Welcome to a special post for my Canadian fans and peeps.
If you're like me, angry at everything our formerly friendly southern neighbour is doing right now to hurt Canada, you're looking for ways to buy Canadian, shop Canadian, vacation in Canada, and more.
How about supporting Canadian writers, while picking up a bunch of award-nominated Canadian science fiction & fantasy for free at the same time?
Win-win, right? Read on to learn how you can do both.
The 2025 Aurora Awards
The nomination window is now open for the 2025 Aurora Awards, recognizing the best of Canadian SF & Fantasy published in 2024.
Any Canadian citizen or permanent resident may nominate for the Auroras. If that's you, I'd truly appreciate any consideration you'd give to nominating me.
This year, I have one work eligible to be nominated:
BEST YA NOVEL:
The Lost Expedition: The Dream Rider Saga, Book 3
I explain how to nominate below (and how to get all the nominated works for free) but first, let me tell you a bit about this book, because it's received a lot of critical love.
The Lost Expedition (Dream Rider Saga, #3)
The conclusion to the multi-award-winning Dream Rider Saga trilogy has received universal praise, sitting at 4.7 - 5.0 stars on all major retailers, plus garnering raves from top book review sites:
"Editor's Pick: Smith powers to an explosive conclusion in the finale of his Dream Rider series, a lavishly concocted ride brimming with magic, mystery, and mayhem. ... A novel for lovers of inventive fantasy-adventures to wallow in. ... epic battles with rune-casting witches, supernatural beings that inhabit others’ bodies, and much more—Smith continually conjures surprises. At the heart of it all are Will and Case’s nagging suspicions that they’re 'being moved like pieces on a board.'
The payoff for the group is worth it in the end, as they finally get the answers they’ve been searching for. ... The road to those answers is decidedly rocky, bursting with dark magic, beastly protectors, and a slew of extraordinary fantasy characters—including a sinister presence whose roots can be traced back to Incan rule. Smith skillfully probes deeper messages behind all the fun, as the main players face the consequences of humankind’s disregard for the Earth—and each other. Takeaway: Explosive conclusion to this spectacular fantasy joyride." — BookLife (Editor's Pick)
"When thinking about Douglas Smith’s Dream Rider Saga and The Lost Expedition in particular, the word epic kept bouncing around in my mind. The scope of the entire story, especially the last book, is huge [and] the steps of the final journey are intricate, perilous and exciting. …
I loved The Lost Expedition. … As the conclusion to the Dream Rider Saga, it exceeded every expectation. I enjoyed every minute I spent with these characters, and I will miss them now that their story is done." — Kelly Jensen, SF Crowsnest Reviews
"The Lost Expedition put me in mind of A Wrinkle in Time. Both books … have the same sweeping scope that engages one’s sense of wonder. … Looking back as an adult, though, I far prefer Smith’s world building and politics to Madeleine L’Engle’s. Smith has written a series that is far more inclusive and far less elitist than L’Engle’s. Smith’s characters represent different social classes, ethnicities, abilities and weaknesses. The Dream Rider series is targeted to today’s modern YA audience and so better suited to current sensibilities. Whoever reads this book will find at least one POV character with whom they can identify.
… The Lost Expedition is a solid ending to a great series. The various mysteries are finally revealed in all their intricate complexity; there are several twists I totally did not see coming; and there is a sweeping majesty to the world building we have not seen since—well, since A Wrinkle in Time. … If you haven’t done so already, you should package up all three volumes to gift to any young adults in your life—or any adult in your circle nostalgic for the Golden Age of science fiction fantasy." — Robert Runté, The Ottawa Review of Books
"Smith’s world-building and scene-setting are excellent; his characters are all well-drawn and believable; the dialogue is sharp, and there are plenty of twists and turns to the storyline. The reappearance of the witch Morrigan is a plus, and reporter Rani adds some welcome snark and humor. … Readers will surely enjoy Smith’s imagination and creativity." — Blueink Reviews
Finding The Lost Expedition
If you haven't read The Lost Expedition but would like to, here are some options.
- Use the coupon code "AURORAS2025" at my website store to get the ebook for USD$0.99 (Reg USD$4.99 / CA$6.99).
- Go to this page to buy the book from your favourite retailer. You can also click on "Read the first three chapters!" for a sample of the book.
How to Nominate in the Auroras
To nominate, you need to be a member of the Canadian SF & Fantasy Association (CSFFA), which administers the awards.
To get started, go to the Aurora Awards site here.
- If you nominated or voted in any of the past four years, you're already a CSFFA member. Just click on "Log in" under "You Are A Member?" then enter your username (or email) and password to access the Awards main page.
- If you don't have a membership, click on "Not a Member Yet?" Fill out your name, email, and home province, then select a username and password for the site.
- Whether you're a returning member or new one, you'll need to pay the 2025 registration fee of CA$10. Click on "Pay Renewal Fee with PayPal." Don't use PayPal? You can also pay by debit or credit.
- The fee lets you nominate now and later vote on the final ballot. Once that ballot is released, your membership will also let you download ALL nominated works. So you support Canadian SF & fantasy, plus get the year's best novels, YA novels, graphic novels, and stories.
Once you're registered and paid up, you'll be taken back to the Aurora Awards site so you can nominate (see below)!
Submitting Your Nomination
Select "Nomination" from the middle of the screen to access the online nomination form.
To nominate a work, just click on one of the boxes under the category and select the appropriate title of the work you wish to nominate from the drop down list of eligible works.
You can nominate up to five works in each category, but you don't need to nominate in every category or that many in any category.
IMPORTANT: When you've finished nominating in a category, make sure you click on the "Update <category name=""> nominations" button</category> for the category, then move to your next category.
Again, my eligible work this year is:
The Lost Expedition under "Best YA Novel"
The nomination period closes at 11:59 pm on Saturday, April 5, 2025.
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Thanks again for any consideration you give to nominating my writing!