Northern Ont. author releases novella of ‘rediscovery’

Northern Ontario author Susan Allen talks with Tony Ryma about her new novel 'Loon Country.'

A northern Ontario author has penned a new book she describes as a novella of rediscovery.

Susan Allen of Espanola said Loon Country follows a couple of empty nesters who embark on a camping trip to a lake north of Sudbury.

A story of rediscovery

“It is to fulfill a dream the male character, Matthew McNeice, had since his teenage years,” Allen said.

“A dream to explore the quartzite wall and the shadows buried deep within it.”

Allen told CTV News the story follows Matthew and his wife, Lauren McNeice, on a journey of discovery and rediscovery. She said her own experiences with her husband, including their time owning a float plane, inspired the novel.

“We did some prospecting. We flew over a small lake that was too small to land,” she said.

“And the way the sunlight was reflecting off the cliff on the one side just got my imagination working.”

Allen said they found quartz and other minerals during their travels but often wondered if something more lay hidden within the illuminated cliff wall.

Writing for a long time, process getting easier

The author, who has been writing since age 10, said inspiration can come from anywhere – whether a poem, a short story or a fleeting moment in nature.

“I am blessed that I have had some of my past work published in the past. I let my imagination run wild based on some of my life experiences,” said Allen.

The Espanola native said Loon Country is her third book and that the writing process becomes smoother with each project.

“The expressions and the words come faster,” she said.

Allen self-published the novella through Amazon, where it is available in e-book and paperback formats.