A huge shout out to the facilitators of this weekend’s Writers’ Festival held at the Cornwall Public Library is in order. Organizer and author, Leah Lindeman expressed overwhelming satisfaction for the day while giving unreserved praise to her partners Emily Murray, Josee Plourde, Melissa Yi, library staff, volunteers and Chrissy of Glamorously Crafty for the promotional T-Shirts she designed.
A near capacity audience, made up mainly of women, attended this full day event that started with workshops dedicated to providing practical tips on self-publishing, design and promotion and concluded with a lively book fair and sale.
Taking a no nonsense approach to marketing, I asked presenter Emily Murray how she managed to sell her books at Indigo? She said, “I called them and told them they needed my books!”
I then asked Leah Lindeman what were the advantages to self-publishing? Leah responded: “The author has control over the final product; the author dictates the timeline and the author gets to keep most of the royalties.”
Finally, I asked Melissa Yi, who talked about “word building…without boring readers,” how she felt about the day? She enjoyed the innovations and was pleased with the day’s success, ending her comments by saying: “the next festival will be in Casselman in 2025!”
Here are some of the Participants, that is most of them, it was just too busy to meet everyone!
Author and the inspiration for the Book Festival Leah Lindeman. Claiming the title “Queen of Canadiana,” Leah published her first novel based on Canadian heritage in 2016.
Determined to smash the patriarchy in the construction trades, Kate Cole (pen name) self published her first in a series of four romantic comedies, featuring a female stonemason, in her 2023 book “Under Construction.” “Sci-fi” and fantasy writer Jade Cahoon displaying her “Golden Suns,” triology.Greek born Eleni Marinos relates her life, starting with a devastating earthquake that destroyed her childhood home at age 7, followed by being “swept across the globe” at 16, to become a child bride “to a cold-hearted husband she had only just met,” to go on to become one of Montreal’s most successful haute couture businesses, in her 2023 book “My Heart in My Hand,” available in French and English at major book sellers.
Author Lynne Ayers with her historical fiction “Blanche,” based on her grandmothers life in late 19th century Britain and America.Patricia O’Hara’s children’s book “Ollies Smallie’s Dangerous Discovery,” makes its first public debut, having been published only the day before the Book Fair. The book describes the adventures of Ollie, a smallmouth bass and his best friend Rita, an eel, in the St. Lawrence near Cornwall. This may be the first children’s book written about the St. Lawrence!Well know author, book promoter and medical doctor Melissa Yi.Author and journalist Lorna Foreman displays her book “When Life Becomes Real,” sharing a table with retired Royal Canadian Navy veteran, and author Dean C, Smith. After serving five years in the Navy, Smith decided he had, had enough being told how to sail a ship and went on to build his own craft, to sail across the Atlantic on four different voyages from Brazil to Portugal and back. He then recorded his adventures in four books.Continuing to donate the proceeds from her first book of short stories “Thoughts,” to the Children’s Treatment Centre, Ithaca Silva is now planning her second book.With a Masters of Arts Degree in Criminology, Celine Perron launched her paranormal “Caged Curse” mystery series of books in 2020.Mona Storm, launched the “Draconian Chronicles,” with her first “romantasy” (fantasy/romance) “Song of Shadows,” in 2023 and novelette “Nightsong.”Self published contemporary romance writer Emily Murray with her first book “Alixandria Fire,” the first in a series of four, inspired by Glengarry. Emily’s second book is due to be released soon. After “selling really well,” at the Lost Villages’ book fair this summer, Alison Wert attended the Eastern Ontario Writers’ Festival. Laurie Stewart displaying books from her Miss Vee “cozy” mystery series , solved by the 60 year old trans detective Miss Vee.Former Royal Military College, Kingston professor Frances Kelly with her historical fiction, “The Silver Gander,” a tale about traditional Gaelic Ireland, circa 1540. Clean Fantasy (i.e. no over-the-top gore) author Grace Pringle. Grace’s first book “Silver Blood,” came out this year. Novelist and journalist Kalalin Kennedy was inducted into the Cornwall Arts Hall of Fame for Literature in 2018. Katlin’s first novel “The Women Gather,” was released by Baico Publ., in 2012. Followed by four more books, her works are available at Indigo as well as regional independent book stores. Former Cornwallite Jodi Hendrik aka Julie Lee, has been writing since childhood and in 2019 successfully ventured into self-publishing with books focussing on romance, the paranormal, fantasy and steampunk. Jodi’s next book “Trail by Blood,” an urban fantasy will be ready soon.
