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Welcome to fellow BWL author, Shirley Bigelow DeKelver!
SHIRLEY BIGELOW DEKELVER
I was
born in Calgary, Alberta, raised as an “army brat”, and lived in Germany, and
in many of the Canadian Provinces. From an early age, I would tell stories to
my sisters and my brother, and when I didn’t have my nose in a book, I would be
drawing and painting. It wasn’t until later in life I discovered I had a
passion for photography as well.
I
married my high school sweetheart, Don, and we have two wonderful children,
Angela, and Gregory. Our family has expanded to four grandchildren, and two
great-grandchildren. I worked as a paralegal and corporate administrator in
Calgary law firms for over 40 years. My choice of career was never boring as I
found it challenging and rewarding.
In 2004 I
received by correspondence a diploma for Writing for Children and Teenagers
from the Institute of Children’s Literature, and in 2006, I received a second
diploma Writing Children’s Books: The Craft and the Market. In 2007 Don and I
retired and moved to the Interior of British Columbia. We live in our “cabin in
the woods”, located at White Lake, in the Columbia-Shuswap, with a panoramic
view of the lake, mountains, forested hills and valleys.
PUBLICATIONS:
BWL PUBLISHING INC. Publisher of my trilogy, Climate of Fire, Book One – Survival (released November 2023), Book Two – Treachery, and Book Three – The New World.
SOLSTICE PUBLISHING INC. Publisher of The Trouble with Mandy,
Lilacs & Bifocals (five-star review from my editor), and Child of
the Ancients.
VOICES FROM THE VALLEYS (51 contributors), short non-fiction
story, Nature’s Precious Gift, Anthology compiled and edited by Jodie
Rennie, Author, and Editor, with all benefits being donated to Doctors
without Borders- Canada.
ASKEW’S FOODS’ WORD ON THE LAKE 2014 WRITING CONTEST - second place
winner-young adult fiction, Ziggy’s Revenge.
SHUSWAP WRITERS’ GROUP KALEIDOSCOPE V ANTHOLOGY – three short stories, One of a Kind, Abigail, Grey Mist Manor and a poem, Wilderness Path.
AFFILIATIONS:
INSTITUTE OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE, Connecticut, USA
SHUSWAP ASSOCIATION OF WRITERS -Secretary for Board of Directors, Member of the Planning and Selection Committees for the three-day WORD ON THE LAKE WRITERS’ FESTIVAL, and coordinator and emcee for CAFÉ LIT COFFEE HOUSE, which launches the festival.
THE FEDERATION OF BC WRITERS.
SHUSWAP WRITERS GROUP, Past Member, and president
WRITERS’ UNION OF CANADA
WRITERS NOOK (Past Member-closed due to Pandemic)
GRACESPRINGS COLLECTIVE – creates publishing opportunities for its members and shares their work with the public in joint reading and events.
WEBSITE AND OTHER LINKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA:
WEBSITE: www.shirleydekelver.com
OTHER LINKS
TO SOCIAL MEDIA:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Shirley-Bigelow-DeKelver/277792382290133
https://twitter.com/ShirleyDeKelver
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirley-bigelow-dekelver-3a534450/
https://www.instagram.com/dekelver_shirley/
What genre do you write?
Young Adult, Coming of Age, and Speculative Dystopian Fiction. My first novel THE TROUBLE WITH MANDY, was an adventure, nature story for middle aged readers; my second novel LILAC & BIFOCALS (five star review from my editor) was an historical time travel for young adults; my third novel CHILD OF THE ANCIENTS, a high fantasy for young adults, and my fourth novel, CHILD OF THE ANCIENTS – BOOK ONE – SURVIVAL, the first book in a trilogy, is Speculative Dystopian Fiction/Science Fiction.
Do your reading choices reflect your writing choices?
No, I read all genres, fiction, non-fiction, mystery, romance, fantasy, historical, drama, and more.
Which type of characters are your favourite to write?
I took a four-year correspondence writing course from the Institute of Children’s Literature and have never regretted it. Writing for young adults requires a great deal of discipline, copious amounts of research (which I genuinely enjoy), and identifying with your subjects, all I feel contribute to my writing skills. I generally create strong-willed female protagonists, facing personal and emotional struggles, danger, and heartbreak, and eventually finding harmony and contentment.
Do pictures, real life or plain imagination create the characters you want readers to love?
Generally, my characters are developed from my imagination, although, at times, I have simulated their actions and personalities from real life.
Do your characters come before or after your plot?
Before I start writing my book, I prepare in-depth synopsizes of both my characters and my story plot which I tend to follow closely. Believable characters are a must.
How do you choose a villain and how do you make them human?
Because of the genres I write, my villains often face internal upheaval, deep resentment, and at times animosity. Generally, they learn a life-saving lesson, and are forgiven for their vulnerabilities. However, CHILD OF THE ANCIENTS, had an evil warlord, and a sorceress, half Ancient/half Elf, who confronted each other and fought to the death.
SURVIVAL
The year is 2045,
global warming escalates, and wildfires are rampant. Vancouver has been
devastated by an earthquake and tsunami. Those who have survived have moved
north or taken up residence at Little Mountain, the highest point in the city.
Food and water are scarce, there are more violent storms and rising
temperatures. The ashfall from the volcanoes increases daily, making it
difficult to breathe.
Four young adults,
Taylor West, Carlie Fleming, Mai-Li Wong, and Willie Arbuckle, and three
children, twin brothers Rusty and Eddie Coleman, and Debbie, who has Downs
Syndrome, have gravitated together, forming a motley crew of survivors, living
in constant fear of the violent gangs.
Making a life-saving
decision, they decide to walk to the Interior, hoping to find a better life.
Inexperienced, they face unknown obstacles, daily hardships, and hunger.
Traveling across the devastated Wastelands is fraught with danger with
unexpected complications making the journey more treacherous than they ever
imagined. Reaching a sanctuary and indeed their very survival hangs in the
balance. Relationships are tested time and again. What will remain strong and
what will shatter?
Buy link for Kindle and
e-book:
HTTPS://WWW.AMAZON.CA/SURVIVAL-SHIRLEY-BIGELOW-EKELVER/DP/B0CJ45J868 OR personalized
paperback from author at shirleydekelver@gmail.com or sdekelver@telus.net.
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