Deana J. Driver's Blog, page 3

You know they like selling your books when...

One afternoon in October, I was delivering more stock of our terrific books to a local store here in Regina, Saskatchewan when I was overcome with gratitude.

I had just stepped inside Local Market YQR (at 1377 Hamilton Street) when I noticed a brand new, handbuilt book stand that was holding a collection of books I publish! I was surprised and thrilled!

I then sought out co-owner Tim Shultz to let him know I was dropping off more books for their store to sell. He asked if I'd noticed the new bookstand. I definitely had. "Did you make it?" I asked.

He grinned and nodded. I was thrilled and told him so.

"I thought we should have something to display the books," he said.

Wow. It's not every day that a store owner builds a bookshelf to house your pride and joy! Sure, there are a couple of cookbooks and cards on the stands that my company did not publish, but still. Most of the items on display are books I created. How cool is that? 

Tim Shultz with the bookstand he built for Local Market YQR

I had met Tim a few monthsearlier when I attended a Business Network International local chapter meeting for whichmy son, Dave Driver, is the president. I enjoyed the Local Market YQR's meeting space and was pleased to see theattached retail spaces with many locally produced productssuch as food, household supplies, and personal and decorative items.

In astate of unusual forthrightness but not-unusual excitement at seeing handmade itemsand the efforts of like-minded entrepreneurs, I said to Tim that day, "You should sell my bookshere." 

He listened to my descriptions of the types of nonfiction Prairie stories and fact-based kids' fiction books I publish and replied with,

 "Yes, we should. We should put your books in our FoundersMarket."

Wow. Me, a founder. I was honoured. 

I don't usually think of myself in such terms, even though it is true. I did found my publishing company, and I do take the words written by myself and other Prairie authors and turn those into books, but I think of myself as more of a collaborator with my authors and consultants. Together, we make great books. But sure, I'd happily participate in the Founders Market.

Anyway, this lovely surprise happened on a Friday. The next day, something else incredible happened.. on the same theme...

I drove out to Emerald Park, about 20 kilometres east of Regina, to deliver more books to the Farmer John's Local Market & Kitchen shop. And what greeted me just inside the front door? ANOTHER amazing new bookstand!

The bookstand at Farmer John's Local Market & Kitchen shows off DriverWorks Ink books

And this one holds only the books produced by my company!

Wow, wow, and wow! I just stood there in awe, then collected myself and managed to take a photo of this large new bookshelf.

The shop's owner Audra Hill wasn't there that afternoon, but if she had been, I probably would have hugged her - or maybe just jumped up and down in happiness.

This all reminds me of the terrific support and attractive displays which DriverWorks Ink books have been receiving for several years at the Handmade Saskatchewan gift shops in Regina and Saskatoon. Owner Janelle Anderson has made sure that our books are visible in appealing ways, alongside those of other Saskatchewan authors and do-it-all publishers like me. My authors and I love Handmade Saskatchewan! (And we're excited for their new stand-alone store to open in Regina next year too!) 

Our books at Handmade Saskatchewan gift shops in Regina (Cornwall Centre above left) and Saskatoon (Midtown Mall and Lawson Heights Mall above right)

It's rare to receive such special treatment when you are a book publisher. I am honoured by this local support of our books. My authors and I work hard to draw attention to our locally produced books, and we are delighted by the care taken and the support given by these local shops.

Yet another reason to Shop Local and support entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Books make great gifts, you know. Just saying.

Collaborating with Thomega Entertainment's Canada Remembers DVD Commemorative School Project

DriverWorksInk is proud to collaborate with Thomega Entertainment Canada RemembersDocumentaries to share stories of service and sacrifice ofCanadian War Veterans. 

Endorsed by the Royal Canadian Legion’s National Poppy and Remembrance Committee for use of Poppy Funds, the Canada Remembers Commemorative School Project invites Royal Canadian Legions across Canada as well as other organizations to purchase the set of 13 educational documentary DVDs and receive one complimentary copy of the fascinating new book Crash Harrison: Tales of a Bomber Pilot Who Defied Death by Deana J. Driver.

Five of the 13 Canada Remembers documentaries filmed to date by Thomega Entertainment include interviews with 101-year-old Reginald "Crash" Harrison. Another documentary featuring Reg is planned for release in 2024.

Thomega Entertainment initiated the concept of this project, simply designed to get the message of the significant service and sacrifices by so many, into over 15,500 schools, libraries and related organizations nationwide. The primary goal is to give as many students as possible access to over 10 hours of engaging, informative, historical programming which includes a Teacher's Guide that brings attention to the fact that freedom in this country … did not come free!

You and your Royal Canadian Legion Branch or other organization are invited to order your set of documentary DVDs here.

 

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Thankful today and every day

Thereare many people in my life for whom I am grateful – old friends and new, family and those I call family, authors,book buyers, coworkers and colleagues, and so much more.

My work life as an author, editor, and book publisher has been greatly enriched this past year, so I have a few new blessings to add to my already blessedlife.

I am grateful to have met and become friends with 101-year-old Reginald “Crash”Harrison of Saskatoon, who survived four plane crashes while serving as abomber pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. Reggrew up on a Saskatchewan farm and went off to war in search of adventure andto serve his country, like his father and uncles did before him. He flew 19missions and survived four crashes – none of which were his fault.

Upon his return to Canada, Reg stopped in Ottawa to visit the fiancée ofa fallen airman friend. Reg’s dramatic war story turned into a beautiful lovestory – all of which I’ve documented in my new book Crash Harrison –Tales of a Bomber Pilot Who Defied Death (available on my website). ToReg, for painstakingly recalling all the details and trusting me to share hisfascinating life story, I am grateful. I also appreciate the assistance of many people who helped me see this book through to fruition, including Lisa Driver, Mary Harelkin Bishop, Dani Driver, Don Acton, Laurie Harrison, Sylvia Acton, Susan Harrison, Pete Colbeck, Thomega Entertainment, and Creative Saskatchewan.

Reg "Crash" Harrison and author Deana J. Driver, August 2023

I’ve had the privilege of talking about the Crash Harrison bookalongside Reg Harrison at numerous events in Saskatoon and to Saskatchewanmedia – including CTV News Saskatoon, CBC Radio Saskatchewan Weekend, and the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. Plus, he’s been interviewed twice on the JohnGormley Talk Radio show! (See the links on our News & Events page.)

My Crash Harrison book has been #1 on the Bestsellers list atMcNally Robinson Booksellers Saskatoon, and I recently found out from a friendthat the book has been nominated for Best Book in the Prairie Dog Magazine’s Bestof Regina 2023 contest! For these honours, I am grateful.

Those who know me personally will tell you that the last seven years have been a time in which I’ve been rebuilding myself after the unexpected deathof my husband Al from cancer. Grief will always be with me and my family. Weare learning to grow and find happy moments alongside it. And we are eternallygrateful for the life and love of Al Driver.

As a retired journalist, I admire those who are gifted wordsmiths. Onthe topic of gratitude, one of my favourite pieces was written by the late RonPetrie, whom I was privileged to work with while publishing a collection of his Regina Leader-Post newspaper columns. His Running of the Buffalo book was one of the first of about 100 books Ihave created since I started on this publishing journey.

So Ron gets the last words here about being grateful.

(His "Giving Thanks for a Great Life" column was publishedin 2007 in the Leader-Post and again in 2010 as the final chapter, "Thankful," of ourbook. The newspaper column was also buried in the 100th anniversary timecapsule at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building in December 2012.)

Enjoy!

 

Thankful 

Whether one day of humility makes up for 364 of selfish bellyaching is aquestion best left to theologians and ethicists. The point of this weekend isto take stock.

So let it be known that I am grateful.

Grateful to be where I am, for starters.

As a younger man, brash and full of swagger, I considered my calling tobe Vancouver, Montreal, even New York. Only now do I appreciate that what Iactually fancied was merely the idea of my farmboy self destined for the bigcity that, in reality, traffic jams, restaurant queues, cut-throat office politics,six-dollar cups of coffee, shoebox apartments and crammed elevators are not forme and never were.

Where I am is Saskatchewan. Thank goodness. With the possible exceptionof the Maritimes, nowhere in Canada can one find folks with a keener feel forthe absurd, with a  more grounded senseof purpose and place, the confidence to enjoy the gift that is a good laugh at one’sown expense. The job description calls me a Saskatchewan humour writer. Hardly.I am a stenographer. I simply take notes.

That my Saskatchewan grows the food that feeds the world makes me guiltyof a deadly sin. Pride.

Chances are that in the coming weeks and months, Saskatchewan will becalled upon to install both a provincial and federal government. Unlike in toomany other parts of the world, this will be accomplished through words, notblood. I am thankful for our British system of parliamentary democracy, for itslongstanding tradition that holds my role, political satire, as an indispensablesafeguard against the threat of pompous and overbearing authority.

I give thanks for my home. Droopy eavestroughs, cracked driveway andill-fitted door jambs notwithstanding, I live in comforts unknown to three-quartersof the people of the planet and with conveniences unimagined before the 20thcentury, not even by kings, emperors and czars. A hot shower, on tap everymorning remains, for my money, one of the greatest accomplishments of mankind.

I am grateful for a wife who, after early shopping for a Halloweensupply of miniature Kit Kat bars, hides the bags where only she and I can findthem. Also for pretending that she doesn’t know that I know where.

To the men and women of the Canadian Armed Force, I say thank you. The missionour soldiers accepted halfway around the world is reminiscent of the dangers oftwo world wars that my parents’ generation and my grandparents’ generation hadno choice but to face down. Canadians of my own pampered vintage, conversely,have known nothing but peace.

I am indebted to the 2007 Saskatchewan Roughriders, for posting an 8-5win-loss record and relieving me of the usual journalistic obligation everyfall to write snarky wisecracks about my lifelong favourite football team.

For those moments I spend with my kids at our favourite fishing hole, atdance and music recitals, in hockey rinks or on the golf course, I am beholden.It is fashionable among experts in child-rearing to lecture that parents oughtnot to live vicariously through their children and shouldn’t derive their ownhappiness from the activities of their sons and daughters.

I am thankful my kids do not read books written by child-rearingexperts.

I am grateful for the wherewithal that allows me to provide my children witheverything I know they need, if not always for everything they think they want.Putting a child to bed with an empty stomach and with nothing humanly possibleto dry the tears must be a parental nightmare beyond all scope of the Canadian imagination.

Likewise, I am thankful for a rising group of young work colleagues whochallenge each other through excellence, not gossip or backstabbing; forrefrigerated transport, putting fresh asparagus on my plate where, as a boy,there would have been, blech, canned peas; for good friends who laugh too much;for a westside address with its view of the Prairie sunset; for the memory ofmy mom and dad; for our land of variety, of four seasons, even if the white oneis a tad on the long side; for pain-free dentistry; for disposable contactlenses, for, for…

As a professional bellyacher, perhaps I should be most thankful that, onthis rare occasion of listing what’s right in life, not wrong, I’ve run out ofspace.

There’s too much. Here and now, there’s just too much.

 

October 6, 2007

Crash Harrison Bomber Pilot Book Coming Soon

My newest book is almost here! CrashHarrison: Tales of a Bomber Pilot Who Defied Deathwill be released at the end of July, and I am SO EXCITED!

It's been 12 years since I wrote a full-sizebook.

Since my last full-size book (Never Leave Your Wingman: Dionne and Graham Warner'sStory of Hope) was launched in June 2011, I have writtenand published TheSailor and the Christmas Trees (which is aninspiring 48-page Christmas story) and pieces in seven other books about farming and aviation.Writing and putting together this 176-page Crash Harrison book, however, has been its own unique and interestingjourney.

The story is about Reginald "Crash"Harrison, a 100-year-old gentleman in Saskatoon who was a bomber pilot duringthe Second World War. He's had many fascinating adventures, including survivingseveral crashes and close calls, and has made some lifelong connections becauseof his time as a Second World War bomber pilot.

The printed proof of Crash Harrison arrivedlast week, and I am still a little overwhelmed by the reality of itall. The book is being printed! It will be here inlate July!

Meeting Reg in May of 2019 when I interviewedhim for the first volume of the Flight:Stories of Canadian Aviation series was anexperience I’ll never forget. I’d talked to him by phone to find out somedetails of his story, but sitting across from him and watching as he thumbedthrough his Pilot’s Flying Log Book from the 1940s to fill in details of hismissions was really special. I’d also never interviewed someone of that advancedage (he was 96 at the time).

Reg is a gentle, kind man. He doesn’t considerhimself to be a hero. That alone makes him more worthy of the honour than most.For the first Flight book, I wrote about Reg’s wartime adventures and alittle about his life after the war. Over the last couple of years, as I wascontemplating which book I would write next and who it would be about, I couldn’tget Reg and his life story out of my mind. I knew I had to write his storyand share it with a wider audience.

We spent many hours talking in personand on the phone, adding more details to my first interviews about his wartime andafter-the-war activities. We also talked in depth about his growing-up years onthe Prairies and what it was like to walk three miles to school, herd cattle inthe dust storms of the Dirty Thirties in Saskatchewan, and do homework by the dimlight of a coal oil lamp. He told me about the first airplane ride he ever took– as a teenager – and how he paid for that flight with weasel skins, how hisparents kept their family fed during the Great Depression, and how he was neverscared while doing his job as a bomber pilot.

Reg became one of the few Canadians inthe famed “Guinea Pig Club” after receiving reconstructive skin graft surgeryduring the war. And he was named an “Honorary Snowbird” by the renownedCanadian Forces’ Snowbirds aerobatics display team, which flies under the samesquadron number as Reg served during the war.

I wrote the bookin Reg’s voice, as thought he is telling his own story.

The book iseducational, with captivating tales of Reg’s adventures and his life. I amcertain that Crash Harrison: Tales of a Bomber Pilot Who Defied Deathwill be enjoyed by readers from teens to seniors and I’m lookingforward to launching it this summer and sharing it with all of you in the days andmonths ahead.

DriverWorks Ink is grateful to Creative Saskatchewan for Book Publishing Production grant support of this title.

The Power of a Chance Meeting

 One evening in mid-May, I started a conversation with a young man at a gas station. We were both filling our vehicles with gas on a blustery night.

I said, "The weather turned cool quickly."

He said, "It's not winter, so I'm good with it. I'm counting my blessings."

I agreed. 

We continued pumping gas into our respective vehicles.

At one point, he walked over to his passenger side window to talk with his wife, who as sitting in the car, looking at me. Then he came over to me and said, "My wife loves your licence plate holder."

My plate holder says, "MY FAVOURITE PEOPLE CALL ME GRANDMA."

I told them it was a gift from my daughter and that I didn't even notice the top part of it for awhile - "MY FAVOURITE PEOPLE". I only saw the bottom phrase "CALL ME GRANDMA" (because it's bigger and more obvious), and I thought that was terrific.

As I finished filling my vehicle's tank, the young man came over again and said, "I don't know what you believe or if this is okay, but do you believe in Jesus?"

I said, "Yes, I do."

"Do you need a prayer?"

I replied, "Always." (Because really, who doesn't need a prayer?)

He was surprised and pleased with my answer. He asked if there was anything specific I wanted him to pray for. I said, "No."

He asked if he could lay hands on me. I said, "Sure."

He put his hand on my arm, took off his hat, and began to pray for me. He thanked God for me and my life, for my heart, and my gifts. He asked Jesus to bring joy, and joy and joy into my life, and he prayed for my kids and grandkids.

It was such a nice, comforting surprise.

I thanked him and told him that his prayer was lovely. I asked if I could give him a hug, and we embraced.

Young Dillon, wearing a "Demons Fear Me" T-shirt, put a big smile on my face that night.

A testament to being kind to others, to the power of prayer, and a chance meeting at a gas station on a windy Prairie evening. 

Beauty in the Berry Patch

This International Women's Day, I'm remembering my mother. I've been thinking about my mom a fair bit lately. She's been gone for many years, yet her spirit lives on in me and speaks to me almost daily.

She was a strong one, that woman. Of Polish descent, with a calm nature, she was kind and gentle and rarely raised her voice at the chaos that occurred with five children underfoot. She'd lift one eyebrow or stop whatever she was doing to look directly at us for a second, which was usually enough to settle us down and remind us to do what we were supposed to be doing at that moment.

My mom was a hard worker and went about her daily chores with grace and a strength that inspired others. She volunteered in the community and for her church. She sang and laughed. She joked and routinely made up new words and sounds. As a child, she created "soap opera" stories for her siblings, with them as main characters, while they walked along looking for the cows on their farm. I owe my love of language and creativity to my mother.

In her later years, Mom commented on how she enjoyed being a farmer herself. Although I saw that she loved plants and nature, it was only in rereading parts of a family history book that I had renewed insight into her love of farming. My mom wrote that after teaching for a few years in various districts in central Alberta (before she had any children of her own), she took two courses from Queen's University by correspondence, which she worked on during the weekends. "After passing the exams, I was given my 'Permanent Standard E Certificate. I secretly wished I would never need to use it, for I was much happier being a farm wife. I preferred the hard work on the farm to the stress of teaching," she wrote.

Hmmm... I had never considered that any woman in my family would want to stay on the farm rather than do something that was less strenuous. My dad and brother were fine with a life on the farm. But it was a surprise of sorts to learn that Mom was happiest there too. I and my three sisters were certainly not cut from that same cloth. 

A while ago, I was thinking about my childhood days of picking berries with my mom. Those were sweet moments, not just because we could eat our fill of the delicious fruits, but because we were spending time with our mom. Many times, Mom went out picking berries on her own. This led me to write this poem, an ode to my mother...

Thanks, Mom. For everything.

Therapy Dog Saves A Life

Murphy, the English Springer Spaniel, is a very special dog. He’s the first Therapy Dog to help patients in a Canadian hospital emergency room. He did that in 2015. Last week, he saved a life outside an emergency room in Regina.

Murphy is the subject of the wonderful children’s picture book Murphy Mondays: The First St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog in a Canadian Emergency Room , written by his handler/owner Jane Smith and published by my company, DriverWorks Ink.

Jane contacted me in 2018 to ask if I would help her publish a book about her and Murphy’s volunteer work as a certified therapy dog team. Murphy moved with Jane and her husband Preston to Saskatoon from Nova Scotia in 2014. Since the fall of 2015, they have been visiting the Royal University Hospital Emergency Room in Saskatoon. They have been the subjects of several research papers and studies as well as being models for other therapy dogs.

With financial support from the Royal University Hospital Foundation, we published Murphy Mondays, which has three chapters about their true story: The Child Patients; The Adult Patients; and The Doctors, Nurses and Hospital Staff. The book is illustrated by Wendi Nordell and also includes 16 photos of Jane and Murphy and other people and places connected to their therapy dog work. Jane has donated proceeds from the book’s sales to the RUH Foundation and St. John Ambulance.

As a therapy dog, Murphy has helped children and adult patients feel more comfortable in emergency rooms and other healthcare facilities, including vaccination clinics and some communities after disasters or traumas.

In November, I was privileged to accompany Jane and Murphy while they visited a young man they had come to know years earlier. I watched as Murphy was his usual calm self when he walked into the room beside Jane. When he saw this young man and heard his voice, Murphy’s tail began to wag rapidly. We all enjoyed watching as this young man lit up with smiles and laughter as he hugged and cuddled with his favourite dog.

Jane wrote about that visit, speaking for Murphy, on their Instagram page murphymondays : “So excited. I haven’t seen this gentleman in years since he moved to another city. I visited him weekly for many years. I love ❤️ him and he me. What a great reunion. He kept asking daily to see me. Finally, we got to hug and cuddle. Found out he travels bi-weekly to Saskatoon, so we are setting up visits at an organization he is a part of. Within minutes of leaving, I was snoring in the car. Gave him my whole heart as usual.”




A few days ago, Jane and Murphy were taking part in a St. John Ambulance crisis response training session in Regina. What happened one night while they were on a break is a remarkable story that highlights the value of these wonderful, gentle animals.

Jane Smith wrote about this event on Instagram, as though her dog Murphy is talking:

“I helped save a life tonight! So getting needed rest on Jane’s lap. In Regina, for crisis response training so I just happened to practice tonight. Went out for a pee and a man who petted me suggested I cheer a motionless person on a bench. It was -26 degrees Celsius with the wind chill. Even I was cold. The man came with Jane and I under a fence and over and through snow. The person did not respond to Jane or the man. However, I got a few grunts when I licked her face. 911 was called. I stood still as could be and didn’t mind the sirens as Jane waved down the fire truck. The firepersons and paramedics got her standing and moving and took her to the ambulance. They thanked us.”

What an incredible story about some pretty amazing people who make up one marvelous St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Team! I’m so honoured to know Jane and Murphy and to help them share their stories.

To read more about Murphy, follow him (and Jane Smith) on Instagram at murphymondays and purchase the book from DriverWorks Ink - https://www.driverworks.ca/non-fiction.html

Shredding the past and moving into a new year

There's a certain satisfaction that comes with shredding old business files. You see where you have come from, what you've accomplished, who you touched, who touched you, what did not go so well, and what you learned from it.

In shredding business files that are older than seven years, the timeframe after which CRA says you can shred your business/income tax files, I came across many memories. Things I’d forgotten. Things I needed to be reminded of. Things I might want to try again, but maybe in a different way.

I found lovely notes from authors, readers, fans, work colleagues, and family. Little winks were hidden in expense and sales sheets from craft or trade shows and posters for dozens of author readings across the Prairies. I remembered mental images of children and adults who were enthralled to hear about my books and those of the authors I publish. What a precious gift of memories.

The new year will bring more terrific new books to my business. Four marketable books are on my DriverWorks Ink publishing list at present, along with a few that will be produced only for the authors and/or their families. There will be new growth – for my authors and readers, and for me as we learn new concepts from writers who are known and beloved or are new to us.

Onward and upward! Welcome, 2023!

  

Gift ideas for the Book Lover

Searching for a great gift for someone who loves to read? We recommend these terrific books written by Canadian authors. And they’re less than $25 a book!

All titles are available from www.driverworks.ca/shop.html

Tunnels of Time – Moose Jaw Time Travel Adventure #1. By Mary Harelkin Bishop:
Synopsis: This first book in the five-book series finds thirteen-year-old Andrea unhappily attending a boring family wedding in boring Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Andrea is annoyed that she is not on a class field trip to the mountains, and she barely listens when a local restaurant owner talks about the old days of gangsters and gamblers hiding in the tunnels below Moose Jaw. But when Andrea accidentally falls into one of those tunnels and finds herself back in 1920s Moose Jaw, the stories and danger become real. How will Andrea outsmart the gangsters who are demanding that she work for them? And will she ever see her family again?

Genres, subjects: Juvenile Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Time Travel, Family, Change; Co-operation; Friendship; Determination; Canadian History; Literacy; Education; Learning Resources; Prairie Provinces; Saskatchewan Author; Canadian author.

Audience: For ages 9 to adult

Fun On The Farm 3 – True Tales of Farm Life! Compiled and edited by Deana J. Driver:

Synopsis: Cranky cattle, ornery pigs, curious farm kids, tricky technology, and head-banging farmers are some of the hilarious memories shared by 20 Canadian Prairies writers, including author/ publisher Deana J. Driver, in this third and final volume of the popular Fun On The Farm series. Even more pranks, unexpected events, tricks, and delights of living and working on Western Canadian farms are recorded for posterity and the enjoyment of readers, bringing a satisfying end to this amusing series celebrating the lighter side of farming.

Genres, Subjects: Nonfiction; Anecdotes; Humour; Prairie Provinces; Canadian history; Fun; Farming; Rural life; Family life; Canadian authors.

Audience: Ages 13 to Adult

Don’t They Kick When You Do That? Stories of a Prairie Veterinarian. By Dr. Gary Hoium:

Synopsis: After graduating from veterinary college in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 1984, Dr. Gary Hoium joined a mixed animal clinic in Weyburn. He spent the next almost-40 years serving animals of all shapes and sizes, and their human owners/handlers. He collected humorous and heartwarming stories of the creatures he met along the way and shares them in this compilation of his real-life adventures, mishaps, and successes. From cattle to hogs, cats to dogs, the creatures and men and women who love them have wormed their way into Gary Hoium’s heart … and his stories.

Genres, Subjects: Humour, Nonfiction; Veterinary medicine; Prairie Provinces; Canadian history; Farming; Rural life; Family life; Canadian author.

Audience: Ages 15 to Adult

 

Cream Money - Stories of Prairie People. Compiled and edited by Deana J. Driver:

Synopsis: In Western Canada in the 1900s, money earned from selling cream helped purchase groceries, fabric, farm supplies, and other items that could not be produced on the farm. While children cherished the occasional candy treat purchased with cream-cheque money, children and adults alike enjoyed delicious foods cooked with homemade butter or covered with rich whipped cream. Cream Money honours this bygone era of Prairie farming, celebrating the work of farm families through true stories and poems of how cream money was earned and spent. Stories are written by: Deana J. Driver, Irene K. Bingham, Dora Shwaga, Cornelia Mary Bilinsky, Bryce Burnett, Jean Fahlman, Truus de Gooijer, Brenda Garbutt, Maurice Giroux, Jerry Holfeld, Janice Howden, Ryshia Kennie, Betty Harkness, Marilyn (Brown) Meyers, Linda Mikolayenko, Theodore D. Mikolayenko, Laurie Lynn Muirhead, Marion Mutala, Clara Puddell, Carrie Schemenauer, Carol McCullough, Lilleth Shantz, Eleanor Sinclair, Glenn Swallow, Roy Tollefson, Dexter van Dyke, Eleanor Wagner, Clifford Walker, and Ruth Wildeman.

Genres, Subjects: Nonfiction; Prairie Authors; Canadian Nonfiction; Biography; Prairie Provinces; Anecdotes; Farming; Rural Life; Canadian History; Family Life; Education, Canadian author.

Audience: For ages 13 to Adult

 

Miss G and Me. By Jennifer S. Wallace:

Synopsis: Author Jennifer Wallace explores the background of her mother, Ruth Williamson, aka “Miss G”, who grew up in Jamaica and left there at a young age, under her mother's direction, to pursue a nursing education in England. Ruth then chose her own path, which led her to Canada in the late 1960s. Unlike many immigrants from the Caribbean at that time, Ruth ended up in rural Saskatchewan, working as a nurse while adjusting to the culture and climate of the Canadian Prairies. Jennifer unravels some of the mysteries of her mother’s life, with the use of anecdotes, journals, poetry, and personal essays to weave together the story of Miss G and her mother’s impact on her own family.

Genres, Subjects: Nonfiction, Memoir, Poetry, Essays, Journals; Black history; Biography & Autobiography / Cultural, Ethnic & Regional / African American & Black; Family & Relationships / Multiracial Families; Canadian history; Prairie Provinces; Canadian author.

Audience: Ages 12 to Adult



You Are Enough – Activate Your Angels & Magnetize a Soul-FULL Life. By Lisa Driver:

Synopsis: In this, her fourth spiritual guidebook, award-winning author Lisa Driver will help you reconnect with your spiritual radiance, reminding you of your Divine perfection. She shares her personal journey along with spiritual tools – such as channelled meditations, Angel Activations, exercises, and journal prompts – to help you heal your need to achieve, stop sabotaging yourself, and make room for pockets of rest, reflection, acceptance, and clarity. Feel the love of your angels and ancestors as they encourage you to let go of the past and the pressure you feel. You are loved. You are supported, You Are Enough.

Genres, Subjects: Spiritual wellness; Nonfiction; Healing; Angels; Faith; Health; Biography; Alberta author; Canadian author.

Audience: Ages 15 to Adult
  

Flight - Stories of Canadian Aviation, Vol. 3. By Deana J. Driver & Contributors:

Synopsis: Canadian aviation enthusiasts, pilots, and other aviation personnel share stories of tense flights, perilous routes, historic achievements, impressive flying adventures and more in this salute to Canada’s aviation industry and people. In this third volume of the series, stories revolve around precarious landings, hidden airstrips, annoying passengers, the joys and perils of aerial crop spraying, and more. Six stories and introduction are written by Deana J. Driver and 27 stories are written by 14 other Canadian writers: Bill Cameron, Will Chabun, Richard Dowson, Peter Enzlberger, Mary Harelkin Bishop, Dave McElroy, Vincent Murphy-Dodds, Curtis Penner, Don Riekman, Ralph Tweten, Walter D. Williams, Ken Wilson, Mason Adam Wray, and Bill Wunsch.

Genres, Subjects: Nonfiction; Transportation; Aviation; Short stories; Anecdotes; Aviation history; Military; Canadian history; Prairie Provinces; Canadian authors.

Audience: Ages 13 to Adult

Running the Riders - My Decade as CEO of Canada's Team. By Jim Hopson with Darrell Davis:

Synopsis: In 2004, offensive lineman-turned-educator Jim Hopson was hopeful that the floundering Saskatchewan Roughriders directors would hire him as the team’s first full-time president and CEO. He believed that the team, with its incredible fan base, could become a successful business that consistently posted strong annual profits while playing in and winning multiple Grey Cups. And it happened. After a decade under Hopson’s leadership (2005 to 2015), the Roughriders became the Canadian Football League's strongest franchise. This is Jim’s story of the struggles, successes, and steps taken to victory. Darrell Davis, an author and long-time sportswriter and Roughriders-beat writer at the Regina Leader-Post, assisted Jim in co-authoring this book.

Genres, Subjects: Nonfiction; Saskatchewan Roughriders; Sports; Canadian Football League; Prairie Provinces; Business; Leadership; Education; Saskatchewan teacher; Saskatchewan author; Canadian author.

Audience: Ages 15 to Adult

The Sailor and the Christmas Trees - A True Story. By Deana Driver:

Synopsis: As a sailor in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War, John Hanlon of Brandon, Manitoba, knew they would be at sea on Christmas Day 1944. So when they docked in St. John's, Newfoundland, he decided that he and some other sailors should go up a nearby hill and cut down a few evergreen trees, then hide them on the ship. ​On Christmas morning 1944, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on their way back to Canada from England, John and his friends pulled out those trees and surprised their fellow shipmates with a hearty “Merry Christmas” wish! They also shared this unexpected Christmas gift with some small English children on another ship in that convoy, who were being transported to safety in Canada.

Genres, Subjects: Children's nonfiction; Second World War; Canadian history; Canadian sailor; Royal Canadian Navy; Royal Canadian Legion; Canadian war hero; Inspirational nonfiction; Early reader; Manitoba sailor; Saskatchewan author; Canadian author.

Audience: Ages 8 and Up


The Little Coat – The Bob and Sue Elliott Story. By Alan J. Buick:

Synopsis: Bob Elliott, a 19-year-old Canadian tank commander, met Sussie Cretier, a feisty 10-year-old Dutch girl, during the Second World War. Sussie's family had run across a mine field, dodging German bullets to seek refuge with the Canadian soldiers. Sussie quickly became a good-luck charm and beacon of hope for the weary Canadian troops. On Christmas Day 1944, the Canadians honoured their little adopted soldier with a special Army-style coat they ordered from a local seamstress. Decades later, the relationship between Sussie (Sue) and Bob not only endured but flourished. Due to this book, Sue’s little coat is now a Canadian artifact in the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

Genres, Subjects: Nonfiction; Canadian history; Second World War; Canadian hero; Dutch girl; Canadian Armed Forces; Netherlands; Inspirational nonfiction; Biography; Love story; Literacy; Canadian War Museum; Canadian wartime artifact; Sussie Cretier's child’s coat; Royal Canadian Legion; Saskatchewan author; Canadian author.

Audience: Ages 10 to Adult

Reconnecting with a special friend and unique story in Brandon MB

As an author and book publisher, I am often asked, "Where do you get your stories from?"

Sometimes, I find the stories or book subjects by researching and asking questions, the way I did when I was a freelance journalist writing for various Canadian newspapers and magazines.

Sometimes, the stories walk into my line of vision or hearing, as was the case when my daughter Lisa told me about the indomitable Dionne Warner, the seven-time cancer survivor who was about to speak at a Relay for Life rally in Regina in July 2011 (which made me think Dionne's story was worthy of a great book, which I would go on to write and publish - Never Leave Your Wingman).

Sometimes, as in the case of the book I wrote about former Royal Canadian Navyman John Hanlon of Brandon, Manitoba, the story comes to me through a friend of a friend.

In about 2011, a dear friend of mine, Dexter van Dyke, suggested that he knew of a story that his friend, Elaine Rounds of Brandon, had told him about an elderly man who did something wonderful during the Second World War. 

In November 1944, John Hanlon was a wireless operator on the HMCS Royalmount, which was docked in St. John's, Newfoundland at the time. John knew their convoy would be at sea on Christmas Day, so he and a couple crewmates walked up a hill in St. John's Harbour and cut down some evergreens. John hid those trees in the belly of his ship and pulled them out weeks later, on Christmas morning, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean - surprising his crewmates as well as some English children who were on another ship in that convoy, coming to a safe home in Canada. John's forward thinking made that wartime Christmas into a very memorable day for many people for decades to come.

John had been telling this Christmas 1944 story to his children, grandchildren, his United Church community, and Royal Canadian Legion members at Christmastime for decades after the Second World War ended.

Elaine had told Dexter about the story. Then Dexter told me. We all knew it would make a great book. So I asked Dexter to connect me with Elaine and, thus, John Hanlon.

I met Elaine Rounds in Brandon in May 2012, based only on an introduction via Dexter. Elaine became an instant friend and we have spoken and seen each other several times in the years since then. That first day, she took me and my husband Al to the care home in which John Hanlon was a resident. John's wife Audrey told me the story while John, unable to speak at times at age 90, nuzzled in beside me and bumped my leg when the story got interesting.

Before I left John's room that day, I promised him and Audrey that I would write his special Christmas trees story before that Christmas and I would donate some money from each book to the Royal Canadian Legion (Dominion Command Poppy Trust Fund, which helps veterans and their families). John Hanlon passed away a few days after our meeting.

I fulfilled my promise and wrote The Sailor and the Christmas Trees book a couple months later in a style as though John was telling his Christmas trees story to the reader. When I phoned Audrey to read her what I had written, to make sure I had the details correct, she said, "I can hear John's voice." This brought tears to her eyes and to mine. A nonfiction writer cannot receive a bigger compliment.

I added a biography of John to the back of the book and invited artist Catherine Folnovic to illustrate the first half of the book, with family photos completing the biography. In a spur-of-the-moment decision that first day in Brandon, I had asked Al to take a photo of me with John, Audrey, and Elaine in John's small room. That photo has been a precious memory ever since.

This past weekend, I was storm stayed in Brandon after a successful weekend at the Brandon's Big One Arts & Crafts Sale. Deciding to not take a chance on driving back to Regina in bad weather, I opted for a hotel room and I also made a phone call to Elaine Rounds to see if we could connect again. We met for supper and spent three glorious hours bringing each other up to date on our lives, relishing in our friendship, and celebrating the wonderful people who brought us together.

Thank you to Dexter, John, and Audrey. But thank you, especially, to Elaine, who knows a very good story when she sees one.

Elaine Rounds and Deana Driver
in Brandon, MB - Oct. 24, 2022