When author and retired journalist Don Hunter returned to Spinner’s Island after a 30-year-long absence, he was delighted to find familiar sights and old friends.
The location, of course, exists only in his mind; a fictional ocean-side community inspired by friends, experiences, and many years spent living on Galiano Island.
“I’m always asked where is is, and the truth is that don’t know,” Hunter said.
What he did know is that he very much wanted to see how his character’s have aged and “wizened up” over time.
Hunter released the first novel, Spinner’s Island, in 1989, and said the kind of people there were the people that wound up in his book.
“People recognize themselves right away,” he said, drawing from neighbors and real life situations that had happened to him and his family.
After raising two daughters, discovering the Fraser Valley through a column he wrote about the area, Hunter and his wife retired to Fort Langley 20 years ago.
“Creativity comes from wherever you are,” Hunter said when asked if his more landlocked surroundings gave him inspiration.
“Stories come from asking ‘what if,’ and I began to wonder how people would react to hearing about these character’s again, because story is all about character,” he continued.
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At age 82 and 30 years after the first book, Return to Spinner’s Inlet officially releases this weekend; it’s a 32-part short story collection about the interlocking lives of the characters in his fictional Gulf Island community.
“Us old guys keep on going,” Hunter said with pride.
With some other writing projects in the works, however, he doubts if a third installment will come into fruition.
The brand new sequel is available on Amazon, through bookstores, and other online sources.
“I’ve enjoyed meeting them all again,” Hunter said, playfully adding that he would recommend all 32 stories in the book.
Hunter will host a book launch on Saturday, Nov. 2, from 2 – 4 p.m. at Fort Langley Library, 9167 Glover Rd.
Signed copies will be available for cash purchase, with refreshments and a Q & A to follow.
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Email: ryan.uytdewilligen@langleyadvancetimes.com
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