Press Release: New Thriller Brings Evil to Peace River

Manning, AB- It seems an almost incongruous title: Evil on the Peace River. But just as every television ‘true life’ murder story teaches us, the most terrifying evil is that which lies underneath a calm and serene surface.

The region of Peace River itself has not been home to many diabolical schemes or bloody conspiracies. But it’s precisely that air of calm that led author Beverly Lein to use her hometown and its surrounding area as the backdrop for a thriller detailing the bloody rampage of a set of psychopathic brothers.

“We all expect to come across scary figures in major metropolises where violence is commonplace. We get so used to it, in fact, that we come to expect it—which doesn’t make for a very terrifying tale,” says Lein, author of four previous titles. “So it naturally makes sense to utilize the natural sense of fear that comes from terror arising where you least expect it.”

The book marks the author’s first foray into the genre. Having previously penned non-fiction, young adult and historical fiction, Lein was eager to make the change.

“It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut as a writer, to stay ‘safe’ inside one genre. But I think deep inside every author wants to make that leap and try something completely new. I love watching suspense films, I love reading thrillers. So it made logical sense to branch out. I think at the end of the day you should only write what you yourself would like to read—so that’s what I did with Evil.”

Evil on the Peace River is on sale now in both paperback and e-book formats. For more information about Beverly and her other releases, visit her website at http://beverlylein.wordpress.com/ 

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To book an interview contact:
Rachel Sentes, Publicist- 604-366-7846
rachel@gal-fridaypublicity.com

Evil on the Peace River – now on sale!

I’m excited to announce that Evil on the Peace River is now officially available for purchase!

Be the first to grab yourself a copy through Inkwater Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s Books, and locally at Sears, Northern Lights IDA, Manning Drug Mart, and Manning IGA.  I also have individual copies available for purchase from me, just drop me a line!

The “where” of Evil on the Peace River

Keeping along the lines of my last post about where I’m most inspired, I thought I’d talk about the “where” of my latest novel. I chose the setting for my latest novel Evil on thePeace River very carefully. The events that take place are violent and dark – moreso than in anything else I’ve written before. I needed to choose an environment that would heighten the atmosphere of tension felt when you have two raging psychopaths on the loose.

So while I love living out here, it can occasionally serve to give me the shivers a bit too. When I’m out driving on a dark dirt road and I’m the only one out there it does occasionally cross my mind what could happen if I broke down without my cel phone and without a soul around for miles to help me. And navigating through the hills and forests of the Peace is not a task one should take without a good map or some really good advice!

So really, while I’m most inclined to see the beauty in the Peace Hills, it’s not such a stretch to use it as the backdrop for a story of terror. Even the most hardened country person occasionally gets spooked by the sound of a hooting owl in the dark…

The “when” of Evil on the Peace River

One of the most difficult decisions I had to make during my various drafts of this novel was about the time period. I had to make some difficult decisions about what era would best suit the atmosphere of the story I wanted to tell. Ultimately, I decided to set it in the 1950s for one very simple reason: technology, or the lack of it!

We’ve become so used to email, cel phones, and google that it’s hard to imagine how a small town would cope with a major violent crime and fugitives on the run. There’s no cel phone or credit card records to help track down criminals. The idea of having to approach a manhunt as a police officer without the benefit of DNA or something as simple as electronic records really intrigued me. Before they had all our sophisticated technology and officers went out on patrol they were incredibly vulnerable. If they didn’t happen to be near their car radios they were essentially cut off from the world; anything could happen to them without anyone else knowing.

That “anything’ could be something pretty darn horrific, and in Evil on the Peace River that’s exactly what it is…

Being inspired by your surroundings…

I was thinking about the writing process today and what writers need to thrive. They often say that there are two kinds of people in the world, “city folks” and “country folks.” The kind of isolation a person can feel living far away from a major metropolis isn’t something everyone can deal with. I thrive on it; I couldn’t imagine living somewhere where I could see everything my neighbour was doing and vice versa.

In fact, I find the isolation pretty inspiring – it lets your imagination run wild. You’re not bombarded by the same distractions as you are in city living, and for a writer that’s incredibly important. Being able to go for a walk and be confronted by the open landscape is a lot like being given a blank canvas for your imagination.

Breaking down “Evil”

I’m super excited about the upcoming release for my latest novel, Evil on the Peace River. It’s a real departure from other things I’ve written which provided me with a lot of interesting opportunities, as well as challenges. I’ve decided to spend a few posts talking about those different elements and how all it came together.

It’s the story of two psychopathic brothers who’ve broken out of prison and are on a rampage across thePeace River region. But of course, what’s a good ‘fugitive on the run’ story without a strong protagonist? I’ve found though that in most of these kinds of stories the protagonist is usually a single (male) police officer. But while there is a main detective who figures prominently, I didn’t really want to have the story centered around him and his role in the case. Instead, I’ve pitted the deranged brothers against a formidable foe: Jane Hall – an independent rancher on a solo journey through the Peace Hills.

I wanted to dismiss some of the clichés associated with these types of stories and I didn’t want women only playing the role of victim. Jane is a strong female character I’m really proud of – I like to think there’s a little bit of me hidden inside that characterization. I’m looking forward to sharing her with all of you as soon as Evil on the Peace River is available for sale!

Is art imitating life? Or is it the other way around?

I started writing this book some time ago – so imagine my surprise when a real-life event in Peace Riverlooked like it could have been ripped from the pages of my novel! See for yourself and try and guess how this news story might fit in with my upcoming release, Evil on the Peace River:

http://www.prrecordgazette.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3032423&archive=true

Imagination running a little too wild!

People often say that writers – especially fiction writers – really are a different breed of person. I got to thinking about that lately when someone asked me about the inspiration for my latest book. One of the things that I think does set us apart is the way we try and create backstories for everyone and everything we see.

Writers are notorious people watchers. Why? Because when we see someone interesting on the street we instantly go about creating whole imaginary worlds to surround that person. This specifically helped me in creating some of my recent characters who, from the outset, have been on the wrong side of the law.

It came to me when passing a correctional facility one day – I just started asking myself exactly who might be in there. And, more importantly, what might those prisoners have done to land themselves in there? Before I knew it, I had created a whole dark background for these characters that sometimes even scared me!

Only a little longer to wait before you’ll get the chance to see what creepy characters I created!

I’ve got my books to keep me warm!

This year we’ve certainly been hit with some of the harshest winter weather possible. And I’m sure many of you like to take advantage of those ‘snow days’ by curling up with a good book. So while we wait for the release of my newest book, why not sink yourself into some of my other novels?

 While I’ve been focusing a lot on writing for an adult audience the past couple of years, I still love writing for younger audiences and look forward to returning there again. So in the meantime, I hope you’ll consider getting your young readers to add Wolf Spirit: The Story of Moon Beam to their reading list, a book described by reviewers as a “captivating novel…definitely worth reading and re-reading.”

Peace River’s not always so peaceful

The name “Peace River” conjures up images of solitude and calm. But life inPeace Riveris often more not quite that peaceful. The area has had its share of excitement and not-so-peaceful activities – enough to inspire me to explore the darker side of life in the area. One of the things I’ve come across in preparing for my up-coming release is the sheer number of spooky ghost mysteries associated with the region.

I came across a few interesting mentions of spookiness inPeace River. For example, the St. James Anglican Church is thought to be haunted by Pat Wesley, a resident of the town who died of smallpox in 1910. Several people have reported unexplained movements in the deanery. But my personal favourite is that the Peace River Record-Gazette is rumoured to have a ghost walking its halls. Apparently phantom typewriter noises are heard at night as a phantom journalist works into the night to hit an unknown deadline. With stories like these, I couldn’t help but be inspired to edge towards creating a gloomier literary atmosphere!