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Manor Library welcomed local author Tanya Reimer

Local author, Tanya Reimer of Bellegarde, has recently released two novels, Ghosts on the Prairies and Petrified.
Tanya Reimer
Local author, Tanya Reimer of Bellegarde, held a book reading and signing at the Manor Library on Monday, March 2.

                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.

                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.

                “I’ve been writing my whole life,” Reimer said. “There’s no start or end to it. I started writing when I was in high school regularly for the Redvers Optimist.”

                Reimer had a regular column in The Optimist, which is where she allowed her love of writing grow and evolve.

                At the age of 18, Reimer had successfully written a book and although it wasn’t published, it was a huge accomplishment.

                “The very first one I wrote when I was 18, but it wasn’t very good,” Reimer laughed; however, she does acknowledge it was a necessary book to write.

                “It was a very good learning experience. The book was a murder mystery, so I learned about red herrings and how to keep suspense.”

                Reimer continued to work at her craft and this passion for writing led her to the two novels released this year.

                Ghosts on the Prairies developed through research Reimer had done in the area.

                “I was doing research for a story about my grandma, but that story never really turned out,” Reimer explained. “I would be researching and certain facts would trigger my imagination and off it went.”

                “This one is focused on Francophone history and pioneers mostly around 1918.”

                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.

                This novel is directed towards an adult readership, while her other novel, Petrified, is categorized as a Young Adult novel.

                “I 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,” Reimer explained. “Petrified, though, is about Whisperers in the future and is based out of Moose Jaw.”

                “I didn’t intend to publish it, but I revisited it a few times and thought that it could be.”

                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.

                “They’re speculative fiction so it’s a different mindset, it’s fantasy,” Reimer stated.

                For those who enjoy fantasy novels, they will be enthralled by the stories Reimer is telling.

                This process of storytelling was easy for Reimer to complete; the difficult aspect was having her books published.

                “It was a long process,” Reimer said of publishing her works. “I 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’s very difficult to find one in Canada if you’re 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.”

                Now Reimer is tasked with promoting her books, which she has found quite interesting as well.

                “You go from doing everything alone, you’re 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.”

                “You 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’s good to have that feedback.”

                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.

                When asked if she had any advice for young writers with similar interests, Reimer gave four main points: “Definitely write every day, that’s 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.”

                Though Reimer says she hasn’t built a sod house, she does say the research and efforts she’s put into knowing her subject matter means she would be able to walk someone through it. It’s the knowledge of their surroundings and how things work that allows authors to present a realistic world, something tangible, even if it’s set in an alternate reality where fantasy is prevalent.

                “It’s interesting all the things you learn,” Reimer explained. “You can research for days and hours on end to just have a trickle of little things in your novels, but it’s the little details, the lantern casting shadows, that makes the setting real.”

                The students from Manor School present for the reading thoroughly enjoyed meeting a local author and were excited by the content of the books.

                Reimer’s books are most easily available through her website: http://tanyareimerauthor.wix.com/books.