Cradle of the Deep: Surprises

One of the most interesting aspects of publishing books is seeing what resonates with readers.

Sometimes books have one or more obvious audiences. SILENCES: A NOVEL OF THE 1918 FINNISH CIVIL WAR has many potential readers: those who are interested in war history, Finnish history, social history, northwestern Ontario, Port Arthur in 1955, and others.

When we chose to publish CRADLE OF THE DEEP: MEMOIR OF A LAKE SUPERIOR COTTAGE, we had no idea what others would think of it. We made it available mostly because my mother wrote it for her young grandchildren, and those grandchildren are now having their own young children. We wanted to be sure it's available to those young children when they're ready for it.

Meanwhile, other friends are also reading it. Many people in northwestern Ontario have had experience camping out along Lake Superior or one of the many inland lakes, and they enjoy telling me about their experiences, which they're reminded of by those of my mother and grandmother. One friend shared his copy with a woman going through a difficult passage, and it sparked happy memories that eased her challenging time.

Recently, one of my sister's friends left a review on Goodreads (four stars; thanks, Mark!). He's writing his own memoir--so of course, reading memoirs is good preparation for that. Also, he mentions that it shows what life was like in the 1920s and 30s, to the beginning of WWII. I take for granted her stories of woodburning stoves and the advent of cars, and I appreciated his reminder.

Thank you to everyone who has read one of our books. Special thanks to those who leave a review or otherwise are in touch to tell us why you enjoyed the experience! And happy reading to all. 

What's Next?

Recently, Roy Blomstrom read at an event sponsored by the Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW). Six times a year, NOWW invites its members to read portions of their work, and each evening includes an "open mic" portion, where non-members can read short works.

At the September reading, Roy chose a brief excerpt from the (current partial) draft of his next novel, which is a companion to SILENCES: A NOVEL OF THE 1918 FINNISH CIVIL WAR. It's early in the writing process for this work, so who knows if what he read will even remain when the story is complete and the book comes out. However, preparing to read the work and seeing the audience respond was valuable. It's always nice to receive validation and applause, but it's also interesting to notice when the audience looks away or gasps or otherwise responds.

Roy is working diligently on this draft, but it's too soon to put it on the publication calendar. But stay tuned...in this companion novel, you may learn even more about Rabbit, Jussi, and Viktoria.

And if you're a writer, go to a reading. Stand up at an open mic and read a short work. Then go home and revise. It's a great part of the process.

Northern Lit Awards

SILENCES: A NOVEL OF THE 1918 FINNISH CIVIL WAR, by Roy Blomstrom, was shortlisted for the Northern Lit Awards, sponsored by the Ontario Library Service--North, in conjunction with Northern Ontario Public Libraries.

In its twelfth year, the award was developed to "recognize the outstanding contribution Northern Ontario authors make to Northern culture."

The winner in the English Fiction category, for which SILENCES was shortlisted, went to THE LIGHTKEEPER'S DAUGHTERS, by Jean E. Pendziwol. A story of family secrets, identity, sisters, and lighthouses, set on Lake Superior in both the past and present, the novel is an excellent choice to celebrate this part of Ontario.

Other winners: A HISTORY OF CANADA IN TEN MAPS, by Adam Shoalts (English nonfiction), and for French fiction, On n’sait jamais à quoi s’attendre by Hélène Koscielniak (Éditions Interligne).

Many congratulations to the winners, and heartfelt gratitude to Ontario Library Services North for recognizing the literature of this region.