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Friday, September 30, 2023 5 Brooklin Town Crier spective, cut out extraneous bits and generally tightened the story. Neither of us likes bloated books - Dickens and Victor Hugo aside of course - and we realized that chopping a few thousand words actually made it flow better. We couldn't have done that 30 years ago. We just didn't know better. Q: To our readers, you are known to write news pieces or books about hockey. This is a new direction. Why was this important to you to write? Don't forget the prostate cancer book! It sold out. I'd call it less a new direction than staying on the same creative road but taking a few different exits. I love good, well told stories. I grew up immersed in mounds of fiction then strayed elsewhere in my reading, even in recent years. And with a background in newspapers and magazines for a long time, I certainly learned the importance of tight writing, meeting deadlines, and getting to the point, all of which have been invaluable in this process. When I tie all those together, this novel is sort of a life's work. It's the culmination in many ways of a life as a writer and what I've learned. Ted would say the same for himself, I believe. Q: I haven't read the book yet I have read the jacket. It sounds like a mystery perhaps based on historical information. Am I on point? Very much. I'm a history buff. I don't know if the story is easily described as a mystery or thriller or what. Certainly an exhausting adventure for the protagonist. There are a lot of historical references and some are true, others imagined, and the general tone is one of questioning a time period's events. In fiction, I like to ask, "What if…?" That is apparent in this novel. Q: Is there a sequel or prequel coming? Don't know. Too early to say. Q: Is this a one off or can we expect to see more novels in this genre? From me? Us? Also too early to say. But if I, or we, do something, it would not be in the general vein of most such stories. I cotton to those who were caught up in historical events and we know little or nothing about them. My short story and play The Cellar is a case in point. It's the story of the last surviving member of the execution team of the Romanovs. Q: Your email jokes to cast those you know who leave good reviews as characters in the plot. So along those lines, what Hollywood actors and actresses do you see cast as the main characters? None. Not a one. I would want unknowns - from Quebec and France. My buddies and editors would all get walk-on parts. Credited naturally. It's fun to dream. Q: Available on Amazon as a paperback or Kindle and Kobo as ebook. Will you offer a signing at some point and how can we get your autograph? Yes, the book launch and signing will be at The Goodberry on Baldwin on Sat., Sept. 30, 10 am -12 pm. Had a launch with fellow retired teachers in Ottawa last week. It was a launch lunch. Autographed? Sure. No glossy photos though. I'll wait for the film director to order those. Continued from Page 4 Harvest Festival 2023 - A Successful Event Once Again!