Diane Bator's Blog, page 25
July 19, 2022
Embracing The Tempest A stunning second collection by poet D.A. Andrews
Embracing The Tempest
A stunning second collection by poet D.A. Andrews
The book is published by Squirrel House Publishing and is available worldwide in print format
In the second collection from D.A. Andrews, author of To Fight Fire With Sun, the poet shares the lessons life has taught her with an audience sure to be spellbound by the strength of her poetry. Exploring themes of familial grief, the heavy weight of expectations, and what it means to come into oneself, Andrews weathers the storms of life with grace and strength, inviting the reader to explore what Embracing the Tempest might look like in their own lives.
Amazon.com: Embracing the Tempest: Andrews, D a: 9781951882129: Amazon.com: Books
Amazon.com: Embracing the Tempest: Andrews, D a: 9781951882129: Books - Amazon.ca
More From D.A. Andrews
To Fight Fire with Sun is a chapbook of poetry that dives into the experiences of love and loss. From conception, we have known love (or the lack thereof) and have grown to understand how this experience makes us the humans we are today. Loss comes in all forms. Whether through a friend, lover, or ourselves, we seek to find some method with which we can understand this pain and heal from it. To Fight Fire With Sun is just that- a queer girl's exploration into how one can love, lose, and heal through the power of words.
“There is a lyricism to these poems that echoes through the pages, words of how to face experiences, adjust, and heal, DA Andrews is a spirit to follow.” _ Grady Harp, Top 100 Amazon Reviewer
“Poetry is subjective. It's symbolism can take new meaning with each read, which makes it such a fascinating art form. D.A. Andrews does a nice job of modernizing it while giving it an everyday style of language.”, J.M Northup, Editor Norns Triad Publications
About D.A. Andrews:
D. A. Andrews was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. Throughout the years, she has developed wide interests in various aspects of life, such as coffee, weddings, books, and psychology. She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus with a BSc. in Marine Biology and Psychology (Honors) and is currently pursuing her MBA. She considers herself a nomad at heart and has changed cities and apartments quite as often as she changes her clothes. She is currently resting her head in Brunswick, Georgia, with her black cat (and familiar), Luna.
To request additional review copies or an interview with D.A. Andrews, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage!
July 16, 2022
HOT MOON, Apollo Rising Book One, by author, Alan Smale
HOT MOON
Apollo Rising Book One
A WAR IN SPACE AS TOLD BY CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR, ALAN SMALE
Set for release this July and published by CAEZIK SF & Fantasy, an imprint of Arc Manor Books!
The novel will be available in eBook and print form across all platforms!
"A nail-biting thriller."−Publishers Weekly
From the Sidewise Award-winning author of the acclaimed Clash of Eagles trilogy comes an alternate 1979 where the US and the Soviets have permanent Moon bases, orbiting space stations, and crewed spy satellites supported by frequent rocket launches.
Apollo 32, commanded by career astronaut Vivian Carter, docks at NASA's Columbia space station en route to its main mission: exploring the volcanic Marius Hills region of the Moon. Vivian is caught in the crossfire as four Soviet Soyuz craft appear without warning to assault the orbiting station. In an unplanned and desperate move, Vivian spacewalks through hard vacuum back to her Lunar Module and crew and escapes right before thestation falls into Soviet hands.
Their original mission scrubbed, Vivian and her crew are redirected to land at Hadley Base, a NASA scientific outpost with a crew of eighteen. But soon Hadley, too, will come under Soviet attack, forcing its unarmed astronauts to daring acts of ingenuity and improvisation.
With multiple viewpoints, shifting from American to Soviet perspective, from occupied space station to American Moon base under siege, to a covert and blistering US Air Force military response, Hot Moon tells the gripping story of a war in space that very nearly might have been.
Amazon.com: Amazon.com: Hot Moon (Apollo Rising Book 1) eBook : Smale, Alan: Kindle Store
Amazon.ca: Hot Moon (Apollo Rising Book 1) eBook : Smale, Alan: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store
PRAISE FOR HOT MOON:
"I loved it. Great 'hard' science fiction with convincing space battles." −Larry Niven, Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author of Ringworld
“Alan Smale is one of the brightest stars in the hard-SF firmament, and Hot Moon is his best novel yet. Enjoy!” −Robert J. Sawyer, Nebular and Hugo Award-winning author of The Oppenheimer Alternative
"Will delight and enthrall." −Library Journal
"A provocative science fiction novel" −Foreword Reviews
ABOUT ALAN:
Alan Smale writes alternate and twisted history, and hard SF. His novella of a Roman invasion of ancient America, "A Clash of Eagles", won the Sidewise Award. Alan has also sold over forty short stories to Asimov's, Abyss & Apex, Writers of the Future, and other magazines and anthologies.
Alan grew up in Yorkshire, England, and earned degrees in Physics and Astrophysics from Oxford University. By day he performs astronomical research into black holes and neutron stars at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, with over a hundred published academic papers; by night he sings bass with high-energy vocal band The Chromatics, and is co-creator of their educational AstroCappella project, spreading astronomy through a cappella in schools nationwide.
Find him online at https://www.alansmale.com, Facebook/AlanSmale, and Twitter/@AlanSmale.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Alan Smale, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity by email: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com or by phone at 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage.
July 14, 2022
SINGLE MOM AND THE CITY, a guide for successful single motherhood by Takiyah Smith
SINGLE MOM AND THE CITY
Create Time, Money, and a Rich Life
A guide for successful single motherhood by Takiyah Smith
The book is available worldwide in print and digital format
Single Mom And The City is a complete guide that lays the foundation for successful single motherhood. Transformative advice, compiled with data-driven facts, specifically for moms, like you've never seen before. The Perfect Mommy Bible.
Every mom does not have a bank account with thousands of dollars, a support system they can rely on, or a sane sounding board to get quality advice from. Whether you are a student or professional this book is an educational tool that will help all moms.
Practical tips and solutions to thrive at Motherhood and Life:
· Mommy success secrets, unlocked.
· Rock Star parenting tips.
· Simple methods to increase income.
· How to ask for what you want - And get it!
· Financial makeover. Easy as 1,2,3.
· Doable ways to create more time.
· Make way for ME time! Self-care is essential.
· Be a proud roll model and your children's #1 fan!
· Change your mindset, change your life.
Create the life you want, and envision. Single Mom And The City, create time, money and a rich life, contains life-changing information, for every Mom.
Children are often a mirror image of parents, they follow some of what we say, but most of what we do. This book is for the mom that is motivated to become the best version of herself and live a happy, fulfilled, successful life, while growing children into happy, healthy, fabulous little beings.
There are over 10 million single Mom's in the United States alone. This book is made especially for you. Single Mom And The City, is jam packed with beneficial knowledge gained over the years through education, research, and life's lessons compiled throughout the pages of this book.
Barnes & Noble: Single Mom And The City: Create Time, Money, And A Rich Life by Takiyah, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)
"Wow! What a very informative book. While I'm no longer a single mom, but the wisdom you present in your book, definitely would've come in handy when I was mothering my first-born son. I have since married and my son is a 23-year-old now, and I have three more sons with my husband. I hate I didn't try harder to put more time and effort into providing a strong financial plan for him. I guess, the ROSE in this is that I can always start now. What a blessing this book will be to not only single mothers but mothers in general. It's not easy, but your book paves the way to making motherhood bearable, but more importantly, enjoyable!" Morshe Araujo, MD
“Single Mom and the City is a good read. I enjoyed every page and got a lot of good pointers out of it. I started in San Francisco and finished the book on my plane ride to Dallas. Just could not put it down.” Jennifer Hollington
About Takiyah:
Takiyah Smith is a native San Franciscan. She studied business and merchandise product development at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (commonly known as FIDM). Girl power and women empowerment has long since been a passion for Takiyah.
There are approximately 10 million moms parenting alone, according to the Census Bureau. Today 1 in 4 children under the age of 18 are being raised without a father.
Parenting information is available in a ton of different locations from books, blogs, websites, articles, YouTube videos, workshops, and conferences to name a few. But, what single mom really has time for that? It’s on the job training time! Takiyah felt it would be so much easier if women could find information, community and inspiration all in one trusted location. That’s when Takiyah founded, Single Mom and the City, an exclusive resource for single moms.
Takiyah is grateful for the knowledge that has been imparted through thousands of hours of research and reading, family and friends, colleagues and strangers alike, that have been ever so gracious to share their parenting secrets, life experiences and wisdom. Takiyah wants to share this information with the world.
To request additional review copies or an interview with Takiyah Smith, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925. We look forward to the coverage!
July 12, 2022
Tommy Schnurmacher's memoir Makeup Tips from Auschwitz now available.
MAKEUP TIPS FROM AUSCHWITZ
How Vanity Saved My Mother’s Life
Whose Job is it Exactly to Keep my Mom Happy?
Tommy Schnurmacher’s memoir details the foibles of his tumultuous relationship with his Holocaust survivor Mom who looked like Elizabeth Taylor and sounded like Zsa Zsa Gabor!
Released by Tellwell Talent
The book is available worldwide in print and digital format
Tommy Schnurmacher has written a book that could change your life. It changed his.
As a writer, Montreal media icon Schnurmacher is an intense force of nature, a seismic swell of visceral empathy, laser-sharp wit and courageous self-analysis.
Now meet Olga. Auschwitz prisoner A-25057, aka Mom, A fearless, dramatic and unpredictable maverick. An original.
Exposing the souls of a family for all to see, Make-up Tips from Auschwitz is an addictive page-turner. Schnurmacher's voice resonates with a lyrical cadence all his own and an unsettling candor reminiscent of humorist David Sedaris and essayist Augusten Burroughs.
Like the Oscar-winning film, Life is Beautiful, Schnurmacher revisits the Holocaust with rays of light in the darkness.
Schmooze with the passing parade that includes John Lennon, Elizabeth Taylor and Crystal Nacht. You will laugh out loud as you meet a cast of supporting characters who redefine eccentric: the 50-minute therapist, the psychic rabbi and a superstitious hypochondriac named Paris.
Once you get to know these mutineers from the mainstream, you will want to organize an intervention. Or at least a Passover Seder.
About Tommy:
Born in Budapest, Tommy Schnurmacher is a child of Holocaust survivors. An award-winning broadcaster and political pundit, he was the host of a three-hour daily talk show for more than twenty years on CJAD radio in Montreal. Talkradiotommy.com Facebook.com/talkradiotommy Twitter: @talkradiotommy Instagram: @talkradiotommy
To request additional review copies or an interview with Tommy Schnurmacher, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage!
July 9, 2022
Camrose author, Lynne Harley is biking across Canada to promote her newest book, What If You Could?
Alberta Author, Lynne Harley bikes across Canada with her new book in support of Mental Health!!
Camrose author, Lynne Harley is biking across Canada to promote her newest book, What If You Could in support of mental health with a substantial goal of $100,000 to be raised and donated to Jack.org, an organization whose testament is to improve youth mental health outcomes in their communities.
Lynne’s biking journey began from Pike Lake Provincial Park on Father’s Day and it will ultimately take her through Saskatchewan, Winnipeg Manitoba, Thunder Bay Ontario, and then completing in Montreal in September. The book, What If You Could is published by Shadowpaw Press and tour donations are being given to Jack.org through the following link: http://jack.org/whatifyoucouldtour
Bored with hanging around on a branch, munching leaves, a little caterpillar has a big dream of a wonderful future of flying and twirling in the sun and enjoying nectar from beautiful flowers.
But which inner voice should he listen to? The kind voice that encourages him to believe in his dreams, or the mean one that warns him against change and tells him to give up on a brighter future?
This little caterpillar’s inspirational story of transformation is everyone’s story. We all have to decide which inner voice to listen
to whenever we prepare to leave our comfort zone, spread our wings, and fly.
And like the little caterpillar, we make a brighter future for ourselves when we choose to listen to the kind supportive voice instead of the mean dismissive one.
A portion of all sales will be donated to Jack.org , Canada’s only charity training and empowering young leaders to revolutionize mental health.
Praise for What If You Could?
“This endearing children’s story, What If You Could?, tells the tale of a “thinking” caterpillar who has a dream, and his metamorphosis into a butterfly. Readers of all ages will relate to the voices that speak to the caterpillar as he desires more, dreams big, and is getting ready to leave behind what has been familiar. This book provides parents and educators with valuable teachings and tools. Learning to listen to, and trust the internal voice that is kind and loving, our voice of intuition; and the power of believing and living into one’s dreams. Lynne Harley shares her gifts in the world as a Transformational Life Coach and Speaker, and now with this beautifully inspired children’s book, a tale of transformation for all.” – Mary Morrissey, founder of the Brave Thinking Institute, Internationally best-selling author of No Less Than Greatness and Building Your Field of Dreams, which became a PBS special
“What If You Could? Is a wonderful book for children, introducing them to the magic of dreaming big by re-telling, in a very sweet way, the oft-told story of the caterpillar becoming a butterfly. The youngest among us can learn the oldest of lessons through this time-honoured tale that can bring new awareness to a new generation when shared with the easy-to-understand, yet imaginative approach found here. This is a tale sure to generate questions, and open the door for every loving parent’s answer, about how the spiritual power of Belief works. – Neale Donald Walsch, internationally bestselling author of the book series Conversations With God, spiritual teacher, and founder of The Re-Creation Foundation.
ABOUT JACK.ORG:
Jack.org is the only charity in Canada that partners with young leaders in every province and territory to improve youth mental health outcomes in their communities. Our reasons are clear:
Suicide remains the leading health-related cause of death for young people, accounting for 25% of youth deaths, and most young people still don’t get the support they need when they’re struggling with their mental health. The pandemic has only exacerbated this emergency, with youth across the country consistently at higher risk of experiencing poor mental health than any other age group.
Our work aims to enhance young people’s ability to recognize struggle in both themselves and their peers, seek out appropriate mental health support and resources, and advocate for systems that are better able to meet the needs of young people. Our goal is to ensure that every young person in the country gets the help they deserve.
ABOUT LYNNE:
Lynne currently resides in Camrose, Alberta. Her life work, spanning 40 years as a Social Worker and as a Transformational Life Coach, has been to empower individuals to believe in themselves and to give credence to the still, small voice of truth that is within all of us. Her children’s story “What If You Could?” was inspired by the work she does and shares a universal message. One that she visions will be embraced by readers of all ages. Everyone, from children to teens to graduates to seniors, must navigate change. This book speaks to the power of listening deeply to our inner voice. The voice that is kind, loving and encourages us to believe in the best of who we are and our potential.
Lynne is the proud mother of three adult sons, and three grandchildren. She loves to travel and has enjoyed may adventures learning about other cultures and volunteering abroad. As a cancer survivor, Lynne is deeply grateful for her physical health and well-being and enjoys an active lifestyle in nature hiking, kayaking, cycling, skiing and snowshoeing.
Website-www.lynneharley.com
Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/mlynha
Instagram-lynneharleylifecoach
To request additional review copies or an interview with Lynne Harley, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
We look forward to the coverage!!
July 7, 2022
Ilona Fridl introduces her books Prime Catch and A Balancing Act
Welcome to Facebook friend and amazing author, Ilona Fridl!
Ilona Fridl was born in the Los Angeles area of Southern California, where she lived the first twenty-one years of her life. In high school and college, she took Journalism and Creative Writing. She moved with her family to Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she met her husband, Mark. They started a locksmithing business and raised a daughter to adulthood. All the while, she dreamed about being a writer, but she hated typewriters. In the nineties, they purchased their first computer, and she never looked back. With some articles and short stories under her belt, she started her first novel. The eighth book is just being released by The Wild Rose Press. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, and a student of AllWriters in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Social Media Links:
Website: http://www.ilonafridl.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/IFridl
What would you say are your strengths as an author?
I love to do research, and try to get the historical theme in my stories as true to the times as I can. The way I storytell, I visualize the scenes like I was directing a movie. I've been told that the readers feel like they were there with the characters.
How often do you write, and do you write using a strict routine?
Running a business with my husband, I have to write when I can. I try to find some time in the day to write.
Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?
As a woman of my age, seventy-three, I think instead of writing as long as I can. I've always said, I wish I would have started at a younger age.
If you could offer once piece of advice to a novice writer, what would it be?
No matter how many rejects you get on a manuscript, never give up.
What would you consider to be the best compliment a reader could give your book?
That they can visualize the story and characters as they read the book.
What are you working on now?
I've departed somewhat from the straight historical romance, and ventured into the fantasy genre with a historical slant.
Thank you for hosting me on your wonderful blog!
You're welcome! Any time.
PRIME CATCH
Someone is killing executives in a string of Alaskan canneries. Is it natives because their food supply is being cut short? Or is there another reason, another culprit? With racial tension running high, Juneau 's Sheriff Amos Darcy, a man of few words, is going to find out who it is, come hell or high water.
Deputy Sarah Lakat, a Tlingit woman, knows her job, but she wants to prove her people aren't responsible for these vicious crimes. Her family and childhood friends give her access to clues the white sheriff would never have discovered, though, and she has to realize justice must be served no matter who the murderers are.
Amos is married to his work and Sarah was badly hurt by a man in her past, yet as they work together in the investigation they grow close, facing danger and discrimination together. Can they solve the case even as they fight their attraction to each other?
A BALANCING ACT
Lenora LaRue, Bareback Rider Extraordinaire, is the star of her family’s circus—until a cyclone hits. A main tent pole falls on her during the storm, and when her injuries require the loss of her leg, her family abandons her, believing she is of no further use to them.
John Mallory, the young surgon who does the necessary operation, decides to help her readjust to the real world, against his father's advice. John takes her to his aunt’s sanitarium in the resort city of Waukesha, Wisconsin, where the two of them undertake to teach Lenora how to live outside the harsh circus culture that has been her whole life. He sets up a practice in the town to be near her, positive that rehabilitation is possible. As a woman doubly cursed by society as both a cripple and a former circus performer, Lenora is not so sure. She struggles to learn social skills…but can she learn what love is, too?
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Balancing-Act-Ilona-Fridl-ebook/dp/B07DBHZBLK/ref=sr_1_6?crid=EMFEQZ50PSAU&keywords=ilona+fridl&qid=1655925847&sprefix=Ilona+Fridl%2Caps%2C1014&sr=8-6
July 5, 2022
Fitness expert and dancer, Meaghan Hesham launches her new book Hockey, eh?
I had the pleasure of meeting Meagan way back when I was bellydancing! Seriously! She's a true inspiration and I'm thrilled to be able to share her books!
Meagan Hesham is a dancer, choreographer, writer, and self-confessed fitness geek. Currently calling Mississauga, Canada home, she shares a busy household with her husband, two sons, a bulldog named Isabella and a (somewhat ornery) cat named Fred. She has written countless articles for health and fitness magazines and books and is the author of Loving Yourself Fit and Hockey, eh?
Website and other links to your social media pages:
website: http://www.meaganheshamwriter.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/meaganheshamauthor
Tell us about your life outside of writing.
I am a fitness coach, a dancer, and a mom to two boys. I love playing hockey (badly!) and I love geeking out at the gym!
Do you have a work in progress?
I have so many writing works in progress right now! As soon as Hockey, eh? is fully out there and launched, I will delve back into finishing another fitness book that I've been working on, it deals with not feeling intimidated by the gym and weights, and actually learning to love and embrace gym-time and all the benefits it brings! I also have a few more hockey books in me, including a book of stories of other amazing hockey women I've met through my adventures.
What was the most difficult section/piece you ever wrote? What made it difficult?
I'm more used to writing about fitness, dance, and how-to types of stuff. My latest book was so different - it was a very personal memoire all about my hockey life, my family, and all my inner most thoughts! It took me a long time to write and edit and I got stuck on a few tough, very personal areas as well as the chapter on racism in youth hockey was tough at times to write - so many raw emotions!
What sort of research do you do for your work?
I guess living my crazy hockey life was the research for this book! I jotted notes for years at the arena as I shivered through practises and games!
Which books and authors do you read for pleasure? Is there an author who inspires you?
I usually only read non-fiction - hockey, self-help, fitness, dance, business, etc. but lately I've really been getting into stuff by Rachael Herron. She's opened up my eyes to the world of fiction! Wheeeee!!! I'm also super-inspired by Stephen King and his mind!
Was there a person who encouraged you to write?
Definitely my mom! Not only is she an accomplished author herself, but she has always encouraged me to be creative, to dance, to speak, to write, to dream, to put it all out there!
LOVING YOURSELF FIT
Loving Yourself Fit deals with weight-loss and fitness from the inside-out and from a place of love. If you've tried to lose weight or maintain a fit body and lifestyle and failed in the past, if you aren't friends with your mirror, if you feel unhappy with your body - this book is for you!
HOCKEY, EH?
Can you grow up in Canada, raised by Canadian parents and be virtually untouched by hockey? It would take her Egyptian immigrant husband's love of the sport to propel the author into the role of hockey mom, piloting her two sons through the crazy and sometimes cut-throat drama of youth hockey. Then to jersey-ing up herself, discovering her inner ice warrior, and re-igniting her own Canadian-ness.
July 2, 2022
Best Laid Plans
Happy Summer!In a case of best laid plans, I had a wonderful author booked for today, but she's been struck by illness and we couldn't get her on the blog right now. She'll be back but in the meantime, I'll give Mikki Sadil a shout out! A fellow BWL Publishing author, you can find her books at https://www.bookswelove.com/sadil-mikki/
Over the years, we've created great memories of taking the kids camping, hiking, and just generally meandering around town to keep ourselves amused. One of the things we never did was to plan our trips out in detail. Not once. In fact, the typical response to "what are we doing today?" was, "We'll just wing it."
On a trip we took to Sauble Beach, we wandered the beach, the shops and ended up at a little glass shop making glass "bookmarks." The boys and I each decorated bookmark sized rectangles of glass with glass chips that the shop later baked. We picked them up the next day and took them home, not quite sure what to do with them, but we loved them. That fall in shop class, my middle son welded a cool "holder" that enabled us to turn the glass bookmarks into windchimes. Not for outdoor use for sure, but a wonderful memory!
Memories are exactly what we set out to create on camping trips and hikes.
On one of our most fun hikes, we ended up meeting a woman in the woods who was walking her neighbour's dog. The dog, was thrilled to run and play with three energetic boys. And it turned out the woman we met was a writer too. Would she like to join a writing group? Sure. Where and when? By the end of our hike, we'd made two new friends.
Camping was always a new adventure. We'd go with various friends to different locations and, in one instance, ended up alone on the last night at a local lake. How cool it was that as twilight came around, the bats began to swoop over our site catching bugs? Or that we could sit around the campfire, eat s'mores and count the stars. Or watch baby porcupines walk by.
Sometimes we'd just walk around town going for gelato or ice cream, or even hanging out in a coffee shop to chat. Saturdays at the Farmer's Market was always fun, too.
Now that they're all grown up and on their own, I miss all those great little adventures we'd go on. The best part about it though, is getting to hear their own amazing stories. One thing my kids haven't lost is their love of "winging it!"
Every book I've written would make a great beach read!Just like my adventures with the kids, they are always a surprise and never dull.
To find out more, head over to my website:
https://dianebator.ca/book-gallery
And if you're in the mood for more fantastic authors, please stop by the BWL Publishing website!
https://www.bookswelove.com/ Have a fabulous summer!! Diane
June 30, 2022
Reed Stirling releases his new novel Sejour Saint-Louis
Welcome to Canadian Author Reed Stirling, also published by BWL Publishing!
Reed Stirling, my authored self, lives in Cowichan Bay, BC, and writes when not painting landscapes, travelling, or taking coffee at The Drumroaster, a local café where physics and metaphysics clash daily. Before retiring and taking up writing novels as a past time, I taught English Literature. Joyce Carol Oates oversaw my M.A. thesis. Several talented students of mine have gone on to become successful award-winning writers.
My wife and I built a log home in the hills of southern Vancouver Island, and survived totally off the grid for twenty-five years during which time the rooms in that house filled up with books, thousands of student essays were graded, and innumerable cords of firewood were split.
Shades Of Persephone, published in 2019, is a literary mystery set in Greece. Lighting The Lamp, a fictional memoir, was published in March 2020. Séjour Saint-Louis (2021) resolves the drama of father-son conflict through lyrical, mythological, and biographical allusion. Shorter work has appeared over the years in a variety of publications including Hackwriters Magazine, Dis(s)ent, The Danforth Review, Fickle Muses, The Fieldstone Review, Humanist Perspectives, StepAway Magazine, and most recently in Mediterranean Poetry.
Find me at the following:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bookswelove
https://authorcentral.amazon.comgp/home
linkedin.com/in/reed-stirling-575062216
Smashwords
Instagram: @reedstirling.com
https://www.reedstirlingwrites.com/
Do your characters come before or after your plot?
Characters evolve after the idea for the story has been established. Main characters tend to be protagonist-narrators in pursuit of truth as they understand it or as plot and theme define it. Simple observation of real people in real life exchanges (a young couple in a hospital waiting room, a tête-à-tête in a bar or restaurant, someone behind the wheel of a luxury automobile noticed at an intersection) will give birth to characters whose voices demand to be heard. That man wearing a Panama hat or that tiny woman wearing bright red shoes — very interesting! Imagination informs them with a personal history, with particular traits, with relevant choices. Action (plot) reveals character, true; but conflict implies decisions and consequences. Providing them with creditable motivation is essential. Verisimilitude is the objective of the exercise no matter the setting. The character I want the reader to identify with may not be likeable at all. As long as he or she is interesting, has a voice worth listening to, and is capable of reflecting authentic human instincts.
How do you choose a villain and how do you make them human?
The term villain is too black and white for me. I prefer the term antagonist. Antagonists in my fiction can be born out of the observation that people, despicable politicians, for instance, lie repeatedly. Antagonist can be well-meaning in their contrariness or destructiveness. They can have malicious intent in their apparent goodness. Realistic personal histories go a long way towards giving them standing. They help move the action along from crisis to crisis. To humanize them, grant them plausible voice, mannerism, idiosyncrasy, tic, flaw, aspiration, success, failed amorous affair, ham hands, and diminished size of shoe. A golf game might indicate how downtime is enjoyed. A black hat might just be in vogue at the time of the story, and not symbolic of a really bad dude with a .45 in his hip pocket. Eschew the stereotypical. A scar might be emblematic of love or a badge of honour. A penchant for odd-ball humour can lighten what appears to be nothing but dark and sinister. The antagonist can be a force-field of repudiation or disdain. A troublesome memory. I favour antagonists that arise from within main characters and shadow their every move.
Do your reading choices reflect your writing choices?
Absolutely, reading influences my writing. I read widely, and have done so for decades, the classics included. The muse visits me most often when I read the novels of John Banville — style, irony, imagery. Shakespeare continues to be a source of inspiration in terms of character and theme. Jonathan Swift rules in the domain of satire.
In particular, Lawrence Durrell’s The Alexandrian Quartetprovided the impetus for Shades Of Persephone. John Fowles’ The Magus gave me the Greek setting, specifically Chania, Crete. Here I created plausible characters of varying backgrounds, foremost among whom, Steven Spire, a young expat as narrator and central character of artistic temperament in need of purpose. Bar and café conversations led to hints of foreign intrigue. Ancient ruins gave way to Nazi runes. Crooked laneways led to mountain retreats and buried secrets. Hydra-headed truth demanded a place on the table along with the ouzo and artichoke hearts. And love, naturally, raised all expectations with the birth, mirroring Aphrodite’s rise from the sea, of Magalee De Bellefeuille.
Joyce’s Portrait inspired more than one scene in Lighting The Lamp, as did the philosophical musing of Percy Bysshe Shelley. Marcel Proust plays a part here as well, as do Richard Dawkins, Emily Dickinson, and Albert Camus. The poems of Émile Nelligan worked thematically into Séjour Saint-Louis.
I attempt to write literary fiction that entertains while being socially relevant. I sit down to write every day and try to leave the desk having achieved at least a workable page. Frequently what comes of my effort amounts to no more than a serviceable paragraph, a single sentence, or a metaphor that might work in a context yet to be imagined.
Which type of characters are your favorite to write?
A favourite character is an elusive character. What that character might be depends on how the plot evolves and the themes that emerge from it. Having a very definite voice is more important than being tall, dark, and handsome, or beautiful in a stereotypical fashion. He or she possess a voice that is engaging, exhibits a sense of humour (or sense of the absurd), and betrays a philosophical frame of mind if not an ironic view of life in this world. That character need not be heroic, just be ordinary within the framework of human possibility. He or she has to be entertaining and intellectually stimulating in the fictional settings they enter and exit. My favourite characters tend to be articulate about the nature of the quest they have set for themselves. They seek to understand, often what is totally incomprehensible; to know, often what is beyond knowing.
What sort of research do you do for your work?
More recently I research things online. However, the reference books I consult (be they literary, philosophical, or architectural) I find on my own shelves or on those of our local library. Most enjoyable is research done in situ, Greece for Shades Of Persephone, for example, and Montreal in large part for Lighting The Lamp and Séjour Saint-Louis. Reading other fiction can also be a source relevant information. Simple observation of everyday human exchanges helps inform. I lean towards mystery in my writing, with romantic entanglement often an integral part of the narrative. Allusions to mythology, art, literature, philosophy, and religion underpin plot development. Irony is pervasive.
What are you working on now?
Besides making revisions to a fourth novel, I am presently working on a many-layered, multi-dimensional, non-cosy mystery. It may take some time!
Séjour Saint-Louis
Montreal in late nineteenth century, a gifted young poet falls victim to madness.
Today, a struggling father is driven to drink over the intransigence of his music-obsessed teenage son. An equally conflicted wife and mother threatens separation.
What connects these two worlds?
The Victorian fountain in Square Saint-Louis, a series of seemingly random incidents in the city, and a school reunion where myth, art, and mysterious e-lixar fuse into dramatic reflections of family dynamics. Through mirroring, resolution proves possible.
https://books2read.com/Sejour-Saint-Louis
SHADES OF PERSEPHONE
Shades of Persephone is a literary mystery that will entertain those who delight in exotic settings, foreign intrigue, and the unmasking of mysterious characters. Crete in 1980-81, more specifically the old Venetian harbour of Chania, provides the background against which expat Canadian Steven Spire labours in pursuit of David Montgomery, his enigmatic and elusive mentor, who stands accused in absentia of treachery and betrayal. The plot has many seams through which characters slide, another of them being the poet Emma Leigh, widow of Montgomery’s imposing Cold War adversary, Heinrich Trüger. In that the setting is Crete, the source of light is manifold, but significant inspiration for Steven Spire comes from Magalee De Bellefeuille, his vision of Aphrodite and his muse. “Find Persephone,” she directs him, “and you’ll find David Montgomery.” Her prompts motivate much of the narrative, including that of the Cretan underground during the Nazi occupation, 1941- 45.
Shades of Persephone presents a story of love and sensuality, deception and war, spiritual quest and creative endeavour. The resolution takes an unanticipated turn but comes as no surprise to the discerning reader. Like Hamlet who must deal with his own character in following the injunctions of his ghostly father, Steven Spire discovers much about the city to which he has returned, but much more about himself and his capacity for love.
https://books2read.com/Shades-of-Persephone
June 28, 2022
Featuring Dead Without Remorse by Canadian mystery author, Diane Bator
DEAD WITHOUT REMORSE
The Newest Novel in The Gilda Wright Mystery Series by prolific mystery writer, Diane Bator
Released by BWL Publishing
The book is available worldwide in digital and print format
An explosion leaves a gaping hole in the streetscape where the Nine Lives Consignment Shop and the former martial arts school once stood.
When police find remains of a bomb inside, Gilda Wright needs to track a killer before her suspects scatter like debris.
Amazon.com: Amazon - Dead Without Remorse (Gilda Wright Mystery): Bator, Diane: 9780228618751: Books
Amazon.ca: Dead Without Remorse : Bator, Diane: Books (amazon.ca)
Other Books in The Series:
About The Author
A prolific Canadian mystery writer, I am the mom of three kids, two cats and a step-dog as well as author of Wild Blue Mysteries, Gilda Wright Mysteries, Glitter Bay Mysteries, and the Sugarwood Mysteries from Books We Love Ltd. with many more books and plays to come! You can find me at:
Blog: http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Website: https://dianebator.ca/
Publisher Website: https://bookswelove.net/bator-diane/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/dianebatorauthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7179945.Diane_Bator
To request additional review copies or an interview with Diane Bator, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925. We look forward to the coverage!
