Welcome to 2022!

We might be a little late for the word "welcome," but hey, it's still 2022, right? And we've been hard at work behind the scenes, reading and editing a new novel by Roy Blomstrom.

He's not always writing

Tentatively entitled THE DEVIL'S VIOLIN, it's set, like SILENCES, in what some of us refer to as "the Jussi-verse" (a phrase that causes others of us to roll our eyes).

With episodes in Finland and Canada in the first half of the twentieth century, it includes action and mystery, answers and further questions.

We can't wait for you to read it!

Meanwhile, have you looked into Blomstrom's journey through the multiverse? THE ITERATIONS OF CAROLINE, which begins and ends in northwestern Ontario, travels a lot of territory between. Caroline and David have to figure out who they are--when that keeps changing in different versions of the multiverse--to stay ahead of a powerful, murderous ex-husband. Identity crises wrapped up in an adventure story! What's not to like?

Stay tuned for more information about THE DEVIL'S VIOLIN! And support your favourite bookstore!

 

Sneak Peek at Caroline!

We're pleased to be able to offer this sneak peek into THE ITERATIONS OF CAROLINE, courtesy of the Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop. Originally published in NOWW Magazine, they've made it available to the public on their blog, and we're thrilled to be able to share it with you!

NOWW is a regional writing organization that supports writing and writers in Northwestern Ontario. Membership is inexpensive, and it's a great way to stay connected with others in the region through writing workshops, readings of your work, and hangouts to get some words in and commiserate.

We very much appreciate NOWW's support of all our writing, published and (as yet!) unpublished.

 

Author Talk!

Author Roy Blomstrom will be speaking "at" the Nipigon Public Library on November 25, 2021 at 7 PM (via zoom).

He'll share background on his books--both set, in part, in Northwestern Ontario and very much home-grown--and his writing process. And he'll answer questions.

Thank you so much to the libraries across the region. You've been instrumental in supporting local books and writing!

 

Appreciating Appreciations

A local writer, Patrick Peotto, published his thoughts about SILENCES: A NOVEL OF THE 1918 FINNISH CIVIL WAR over on the blog for NOWW, the Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop.

NOWW is a writing organization with representatives from across Northwestern Ontario (and connections in the US). It offers workshops, opportunities to read and share your work, awards and contests, and other programs to support writing and writers in the community. Roy is a longtime member of NOWW and highly recommends it to people in search of community.

Here's an excerpt:

"Silences kept me intrigued. I love a good mystery. It also appealed to my historical curiosity. But more so, it made me think of the human condition, the terrible consequences of war, and the incredible ability of people to cope with the unimaginable. The story made me think and feel. What more can you ask of a novel?"

(For the full post, click here.)

Thanks so much for reading, Patrick. Those are the kinds of questions Roy Blomstrom considered as he was writing. It's nice to know his work inspired your own reflections.

Roy wrote a companion--not a prequel or sequel, perhaps an "e-quel"?--to SILENCES. We hope it share it with you in the future.

 

Review in The Walleye

The local arts and culture monthly, The Walleye, has a review of THE ITERATIONS OF CAROLINE in its September issue.

Local writer, artist, and filmmaker Paula Thiessen gave it 4/5 walleyes, calling the book "an intriguing exploration of quantum entanglement, emotional pixelation, composite memory, and the splintered self that can access the thoughts and intelligence of its other selves."

Thank you, Paula! Here's a link to the issue with the review.

And in addition to being available online, THE ITERATIONS OF CAROLINE is also on the shelves at the new local bookstore, Entershine Bookshop.

Author Q&A and Reader's Guide to Caroline

Thinking of discussing THE ITERATIONS OF CAROLINE with your book club? Interested in some background about how Roy came to write it?

You're in luck! The links are below.

Author Q&A

Reader's Guide

The Iterations of Caroline's Cover

See what we did there?

We're lucky to have found a great cover designer, H. Leighton Dickson.

Her experience in indie publishing has given her a wealth of insight into nuance and images. Here's one of the images we sent her way, riffing on one of the many fabulous directions she'd suggested.

We're especially fond of the note, "Map good!" But using purple ballpoint was an interesting choice all the way around.

We also were thinking of covers such as these classic Mary Stewart designs from the 1960-1970 timeframe.

Except that we weren't dealing with young women about to fall off cliffs.

Luckily, Heather is as good at reading minds as she is conjuring dragons, cats, young women who take on Jack the Ripper, and ships.

And thus she created our final cover. Which we're excited about, and we hope you are, too.

(See? Map good!)