Thanks to all of you who have been sending and offering congratulations over the past twenty-four hours.

I don't exactly know how it happened, but Moonlight Sketches was awarded the Ches Crosbie Barristers Award for Fiction at the Atlantic Book Awards ceremony in St. John's last night.

Frst Book Brings Award For Local Author

http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2012-05-18/article-2982433/First-book-brings-award-for-local-author/1

The article says I looked pretty shocked and overwhelmed, and I'd say the reporter, Sarah Smellie, pretty much nailed it. When Ches Crosbie started to read the congratulatory note from the adjudicators with "Dear Gerard..." I immediately fell into a state of disbelief and just sat there with the world swirling around me. I expected him to finish with "Just kidding...the real winner is Kevin Major...or Patrick Warner!" Either way would have been appropriate. I fully did not expect to win and, furthermore, fully expected not to win. I wasn't kidding about that. So now, in spite of all the hoopla, I'm left trying to explain this one to myself.

You see, I'd gotten kind of used to the struggle.

New game plan, starting tomorrow.

I've got lots more to say, but for now, you can click on the link above to get an idea of what went down. Ches Crosbie looked at me before the ceremony, clamped a hand on my shoulder and with something akin to what I thought was pity in his eyes, said to me, "Young man, if you win this award, it will make your career."

I protested mildly, but by then was pretty tired of explaining to people that it wasn't reasonable to expect the "underdog," as the Telegram's reported aptly phrased it, to win.

I need a new origin story. But then, this feels like a reboot.

Thanks, universe. More soon.

Oh, and I'm giving away a free, signed copy of Moonlight Sketches on Facebook. Join me on there if you're interested or if you simply want to be my FB friend. Or you can just drop me a line at gnc@nf.sympatico.ca. I'll be drawing tomorrow evening around 5:00 EST.

That's all I can say right now. It's nearly nine o'clock, and I promised my wife I'd take the night off.

Till tomorrow.

Peace, love, and good books to you all.

Gerard