Written By C.J. Frederick
MIDDLESEX COUNTY - C.J. Frederick published her debut novel in June, 2024. The story, “Rooted and Remembered”, follows an orphaned boy from his home in British India in the early 1900s to the rural homestead of the Carruthers clan in southwestern Ontario, where he becomes first a hard-working farm hand and then a treasured “adopted” son.
After receiving positive feedback from early reviewers, on a whim, Frederick entered “The Wishing Shelf Independent Book Award” contest (https://www.thewsa.co.uk/) for self-published works. She first saw advertisements for the contest in a writing group she belongs to. With over 270 worldwide entries in the Adult Fiction category in 2024, just 30% were selected as finalists by the two reading groups based in London, UK and Stockholm, Sweden.
“Although my book has generated a loyal following in southwestern Ontario, where most of the story takes place, I wasn’t sure if it would appeal to an international audience who is less familiar with the history and rural farming lifestyle common to Canadians from the early 1900s,” said Frederick. “I was ecstatic, but also pleasantly surprised when my book made it to the finals given that the readers were based in Europe.”
The entries are judged on four categories: Editing, theme, style, and cover. To move on to the finals, a book must exceed a predetermined high score in those areas. The same reading groups will pick the gold, silver, and bronze medalist winners from the finalists. The winners will be announced on April 1st, 2025.
“Rooted and Remembered” is a uniquely Canadian story touching on themes of faith, remembrance, and what it means to call a place home. “It’s quite an appropriate story for today’s challenging geo-political climate,” says the author.
Readers can purchase the book online or order it from any bookstore. You can reach out to C.J. Frederick on her website https://www.cjfrederick.com or through social media https://www.facebook.com/cjtellstales.
