聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Local author, Tanya Reimer of Bellegarde, has recently released two novels, Ghosts on the Prairies and Petrified. Stopping by the Manor Library on Monday, March 2, she read from her books to students from Manor School and was there to answer questions that afternoon.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Reimer is currently working on books two and three within the Sacred Land series - Ghosts on the Prairies being the first in the series - and has a separate series she is considering having published as well.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚鈥檝e been writing my whole life,鈥� Reimer said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no start or end to it. I started writing when I was in high school regularly for the Redvers Optimist.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Reimer had a regular column in The Optimist, which is where she allowed her love of writing grow and evolve.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 At the age of 18, Reimer had successfully written a book and although it wasn鈥檛 published, it was a huge accomplishment.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he very first one I wrote when I was 18, but it wasn鈥檛 very good,鈥� Reimer laughed; however, she does acknowledge it was a necessary book to write.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t was a very good learning experience. The book was a murder mystery, so I learned about red herrings and how to keep suspense.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Reimer continued to work at her craft and this passion for writing led her to the two novels released this year.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ghosts on the Prairies developed through research Reimer had done in the area.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 was doing research for a story about my grandma, but that story never really turned out,鈥� Reimer explained. 鈥淚 would be researching and certain facts would trigger my imagination and off it went.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭his one is focused on Francophone history and pioneers mostly around 1918.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Described by Reimer as being speculative fiction, Ghosts on the Prairies, follows the main protagonist, Antoine, and is set in the prairies in the early 1900s. From bootleggers, to slavery, to exploding churches, the novel delves into a fantasy world based heavily on the history of the prairies while adding a paranormal twist.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This novel is directed towards an adult readership, while her other novel, Petrified, is categorized as a Young Adult novel.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 had written Petrified for the kids years ago, the kids told me they were sick of me writing all the time and wanting a story for them to read, so this is a kids version of another series of historical books about Whisperers,鈥� Reimer explained. 鈥淧etrified, though, is about Whisperers in the future and is based out of Moose Jaw.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 intend to publish it, but I revisited it a few times and thought that it could be.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Petrified is set in 2115 and is again what Reimer calls, speculative fiction. It focuses on Gabe, the main protagonist, who is on the run and is focused on defeating the bogies who took his brother.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hey鈥檙e speculative fiction so it鈥檚 a different mindset, it鈥檚 fantasy,鈥� Reimer stated.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For those who enjoy fantasy novels, they will be enthralled by the stories Reimer is telling.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This process of storytelling was easy for Reimer to complete; the difficult aspect was having her books published.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t was a long process,鈥� Reimer said of publishing her works. 鈥淚 revisited my work a lot and being happy with it, it can never be perfect but to a point that it looked good, I began looking for an agent. It鈥檚 very difficult to find one in Canada if you鈥檙e not already published. I decided that my two books might not need an agent and began looking for a publisher. I was picky about who I was sending them to and it took about a year and a half to do that, then another six months to find out if anyone was interested in publishing them. Each one has their own publisher.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Now Reimer is tasked with promoting her books, which she has found quite interesting as well.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淵ou go from doing everything alone, you鈥檙e writing alone, and then you have to get out there to do interviews, do book signings, talk to book store owners, and talking to fans has been interesting.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淵ou get all sorts of comments, there were a couple people who told me they had tears in their eyes at different points in the book and it鈥檚 good to have that feedback.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Reimer is currently polishing two other novels in her Sacred Land series and is looking to publish the series, Petrified, based on, The Legend of Whisperers which she is also working on.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 When asked if she had any advice for young writers with similar interests, Reimer gave four main points: 鈥淒efinitely write every day, that鈥檚 very important. Take criticism, but know how to use it. Ask others for advice, especially other writers. And most importantly go out and live, you need experience.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Though Reimer says she hasn鈥檛 built a sod house, she does say the research and efforts she鈥檚 put into knowing her subject matter means she would be able to walk someone through it. It鈥檚 the knowledge of their surroundings and how things work that allows authors to present a realistic world, something tangible, even if it鈥檚 set in an alternate reality where fantasy is prevalent.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting all the things you learn,鈥� Reimer explained. 鈥淵ou can research for days and hours on end to just have a trickle of little things in your novels, but it鈥檚 the little details, the lantern casting shadows, that makes the setting real.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The students from Manor School present for the reading thoroughly enjoyed meeting a local author and were excited by the content of the books.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Reimer鈥檚 books are most easily available through her website: .
