Broken Keys Publishing's Blog, page 20

CKCU with Michel Weatherall

(clcik on image for link)Local horror-author, poet and nominee for Faces of Ottawa's Best (male) Author, Michel Weatherall speaks with Tic about writing, books, publication, printing, music, religion, artificial intelligence, speech impediments, vinyl records; anything and everything under the sun!

We Live in the Shadows, by Brigitte Lord

I am ecstatic to announce my friend and fellow Ottawa author, Brigitte Lord's release of her new book, We Live in the Shadows!We Live in the Shadows This book is dedicated to the street people, the vagabonds of the world and the forgotten ones… our beautiful gypsies. Most importantly, this book is dedicated to my sister Anne, who was a street person herself. I wrote this book to show the world that these people are special and they each carry a story. In sharing their stories and stories of what I experienced, it shows them as the beautiful people they are. Like many of us, as children they did have hopes, dreams and desires; but their paths led them to the streets. Here are their stories in their raw truths.50% of profits will be donated to organizations that help our homeless in Ottawa.We Live in the Shadows is to be released Feb. 14th!

Boom 99.7 Off the Mic

Jan. 21st, 2018: Boom 99.7 Off the Mic(click picture for linkAnd there Dylan is holding a copy of Thomas Jay Oord's "Uncontrolling Love", me on the radio, and finally, me hold copies of Necropolis and The Refuse Chronicles.

At Boom 99.7

Just finished a podcast at Boom 99.7 with Dylan Black!Stay tuned! Link will follow!Yet again on boom 99.7 with Dylan Black! Check it out! Necropolis and The Refuse Chronicles (books 3 and 4 of The Symbiot-Series)I'll be at Origin Trade Coffeehouse this Saturday!You can pick up the entire series (plus my collection of dark poetry, A Dark Corner of My Soul) for more than 35% final retail prices!

Radio Wild!

Jan 4thJan 21stJan 24thFeb. 6th

Friends with Benefits on CKCU 93.1 FM

Tonya Price hosts CKCU's Friends with Benefits!Interview with local author and dark poet Michel Weatherall

2018 Tour Starts Today!

~ Today! ~~ From Today to Jan. 24th ~~ Jan. 20th ~~ Jan. 21st ~~ Jan. 24th ~~ Feb. 11th ~~ Feb. 17th (tbd) ~~ Feb. 24th ~

Michel Weatherall on Ottawa's Changing Literary Landscape

Dylan Black speaks with local writer and 2018 Faces Magazine Ottawa Best Author Award nominee Michel Weatherall about the rise of the Indie-author and the changing literary landscape of Ottawa.Check it out! Sunday, Jan. 21st!Links to follow!

My CKCU Vote

Why is it that I endorse CKCU 93.1 FM for the Best Radio Station for the 2018 Faces of Ottawa Awards?Yes, I do listen to it, but it goes far beyond a simple personal preference or bias.In theme with a previous article (Rogue Author), its same truth holds true.I have the utmost respect for people filled with passion - for people who volunteer for these rolls of radio hosts and personalities. Why? Because they are not driven by industry, by business or by money. We are treated to indie-musicians, to Ottawa's very own local talent! (And don't ever be fooled! Ottawa's got talent!)There is an element of truth, genuineness, innovation and unrestricted creativity here! It is what we need more of. I, for one, am not overly interested nor impressed with what music’s battling for the top of the charts. Uncompromised. Local. Fearless.Bring it!CKCU-FM

Rogue Authors

Traditional publishing or self-publish? That's the question so many would-be writers ask.Myself, it was never really a question or debate. Having a very diverse 30+ year background in print, the transition to self-publishing wasn't a difficult one. This argument of traditional publishing vs. self-publishing really never occurred to me. I never tried the previous. It was never really a consideration. Since last year I have been including smaller, much more intimate venues, such as coffee shops and coffeehouses to my ‘book events’. Locations where the opportunity to literally sit and converse with people over a coffee presents itself, and I don't regret it! Less focused on sales and more on exposure and ‘meet-&-greet' it is incredible the Ottawans I have the pleasure and honour to meet! What brings me to this topic is a conversation I had with an aspiring author over a year ago at one of these events. He had written a book and was in the final stages of having it beta-read. He was debating which avenue to pursue: traditional publisher or to self-publish. (What was interesting was that he had absolutely no doubt whether a traditional publisher would pick him up or not.) The reality is that a great many publishers reject a great many manuscripts. Even the good stuff. Even the great stuff. I would like to clear up a few mistaken assumptions. Firstly, a great many indie-authors are not self-published because they couldn't get their writing traditionally published. An indie-author is not a badge of failure. Quite the opposite. Secondly - and you may want to sit back and digest this one a little - do you really trust a traditional publisher to even know what good or poor writing is? Ultimately they are looking to play it safe and to make money. In my experience, ‘safe' never bred innovation. ‘Safe’ never - and I need to emphaze this - NEVER led the way. ‘Safe' never found itself ‘outside the box’. How many stories of the titans of literature have you heard that struggled getting themselves published, or possibly were only recognized posthumous? Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft are only a few which come to mind. Stories of what we would now accept to be major literary influences who battled viciously with their editors/publishers. I am of the mindset that traditional publishers (as a business) aren't about good storytelling or good writing or taking chances. It is solely about money. I truly believe that when anything - especially any creative endeavour - becomes an industry, at best it becomes compromised, and at worst, it becomes corrupt. Non-convention and unorthodoxy flow through the indie-author’s veins. They bring raw uncompromised creativity. Rogues. Dark horses. They're a genre unto their own. So get out there. Pick up a few local authors' books, and read with eyes and minds wide open!