“This afternoon, I found out how it would feel to win gold for Canada at the Olympics,” laughs Williams. “I shrieked and cried victory tears, and my hands shook so hard that it took me a couple of minutes to text my family the wonderful news. As an independent author writing a multi-book fantasy series set in Canada, this recognition means more to me than I can say.”

Williams self-published the first volume in her fantasy action series in 2022. “I’m grateful to the Canadian Book Club Awards for this recognition,” she says. “I started The Xenthian Cycle twelve years ago on a hope and a dream. I wrote standing up on the subway using my phone, I carved precious minutes out of my day job and duties as a parent, and I found supportive champions in my readers.”

What are the Canadian Book Club Awards?

The Canadian Book Club Awards highlights the best titles in 13 genres, as chosen by Canadian readers. Now in its eighth year of operation the awards have seen eye-opening growth in both the number of submitted books for consideration and readers participating in the awards.

“As Mark Carney recently highlighted in his address in Davos, Canada has THE most educated population in the world,” reflects Megan Williams, CBCA’s Board Chair. “Education begins and continues with literacy. The year-over-year growth of a reader’s choice award series indicates just how willing and open Canadians are to expand their literacy and support of the literary arts.”

Key facts:

• Finalists and winners are voted on by readers; not a literary panel or committee.
• The awards are publishing agnostic, which means books can be submitted by authors, publishers or independent presses, including self-published authors.
• Eighteen books were long-listed in the SCI-FI/Fantasy category, from which three finalists were selected.

“I’m so excited that my story resonated with their audience,” says Williams. “With Book II of the series in production, it’s the perfect time for new readers to catch up on The Xenthian Cycle.“

Fantasy finalists for 2025

The SCI-FI/Fantasy category was highly competitive. The finalists included:

• Chaos Calling — E.M. Williams (Circle Star Publishing)
• The Lightning Child: The Wolves of Orkerion — Quinn Lamothe (FriesenPress)
• Shadow of the Yew Tree — Kate Gateley (Fogberry Press)

For the full list of winners across categories, see the Canadian Book Club Awards website or Instagram account.

~

About E. M. Williams

E. M. Williams is a Canadian fantasy author whose stories are informed by sibling bonds, parenthood, her marketing career in tech, and the perils of being a super-heroic woman trying to ‘have it all’. Chaos Calling, which received a strong review from Kirkus, is her first published novel in The Xenthian Cycle. Elizabeth lives and works in Toronto.

Media Inquiries

E. M. Williams, Independent Author and Publisher, Circle Star Publishing
inquiries at emwilliams dot ca | emwilliams.ca

The Canadian Book Club Awards Kristain Camps, Program Director
marketing at thecanadianbookclubawards dot ca | thecanadianbookclubawards.ca

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New Growth Show: Topics covered

• • 00:00 — Navigating the weird world of marketing in 2025

• • 02:59 — The Journey of EMW: From Marketing to Fantasy Writing

• • 06:03 — Building a Community: The Importance of Beta Readers

• • 09:03 — The Role of Subject Matter Experts in Storytelling

• • 11:50 — The Power of Feedback and Sensitivity Reading

• • 14:57 — Marketing Strategies for Indie Authors

• • 17:52 — The Impact of Online Communities on Writing

• • 21:01 — Fan Fiction and the Evolution of Writing Perspectives

• • 23:50 — The Role of AI in Creative Work

• • 26:56 — Future Projects and Marketing Innovations

• • 29:56 — Closing Thoughts and Community Engagement

• • LinkedIn: Jess Joyce, Tiffany Da Silva

• • Jess’ website, Tiffany’s website

• • Youtube: New Growth Show

• • Instagram: New Growth Show

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Thanks to @cbcradiocanada for inviting me to be a guest on last Sunday’s episode of Cross-Country Checkup (which aired November 30, 2025).

Show host Ian Hanomansing was away, so I spoke with Rebecca Sandbergen.

Listen to Cross-Country Checkup’s transit episode. I’m the first interview at the 2:25 mark.

The episode focused on a recent original investigative CBC report. They found transit violence is on the rise, particularly in cities like Toronto, Edmonton, Montreal and Winnipeg.

The numbers square with my experience.

My long history with the TTC

I’ve ridden the TTC all my life. I remember sitting in the front and back cars as a kid to watch the track. It was always exciting to sit in the big window (so many people kindly offered us seats).

In my 30s, I wrote three drafts of Chaos Calling and Chaos Armor, Books I and II of my fantasy action series, The Xenthian Cycle. The series is set partially in Toronto and features a scene on the TTC (Chapter 18 of Chaos Calling).

I used my phone to write chapters during my commute, usually when leaning against the side door with my headphones on.

You could say with confidence that the subway doors are one of the most productive work spaces I’ve ever had.

More about my TTC writing origin story.

But the mood on transit has changed in recent years. There’s more agitation. There’s more distress. And there’s unfortunately a lot more violence.

In August 2024, I was assaulted at my local station. It wasn’t a serious incident (thankfully!), but it reinforced that the post-Covid vibe is different for regular riders.

Will I keep riding transit?

All the same, transit remains a key part of my life in Toronto. It’s often faster than driving, it’s definitely cheaper and most of the time, I feel perfectly safe.

I support programs to enhance that safety, and Mayor Olivia Chow is moving us in that direction.

Where to watch / listen

There’s a TV version of the interview floating around but I’m not sure where to find that. You can listen to the radio version on the CBC Cross-Country Checkup page on Apple podcasts (Nov 30: “Violence on Transit? How to stay safe!”) or Spotify.

Thanks to the Cross-Country Checkup team and producer Chiara Greco for having me on.

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Eighteen books competed in the fantasy category this year. Chaos Calling: Book I of The Xenthian Cycle, by E. M. Williams, is among the three fantasy finalists advancing to the final voting round.

“Chaos Calling is the book I wanted to read,” says Williams, who self-published the kickoff to her fantasy action series in 2022. “I’m grateful to the Canadian Book Club Awards for this recognition. I’m so excited that the story resonated with their audience. With Book II of the series now in production, it’s the perfect time for new readers to catch up on The Xenthian Cycle.”

An exciting year for Canadian books

This announcement arrives amid a lively and celebrated awards season across the literary world,
reflecting the diversity present in Canadian publishing.

Monday’s Giller prize announcement highlighted Canada’s best fiction as chosen by a jury. In contrast, the Canadian Book Club Awards highlights the best titles in 13 genres, as chosen by Canadian readers.

“Each year we watch the awards evolve, not only in quantity, but in depth,” says Kristain Camps,
Program Director for the CBCA. “The range of stories submitted this year speaks to Canada’s
literary scene as one that is thriving in every corner.”

What should readers know about this year’s Canadian Book Club Awards?

Some facts:

• Independently published books make up 50% of the finalist titles
• Canadians comprise 82% of the finalists. Authors worldwide are welcome to participate. Canadian readers exclusively judge the winner.
• Registered Avid Readers evaluate all submissions and select the finalists in each of the 13 genre categories.
• Registered, verified Canadian readers select the winners, provided they vote by January 2026

Fantasy finalists for 2025

The fantasy finalists for the 2025 Canadian Book Club Awards are:

• The Lightning Child: The Wolves of Orkerion — Quinn Lamothe (FriesenPress)
• Shadow of the Yew Tree — Kate Gateley (Fogberry Press)
• Chaos Calling — E.M. Williams (Circle Star Publishing)

Winners will be announced in February 2026. For the full list across categories, see the Canadian Book Club Awards website or Instagram account.

~

About E. M. Williams

E. M. Williams is a Canadian fantasy author whose stories are informed by parenthood, her marketing career in tech, and the perils of being a super-heroic woman trying to ‘have it all’. Chaos Calling, which received a strong review from Kirkus, is her first published novel in The Xenthian Cycle. Elizabeth lives and works in Toronto.

Media Inquiries

E. M. Williams, Independent Author and Publisher, Circle Star Publishing
inquiries at emwilliams dot ca | emwilliams.ca

The Canadian Book Club Awards Kristain Camps, Program Director
marketing at thecanadianbookclubawards dot ca | thecanadianbookclubawards.ca

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Her episode aired on November 4, 2024. Here’s where you can listen:

• Apple
• Spotify
• Listen Notes

On the How Did I Not Know That podcast, Conny brings her listeners information about crucial topics they missed out on in school. She uncovers knowledge, explores fascinating facts, and discussses pressing issues.

Conny and I connected through Growclass, where we’re both part of the Internet’s kindest marketing community. Since she knows me professionally, I appear as both my writing and marketing selves in this episode.

We had a great conversation about writing The Xenthian Cycle and my journey through self-publishing. We also talk about Taylor Swift’s choice to self-publish her Eras Tour book and the pros and cons of going it alone.

Topics we cover on How Did I Not Know That?

• 1:20 — My journey into self-publishing, and my TedxTalk about women, superheroes and power
• 3:00 — How my work and life combines my passions for books, marketing and career strategy
• 4:40 — How The Xenthian Cycle evolved, and my background in crowdfunding
• 6:10 — Who self publishing is for and Taylor Swift’s decision to self publish her Eras Tour book
• 7: 15 — The traditional publishing path
• 9:00 — Celebrity and book publishing (Taylor Swift, Keanu Reeves, etc.)
• 10:00 — The importance of the backlist for indie authors
• 10:25 — Building in public before your book launches and the pitfalls of Internet piracy for authors
• 13:10 — The pros and cons of self-publishing vs traditional publishing
• 15:30 — Why money generally flows to the author if you go the traditional path, not the other way around
• 17:10 — My advice to aspiring authors: Pick an idea you love, finish it and get private feedback
• 18:00 — The stages of manuscript review and book promotion (I refer to Travis Baldree’s guide to self-publishing)
• 21:10 — Why finishing a project is so important and so hard
• 22:10 — How I find time to write, before and after Covid-19
• 23:20 — Writing and AI

Note that in the section about Taylor Swift, I mentioned that I thought the Eras book was coming out next year. My mistake! It’s coming out in November as the tour ends.

For more, you can follow Conny Lee and the How Did I Not Know That podcast:

• LinkedIn: Conny Lee
• Spotify: How Did I Not Know That? show page
• Apple: How Did I Not Know That? show page

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Their digital site has published a piece on me and the writing of Chaos Calling: Book I of The Xenthian Cycle. It’s part of a campaign I’m running to celebrate the novel’s wider release.

You can read the full article, “E. M. Williams Invests in Herself to Write First Book,” on their site.

As the writer notes, I am a marketer. And I have been in marketing for a long time.

I’ve pitched hundreds of profiles like this one for employers and clients. I’ve arranged the interviews, done the follow-up work, and captured the coverage.

It remains surreal now that it’s my work that’s in focus.

What does the Kirkus profile talk about?

If you’re a long-time follower of my books and writing, the points that got mentioned won’t surprise you:

• That believing my creative dream of writing a book had died was a terrible experience.
• My Tedx talk on Women, Superheroes and Power, which contributed to my series.
• I wrote a diverse story. Toronto is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. I embraced the process to get Anna’s, Jason’s and Dave’s characters right, which meant a lot of additional testing and feedback from my beta readers and editorial team, including sensitivity readers.
• My long-standing admiration for Guy Gavriel Kay. Reading The Fionavar Tapestry and seeing that it’s possible to write fantasy with Toronto-centric characters had a huge impact on my creative life.
• I wrote the first three drafts of Books I and II of The Xenthian Cycle on my phone using Wattpad, but didn’t publish as I went.

What’s most surprising about it?

Half the fun to doing an interview is remembering to stay on message. You also have to go with the flow and have a good conversation.

Here’s what I forgot I said:

• I wrote My Little Pony fanfiction as a kid. Writing on a desktop in the 1980s meant I never shared that work. I don’t even have a copy of it today.
• Anne McCaffrey provided my introduction to fantasy (specifically, Dragonsong). There’s even an homage to her dragon work in Chapter 21 of Chaos Calling.
• I write with an acute sense of my mortality and always have. It’s one of the things I admire about Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton.

Hope you enjoy it!

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Since this show involves both work me and writing me, the interview is attributed to my full name. We will pretend it’s E. M. Williams as usual. My pseudonym is more about being intentional regarding which part of my life I’m speaking to than an attempt to conceal my gender or create iron-clad anonymity, but that’s a whole other discussion.

The episode originally aired on August 14 and runs for about 40 minutes. Here’s where you can listen:

• Apple
• Spotify
• Amazon Music

On Learning with Lerner, Lindsey interviews unconventional leaders who have blazed trails in a variety of ways. Her goal is to challenge norms, explore unique journeys, and ignite personal growth for the show’s audience.

Lindsey and I connected on email after I heard Johnathan and Melissa Nightingale on her podcast earlier in the year. I enjoyed Lindsey’s interviewing style so much that pitching my own story was the next logical step.

We ended up having a great conversation about leadership, mentorship, learning how to do hard things by doing them before you feel ready, crowdfunding, launching a consultancy, cracking my own creative productivity code to write Chaos Calling, and why I don’t think you have to suffer to make art.

Who is this conversation for?

Anyone pursuing an unconventional path who wants to hear more from people with similar ambitions in adjacent fields.

Topics we covered on the Learning with Lerner Podcast

• 1:55 — Living in Toronto and a bit about my family history, along with my childhood desire to write
• 3:00 — Integrating creativity without bankrupting your existence; the myth of artistic suffering; Big Magic
• 9:50 — How I cracked the secret to figuring out my creative productivity process; the ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ story; Chaos Calling’s origins in movement and Wattpad
• 16:40 — Being a woman in a field dominated by men; working in tech and academia; how those experiences informed Dave Montcalm’s and Jason Lin’s storylines; using commuting and consulting to make art
• 24:00 — What my typical day looks like now
• 25:20 — Changes in technology and research across my working life
• 26:50 — Mentorship’s role in my career and why I believe in giving back; working with Growclass
• 28:00 — How crowdfunding helped me develop the skills to launch a self-published book
• 32:00 — I pitch Chaos Calling to Lindsey’s listeners
• 33:35 — My career advice on how to go rogue and work for yourself
• 35:45 — Telling people what you do when you have multiple career pursuits; being comfortable with self promotion
• 37:00 — Best and worst career advice I ever got; inspiration is super weird

For more, you can follow Lindsey and the Learning with Lerner podcast:

• Instagram: @lindseylerner
• LinkedIn: Lindsey Lerner

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We recorded the episode in February 2022 and it aired on March 9, 2023. Here’s where you can listen:

• Apple
• Spotify
• YouTube

On the Abundantly Aware podcast, Katie Woodruff explores how to help overwhelmed creatives move from paralyzed to empowered. It’s a transition so many of us want to make and aren’t sure exactly what to do, but as a coach it’s the kind of thing Katie thinks about a lot. Her episodes are conversational, revolving around relatable stories on a given topic.

Katie and I connected on Instagram. I saw Katie’s content mentioned by Kirsti McNabney, host of the Thinking About podcast who had me on her show last month. I went to check out Katie’s work, pitched her my story, and we hit it off.

We ended up having a great conversation about writing Chaos Calling and my journey through self-publishing. We also talk about the choices I’m glad I made on my journey and things I would adjust if I had my time over again.

Who is this conversation for? Anyone who wants to write a book or is interested in learning more about writing, self-publishing and chasing creative goals.

Topics we cover on the Abundantly Aware Podcast

• 1:00 — How I got into self-publishing and why it was the right choice for me
• 5:00 — The myth of overnight success in the arts and in other fields.
• 6:00 — How Chaos Calling came to me as a project.
• 10:30 — The importance of getting good feedback early and often.
• 12:00 — What choices I would make again with the creative process: The best decision I made was not to talk too much about the plot until the draft was finished and then when it was ready for primetime.
• 17:00 — My creativity model and why I don’t believe you have to suffer to make art.
• 24:00 — Why you can’t let fear drive when you’re building something new and how I think about writing books and reviewing books by other authors.
• 32:00 — The joy of crowd response when you achieve a goal you’ve been chasing your whole life contrasted to the resting power of the Velvet Ditch.
• 35:00 — Authors I’m reading and enjoying.
• 37:20 — I pitch Chaos Calling to Katie Woodruff’s audience and tell her where to find it on Amazon.

If you’d like to watch us talk, you can do that there:

The best part? Katie told me on International Women’s Day that she’s got a copy of the book, which is the greatest kind of message to get at 3 pm on a Wednesday.

For more, you can follow Katie and the Abundantly Aware podcast:

• Instagram: @abundantlyawarepodcast
• YouTube: Abundantly Aware’s channel

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We recorded the episode back in November 2022, but it aired February 7, 2023. Here’s where you can listen:

• Apple podcasts
• Spotify podcasts
• Other podcast places –> Here’s a a list of other podcast sites where Kirsti’s work is distributed.

Kirsti and I met in 2021 through Growclass, Sarah Stockdale’s online growth marketing community. I’ve been a big fan of Kirsti’s podcast work since she launched her show in March 2022.

On the Thinking About Podcast, Kirsti talks with thoughtful, interesting people. Many are also entrepreneurs sharing lessons and insights they’ve picked up on their journeys.

I spoke about writing Chaos Calling and my journey through self-publishing. We also talk about balancing career commitments with creative work, having a life, and finding the motivation to persevere when chasing a long-term dream.

Who is this conversation for? Anyone thinking about writing a book, wanting to publish a book, or pursuing a long-term creative project.

It’s a tough world. Motivation can be hard to come by. We talk about that, too.

Part I: Writing Topics on the Thinking About Podcast

• 0:00 – 4:00 — Kirsti’s intro, which made me tear up, I won’t lie
• 4:00 – 6:00 — Why I chose E. M. Williams as my pen name, segmenting a professional life, thinking about privacy, and whether a pen name might be a good choice for you.
• 6:00 – 8:00 — Should you couple your business divisions? Why grouping consulting and publishing under one company works for me (so far).
• 8:00 – 13:00 — ‘Don’t Stop Believing‘: I believed at one point that my writing dreams were dead. We talk about the Medium essay I wrote, and why you can’t give up when life pivots around you.
• 13:00 – 17:00 — My wild experience writing Chaos Calling. Being open to a fresh inspiration download helped me to level-up my writing work. And, I also talk about how pivoting my approach to writing with Wattpad.
• 17:00 – 23:00 — Where did these characters and the Chaos Calling story come from? I tell Kirsti how I built the series in onion layers, and give an overview of the plot. Do I see the book in my head as I’m writing? Yes, I do. And people reading say it feels like watching a movie.
• 23:00 – 26:00 — Tricking your brain into being productive: I wrote the first three drafts on my phone while riding the TTC.
• 26:00 – 28:30 — Writing a story set in Toronto, why I wanted to write fantasy set in the city where I live, and taking inspo from the Raptors’ victory parade in 2019.
• 28:30 – 35:00 — Book production and feedback: How I took the manuscript through the editing process. We also talk about finding beta readers and editors. Is it scary to share your work? Yes, but you get over it.

Part II: Book Production Topics on the Thinking About Podcast

• 35:00 – 38:00 — What would I say to that younger version of me stuck in that car? We talk about how you don’t get to stay in the high place of inspiration, or the low place of despair.
• 39:00 – 50:00 — Book production and launch: We cover my process and decisions I made, and how to make space for the things you don’t know. Weirdly, Frozen 2 comes up a lot. I suggest places to look for resources and people to help with your creative project.
• 50:00 – 58:30 — What’s the most rewarding part of chasing your dream? I talk about the beautiful conversations I’ve had with people post launch, and why Growclass is the best. We also discuss the importance of focusing on the process and enjoying the ride.
• 58:30 – 1:04:00 — Books I recommend and how early Twitter (pre 2017) taught me how to be a better creative person on the Internet.

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Their review of my book appears on page 181 of 184. It’s the last page of book reviews before the “Seen & Heard” and “In Retrospect” sections that close this special issue.

I’m thrilled with the placement.

How did this Kirkus Magazine showcase happen?

Last week, I got a follow-up email from Kirkus’ editorial team informing me that their review of Chaos Calling would be in the Feb 1 edition. Coincidentally, it’s also their 90th anniversary edition.

You can’t buy that kind of placement: It’s done entirely at their discretion. I’m told less than 10% of indie books get selected for this additional round of marketing.

The magazine’s audience includes publishing professionals (e.g., agents and editors), librarians, book buyers for independent bookstores, translators, foreign rights buyers, and readers who follow the magazine’s recommendations.

The online audience skews even higher toward readers looking for a good read.

As a result, getting a Kirkus review is prestigious and competitive. To avoid being inundated with review requests from independent authors, the process is pay-to-play. I’ve written more about how to navigate it here.

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