Recipe for a really good read...
Throw in a little Neil Gaiman, kneaded gently with a heap of Roald Dahl and a dash of The Princess Bride; soak the mess in a strong maritime rum sauce, and pepper-pock it with pieces of eight, curried raisins, and a dirty fistful of fresh picked nettles - and you've got the makings of a fine read.
I've just returned from the launch of a brand new YA novel entitle THE DREAD CREW: PIRATES OF THE BACKWOODS and I was very impressed. For starters, there was a massive turn-out for an audience, nearly filling the centre grotto of the Cultural Federation. There was a table of copies being sold by the good folks at Woozles and a line-up to buy them. There was a gorgeous cake with the cover art painted on and oodles of thick gooey Sobey's frosting.
And more important there was a darned fine yarn a'spinning.
"Under the darkest cloak of night, her cats are first to sense the rumble." - (first line)
THE DREAD CREW is a wildly imaginative frolic through a woods that is both eerily dark and splendidly foolish. From the book's spooky opening chapter to the marvelous rumblings of the Barrow land-ship; through the cobratic dreadlocks of Captain Hector the Wrecker Gristle and the maggoty beard of First Mate Vincent the Vile Van Goon; to the savage plundering raids for bricabrac and assorted trash this book is a nonstop roller coaster of kid-flavoured fun and excitement.
THE DREAD CREW is a very "un-Nova-Scotia" novel that is guaranteed to please and entertain adults and young folk alike. Besides the marvelous storytelling talents of the author the artwork that accompanies is a splendid exercise of pure primeval pre-steampunk backwoods goth majesty by artist Sydney Smith. It's funny and imaginative and imaginatively funny. Pick this one up fast, folks are going to be talking about for some time to come.
Here's a look at the cover.
And do check out the author's amazing website.
http://www.dreadcrew.com/
Do pick this up. It's a perfect gift for Christmas.
Yours in storytelling,
Steve Vernon
I've just returned from the launch of a brand new YA novel entitle THE DREAD CREW: PIRATES OF THE BACKWOODS and I was very impressed. For starters, there was a massive turn-out for an audience, nearly filling the centre grotto of the Cultural Federation. There was a table of copies being sold by the good folks at Woozles and a line-up to buy them. There was a gorgeous cake with the cover art painted on and oodles of thick gooey Sobey's frosting.
And more important there was a darned fine yarn a'spinning.
"Under the darkest cloak of night, her cats are first to sense the rumble." - (first line)
THE DREAD CREW is a wildly imaginative frolic through a woods that is both eerily dark and splendidly foolish. From the book's spooky opening chapter to the marvelous rumblings of the Barrow land-ship; through the cobratic dreadlocks of Captain Hector the Wrecker Gristle and the maggoty beard of First Mate Vincent the Vile Van Goon; to the savage plundering raids for bricabrac and assorted trash this book is a nonstop roller coaster of kid-flavoured fun and excitement.
THE DREAD CREW is a very "un-Nova-Scotia" novel that is guaranteed to please and entertain adults and young folk alike. Besides the marvelous storytelling talents of the author the artwork that accompanies is a splendid exercise of pure primeval pre-steampunk backwoods goth majesty by artist Sydney Smith. It's funny and imaginative and imaginatively funny. Pick this one up fast, folks are going to be talking about for some time to come.
Here's a look at the cover.
And do check out the author's amazing website.
http://www.dreadcrew.com/
Do pick this up. It's a perfect gift for Christmas.
Yours in storytelling,
Steve Vernon