Over the holidays, there will be downtime to sit with a cup of tea or eggnog, perhaps by the fire, and read. When I was a kid, I wanted to write books. In grade school, I started several hand-printed and stapled mysteries. Now, as I work on my second memoir, “Finding Virgil,” I feel like a real writer. And with people reading my novel, “Celia’s Heaven,” there is no doubt in my mind that I will continue to write and publish books for the rest of my days.
National Novel Writing Month 2020: During NaNoWriMo, I completed a rough-draft of my second memoir, “Finding Virgil.” It is the story of my secret adoption and the stories I was told about my real father. After my daughter was born, I found my birth family. My birth father had drowned in the Deschutes River when I was twelve. The memoir is about my relationship with his sister, and the things I learned about Virgil during our friendship. It will be awhile before it is ready for purchase.
“STRUCK: A Memoir” will hopefully have a publication date soon…but not in time for the holidays. My first memoir details working as a fire lookout tower attendant in the 70s. A Terrible Storm, an excerpt from “STRUCK,” is published in The Narrative Project’s latest anthology, “True Stories III.” This beautiful book is available through The Narrative Project.
“Celia’s Heaven” is another book to gift someone (maybe yourself) this holiday season. It’s available through Village Books or Sidekick Press It is a paranormal story about the preacher and his ne’er-do-well daughter who are forced to live together during a terrible blizzard. The novel was released in September 2020, at Village Books. For a replay of my book launch at Village Books, click HERE. Read a great review of “Celia’s Heaven” at Chanticleer Reviews.
Another holiday book that will make a great gift is Red Wheelbarrow Writers: “This Uncommon Solitude.” This book of poetry is newly published from Sidekick Press. It is written and edited by local poets in response to COVID-19. It is a wonderful volume and well worth the read.
Another Holiday Idea: If you are a budding writer or know a budding writer, give the gift of a writing class. My virtual Wild Mind Writing class will be offered through Whatcom Community Education in January 2021. It is designed to help you let go of overthinking your story and learning to write fast and raw from your first powerful thoughts. Register HERE.
Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season. Warm Regards, Nancy Canyon
Nancy Canyon is the author of Saltwater (poetry) and a novel, Celia’s Heaven, the winner of Chanticleer Reviews Cygnus Award for Paranormal Fiction. With an MFA in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University, Nancy coaches for The Narrative Project, teaches for Chuckanut Writers, and creates in her Historic Fairhaven art studio. She lives with her artist husband in Bellingham, WA.
