It was through great personal loss that Opal Publishing was born. My interest in books, writing, and publishing has been a life-long passion with many cumulative years of experience ranging from working in printer binderies to self-publishing and magazine publishing and marketing/sales. In 2000, my mother self-published her book, The Many Waters; it was the spark that ignited my passion for book p
ublishing. Between 2000 and 2008 I became a professional editor and book reviewer, and in 2008 I landed my dream-job. I was the Senior Editor with a Calgary magazine publisher. I learned every aspect of the magazine publishing business, from incoming news and ads, layout and design, to the printing and circulation of the magazine. There is a kind of magic in creating a publication from bits and pieces to make a magazine that is held, read, and savored, and after a few years of learning the publishing business I was really interested in learning how I could use these skills and knowledge to create my own magazine. I already had a small newsletter that I was circulating to the Calgary Public Library branches, but within a few months it had grown to a magazine and I was thinking realistically about starting my own company. In 2012 my life changed. I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My two sisters were also diagnosed with cancer just before I was, and my sister, Charlene, was now terminal. Charlene began writing a book about her experience, under the guidance of Neale Donald Walsh, which she later decided to write with a different angle. My sister was my best friend. I was her confidant and editor. As her disease worsened she found it more difficult to finish her book. Two weeks before she passed away in June 2014, I finished her final chapter for her. She never did get to hear it. I was to lose my mother only eight months later. To lose my mom and sister was the most painful experience of my life, but it was through loss that Opal Publishing was born. In love and in memory of my mother I chose to name the company, Opal Publishing, for the birthstone that we both shared: opal. Charlene always hoped that I would publish her book, The Forgotten Song; but to be honest, the pain is still too deep. It has been 7 years. I do have plans to make it so, maybe 2022 will be the year. I am immensely proud of Opal Magazines, and I invite you to explore the ways that Opal Magazines can promote your business or modality.
