Lorina Stephens's Blog, page 72

Twitterview with Lorina Stephens at Novel Publicity

The following Twitterview originally took place on Twitter, February 27, 2011, under the hastag #emlyn. For more information about Novel Publicity's Twitterviews, visit here.

Goodreads Review of From Mountains of Ice

The following review of From Mountains of Ice appeared this week on Goodreads, by author Steven Buechler.



This stave of yew was something he knew. This he could coerce, cajole into something of beauty and value to his village and himself. Once he had encompassed more, shouldered more, had the weight of command and government and actions that dealt in very real human lives, and very real human deaths. Once. Not so long ago. With a different prince, in another life.







Again he returned to the stave, his finger lingering over the pale slivers of bone he'd laminated between layers of yew. Not just any bone there. The tibia of Vincenze's sister. He felt like a ghoul, despite the respect he'd gained as one of the rare few bowyers who could make the legendary acrossi. This was a skill he didn't seek. It sought him. And still he didn't understand how it was the dead could whisper to him, sigh in the background of his mind like whispers lost in he chatter of fall leaves.





He traced the lie of her bone, like a pale silver thread gleaming between layers of yew, feeling her spirit stir, aware of his reverence for the ancestors that watched over them all and hoping they knew it was out of love for the and this land he plied his trade.





Beware!



-pg 7 From Mountains of Ice



It has been a while since I have read any fantasy novels. This one is well researched and a powerful read.



From Mountains of Ice is available through online retailers globally in both print and digital formats.

Nate Hendley interviewed at Irreverent Muse

Our own Nate Hendley was interviewed on Irreverent Muse recently. It's an interesting interview and insight. Enjoy!



http://www.michellplested.com/getpublished/get-published-episode-52-nate-hendley-journalist-author-editor/

University of Waterloo Bookstore Hosts Booksigning by Alicia Hendley

On Thursday, March 10, the University of Waterloo bookstore hosts a book signing by their own Alicia Hendley.



Alicia will be discussing and signing copies of her debut novel, A Subtle Thing, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.



This is also an opportunity for those interested in the Espresso Book Machine to see one in operation, as all copies of A Subtle Thing will be printed through this remarkable printing press.







View Larger Map

Butterfly Stitching: Update on Forthcoming Novel

One of the exciting developments of 2010 was the signing of debut author, Shermin Nahid Kruse. Her novel, Butterfly Stitching, is a compelling and searing tale of a woman's escape from Iran during the Tehran uprising of 1979.



Butterfly Stitching is now in editing, and we're shooting for a publication date either late 2011 or early 2012.



For the cover art we've hired a remarkable Calgary artist, Jeff Minkevics. His interpretation of Shermin's novel is presented here. We're thrilled to have Jeff create this cover, and hope to see more work from him for some of our other upcoming releases.

Another Five Star Review for A Subtle Thing

Author Steven Beuchler posted the following five star review on Goodreads recently.



A fantastic book. For anybody who has dealt with mental health issues (and we all have) this narrative provides a great insight into the problems and solutions to the issues. If anybody wants to borrow this copy of this book, don't be afraid to ask.





From "A Subtle Thing" pg 20-21:



As I lie on my rank bed I realize that I've reached that stage. I can no longer recall there every being a time in which I wasn't in this thick, viscous despair. I know that such a time must have existed and that even since first getting depressed ten years ago I've had at least several months between episodes, but I can't remember it.



Forget about ever having gone to classes and worked on thesis, how did I actually get up every morning and plan for the rest of the day? How did I shower, dress, eat or speak? How did I manage to even walk a few feet away from my bed with these concrete poles for legs? How did I interact with friends, professors or Patrick, like a normal human being? And how did I summon up the motivation to do unnecessary things like shaving my legs, rolling on dedorant or checking my eyebrows for stray hairs? What made me believe that the minutiae of life actually mattered, and how can I get that belief back? As I spend an afternoon contemplating whether or not it's worth it to get up and brush my woolly teeth, knowledge of my recent infidelity impresses me , as such actions must have required more energy than I'll likely every posses again.



As I stare at the ceiling, my thoughts become fixated on all the times I've been depressed, each memory rolling into the next until they become one massive, undulating wave. My mind flips from images of having my teeaged head stroked by my mother as I sobbed across her lap to being told a few years later after one suicide attempt too many that if I wanted to run amok with my life I could no longer expect her or my sister to come along for the ride. Bobbing up and down in this ea of self-incrimnation is the image of my cousin Adam, who through it all had been a stalwart ally, until my hurricane-like tendencies caused too much damage in his own life for him to remain standing.

Two Great Events This Past Weekend

Authors Alicia Hendley and Lorina Stephens had two great events over this past weekend.



On Saturday, February 26, Alicia appeared at Chapters in Ancaster, Ontario. Book lovers and fans gave Alicia a warm reception, and A Subtle Thing very nearly sold out.



Alicia continues her 2011 book tour next month at the University of Waterloo bookstore on March 10, and then at Chapters, Stone Road Mall in Guelph on March 26. Check out Five Rivers' Facebook Page for event listings and information.



The second event of this past weekend was a virtual Twitterview that took place on Sunday. Twitter users monitored the hashtag #emlyn and were able to participate in the interview. The full transcript can be found at Novel Publicity.

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

A purely personal post this afternoon, with a bit of a revelation: I entered the Amazon Breathrough Novel Award (ABNA). My entry is the first novel I published, Shadow Song. It's an historical fantasy, based upon an actual tragedy that occurred in the early 1830s in the village of Hornings Mills, Ontario. For the most part, Shadow Song has received four and five star reader reviews, as well as a few starred reviews from blog reviewers.



Apparently there were 2,000 entrants this year. Today the first ABNA cut was announced, based upon a 300 word pitch, reducing the number of entrants to 1,000.



I'm feeling a bit bewildered and tentatively pleased at the moment; I made the first cut. That news precipitates a few palpitations and a great deal of anxiety, and a grin that's making my face ache. But, let's not get carried away just yet. The next round, February 24 to March 13, 2011, takes those 1,000 down to 250, judged by Amazon's expert reviewers and editors, and at least one Amazon Top Reviewer. The judges will be reading a 5,000 word excerpt.



The expert reviewers rate each Excerpt on a scale of 1 to 5 on each of the following criteria:



Overall Strength of Excerpt
Prose/Style
Plot/Hook
Originality of Idea
Each second round excerpt will receive two reviews, and the top 250 entries from each category based on the average overall strength of excerpt score will advance to the Quarter-Finals.



And so begins another month practicing the fine virtue, and art, of patience.



There are some of you who are going to wonder why it is a renegade author-turned-publisher, who has been flying the indie flag for some time, would enter a literary award contest that could possibly result in a $15,000US advance and publishing contract with Penguin.



It is a purely business decision. I need a wider audience, and with the award a semblance of credibility even some of my own peers have been reluctant to bestow. While more and more authors are turning to self-publishing as a viable alternative, there is still a stigma, and with that stigma a prejudice that if an author has self-published, the work can't be any good, otherwise an agent, and ergo a publisher, would have picked up the work.



So, we'll see how far I get. I really have few expectations. But I will keep you posted.

Alicia Hendley Appears in Ancaster

[image error] Continuing her winter book tour, Alicia Hendley appears at Chapters, in Ancaster, Ontario, on Saturday, February 26, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. She will be signing copies of A Subtle Thing.



Upcoming engagments include:

Thursday, March 10, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., discussion and signing at the University of Waterloo Bookstore.
Saturday, March 26, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., signing at Chapters, Stone Road Mall, Guelph, ON.
Saturday, April 16, 12:00 to 4:00 p.m., signing at Chapters, 135 Gateway Park Drive, Kitchener, ON
Watch Five Rivers' calendar for further events. You can also follow Alicia through her Facebook page.









View Larger Map

A Subtle thing Reviewed at The Canadian Book Review

Reprinted with permission, a fabulous review from The Canadian Book Review.



One great thing about being active on social media and discussing books is that you discover authors and publishers that you never would have without it. Recently I was contacted by Five Rivers and given the opportunity to review a couple of their titles. When I was browsing through their catalog I came across a book that I knew I just had to read, A Subtle Thing by Alicia Hendley. This is the novel of a young woman and her struggles with depression and how difficult it is to forge a life with this dark cloud floating over your head. As some of you may know, I am in the midst of struggling with complications of depression and mental health problems (you can read my other blog about this here), so I knew this was going to be a very difficult and personal read for me. I was concerned that this novel would be more of a dissertation on life with depression and weak as a novel, fortunately my fears were unfounded. This is not a novel "about" depression, this is a novel about a wonderful character named Beth who's life is veiled with this incapacitating disorder. A Subtle Thing is a gritty and raw novel that hits the reader in such a powerful and sincere way that putting it down is simply not an option.



The way the author navigates Beth's life, through both the ups and downs, is very well done. There are some issues that almost always pop up in "first-books", like some dialog that could be polished a bit more or the occasional chapter with pacing issues, but the characters are so wonderful these minor flaws are easily overlooked. In reading Hendley's book you can tell there is definitely a lot of talent there that will become sharper and sharper as she, hopefully, releases more books. The story doesn't follow an exact linear narrative, with many of Beth's important episodes being told through flashbacks during therapy sessions; this technique works very well for this story and as we see more and more of the central characters life we become further invested in her.



Beth in A Subtle Thing reminds me quite a bit of Baby in Lullabies for Little Criminals. Both are victims of outside forces and people. The darker periods of Beth's life are hard to read; for anyone who has gone or is going through any mental health problems themselves these parts of the book are almost unbearable to read, but I have to qualify this by saying I mean that in the most positive way possible. The accuracy in the descriptions is spot on. The way the author explores this character's thoughts as she sits in the doctor's office doing the depression score test (which, like Beth, I am also at the point of memorization), the fear as you get that first bottle of anti-depressant medication in your hand, that moment when you suddenly realize that things just aren't right, and of course the self-destructive thoughts and actions that come along with everything else are heart-wrenching. These chapters would move even the most hardened readers to tears.



Beth's story is one of a very serious issue that the general public is still far from understanding. Mental illness still has a very heavy stigma and sense of shame for many people, which is 100% undeserved. Characters in this novel exemplify the damage that people who do not understand these conditions can do on those who are sitting at the bottom of this deep, dark abyss. I have always believed that literature is the truest lens with which we have as a society to examine ourselves. In my opinionthis is a must read for anyone, but especially anyone working in health care, education, or anyone who has family members struggling with mental health. Alicia Hendley gets it, and with it, she has written a very memorable book.

 

A Subtle Thing is available in print and digital format through booksellers worldwide, as well as in select bookstores.