The Rollercoaster Year of 2023

It’s been a rollercoaster of a year. A year of uncertainty and a year of a (mostly unacknowledged) recession that’s affecting freelancers, writers and publishers (and particularly the smaller presses) in so many ways.

But, dear reader, have no fear, this post isn’t doom and gloom. This post is about the one thing that keeps us as writers going, regardless of the ups and downs of publishing. This post is about the camaraderie of the writing community, the camaraderie that that keeps our ship afloat.

I’ve had more than my share of lovely events: I was at the OLA, the Ontario Librarian Association’s Superconference, I was guest speaker at WOTS 2023, I hosted a panel at Toronto International Festival of Authors with Dietrich Kalteis and Sam Wiebe, two superstars from the west coast. I hosted a wonderful evening at the Tartan Turban Secret Reading, with artist Peter Owusu-Ansah (and you really should check out his work), Mark Sampson, Rummana Chowdhury and Gavin Barrett.

And I went to Shetland Noir! Never mind one of the highlights of my year, it’s a highlight of my life.

That I was able to go at all, was thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts. I was invited to interview Shari Lapena, Gilly Macmillan, and Louise Mangos. We had wonderful time; the only downside was that I wasn’t able to convince Louise Mangos that snacks truly are an essential part of writing! I was on a panel brilliantly hosted by Dr. Jackie Collins, alongside Janet Oakley and David Bishop.

Shetland Noir was organized by Ann Cleaves and Marsali Taylor and, from the very minute the attendees arrived, we simply had a blast.

They say you should never meet your heroes and I’ve met quite a few authors who treated me as if I was a mild inconvenience in their path until they could move on, but the rockstars of Scottish crime aren’t just incredible writers, they are genuinely lovely, good people.

When I heard I was speed dating with Lin Anderson, I nearly died of stage fright. I couldn’t believe it – not only was I going to be in the same room as the author I’d admired for ages, but I was also doing an event with her! But here’s the thing – Lin was incredibly lovely.

Ann Cleaves couldn’t be nicer. Val McDermid is so hilarious and present. Carole Johnstone was a joy to meet. Honestly, everyone was just lovely, and I can’t even list them all.

Talented Shetland writer, Marsali Taylor, left no peat bog unturned to show us the very best of times. She organized a bus tour for all the writers and we got to eat fridge cake surrounded by Shetland ponies. (Marsali suffered a most terrible injury after the conference, being rammed by a six-tonne ship but is fighting back and is most likely at Newcastle Noir as we speak.)

We also got to enjoy a ceilidh which I’ve always wanted to attend, and I’ll never forget whirling around the room with Louise Mangos. I’m pretty sure I was leading us dreadfully astray, but we had such a great time.

The event was held in the Mareel centre which was, all on its own, a heady experience of airy architecture, with blonde wood and floor-to-ceiling windows facing the North Sea and the historic Hay's Dock quayside, with the Shetland Museum and Archives just steps away.

I was also fairly nervous about my book. Everything You Dream is Real is speculative fiction and I was worried that my dear book would be left to languish on the shelf while crime novels flew off, but, to my relief, the book proved popular and by the time I left, there was one remaining copy and the landlady at my B&B messaged me to say she was going to pick it up, so sold-out books added to the joy.

I’ve had the privilege of attending a fair amount of fabulous conferences; Bouchercon, FogLit, Bloody Words, International Thrillers Fest, the Strathcona’s Writers Festival and I know there are a bunch of other ones I’m forgetting, so forgive me for the omissions, and Shetland Noir is one of the shiniest gems.

In other writing news, I’ve been working on a couple of novels, That Time I Killed You and The Secrets She Couldn’t Keep (formerly known as The Bag Lady of Borrowed Luck, a title that I’m thinking of reverting back to). I’ve also written a handful of short stories for various anthologies and I’m keeping fingers crossed that they’ll find a home. Sometimes it takes a bit of time (and a lot of writing and rewriting!) for a book or short story to find a home but I’m nothing if not persistent and dogged.

I’m still hoping that Mad Dog and the Sea Dragon will still see the light of day next year, with Inanna Publications.

Inanna, like so many presses this year, had a rough time of it but, most importantly, our feisty Inanna is fighting hard to keep her head above water. Eleven books were published this year, as well as two journals, and Inanna is looking to move forward next year.

Inanna is also offering a special holiday discount of 30% on all titles at www.inanna.ca using the discount code holiday23 at checkout and maybe you can buy one of my books as a stocking stuffer or a self gift!

Here are a few titles to choose from, that perhaps you haven’t read yet: West of Wawa, A Glittering Chaos, The Witchdoctor’s Bones, Between the Cracks She Fell, The Occult Persuasion and the Anarchist’s Solution, Rotten Peaches, No Fury Like That, The Rage Room and Everything You Dream is Real.

Here is a note from our Publisher, Brenda Cranney:
“The past few years have been tough for both feminist organizations and for the publishing industry. Money from sales has significantly diminished during this time, and we are thus relying on helpful funding from the federal and provincial governments, and individual donations from loyal supporters. These have continued to sustain us and allowed Inanna Publications to remain one of very few independent feminist publishers in Canada. We have by necessity learned to run our organization on a shoestring budget, producing first-rate books and a scholarly journal with a bare minimum of resources. But, as a non-profit registered charitable organization that receives no financial institutional support, we must continue to turn to our friends and supporters for assistance.
We are committed to ensuring a publishing space in Canada dedicated to feminist voices that provoke discussion, advance feminist thought, and speak to the diverse lives of women. And with your help, we can continue to do this!”

If you can, please support Inanna by ordering a book or by sending a small donation. www.inanna.ca

The only way forward is together. I’d also like to give a large shoutout to everyone at the Mesdames of Mayhem, my merry band of wonderful friends. You’ve really been amazing this year, all of you. We go from strength to strength. We’ve been blessed by the Toronto Public Library to host a number of panels – thank you, Librarians! And who knows what mayhem the Mesdames will get up to in 2024!

I wish everyone everything of the best for 2024.

Onwards and upwards!