Welcome
Original Watercolour by Barbara Paleczny SSND
Thank you for visiting. This website presents background about my books and the people who helped along the way.
Summary for new visitors
Back cover of A Bill to Pay. Image by Patrick Blackler
I published my first book, The Tale of Indigo, in November 2022. I would describe it as literary poetry. I quickly followed that first book with my debut novel, A Life on Water, in 2023. In November, 2024, I released A Bill to Pay, a two-act play.
Update for new and previous visitors
This year, I released a second edition of A Life on Water with a new title, Breath of the Adamastor.
The new title reflects the deeper mythic and environmental layers at the story’s core. Breath of the Adamastor captures both the mood and the thematic focus more accurately, inviting new readers while offering a refined experience for those returning to the story.
I look forward to hearing your comments.
Timothy Paleczny
Ontario, Canada
A Life on Water (the first edition) featured this view of Lisbon from the Rio Tejo, illustrated by Helen Doner.
Switching to the new title in the copy on this website will take some time.
Rest assured that the story itself didn’t change much. The first chapter has a new opening and the transitions within chapter one flow more smoothly.
Media Announcement / Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Breath of the Adamastor is a sweeping literary historical fiction set in Portugal
Toronto, Canada — Cavalarico Books announces the release of Timothy Paleczny’s novel Breath of the Adamastor, a historical fiction that presents a sympathetic portrait of humanity, its impossible choices, and its search for meaning and redemption in a world seemingly bereft of either.
Beginning in 1930s Canada, the novel follows Ardis Lowney, a Canadian marine biologist who is eager to commence her research of the rare Kemp’s Ridley tortoise. She agrees to extraordinary conditions that take her to Lisbon and to Portugal’s southern coast and put her in harm’s way. Carlos, a Catholic priest who extols the miracles of Fatima, masks the real reason the Church wants him in the wolfram-rich north of his native Portugal. And Xisco, a young Portuguese stable hand, earns extra money with men from the village by collecting rocks for mysterious foreigners.
The new cover illustration was created by Suzanne Paleczny. The text layout was done by the author using GIMP software.
The title harnesses the image of the Adamastor, a mythical storm-giant of the sea invented by Portuguese poet Luís de Camões in his epic poem Os Lusíadas (1572). During signature scenes in the novel, the Adamastor imparts a symbolic dimension that echoes across the narrative and intensifies the novel’s exploration of fate and awe.
Solidly grounded in historical fact, Breath of the Adamastor (111,000 words) targets readers of literary historical fiction who appreciate layered storytelling, nuanced characters, and a richly-textured sense of place.
Breath of the Adamastor is the second edition of A Life on Water (ISBN 978-1-7386433-2-5) first released in March 2023. In addition to the new title, the second edition features a new cover illustration and a new book description. The new edition is available in the usual softcover and ebook formats as well as a premium cloth bound hardcover with a dust jacket.
Paleczny’s published books include The Tale of Indigo (poetry), A Bill to Pay, (a stage play), and Breath of the Adamastor (a novel of historical fiction.)
Press Contact: Timothy Paleczny
Cavalarico Books in Ontario, Canada
Email: Cavalarico@gmail.com
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Readers’ Comments
The overall effect
is excellent
“The characters are strong, the dialogue is well written and the story is excellent. The various storylines are built carefully and each is engaging. You feel that you know the characters. As they start to connect and weave together the overall effect is excellent.”
Mark Skalin
reviewing A Life on Water
More Graham Greene than James Bond, but more charm and warmth than either of them
“I’m a sucker for wartime shenanigans and science, so this was great for me, with spying and marine biology against the backdrop of WW2 Portugal, plus walk on parts for Ian Fleming and Kim Philby. The characters all came off the page. Pulling off multiple viewpoints and timelines is tricky but worked. The story weaves together a cast of characters as a nuanced way into the humanity and morality of the hard moral choices forced by wartime, more Graham Greene than James Bond, but more charm and warmth than either of them.”
Matthew Hurst
reviewing A Life on Water
A wonderful tale
of historical fiction
Set during the 1930s and 1940s in Portugal, A Life on Water is “full of detail, complex characters, and really interesting factual info concerning the activities of neutral countries during the war, the involvement of the church, etc. that is not well known … [and what] really stands out for me about your writing is how visual it is. You create a strong image of the time and place. I hope you are planning to write it as a screenplay. The imagery is magical, especially of the village and religious events. It would make a fantastic Netflix series.”
Suzanne Paleczny
Whitehorse