Michael Crisitano, John Jantunen, Karen Krossing, Peter Meyler and Nicholas Ruddock will volunteer at Roxanne’s Reflections Book & Card Shop in Fergus on May 2, as part of Authors for Indies Day. Throughout the day, Cristiano, Jantunen, Krossing , Meyler and Ruddock will greet customers, recommend books, and highlight the importance of supporting independent bookshops in Canada.
The goals of Authors for Indies are to increase customer traffic, raise awareness of the importance of independent bookstores, strengthen relationships between authors and booksellers and showcase local writers.
Inspired by the successful Indies First campaign in the United States, Authors for Indies started out as a BC-based initiative. With help from publishers, the B.C. Booksellers Association, the Vancouver Writers’ Festival, and the Retail Council of Canada, the celebration has spread across the country with more than 400 authors and more than 100 bookstores signed up.
When asked about the day, store manager Roxanne Beale said, “We are very excited to be taking part in Author for Indies day. Roxanne’s Reflections is fortunate to be part of such a supportive community which values their independent bookstore and we love having the opportunity to bring authors and readers together.”
To learn more about Canadian Authors for Indies, visit authorsforindies.com. For more information on special Authors for Indies Day promotions and store details visit roxannesreflections.ca.
Michael Cristiano is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto with studies in Foreign Language and Linguistics. He currently resides in the Greater Toronto Area and he is using his years as a twentysomething to establish what he hopes will be a long career in writing. The Black Oracle, his debut novel, is due for publication on May 11.
John Jantunen lives in Guelph, where he is the co-founder of Vocamus Press. One of his short stories recently appeared in the anthology Fractured: Tales Of The Canadian Post-Apocalypse, released by Exile Editions in September, and his debut novel, Cipher, was published by ECW in October, 2014.
Karen Krossing writes novels and short stories for kids and teens, including Punch Like a Girl, Bog, Cut the Lights, The Yo-Yo Prophet, and The Castle Key. Bog is a 2014 OLA Best Bets selection, Cut the Lights received a Starred Review in ALA’s Booklist Magazine and The Yo-Yo Prophet is a CCBC Best Book for Teens and a OLA Best Bets Honourable Mention. Krossing graduated from University of Guelph with a degree in English.
Editor Peter Meyler is the co-author of A Stolen Life: Searching for Richard Pierpoint, which tells the story of one of Ontario’s first African settlers. He has written numerous articles about Ontario’s black history, which have appeared in such publications as The Beaver, the Toronto Star, Share and Families.
Nicholas Ruddock attended the University of Toronto Schools and the University of Toronto Medical School. His book of short stories, How Loveta Got Her Baby, was published by Breakwater Books in March 2014. The Parabolist, a novel, was published by Doubleday, in February 2010. It was shortlisted for the Toronto Book Award and the Arthur Ellis Award.
