Ask an Author Event: April 4

Roy Blomstrom, author of SILENCES: A NOVEL OF THE 1918 FINNISH CIVIL WAR, is participating in a writing event on April 4.

Sponsored by NOWW (the Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop), Ask an Author gives writers and readers an opportunity to engage with Jeannette Lynes, Jean E. Pendziwol, and Heather Leighton Dickson as well as Roy.

It's Thursday, April 4, 2019, at the Mary JL Black Library, 901 Edward St. South in Thunder Bay, from 6:30 p.m to 8:30 p.m.

Thanks to the Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop for the invitation! 

New Local Memoir

Sue Simonsen, a Thunder Bay fixture, recently launched her memoir, THE TIMES OF MY LIFE.

Born in the Lakehead, Simonsen was educated in Toronto, North Carolina, and at Lakehead University, and focused on twin passions: social programming and education.

She found many significant ways to contribute to the health and growth of the city and region. During the early 1970s, when the twin cities Port Arthur and Fort William were amalgamating into Thunder Bay, she led efforts to reorganize social programs. She was involved in establishing the Thunder Bay Community Foundation, which funds local nonprofit organizations to pursue projects large and small.

The memoir honestly chronicles the ups and downs--the stressors--that times of change can bring to families and communities. Couples pursue professional opportunities that help them grow, perhaps apart or perhaps together. A change of scene to pursue higher education can make room for insights that prove valuable "back home."

As she says in her concluding chapters, "Community growth demands leadership," and Thunder Bay has been lucky to have her contributions.

This book, which is scheduled to appear in the local Chapters store, would make an excellent gift for anyone with an interest in local history.

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.

Readers Rule

One of the best parts of having written work out in the world is connecting with readers. It's been really fun to hear from those who have been kind and generous enough to take the time to read our books.

CRADLE OF THE DEEP was very much a family memoir, which we were making available to extended family members, but it has appealed to a broader audience, in Northwestern Ontario and beyond. Readers regale us with their own family stories--summers by various lakes or the ocean, parents and grandparents living in a world with wood-burning stoves and train travel, their hopes for their own children or grandchildren.

SILENCES: A NOVEL OF THE 1918 FINNISH CIVIL WAR grew far beyond its own beginnings in a family mystery (for more, see Roy's explanation, here) while remaining deeply rooted in Finland and in northwestern Ontario. One reader recently emailed a friend to reminisce about building dams on the McIntyre River and who lived at the stop where Viktoria got off the bus in 1955's Port Arthur.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read our works. We appreciate your interest in historical fiction, Finland's history, memoirs, Northwestern Ontario, Lake Superior, or whatever else brought you to our doors.

Silences Available in Thunder Bay Library Book Club Bags

Thanks to Bookends, a longstanding local book club, and the Thunder Bay Public Library, copies of SILENCES: A NOVEL OF THE 1918 FINNISH CIVIL WAR will soon be available in the Book Club in a Bag program.

Book Club in a Bag makes it easier for a group to read and discuss a particular title. You can browse available books--bestsellers, local books, and more--and reserve specific titles for whatever month your group is interested in.

Each bag includes ten copies of a title, plus a reader's guide and author questions to help get discussion going.

We're so grateful to Bookends members for suggesting and sponsoring this donation, and to the library for hosting and maintaining this program!