She sells ‘Sanctuary’
AUTHOR THRILLED WITH RECEPTION TO FIRST NOVEL
St. Patrick’s teacher Caryn Lix has achieved major literary success with the publishing of her first novel “Sanctuary.” Lix held a local launch event at Chapter’s in Lethbridge Saturday night, and she is thrilled with the reception the young adult Science Fiction novel has already received.
“We had a great turnout Saturday, and we actually sold out (all copies in) the store,” Lix told the Herald on Sunday. “The book is coming out from Simon & Schuster, which is one of the big five publishers. I have an amazing agent who has been active in promoting me. But I also think it is just that Science Fiction is big right now.
“We are kind of on the cusp of more exploration of the solar system, and that is really exciting to people. So Science Fiction is having its moment right now.”
Lix said it also helps that teen fiction, especially teen Science Fiction like hers, has been the biggest selling market in the publishing world for much of the past decade. “Sanctuary” definitely fits the mould, combining super-powered teens, space travel and alien invasions between its covers.
“Sanctuary” has been described, said Lix, as something akin to “XMen meets Aliens,” and encompasses many universal themes about tolerance, coping with differences, finding your place in the social order and the discovery of personal identity; all of which resonate strongly with teen readers. Lix has already signed up to write a yet-to-be-titled sequel to “Sanctuary” which is due out next summer. She will be taking a year-long sabbatical in Japan working at the Canadian International School in Tokyo teaching Grade 4 English as she puts the finishing touches on the new novel.
“As a teacher you are always growing and learning,” she explained, “and any time you can step outside your comfort zone and have a new experience is a valuable way to draw in new skills and life experiences that are going to come through in your classroom to your students.”