It appears to be the summer of the book in Yorkton, with several local authors releasing works.
You can add Timothy Bartlett to the list, as he has launched his first novel, 'The Games People Play' the first of a planned trilogy entitled 'The Game Master Trilogy'.
Bartlett, who was born in the city, moved away for a time, but returned in 2007, said the idea for the book arose following an argument.
"The idea of my trilogy began when the roommate I had at the time started a stupid argument with me," he told Yorkton This Week. "From that Sunday evening we never spoke to each other again until he broke the ice and talked as if nothing ever happened. He was a sous-chef for the same restaurant that I had the cleaning contract for in 2003.
"So the following Tuesday morning while I was vacuuming the rugs in the restaurant, I began to think about this silly incident from the week before. So I asked myself; What is the matter with people? All they ever do is play mind games with one another. Who do they think they are - a Game Master?
"As soon as the words game master popped into my mind, I was struck with the powerful idea for a short story. It was so powerful that I had to sit down and write it. In the first novel that was from Chapter 1 to the Epilogue and took me two months to write and edit the chapters. But this idea of just being a short story didn't fit in with my creative mind. My mind saw this increase to eventually become 3 novels. The main character in the story had to have a family history of some kind, so I wrote the novel with the view of covering the time period at the end of WWII to early 1998. The second novel covers an 8 to 9 month span from 1998 to April 1999. The third novel will cover from early 1998 to Jan. 1, 2000."
The book jacket explains, "The Game Master Trilogy, Book #1 - The Games People Play pumps up a readers' grey cells to solve a few contests strung throughout this novel and keeping in mind the all-important question; who is really playing the game? Any Takers?
Bartlett said he sees challenging people to think as a major element of the book.
"All of us at some time in our lives have played various types of games. No matter where humans are around the world, we enjoy letting loose and have fun playing or creating entertaining tests of skill. As a result, a few people have adapted and adjusted the rules of these sporting events to their everyday lives. Instead of a simple board, card or role-playing game, these individuals go as far as to play psychological contests on various levels, thinking they are the only ones on the top of the heap," he explained in the book's author's notes.
The cover noted, "As a new author to the literary world, who has lived more than five decades, Timothy considered it an honour and a challenge to test his skills at creating writing. Through his years of personal observations, everyone uses psychological contest strategies to obtain what they want when they want it. Whether it requires cutthroat tactics, whining or crying, the outcome of the game is the same; someone wins, others lose
"Yet not all games have to be painful or a major financial loss to the individuals involved. Some contests are to build up, to encourage or to educate individuals to understand the game play or to be a successful team player. Others hand out rewards to their contestants in the form of moneys or prizes
"From the time, we are born until death catches up with us, we learn about our society; the world and life in general through the games we employ. The regulations may vary with each person's competition or time, but they are games nonetheless.
The drama that is about to unfold requires some brainpower on your part. As the first round of tournaments begin, keep in the back of your mind one simple question, 'Who really is playing the game?'
"Enjoy the challenge!"
"What makes my novel a little different from the regular novels are the challenges that are incorporated within the story," offered Bartlett. "The Game Master solves them or has the answers to those quizzes but I also wanted the reader to be involved and see if they can figure them out.
"Both the first novel and the second one will have these challenges but no answers. The answers will be provided in the final novel. It is a way to keep the readers in suspense for the solutions."
Bartlett said he expects the second novel will be ready for publication around November of this year, adding, "I'm working on the third novel at present and hope to complete it in July of 2015."
