I was so excited when I received the news that my first novel, The Toy Maker, had received its first award! The Chrysalis Brew Project had originally done a review of my book in April of 2023. I was so happy with that review and it remains one of my favourite that I have received to date. The reviewer really understood what I was going for with the characterizations and her appreciation of the characters has continued to stand out to me. I always start writing from the idea of a character and work from there so characterization is at the heart of every story I write. If you want to read the review you can check it out on The Chrysalis Brew Project website or click here for a direct link.
This award, the BREW Seal of Excellence, is given out to books receiving a perfect 5-star rating from all of its Brew Project reviews. The Brew describes the award as follows, namely:
The BREW Seal of Excellence is awarded to books that receive unanimous praise, earning a perfect 5-star rating from all its BREW reviews. It represents a pinnacle of literary achievement, recognizing works of exceptional quality and impact within the BREW literary community.
It is a highlight moment in my literary career so far and an incredible accolade to have received. I am honoured to be recognized alongside so many other fantastic authors and their works. To check out the announcement page and all of the other honourees click the link here.
I am hard at work on The Toy Maker’s sequel and another unnamed project currently. In the meantime I will be making an announcement in the coming weeks about a top secret project that I am very excited about. To give a small tease to tide you over let me just say that many who know me personally or know me through my day job as a lawyer, will know that I am big on accessibility and inclusivity. That is something that drove me to pursue this soon to be announced project. Keep an eye out for it and keep reading!
–Melanie