« The first draft was written entirely by hand. Old school, but I feel much more creative with a pen in my hand than sitting at a computer”, Richard Brunette explains of writing his very first novel; ironic seeing as how it is currently only available in online format through Amazon. He is however in the process of working out the finer details of making a printed version available.
On Sunday, April 12, Brunette’s friends and family gathered at Café Namasthé in Ormstown to host a book launch for him. They contrived the idea as a surprise for him to express their pride and each family member contributed in their own unique way. Now 37, writing has served as a creative outlet for Richard since he was a young boy and so for those closest to him, the fact that his first book was published came as no surprise to them. “We never doubted him, but with life and work, it’s something that a lot of people would give up on along the way. [However,] he’s persevered and we’re extremely proud”, says his mother Debbie Brunette. He works in sales during the week and moonlights as a DJ as well. He says of how he managed to see the project through to the end: “Sleep deprivation and caffeine” and says that most of his writing was done at 3 a.m. on weekends.
Writing the book, entitled The Feathered Serpent, took six years, but it was fueled by a question that had been of interest to him for significantly longer. The thought that later triggered the concept came to him back in elementary school in religion class at Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire in Ormstown when his teacher was explaining the story of Adam and Eve. He raised his hand and asked, “If the snake is the one who taught us everything we know and gave us knowledge, then why is he bad?” This question always stayed with him and he later delved into research, finding that “all ancient mythologies have a version of him but only in Catholicism is he actually evil. Everywhere else he’s actually good because he brings us knowledge.”
In a brief summary of the novel, Richard explains: “Archaeology student Nathan Brade comes across the truth about the serpent and his people, the Watchers, while exploring the pyramids of Giza. He discovers the true identity of the snake, the role he played and what he could mean to the future of humanity. This knowledge sets him on a search across time and space for the elusive figure that appears in every mythology since the beginning of civilization, the feathered serpent.”
Richard explains that the book is based heavily on exhaustive research he’s conducted on the topic. Committed to an accurate portrayal of the setting, he started out trying to describe Egypt from Google Maps, however he soon realized that it just wouldn’t suffice. He came to that conclusion on a Saturday and by Monday he was boarding a plane to Egypt where he spent nine days there researching and was also aided by contacts he’d made at the department of antiquities.
The book launch caught Richard off-guard and from the minute he walked through the door it was clear that he is not one comfortable being the center of attention. However, he was grateful for the celebration and said it served as an appropriate cap to the publication of the novel. That said, his work is far from over. In addition to working out a deal to have a print edition published, he is currently in the midst of producing a promotional trailer to spread the word about the book. Part of the benefits of having the online version already available for sale is that he can track the purchases and is genuinely surprised that not only are his family and friends buying the book, but so are people he’s never met before in the United Kingdom and Japan. He is excited about that success and hopes to harbour even more readers with the aforementioned promotional trailer.
Richard’s step-mom, Maryse, speaks for the whole family when she says of the milestone: “It’s been a very long journey, but we always knew [it would happen]. Rick has always been an artist at heart.” Though it may have been a long journey to reach, Richard shows no signs of slowing down. He already has his second book written and is currently working on the finishing touches before publication. When talking about The Feathered Serpent, Richard said he had to edit it down a lot and consequently change the ending. He said that it would still be a viable option if he writes a sequel. There is also an idea for a French book in the future.
