Matthew Ledrew's Blog, page 24

Call of the Sea, Drawn to the Tides, & Chillers from the Rock at Chapters St. John’s this month!

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Need some extra chills leading up to Halloween this month? Chillers from the Rock is available now at Chapters Kenmount Road in St. John’s. Featuring an introduction by Dale Gilbert Jarvis, as well as stories from 20 different authors, including award-winning author Kelley Power and horror bestseller Paul Carberry! Perfect for youth to adult to get in the right mood for Fall!

Also at Chapters this month: Call of the Sea and Drawn to the Tides by Amanda Labonté! With the start of senior year approaching, Alex and Lia struggle to find their place in an ever-changing reality. As Lia develops a new appreciation for human culture and norms, Alex learns more about what it means to be a human in the merrow colony. But integrating into a new world is not without its pitfalls. In his search to understand his place, Alex will come face to face with hidden truths about his past that could drastically affect his future.

Dive deeper into the mysterious, enigmatic world of magic and intrigue as Alex struggles to uncover what it means to be the blood of the sea!

Chillers from the Rock should be in the Local Interest / Thriller sections, and both Labonté’s titles should be in YA Fantasy!

Check out these three amazing titles now, they should be in-stock and in-store up until November 1 2018!

Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow: The failure of the DCEU

In 2013, when Man of Steel was released, I wrote about the challenges of adapting Superman for modern audiences. After a mixed bag of movies, it seems like Warner Bros is ready to cut bait and move on from this iteration of Krypton’s most famous son. Or maybe not? Now, Ben Affleck is apparently looking to bail as well. Who knows. The fact of the matter is, the DCEU is a dumpster fire.

Which is unfortunate because, unlike the MCU, Warner Bros actually owns all the IP rights to the DC characters. It should’ve been them leading the way of the shared cinematic universe, not Marvel, who didn’t even own the rights to Spider-Man when this whole trend got going. The MCU built perhaps the biggest box office juggernaut in Hollywood history off the backs of second-tier characters. What the hell happened?

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We can talk about the shortcomings of Zack Snyder, Superman’s CGI mustache, or getting a trailer company to edit Suicide Squad, but, ultimately, it all comes down to storytelling. The mistake studios have made trying to ape the MCU is to think that a shared cinematic universe is a substitute for storytelling. The reason why we enjoy watching Thor and Hulk fight is because we care about the characters. The MCU released five movies before The Avengers, giving each character the opportunity to establish an arc and grow.

The DCEU tried to skip all that hard work by going from Man of Steel right into Batman v Superman, where they not only re-booted Batman but also introduced Wonder Woman and teased the Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg. It was too much, too soon and painfully sloppy.

 

The worst offender for this, however, is Universal’s Dark Universe. They just went right for it in the first (and last?) movie, The Mummy. I mean, who are these characters? Why do I care? Why is Dr. Jekyll talking about the Knights Templar and the Bride of Frankenstein. It’s like going on a first date with a Tinder match and before you have drink they’re all ready talking about a guest-list for your wedding.

Say what you will about the MCU and how it’s the ruination of cinema, blah blah blah, but they certainly earned their universe by going through the proper steps. By and large, the MCU really gets that a shared cinematic universe is a means towards the end of great storytelling.

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Nerdwriter did a great video addressing this problem of elevating universe building over storytelling. He calls it “weaponized intertextuality” wherein movies make references to other movies, characters, significant objects, etc. to achieve a certain “frisson” in the audience. Basically, instead of trying to tell a story it’s just a bunch of “whoa, sick reference, bro!” Consequently, you end up with something like The Amazing Spider-Man 2 where it’s just a bunch of teasing for a movie that never comes. Or, worse, Ready Player One. But the less said about that the better.

 

These problems continue to exacerbate as the epidemic of cinematic universes continues. And we’re seeing more diminished returns from audiences. Solo was the first financial failure of the Star Wars films. Why? Probably because instead of telling us a story about Han Solo, we got a bunch of wink, wink, nudge, nudge. “Hey that’s the Kessel Run! Hey that’s the costume Lando wore while infiltrating Jabba the Hut’s palace! Holy shit, Darth Maul!” And on, and on, and on.

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It all feels so cynical. And what’s worse is that these are beloved characters. I often resent the possessiveness fandoms show over their favourite characters, and I’m certainly not naive about the relationship between capitalism and film, but at a certain point you have to say enough is enough. I love the Star Wars universe. I’d watch an origin story about Bib Fortuna so long as the story was good.

And that’s the problem with the DCEU. With the exception of Wonder Woman (which I loved), the emphasis always seems to be “How can we build this universe?” I’d like to believe that the creative team have their hearts in the right places; I can imagine many non-commercial reasons why you’d mistake universe building for storytelling. Nonetheless, if you want to avoid your cinematic universe from collapsing into a Big Crunch then you’d better rise above “sick reference, bro!”

Cheers,

-b

Trusting Your Brain | House Blog

Sometimes it seems like my brain knows more than it lets on.

Even when I don’t notice, it’s back there – constantly churning out story ideas, thinking about writing projects, and generally working in the background. Not that I’m complaining, mind you.

The thing that amazes me is that I think my brain is smarter than I am.

When I wrote The Six Elemental I was writing about Kit’s journey of coming to terms with being a living mythical being. It was only after I’d gone through my third draft that I realized there was an underlying theme of how outside influences can effect* how a person grows up. There’s a big difference between the person Kit is (growing up on Briton with a Humanist step-father) and the person Kit could have been (with a more accepting influence).

When I wrote The Fifth Queen (still in it’s editing stages), I was writing about a different character’s journey (plus a few familiar ones). After I’d written the first draft I realized that I’d done another parallel theme – this time, about accepting responsibility. One character accepts that they have a duty to uphold, while another character rejects it.

But I’d never thought about that when I was writing the story. That parallel hadn’t crossed my mind once while I was writing. Instead it was something that just happened to appear when I was going through the first draft.

My brain put it there because it’s smart, y’all. Maybe too smart…

So if you’re writing something and you’re not sure where your story’s going or what it’s all about, don’t worry about it. Just keep writing and eventually you’ll figure something out. Sometimes you won’t know until the end of your first draft (or maybe even the fifth), but as long as you’re telling a compelling story with interesting characters, eventually it’ll all become clear.

Trust your brain.

It knows – even if you don’t.

_______

*It’s too late** for me to care whether effect/affect is right, so this is the word I’m using. I’ll figure out if it’s wrong/right sometime maybe never.

**It’s only 11:54pm AST, so I’m not late! It’s still Sept 18th over here!

Preorder Kit Sora: The Artobiography!

Kit Sora: The Artobiography

A stunning, hundred-plus page hardcover collection of over 80 of Kit Sora's most ambitious photographs, paired with short fiction inspired by the art by Canada's best authorial talents. Includes stories by USA Today Bestselling Author Kate Sparkes, USA Today Bestselling Author Victoria Barbour, and Bestselling Author Amanda Labonté.

C$50.00

Announcement: The wait is over! You can preorder your copy of Kit Sora: The Artobiography now from Engen Books! Copies of this lovely 8.5×11 volume will be made available at the launch date, which will be mid-to-late October.

When in October? We will be announcing that very soon. Production proofs of the books are on their way, and so long as they meet the artist’s standards we’ll be set to order copies and set the launch date.

Can the book be shipped? Yes! If you’re not in the St. John’s area or can’t make it to the launch event, Engen Books will gladly ship a copy of the book to the address of your choosing. Addresses will be collected and sent for any titles not collected during the launch event.

The book will retail for $60 CAD. Preorder customers will be given the discount price of $50 CAD per copy.

Kit Sora: The Artobiography was edited by Erin Vance, and along with Kit Sora’s tremendous artwork, the collection features accompanying short fiction from some of Canada’s bestselling, award-winning authors. Some include Kate Robbins (Bound to the Highlander), Carolyn R. Parsons (Charley Through Canada), Chelsea Bee (London Calling), Jon Dobbin (The Starving), Candace Osmond (Love & Magic), Michelle Churchill (The Last Tree), Ali House (The Six Elemental), Brad Dunne (After Dark Vapours), Ellen Curtis (Infinity), Matthew LeDrew (Jacobi Street), Kate Sparkes (At Any Cost), JJ King (My Brother’s Keeper), Amanda Labonté (Drawn to the Tides), and USA Today Bestselling author Victoria Barbour (Hard as Ice).

The collection will also feature numerous prize-winning stories, including Frigid by Catherine Rector, Starling by Cristina Ozon, Sweet Sixteen by Nicole Little, Tarnished by Jennifer Combden, Bubbly by Sara Burke, Running by Georgia Atkin, Extinguished by Jeff Slade, and Sea Monkeys by Peter Foote.

The collection will be available in both hardcover print and eBook formats.

Image copyright © 2018 Kit Sora Photography, used with permission. Logo and distinctive ‘oval spike’ design copyright © 2007 Engen Books.

Revealed: Kit Sora – The Artobiography

[image error]For months we’ve kept it a secret, slowly amassing the best short fiction from the best authors working in the field, via industry contacts and the Kit Sora Flash Fiction Contest. Now it’s all coming together in Kit Sora: The Artobiography, a 100-page hardcover anthology celebrating one of the greatest photographic artists of our time and the authors she inspired.

This stunning collection will be available from Engen Books in Fall 2018, and features over eighty high-concept images photographed and selected by Sora herself for this collection.

Along with Kit Sora’s tremendous artwork, the collection features accompanying short fiction from some of Canada’s bestselling, award-winning authors. Some include Kate Robbins (Bound to the Highlander), Carolyn R. Parsons (Charley Through Canada), Chelsea Bee (London Calling), Jon Dobbin (The Starving), Candace Osmond (Love & Magic), Michelle Churchill (The Last Tree), Ali House (The Six Elemental), Brad Dunne (After Dark Vapours), Ellen Curtis (Infinity), Matthew LeDrew (Jacobi Street), Kate Sparkes (At Any Cost), JJ King (My Brother’s Keeper), Amanda Labonté (Drawn to the Tides), and USA Today Bestselling author Victoria Barbour (Hard as Ice).

The collection will also feature numerous prize-winning stories, including Frigid by Catherine Rector, Starling by Cristina Ozon, Sweet Sixteen by Nicole Little, Tarnished by Jennifer Combden, Bubbly by Sara Burke, Running by Georgia Atkin, Extinguished by Jeff Slade, and Sea Monkeys by Peter Foote.

The collection will be available in both hardcover print and eBook formats.

Image copyright © 2018 Kit Sora Photography, used with permission. Logo and distinctive ‘oval spike’ design copyright © 2007 Engen Books.

See your favorite authors and publishers | LENL 2018

Your favorite authors and publishers will be touring the Newfoundland library circuit this fall with LENL (Literary Events Newfoundland & Labrador) 2018! See below for a list of dates / times that Engen authors will be appearing at!

 

Matthew LeDrew (Coral Beach Casefiles) and Amanda Labonté (Drawn to the Tides)

Corner Brook Public Library – Sept. 29th 2pm-4:45pm

Lewisporte Public Library – Oct. 12th 2pm-4:45pm

Gander Public Library – Oct. 27th 2pm-4:45pm

Carbonear Public Library – Nov. 10th 1pm-3:45pm

St. John’s All Day Grand Finale A.C. Hunter Public Library – Nov. 17th 10:30am – closing

“Unicorn” by Michelle Churchill |Short Story Winner

When Snow was a young horse, she lived in a riding school barn. It was a happy little place; there were always children smiling and laughing, and on good days some of the children brought apples which they would sneak to their favourite horses. Snow loved to watch children from her stall. She never took part in these lessons — she didn’t belong to the school, she belonged to her girl. They were the happiest pair in the world, galloping and jumping together as if they were one creature.

Then one day her girl didn’t come back.

Snow was sent away to a new barn with new horses and new people. Strange people; they seemed happy to be at the barn, although there was no joy in their eyes.

After a time, Snow was brought out from her stall. She walked cautiously as she was led towards a young woman. She looked as nervous as Snow as the two met one another. Snow stood motionless until, after what seemed to be ages, the woman reached out a hand to stroke her nose. Snow watched in amazement as the woman’s eyes that had been clouded with sorrow seemed to lighten, lifting the cloud so joy could find its way in.

Gradually other people would arrive to visit Snow. Sometimes people yelled, but Snow knew they were not really angry just as she knew those who cried were not always sad.  In time, some of her regular visitors would take to the saddle, and she loved these days the best of all. Snow was always careful not to let her excitement show too much lest she startle her friends.

Months turned into years and Snow knew she had found love and loss in this home of hers. One summer day after bidding goodbye to one of her dear friends, Snow returned to her stall and closed her eyes one last time.

It was then that a spirit welcomed her home with a warm hug about the neck.

“You’ve been such a good horse Snow,” the spirit said.

Snow leaned into the embrace, her dark eyes widening in surprise, as on her head was now a great golden horn.

The spirit smiled. “When people live exceptionally good lives, they get tasked to be angels. You’ve been a kind and generous horse all your life, Snow, and now your work as a unicorn begins.”

To read the second and third place entries and for more contests and opportunities, please subscribe to the Fantasy Files Newsletter.

For exclusive content and FREE books, be sure and check out the Engen Books Patreon.

As per the author’s wishes, her fee was donated to Spirit Horse, a therapy group which helps many horses, including Tinker, pictured above. To donate to Spirit Horse, click here.

Words © 2018 Michelle Churchill. Image © 2018 Kit Sora.

Engen @ Word on the Street Halifax 2018

Engen Books is proud to have been invited to take part in the Word on the Street Festival in Halifax, Nova Scotia from 10-3 on September 15, 2018 at the Halifax Central Library.

Engen founder Matthew LeDrew and Bestselling author Amanda Labonté will be in attendance. Labonté will take part in a ‘Writing Teen Fiction’ Creative Lab at 2pm. Our newest titles will be available.

Come buy books, get them signed, chat with authors, and pitch the publisher on stories you have that you think need to be told!

Details can be found at the Facebook event, here.

Winner: “Unicorn” by Michelle Churchill | Kit Sora Flash Fiction Photography Contest

After much deliberation, Engen Books is proud to announce the winner of the August 18 2018 Kit Sora Flash Fiction Photography Contest: Michelle Churchill with her story, Unicorn!

A Newfoundlander who was raised in Nova Scotia but returned, Churchill is the mother of two incredible children. She made her publishing debut in Chillers from the Rock with her chilling tale: Leopold’s Cherubs Princes.

There was one judge for this month of the contest:

[image error]Kit Sora Photography. Kit Sora is an artist and photographer from St. Johns, Newfoundland. Her photography draws inspiration from fantasy, dystopia, and thrillers to create evocative imagrey that startles, inspires, and excites.Kit signed with Engen Books in 2018 as head photographer, producing the thrilling image for Chillers from the Rock and re-imagining the covers to the entire Black Womb series into the Coral Beach Casefiles series. Drew Power is a currently seated member of the Sci-Fi on the Rock committee. He was recently featured as the model on the cover of the bestselling collection Chillers from the Rock.

Runners up include Inseparable Imagination by Tish MacWebber and Purity by Sara Burke.

The Flash Fiction Photography Contest is sponsored in part by FictionFirst Used Books, which specializes in previously enjoyed Sci-fi & Fantasy Novels, Roleplaying Manuals and Graphic Novels. It is run out of my home in the Annapolis Valley and open by appointment only. Their inventory is currently over 5000 titled strong and they ship within Canada, USA and Europe. You can find them on Facebook, here.

The winning entry will be featured on this website as well as on the Fantasy Files newsletter (click to join!). The second and third place entries will also be featured in the Newsletter.

“One Up, One Down” by Sara Burke |Short Story Winner

Curious.

Even, excited.

I looked inside.

I know better now.

Never trust a mysterious door.

Especially in the woods.

I did once.

Never again.

Curiosity is dangerous.

I found something unexplained.

Nothing in front, nor behind.

The door to a giant land.

I couldn’t believe my eyes at first.

I stepped onto a football field sized desk.

Bits of paper and matches scattered about.

A glass of whiskey lay to one side.

My heart pounded with fear and excitement.

Cautiously I crept among the debris.

I picked up a cane sized match.

I swung it around in amazement.

What else could be here?

Buttons the size of plates.

Rope-like thread spools.

Buckets of dust.

And thunder.

Boom, boom, boom.

No, footfalls.

Fear welled inside.

I ran, I hid.

My match friend with me.

The giant entered, and began searching.

He knew I was here.

I had to run.

Now or never.

Heart pounding.

He saw me.

Slamming fists, attempting murder.

To him I’m a pest.

I see the door.

I bolt to the wood frame.

Barrel fingers slam into the closed door.

I slump against the dark wood.

A white knuckled match clinger.

I strike the match.

Flames burst free.

Crackle, crackle.

Relief.

To read the second and third place entries and for more contests and opportunities, please subscribe to the Fantasy Files Newsletter.

For exclusive content and FREE books, be sure and check out the Engen Books Patreon.

Words © 2018 Sara Burke. Image © 2018 Kit Sora.