On having to miss amazing book launches
One of the big challenges of balancing everything, writing (from beginning ideas to multiple drafts) mentoring and teaching and working with amazing writers, participating in, supporting and attending writing community events, painting/ drawing etc and of course, having a family with young kids (and rescue dogs who need lots of walks) and of course, having Rheumatoid Arthritis, which I’m grateful is mostly well controlled (thank God for both my rheumatologist and biologics) but you never know when a flare can hit, is that I just can’t do everything. It’s so hard because I want so much to be able to go to every launch and reading, and it’s just not always in the cards. I painted these two this weekend, sad that I had to miss the launches of two of my favourite authors, and friends, the amazing Leesa Dean and the amazing Elyse Friedman. Elyse’s new novel, the Opportunist is a biting, edge of your seat kind of read. I’m rarely if ever truly surprised by an ending and I actually yelled Holy Shit as I got to this one. I really did not see it coming and it was fantastic and so very satisfying. It’s like the best kind of literary magic trick. I’m jumping up and down excited to get Leesa’s new book, The Filling Station (Gaspereau Press) in the mail. Anyway, here are my paintings of these amazing authors in their launch nights. Check out their books too
