by DRC Publishing | Oct 5, 2021
“When I decided to leap from journalist to creative writer, I bought books about the craft. There are a lot of good ones out there, many by well known, best-selling authors. I did not find any books about writing and written by local authors. Until now. But let’s not pigeonhole this work. The Write Day is more than a how-to. This is a book about listening to the people around you. It’s about respecting the past and looking toward the future.
There’s an honest, straightforward Q and A with the author. Wise words about starting small and thinking big. We learn what inspired Floyd. About rejection. Thesis writing. Fiction and non-fiction. We meet Inuit carvers. Enter the village of Hopedale where Floyd spent 18 months teaching Adult Basic Education. Through his eyes, the Northern Lights come alive. We attend community festivals and learn about Night of the Nalujuit.
Floyd brings his world to life. He includes us in his growing up years. We sit in his classrooms… Floyd writes simply and sufficiently how he came to the craft, what he knows about it now, and how it’s done. What struck me about this book is how he handles language. He cares about us as writers. He cares about telling stories on paper. There is no pretension in these pages. The writing is honest, accessible, and relatable. You may not know the people in this book, but I believe you will know people like them. You may not live these experiences, but you will recognize them.” (Excerpt of foreword by Connie Boland, award-winning freelance journalist and creative writer.)
Floyd himself says, “The Write Day is a composite of many written pieces from an ongoing portfolio which encompasses some of my earliest work to where I am now and even to where I may be down the road.” Included here are Finding Mike, about a moose hunting trip that went awry, The Black Silhouette, about tree stand bear hunting, and stories passed down through Floyd’s family such as The Henry Herbert, The Embroidery Story and By Way of Brigus, his father’s account of growing up in Brigus.
by DRC Publishing | Oct 23, 2020
In the annals of Newfoundland history, The Topsails Region of central Newfoundland was notorious for horrendous winter storms that plagued the railway system, and bittersweet too because they rank as one of the island’s greatest natural wonders. The four Topsails, Main Topsail, Mizzen Topsail, Gaff Topsail and Fore Topsail, rise abruptly from the surrounding barrens and resemble sails of 19th Century sailing ships. Lichen and moss carpet the ground to provide sustenance for caribou and moose. Bears roam the barrens in search of berries. The ponds and streams are home to brook trout, and the immense waterways are home to a cornucopia of bird species. This rich natural tapestry has remained essentially untouched throughout the centuries.
The Gaff Topsail Encounters has opened new areas of knowledge and research concerning The Topsails, from railway hamlet to a small cluster of cabins still existing on the edge of wilderness. Floyd Spracklin has unearthed the true nature of life on the Topsails, the zenith of the railway, followed by decline, the hardships endured by residents, and the endless snow and wind that would shut the railway down for days at a time. Floyd has collected stories of railroaders, hunters, tourists, people such as myself, and 21st Century pioneers, all who yearn for the beauty of the Topsails and the wish to continue making The Gaff an integral part of their existence.
Excerpt from foreword by Michael Shufelt,
by DRC Publishing | Sep 27, 2023
Does Shelbird Island’s legendary pirate gold exist?
Will Corner Book teens, Eric and Jen, find it
Come along and enjoy a great read as author Floyd Spracklin delivers an exciting sequel to his best selling Shellbird.
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Praise for Beyond Shellbird
“Believable characters with an unquenchable curiosity and a keen sense of family history make this realistic story a must-read.”Jerome Jesseau,Running Before the Wind: The Life and Times of Wilfred Osmond, An Extraordinary Ordinary Newfoundlander.
“Compelling and gripping…A well told saga of persistence and determination.” Harry Martin, Singer-songwriter.
“Sensitive insights into the meaning and value of family while enjoying a nicely paced story set against a perfectly realized, genuine Canadian landscape.Beyond Shellbird reads beautifully. Wonderful characters, setting, and plot; Floyd has knocked this one right out of the park!” Eric Wilson,Murder on the Canadian.
