Cursed on the Prairies coming in September…

If you’ve read Tanya Reimer’s Sacred Land Stories Legends on the Prairies and Ghosts on the Prairies you’ll be delighted to hear that the concluding story Cursed on the Prairies will be published next month. An emotional journey that proves we can’t escape our destinies, Cursed on the Prairies is the culmination of a trans-generational timeline that started in Legends… and continued in Ghosts… If you haven’t read the Sacred Land Stories, now is your chance to read the first two before Cursed on the Prairies comes out.

This is alternate history suspense, incorporating the paranormal and magical realism, and infused with romance. They are stories that concern the Sacred Lands of the Ghost tribes in the prairies of Saskatchewan. But they also touch on the interwoven loves, hopes, dreams and tragedies of lives lived on those prairies by both the tribes and the settlers. Although each book in the series is a standalone story which can be read without any knowledge of the other two books, the greatest enjoyment is likely to gained by reading them in sequence.

With lingering spirits, a troubled girl, dark rituals, a love potion, cursed men plaguing their lands, a prison break, and the earth itself trying to suck them in, Cursed on the Prairies is a Sacred Land Story that shows that the prairies are a place full of secrets that even a ghost can’t bury.

Artwork: Alison Buck
Artwork: Alison Buck

 

If someone believed you were a hero of legend, could you live up to it or would you walk away?

Tanya Reimer’s new novel tells how one unlikely man settling in the prairies of Saskatchewan in 1892 brings hope to the Ghost tribes and protects their Sacred Land

DARTFORD, KENT – 1 July 2016 – Elsewhen Press, an independent UK publisher specialising in Speculative Fiction, is delighted to announce the forthcoming publication of Legends on the Prairies, a Sacred Land Story by Canadian author Tanya Reimer. The prequel to her acclaimed debut novel Ghost on the Prairies, a Sacred Land Story, it tells the story of two people from different backgrounds and cultures who meet and bond over a common cause against a shared nemesis.

Artwork: Alison Buck
Artwork: Alison Buck

“Don’t you believe in legends?” Such a simple question, yet what Sacri really wants Alex to believe is that he is the hero from her legends. A hero meant to save land sacred to her tribe.

Alex is a lot of things. He’s a painter, a sculptor, and a dreamer. He has just been fired from a good job, grieves for a woman he hoped to marry, and is known as the local drunk. He’s terrified of fire, of losing his friend, and of being alone. He is a lot of things, but hero isn’t one of them.

Travelling across the country in 1892 to settle land on an unexplored part of the prairies, he hopes to find himself, to find a reason for his pitiful existence, and to have one last adventure with his dying friend. What he actually finds in the heart of the lonesome prairies is Sacri, defending land with her very soul. She believes he is the Man of Legends sent to save Sacred Land. Her determination entrances him. Despite himself, Alex finds himself praying to a God that he thought had abandoned him, in the hope that, just maybe, there is some truth to Sacri’s stories.

To add to Alex’s unease is the certainty that Sacri’s brother, often merely glimpsed as a silver shadow riding his horse across the horizon, will happily kill Alex if he turns out not to be the man that Sacri thinks he is.

Alternate history with paranormal and romantic elements, Legends on the Prairies, a Sacred Land Story is about growth, friendship, love, and the importance of believing in ourselves.

“This prequel doesn’t just add depth to the tale we already know,” says Peter Buck, Editorial Director of Elsewhen Press, “because, as well as providing some history for those characters, it gives us an insightful story about two people who are driven to fulfill a destiny they don’t necessarily understand or even fully believe. It’s a story about how the goodness in a person’s heart can overcome cultural division and social stigma, which is even more remarkable for having occurred in 1892. You don’t need to have read Ghosts on the Prairies to be charmed, moved and ultimately inspired by this book.”

Legends on the Prairies, a Sacred Land Story will be published in digital formats in August 2016 and in paperback in November 2016.

Notes for Editors

About Tanya Reimer

Tanya ReimerBorn and raised in Saskatchewan, Tanya enjoys using the tranquil prairies as a setting to her not-so-peaceful speculative fiction.

She is married with two children which means among her accomplishments are the necessary magical abilities to find a lost tooth in a park of sand and whisper away monsters from under the bed.

As director of a non-profit Francophone community center, Tanya offers programming and services in French for all ages to ensure the lasting imprint and growth of the Francophone community in which she was raised. What she enjoys the most about her job is teaching social media safety for teens and offering one-on-one technology classes for seniors.

Tanya was fifteen when she wrote her first column. She has a diploma in Journalism/Short Story Writing. Today, she actively submits to various newspapers, writes and publishes the local Francophone newsletter for her community, and maintains a blog at Life’s Like That. Legends on the Prairies, is her second Sacred Land Story for adults and the prequel to Ghosts on the Prairies, her debut novel.

 

Tanya Reimer’s guest post on Dreamers, lovers and Star Voyagers

Tanya ReimerTanya Reimer, author of Ghosts on the Prairies, has just written a guest post on the blog of writer Teresa Cypher: Dreamers, lovers and Star Voyagers. She discusses the distinction between the art of writing and the business of publishing (or being published). As she says “I wrote with dreams, and now, I publish with goals”. Useful insights for any fellow (and prospective) writers.

You can read her post here.

 

“Good, gripping and thought-provoking entertainment” – review of Ghosts on the Prairies on Risingshadow

Ghosts on the Prairies cover image
Artwork: Alison Buck

On the Risingshadow.net website, Seregil of Rhiminee has written a review of Tanya Reimer’s debut novel Ghosts on the Prairies, a Sacred Land Story, which he describes as “a fascinating and harsh vision of life and death on both sides of the [US-Canadian] border.” The prairies are an interesting setting for a story, he says “because bad and rough things happen on the peaceful prairies and in the dark tunnels beneath the ground”.

Seregil says that Ghosts on the Prairies is “both a touching love story and a survival story. It’s an exceptionally interesting story about love, romance, slavery, bootleggers, tunnel runners, greed, racism, curses, souls and spirits. It’s a bold combination of many different elements, but all of the different elements compliment each other. Tanya Reimer seamlessly combines these different elements and weaves an interesting and believable story that’s full of life, passion and cruelty.”

Seregil likes the way that Tanya fluently writes about the relationship and blossoming love between the two main characters, Antoine and Emma, despite the difficulties that they face. “I think it’s great”, he says, “that the author shows that everything isn’t as easy as it could be and people have to fight for what’s right.” What’s more, he says that Tanya has a “realistic way of writing about slavery and what kind of bad things were done to slaves”, and writes fluently about cultural differences. “She handles such difficult issues as racism, different nationalities and slavery in a surprisingly bold and gritty way, but doesn’t overdo anything.” He adds that she writes about “bootlegging in a thrilling way. She tells of the tunnels that are used by bootleggers and she shows how far men are willing to go to earn money.”

He says that it is clear that Tanya has spent a lot of time researching the relevant history for the story “because everything feels authentic and believable. … in this novel everything works well and all the pieces fit perfectly together.”

He sums up by saying that, although Ghosts on the Prairies is basically an entertaining and fast-faced novel, it offers a lot of food for thought. It will “thrill all readers who want to read a story that’s full of life and turmoil. It’s a welcome addition to the ever growing list of interesting and different kind of speculative fiction novels that offer something different for readers.” He recommends it to both speculative fiction readers and mainstream readers because it intriguing, accessible and contains many fascinating elements.

Seregil says he is looking forward to reading more novels and stories written by Tanya Reimer, because she is capable of writing intriguing speculative fiction.

You can read Seregil’s full review here.

 

The making of… Ghosts on the Prairies by Tanya Reimer

Ghosts on the Prairies cover image
Artwork: Alison Buck

On the Upcoming4.me website, in the Story behind the Story feature, Tanya Reimer has written a guest article about the original inspiration for her Sacred Lands Story. From a casual remark by a friend, to the mention by her uncle of tunnels under the prairies, Tanya’s imagination ran wild with a story of forbidden romance and even exploding churches. The end result was Ghosts on the Prairies.

You can read Tanya’s article here.

 

Ghosts on the Prairies available from today as eBook

Alternative history/paranormal thriller set on the Prairies of Saskatchewan published by Elsewhen Press

DARTFORD, KENT – 25 July 2014 – Elsewhen Press, an independent UK publisher specialising in Speculative Fiction, is delighted to announce that the debut novel from Canadian author Tanya Reimer, is available from today as an eBook. The prairies of 1916-19 come alive with bootleggers, slavery, fools in sheets, haunting spirits, shifty tunnel runners, and even exploding churches. Ghosts on the Prairies is alternative history suspense incorporating the paranormal and infused with romance.

Artwork: Alison Buck
Artwork: Alison Buck

Some things are worth a fight. Strong words that Antoine’s father drilled into him. After his father mysteriously vanishes one night, Antoine must find another income or he risks losing the Sacred Land that his father swore to protect. Working on a ranch, Antoine meets Emma, a victim of underground slavery. Fighting for her freedom costs him his home, his sister, his best friend, and puts in question all of his values. If he succeeds, will she and her son fit into his world?

As the law of the Ghost tribes says: Respect others, respect yourself, and respect nature.

This suspenseful and beautifully written story concerns the interwoven loves, hopes, dreams and tragedies of lives lived in backwater towns and isolated farmsteads of the US-Canadian border lands, where hard work, lawlessness and harsh, summary punishment are a way of life. A network of secret underground tunnels, linking the controlled and controlling world to the south with the Sacred Lands of the Ghost tribes across the border to the north, offers the possibility of escape and freedom.

“Using a light touch, Tanya’s story draws on spiritual beliefs and mystical traditions and deals with the dark, lingering shadow of slavery; with racism, sexual abuse and religious intolerance; with the corrosive effects of all-consuming greed; with exploitation; and with the clash of cultures, concerning the nature of ownership.”

Available from today as an eBook, Ghosts on the Prairies will be published in October in a paperback edition.

About Tanya Reimer

Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Tanya enjoys using the tranquil prairies as a setting to her not-so-peaceful speculative fiction stories, many of which are inspired by her years of research into Saskatchewan’s local Francophone history.

She is married with two children which means among her accomplishments are the necessary magical abilities to find a lost tooth in a park of sand and whisper away monsters from under the bed.
As director of a non-profit Francophone community center, Tanya offers programming and services in French for all ages to ensure the lasting imprint and growth of the Francophone community in which she was raised. What she enjoys the most about her job is teaching social media safety for teens and offering one-on-one technology classes for seniors.

Tanya was fifteen when she wrote her first column. She has a diploma in Journalism/Short Story Writing. Today, she actively submits to various newspapers, writes and publishes the local Francophone newsletter for her community, and maintains a blog at Life’s Like That.

Ghosts on the Prairies, a Sacred Land Story, is her debut novel.

 

Bootleggers, slavery, fools in sheets, spirits, shifty tunnel runners, even exploding churches

Canadian author signs with UK publisher for alternative history/paranormal thriller set on the Prairies

DARTFORD, KENT – 10 March 2014 – Elsewhen Press, an independent UK publisher specialising in Speculative Fiction, is delighted to announce they have signed a deal with Tanya Reimer, author and director of l’Association communautaire francophone de Bellegarde Saskatchewan, to publish her debut novel. The prairies of 1916-19 come alive with bootleggers, slavery, fools in sheets, haunting spirits, shifty tunnel runners, and even exploding churches. Ghosts on the Prairies is alternative history suspense incorporating the paranormal and infused with romance.

Some things are worth a fight. Strong words that Antoine’s father drilled into him. After his father mysteriously vanishes one night, Antoine must find another income or he risks losing the Sacred Land that his father swore to protect. Working on a ranch, Antoine meets Emma, a victim of underground slavery. Fighting for her freedom costs him his home, his sister, his best friend, and puts in question all of his values. If he succeeds, will she and her son fit into his world?

As the law of the Ghost tribes says: Respect others, respect yourself, and respect nature.

This suspenseful and beautifully written story concerns the interwoven loves, hopes, dreams and tragedies of lives lived in backwater towns and isolated farmsteads of the US-Canadian border lands, where hard work, lawlessness and harsh, summary punishment are a way of life. A network of secret underground tunnels, linking the controlled and controlling world to the south with the Sacred Lands of the Ghost tribes across the border to the north, offers the possibility of escape and freedom.

“Using a light touch, Tanya’s story draws on spiritual beliefs and mystical traditions and deals with the dark, lingering shadow of slavery; with racism, sexual abuse and religious intolerance; with the corrosive effects of all-consuming greed; with exploitation; and with the clash of cultures, concerning the nature of ownership.”

Tanya enjoys using the setting of the prairies for her stories, many of which are inspired by her years of research into Saskatchewan’s local Francophone history.

Ghosts on the Prairies will be published later this year by Elsewhen Press in both digital and print editions.

About Tanya Reimer

Tanya ReimerBorn and raised in Saskatchewan, Tanya enjoys using the tranquil prairies as a setting to her not-so-peaceful speculative fiction.

She is married with two children which means among her accomplishments are the necessary magical abilities to find a lost tooth in a park of sand and whisper away monsters from under the bed.

As director of a non-profit Francophone community center, Tanya offers programming and services in French for all ages to ensure the lasting imprint and growth of the Francophone community in which she was raised. What she enjoys the most about her job is teaching social media safety for teens and offering one-on-one technology classes for seniors. She is very active in her community, volunteering to teach eReader classes, as president of the Ladies Guild, as treasurer of the Cemetery Board, and as vice-chair for the Library Board. She is also the secretary for the School Board.
Tanya was fifteen when she wrote her first column. She has a diploma in Journalism/Short Story Writing. Today, she actively submits to various newspapers, writes and publishes the local Francophone newsletter for her community, and maintains a blog at Life’s Like That.

Ghosts on the Prairies, a Sacred Land Story, is her debut novel.