October 15 is the day of my book launch of Paper Roses on Stony Mountain, a historical and biographical fiction, set on a Manitoba farm, the federal penetentiary village of Stony Mountain, and in Winnipeg, during the Great Depression and the early years of World War II.
It’s the third book in Lukia’s Family Saga series, but can be read as a standalone. It follows the life of Lukia Mazurets, a Ukrainian farmwife, and her children in Russia (today’s Ukraine) as they manage the stresses and strains of World War I, the wars that followed, and her immigration to Canada.
As part of the launch, I had arranged book signings at Coho Books, a local book store in Campbell River, and later the same day at Laughing Oyster Bookshop in Courtenay, a lovely city less than an hour away.
But then this happened
I learned that our grandson’s second feature film, The Banality, had been selected for its world premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival on October 16th. Yikes! I wanted to see it, for a number of reasons.
One, it’s a big deal for our grandson, Michael Stevantoni, who directed and co-wrote it with Strack Azar, and I want to cheer him on and …
Two, I play the part of Mrs. Webb, a widow, who Father Moss (played by Sherman Augustus of Stranger Things) has some connection to. So, it’ll be nice ( I hope) to see my work on the big screen. The film was shot in Mississippi in the summer of 2019, but with covid and challenges of post-production, the directors and producer waited until this year to submit it to film festivals
Change of Plans
So, instead of staying home for my book launch of Paper Roses on Stony Mountain and signing books at a couple of independent bookstores, I’m off with our daughter Karen (Michael’s mother), to Costa Mesa, California for the premiere screening of The Banality.
My new dates for Book Signing at Coho Books in Campbell River are now Thursday, Oct. 20th from 10 to noon and at Laughing Oyster Bookshop in Courtenay, same day, from 1 to 3 pm. It’ll also be available in the book department in Save-On Foods, Campbell River.
And on Oct. 22nd, I’ll be at the Big Island BookFest in Courtenay at the Florence Filberg Centre from 10 am to 5 pm. I’ll be signing books (any one of my novels) and I’ll be reading a section from Paper Roses on Stony Mountain at 12:15 pm.
Outside of local areas, if you’re interested in this novel, you can ask your indie bookstore to bring it in. They can order it through Book Manager, which has access to the Ingram Spark catalogue, or order it through Amazon, Kobo, Apple, Barnes & Noble, etc.
My Youtube Channel
I’ve posted the book trailer for my latest novel on my YouTube Channel as well as a two minute reading sample. I’m so pleased with Sally Speaking, who lives north of the Cotswolds in England and produced the trailer, that I’ve asked her to do another two more for me.
On the Horizon
I hope you stay tuned. After my book launch of Paper Roses on Stony Mountain, I’m anxious to get back to one of the projects I’ve started. I’m not sure what to tackle next, but I’ll be posting my plans in the next while.
Comments
Any comments or questions are always appreciated. I hope you and your family stay well, and that you have a pleasant fall.
