C.J. Frederick's Blog

I submitted three short stories to the 2026 GritLit Short Story Contest. Two of them were selected for the longlist. I had to produce another 500 words (maximum) for each story using the provided theme. I am still awaiting the results to see if either is selected for the shortlist. This is such an exciting contest. Last year, my story "Lela's Confession" made it to the shortlist (the final 10), but was not selected as the winner or runner up. This contest teaches the entrants a lot about...

A short story I wrote, and the very first contest I ever entered, has been longlisted in the gritLIT short story contest. Here's the...

I am thrilled to share that my debut novel, "Rooted and Remembered," published in June/2024 has been selected as a finalist in The Wishing Shelf Independent Book Award contest. I entered it in the Adult Fiction category, which had ovre 250+ entries. 30% of the entries have made it to the finals. The winning gold, silver, and bronze medallists will be announced on April 1, 2025.

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This is our beagle mix. He loves to sing. He especially loves to sing to Elvis Presley. Enjoy!

To my beloved readers who won a free copy of my novel, Rooted and Remembered, in the recent Goodreads giveaway, please know that I will mail them to you as soon as the Canada Post strike ends. The costs to send them by courier are prohibitive to me. I hope the strike will end soon. Thank you for your ongoin support!

In October, I entered two short stories into the London Writers Society anthology, (a collection of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. In November, I was so thrilled to discover that my two entries made it past the first reader judges. They are now being assessed by the finalist judge, acclaimed Irish-Canadian author Emma Donoghue (https://www.emmadonoghue.com/).

This is the first time I've ever entered a contest like this. I fully support creativity and arts, so I also sponsored the anthology itself.

I have no expectations for the outcome or my two entries. The finalists are being announced on December 15, 2024. Until then.....!

"Rooted and Remembered" is for sale at the Stations Arts Centre in Tillsonburg. I, along with many other artisans, have our creations for sale just in time for Christmas. #ShopLocal #supportLocal #AuthorEvent #VendorMarket

Dates: December 2nd to December 19th

Hours: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Monday – Saturday

Location: 41 Bridge St. W. Tillsonburg ON N4G 5P2

Free Admission | No Tax on Sales

What a moving series of events for me this past Remembrance Day. I've long held the theme of remembrance tightly to my heart. I'm the granddaughter of a WW1 veteran (who returned) and the novellist of a WW1 soldier (who didn't).

On November 11th, I was given the high honour of delivering a keynote speech at a Remembrance Day banquet at a local Royal Canadian Legion branch in Ontario. I was offered this oportunity because of my novel, "Rooted and Remembered," which focuses on acts of remembrance and what it means to pay tribute to the past and those who sacrificed for us.

I am still in awe of the RCL's devotion to its members and the armed forces. The most touching for me was the set table at the back of the room. A small table with a crisp white table cloth holding a red flower tied with a red ribbon, a lemon slice, lighted candle, pinch of salt, and overturned glass. These symbols all represent those who were no longer with us and our emotions about those who tragically did not return.

The past is vital to remember, lest we repeat those mistakes. #lestweforget

PS: I'm including a photo of a RCL fallen soldier table from a different branch. I did not have the opportunity to snap a photo of the one at the Legion where I spoke.

I am so pleased that my recent interview on CBC Radio has now been published on their website. What a thrill! It's about my new novel, Rooted and Remembered.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/q-and-a-author-cj-frederick-rooted-and-remembered-1.7350251