Matthew Ledrew's Blog, page 36

Chelsea Bee, author of London Calling, to appear at Irish Loop Book Market

[image error]Chelsea Bee, author of London Calling, is set to appear at the Irish Loop Book Market on October 7, 2017.

The event will take place at the Bay Bulls Regional Lifestyle Centre from 11am-5pm. The market will be your opportunity to pick up the latest and greatest literary works by Newfoundland’s best and brightest authors, who will be on hand.

Chelsea Bee is a debut author living in Newfoundland, Canada with her partner, noisy calico cat, and a very anti social hedgehog. She has an Arts degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Stacey Oakley, author of Hunter’s Soul, to appear at Irish Loop Book Market

Stacey Oakley, author of Hunter’s Soul, is set to appear at the Irish Loop Book Market on October 7, 2017.

The event will take place at the Bay Bulls Regional Lifestyle Centre from 11am-5pm. The market will be your opportunity to pick up the latest and greatest literary works by Newfoundland’s best and brightest authors, who will be on hand.

Stacey Oakley is an avid reader and writer, especially of fantasy. She has a BA in Art History & Visual Studies with a minor in Social Justice Studies from the University of Victoria and is currently in the process of completing a post-grad diploma in Cultural Resource management by distance, also from Uvic. While originally from Moncton, New Brunswick she’s lived on both sides of the country having spent a number of years in BC and only recently moved to Newfoundland.

Chris Walsh, author of The Gold & Steel Saga, to appear at Irish Loop Book Market

[image error]Chris Walsh, author of The Gold & Steel Saga,, is set to appear at the Irish Loop Book Market on October 7, 2017.

The event will take place at the Bay Bulls Regional Lifestyle Centre from 11am-5pm. The market will be your opportunity to pick up the latest and greatest literary works by Newfoundland’s best and brightest authors, who will be on hand.

All four entries into the Gold and Steel world will be available at the fair, the original novel As Fierce as Steel, as well as the short story collections he is featured in.

Scott Bartlett, author of The Ixan Prophecies and Mech Wars, to appear at Irish Loop Book Market

[image error]Scott Bartlet, winner of the H. R. (Bill) Percy Prize, Percy Janes First Novel Award, and the Lawrence Jackson Writers Award, is set to appear at the Irish Loop Book Market on October 7, 2017.

The event will take place at the Bay Bulls Regional Lifestyle Centre from 11am-5pm. The market will be your opportunity to pick up the latest and greatest literary works by Newfoundland’s best and brightest authors, who will be on hand.

Scott Bartlett was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where he lives. He is a fiction author who mostly writes science fiction nowadays, though he’s dabbled in humor and literary fiction. He has written twelve novels to date.

Supernatural Causes becomes a #1 Occult Bestseller on Amazon!

[image error]Going Viral, the inaugural episode of Amanda Labonté’s medical thriller Supernatural Causes, hit #1 on the Amazon.ca in the ‘Occult’ category. The novella hit Bestseller status at 11:45PM Newfoundland Standard time on September 26, 2017, peaking at #129 on the overall Amazon.ca charts.

The novella has been steadily climbing for the past few days in anticipation grows for the fourth — and final — book in the serial’s first series: Code Blue. The series explores a medical student who takes a job as an intern at a hospital that caters to vampires, and the consequences that follow.

When asked for comment about the accomplishment, Labonté texted forty-two exclamation marks in a row, then expressed the need to celebrate with Pumpkin Spiced Lattes.

Amanda Labonté lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where she gets much of the inspiration for the characters and places about which she writes. Though she knew she wanted to be a writer since the eighth grade, it was many years before she finally walked into a creative writing class and found a new home. As the co-owner of an educational business and mother of two she spends much of her day with kids of all ages. They give her some of the best reading recommendations.

Engen Books would like to congratulate Labonté on this achievement, and thank her fans and peers who helps make this possible.

Victoria Barbour to release Sixth Novel in her Heart’s Ease series at Irish Loop Book Market!

[image error]USA Today Bestselling author Victoria Barbour is set to release the sixth book in The Heart’s Ease series at the Irish Loop Book Market in Bay Bulls, October 7th 2017!

The event will take place at the Bay Bulls Regional Lifestyle Centre from 11am-5pm. The market will be your opportunity to pick up the latest and greatest literary works by Newfoundland’s best and brightest authors, who will be on hand.

Barbour lives on the island of Newfoundland, and is fiercely proud of her home. She can imagine no better setting for her works, and hopes that her readers will one day come to witness Newfoundland and Labrador’s rustic beauty for themselves.

She was born in St. John’s, and raised above her family’s fish and chips restaurant. She has traveled and lived in other parts of Canada, but chose to make her home where her heart has long resided. Victoria has a degree in History from Memorial University of Newfoundland, with a minor in Newfoundland Studies. The only thing that stands between her and a Master’s degree in History from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia is her thesis. She has a background in broadcast journalism, advertising, and marketing. She is a proud member of several writing organizations including the Romance Writers of America (RWA) their affiliate chapter, Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada (RWAC), and the Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador (WANL). She’s also thrilled to be considered a Scribe Wench, and a part of Romance Writers Weekly.

Black Womb becomes a #1 Superhero Bestseller on Amazon!

[image error]Black Womb, the original novel from Matthew LeDrew, has gained #1 Bestseller status on Amazon, in both the ‘Superhero’ and ‘Coming of Age’ Fantasy categories. The novel peaked at #86 on the Amazon.ca Free Kindle Store ranks. Engen Books would like to congratulate LeDrew on this achievement.

The novel peaked on September 24 2017, less than two weeks after Engen Books’ collection of Linda Blagdon’s poetry became the #1 Bestselling Canadian Poetry book, attracting the attention of both local and national media.

“I think it’s pretty much a given that I should thank all the fans that I’ve gained over the last ten years. We work very hard to bring them material they find fresh and interesting in genre redefining ways, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our 10th anniversary beginning to wind down than by our original release reaching #1.”

Matthew holds an Honours Degree in English from the Memorial University of Newfoundland with a minor in Anthropology and studied Journalism at College of the North Atlantic in Stephenville, Newfoundland. He has worked with Transcontinental Publishing as well as student-youth magazine The Troubadour.

He has written sixteen novels for Engen Books, Black Womb, Transformations in Pain, Smoke and Mirrors, Roulette, Ghosts of the Past, Ignorance is Bliss, Becoming, Inner Child, Gang War, Chains, The Long Road, Cinders, Sinister Intent, Infinity, The Tourniquet Reprisal and Exodus of Angels.

Since 2007 he has traveled all over Canada promoting his work as well as teaching seminars on writing and publishing. He also helps young Newfoundland authors become published through Engen Books.

The End is Near! Sort-Of…

At one of the panels for Avalon Expo, someone asked “How do you know when to end a story?”

I can’t remember exactly what I said, but I’ve had time to think about it and I thought I’d share some of my current musings. This is especially relevant since the big project I’m working on has spun so far out of control that I have no idea how it’s going to end…  Or if…

Honestly, this advice is for me as much as you.

*

So, how do I know when to end a story?

Short answer: Mostly intuition.

Long answer: There are a few ways…

I’ve written the ending first.

Usually I know the end before I even start writing. Most of my short stories start out with that final moment, and then I just have to figure out what happens to bring me to that point.  It happened with The Gemini Project; The Invisible Boy; and the two horror stories I’m currently working on.

There were a few times where, when I got to the end of a longer story, I realized that the original idea no longer fit and it was going towards a new ending. But that’s not a bad thing – stories change, it happens. Sometimes you plan on killing all of your characters but a few of them end up surviving somehow. But then you write the final line (for the new ending) and you think to yourself “Yeah, that’s a fantastic ending line”. And all is right with the world again.

I’ve written a really good end-line.

I love a good ending line as much as I love a good opening line. In fact, if I write a so-so ending line it bothers me to no end, because I know it can be better. It’s like looking at a row of pencils that aren’t quite perfectly in line….

Some examples are: Virginia Wolfe’s To the Lighthouse: “Yes, she thought, laying down her brush in extreme fatigue, I have had my vision.” And George Orwell’s 1984: “He loved Big Brother.” There’s something about those lines that are so final and yet mean so much more.

The story I wanted to tell is over.

Once I wanted a project to have 25 chapters (for symbolic purposes), but when I reached the end of chapter 22 I realized that I was done. My character’s journey had ended. I’d said all I wanted to say about this particular story, and to write any more would do a disservice to the fantastic ending scene I’d just written. Yes, I wanted to continue with these characters, but I knew that it would be best to start a new plot, with new themes and ideas, instead of dragging this one out.

The Hobbit ends when Bilbo returns home; The Fellowship of the Rings ends with the breaking of the fellowship; Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone ends when Harry’s school term ends.  Even though their stories continue, their current task has ended and it’s time to take a breather before the next adventure.

*

Typically, when I plan my ending, I try to resolve matters – either for better or worse. I don’t like leaving huge plot holes or dangling plot threads. It’s fun to have hints and intrigue and something to look forward to, but I’m not happy when the ending to a book is more like the ending to a chapter (yes, there’s a difference – As Fierce As Steel left me wanting more, while Mindspeak made me regret the time I’d spent reading it).

When in doubt, I think of who’s journey this is. Then I try to find a way to bring them to the end point – to let the character finally achieve their goal, or fail horribly, or realize that they need to change their way of thinking.

Originally, I had no idea how to end The Six Elemental. I tried to resolve what I could, while leaving certain things unsaid, but the end just didn’t feel end-y enough.  Finally I thought about Kit’s journey and how she had changed over the course of the story.  I thought about what I was trying to say with this story and made that the ending, so when people close the book that’s the impression they’re left with.

*

And with that, I return once more into the void from which I came…

‘Vacant Chairs’ by Linda Blagdon becomes an Amazon #1 Bestseller!

[image error]Vacant Chairs, the collection of short poem by Linda Blagdon, has gained Amazon #1 Bestseller status on Amazon. Engen Books would like to thank Blagdon for letting us be a part of her journey to this monumental achievement.

On September 12 2017 Linda Blagdon’s poetry collection Vacant Chairs reached #1 on the Amazon Canadian Poetry Bestsellers list and the Amazon eBook Canadian Bestsellers list. The book peaked at #286 on the Amazon Bestseller’s Rank out of all of Amazon’s 1.8 million paid books at 1:33PM Newfoundland time, and was added to Amazon’s Bestseller’s list at 4:51PM.

“I’m beside myself. I honestly do not know what to think or feel, and I am so grateful,” said Blagdon, when called by her publisher to be told the news.Vacant Chairs is a collection of sixty-eight poems from native Newfoundlander Linda Blagdon which highlight the struggles and joys of growing up in Newfoundland. These poems reflect on the nature of family and friends, based on Blagdon’s own experience or stories passed down via the Newfoundland oral tradition. Ranging from humorous to tragic, and from inspirational to personal, Vacant Chairs provides a window into the depth of one woman’s experience of Newfoundland culture, tradition, and faith.

Linda Blagdon was born November 25, 1954 and was raised in the small outport fishing community of Francois Newfoundland. She lived there until she was 19 and spent a decade living in Coomb’s Cove, another in Marystown, and several years in St. Johns before moving to Calgary and later Windsor to be closer to her children. Vacant Chairs is her first published work.

“We could not be more proud of Linda Blagdon. She is a testament to what this province can accomplish in the arts community, if it tries,” said LeDrew, partner at Engen Books.

‘Vacant Chairs’ by Linda Blagdon reaches #4 on Amazon Canadian Poetry list!

[image error] Update: as of 11:42 NST Sept 11 2017, the book has reached #3 on the Canadian Poetry list.

Engen Books would like to congratulate Linda Blagdon, who today broke the Top 5 chart on Amazon’s Canadian Poetry Bestseller’s list.

As of writing, the book is at #4 on both Canadian Poetry and Canadian Poetry eBooks lists, sitting alongside all-time greats like Leonard Cohen and Margaret Atwood. The book has also reached #29 on Amazon.ca’s category for all Poetry.

When we called her to let her know how far she’d risen up the charts, Blagdon was in disbelief.

Vacant Chairs is a collection of sixty-eight poems from native Newfoundlander Linda Blagdon that highlight both the struggles and joys of growing up in Newfoundland. These poems reflect on the nature of family and friends, based on Blagdon’s own experience or stories passed down via the Newfoundland oral tradition.

Ranging from humorous to tragic, and from inspirational to personal, ‘Vacant Chairs’ provides a window into the depth of one woman’s experience of Newfoundland culture, tradition, and faith.

Engen Books would like to offer its sincerest gratitude to Blagdon’s friends and fans, and to Blagdon herself for allowing us to take part in her success.

Click to view slideshow.