On my way to Edmonton for the Oilers–Bruins hockey game, my friend Ashlee sent me a message wishing me a safe trip. She included a screenshot of a conversation she’d had with a colleague on their work chat platform.
Colleague: Good morning, Ashlee. Are you the Ashlee Ballan that Angie Counios acknowledged in her book My List, My Rules?!?
Ash: Yes ma’am.
Colleague: So cool! Enjoying the read.
Ash: Where did you come across her book — a fair or Chapters?
Colleague: At the fair. I also picked up the first book in her and her co-writers’ series. I did get to meet her. Let her know I’m enjoying her book and recommending it to everyone I know. It’s awesome to have a friend like that. So does that mean you are Kate?
Ash: Ha-ha. No, my stories unfortunately didn’t make the final cut.
Colleague: Hope you have a great rest of 2025!
She’s recommending to everyone she knows!! Amazing!! This is perfect–a word-of-mouth journey.
Who doesn’t love ending the year with a bit of fan mail? I sure do. It made for a lovely intention at the close and beginning of the year — that magical transition these days hold, the quiet building of hope.
Moments like these remind me that stories travel farther than we ever expect. They move through conversations, across offices, into the hands of strangers, and back again in the most unexpected ways. It’s a gentle reminder to keep showing up, keep writing, and keep trusting that the work finds its way exactly where it’s meant to go.
This is hope for a new year.
As always, thank you for reading Lovelies–and if you have a chance you should check out My List, My Rules.
Angie Counios 
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