A magical pirate fantasy has landed in the Shuswap to enchant readers of all ages.
Since she was 14 years old, Eagle Bay author K.J. Cloutier has wanted to write Beyond the Horizon. She乌鸦传媒檚 had some form of the same story written since that time and never gave up on her dream of publishing it for the world to read.
Inspired by her love for the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and the Harry Potter franchise, Cloutier wanted to read something that combined those worlds and elements and at the time couldn乌鸦传媒檛 find any stories like what she imagined.
So, she decided to write one herself.
Beyond the Horizon is a young adult fantasy where the characters are around 17 years old but Cloutier said she wrote it so adults can enjoy it as well. The book features magic, secrets, love stories, pirate ships and fantastic adventure, all things Cloutier has daydreamed about her whole life.
While the story is fictional, Cloutier said there are elements of her life in the book as it乌鸦传媒檚 been with her for half of her years.
乌鸦传媒淎 big one would be, when I was a teenager, my grandmother died suddenly, and that shows up in the book in a couple of characters who are dealing with loss,乌鸦传媒� said Cloutier.
The journey to a published book from a 14-year-old乌鸦传媒檚 dream was a long one with many interruptions, said Cloutier. Thirty-one now, it wasn乌鸦传媒檛 until her 20s that she picked up the book and seriously began rewriting and editing the story. She said her biggest hurdle was the learning curve, figuring out what she wanted to do with the story and navigating the publishing industry.
Cloutier乌鸦传媒檚 advice for aspiring authors of any age is to never give up.
乌鸦传媒淜ind of a boring answer, I know, but you have to keep on writing even if you give up the first idea and actually start a new one,乌鸦传媒� laughed Cloutier. 乌鸦传媒淢ost people don乌鸦传媒檛 do what I do, just keep rewriting the same one, but I really believed in my first idea and I wanted to see it out there. The best part was actually holding the physical, finished book in my hands. I乌鸦传媒檇 been dreaming about that for a very long time and it was a surreal moment.乌鸦传媒�
The book was published on Feb. 7, 2023, and can be purchased at Bookingham Palace in Piccadilly Mall in Salmon Arm, on Amazon, online at Barnes and Noble, and can be ordered through most other bookstores.
On March 11, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Cloutier will be signing copies of Beyond the Horizon at Bookingham Palace.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 born and raised in Salmon Arm and I used to work at Bookingham, so it乌鸦传媒檚 really special to have my first signing there.乌鸦传媒�
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