And now I’m spoiled. Living south of 60 once again has left me with ‘winter shock’ – I just can’t get used to the total lack of wintery weather, and I can’t seem to get in a Christmassy mood because of it. We’ve had the occasional bout of flurries, but mostly it’s been rain and disgustingly mild temps. What the heck happened to winter?!?!

Totally desperate, I’ve been treating my winter shock with pretty Christmas lights and classic holiday tunes. And of course, writing winter-themed fiction.

It’s not working.

So, it’s time to send a plea to the Big Guy Upstairs. How about a big dump of snow on Christmas day?

Here’s hoping…

Just enter the code during checkout at Smashwords and enjoy! It expires at midnight EST, so act fast. And reviews at the Smashwords link would be greatly appreciated.

Coupon code: DV76H

Happy reading!

Ok, on to serious book business…

The ultimate decision to self-publish came after a couple months of obsessively reading every blog, ebook and article I could possibly Google. What did I find? Mostly, that there are 3 things you can’t skip if you want any chance of being taken seriously. The first is editing. Whether you hire someone or use an automated service, editing is a necessary tool that adds that final, professional sheen. I’ve read more than my share of poorly edited ebooks (even ones from legacy publishers!) and it drives me up the wall. Since Wishing is just a short story, I used an automated service and I was really happy with it. For something longer though, I might find an actual person to do the editing for me.

The next thing on the self-publishing checklist is a cover image, but I’ll come back to that in a minute. The third part is self-promotion – getting your name out there, and having it link back to your books in as many ways as possible. Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and a blog are pretty standard when tackling the whole promotion part of the indie publishing trifecta. I’m no stranger to social media – I’ve had various Facebook and Twitter accounts over the years. But the idea of putting your real name out on the internet, with the intention of being noticed? Well, that’s new to me. I used to pride myself on the fact that Google couldn’t find me, but if you check now, I’m kind of all over the place. I need to keep telling myself that it’s a good thing!

So… covers. It’s like going for a job interview. You may be qualified, but showing up in sweats and a ripped tee is not going to get you hired. A beautiful, quality cover is like a fancy new suit – it gives that great first impression that makes people want to invest their time and money in you and your book. You just have to make sure that the book lives up to the cover hype!

At first, the idea of creating a cover had me stumped. For all my familiarity with tech, up until now I’ve never tried Photoshop. And although I am impressed by great covers, trying to figure out what makes them great can sometimes leave me scratching my head. But then I stumbled upon Fena’s website, and her work just blew me away. She’s 17 years old and creates ebook covers for indie authors. She agreed to create the Wishing cover for free (thank you!) and I can’t wait to commission the next one. Her rates are incredibly reasonable, and the results make it so worth it. If anyone is looking for a cover artist – check her out!

Synopsis: Carol is on a mission – to deliver a special package to her sweet, but forgetful husband. And no amount of snowy tundra will stand in her way…

I am so freakin’ excited right now… 

After living on my own for a couple years, coming back to a very full house of people was a bigger adjustment than I thought it would be. I had gotten so used to silence that the new reality of constant noise and activity was actually a bit jarring. I’m getting used to it now, thankfully. Being dependent again was also harder to deal with than I thought. I love my family. I’m thrilled to be home and blessed to have them as a support system, but I look forward to when I can afford my own place again. I definitely relate being able to afford living on my own to personal success and achievement, and knowing I can’t right now can be disheartening at times. The fact that the job hunt was slow and painful didn’t help.

So, in the midst of all this change and emotional lows, I found something that gave me hope. A fortune cookie. Don’t laugh. You in the back: please, stop laughing. The message was simple: You are a lover of words – someday you will write a book.

Holy crap. I wrote fiction when I was younger, and had always dreamed of seeing my work in print. It was like God had tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Hey Stupid – you have all this time on your hands – use it!” How could I ignore that?!?

Coincidentally, this happened at the beginning of November – fate is funny that way. So I signed up for NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month – where you have to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. I was a few days late, but I signed up anyway. And I’m so glad I did. Because I succeeded – I wrote a novel in one month. It needs some serious editing, which I don’t plan on starting until the new year, but it’s done!

Spending a month writing that much, becoming completely consumed by the story, reawakened my love for the craft. After finishing the novel, I didn’t want to stop – so I immediately wrote a short story. It has a Christmas theme and the editing is finally finished. I’ll be self-publishing it as an ebook in the next couple days.

I am so thrilled right now. After doing a lot of research, I realized that traditional publishing methods were really not for me. Indie publishing seems to be where the future of books is going, and I can’t wait to be an official part of it. I’ll be listing my ebooks(!) on Smashwords, who then sends it out to Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Sony and the Apple iBookstore. I wont be listing them on Amazon – I don’t agree with many of their business practices and I have no desire to affiliate myself with their methods. There will be a Kindle compatible file on Smashwords for Amazon users instead.

So – fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly. I’ll be updating this blog once the short story is published. Wish me luck!

As for the pedestrian part… My car has been sold and I’ve spent the last two days walking all over town. It’s great exercise, considering I can’t get to the gym now. It was sad to see my car go. I was feeling rather self reflective as I emptied it of my personal belongings; CDs, my old Toronto map book, and the rosary hanging from my mirror. My grandmother hung that rosary in my car one day while I was driving her home for Sunday dinner. That was a long time ago. I really need to find a safe place to put it – it needs to hang in my next car. So, that’s it I guess. So long Sully, you were a great car!

First, I’m going to miss Whitehorse itself. This city is big and tiny all at the same time, and its isolation just adds to the charm. I love the architecture, the history, the friendly locals, and the fact that when you say, “I’m going to Walmart” there is only one possible location you’re heading to. I love this place and I’m definitely going to come back for a visit… or ten.

Both winters were absolutely awesome. Those who know me, know how much I love snow, and I got to experience it in abundance up here. The snow came early, came often, and stuck around for the entire season. Gotta love super cold, snow friendly temps! It created a picturesque winter wonderland that I’m definitely going to miss. Slushy/rainy Toronto winters just aren’t as fun. I’m actually hoping for one more snowfall before I leave – chances are pretty good!

Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous. From the log tossing, to the axe throwing, to the snow sculptures and parades, Rendezvous was wicked fun and I would love to experience it again. I’m thinking that my future visits should happen during winter…

And in a similar vein, I loved the Yukon Quest. A dog sledding race that looked like the Winter Olympics (complete with fans waving cowbells), it really felt like a piece of history in the making!

The road trips were epic – I absolutely can’t believe how much I got to travel and explore these last two years. From Alaska, to the Carcross desert, to Faro, and even to Vancouver, I’ve got a tonne of fantastic memories to take home with me. I think I’ve been bit by the traveling bug, and I hope I get to continue exploring after I move back home.

Visits from family were really special. My mom flew up here early on and helped me move into my apartment. At the same time we got to explore a city that was still very fresh and new to me. It was our own unique adventure and I love that she took the time to come up and help me out.

Big sister Ry came for a visit a year later. This time I got to share a city I was now at home in and definitely loved, and it was a lot of fun. I’m so glad you came, Ry!

I think what I’m going to miss the most are my friends. I’ve made a couple of extremely special friends up here and the idea of leaving them really tears me up. Through the rough stuff and the fun stuff, they have been there for me and I love them like family. Thank you so much for everything, and for making me feel like I belong here!

I guess that’s it, although it has to be said… I’m really going to miss that freaking awesome view.

The gym is open for business again! I’m so freakin’ happy about it. The fire damage isn’t fully repaired yet, but they’ve done enough to open up some sections of the building, including the gym and change rooms. I went today, and it’s definitely still a construction zone.  There is tonnes of plastic sheeting on makeshift walls, blocking off sections under repair. Getting to the change rooms requires walking through a tunnel of plastic sheeting – that was really weird. The rink viewing windows in the gym are covered with plastic and hand drawn posters; it looks like the day camps had fun decorating! One of the windows was left uncovered though, and I got to see the fire damage. Wow – it still looks pretty nasty.  The melted insulation is still up and the burnt metal wall is still unfixed. The score board is completely gone, and the seats in the stands are still covered in soot. Most of the parking lot is blocked off with construction supplies, and from what I could see, it looks like they’re replacing a lot, not just the rink wall. They’ve done a lot in a short while though – the open sections look perfect. And the best part? Admission was free. According to the girl behind the counter, if you had a pass before the fire, it’ll stay current until the place is fully repaired! I’m so glad they reopened before I moved…

I’m different from the person who originally made this journey, and that’s a really good thing.  As silly as this sounds at 30, I’ve grown up a lot up here.  I’ve come out of my shell and embraced a bit of adventure.  I’ve made some incredible friends and seen nature in all its stunning glory.  I’m so glad I did it, and I know leaving is going to be emotional and really hard.

But, it’s time for a new adventure.  In two months I will be back in Ontario and starting over again.  I’m equal parts excited and terrified; I can only hope that the next stage will be just as memorable!