ELORA – “Buckle up for The Bang-Bang Sisters. The story rocks, the characters pop, and the writing sizzles. You won’t forget Brea, Jessie and Flo.
“This rock-band vigilante novel takes it up to eleven. Strap in and hold on.”
That’s what New York Times bestselling author Meg Gardiner had to say on the cover of the latest book by local author Rio Youers.
The Elora resident said he has been writing stories since he could form sentences, and knew he wanted to be a writer when he was 16.
His determination and talent were not enough at first. He was getting published but not paid.
“When you are first starting out, you are desperate to get published,” he said.
“You’re really not getting the respect and the credit you deserve for your work.
“You view those moments as stepping stones.”
But now Youers is a successful author. His critical acclaim may be international, but his home and his heart are in Elora.
Fiore Guido and Robin Gow, owners of Magic Pebble Books in Elora, were the official booksellers at the launch for The Bang-Bang Sisters at the Elora Brewing Company (EBC) on July 16.
“The EBC was packed with fans, friends and family,” Gow said, describing the mood as “one of happiness and excitement.”
Author Shannon Kornelsen’s introduction of Youers was “hilarious,” Gow said, and the crowd was “spell-bound” by the “spoiler-free reading” Youers provided.
Gow said the book “knocks it out of the park for the sheer twistiness of the plot, not to mention the depiction of the unbreakable bonds between and among his strong female leads.”
EBC sponsored the event by offering the venue free of charge, and by creating a large social media push for the event.
“They are so community minded,” Youers said.
Riverfest Elora and EBC brought in The Thunder Queens, a grunge band from London, Ontario, to perform.
Gow said the three teenaged female band members were aptly suited to the event, “given the fictional Bang-Bang sisters are also a band.”
Youers noted he feels like he has become part of the EBC family.
“I was quite emotional, actually, at the response the launch got … “It was very touching, very overwhelming,” Youers said.
He added he is grateful to event co-hosts Kelsey Walker of Riverfest Elora and Kornelsen for going “above the call of duty” by not only offering a tribute to him as an author, but by speaking about Youers as a member of the community and of his contributions to it.
Nancy Zylstra, who works at Magic Pebble Books and attended the launch, said, “There was such positive feedback. Everyone just loved it.”
Youers and his family moved to Elora 12 years ago and, at first, Youers said he didn’t know many people in the community.
A singer and guitar player, Youers said he started to meet people through music.
“I got the sense that this was a community I could put roots down in. I could belong here,” he said.
At that time, Youers held the launch for his first book, The Forgotten Girl at EBC.
While well-attended, that launch did not compare to the event of July 16, which was “light years ahead” of any launch for Youers’ books to date.
Around the time of his first book launch, Youers and his family sublet their home and moved to Vienna for a year.
Youers said living in Vienna was magical, but he missed the community of Elora.
“I felt homesick, there’s really no other word for it,” he said, adding he had been moving around all his life.
“Even as a kid I moved a lot. I come from a broken home, and I moved from place to place all the time.
“Elora is the first place where I felt this is home.”
When the family returned, Youers said he made a “real effort to become part of this community” by immersing himself in the music, art and literary scenes.
Gow said she and Guido have “happily collaborated on several events” with Youers.
“Elora has incredible energy, and a sort of aesthetic appeal, and natural beauty,” Youers said.
“When I walk through this town, it doesn’t matter if it’s the dead of winter, or the height of summer, I’m so proud of this town. It’s beautiful and it’s friendly.
“But there’s more to this community. There’s a magical thing, an intangible thing.
“It’s hard to explain, you just have to live it.”
