I’m excited to announce that I’m heading back to my home province of Saskatchewan for not one, but two book launches of Tales from the 44 Trail! The first will be where it all started – in Yellow Creek. Join me for a book reading, sharing of memories and a few laughs in the Silver Halos room of the former school on Sunday, June 2nd starting at 1PM.
The second launch will take place in Saskatoon at the Refinery Arts & Spirit Centre, 609 Dufferin Ave. on Wednesday, June 5th starting at 7PM. Do NOT come early as a Zoomba class will be in full swing upstairs until 7 – that is, unless you enjoy loud music. My event will take place downstairs and will be much more subdued.
If you’ve already purchased my book, many thanks! Come anyway and say hello. I’ll be happy to autograph the book for you. And if you know someone who might be interested in attending either or both events, pass on an invite to them.
I look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones.
Yes, that’s little me on the book cover of my newest memoir! And my childhood home still stands (just barely) in those trees in the background image behind me. A brief summary of the book is as follows:
“Imagine growing up in the middle of nowhere in rural Saskatchewan, Canada with no electricity, no running water, no car and no telephone. No problem for prairie-born and raised Irene Pylypec. For siblings Irene and Bobby, their small, 160-acre, self-sustaining farm, located four miles from the village of Yellow Creek, is the centre of their universe. From searching for tadpoles in one of many sloughs to playing hockey with frozen horse turds, there’s always something for these two to do. That is, after all the chores are done, of course.
In this memoir, the author shares sometimes poignant, but mostly humorous tales of life on a 1960s prairie farm. From her earliest memories as a three-year-old to her senior year in high school, Irene entertains the reader with her many adventures and misadventures.”
The digital version of my newest memoir launches on September 8th. The paperback will launch shortly afterwards. I’m working with a designer in creating the final cover, so I’m hoping he will provide it sooner rather than later. If you can’t wait to read my story, you can pre-order the e-book from Amazon TODAY! On September 8th, it will appear on your Kindle, just like that. It’s magic!
You’ve all been watching the news. You know what’s happening. You know children in Ukraine are suffering. There is no need for me to repeat this information. What you may not know is what you can do to help. Here is one small way that you can.
Nashi, which means “Our Children”, is a Canadian charity that seeks to educate people about human trafficking. The organization has a safehouse for at-risk young girls in Ukraine, however all the girls have been temporarily evacuated to Poland due to the war in Ukraine. Starting from today and until further notice, I am contributing 100% of my royalties from my memoir, A Squatter in London, to this volunteer-run organization. That includes the e-book as well as the paperback version. Buy the book. Tell your friends. Share this post.
Despite references to my Ukrainian heritage and culture, the main theme of my book, A Squatter in London is not about Ukraine or Ukrainian children. However, if you are interested in reading about my travel experiences to then-Soviet Ukraine in 1982, I have contributed a chapter entitled Meeting My Grandmother to another author’s book. If you enjoy non-fiction, in particular autobiographies and memoirs, pick up a copy of Wish You Were Here. The book is an anthology of 20 different travel stories, expertly-curated by Alyson Sheldrake.
Behind every bookmark is a fascinating story. The bookmark pictured here is no exception. Far from it.
Nestled in the rugged Sierra Norte de Puebla mountainous region of Mexico lies the remote village of San Pablito. The Otomis, forced out by other indigenous groups, migrated to this area as early as 800 AD. Aztecs conquered the area in the late 15th century, but the Otomis managed to maintain much of their culture and traditions.
Initially siding with the Spanish to oust the Aztecs during the Spanish Conquest, the Otomis later rebelled against Spanish rule. Because of the isolation and lack of mineral resources, not many Spanish chose to live here. Plus, enforcing Spanish law in this harsh terrain was difficult. As a result, the Otomis continued their culture and traditions in this part of Old Mexico and do so to this very day.
A tradition of high importance to this and other indigenous groups is the spiritual practise of amate paper making. This handmade paper was considered neutral until shamans used it in religious paper cutting ceremonies. The shaman cut various images into the paper while acting as an intermediary between humans and their gods. Each cut of paper was believed to be increasingly powerful while shamans attempted to communicate with their deities. Banned by the Spanish because the practise was believed to encourage witchcraft, San Pablito, due to its remote location, managed to evade detection when making amate paper.
The process of creating amate paper is in itself fascinating. Bark from wild fig (xalama), nettle (jonote) or mulberry (moral) tree is stripped and boiled in a mixture of water, lime, and ash. All the bark must be removed and cooled several times to avoid over-softening. The bark is then rinsed to remove all residue and meticulously separated in fibrous strands. These strips are sometimes bleached or dyed at this stage. Then the strands are carefully arranged in rectangular shapes on wood boards and pounded down with specially designed volcanic rock. When the correct thickness is achieved, the rectangular pieces are left to dry.
Nowadays, amate paper is not restricted for use by shamans. The process has become commercialized, bringing much needed employment into this small community. Sheets of paper are sent to Nahua artisans for painting, then sold in various markets. The bookmark pictured above was purchased at one such local market in the nearby town of Pahuatlán, where locals dress in traditional clothing on Sundays and walk through the streets in their bare feet.
You can read about my visit to this part of Old Mexico as well as other out of the way places in my upcoming book, An English Teacher in Mexico. Just don’t forget to bookmark this site!
Woman in San Pablito creates amate paper. Photo placed on amate paper book.
Hey folks! What are you doing this Sunday? I know what I’ll be doing. This Sunday, March 21, 2021, I will be available ALL DAY for an online chat on the friendliest group on Facebook, WeLoveMemoirs. Why don’t you take sometime out and join me in some scintillating conversation?
Time travel with me to 1970s London. If you read my memoir, A Squatter in London but want to know more about my adventures, here’s your chance. Are you wondering what everyday life was like as a squatter? Are you a child of the 70s and want to reminisce about the good ole days? Do you have questions about the writing process? And is David Bowie somehow part of the story?
Here’s your chance to put me on the hotseat. You may ask me anything you like. But if you love to read memoirs and are not a member of the fabulous, most friendliest group on Facebook, We love Memoirs, you’re out of luck. Just kidding. Here’s the link to join the chat.
Bookmark the date: Sunday, March 21, 2021. Get your questions ready and join the conversation. Make your Sunday a Fun Day! I look forward to hearing from you!
Recently someone left a 1-star ranking for my book and it’s affected me more than I care to admit. It was not even a proper review, just 1-star, with no explanation given whatsoever.
To continue writing or give it up altogether? That is the question many authors face. One day, someone who probably never should have picked up your years of blood, sweat and tears in the form of a published book, glibly awards you a 1-star rating. But the next, someone who has actually read and enjoyed said book, leaves a glowing 5-star review, explaining exactly what it was that kept them turning the pages.
Such is the life of a writer. A pendulum swinging back and forth – to write or not to write? A yo-yo of emotions, going up only to come crashing down. We have spent many hours (and in some cases, years!) perfecting our craft. We have pored over the manuscript, self-edited, wrote and re-wrote our manuscript, agonized over the perfect cover, and did our best to market our product.
Depending on our skill set, we probably hired professionals to assist us with formatting, editing, proofreading, cover design and marketing.
Some of us writers sent out dozens of manuscripts to traditional publishers, only to be rejected time and time again. We wrote query letter after query letter hoping an agent would represent us. Others took a deep breath and went the self-publishing route.
Why? Because we love what we do! We are storytellers and we want to share our stories with you, the reader. Our reward is your enjoyment of our craft. OK, making a few dollars in sales is nice too! So when our reward is a stinky 1-star carelessly posted somewhere out there in cyberspace for millions to see, it greatly impacts us in a negative way.
I’ll end this rant by saying, if you read any of my work and enjoyed it, consider leaving a review. Even one or two sentences makes a BIG difference. If, however, you didn’t, send me a private message and tell me what I could have done better.
Operation Julie – the Inside Story by Stephen Bentley
I don’t usually publish book reviews, but this one is just too good not to share.
Stephen Bentley is an undercover cop. Steve Jackson is a hippie drug dealer – or is he? In order to infiltrate a global drug ring – the characters manufacturing and distributing LSD in the UK, a clandestine group of detectives need to live a double life. This raw, captivating account of working deep undercover in 1970s UK is told by a detective who lived it.
This true story describes not only the intricacies of an undercover operation but also the difficulties detectives experience in adjusting to “normal” life after the project is completed. The author does not hold back in describing the toll it took on his personal life, especially the effects on his mental health at a time when there was little understanding from superiors during an undercover operation and no support afterwards. And, to this day, the author remains conflicted about relationships he established in the past as he asks himself, “who am I?”
As someone who lived in the UK and Ireland while this investigation was going on, I wonder how close some of my acquaintances at that time were to Operation Julie detectives. One of the addresses given in the book was a stone’s throw away from a London squat I lived in.
A great read, but I think it could have ended sooner. All the rambling points at the end sound more like the author trying to convince himself. We, the readers already get it. Case closed. 5 Stars
It may still be Cyber Monday for a short while, but these books, including A Squatter in London, are discounted all week! Sale ends December 8th. Get your Christmas shopping done early. Buy now!
My memoir, A Squatter in London, is only $0.99US. The paperback is also available for only $11.99 – and you get the added benefit of laughing at photos taken of me in the 1970s!
Of course, my short (very short!) story, Farmers’ Daughters is always FREE just by joining my mailing list.
Irene Pylypec 