Why We Published: A Method to the Madness, edited by Michell Plested and Jeffrey Hite

There are times we all need a little silliness in our lives, something to take us out of ourselves, our work, the humdrum of the day-to-day. For some of us that escapism involves humour. Sometimes the more ridiculous the better. It was that very basic concept that sold me on an idea Michell Plested (author of Mik Murdoch: Boy Superhero), and editor/writer Jeffrey Hite pitched to me one Saturday afternoon over a Skype conference. I’d…

Why We Published: Type, by Alicia Hendley

Alicia Hendley first made her publishing debut with A Subtle Thing in 2010. Alicia Hendley (right)with brother Nate Hendley (left)at Q Space launch of Type. In 2012 she presented Five Rivers with a YA novel based upon a society structured around the tenets of Jungian Myers-Briggs typology, gone horribly wrong. The concept was enough to pique my interest. What followed in Hendley’s first draft demonstrated a very strong narrative which only required minor revision and…

Why we published: John Lennon, and Steven Truscott by Nate Hendley

I know what a lot of you are thinking: why publish yet another biography about John Lennon? There are easily 20 books already in print about the Beatles legend, some of them not much more than pamphlets, some veritable tomes. Lennon is the tragic pop rock icon who very likely has more words and paper devoted to him than any other rock star, perhaps with the exception of Elvis. So, indeed, why? The answer to…

Book Launch X 3 at University of Lethbridge

Dr. John Poulsen, author of Shakespeare for Readers’ Theatre, is featured at a University of Lethbridge celebration of learning. It is to be noted our own Dr. Robert Runte’s short story, ‘Split Decision’, appears in one of the showcased books at this event: Reading Canada, Teaching Canadian Fiction in Secondary Schools. Join us in celebration and learning as we present a book launch for three recently released books from U of L Faculty of Education members….

Why we published: 88, by Michael R. Fletcher

It is one of the very rewarding joys of being a publisher, a least for me, to find a gem among the unsolicited queries and manuscripts that arrive in my email. That was the case with Michael R. Fletcher’s 88. Fletcher first approached Five Rivers in 2011 with a very raw, gritty near-future dystopia about an autistic boy who was sold for the ability of his brain. Not his body. Just his brain. And that…