I was saddened, last week, to hear that Gumboots Books, will no longer be in operation by March 1st. In their announcement to SCBWI Canada West, the cause is stated to be due to the double whammy of a poor economic climate and some unexpected health issues.
Gumboot Books is the brain child of Crystal Stranaghan and Jared Hunt. I got to know them through their manuscript workshops and Web Presence course. I have benefited from their expertise in editing and especially from their impressive understanding of the non-techie mind. This website would not have been if it hadn’t been for their wonderful hand-holding style of teaching. For the past year, I have sent (and still do) Crystal many a panicked technical query regarding website building -to which I always get a reply. I am so grateful she puts up with me! I now see from all the responses from fellow SCBWI CanWest members, that gratefulness is a sentiment that many of us share towards Crystal and Jared. They have given so much to aspiring and published writers in our community.
Crystal and Jared’s Gumboot Books may be coming to an end, but I also hope it will mark a new beginning. They are recently just married and they continue to offer their workshops and courses. I pray that they get the time they need to heal and that the health issues will soon be behind them. They are a cracker-jack team and I think Gumboot Books is the first of many fine literary accomplishments to come.