Shouting from the Rooftops (to avoid the floods below…)

I’ve been meaning to write another blogpost for a while now, but whew. There’s been…a lot to deal with here.

As a school board member of a district with a recently flooded school in which everything was a total loss, the last month has been hectic to say the least. I am in awe of the administrators, the teachers, and the hundreds of volunteers who have stepped up to see that our kids have somewhere to go for their education when school opens in just two weeks.

I have been less impressed by the government we’ve been waiting on for help…who doesn’t seem to see or understand the urgency of the situation. As a perpetual optimist, I want to believe everyone will pull together. As a realist, I can see that’s not happening. And so my mind has been elsewhere these days. Writing has taken a back seat.

But it shouldn’t. Two exciting developments occurred in the last month and, had it not been for a flooded school, I would have been crowing about them from the start.

First, Temper the Dark received glowing praise from Kirkus Reviews. The full review can be found here, but if you want the highlights:

“The author is to be applauded for the smooth manner in which she has combined disparate elements.”“Storms…carefully unspools a complex backstory, rewarding the reader with little nuggets that prove to be gold in the end.““[A]n engaging romp through a fascinating land.““A tumultuous love story blends with an uphill battle against evil in this entrancing work.“

Yes, Kirkus Reviews – THE Kirkus Reviews – had wonderful things to say about my fierce dragon girl and her cohorts. Friends, I floated on those words for at least a week before my feet touched the ground again.

Yesterday, I received word that Temper the Dark advanced to the Long List in the 2023 Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs) Ozma division for Fantasy Fiction. The Ozma Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Fantasy Fiction.

To be included on the long list? A dream. I am so grateful to everyone involved and am honored to be in the company of so many talented storytellers.

So squee with me, friends! Life is a rollercoaster. Alongside the lows, life can deliver some pretty amazing highs. You just might have to climb to the roof to recognize them.