Besties and Worsties!

I’m incredibly proud that Shawn Mooney, of the BookTube channel Shawn Breathes Books, included Making Up the Gods in several categories as he shared his reading highlights for 2025.

His Most Unforgettable Main Character was a tie between Simone and Chen. And Shawn’s comments helped me see how their interactions help illuminate their best and worst qualities.

Making Up the Gods appears again in the “most touching passage category,” and in Shawn’s best books of the year. What a humbling honour! (Here's a link to the episode.)

It’s so lovely to keep hearing from people who are getting to know Simone. The book world pays a lot of attention to book launches and that early flush of “latest greatest” publicity.

But (I’m learning), books are meant to keep living beyond that short timeframe. I’m very grateful to readers who keep discovering and enjoying my books and recommending them to others.

Shawn’s an avid reader, and his channel is a wealth of information about title from many eras. Thanks again, Shawn, for all you do!