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Local reads for winter

By Scott Hayes - St. Albert Gazette

D.A. Vandenbrink - The Crimson Dimension

Hold your horses, St.Albertans – did you see that a new writer of supernatural thrillers emerged from the city in 2020? D.A. Vandenbrink released The Crimson Dimension in March to strong reviews and was even featured in the Writers' Guild of Alberta Online Reading Series.

The story, about a university student who witnesses a miracle and develops the power to see angels and demons walking among us, was written as part of a larger series with the next one expected by this time next year, fingers crossed. It's a great, fun and compelling read, but perhaps the greater story is the author's own tale of triumph in becoming published. The 54-year-old works for a land developer by day, but has often found himself in his full creative zone, devising new stories on his word processor after the workbell rings or even in the middle of the night.

“I’ve always been a fan of speculative fiction and just done some writing on my own, just for my own enjoyment over the years. I decided at one point that I had a good story, a good idea, and I should just go for it. This was my first endeavour of publishing,” he revealed.

He didn’t really pick up the habit until he was 30. Far from being a lifelong craftsman in the literary arts, he noticed everybody in his family absolutely enjoyed reading, and the light bulb went on. “I figured there’s got to be something to this. I asked around at some good series, and at that point, just absolutely got hooked on reading and in the art of storytelling ... just amazed at the way that some authors can put together multiple plot lines and a compelling story. And that’s when I got hooked and that’s when I started to start to develop some of my own ideas, and got to this point now.”

Look for The Crimson Dimension for purchase through all major online vendors as well as at Chapters Indigo in St. Albert and at West Edmonton Mall and Audreys. Look for more on his website at davandenbrink.com.

Writers Guild of Alberta Online Reading Series

St. Albert author D.A. VandenBrink reads from his supernatural thriller The Crimson Dimension, followed by a Q&A led by WGA Summer Programs Assistant and WordsWorth Creative Team member Sadie MacGillivray.