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Author tells coast tales
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| Wayne and Margy Lutz, co-owners of Powell River Books, live on a cabin on Powell Lake, scene of many of the chapters in the series Coastal British Columbia Stories that Wayne has been writing for several years. |
Powell River Books publishes six volumes in regional series
Going from science fiction to regional books was a significant change for a local writer. After completing two science fiction novels, Wayne Lutz of Powell River Books looked for a different writing theme.
“When I first visited Powell River eight years ago, I found something more important to write about,” says Wayne. “The area caught me by surprise. Although I had always lived in an urban setting, I quickly transitioned to a float cabin on Powell Lake—what an environment for an author.”
In his first book, Up the Lake, Wayne documented the transition from Los Angeles to a rural community. In the process, he discovered many of the same things local residents found a long time ago. But he looked at things from a slightly different perspective.
“Originally, I considered myself an outsider looking in,” he says. “It didn’t take long to learn that my different point of view regarding the region was worth writing about. After all, I could step back and see things from the perspective of a person who had lived almost his entire life in a large city. I know that my readers often laugh with me and at me, too—that’s fun for me.”
Humour certainly plays a role in Wayne’s books. But as he developed the book series, Coastal British Columbia Stories, he became less of an outsider. Now he considers himself and his small company, Powell River Books, to be a part of the community.
“In my second book, Up the Main, I started riding a quad to experience recreational exploration in the backcountry,” says Wayne. “Along the way I met a lot of wonderful people in the Powell River ATV Club. I just followed them around, and they led me to great stories about off-road riding. The same thing happened with my boating experiences, which led to a book called Up the Strait.”
In its first three years, Powell River Books has published six books. Four additional titles are currently in various stages of development.
These days, using computer-based publishing technology, a small company can provide quality equal to the biggest publishers.
“This new technology allows Powell River Books to produce a book, from conception to final print, in far less time than traditional publishers,” says Wayne.
One of Wayne’s latest books addresses the topic of flying in coastal British Columbia. With his background as a college aviation educator and flight instructor, the topic was a natural. In fact, a flight through Canada in a small airplane was what first brought him to Powell River. He describes his first landing at Powell River Airport as something that happened “by mistake.”
“It wasn’t completely by mistake,” he says. “I needed fuel for my thirsty Piper Arrow. But once on the ground, it became a place that captured me.”
For two full decades, Wayne travelled all over Canada by small airplane. He and his wife Margy, also a pilot, packed up their small airplane in Los Angeles every summer and headed north. They explored some of Canada’s most beautiful and remote areas, concentrating their explorations in the far north.
“I’ve seen a lot of Canada with the benefit of a small airplane to explore remote locations.But then I landed at Powell River, and I haven’t gone farther north since.”
In doing research for Coastal British Columbia Stories, Wayne has produced a series of slide shows. The first in this free series, Supernatural Powell River, will be presented at 2 pm on Saturday, July 5, at Coles The Book People in the Town Centre Mall. A slide presentation in conjunction with the book launch for Farther Up the Lake will begin at 7 pm on Friday, July 25, at Breakwater Books & Coffee.
Books in the Coastal British Columbia Stories series can be purchased at local retailers and at www.powellriverbooks.com.
Advertising Feature – If you want your company to make Front Page News, call 604.485.5313.
“When I first visited Powell River eight years ago, I found something more important to write about,” says Wayne. “The area caught me by surprise. Although I had always lived in an urban setting, I quickly transitioned to a float cabin on Powell Lake—what an environment for an author.”
In his first book, Up the Lake, Wayne documented the transition from Los Angeles to a rural community. In the process, he discovered many of the same things local residents found a long time ago. But he looked at things from a slightly different perspective.
“Originally, I considered myself an outsider looking in,” he says. “It didn’t take long to learn that my different point of view regarding the region was worth writing about. After all, I could step back and see things from the perspective of a person who had lived almost his entire life in a large city. I know that my readers often laugh with me and at me, too—that’s fun for me.”
Humour certainly plays a role in Wayne’s books. But as he developed the book series, Coastal British Columbia Stories, he became less of an outsider. Now he considers himself and his small company, Powell River Books, to be a part of the community.
“In my second book, Up the Main, I started riding a quad to experience recreational exploration in the backcountry,” says Wayne. “Along the way I met a lot of wonderful people in the Powell River ATV Club. I just followed them around, and they led me to great stories about off-road riding. The same thing happened with my boating experiences, which led to a book called Up the Strait.”
In its first three years, Powell River Books has published six books. Four additional titles are currently in various stages of development.
These days, using computer-based publishing technology, a small company can provide quality equal to the biggest publishers.
“This new technology allows Powell River Books to produce a book, from conception to final print, in far less time than traditional publishers,” says Wayne.
One of Wayne’s latest books addresses the topic of flying in coastal British Columbia. With his background as a college aviation educator and flight instructor, the topic was a natural. In fact, a flight through Canada in a small airplane was what first brought him to Powell River. He describes his first landing at Powell River Airport as something that happened “by mistake.”
“It wasn’t completely by mistake,” he says. “I needed fuel for my thirsty Piper Arrow. But once on the ground, it became a place that captured me.”
For two full decades, Wayne travelled all over Canada by small airplane. He and his wife Margy, also a pilot, packed up their small airplane in Los Angeles every summer and headed north. They explored some of Canada’s most beautiful and remote areas, concentrating their explorations in the far north.
“I’ve seen a lot of Canada with the benefit of a small airplane to explore remote locations.But then I landed at Powell River, and I haven’t gone farther north since.”
In doing research for Coastal British Columbia Stories, Wayne has produced a series of slide shows. The first in this free series, Supernatural Powell River, will be presented at 2 pm on Saturday, July 5, at Coles The Book People in the Town Centre Mall. A slide presentation in conjunction with the book launch for Farther Up the Lake will begin at 7 pm on Friday, July 25, at Breakwater Books & Coffee.
Books in the Coastal British Columbia Stories series can be purchased at local retailers and at www.powellriverbooks.com.
Advertising Feature – If you want your company to make Front Page News, call 604.485.5313.
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