The Latest News from Blydyn Square Books
It’s December and the holidays are here, and with them, the crazy “busyness” that tends to take over all our lives at this time of year. This month, I wanted to turn things over to one of our Blydyn Square authors, Coralee Boileau, who knows a few things about how to be mindful and do the holiday season the right—and healthy—way. So take it away, Coralee:
Christmas* with Coralee Boileau 
*Or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or Yule or whatever you like to celebrate!
The clink of a spoon along the ceramic lip of a cup as the froth bubbles snap and pop and the warm air swirls at your feet.
A door opens and a chill bites at your shoulders as the outside is let in. For a moment you see the entire café, rich metals, dark woods, a bank of baked goods tucked in a soft welcoming glow of display.
The atmosphere is punctuated by her smile, an expression you have seen a million times but which is always one of pleased surprise at your planned encounter.
This is friendship. The moments between bites of food, the sweet silences that speak louder than hours of words. A hair tuck, a stifled smile, a tilt of her head in such a way that tells me the emotion she cannot say.
It’s the holidays, and every year around this time, I try my best to not get caught up in the bustle. I try my best to slow down and keep my goals away from consumerism and the pressures of a perfect celebration. I try to keep my focus sharp and small, on the things that matter the most to me.
In this café for these few hours, I let myself forget the timelines and the expectations; I taste the bitter sweetness of my lattes and the words that flow easily between me and my lifelong friend.
This is the magic, the gift, my presence. Time with the people I love, getting lost by simply, authentically finding ourselves.
This year I hope you collect hugs, memorize laughter, look into someone’s eyes, and really listen. Your presence is your present.
The holidays will return year after year—but these moments, these people, these treasures that fill you with love—they are fleeting and delicate and yours.
Lose yourself this season by finding yourself in the things that bring you joy.
Thanks, Coralee! For anyone who doesn’t already know, Coralee is the author of the critically acclaimed book Falling from Grace—a probing psychological novel that will really leave you guessing. Check it out here.
Monthly Happy Hour
In case you missed it last time, Blydyn Square Books is now hosting monthly happy hours (via Zoom) that are open to the public. Come online and chat with the Blydyn Square staff and authors. Bring the drink of your choice and we’ll bring the book talk! Get the inside scoop on what it’s like to be published by a small press. If you’re a writer, you could be next! Here’s the Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/99647003030 Our next happy hour will be Thursday, January 14 at 5:00 P.M. Hope to see you there!
Blydyn Square Review
In case you haven’t seen the news on social media, we’re super excited to announce that we’ll be launching our very own literary magazine, the Blydyn Square Review, in the spring of 2021. It’s our way of reaching out and doing more to “make you think,” so stay tuned for more details. And if you’re interested in subscribing or submitting a piece of writing, visit our website for information on how to do that. Don’t forget to tell your writer friends! We need good writing!
Blydyn Square Book Club
We’re not having a book club meeting this December because our next book, 11/22/63 by Stephen King, is so long, we wanted to give everybody plenty of time to finish getting through it. Join us on Zoom (here’s the link: https://zoom.us/j/98957748990) to talk about the book on January 7, 2021.
Quote of the Month
“To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.”
—W. Somerset Maugham
Brain Teaser of the Month
For the first time ever, we had SEVERAL correct answers to November’s trivia question and had to do a random drawing for the winner. Congratulations to Debbie DeMorier, who won an Amazon gift card. The question was: What was the original title of Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice? The answer: First Impressions.
Now, here’s this month’s question (email us the correct answer and you could win an Amazon gift card just like Debbie did):
What author, when asked why he wrote Charlotte’s Web, famously replied: “I haven’t told why I wrote the book, but I haven’t told why I sneeze, either. A book is a sneeze.”
Well, that’s all for this month. All of us here at Blydyn Square Books wish you a healthy, happy, and book-filled holiday season!
Tara Tomczyk
Editor in Chief
Blydyn Square Books
www.blydynsquarebooks.com
