The future has been called an “undiscovered country.”
In her new book Underground Army – The Sleeper War Langbank resident (Myrna) M.R. Jewell provides a glimpse of what that country and the lives of those who inhabit it might look like.
“Underground Army – The Sleeper War is speculative adult fiction and is set in the not-too-distant future,” explains Jewel.
“The story involves a group of ordinary people who have become disgruntled by the way that their country is being run. They form an underground army, and as they continue to go about their ordinary lives, they are able to infiltrate parliament. Their goal is to overthrow the government when they reach the ‘Hour of Light’.
“Throughout the book, the focus is on the people who are involved in this Underground Army. We watch them prepare for the ‘Hour of Light’ and find ways to survive in the aftermath (when things don’t go according to plan).”
Jewell says that this vision of the future began to take shape several years ago.
“I’ve had the idea for this book in my head for about 10 years. I published an earlier version of it on Kindle eight years ago. But a little over a year ago, I decided to unpublish the Kindle version of the book and revise it. I’ve now produced something that I’m much happier with. So, I’ve self-published it as a paperback.”
Although writing has been her passion for much of her life, Jewell notes that her family’s decision to relocate to the Langbank area has provided her with the opportunity to turn her passion into her career.
“I was born in Canada but moved to England when I was quite young. While I was there, I completed an HNC in Writing for the Media and had my own newspaper column. I also wrote several short stories, worked in broadcasting and did a bit of scriptwriting.
“After I moved back to Canada, I was able to get a job at the Wallaceburg and District Museum in Ontario as an Assistant Curator. I wrote several stories for the museum’s social media pages as well as several historical stories about people in the area.
“I was also approached by a lady who asked me to help her to write her autobiography. So, I recorded her as she spoke about her life, the abuse she suffered in her childhood, and her journey to recovery. Then turned that into a story. (Phyllis – The Invisible Child by Phyllis Barnes-Lawlor & M.R. Jewell – Kindle Edition).
“I enjoyed doing this work because I have a great interest in history. But more and more, I’ve found myself wanting to tell my own stories. Since we moved to this area, I’ve been able to get to the point where I can pursue writing as my career.”
Jewell chose to publish Underground Army – The Sleeper War independently, a decision that she says had provided her with more freedom and control over the process of bringing her novel to market.
“In the past, I did try publishing some of my short stories through a traditional publisher. But I found it to be a very long and difficult process. Traditional publishers rarely want to look at a writer, unless they have something published already.
“And the publishing world has changed so much in the past few years. Self-publishing has gained more respect and acceptance. It is an easier, faster and is a more accessible way for emerging writers to put their work out there.
“So, for me, self-publishing was the best option.”
Jewell plans to be busy this coming summer and says that her goal is to have some new titles for readers to explore by the fall.
“I have also written a children’s book about a boy with Cystic Fibrosis, called Liam’s Hospital Stay. The book launch for that will happen in Ontario this spring, and I will be doing book readings in several Saskatchewan libraries in May & June.
“As well, I’m working on a Young Adult novel that I intend to publish this summer. It’s a vampire story with a bit of a ‘twist’ that I’d originally intended as a novel for adults. But it’s the type of story that I think young adults would really enjoy.
“I’m currently working on a second book of the series for Underground Army – The Sleeper War which I hope to publish this summer also. I hadn’t planned to do a second book originally. But as I was working on the first novel, I found that there were aspects that I wanted to explore a bit further. So, in this second book, I’ll be going back to where the first book started to tell the story, from a different viewpoint, of some events that take place in Book 1.”
At the same time, Jewell is committed to helping other aspiring writers in the community to share their stories as well.
“I was asked if I would be interested in leading an ‘Introduction to Writing Workshop’ at the Kennedy Public Library. We had our first meeting in January, and I went through some of the ‘basics’ of writing. Going forward, we will be meeting once a month and the goal will be for this to be more of a ‘writer’s group’ than a class. So, anyone who would like to join us can do so, without feeling as though there’s anything they’ve ‘missed’!
“Writing is something that anybody can do. If you’re able to take a writing course, it can give you a chance to explore different genres and styles of writing. You might find that very helpful, especially if you want to make writing your career. There are so many different opportunities for writers that you might have never thought of.
“The most important thing is to find your voice and discover what you’re passionate about. And the way to do that, is by writing. So, just go ahead and start writing, start telling your stories. The more you do that, the stronger your voice will become.
