Some news still feels unreal even when I am looking right at it.

 Today, I received the incredible honour of being named one of Printed Word Reviews’ TOP Picks of the season. Thunderstroke, my poetry memoir born from one of the hardest chapters of my life, now stands alongside remarkable books from around the world. And soon, it will light up Times Square in New York City.

Printed Word Reviews selected Thunderstroke as part of its curated list of award-winning and impactful titles that offer insight, imagination, and hope. The team described Thunderstroke as a powerful testament to the human spirit and a message of endurance that deserves one of the biggest stages in the world.

Thunderstroke began as a whisper in the dark.

 I wrote it during a season when stroke and aphasia forced me to rebuild my voice from the ground up. Every poem is a piece of that journey.

 The fear.

 The silence.

 The grief.

 The search for strength.

 And the quiet courage to rise again.

To see it recognised in this way means more than an award. It is a reminder that stories carry light. And sometimes, even when we feel lost, our words can still find their way into someone else’s healing.

Thunderstroke is my journey, but it is not mine alone. It belongs to every survivor who is trying. Every caregiver who refuses to give up. Every person who is quietly rebuilding themselves from the inside out.

On December 13, Thunderstroke will appear in Times Square.

 Not as a trophy.

 Not as a victory.

 But as a symbol of resilience, hope, and the power of finding a voice again.

Thank you to Printed Word Reviews for this honour.

 Thank you to everyone who has journeyed with me.

 And thank you to every survivor who teaches me every day that rising is a choice we make again and again.

❤️ Sometimes, the most broken chapters become the most beautiful stories.