Andre Gress, a lifelong Aldergrove resident can now call himself a local published author.
He released his first novel, Boone and Jacque: Saddleton鈥檚 Secret earlier this year.
It鈥檚 now for sale at Indigo 91原创 in the local section.
鈥淚鈥檝e been writing for eight years or more,鈥� said Gress, calling the past few years a 鈥渢rial and error鈥� process.
鈥淚 started as a screenwriter and then went from that to being a personal trainer. I did children鈥檚 book writing and eventually turned to what I鈥檓 doing now,鈥� Gress recalled.
A graduate of Kwantlen Polytechnic University鈥檚 creative writing program, Gress pointed to the Harry Potter books as his biggest inspiration for wanting to write.
鈥淲riting is about authors putting peice of themselves that the reader can connect with,鈥� he explained, something he admired about J.K. Rowling when she began penning the mega-successful series set in the wizarding world.
鈥淪he was going through a difficult time in her life and I think writing can help people work through those things,鈥� he said.
Under the pen name A.G. Flitcher, Gress tells the story of a small town with a hidden secret.
鈥淭wo boys from a small town uncover a hidden part of history, which unearths mayhem and beings that want to take it back,鈥� he explained, acknowledging life in Aldergrove did serve as some inspiration.
Gress said people have told him his writing-style is reminiscent of horror novelist Stephen King, describing his writing as bold, gripping, and engaging.
鈥淚 was going to make it a YA novel, but I could really up mystery and suspense this way,鈥� he noted.
Boone and Jacque: Saddleton鈥檚 Secret is the first book in a planned series, which will follow the lead characters into adulthood and different pinnacles of their lives.
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The second installment is already set to come out this October.
Gress said he hopes people take away from the book that they can still learn a lot on your own from new and challenging experiences.
For him, the challenges of getting published led him to the world of self-publishing, a path he encouraged other budding writers to follow.
鈥淎nyone that wants to be a writer, no traditional publisher will take you on as a newbie without an established following,鈥� he explained, adding that self-publishing led him to keep control of his work.
People can find out more and purchase the book at .
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