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Volume 1, Issue 4
August 2024
Welcome to the Fourth Issue of Our Newsletter
We hope to keep you posted on local events, inspire you to read emerging authors, review your next great read and share tips and opportunities to help you keep your finger on the pulse of the Canadian literary community.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Friendly Authors Networking Socials (FANS) 2
Author Bio of the Month 3
Excerpt of the Month 4
Filidh Publishing at Salt Spring Pride 5
Points to Ponder 6
Filidh Publishing Corp 6
Friendly Authors Networking Socials (F.A.N.S.)
In response to requests, we will be hosting gatherings for authors who are published and interested in networking with other authors. To learn and share insights on sales, networking, branding and other things that may facilitate income and possibly collaboration on future writing projects and events. It is not a writers' group but more a writers' 2.0 group. What is next, and how do I get these boxes of books into the hands of readers? Let's chat, share tips and learn from and with each other.
The next F.A.N.S. Gathering:
Saturday September 14, 2024, from 10:30 AM until 12:30 PM
Quality Foods- Upstairs Café,
Eagle Creek Village Shopping Centre, View Royal
Bring copies of books to be reviewed and tales of your marketing adventures..
Author Bio This Month:
Terry Groves
Terry Groves, a Canadian author known for his gripping fiction, horror, and crime novels. Was born in St. Marde, Belgium, and raised in a military family, Terry’s unique background influences his storytelling. After retiring from the Canadian military and a career in computer programming, he turned to writing full-time. His books often explore dark and thrilling themes, drawing inspiration from literary icons like Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe. Terry also shares insights into his life and works on his blog, Being a Brat. His anthology Down the Tiger's Throat - 27 Short Stories, and three novels: The Summer of Grump, Cruising Along, and Quest for Gold are available at Amazon. His short story, Dead Boat, was published last year in The Platinum Collection, Filidh’s 20th Anniversary special anthology, which is available at filidhbooks.com with proceeds to charity.
Terry has dabbled with screenwriting and movie making, was a founding member of the VI Film and Entertainment Cooperative. A short movie, Rocket Candy, that he wrote and directed, is on YouTube as are others he worked on.
Assisting other writers to hone their craft is also a passion. He is a member of the Sooke Writer's Collective and the Federation of BC Writers. In recent months, Terry had gained a growing following in a series of writers' workshops and was a gifted teacher as well as a kindhearted mentor. Sadly, Terry passed away suddenly just prior to this newsletter's publication. He will be missed and long remembered.
Terry’s Facebook Writing Page: https://www.facebook.com/DownTheTigersThroat/
Terry’s BLOG Page: www.beingabrat.com
And his GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7035885.Terry_Groves
Excerpt of the Month
Dead Boat
Rhonda stretched her neck, trying to see inside the windows of the derelict boat as they cruised by. Was that curtain moving, disturbed by a skeletal hand or dry, harsh corpse breath? She leaned over the side railing of their own boat, peering into the reflections on the glass.
“Rhonda,” her father barked. Surprise shot through her heart, raising her pulse to pounding status. She fumbled for a handhold as she over-balanced, almost dropping her camera. Her head snapped toward her dad. “The bumpers should be out by now.” He stood at the helm, guiding their boat into the marina toward their slip.
Rhonda raised her camera and took several quick shots of the decrepit boat as it fell behind them. Then she turned her attention to her first-mate duties. Fourteen was two years away from being trusted enough to be allowed to captain the boat, and she had a lot to learn before she could do what her dad did. Sometimes, when it was calm and there weren’t a lot of boats around, he would let her command their 36-foot Sea Ray. Once, she even got to launch it while he handled the lines to cast off. Mostly, though, she did what he told her and did it fast. She loved to be on the water and was happy to earn the day cruises. But that old boat bothered her.
“Dad,” Rhonda spoke from the dock as she checked the mooring lines. “How long has that old boat been at that buoy?”
“Which one?” Her dad scanned the harbour, one hand shielding his eyes from the late afternoon sun.
“The dea--”, Rhonda caught herself. She’d almost called it the dead boat, the name christened by her brother Ron two weeks ago. She recalled that day.
* * *
“Look,” Ron called from the stern of their inflatable tender. He’d had his boat license for two years, and Dad let him take this one out whenever he wanted. They were returning with their catch of prawns. He pointed. “It’s the dead boat,” letting his voice drop in an ominous tone.
Rhonda twisted in her seat at the front. She’d been watching him steer, using the handle on the motor. Being jealous that she wasn’t the one in control felt immature, but he never followed the rules, and he drove too fast. She wouldn’t ignore the rules, but just because she was younger, she wasn’t considered trustworthy. She’d been thinking about that when he spoke. “I think there’s a dead body on there.”
Uncertain she had heard him right, Rhonda asked, “What do you mean?”
“That’s why it’s in such crappy shape.” Ron pointed his chin toward the beige hull, drifting on its tether, mauve canvas, streaked with green and black goop. “No one to clean off the bird crap and moss.”
“It is in rough shape.” She studied the faded wood trim and scarred fiberglass, but it was the stained canvas that looked the worst. Slimy moss spilled down the sides.
“No one’s polished the rails or the deck for ages. It’s a rotting corpse. It’s a dead boat.”
And that nickname was embedded in Rhonda’s mind.
* * *
Filidh Publishing at Salt Spring Island Pride
Filidh Publishing was invited to participate in this year’s Salt Spring Island Pride celebrations, July 26th to the 28th at The Farmers’ Institute, 351 Rainbow Road just out of the Village of Ganges. And, we have to say our participation was successful in spreading the word about us and our authors.
We especially scored when it came to finding people to write book reviews for us. We made a few sales and met a lot of great people. Below is a photo of Ron Kearse at our booth. We’re looking ahead to plans to attend next year, so if you want to volunteer to get involved please contact us.
Points To Ponder
Federation of BC Writers - https://bcwriters.ca/page-18141
Whistler Writers Festival - https://whistlerwritersfest.com
Canadian Authors Association - https://canadianauthors.org/bc/
Sunshine Coast Writers festival - https://writersfestival.ca
Denman Island Writers Festival - https://denmanislandwritersfestival.com
Vancouver Writers Fest - https://writersfest.bc.ca
Gibsons Art and Words Festival 2024 - https://gibsonspublicmarket.com/event/art-words-festival-2024-august-22-25/
Surrey International Writers Conference - https://www.siwc.ca
Filidh Publishing Corp
A Victoria, BC based small independent press that has been producing quality literature of adult and children’s genres from poetry to fiction to non-fiction for over 20 years. See us on Facebook, X, Instagram and at filidhbooks.com
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