included some of those same writers. Through doing the AW workshop, we got to know each other really well, forming strong bonds, working through each other’s writing and development. The Twisted Sisters consisted of myself and two other women from both the WW and the AW groups. I would not be where I am without the laughter, love and support from these beautiful individuals. Their encouragement resulted in my first short fiction publications (under a different name) and were integral in my journey to learn more about who I am through my writing.
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National Novel Writing Month, The Hemingway Club & Holly Lisle
When I discovered National Novel Writing Month there was no write-in group in my home town, so I began travelling to the nearest city that did have one – Ottawa. Actively writing with other folks was an amazing new experience, that I still love to do now. I will always consider NaNoWriMo to be a great way to overcome self-censorship. Decide on a goal, 1st draft is crap and set your imagination free.
I later joined a small group of writers called The Hemingway Club that decided just the month of November wasn’t enough, so we’ve been meeting weekly year round.
Also from the NaNoWriMo meetings, their early ML (Municipal Liaison) Lee-Ann introduced me to Holly Lisle‘s online writing classes which has been an invaluable tool.
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CAN*CON SF, Scrawling Narwhals , Limestone Genre Expo & The Evil Deadliners
The Conference on Canadian Content in Speculative Arts and Literature is also in Ottawa Ontario. First I signed up for an all-day workshop, then I got on board to volunteer in the hospitality suite for the convention. I have met so many wonderful people and learned so much about writing and publishing. I’ve been returning to Can*Con every year since 2012. It’s a professional event balanced with an open, welcoming atmosphere.
Out of that all-day Can*Con workshop in 2012, I signed up to try out a new short story critique group. We named ourselves The Scrawling Narwhals after the massive narwhal and whale art pieces suspended from the ceiling of the World Exchange Plaza in downtown Ottawa where we met monthly. I can’t emphasize enough how much this group has helped my craft growth. Everyone in that group has been incredibly supportive of each other’s successes over the years.
Kingston’s Limestone Genre Expo is another conference I have tried to attend each year since it’s beginning. It has been wonderful to see authors supporting this little conference from all over Ontario.
The Evil Deadliners – Critiques and Laughs and Cheers onward.
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Ottawa Romance Writers, Romance Writers of America & Romancing the Capitol
The Ottawa Romance Writers (Association) has seen my publishing learning curve sky rocket by leaps and bounds. Another wonderful group of authors serious about the publishing business. I joined them officially in 2017.
Thank you Jennifer Carole Lewis for welcoming us newbies with that wonderful, wide smile of yours! Your friendship and kindness has made the journey so much easier.
Romancing the Capital is the creation of author Eve Langlais. I began attending this event around 2015-2019. Again, I met a lot of great folks and had a blast doing it!
In 2019 at the Romance Writers of America National Conference in New York City, I experienced the professional market on a huge scale compared to what I was used to. So much information about craft, research, publishing and marketing.
Fellow ORW(A) member Jessica Ripley of Eighth Ripple Press formed a weekly writing group. She prompted quite a few incredibly fun projects, which have directly resulted in the publication of my first books. Wrangling us together, we wrote and published Steamy Cogs II anthology for RTC 2019. After RTC, some of us wrote for Milly Taiden and Eve Langlais’ paranormal worlds. Jess, without you opening doors and luring me through, I’d probably still be poking at my first draft – THANK YOU!
Thank you Milly for giving me the opportunity to publish in your worlds. This giant leap has meant the world to me. Thank you MT Worlds Assistants Jennifer Wedmore and Heather Witherell for all the work you do behind the scenes.
Thank you Eve for letting us go wild in your FUC world – I’ve had so much fun in this setting!
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Editors, Beta Readers and Artists
Kim Ross – Your edits make me look smart.
Jason Sharp, John Haas and Kevin Quirt – Your critiques realign and smooth the plot knots.
Jessica Ripley – Your ideas for new projects keeps me inspired.
Dar Albert, Rebecca Poole & Lia Davis – My books look amazing because of your art!
My family members who provided the artistic and technical support to get going.
Readers
A HUGE THANK YOU to every one of you that has read one of my books, left reviews and ratings on your favourite platforms, signed up for my newsletters, recommended my stories to other readers and/or boosted my social media posts! <3