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6 Thursday, June 9, 2023brooklintowncrier.com If you've ever daydreamed about how wonderful it would be to win a lottery, Kelly McGill's new novel That Weekend We Were Millionaires may give food for thought. The recently published book, now on Amazon, explains how a family deals with winning a major lottery and the chaos caused by the press uncovering their names. It's all told from the perspective of the family's 12 year old son, Ben. McGill is a grade six teacher and a mother of two and so she's well acquainted with how the narration would unfold in the boy's eyes. She began writing it in 2020, rising at 4:30 am ("painful") to try to hit her daily word count target with the household still quiet before heading out to work. McGill recalls how the editing went until this past March "partly...ok, mostly..due to avoidance! Revisions are painful!" Used Amazon She opted to bypass the lengthy and frustrating task of seeking a literary agent or traditional publisher in favour of using Amazon. "Securing a publishing deal seemed like Mission Impossible," she says. "I didn't write a book to get rich - I wrote a book to get read! I just wanted to get my story out there, into the hands of middle-schoolers. So, I opted to self-publish. What a learning experience that turned out to be!" She had to hire a professional editor, formatter and book cover designer before learning about Amazon's self-publishing program, not to mention Instagram (@this.lovely.chaos). In the end, the manuscript came to life and launched on April 14. Good reviews Reviews on Amazon and Goodreads have been positive. One reviewer commented, "It reminded me how good it feels to read for the pleasure of it!" Another offered, "I loved this book from beginning to end! The story line is relatable and engaging; it truly captures your interest and keeps you turning pages to find out what happens next!" That Weekend We Were Millionaires is available at amazon.ca for $14.99 for the paperback version and $4.99 for Kindle. Note that the reading age is listed as 10-15 years, approximately grades 5-9. Brooklin Teacher Pens Novel About Lottery Win