Every so often our readers write in to share stories and personal experiences where Canadian Living magazine has left a positive impact on their lives. Sometimes it's as simple as a recipe becoming a beloved family treasure that's passed down through the generations. Other times, it's a story about how an article changed their way of thinking. One particular story has resonated strongly, so we want to share it with you, our dear readers. This piece was submitted to us by Linda Holeman, author of The Devil on Her Tongue. I was always an avid reader and lover of the written word, and had dreamed of and envisioned myself as a writer from the time I was 10 years old. But life got in the way: I had degrees in psychology and education, had worked, travelled, and had three small children. Although I had never taken a course in writing, I saw and heard stories all around me. And so in the midst of a noisy, rather chaotic phase of my life, I unexpectedly found solace in writing down some of those stories. I sent one to a contest sponsored by Canadian Living magazine. Six months later, during the general pandemonium of family lunch time, the phone rang. The caller said she was from Canadian Living  magazine. I told her, "no thank you," but she said, “I’m not trying to sell you the magazine. You’ve won the contest.” The baby was banging his spoon on the highchair tray, and I watched my daughter slop milk into her sister’s glass. “Contest?” I repeated, my mind scrambling. By then I had sent a lot of short stories out, and had received a lot of rejections. But this was Canadian Living magazine. And it wasn’t a rejection. “We chose your story over about 1,200 that came in,” the caller continued. “We’re publishing it in the December issue. Can a photographer come out tomorrow morning to take your picture?” It was all surreal, and continued that way. When the magazine hit the stands, congratulations from friends and family across the country came in, always accompanied with a surprised, “I didn’t know you were a writer!” I didn’t really know it, either. It was just a dream until Canadian Living magazine saw me as a writer. It was one of the highlights of my life, and the resulting encouragement propelled me forward with a vengeance. And now it is 2014, and The Devil on Her Tongue is my fourteenth book. My body of work includes a story collection for young adults, two story collections for adults, a first-chapter book, four young adult novels, and six historical novels for adults. And for all of this, I am most thankful to Canadian Living Magazine. With that firm push of confidence, I was able to start down this wonderful writing path, and will be eternally grateful. Image courtesy of Randall Freeman