Author's RANT & RAVE H-N

Check out what some of the Participating Authors have to say.

Vanessa Hawkins   Jan Fancy Hull  Diane McGyver  

Lisette Meuse-Manuel  

Grant Miller  Eden Monroe  

 

Vanessa Hawkins

I am thrilled to be returning to the GMRD Book Fair this year! With last year’s overwhelming success, I’m looking forward to meeting more local readers and sharing in the experience of crafting and telling stories.

I have had over fourteen works published throughout my writing career, in the form of short works, poetry, novellas and of course full length books. Due to the variety of genres that I indulge in, I am always so pleased by the diversity of readers I encounter during these local markets. This time around, I promise not to leave half my inventory at home! Haha.

Also this year, I will be showcasing my recent endeavor, Twice Hung, which is to be released late this year. It is a historical mystery taking place in 1860’s P.E.I. Of course my fan favorites, like A Child to Cry Over, Dante’s Inferno–a spicy retelling—The Curious Case of Simon Todd, and the Ballroom Riot series, will also be making an appearance at this year’s GMRD Book Fair, as well as a few freebies I’ve been working on.

So whether you are an avid reader of fantasy, dark smut, historical mystery, crime fiction, or urban fantasy romance, be sure to stop in at the GMRD Book Fair. I promise you, there will be something for everyone! XD

Jean Fancy Hull

RANT (with a suggestion):

How can we, smart writers all, promote our books and ourselves so that people who love our kind of book will find us, huh?

In the before times, we had only to staple a poster to the telephone pole at the corner and people would flock to our thing. If we put a notice in the newspaper, we’d have to bring in extra chairs. Not now. People move too fast for posters. That newspaper? Going or gone. Social media? Fragmented and demented. Besides, we need to reach readers far beyond the pole at the corner.

Marketing workshops often begin, “Here’s what you should do…” suggesting we post on social media. Thanks, Captain Obvious. Tell me how to get reviews and mentions where readers will learn about me. Tell me how to build a buzz. Better still, do it for me! If a publicist out there is looking to build up a portfolio, I wish they’d come to book events like the GMRD Book Fair, with a scalable menu of services and rates. I can’t afford my own publicist when even our largest publishers can scarcely employ one. But a small fee from many of us should make a smart part-time gig for someone.

RAVE (very positive):

I’m grateful to every individual, group, and organization that says, “Hey, why don’t we put on a book or author event?” (as long as they promote it). Promoting authors and books is important work in our democracy and I’m not kidding.

Of the four book fairs I participated in last year. I’m still raving about the GMRD Book Fair, and the amazing energy that Allan Hudson gives to it! An indie author, Allan works hard to promote other authors because he loves us, apparently. Backatcha, Allan!

About me? I’m author of the Tim Brown Mystery series. They're in the genre of “cozy”. (See Chuck Bowie’s post here for an excellent description about what cozy mysteries do and do not include.) By the time we all gather at GMRD, I will have published June: Trespasses. My eighth, July: Confidence comes out this fall. More about all that on Facebook, Instagram, and my website.

Diane McGyver

In the depths of her imagination-filled heart, Diane McGyver, is a fantasy author. That said, she loves to delve into the dynamic relations between a man and a woman who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances, whether in a fantasy realm or the ‘real’ world.

McGyver, who will be attending the Greater Moncton Riverview Dieppe Book Fair for the first time in 2024, wrote Northern Survival in 2019 after watching a video by a plane crash survivor in Quebec. She chose the setting for her fictional plane crash in Northern Ontario, a barren strip of land miles away from civilization.

As the two lone survivors, a hiker from Nova Scotia and a movie star from California, begin their trek to escape the unforgiving wilderness, they discover common ground that enables them to work together.

This story is laced with romance, but its more about adventure and surviving the harshness of nature.

One of many Amazon Reviews for Northern Survival states: A good read: I have hiked the wilderness the book describes, and accuracy brought back many memories.

But as has been stated, McGyver is a fantasy author, and in the spring of 2023, she released her latest novel. A tome of more than 400 pages aptly named Dragons in the Dungeon. Inspired by the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons of her youth, she tells the story of Cormac, a young man, also a D&D fan, who is lost in the fantasy realm. His only escape is to find another from his home world and sacrifice them. He’s found one, and he need only get her to the wizard to perform the spell.

Both books, Northern Survival and Dragons in the Dungeon, will be available from McGyver at the GMRD Book Fair.

Lisette Meuse-Manuel

Having worked in the beauty and wellness industry for 36 years, and hearing the same, middle age changes related questions and comments daily in her treatment room, Lisette Manuel felt compelled to write a self-care /self-help book for women. By the year 2025, there will be over one billion women going through menopause and most are ill prepared to deal with it. Having gone through the process herself naturally, without hormone therapy, Lisette believes that knowledge is power and being your own advocate for your health is the best way to prepare for this transformative life stage. This book highlights her personal menopause journey with a sprinkle of humour and scientific facts. PREPARE TO PAUSE is a self-published title written to empower women and help them navigate through this hormonal shift. It is a book on how to prepare for Menopause as well as general lifestyle advice, nutrition and beauty tips. It is available at www.dermakaesthetics.com at Chapters in Dieppe, lulu.com as well as Amazon.

A voracious reader from a young age, she had toyed with the idea of writing a book several times in the last 15 years, but 2023 was the year that it happened. Lisette got bitten by the writing bug and is working on her second book, a cozy mystery novel; which blends adventures, supernatural folklore and local, supposedly, haunted places. This will be her first experience at the Greater Moncton Riverview & Dieppe Book Fair in July 2024 and she is looking forward to meeting everyone.

Grant Miller

Author of Life-Line: Origins

At a very young age, I became fascinated with science fiction in its many forms allowing me to escape into my imagination. As a young gay child, I didn’t have the opportunity to express myself for who I was. Society taught me to hide, which I did - in the world of science fiction.

I read voraciously - even though I wasn’t represented. As an adult, I desired to see and read about gay characters and saw few - until I saw a Captain Jack Harkness on Dr. Who. I was elated! So much so, that I decided to write a short story with gay characters. It sat unfinished

until 2018 when I expanded the short story into Life-Line: Origins. There are many predominant gay, lesbian and transgender characters in my first novel and more will come in the trilogy.

I want to reach out to fans of science fiction and let them know that no matter your sexuality, science fiction can speak to you. So, I challenge everyone to read a book with LGBTQ+ characters! My novel contains many contemporary world issues, but takes place in the far future, where people like me are again oppressed. I encourage you to check out my website to read a summary of my novel. It can be found at https://www.grantedwardmiller.ca/books.html. There you will learn about my novel: “Both a soaring love story and sweeping sci-fi epic, Life-Line: Origins is a thrilling gay romance and science fiction novel. Ambitious, gripping, and full of heart, it is a must-read for anyone hungry for adventure and intrigue.”

I look forward to seeing you at the Greater Moncton Riverview Dieppe

Book Fair! Carpe diem!

Eden Monroe

So looking forward to this year’s Greater Moncton Riverview Dieppe Book Fair. It promises to be an exciting event again this year, and the man behind the magic is champion organizer, Allan Hudson. Thanks Allan!

I’ll be featuring my latest novel, Sunrise Interrupted (April release), along with my full line of Romantic Suspense titles. I’ll also have the Canadian Historical Mystery, Who Buried Sarah. This is one of the five-star reviews received for that book:

“First Rate Historical Fiction Novel - Riveting!

Eden Monroe just gets better and better. I've read all her books and this one doesn't disappoint. Kept me up all night, and felt sleep-deprived all the next day, but worth it. She brings that time and place and characters alive on the page, and gives you an ending you didn't expect. Highly recommended.”

Award-winning suspense novelist, Joan Hall Hovey.

Showcasing my work at the Greater Moncton Riverview Dieppe Book Fair is a very special occasion for me, because I get to meet readers face to face. Meeting other authors is also a big part of this great experience, a friendly gathering of like-minded people and their books. On the practical side of things, I love the Greater Moncton Riverview Dieppe Book Fair because it’s so well organized, not only for authors, but in every way for all who come to find the perfect read. In many respects it’s like family having a bunch of really nice people over to talk about books. It’s the ultimate full-circle moment, and I really enjoy it.