Reading books is one of the best ways to travel through time, to learn without experiencing something directly, and to feel what other people might feel--for starters.
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| Shuniah House Books |
So especially in difficult times, we are hopeful when people read books--by other people. And we hope that readers in 2026 find their way to one of our books!
We've published books in 2024 and 2025, so we may not add another in 2026--but never say never.
Best wishes for a meaningful and joyful 2026.
Saturday, November 29, Roy Blomstrom will be at Entershine Bookshop signing copies of his newest work, START WITH A SHOVEL: POETRY, PROSE, AND PLAYS. Stop by any time between 11 AM and 1 PM to say hi and pick up a cookie!
Entershine is at 196 Algoma Street South, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, in the heart of the Bay-Algoma District.
You can order your book through Entershine, buy one that day, or bring an already-purchased copy.
And here's a secret: Roy would be happy to sign any of his books!
It's always fun to meet readers, and (we might be biased), we think that START WITH A SHOVEL, or other books from Shuniah House Books, would make excellent holiday gifts.
The latest Roy Blomstrom book, START WITH A SHOVEL: POETRY, PROSE, AND PLAYS is now on the shelves at Entershine Bookshop.
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| Another fantastic cover by H. Leighton Dickson! |
The title comes from one of the creative nonfiction essays in the collection, comparing learning to write with his parents' experiences building a house (or two).
Much of the work in this volume has been recognized in some form or another--such as winning awards from the Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop's annual contest or being produced in the local 10X10 Showcase.
The softcover is also available online here. The ebook version is still to come.
We're so pleased to make this compilation of short work available to readers!
We're still finalizing the cover for our fourth title, which is an iterative process of vision and revision, some things the same, some things not. Our author Roy Blomstrom wrote an entire book about the process, in fact.
In THE ITERATIONS OF CAROLINE, high school teacher David Williamson almost, but doesn't, run into himself in a mirror. After that, he experiences the same locations--in North America, from Thunder Bay to the west Coast, then down to Santa Monica, and home along Route 66--in different universes.
Along the way, he meets up not only with a woman named Caroline but also a former student, Bernie. In David's original world, Bernie was a brilliant and kind but socially awkward genius. When next David searches for him, Bernie has cracked quantum computing and can explain--or try to--what David is experiencing.
"Bottom line," Bernie said, his voice kind, "you've been experiencing some very strange things. For some reason, you travel among some individual universes of the multiverse. All that's real. I don't doubt you for a second. I know how the quantum computer works, though I don't know how this works.
"But I can tell you.... In the multiverse everything that can happen, everything that is possible, happens somewhere. It's not probable that pigs can fly, but somewhere in the multiverse, pigs have big wings and fly. If it's possible, it's out there, and you may end up visiting one of those places, so be ready for anything."
Luckily, David was ready for anything. And survived to tell the tale. As with our other titles, THE ITERATIONS OF CAROLINE is available online in print and ebook formats.
While we're finalizing the cover and interior of START WITH A SHOVEL: POETRY, PROSE, AND PLAYS, we're sharing the new page, below, from the front of the book.
We're proud of all the books we publish, and we're pleased when they resonate with readers.
Praise for The Iterations of Caroline
“[A] tour-de-force of imaginative writing… a rollicking ride.”
--John Pateman, Thunder Bay Source
“Part philosophy, part quantum physics, part hard-boiled mystery, and part love story … worth the read.”
--Paula Thiessen, The Walleye
Praise for Silences: A Novel of the 1918 Finnish Civil War
“[E]pic and intimate in scope and execution…. This is a splendid, engaging historical novel. Highly Recommended.”
--Michael Sobota, Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal
“Very absorbing, highly recommended.”
--H. Lewis Allways, reviewed at Amazon.com
Praise for The Devil’s Violin: Myllysilta’s History
“Blomstrom’s writing is smart, crisp, rich in detail and human emotions…. This is a gripping, fine, and rewarding read.”
--Michael Sobota, The Walleye
“A forgotten page of history Blomstrom renders vividly.”
--H Lewis Allways, reviewed at Amazon.com
We're pleased to announce that Roy Blomstrom's next publication, START WITH A SHOVEL: POETRY, PROSE, AND PLAYS, is coming soon!
Just a few last details remain. But we hope by the end of the summer, you'll be able to buy this collection of Roy Blomstrom's award-winning writing: six plays, dozens of prose stories (fiction and creative nonfiction), and some forty poems.
We're proud of this collection and can't wait to make it available to readers!
We're happy that THE DEVIL'S VIOLIN: MYLLYSILTA'S HISTORY has joined SILENCES: A NOVEL OF THE 1918 FINNISH CIVIL WAR and THE ITERATIONS OF CAROLINE at the Thunder Bay Public Library!
Even more exciting is that both of Roy's historical novels are part of the library's Book Club in a Bag program, where a book club can check out ten copies of the book for their discussion.
We love book clubs. Reading is an important skill to nurture during difficult times. Books let us consider how people chose to live in previous decades (through historical fiction) or how people might choose to live through unsettling and inexplicable change (through speculative fiction).
Discussing books is a way to get to know people--what makes them tick, what they value--in a setting that can create and strengthen communities.
And it's community that supports us as we stand up for those who need our strength.