Diane Bator's Blog, page 16
February 28, 2023
The Phoenix Career Principles: Rising from Employee Ashes to the Flame of Entrepreneurial Success by Tony Pisanelli
The Phoenix Career Principles
Rising from Employee Ashes to the Flame of Entrepreneurial Success
Tony Pisanelli’s inspiration for entrepreneurial steps to enhance your career
Now a multiple Award-Winning Book
Are You Ready to Become the Driving Force of Your Career?
Forget the concept of a job for life – in today’s fast changing world your career can be riding high one minute and be abruptly ended the next. When your career ends, your family responsibilities, finances and self-confidence all take a hit.
Whether you want to keep the job you have, safely leave the career you hate or find purpose in your working life, The Phoenix Career Principles is your blueprint.
The book is published by Settimoa Publishing and is available worldwide in e-book and paperback
This easy-to-follow book for managing an important pillar of your life shows you how to:
· Keep your job when others are losing theirs
· Avoid the key mistake that could destroy your career
· Safely leave the job you hate to live the life you love
· Experience the joy and freedom of a satisfying life
· Step into a new world of employment opportunities
“The Phoenix Career Principles is filled with actionable steps and inspiration to help you build a secure and satisfying career that leverages the entrepreneurial journey. . . If you’re looking to not only enhance your career, but also to feel meaning in your life through the work that you do, this book is for you!” Cloris Kylie, Bestselling author of Beyond Influencer Marketing
The Phoenix Career Principles is an enlightening book that individuals looking to find entrepreneurial success should read. There are gems of wisdom that will help you navigate your career and enable you to achieve much more than you thought you could. I love that from the beginning of the book, the author uses the analogy of the phoenix rising from the ashes to enable the reader fully to grasp his message. Literary Titan Book Review Amazon.com: The Phoenix Career Principles: Rising from Employee Ashes to the Flame of Entrepreneurial Success eBook : Pisanelli, Tony: Kindle Store The Phoenix Career Principles: Rising from Employee Ashes to the Flame of Entrepreneurial Success: Pisanelli, Tony: 9780645396805: Books - Amazon.ca About Tony Pisanelli:
Tony Pisanelli is a trailblazer in the field of career transformation. He is an experienced strategist, captivating speaker, and an award-winning author of his International best-selling book The Phoenix Career Principles. Tony leads C-Suite executives and business professionals to discover clarity and direction in their careers.
Drawing on his 30-year corporate background, his risk management expertise and a deep understanding of human motivation and entrepreneurial thinking, Tony developed the What’s Next Career System. A system that prepares his clients for the future by utilising their specific combination of talents, abilities, and experiences to create a richer and fuller working life.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Tony Pisanelli, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage!
February 25, 2023
They Hide: Short Stories to Tell in The Dark, by Francesca Maria
They Hide
Short Stories to Tell in The Dark
Thirteen tales of horror as told by critically acclaimed author, Francesca Maria
Released and published by Brigids Gate Press
The book is available worldwide in e-format
Who are we if not for the monsters that we keep?They Hide: Short Stories to Tell in the Dark collects thirteen chilling tales that weave through the shadows, exploring the nature of fear, powerlessness, and control.
- A series of murders in a New England colony
- An untamed beast in pre-revolutionary France
- A mysterious stranger who invades 18th-century Ireland
- A traveling circus that takes more than the price of admission
- A gathering of the Dark, telling tales on the longest night of the year, and more.
More from Francesca:
The Black Cat Chronicles Comic Book Series:
About Francesca Maria:
Francesca Maria writes dark fiction surrounded by cats near the Pacific Ocean. She is the creator of the BLACK CAT CHRONICLES comic book series and her short story collection, THEY HIDE: SHORT STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK will be out from Brigid's Gate Press in 2023. You can find her at francescamaria.com and on Twitter @Writer_of_Weird.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Francesca Maria, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage !
February 23, 2023
Just in time for Black History Month: The relaunch of Mack Little's novel, Daughter of Hades
Just in time for Black History Month
The relaunch of the Award-Winning novel from Mack Little
Daughter of Hades
Telling the Complicated History of the Caribbean Through the Eyes of Two Sets of Siblings
Mack Little’s sophomore novel traces the fascinating and often painful Caribbean history through the life experience of siblings as they try to escape their homes and strive for a better life.
Amazon.com Link: Amazon.com: Daughter of Hades: Book 1 of the Love & Peace Series: 9781944428686: Little, Mack: Books
Amazon.ca: Daughter of Hades: Book 1 of the Love & Peace Series : Little, Mack: Amazon.ca: Books
Daughter of Hades first depicts the story of Dinny and Jimmie, twin brother and sister who have grown up as enslaved people on a plantation in Barbados. When Dinny’s life faces more threats as the master’s infatuation with her grows, the siblings make their way onto a pirate ship. Though safety will not come yet for the two siblings, it seems that love is in the cards for at least one of them, as Dinny falls in love with a Chinese sailor named Lei.
The storyline alternates with another set of siblings: two brothers named Ivan and Pax as they desperately try to make their way to Jamaica. The two storylines eventually clash and the two sets of siblings are faced with a Rolodex of suspenseful events that bring to light pain, romance, and survival, in any condition.
The book gets its inspiration from the long and harrowing history of slavery in the Caribbean. It is one of the most exciting historical fiction novels with a story that is still relevant today.
But Daughter of Hades is much more than a lesson of Caribbean history and the effects slavery has on these siblings. At its core, it is a fight for survival and revenge captured in its more pure state, and a historical romance that shows people can find love even in the strangest of places, or the strangest of situations.
“An engaging, swashbuckling tale of love and revenge during the age of piracy.” - Kirkus Reviews
“Little fills us in on the important Caribbean history and how the rules of a terrible trade system changed from one island to another. Envisioning the beautiful settings of Jamaica and Barbados and recognizing their histories illuminates a truth that readers will really benefit from knowing.” - Jaylynn Korrell (Independent Book Review)
About Mack:
Mack Little grew up in the Deep South and has accumulated a vibrant experience which she often emulates in her storytelling. Her studies in International Politics and service in the Army have given her impressive perspectives to bring to her novels new layers of intrigues and twists, which are all quite prevalent in her latest novel, Daughter of Hades.
To learn more about the book and its author, please contact Mack Little at info@Mack-Little.com
To request additional review copies or an interview with Mack Little, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage!
February 21, 2023
Love’s Call, a new fantasy by the founder of Inklings Publishing, Fern Brady
Love’s Call
A new direction of fantasy with the essence and hope of love by the founder of Inklings Publishing,
Fern Brady
Released and published by Inklings Publishing
The book is available worldwide in paperback and e-format
Denipia Leron, a beautiful young painter and visionary from the country of Usmerim, has just won the coveted Innovation Awards in the Arts. During her trip to the award ceremony, she learns that President Nichamir Linput of the enemy nation of Sorusvia is a primary patron and has expressed special interest in her. Fearful of what this could mean for her burgeoning company and artistic career, she vows to be polite, but keep the would-be dictator as far from her as she can.
Nichamir is used to getting what he wants, both personally and politically. Having saved his nation from a Calvernsin invasion, he believes himself justified in how he rules Sorusvia. In spite of the propaganda against him, Nichamir works hard to bring prosperity to his people. Yet the powerful ruler finds himself unprepared for his first meeting with the strong-willed and wary Denipia.
But Nichamir is not what he seems. He is dragonborn, a secret he has carefully hidden his whole life. He knows Denipia is his fated mate from the first moment he catches her scent. For Denipia, the strength of the attraction she feels for a man she should deeply despise is disconcerting, yet undeniable. She wants Nichamir as she has never wanted any other man.
Can Denipia risk giving her heart to this powerful man? Will Nichamir be able to win her trust? Can Love’s Call help them overcome the many obstacles in their path and forge the bond they seem destined to fulfill?
Amazon.com: Love's Call eBook : Brady, Fern: Kindle Store
Love's Call eBook : Brady, Fern: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store
More From Fern Brady:
Shattered by her father’s decision to deny her the throne as the first female heir of Dravidia, Princess Verena makes the worst mistake of her life: She runs away. Her departure, days before her wedding to the heir of the Principality of Aulden, throws her nation into war. In a desperate bid to reverse the consequences of her choice, the princess returns to planet Jorn, anxious to prove herself worthy to rule. But it is too late. The princess finds her kingdom conquered by Prince Amiel ra Aulden. Now, Verena must earn back her birthright as well as the trust of her people.
Amazon.com Link: United Vidden: Brady, Fern: 9781944428372: Amazon.com: Books
Amazon.ca: United Vidden: Brady, Fern: 9781944428372: Books - Amazon.ca
“Fern Brady's United Vidden—the first book in her Thyreins’s Galactic Wall series—is a highly creative, compelling Science Fantasy / Space Opera story set in an imagined future of our universe, with a unique romance theme at its core.”_ Nathan Jones, Doctor Who Online
“It is unlike anything I have read before in that genre. I believe Verena to be a very relatable character, especially because of her growth and how she soon discovers what real life is like and how she adapts to continuous changes.” _ Carolina Restrepo, Readers Favorite
About Fern:
Fern Brady is the founder and CEO of Inklings Publishing. She holds multiple Masters degrees and several certifications. She began her professional life as a foreign correspondent, and taught for 15 years in Alief ISD. She has published numerous short stories, two children's picture books, and a couple of poems. Her debut novel, United Vidden, which is book one in her Thyrein’s Galactic Wall Series, was given a glowing review by Dr. Who Online, the official site of the fandom. Also available for purchase is volume one of her graphic novel/novella hybrid project, New Beginning. She has returned to the leadership of the Houston Writers Guild, with whom she served as CEO for four years previously. She co-hosts two podcasts – Author Talk and The Hot Mess Express. Besides being Municipal Liaison for Nanowrimo Houston, she is also a member of Blood Over Texas, Romance Writers of America, and American Booksellers Association. Fern lives in Houston TX with her parents and her talkative husky, Arya. Follow Fern's writing at: www.fernbrady.com
To request additional review copies or an interview with Fern, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage !
Love’s Call, a new fantasy the founder of Inklings Publishing, Fern Brady
Love’s Call
A new direction of fantasy with the essence and hope of love by the founder of Inklings Publishing,
Fern Brady
Released and published by Inklings Publishing
The book is available worldwide in paperback and e-format
Denipia Leron, a beautiful young painter and visionary from the country of Usmerim, has just won the coveted Innovation Awards in the Arts. During her trip to the award ceremony, she learns that President Nichamir Linput of the enemy nation of Sorusvia is a primary patron and has expressed special interest in her. Fearful of what this could mean for her burgeoning company and artistic career, she vows to be polite, but keep the would-be dictator as far from her as she can.
Nichamir is used to getting what he wants, both personally and politically. Having saved his nation from a Calvernsin invasion, he believes himself justified in how he rules Sorusvia. In spite of the propaganda against him, Nichamir works hard to bring prosperity to his people. Yet the powerful ruler finds himself unprepared for his first meeting with the strong-willed and wary Denipia.
But Nichamir is not what he seems. He is dragonborn, a secret he has carefully hidden his whole life. He knows Denipia is his fated mate from the first moment he catches her scent. For Denipia, the strength of the attraction she feels for a man she should deeply despise is disconcerting, yet undeniable. She wants Nichamir as she has never wanted any other man.
Can Denipia risk giving her heart to this powerful man? Will Nichamir be able to win her trust? Can Love’s Call help them overcome the many obstacles in their path and forge the bond they seem destined to fulfill?
Amazon.com: Love's Call eBook : Brady, Fern: Kindle Store
Love's Call eBook : Brady, Fern: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store
More From Fern Brady:
Shattered by her father’s decision to deny her the throne as the first female heir of Dravidia, Princess Verena makes the worst mistake of her life: She runs away. Her departure, days before her wedding to the heir of the Principality of Aulden, throws her nation into war. In a desperate bid to reverse the consequences of her choice, the princess returns to planet Jorn, anxious to prove herself worthy to rule. But it is too late. The princess finds her kingdom conquered by Prince Amiel ra Aulden. Now, Verena must earn back her birthright as well as the trust of her people.
Amazon.com Link: United Vidden: Brady, Fern: 9781944428372: Amazon.com: Books
Amazon.ca: United Vidden: Brady, Fern: 9781944428372: Books - Amazon.ca
“Fern Brady's United Vidden—the first book in her Thyreins’s Galactic Wall series—is a highly creative, compelling Science Fantasy / Space Opera story set in an imagined future of our universe, with a unique romance theme at its core.”_ Nathan Jones, Doctor Who Online
“It is unlike anything I have read before in that genre. I believe Verena to be a very relatable character, especially because of her growth and how she soon discovers what real life is like and how she adapts to continuous changes.” _ Carolina Restrepo, Readers Favorite
About Fern:
Fern Brady is the founder and CEO of Inklings Publishing. She holds multiple Masters degrees and several certifications. She began her professional life as a foreign correspondent, and taught for 15 years in Alief ISD. She has published numerous short stories, two children's picture books, and a couple of poems. Her debut novel, United Vidden, which is book one in her Thyrein’s Galactic Wall Series, was given a glowing review by Dr. Who Online, the official site of the fandom. Also available for purchase is volume one of her graphic novel/novella hybrid project, New Beginning. She has returned to the leadership of the Houston Writers Guild, with whom she served as CEO for four years previously. She co-hosts two podcasts – Author Talk and The Hot Mess Express. Besides being Municipal Liaison for Nanowrimo Houston, she is also a member of Blood Over Texas, Romance Writers of America, and American Booksellers Association. Fern lives in Houston TX with her parents and her talkative husky, Arya. Follow Fern's writing at: www.fernbrady.com
To request additional review copies or an interview with Fern, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage !
February 18, 2023
Featuring Dying To Tell, Book Five of the Aoife Walsh Series by Val Collins
Dying To Tell
Book Five of the Aoife Walsh Series
Val Collins critically acclaimed series continues!!!
The book is published by VCB Publishing and is available in print and e-book format
Part-time journalist Aoife Walsh is about to tie the knot with her long-term boyfriend, Detective Conor Moloney. However, after barely surviving the trauma of her first marriage, and still having to deal with her challenging ex-husband, Aoife is less than excited about the prospect of organising a wedding.
Her wedding anxiety quickly takes a back seat when the missing person case she is researching turns into a murder investigation.
A year earlier, IT specialist Matt Gallagher disappeared on his honeymoon abroad, seemingly without explanation. Now, after his bride learns of a huge inheritance Matt had been expecting, Aoife finds herself uncovering a trail of clues that lead her from the rain-soaked cobblestones of Dublin to the sun-baked streets of southern Italy.
But what Aoife hadn’t expected was that her own personal life would get mixed up in the murder investigation - or that her search for the truth puts herself and her loved ones directly in the crosshairs of a deadly killer.
Dying To Tell is the fifth instalment of the bestselling Val Collin’s Aoife Walsh thrillers, described by readers as “absolutely incredible,” “heart-racing” and “spectacular.
All five books are standalone thrillers and can be read in any order.
What Readers Are Saying:
“Val Collins books are unique and the stories are interesting because they don’t appear to be about serious issues, hardly even crimes, until Aoife starts to asking questions. As the facts are revealed the issues become more and more complicated and there are a lot of twists which add to the complexity and interest of the stories” _ RAButts, Reviewer with Book Sirens
“The ending will keep you on the edge of your seat. Stunning ending. If you like page-turner mysteries in a well-thought-out thriller, read this book” _ Lindareads
The Aoife Walsh Series!
About Val:
Val Collins is the author of the award-winning psychological thriller GIRL TARGETED and the international bestsellers ONLY LIES REMAIN, THE SILENT SPEAK and WHERE LOYALTIES LIE (March 2022). The newest book in the series is Dying To Tell featuring heroine Aoife Walsh. They are all standalone thrillers and can be read in any order.
A native of Ireland, Val began reading at the age of three and still devours books at the rate of one per week. Her favorite authors range from Philippa Gregory and Sophie Kinsella to Lee Child and Linwood Barclay.
Join Val online at valcollinsbooks.com, and on social media @valcollinsbooks.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Val, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925. We look forward to the coverage!
February 16, 2023
The Seething, a new horror novel by Ben Monroe
The Seething
The episode of horror by critically acclaimed author, Ben Monroe
Released and published by Brigids Gate Press
The book is available worldwide in e-format
Listed by Read by Dusk as one of the 60 most anticipated horror books of 2023
A family's relocation looked like a chance to relax and regroup—but as they settle into their new home, teenage Kimmie Barnes’ special senses make her the target of something primordial, evil, and utterly malign.
Darkness…
Golden Oaks, California is a sleepy town on the shores of Oro Lake, and the residents have no idea what horrors lurk below the glittering waters.
Beneath the waves…
One by one, as people begin to disappear, the once quiet town is soon in the grips of a waking nightmare. An unimaginable horror consuming everything before it.
Hungry…
All while echoes of an ancient evil spread out like malignant spider webs, like dead hands reaching, grasping…
SEETHING…
The Seething eBook : Monroe, Ben, Leggett, Elizabeth, Pankey, MJ: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store
Amazon.com: The Seething eBook : Monroe, Ben, Leggett, Elizabeth, Pankey, MJ: Books
About Ben Monroe:
Ben Monroe has spent most of his life in Northern California, where he lives in the East Bay Area with his wife and two children. He is the author of In the Belly of the Beast and Other Tales of Cthulhu Wars, the Seething, the graphic novel Planet Apocalypse, and short stories in several anthologies.
You can find more information about him and his work at www.benmonroe.com
To request additional review copies or an interview with Ben Monroe, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage !
February 14, 2023
Susie Black has a great new release, Death by Pins and Needles!
Welcome back to a really talented author, Susie Black! I'm so happy to hear about this new book and hope you check it out!!
She reads, writes, and speaks Spanish, albeit with an accent that sounds like Mildred from Michigan went on a Mexican vacation and is trying to fit in with the locals. Since life without pizza and ice cream as her core food groups wouldn’t be worth living, she’s a dedicated walker to keep her girlish figure. A voracious reader, she’s also an avid stamp collector. Susie lives with a highly intelligent man and has one incredibly brainy but smart-aleck adult son who inexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inherited genetic defect.
Looking for more? Contact Susie at:
Website: www.authorsusieblack.com
E-mail: mysteries_@authorsusieblack.com
How many hours a day do you write?
SUSIE: I don’t have a set daily schedule or number of hours a day to write. I try hard to write at least something every day, but candidly, life often gets in the way of the best laid plans…That said, I can tell you that I almost NEVER write in the morning. I am a night owl, and often do my most productive writing late into the wee hours.
What is your favorite childhood book?
SUSIE: Hands down, all the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books. Followed by the biography of Amelia Earhart. I credit my love of these books with my becoming a cozy mystery author. I’ve always been the curious sort. My parents would attest that I asked nonstop questions and that how and why, rather than mommy and daddy, were my first spoken words. Some narrowminded folks would say I am nosy…go figure.
What inspired you to write your latest book?
SUSIE: Like the protagonist in my Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, I was a successful ladies’ swimwear sales exec in the Los Angeles garment center. From the beginning of my career, I kept a daily journal and chronicled the interesting and sometimes challenging people I encountered as well as all the crazy situations I got myself into and out of. My journal is the source of all my writing and all my characters are based on real people I knew. I was inspired to write Death by Pins and Needles, my latest book, by a conversation I had with an apparel colleague about a pain in the patootie swimwear showroom manager in the California Apparel Mart that everyone in our industry would not have minded knocking off. LOL.
Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?
SUSIE:In addition to continuing my current series, I see myself having penned a YA series prequel to The Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series with Holly as a high school amateur sleuth. I see a new mystery series not in the apparel industry
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
SUSIE: I have four contracted, unpublished books that will all be released this year. Death by Pins and Needles, the second book in my series, will be published February 15th. The other three are slated to be released ninety days apart from then. I have one half-finished book that candidly should have been completed by now but kept getting pushed to the back of the line. I am determined to finish writing and submitting it to my editor by the end of this year.
Was there a person who encouraged you to write?
SUSIE: Yes, my nana encouraged me to write. In fact, it was she who suggested I keep that daily journal. Nana was convinced that the reason I got into the rag business is because I was destined to write about it. Turns out, she was spot on. Somewhere out in the great beyond, I am sure Nana is smiling.
DEATH BY PINS AND NEEDLES
Who wanted Lissa Charney dead? The list was as long as your arm….but which one actually killed her? The last thing Mermaid Swimwear sales exec Holly Schlivnik expected to find when she opened the closet door was nasty competitor Lissa Charney’s battered corpse nailed to the wall. When Holly’s colleague is wrongly arrested for Lissa’s murder, the wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth sticks her nose everywhere it doesn’t belong to sniff out the real killer. Nothing turns out the way she thinks it will as Holly matches wits with a heartless killer hellbent for revenge.
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Death-Needles-Holly-Swimsuit-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BPLHRWJ7
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-by-pins-and-needles-susie-black/1142836329?ean=9781509246779
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/search?search=Death+by+Pins+and+Needles
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=Death+by+Pins+and+Needles&qid=GqIgEv6TpY
DEATH BY SAMPLE SIZE
The last thing swimwear sales exec Holly Schlivnik expected was to discover ruthless buying office big wig Bunny Frank’s corpse trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey with a bikini stuffed down her throat. When Holly’s colleague is arrested for Bunny’s murder, the wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth jumps into action to find the real killer. Nothing turns out the way Holly thinks it will as she matches wits with a wily killer hellbent for revenge.
Buy Links:
Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093F24T3F?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_0&storeType=ebooks
February 11, 2023
Saskatchewan author, Marie Powell is the Winter 2023 Virtual Writer in Residence at The Saskatchewan Writers Guild
This Just In!!!
The Saskatchewan Writers Guild announces that Regina, Saskatchewan author, Marie Powell is the Winter 2023 Virtual Writer in Residence
The SWG is pleased to announce Marie Powell as our Virtual Writer-in-Residence for February 1- April 30, 2023. Marie's adventures in castle-hopping across North Wales resulted in her award-winning medieval fantasy series Last of the Gifted: Spirit Sight and Water Sight. Marie is author of more than 40 books and her short stories, nonfiction and poetry appear in numerous literary publications and magazines. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from UBC. To learn more about Marie please watch her introductory video
Books by Marie:
Marie Powell’s adventures in castle-hopping across North Wales resulted in this award-winning medieval fantasy, combining magic, mythology, and historical legends with the realities of 13th Century Wales. Marie is the author of more than 40 published books, as well as short fiction, poetry and nonfiction. Find her at mariepowell.ca.
Filled with adventure and romance and a touch of fantasy… Highly Recommended.
CM Reviews
Powell’s prose has a lyrical quality... a meticulously researched young adult medieval fantasy with compelling characters and high-stakes action. Historical Novels Review
Elegant yet immediately accessible to the reader... a solid novel worthy of the attention of a very broad audience. Highly recommended. Top Shelf Magazine
To request additional review copies or an interview with Marie Powell, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage !
February 9, 2023
Backwater Mystic Blues, a collection of literary essays by Lloyd Ratzlaff published by Shadowpaw Press
Backwater Mystic Blues , the second acclaimed collection of literary essays by noted Saskatchewan author Lloyd Ratzlaff, out in new editions from Shadowpaw Press
Backwater Mystic Blues, the second acclaimed collection of essays reflecting on nature, spirituality, and growing up on the prairies by noted Saskatchewan author Lloyd Ratzlaff, now has a new home with Shadowpaw Press Reprise, which publishes new editions of notable, previously published work. Shadowpaw Press also recently republished Ratzlaff’s first collection of essays, The Crow Who Tampered With Time.
“Many thanks to Shadowpaw Press for publishing new editions of Backwater Mystic Blues and The Crow Who Tampered With Time,” Ratzlaff says. “These books first confirmed me as a writer, The Crow a tribute to an urban park which became my sanctuary during a period of loss, and Backwater a tribute to my home village and its countryside. I’m delighted and more than grateful to Shadowpaw for giving them another life and offering them to new circles of readers.”
“As with Lloyd’s previous collection, each essay in Backwater Mystic Blues sparkles, provoking nostalgia, smiles, introspection, and reflection,” says Edward Willett, editor and publisher of Shadowpaw Press. “I’m excited to release this new edition of Backwater Mystic Blues, and I hope it will find many new readers who will enjoy it as much as I did.”
Backwater Mystic Blues can be ordered through most bookstores, online or off. It can also be purchased directly from Shadowpaw Press at https://shadowpawpress.com/product/backwater-mystic-blues/.
More about the book
Shortlisted for the Non-Fiction Book Award and Saskatoon Book Award,
2006 Saskatchewan Book Awards
In this second suite of intimate essays, Lloyd Ratzlaff summons the secret hiding spots, makeshift rafts, and uncomplicated childhood joys that lay the foundations for adult philosophy. In tune with the vivid simplicities of the sensuous world and the honour of unassuming people, Ratzlaff explores the disguises shaped by religion, family, and memory as he recreates the discovery and illumination that his past has offered.
Critical praise
“Backwater Mystic Blues is an extended aide memoire of . . . everyday objects and gestures, retrieved from memory and made to live again in a phosphorescent prose that ‘restores the world to word’ as he writes and whistles in the dark.” – Myrna Kostash
“The essays sing the blues, touching readers as music does, not through linear development or logical exposition but through scenes that resonate emotionally: past reverberates with present and ordinary stuff is transposed into mystical keys . . .In this second instalment of reflective, irreverent, worshipful essays, Ratzlaff bends our usual angles of vision and sheds light and colour on religious experiences of one kind or another.” – Edna Froese, Journal of Mennonite Studies
“The drag of the mundane and the mixed rapture/terror of the divine both find expression—the mundane made keenly relevant and the divine fully believable and grounded . . . Consider it narrative poetry . . . a series of intimate snapshots . . . and find the soul of a poet and a friend within its pages.” — Martin van Woudenberg, Pacific Rim Review of Books
About the Author
The most recent book by Lloyd Ratzlaff is a third collection of literary nonfiction, Bindy’s Moon (Thistledown Press). His essays are also featured in several anthologies, including Sons and Mothers: Stories From Mennonite Men, Reading the River: A Traveller’s Companion to the North Saskatchewan River, and apart: a year of pandemic poetry and prose. A former minister, counsellor, and lecturer at the University of Saskatchewan, he has taught writing classes for READ Saskatoon, the Western Development Museum, and the University of Saskatchewan Certificate of Art and Design. He was a columnist for Prairie Messenger Catholic Journal through its last nineteen years of publication. He lives in Saskatoon.
About the Publisher
Shadowpaw Press, founded in Regina, Saskatchewan, by award-winning author Edward Willett in 2018, publishes new work by established and emerging authors through its Premiere imprint and new editions of notable, previously published work through its Reprise imprint. For more information, contact publisher@shadowpawpress.com or visit www.shadowpawpress.com.
Lloyd Ratzlaff is available for interviews, media appearances, speaking engagements, and/or book review requests. Please contact mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com by email or by phone at 403.464.6925
