I entered my second book, Out of the Darkness and Other Animal Tails, in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2025 because I was intrigued by the fact that they were based in the UK and that entrants were judged by real people, not paid critics.

“The adult books are judged by two Reading Groups, one in London, where I often work, and one in Stockholm, where I lived for many years. They love reading the books and discussing them for hours over coffee and cake.”—founder Edward Trayer

I loved the idea of my book being discussed over coffee and cake (-: Entering felt like a fun thing to do, although I admit that putting my stories up for judgment also felt a little scary since (as a memoir) the 33 stories are drawn from my childhood, travels, and experiences with animal communication, Reiki, and shamanic energy healing.

Recently, I received notice that while Out of the Darkness and Other Animal Tails was not a finalist (missing by one point), it had received a Red Ribbon Award, which could be considered equivalent to an Honorable Mention! Not too shabby for a book that is niche-y. The award also came with the ratings my book received, as well as a selection of kind and thoughtful reviews from a few of the readers. If you want to see how it fared, the ratings/reviews are now up on Goodreads (look for a review by Billy Buttons—Edward Trayer’s pen name).

The summation:
“A compelling set of shorts describing the author’s life with animals and the wisdom she’s discovered within them. A RED RIBBON WINNER and highly recommended!”—The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

Out of the Darkness and Other Animal Tails is available as an ebook or paperback through your favorite distributor.

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Want to learn how to connect more deeply with animals, restore balance to your life, increase intuitive skills, and help heal the Earth? Take a look at my live Reiki and shamanic virtual classes, available worldwide.

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A WILD WAY TO HEAL
Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC is an animal communicator, Reiki Master Teacher, shamanic energy healer, and author of Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism and Out of the Darkness and Other Animal Tails. Her classes, sessions, and ceremonial work are inspired by wild and domestic animals who have issued a call to action for personal and global healing.