I’m happy to welcome Canadian author Don Butler. Today, Don shares his creative journey and new release, Norman’s Conquest.
Here’s Don!
When I was a lad, I always imagined that someday, I’d be a novelist. Teachers regularly asked me to read my youthful compositions aloud, presumably to inspire – or amuse – classmates with my comedic touches.
To refine my skills, I enrolled in journalism school at university. Then a funny thing happened. I got sidetracked into newspapers for several decades. It paid the bills, and I enjoyed the work. But I never forgot my boyish ambition.
Several years ago, I drafted my first novel, A Life of Bliss. I submitted it to a list of publishers in Canada and waited for their offers to roll in. Spoiler alert: they didn’t. But one of Canada’s smaller publishing houses advised that they’d had three people read my manuscript before deciding to take a pass.
I was encouraged by this. When I finally left a successful journalism career, I got serious about getting A Life of Bliss published. I did some polishing and rewriting and approached a regional publisher, Ottawa Press and Publishing, in March of 2020. You may remember that something else was happening then: the Covid-19 pandemic. OPP’s owner, author Ron Corbett, liked my book but said my timing sucked. He suggested I try again in six months.
When I did, he agreed to publish my novel as an e-book and print-on-demand paperback on Amazon. A humble beginning, but I was over the moon. When the book came out in 2021, it got a positive review in newspapers across Canada and was featured on CBC. It was far from a bestseller, but sales were brisk enough that OPP upgraded it to a full print run in 2022.
After that, I began my second novel, a murder mystery called Norman’s Conquest, featuring some of the same odd but lovable characters from my début. OPP published the paperback version in May. Reader reviews have been strong and sales at store signings have far exceeded expectations.
There’s no denying it: I’m now a novelist. One acquaintance insists on addressing me as “Famous Author Don Butler.” That’s a kind exaggeration, but I like it. I’m just starting to think about book three. A trilogy – or maybe more – sounds good.
Blurb – Norman’s Conquest
After narrowly surviving a heart attack in Greece, Norman Pugsley, the grizzled managing editor of the Ottawa Daily Advocate, anticipates a quiet retirement. But fate has other plans as he becomes entangled in a decades-old murder mystery. As he delves deeper into the investigation, sparks fly with his former boss, a woman he once couldn’t stand.
In this witty and heartfelt follow-up to Don Butler’s well-received début novel, A Life of Bliss, readers are whisked into a world of eccentric journalists, travel adventures, and a protagonist who unexpectedly discovers his inner feminist. The tale unfolds against the backdrop of unlikely romance and unforgettable encounters—from a spirit bear to a former prime minister. Join Norman Pugsley’s journey, where the past collides with the present, and every twist and turn brings him closer to solving the murder.
Excerpt
Reporter Norman Pugsley tossed the City section of the Advocate aside, rose from his chair and strode purposefully across the newsroom to city editor Morgan J. Peck’s office. He didn’t have a lot of time for Peck, who’d come to the Advocate after failing his probation at the Globe and Mail, a fact Peck had neglected to mention when he applied to the Advocate. The Ottawa newspaper’s editors, giddy at snagging a recruit from the prestigious Toronto newspaper, hadn’t bothered to ask for references.
“Got a minute, Morgan J.?” Pugsley began. Peck preferred to be known by his full name, including middle initial. Privately, though, female journalists at the paper called him Morgan the Muppet while their male colleagues favoured Little Pecker.
Peck glanced up from the story he was editing. “What’s up, Norm?”
“I was just reading our latest story about the Birchmount homicide,” Pugsley began.
“Awful case,” Peck said, shaking his head.
“Yes, it is. Body found in a woodlot in the Greenbelt. It’s been more than a month, and the cops don’t seem to have the first clue who did it.”
“So it appears.”
Pugsley frowned. “I know she was a whore, and most people don’t give a damn when bad things happen to them. But Jesus, Morgan J., she was 19 years old! She had her whole life ahead of her. She turned to prostitution because her so-called father was abusing her. And now she’s dead. Strangled and dumped in the bush like garbage by some sick psychopath.”
“A sad story,” Peck agreed.
Pugsley drew several slow, measured breaths. “When Jenny started selling her body, she was about the same age as my daughter Barbara is now,” he said. “I can’t help thinking how I’d feel if something like this happened to her.”
Morgan J. Peck waited patiently for Pugsley to get to the point. He hadn’t yet developed any chemistry with Pugsley. Found him to be an irritating know-it-all, truth be told. But he’d learned that Pugsley liked to talk things through before committing to a course of action.
“Her death feels personal to me,” Pugsley continued. “I’d like to get involved in the story. I still have great contacts from my days on the police beat. And I’m our investigative reporter now. This story could use some investigation. I have the skills to do that.”
Buy Links
Amazon CA | Amazon US | Indigo
Bio
Don Butler spent his career at the Ottawa Citizen, including six years as the newspaper’s executive editor. He’s the author of two novels: A Life of Bliss (2021) and Norman’s Conquest (2024), both featuring some of the same journalist characters. He’s married to journalist Christina Spencer and has two grown children and two grandchildren. He lives in Canada’s capital, Ottawa.
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Photo Caption: Author Don Butler hosts a book launch for his latest novel, “Norman’s Conquest” at Perfect Books on Elgin Street in Ottawa on June 3, 2024. Photo by Wayne Cuddington, cuddingtonphoto@gmail.com
Joanne Guidoccio 