STORYWORLD

Canelo set to publish two dark and twisty suspense novels by M. M. DeLuca. Commissioning Editor Leodora Darlington has acquired WEL rights to new standalone suspense novels by M. M. DeLuca in a two-book deal.  The Secret Sister  is a gripping suspense novel with a twist that will leave readers reeling. We follow our protagonist, Anna, on her whirlwind romance that ends in her marrying almost-too-perfect Guy. But how much does Anna know about the man she has married? And how much does Guy know about his new wife? She’s certainly keeping her share of secrets, and the biggest one of all is the identity of the sister she lost many years ago, the sister she is still searching for now.  M. M. DeLuca studied psychology at the University of London and now resides in Canada. She studied Advanced Creative writing with Pulitzer prizewinning author, Carol Shields. Her first novel,  The Pitman's Daughter  was shortlisted for the Chapters Robertson Davies first novel in Canada award in 2001. She

TAKE IT BACK, an explosive and riveting drama. Kia Abdullah has written a bold and compelling novel that deals head-on with difficult and divisive issues. This page-turning novel explores the conflict between justice and pursuit of the truth versus family and cultural loyalty; rape and the sexualization of women; women's rights versus cultural  misogyny. If that's not enough, then there are also thematic threads related to substance abuse and bullying. The main story centres around Jodie, a genetically disfigured 16-year-old who reports that she's been raped by four young Muslim boys from her school. Main character, Zara, ex-hotshot barrister, now a sexual violence legal advocate, takes the case and is immediately thrown into an explosive and highly publicized courtroom drama where the focus immediately switches to race rather than rape. Pitted against her estranged Muslim family and her community, Zara is branded a traitor to her race and nothing more than an "Uncle T

  On first appearances, this novel by Grainne Murphy appears to be a suspenseful, disaster story centred around the lives of a group of innocent people trapped in a bus teetering on the edge of a massive sinkhole. While the central catastrophe does play an important part in the novel, the story really becomes an in-depth study of human love and loss and grief and our fragility and strength in the face of tragedy. Hence the title and the bus disaster becomes a metaphor for the knife-edge we vulnerable humans tread as we struggle to overcome adversity and survive.   The story begins when a road in rural Ireland collapses and swallows a bus carrying eight passengers. As the bus threatens to fall deeper into the sinkhole, the authorities scramble to set a rescue plan in place. What follows is partly the poignant story of some of the victims inside the bus, but mostly the novel focuses on the people involved in the rescue, mainly Nina, a news reporter on the scene, and her ex-husband Tim, a

  Now the evenings are cooler and summer is drawing to a close, it's time to reflect back on some of the other local trips we took and wonder how I ever complained about the endless sunshine and heat! Here are some of the highlights of our wanderings.                                                DELTA BEACH and FORT LA REINE MUSEUM Fort La Reine, on the outskirts of Portage la Prairie, is an interactive museum where you can wander through completely furnished houses and shops from every era in Manitoba's history from an authentic trapper's hut to a 1920's house to a fully functioning local newspaper office complete with printing press. Every detail is lovingly preserved. Set aside a few hours to get through every intricately furnished room. Delta Beach on Lake Manitoba is a wild and windswept place next to Delta Marsh - a favourite spot for hunting lodges since the Victorian era. Shallow, clear water and gnarled, uprooted tree trunks left over from the last major floo

The Beauty of Your Face  by Safar Mustafah is a compelling and authentic novel that not only explores the complex struggles of a culturally conflicted daughter of Palestinian immigrants, but also touches on universal themes such as identity, loss and the pain of a middle child rejected by her mentally fragile mother. The book follows dual storylines of Afaf , principal of a Muslim school for girls just outside Chicago, opening with the shocking arrival of a  xenophobic shooter who kills girls at random. The eventual tense standoff between Afaf and the shooter frames the more in-depth story of her earlier life leading to this point.   A bright, intelligent teenager, Afaf negotiates the difficulties of life as the daughter of secularized parents in a town where she faces casual but cruel racism on a daily basis. When a tragic loss causes major family upheaval, she struggles to find a place to belong when she’s spurned by all her classmates and even her own mother who seems to hate her. S

Though the summer of 2020 has kept us close to home, for many of us it's offered a golden opportunity to explore places we may have taken for granted in our mad dash to fly around the globe. Summer here in Manitoba, Canada, has turned out to be a glorious one despite the occasional thunderstorms so I decided to take advantage of the incredible weather and explore some of the beautiful sights of my home province. Manitoba's staggering size of 647,797 sq.km (101,593 sq. km of that is water) and relatively small population of 1.38 million people makes it easy to find remote, unspoiled areas by driving only a short distance. With a widely varying landscape from arctic tundra and the Hudson Bay coastline in the north, to dense boreal forest, prairie farmland, and white sandy lakeside beaches in the central and south regions, you can take your pick of amazing sights and experiences for even a short day trip. Here's a few highlights of some of our day trips: THE WHITESHELL

CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS   by Paul Buchanan Set in Los Angeles in the sweltering summer of 1962, this classic ‘noir’ detective novel beautifully captures the blistering heat and languorous mood of 1960's LA.   Private eye, Jimmy Keegan, used to be a hotshot crime reporter, but is now a lonely, middle-aged private eye,  haunted by the recent suicide of Marilyn Monroe and grieving the death of his mother.  When he’s approached by a mysterious man with a lucrative assignment that involves finding a young woman, he turns down the job but is surprised when the same woman turns up on the doorstep of his mother’s Hollywood Hills cottage. Soon events take a bizarre turn when man is killed and Keegan finds himself the prime suspect. Keegan is a likeable and sympathetic character at a low point in his life. Alone and doomed to a solitary existence, his most meaningful relationship turns out to be the little dog, Nora, that he inherits from his mother. But at heart he’s a good gu

Since April is National Poetry Month I decided to offer you a selection of poems for your viewing and listening pleasure. I challenge those of you who claim not be be poetry lovers to take a look and listen to this eclectic and spellbinding collection. Some are read by the actual poets and some by actors you may or may not recognize. Poetry is food for the soul. Poetry has the power to move you emotionally and intellectually. As the great poet T.S Eliot said, "Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood," so don't worry if you can't grasp the meaning of every phrase, just soak up its beauty! Hope you'll revel in these lush creations and their celebration of language, imagery and the senses. Just click on the title to go to the video. Enjoy! Still I Rise  by  MAYA ANGELOU: Watch a young and playful Maya Angelou present this inspiring poem about personal power. A Letter to Remind Myself Who I Am  by  SHANE KOYCZAN Forget the isolation blue

Right now our lives might seem like they resemble scenes from a dystopian novel. We're confined to our homes, either alone or with loved ones, looking for ways to occupy these long hours. So, if you can tear yourself away from the endless streams of newsfeed and the worry about what might happen in the days ahead, let your mind escape to something more stimulating. Here's a list of books, movies and TV shows that might help: BOOKS Thrillers You can't go wrong with Irish writer, Tana French. THE LIKENESS : Cassie Maddox has transferred out of the Dublin undercover squad. Months later she's summoned to a murder scene. The victim is her double and bears the identity of Cassie's last undercover alias. Cassie is forced back undercover to find the killer. THE TRESPASSER : Tough no-nonsense cop Antoinette Conway has clawed her wayup the ladder against all odds and despite constant harassment, but when a pretty, blonde murder victim turns up and Antoinette feel