The Aurora is a Spark

It’s hard to believe how fast time goes.

Back in April, my novel Minotaur was nominated for a Prix Aurora Award and now here we are in July and voting is almost done. It’s been kind of like a heady dream and the entire experience has been so wonderful. Oddly, being nominated was the motivation that I needed.

When I had finished writing Minotaur, I didn’t have any plans for a sequel, yet there was an idea that wouldn’t leave me alone. My mind kept wondering: What happens now? I started a draft, then another and a third and didn’t get very far. I figured that was it and the story of Minotaur was done.

When Minotaur was nominated, it lit a spark that wouldn’t go away. To my surprise, the words wanted to come, however sparingly. Minotaur took me almost a year to write. It’s hard writing a story that’s set in a labyrinth. There is quite a bit of research about what will and will not grow in almost complete darkness and trying to keep this dystopian story as grounded as possible without losing the magic.

I started a third draft trying to keep the parts of the story that I had already written and I was stuck. For me, getting the Aurora nomination was like a lighted candle in the maze and it showed me where the story could go. I am so thankful for the Prix Aurora Award nomination and the fact that Minotaur is on the ballot for Best YA Novel. I’m also thankful that it gave me the spark I needed to find more light in the darkness.

If you are a member of The Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association (CSFFA), you can now place your vote! Minotaur is up for Best YA Novel. Voting runs from today until July 18th, 2026. You can hop over to the CSFFA website here: https://www.csffa.ca/

If you are not a member of the CSFFA, don’t worry! You can sign up to be a member and it only costs $10. You can find info at the same link. You have until July 18th, 2026, to buy a membership if you’d like to vote in this year’s Prix Aurora Awards. The real bonus is the fact that you get to download and read everything that is on the ballot. That’s a lot of bangs for your buck.

There are so many amazing books, poems and stories to vote for. Check out the full list here: https://www.csffa.ca/awards-information/current-ballot/

In August, the winning creators and works will be revealed during the online Aurora Awards ceremony on Sunday, August 9th, live-streamed on YouTube and LinkedIn

YouTube link for the 2026 Aurora Awards ceremony on August 9th at 5 PM Eastern:

If you’ve already voted for me, thank you. If you haven’t read Minotaur, you still have time to read it and vote. It’s hard to believe that votes close ten days from now! The road to the Prix Aurora Awards seemed so much farther away in April than they do now! Thank you for being with me on this journey and I can’t wait to see how it ends.