I wrote about meeting two authors from Renaissance Press when I lost my virginity at Ottawa PopExpo in November 2015. One of the authors I talked to was Madona Skaff-Koren, who wrote Journey of a Thousand Steps. She was absolutely lovely to speak with, and so was Caroline Frechette, who was also at the booth. After a delightful chat with them both and explaining I was an aspiring author, I bought Madona’s book and she signed it with an encouraging message. (Thanks so much!)

And now for my review. The short version: buy this book. A slightly longer version: No, seriously, buy the book.

I just finished reading it this week and am still in wow-mode.

At the beginning of the journey we meet Naya Assad, an athlete who unexpectedly falls while running the Ottawa marathon. She finds herself unable to continue the race and then at hospital Naya discovers she has multiple sclerosis. At this point, I assumed this book would be about rehabilitation, which was interesting enough for me, because I have friends with MS and am also a spoonie with a disability. I was ready to be motivated by a character who might be worse off than I am, but who’d blow me away with her tenacity.

Well, Naya did. And not because she does her physio exercises daily. When discovering a close childhood friend has gone missing, Naya is determined to find her. Naya owns a small security software company with Travis Bloom, and she calls upon her own skills as a hacker, plus those of their employees, to locate her friend. We the reader are immediately whirled into a sea of high-tech intrigue, shady characters, more missing people, and a whole lotta ‘what the heck is gonna happen next’?

I didn’t want to put it down at night and was about to do that Clockwork Orange thing to keep my eyes open. It was that riveting.  Ottawa will never be the same for me, either. (Looks over shoulder in paranoid fashion.)

I’ll stop there because I don’t wish to give too much away. Just pick up the book and support an emerging author. It’s worth it!

One more thing: is it OK that I might have a slight crush on Travis?

A Journey of a Thousand Steps is available in paperback and eBook. I sincerely hope you enjoy the book as much as I did!

/cg

Cait Gordon has been a senior technical writer for high tech and government organizations. Her first novel is being sent to the universe. She hopes the universe likes it. (The second book has begun and a third will happen, too!)