For those who missed the email yesterday, CLAW Resurrection is now available in eBook and paperback (for those who like it physical). The audiobook will be at least six months down the road. This is due to the work needed to produce it now that Tantor has the manuscript, which is something I talked about in last month’s newsletter: https://katieberry.ca/2025/09/01/abra-ca-publish/
Some people celebrate milestones such as a novel’s publication with champagne and caviar. Others splurge on expensive jewellery, a trip, or something suitably “grown-up.” Me? I marked the publication of my tenth novel, by panic-buying a case of discontinued chocolates on eBay. Allow me to explain.
Back in January, one of my favourite childhood chocolates, the Cherry Blossom, was discontinued. I grew up loving those sticky little blobs of chocolate, coconut, ground peanuts, liquid sugar and maraschino cherries. My late mom did too, and when I heard they were being delisted, I thought, I should grab a few boxes before they’re gone forever and eat them in honour of Mom’s sweet tooth. Naturally, I procrastinated, and by the time I went actively searching, they’d vanished from store shelves. As you can imagine, I was saddened by this discovery, and my inner child was more than a little bummed out.
But fortune favours the informed, and upon reading a recent CBC article regarding people selling them on eBay, I was given renewed hope.
So I whipped out my tablet and did what any rational adult would do: I impulse-bought a case of 24, paying far more on eBay than I ever would have when they were still in corner stores. But this wasn’t just about the candy. It was about connection to family, celebration and the memory of all those small, sweet little things that help shape who we are as we grow up.
This purchase has some small amount of logic behind it. CLAW Resurrection is my tenth novel, and the traditional gift, if this were an anniversary, is tin or aluminum. So naturally, I figured a carton of Cherry Blossoms, each in its own little cardboard box, and each a tin foil-wrapped memory from decades past, would do nicely.
Technically, it’s a bit more than ten years. After writing two other novels that I never published, I started writing CLAW in 2014, and the process took me until 2019 to complete. I also started writing ABANDONED in 2015, so I was working on two novels at once. Since it’s now 2025, it’s more like eleven years. I know, the math doesn’t add up, but when it comes to novel writing and nostalgic chocolate, who’s counting?
That’s the thing about nostalgia: it’s rarely about the object itself. It’s about the moment it takes you back to. For example, to this day, every time I eat a Ritz Cracker, I’m instantly transported back to a singular afternoon when I was seven years old.
Staying over for dinner at my friend Adrian’s, we were in the family room of his split-level home. His mother, Marie, came down the stairs and handed us each three Ritz Crackers as an appetiser to hold us over till dinner. Ritz Crackers were a novelty to me at the time, since we only ever had plain soda crackers at my home.
It was, as they say, a party in my mouth—delicious, amazing and mind-blowing to my immature taste buds. I’d never had such a rich and buttery cracker. Each golden bite was slightly salty, with a hint of butter and a smidgen of sweetness. I nibbled each one as slowly as possible, determined to make them last. Now, decades later, whenever I pop one into my mouth, I’m right back in that family room again, a child discovering a tiny, perfect joy for the first time.
The carton of chocolates hasn’t arrived yet, but when it does, I plan to ration them carefully. One per week, like a time capsule in chocolate form every Saturday afternoon. Maybe they’ll taste exactly like I remember. Or maybe nostalgia has sugar-coated my memory, and my taste buds have evolved since then—but whatever the case, I still think I’ll enjoy each and every one.
Well, that’s about it for this trip down memory lane. I’ll let you get back to reading CLAW Resurrection. I truly hope this latest adventure in Lawless brings you as many chills, laughs, tears and thrills as it did me when I wrote it over the last couple of years.
Oh, and before I forget, I need to include this month’s Cuddle Boys poster. No special guest stars this month, but Fry has found himself in a bit of a predicament. You can view it in full size on my website.I am constantly creating more, and sometimes sneak the odd thing in here and there without announcing it, so check back on occasion–you might get an unexpected chuckle or two.
And now a quick shout out to our two audiobook winners this month, deeznats1@XXXXXX.com and davidalloyd_writer@XXXXXX.ca.
Congratulations to you both! I hope you enjoy your prizes. Remember, even if you weren’t one of this months lucky winners, if you are a Katie Berry Books Insider Subscriber, there are more chances to win next month. If you are not on the Inside, click here: https://katieberry.ca/become-a-katie-berry-books-insider-and-win/
I will be back next month with another surprise for you, just in time for Halloween!
Good health and great reads!
-Katie B