Click here to view the Manor House 2026 Catalogue
Welcome to our 27th Anniversary / 2026 Manor House catalogue
Discover our new releases and best-sellers by multi-talented authors (most are also career musicians)! Catalogue-details available at www.manor-house-publishing.com All titles can be immediately ordered from Ingram and include many great best-selling fiction and non-fiction new-recent releases at good prices-discounts. Cover-featured titles include:
Life in the Deep End – by John F. Gardiner: "stories are spoken songs that not just touch but wrench the heart. John Gardiner shows us just how fragile our relationships and lives are and how easily our paths can be changed forever." - Michele Law, Producer, Kingsville Folk Music Festival Order details: www.manor-house-publishing.com
EVILutionaries – novel by Jordan Koren: "… gripping story of an ordinary man’s struggle against an unaccountable oppressive regime controlling a complicit society facing possible extinction – and it’s the debut breakthrough novel of a remarkably talented writer, Jordan Koren…” - Michael B. Davie, author The Late Man
The Sun Also Rises – novel by Bess Georgakakos: "…a heartbreaking tale of the terror of war and its impact on the lives of ordinary people …a powerful book by a gifted writer" - Susan Crossman, author, Shades of Teale
Woodbine Grove – novel by Ryan O’Dowd: "Woodbine Grove’s a haunted sort of place and the apparitions seem both restless and vengeful… O’Dowd unfurls a plot that’s gripping…" - Brett Josef Grubisic, The BC Review
W5 of Fly Fishing – by Jack Serre: "Fly-fishing is a recreational sport unlike any other… an almost mythological and spiritual connection with the earth and the water…” - Jack Serre
Spoonfed – My Life with The Spoons - by Gord Deppe – With a string of smash hits – Nova Heart, Tell No Lies, Old Emotions, Romantic Traffic – Canadian band the Spoons redefined the musical landscape and captured the hearts of fans everywhere, playing sold-out shows with Talking Heads, Police, Culture Club, Simple Minds and many more, during a decades-long - adventure that continues to this day. SpoonFed is the compelling life story of Spoons frontman Gord Deppe, whose creative vision defined one of the most influential, original bands of the ‘80s and beyond.
Growing Up with the Hits! – Nevin Grant, avid record collector and musician… became part of music history, leading one of the most influential stations as an acclaimed hit-maker on Top 40 CKOC radio. Growing up with the Hits! offers his insightful recollections on the music, times, books, movies, fads, and pop culture icons of 1955-1989 – a must read!”
Bequest – critically acclaimed debut novel by songwriter Ian Thomas (Painted Ladies, Pilot) “… a page-turner of a first novel… death, murder, corruption and metaphysics … George Moss is gifted – or cursed – with ‘The Sight’, premonitions of the future and the ability to get inside the minds of those close to him who have died… then his psychic powers reveal disturbing suggestions about how his father died and grim consequences in terms of the environment … at times philosophical, at times amusing… always a gripping read as the danger unfolds…” - The Toronto Sun
The Lost Chord – 2nd gripping novel by Ian Thomas – “…fast-moving, plot-twisting thriller… also an aspiring novel of ideas, in which the writer… chastises religious intolerance…and envisions in detail a ‘life after life’… Ian Thomas has created a fascinating world and a worthy page-turner for a winter's night.” - Peter Feniak, The Globe & Mail
Monsters in the Moonlight is a remarkable collection of short horror stories by songwriter Marcus Starr, whose prior novel, Nora’s Curse, firmly established him as a genre leader with a vast and ever-growing legion of readers, The critically acclaimed writer’s stories have been featured on Reddit and he’s a two-time winner of the Odd & Cryptic Cup.
Sweetly – by Denise McKay: “…draws on her experiences teaching at a one-room schoolhouse in a remote outpost in BC’s interior… Told with gentle humour, the story begins with central character Betty Wheatley (nick-named Sweetly), just 19, stepping off a ferry in the dead of night to learn Narrows has no electricity – and her expected accommodations aren’t available…” - Richard Leitner, The Hamilton Spectator Order details: www.manor-house-publishing.com
Featured titles are available in softcover and also hardcover formats in librarian-friendly case laminate (cover image is imprinted onto the hardboard – no dust jackets to fiddle with. – No fuss, no muss). www.manor-house-publishing.com
Featured titles below can be purchased by clicking their respective Amazon links.
Life in the Deep End
Stories from the Soul
John F. Gardiner
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“John Gardiner’s style is reminiscent of Alice Munro, Margaret Laurence and Stephen Leacock among others... He takes the little things in life, that many overlook, and raises them up to a moment of exquisite beauty or pain. His prose is, at times laugh-out-loud funny and, at other times, deeply moving.” - Collett Tracey, English Professor, Carleton University
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Title: Life in the Deep End |
MORE REVIEWS: Life in the Deep End
“John Gardiner’s stories are spoken songs that not just touch but wrench the heart. He shows us just how fragile our relationships and lives are and how easily our paths can be changed forever.” - Michele Law, Producer, Kingsville Folk Music Festival
“John Gardiner is a master writer. He paints pictures with words. He understands human relationships, and gets to the heart of the matter.” - Gurf Morlix, Musician, performer
“John Gardiner’s prose is concise and to the point. Redundancies, run-on sentences and embellishments that would bog narratives down have been assiduously avoided. That spareness creates a directness that stimulates listeners to explore the layers surrounding the text… His subjects resonate with the lives of anyone who’s ever been caught in a snow storm, enjoyed a hockey game, had the pleasure of sitting down with a good book or simply thought about what transpired over a single day. Respect for the mastery authors such as Hemingway, Wolfe, Steinbeck and other literary giants had for presenting thoughts with impeccable clarity has an obvious influence over his style and it’s entirely welcome.” -Brian Hay, Freelance Journalist, Sarnia, Ontario
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EVILutionaries
Jorden Koren
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“Evilutionaries is the gripping story of an ordinary man’s struggle against an unaccountable oppressive regime controlling a complicit society facing possible extinction – and it’s the debut breakthrough novel of a remarkably talented writer, Jordan Koren…” - Michael B. Davie, author The Late Man
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Title: EVILutionaries |
From the FOREWORD:
Like most citizens in the year 2109, Professor Herbert Florance is trying to cope, trying to stay unnoticed, below the radar, of the excessively controlling, omnipresent MONDA regime, which has many dark, evil cracks beneath its seemingly utopian surface, including state-sanctioned cannibalism.
Professor Florance is under constant MONDA observation due to his family’s history, which is steeped in activism against this new world order – so he’s saddened but not surprised when he is abruptly terminated from his teaching position without cause.
However, his new joblessness proves short-lived when he's suddenly offered the ‘job opportunity’ to travel outside the new world's jurisdiction to the 'Abandoned Countries’ to help a team of scientists trying to find a cure for a new strain of prion diseases, neuro and muscular degenerative diseases that could potentially wipe out Earth's entire population.
But is his new job a MONDA trap - a potential death sentence? Or will he find a cure – and perhaps also discover the true reason behind ‘accepted’ cannibalism that drives the protein industry?
About the Author
Jordan Koren is a first-time book author from Hamilton Ontario. In his early years, Jordan took part in musical productions along with performing in an alternative rock band. He continues his involvement in the performing arts while being employed as a fine arts model in the GTA, fostering his love for arts of all kinds.
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Fiction: Latest Novel Based on Historic Real Life Story!
And The Sun Will Rise
Book Two in the Smyrna Trilogy
A Novel
Bess Georgakakos
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Book Two picks up Celia’s story in a safehouse and shows the remarkable courage of her heartbreaking efforts to reunite with her family. Celia’s story is emblematic of the extraordinary resilience of the human spirit and the many-faceted aspects of our love for one another and humanity. How many “Celias” has our world seen over thousands of years…? How many more must be traumatized or sacrificed before we end the cruel extermination of people whose only crime was quietly living their lives in the wrong place at the wrong time...
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Title: And The Sun Will Rise |
REVIEWS: And The Sun Will Rise
"The Sun Will Rise is the gripping sequel to the author’s first book about an event that left shadows in people’s hearts for decades: the 1922 burning of Smyrna. Picking up where the first book left off, the author weaves a heartbreaking tale of the terror of war and its impact on the lives of ordinary people… the deep well of courage survival requires. The second book is every bit as compelling as the first… readers will be on the edge of their seats as Celia shows again how challenging it can be to embrace grace under fire…a powerful book by a gifted writer." - Susan Crossman, author, Shades of Teale
"Bess Georgakakos offers a captivating sequel novel taking us deeper into a time of brutality, rape and oppression. Based on her grandmother's real life experiences during the 1922 burning of Smyrna, the author vividly continues her enthralling tale of Celia overcoming the horrors of war... an absolute must-read…" - Michael B. Davie, author, The Late Man
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NEWLY RELEASED GRIPPING NOVEL
CLICK AMAZON LINK BELOW TO BUY NOW!
Woodbine Grove
A Novel
Ryan O’Dowd
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Ruby Sinclair’s senior high school year begins, following the events of the “awful summer,” with a missing person. Her best friend, Alinta Laghari’s brilliant and possibly radicalized brother, Ignacio, disappears from the badlands outside the reserve north of Woodbine Grove. In pursuit of Ignacio, Ruby and Alinta discover extraordinary secrets about Woodbine Grove. Before them spreads a spider-webbing conspiracy of town guardians and long-dormant ancient magic. Tracing the threads means uncovering awful truths that could destroy the only home they have ever known. What’s more, they risk being tangled in the web’s sticky hub, prey for an ever-hungry beast...
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Title: Woodbine Grove |
REVIEWS: Woodbine Grove
"A thrilling, atmospheric coming-of-age story set in the misty small town of Woodbine Grove, full of intrigue and esoteric oddballs. The book drips with palpable dread as its colorful cast of characters moves through a fading town defined by impermanence. It’s a rare genre fiction hybrid that, in its thrills and wistful longing, reminds you that you can’t go home again." - Dr. Paul Fitzgerald (PhD) columnist, Rolling Stone
"Woodbine Grove’s a haunted sort of place and the apparitions seem both restless and vengeful… There’s longstanding bitterness between some white citizens of the town and the nearby reservation that seems to stretch back to the Nineteenth Century; and race relations appear to be getting worse… Evidently, this pocket of the Fraser Valley is particularly blood-soaked. Debut novelist Ryan O’Dowd opens Woodbine Grove with a prologue where atmosphere is cranked up to maximum. In the municipality’s nearby Whitesand area, where “rez dogs howled hymns of misery for the dying day,” young aboriginal activist Ignacio Lahari observes his “wasteland” surrounding and feels “unspeakably afraid.” He’s right to, as five pages later his heart has ceased to beat. When the first chapter starts with “They buried Neil Reinhardt on Labour Day weekend...” O’Dowd signals where readers will be heading: there’s a mystery afoot… O’Dowd unfurls a plot that’s gripping—yes, a kind of gonzo gothic—and, always, anchored by the friendship and detective efforts of Ruby and Alinta." - Brett Josef Grubisic, The BC Review
"Mysterious deaths, evil spirits, and an ancient horror – welcome to deeply haunted Woodbine Grove, the gripping debut novel by Ryan O’Dowd – an absolute must-read…" - Michael B. Davie, author, The Late Man |
Non-Fiction: Exploring the world of Nature
W5 of Fly Fishing
Who, What, Where, When, Why?
Jack Serre
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Jack Serre lives nearby Ontario's famous Saugeen River system, which provides him with endless opportunities to indulge his passion for fly fishing. Born and raised in Northern Ontario, Jack has been an avid fisherman throughout his life. He is also a singer-songwriter and has recorded several CDs and hosted the TV show 'INASONG'. Known to many as Jack Flyfisher, he also serves as the Director of Marketing and Business Development for The W5 of Fly Fishing
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Title: W5 of Fly Fishing |
Your New Escape: W5 of Fly Fishing:
"Love and Passion have neither bounds nor borders. The love in this case is the love of fly-fishing and he passion is in the pursuit of the sport.
Fly-fishing is a recreational sport unlike any other. There is an almost mythological and spiritual connection with the earth and the water. That connection nurtures a new respect for nature and an environmental awareness that may not have been there before.
There is NO secret code to fly-fishing. This becomes apparent as you learn about where your quarry lives, what they eat, and what cast to use.
This is the book I wish I had when I started out to be a Fisher of Flies, also known as a Bugslinger…
Fly fishing fosters a personal connection with nature, a unity of spirit among those who participate, and a respect for the natural resource, water - cold, clean and clear! - Jack Serre
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Spoonfed
My Life with The Spoons
Gord Deppe
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"With a string of smash hits – Nova Heart, Tell No Lies, Old Emotions, Romantic Traffic – the Spoons redefined the musical landscape and captured the hearts of fans everywhere. The Spoons toured extensively, playing sold-out shows with an array of fellow icons including Talking Heads, Police, Culture Club, Simple Minds and many more, during a decades-long journey-adventure that continues to this day. The Spoons gold album Arias & Symphonies was named one of the 20 Most Influential Albums of The ‘80s by The Chart Magazine and Nova Heart was named one of The Top 100 Canadian Singles. SpoonFed is the compelling life story of Spoons frontman Gord Deppe, whose creative vision defined one of the most influential, original bands of the ‘80s and beyond." From the Foreword by Michael B Davie, President/CEO, Rockport Records International Corp.
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Title: Spoonfed - My Life with The Spoons |
About the Author: SpoonFed As singer, guitar player and songwriter for the Canadian new wave band the Spoons, Gord Deppe has been in the music business for over thirty years. Born in Vancouver, B.C., his family moved back and forth between Canada and Germany several times before finally settling in Burlington, Ontario. There, in 1980, fresh out of high school, Gord, Sandy Horne, Rob Preuss and Derrick Ross would go on to make Spoons a different kind of household word. The young band would also catch the wave of a brand new video-driven phenomenon that was about to hit TV screens nationwide. The video for their hit Nova Heart would be aired on the very first broadcast of MuchMusic. Romantic Traffic, shot in the subways of Toronto, remains as one of the most iconic Canadian music videos of all time.
Audience: • Wide general audience but with particular interest to fans of the Spoons and those who enjoy musician biographies. Sales / Marketing / Author-Spoons Tour: • Canada-wide ongoing Spoons tour • Numerous book-signing events have already taken place at major Indigo and independent stores. More TBA • Cross Canada Author book signings. • Hot topic attracting media interest. • Author is also doing ongoing blogging, and media interviews, etc..
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Growing Up With The Hits!
Reliving the Best Time of Your Life 1955-1989
Nevin Grant
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"Nevin Grant, avid record collector and musician, left law school in the 1960s to pursue a career in radio – and became part of music history, leading one of the nation’s most influential stations to become an acclaimed hit-maker on Top 40 CKOC radio. Growing up with the Hits! offers his insightful recollections on the music, times, books, movies, fads, fashions and pop culture icons of 1955-1989 – a must read!" -Michael Davie, author, Winning Way |
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Title: Growing Up With The Hits! |
Nevin on Nevin – and the times of our lives: "I became a serious collector of 45 rpm recordings in the mid-Fifties. I tried to collect every hit single... I’d also buy any recording I really liked, whether a hit or not. Add on my Rhythm and Blues collection … and you can see how I amassed a major collection with close to 15,000 45 rpm singles… I owe my parents very much for providing the magic of a background in music… I was always the flamboyant one attacking works by my favourite composers, Chopin and Rachmaninoff... I played piano in a Combo… You almost had to be there to imagine the impact of Elvis Presley on the world of pop music… My father always said my high school years would be the best years of my life – was he ever right!… Motown would soon be taking a major chunk of the music market… The British invasion… was a positive thing as it shook up the establishment… Collectively we held our breath as Kennedy stared down Russian Premier Kruschev in a scary game of nuclear roulette… Over the years CKOC would earn the reputation of being “the Hitmaker,” a leader in breaking new hits and new artists as more than 25 framed gold and platinum record awards would attest…" - Nevin Grant, author, Growing Up With The Hits! Reliving the Best Time of Your Life - 1955-1989
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Bequest
A Novel
Ian Thomas
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A Canadian-American university professor is beset with visions of dire things past, present and future; of death and tragedy and dark secrets hidden in the American countryside – including a ruthless waste management firm that finds toxic garbage is gold and no amount of environmental damage or loss of life is too high a price to pay for massive profits. With touches of humour and personal observations on the human condition, Thomas breathes life into his characters and keeps our heart rates soaring as he skillfully takes the plot through unexpected twists and turns and masterfully builds tension to the breaking point. |
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Title: Bequest |
Ian Thomas is beloved around the world as the singer/songwriter of smash hits Painted Ladies; Hold On, Come the Sun, and Right Before Your Eyes, plus hit songs for Manfred Mann, Santana, Chicago, America, etc. Bequest went into multiple printings and was paired by Amazon with Cormac McCarthy’s The Road
"… a page-turner of a first novel… death, murder, corruption and metaphysics … George Moss is gifted – or cursed – with ‘The Sight’, premonitions of the future and the ability to get inside the minds of those close to him who have died… then his psychic powers reveal disturbing suggestions about how his father died and grim consequences in terms of the environment … at times philosophical, at times amusing… always a gripping read as the danger unfolds…" - The Toronto Sun
"I couldn’t put the damn thing down… tightly crafted… lots of pithy observations on life, sexual relations, ethics, morality and politics… fastmoving… I wish I owned the movie rights." - Murray McLauchlan
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The Lost Chord
Ian Thomas
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"…fast-moving, plot-twisting thriller… also an aspiring novel of ideas, in which the writer… chastises religious intolerance…and envisions in detail a ‘life after life’… Ian Thomas has created a fascinating world and a worthy pageturner for a winter's night." - Peter Feniak, The Globe & Mail
"…Thomas finds himself in The Lost Chord… a perfect combination of musical notes… to send a spirit to the heavens… a portal to another world or spiritual parallel… gothic thriller in a Da Vinci Code sense... confronting all the big issues – religion, spirituality, love, death, life and the reasons for our very existence…" - Graham Rockingham, The Hamilton Spectator |
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Title: The Lost Chord
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"Ian Thomas's Lost Chord is a metaphysical nail-biter... kept me engaged emotionally and intellectually without food or drink for about 20 hours... unusual and thought-provoking... deserves huge attention from readers with a taste for unconventional thinking..." - Mag Ruffman, The Globe & Mail
The Lost Chord is the eagerly awaited second novel by singer-songwriter-author Ian Thomas. With a storyline that crosses into the realm of the otherworldly, The Lost Chord is certain to captivate the reading public with a compelling story of murder and madness, ancient secrets and modern day intrigue. The Lost Chord is an incredible journey into the uncharted waters that reside on the other side of physical existence. To return to an earthly plane from such a journey is to face the daunting struggle of learning to live with a knowledge no human being should possess. In 1847, a Franciscan monk, stumbles on a musical means facilitating consciousness leaving the body. The problem is… getting back! Not only does his work place many lives in jeopardy in his own time, but when his manuscript surfaces in 1989 the trouble begins all over again. There is a good reason why some of the greatest minds from Plato to Shakespeare have pondered the spiritual nature of music.
Ian Thomas, singer/songwriter of such smash hits as Painted Ladies; Hold On, and Right Before Your Eyes, (plus songs written for America, Chicago, Manfred Mann, Santana, etc.) arrived on the literary scene in 2006 with the release of his bestselling debut novel Bequest relating the story of a professor beset with visions of dire things past, present and future; of death and tragedy and dark secrets hidden in the American countryside. Hailed by the Toronto Sun as a "gripping page-turner," Bequest won the author a wide audience. Bestseller The Lost Chord went into a 2nd printing – further evidence of the Thomas touch. |
Monsters in the Moonlight
Creepy Short Stories
Marcus Starr
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Title: Monsters in the Moonlight
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Monsters in the Moonlight is a remarkable collection of short horror stories by award-winning author Marcus Starr, whose prior novel, Nora’s Curse, firmly established him as a genre leader and helped him find a vast and ever-growing legion of readers, who love the author’s ability to build fear and suspense via twisted plotlines with touches of macabre humor. The critically acclaimed writer’s stories have also been widely praised online and featured on Reddit. He is a two-time winner - 2022 and 2023 - of the Odd & Cryptic Cup.
"A horror writer’s horror writer… Marcus Starr has a wonderful knack for telling twisted stories. His style is uniquely his own, adding punches of humor that hit you right where it hurts…" - Jordan Grupe, author, novels, and short stories books: From the Darkness, and No Sleep Tonight
"From the critically acclaimed, award-winning author of Nora’s Curse comes Monsters in the Moonlight, an outstanding collection of superb horror stories – a truly gripping must-read…" - Michael B. Davie, author, The Late Man
About the Author
Marcus Starr is the critically acclaimed author of Nora's Curse, his breakthrough horror novel - and now, Monsters in the Moonlight collection of short stories.
The author is also a musician/songwriter and private music instructor, having performed in an assortment of bands/artists and solo projects, with numerous recordings and albums. His music spans blues rock, funk rock, jam rock, country blues, fingerstyle blues and more.
Marcus Starr is currently residing in the GTA, and is set to embark on his sophomore novel: House of the Hungry Ghosts. For more details concerning Marcus Starr, please visit: marcusstarrmusic.com
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Nora’s Curse
A Novel
Marcus Starr
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Title: Nora's Curse - A Novel / Marcus Starr
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Nora, a young Canadian woman living in danger in Boston, is about to cross paths with the city's mysterious serial killer when she's suddenly hit with a highly unusual curse that threatens to forever change her life and lend new meaning to the old adage 'Be careful what you wish for...' “A certain Bestseller filled with horror, violence, humor, sex, drugs and rock n' roll." - I. Murderman, author, Creep
More Praise for Nora’s Curse: Marcus Starr's debut novel is a tour de force! Full of interesting characters, delightfully unexpected songs, and a storyline that will keep you reading to find out what happens next. I'm looking forward to reading more from this talented new author! - Jordan Grupe, author, Beneath the Asylum
“Nora, a comely Canadian bartender plying her trade in Boston, is grappling with personal issues when a stalker killer inflicts terror on the American city she’s come to love. As the killer draws ever closer, things take an unexpected turn for the worst when Nora is suddenly hit with a debilitating supernatural curse that gives new meaning to the old adage: Be careful what you wish for. Intriguing and thought-provoking, steeped in horror and humor, this is a truly captivating debut novel by Marcus Starr – and it’s a superb must-read.” - Michael B. Davie, author, The Late Man
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Sweetly
A Novel
Denise McKay
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Title: Sweetly - A Novel
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“Already renowned for her sculptures and abstract paintings, Denise McKay’s irrepressible artistic bug is taking her in a new direction at 93 years old – published author… Sweetly draws on her experiences teaching at a one-room schoolhouse in Needles – renamed Narrows – a remote outpost in BC’s interior… Told with gentle humour, the story is set in the 1950s and begins with central character Betty Wheatley, just 19, stepping off a ferry in the dead of night to learn Narrows has no electricity – and her expected accommodations aren’t available… Sweetly – Betty’s nickname that is a play on her last name – encounters many trials that follow, including a bear disrupting her romantic picnic with a principal from a nearby town…" - Richard Leitner, The Hamilton Spectator
"Denise McKay is a gifted painter with oil or words. Sweetly is a truly enjoyable read… the vivid world she was creating and the characters, who lived there, pulled me in. I couldn’t put the book down…" - Ian Thomas, author, Bequest and The Lost Chord
"…engaging novel based on the author’s real-life experience as a teacher at a one-room schoolhouse in the rugged British Columbia interior… A young, free-spirited woman walks off a ferry boat and into a new life, dramatically different from anything she’s ever known… it’s bears, revelry and risqué romance for teacher Betty Wheatley – or Sweetly – as she’s nicknamed by her students at a remote schoolhouse in the Canadian wilderness…” - Michael B. Davie, author, The Late Man
Follow the misadventures of free-spirited young schoolteacher Betty Wheatley – or Sweetly – as she’s nick-named by her handful of students at a remote school house in the Canadian wilderness. She soon encounters bears, risqué romance, revelry – and retribution from judgemental locals. An insightful engaging novel based on the real-life experiences of author Denise McKay, a former teacher at a one-room schoolhouse in the rugged British Columbia interior… |
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