General News

NTPL hosts Local Author Showcase and Book Fair

November 25, 2022   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The New Tecumseth Public Library hosted a Local Author Showcase & Bookfair at the Tottenham Community Centre on Saturday, Nov. 19, with 22 authors from the region meeting with visitors and discussing their books.

“We started thinking about this event only four weeks ago,” explained Kim Burgess, adult services program coordinator at the library. “We began promoting [it] at the beginning of November. We thought that if we got five authors we would have it – we have 22 authors. We have authors from New Tecumseth, Simcoe County, and then we expanded it – we have an author from Orangeville, Newmarket, and Hamilton. We have children’s books, poetry, collections, and we have one from our local Wordsmiths Writing Group. This is the first year we’ve done something like this, and the local authors and artists are exceptionally appreciative and so is the community.”

New Tecumseth author, J.C. Kavanagh has just released a new novel. Titled, A Bright Darkness, it is the third in a series.

Her first book, The Twisted Climb, was followed by Darkness Descends, and was voted Best Young Adult book in the 2018 Critters Readers Poll.

A Bright Darkness brings the main characters together for a final, epic adventure.

The storyline in the books is based on Ojibwe folklore. Ms. Kavanagh, was helped with her research by an Ojibwe elder.

“It’s [a] trilogy,” Ms. Kavanagh explained. “Three teenagers are the main characters and they are summoned at night, in a dream world. They encounter all sorts of paranormal activities. The series continues when one of the characters is trapped there. It goes back to the Ojibwe legends, and the respect for nature and native traditions.”

The third book delivers an entirely different twist on the dream world and what the characters must overcome.

Ms. Kavanagh has been doing creative writing since 2014, after a long career that ended when restructuring ended her job at that time.

“This final book took almost a year to write because I spent months doing research,” She explained.

A Bright Darkness is available on Amazon, and you can request it at Chapters.

It is also available at the Simcoe Arts Studio 41 Victoria Street in Alliston as well as at the New Tecumseth Public Library.

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