December is usually my favourite month. The kids get a long break from school (which means we get a long break from alarm clocks and lunch boxes), I get to break out my skis and snowshoes, and on top of all that, it’s my birthday month! Sagittarians are notorious birthday lovers, dontcha know.

This year, I’ve got three more great reasons-for-the-season:

1. I’m home. I did the math last week, and it turns out I’ve been away for at least a week out of every month since June of this year — and some months, I was away three weeks out of four. So I am ready to light the fireplace, bake some cookies, and curl up on the couch in a big way.
2. The Devil makes a splash on the year-end lists. I’m thrilled to see The Devil You Know make the cut at three very special year end lists: Lucky #13 at the National Post; Kerry Clare’s Best of 2015 at Pickle Me This; and the Globe 100 list at The Globe and Mail. (With an added mention by my Globe original reviewer, Stacey May Fowles, in her year-end column to boot!)
3. The paperback has landed. Here at home and in the States, The Devil You Know is out in a new paperback edition, with a brand new cover. Look for the new edition in stores near you as early as this week.

Wishing you all the best coziness and winter sunshine through December, and the very best in 2016. By the time January rolls around, we’ll be ready to start packing those lunch boxes again… and imagine all the work I’ll be able to tackle once the kids are back in school. Happy New Year!