I’ve been—and will continue to be—mostly staying offline in an effort to avoid Star Wars: The Force Awakens spoilers until I get a chance to see the movie on Monday night. But I didn’t want to wait until then to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas. Even as I type that a part of me bristles, not because whoever is reading this might not celebrate Christmas (as an atheist I celebrate the season not as a religious event but as a time we can aspire to peace and goodwill towards our fellow man. I also treasure the lustrous decorations and festive lights that temporarily brighten our long winter nights), but because the pressure to be happy can make the season so difficult—amplify feelings of loneliness, stress and sadness.

Life is not always happy, even on the most beautiful May days when flowers are blooming and the sky is pure blue, even in December when holiday tunes are blaring and work-places are holding ugly sweater contests.

If times are tough right now, I wish for much better for you in the future. I know it’s possible because you and I are still here. Life changes and then changes again. I think what most people really mean when they say Merry Christmas is I wish you well. And that’s what I’m saying here. Peace. Happiness. Health. I wish you all of it.
"Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” ~ Calvin Coolidge 
 “Mankind is a great, an immense family. This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas.” ~ Pope John XXIII
Joyeux Noël. Je vous souhaite tous mes meilleurs vœux!



It's been a good couple of days for Delicate reviews so if you're thinking of picking up a copy and want to know more about the book, you may want to check out The Globe and Mail and Quill & Quire reviews.

 This is the first time one of my books has ever been reviewed in The Globe and Mail, which is really exciting. Here's a snippet of their review:

"Authentic portrayals of teen sexuality are few and far between...But Ontario author C.K. Kelly Martin unabashedly portrays the hormonal realities of being 16 and 17 in this dual narrative of second cousins Ivy and Lucan. Martin does not shy away from the messier realities of young love, including a laudably prolonged and uncomfortable description of an STI..."

And an outtake from the Quill & Quire write-up:

"C.K. Kelly Martin’s YA writing is the kind you want to give the teens in your life. It’s written for them, not adult crossover readers, and it meets teens where they live. Her latest novel, told in two characters’ alternating voices, is a flinchingly accurate look at the confusion and conviction of adolescence."

If you're in Canada you can pick up Delicate in various bricks and mortar bookstores and online shops right now. Delicate's U.S. release is scheduled for May 16th but I'm currently running  a Goodreads contest (U.S. only) to celebrate the January 16th U.S. release of my previous Dancing Cat Books offering, The Sweetest Thing You Can Sing. Each winner will receives a copy of both The Sweetest Thing You Can Sing AND Delicate. Good luck!

C.K. Kelly Martin’s YA writing is the kind you want to give the teens in your life. It’s written for them, not adult crossover readers, and it meets teens where they live. Her latest novel, told in two characters’ alternating voices, is a flinchingly accurate look at the confusion and conviction of adolescence. - See more at: http://www.ckkellymartin.com/p/ivys-seemingly-perfect-master-of-social.html#sthash.f1Dwpqd2.dpuf
C.K. Kelly Martin’s YA writing is the kind you want to give the teens in your life. It’s written for them, not adult crossover readers, and it meets teens where they live. Her latest novel, told in two characters’ alternating voices, is a flinchingly accurate look at the confusion and conviction of adolescence. - See more at: http://www.ckkellymartin.com/p/ivys-seemingly-perfect-master-of-social.html#sthash.f1Dwpqd2.dpuf
Authentic portrayals of teen sexuality are few and far between...But Ontario author C.K. Kelly Martin unabashedly portrays the hormonal realities of being 16 and 17 in this dual narrative of second cousins Ivy and Lucan. Martin does not shy away from the messier realities of young love, including a laudably prolonged and uncomfortable description of an STI... - See more at: http://www.ckkellymartin.com/p/ivys-seemingly-perfect-master-of-social.html#sthash.f1Dwpqd2.dpuf
Authentic portrayals of teen sexuality are few and far between...But Ontario author C.K. Kelly Martin unabashedly portrays the hormonal realities of being 16 and 17 in this dual narrative of second cousins Ivy and Lucan. Martin does not shy away from the messier realities of young love, including a laudably prolonged and uncomfortable description of an STI... - See more at: http://www.ckkellymartin.com/p/ivys-seemingly-perfect-master-of-social.html#sthash.f1Dwpqd2.dpuf


Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Sweetest Thing You Can Sing by C.K. Kelly Martin

The Sweetest Thing You Can Sing

by C.K. Kelly Martin

Giveaway ends January 15, 2016.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter Giveaway
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