Since we’re reviewing a cookbook from Ottawa, I thought it would be fun to highlight the work of an author that sets his Angus series in the political capital. Along with the series, Terry has released some wonderful stand-alone novels as well.
We first hear of Daniel and his Scottish political side-kick Angus in The Best Laid Plans….an award wining launch to a hilarious and successful series. While taking us behind the scenes of the workings in Parliament, Fallis also draws us to some wonderful characters. My favourite? Muriel Parkinson, someone living in a retirement home while still wielding her political acumen. Add in a girlfriend, quirky campaign volunteers and some political personalities, and you have a story that takes on a life of its own, peppered with a big dose of humour. I finished reading Terry’s eight novel, Operation Angus, released last August.
So how did Terry come up with this cast of characters and plunk them down in the middle of Ottawa? With experience as a political staff member of both the federal and Ontario provincial legislatures, Fallis garners much of his material from experiences in both houses. Moving into PR work and eventually co-founding Thornley Fallis, a full-service communications consulting agency, he has co-hosted more than 200 episodes of Inside PR, a business public relations podcast. I’m sure some real-life experiences from both his political and public relations worlds have wormed their way into Terry’s novels.
If you’re wondering where the hovercraft idea came from that Angus is always tinkering around with, Fallis himself built one at 15 years old and has had a fascination with them ever since. See? Real life inserts itself into fiction!
But the Angus series isn’t the only thing that Fallis has written. His stand-alone novels are thought-provoking and sets up the reader to ask themselves what they would have done if presented with similar circumstances. In his latest stand-alone work, Albatross, a teacher recognizes the unique gift of golf in a student – even if the student doesn’t like the game – and along with a hardnosed coach, makes him into a superstar. The fallout of that grooming will have us asking ourselves if fame or happiness is more important. To win an autographed copy of this book, go to our Giveaway section.
I asked Terry for his favourite recipe, and he provided his sister-in-law Michelle’s Potato Salad. We’ve all had so many versions of potato salad, but for this one, the secret is in the warm sauce to coat the potato and egg mixture. Divine! Check it out in our Recipe section.
I also asked Terry about any upcoming engagements we would like to know about: “While I usually do more than one hundred book talks a year, COVID has dramatically curtailed my speaking gigs. It’s starting to open back up, but I doubt I’ll be back to my pre-pandemic pace for a while yet.” No worries…you can keep up with Terry’s world by subscribing to his newsletter at https://terryfallis.substack.com
Stock up on Terry’s books and enjoy some funny and thought-provoking moments with all his characters. I’m excited to tell you there’s another stand-alone book coming out soon called A New Season. I hope you enjoy his work as much as I have!
Content and images used with permission by Terry Fallis. https://terryfallis.com/
