“John Charlton's A Bad Guy gives me much of what I crave for in literature, that of a familiar community and recognizable characters facing the inner conflict of making the right choices.”
-Michael Hetherton, author of the acclaimed collection of short stories entitled Grasslands.
ABOUT THE BOOK
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A Bad Guy
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BOOKSTORE
A Bad Guy is available to order from most online retailers including...
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Book Details:
126 pages Black & White 5.5 x 8.5 inches |
ISBNs:
Hardcover 978-1-5255-4856-7 Paperback 978-1-5255-4857-4 eBook 978-1-5255-4858-1 |
Categories:
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Keywords:
Regina 70’s, Criminal Behaviour, Brawls, Family relationships, Manhood, Morality, Fatherhood |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Charlton was born and raised in Regina and attended the Journalism program at Mount Royal University in Calgary. He and his wife Sharon are retired and call Regina home.
A Bad Guy is John’s first novel.
A Bad Guy is John’s first novel.
Behind A Bad Guy
I spent several years working in communications for the Saskatchewan provincial government, writing press releases, speeches, communications strategies, brochures and annual reports. Once retired I wanted to try my hand at fiction.
A Bad Guy explores masculinity and morality and examines the uneasy notions of good versus bad. The literary themes behind A Bad Guy include the poor side of town/wrong side of the tracks and the challenge of dysfunctional family. The setting and era are close to my heart and lend the adventure a ring of truth.
Reader reaction to A Bad Guy has been gratifying...
"The narration is an authentic Saskatchewan voice. You nailed it."
"It's a wonderful story."
"We thoroughly enjoyed your book."
"It was an easy read."
"Take a bow!"
"Such a great story of a guy who weaves in and out of someone's life."
"Loved it, loved the characters."
"The ending made me weep. Damn good."
A Bad Guy explores masculinity and morality and examines the uneasy notions of good versus bad. The literary themes behind A Bad Guy include the poor side of town/wrong side of the tracks and the challenge of dysfunctional family. The setting and era are close to my heart and lend the adventure a ring of truth.
Reader reaction to A Bad Guy has been gratifying...
"The narration is an authentic Saskatchewan voice. You nailed it."
"It's a wonderful story."
"We thoroughly enjoyed your book."
"It was an easy read."
"Take a bow!"
"Such a great story of a guy who weaves in and out of someone's life."
"Loved it, loved the characters."
"The ending made me weep. Damn good."
The Settings
Image via hippostcard.com
I went to Albert School and Scott Collegiate in Regina and both worked their way into the story. At the outdoor skating rink at Dewdney playground (now called Buffalo Meadows) most kids were convinced we were one step out of the NHL. Some like Red Berenson and Glenn Resch actually made it.
The story begins the week in 1972 that the Canada/Russia hockey series concluded and winds into the 21st century around the time Maclean’s Magazine published an article naming my old North Central Regina neighbourhood as the worst in Canada. Albert library and Scott Collegiate are now part of a new community centre called Mâmawêyatitân, a Cree word meaning “let’s all work together.” So there's hope.
Calgary as well had settings included like Heritage Park and Foothills Stadium. I enjoyed driving the gentle twists and turns of Elbow Drive.
Someone said writing lets you taste your memories more than once. That seems about right.
Someone said writing lets you taste your memories more than once. That seems about right.
A Bad Guy: The Book Cover
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The New Utopia Café was popular in the 1970s and became a bit of a cultural touchstone in the next decades. Owner Roger Ing was one of a kind. His artistic experiments came to be known as Rogerism.
The Ing family graciously permitted Birds of a Feather, as the book cover. It is a drawing Roger gave me years ago. I had hoped the publication of A Bad Guy might play a small role in people rediscovering Roger's wonderful art. Using that picture as the cover is also relevant to the story. Both main characters come from the north end of Regina, yet seemingly worlds apart; they are however birds of a feather. Their approaches to women are much different, but they each have issues with females as they do with their fathers. |
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The author and the artist at a Rogerism art exhibition at Albert Library in the 1980s.
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CONTACT
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