Visiting authors Tamara Veitch (left) and Rene DeFazio (middle) engage a local reader with their story, “One Great Year.” The authors were in Oliver recently for a sale and signing at the farmer’s market.
Erin Christie photo
Rene DeFazio knew he had been hanging on to his unnamed screenplay for a reason. The story he had written was inspired by his “exotic world travels” while filming documentaries in South America, Asia and Eastern Europe. The Lower-Mainland native said he knew he had something but he had “no idea” what to do with it.
Enter Tamara Veitch, a divorced mother of three with an eclectic professional background and a desire to write the “next great American novel.”
The pair, both of whom are currently based out of South Surrey, met the way many people do these days, online. DeFazio said the confines of binary code quickly gave way to “forces beyond their control,” and they met for coffee.
They began dating soon after and when DeFazio told Veitch about his screenplay they quickly discovered a shared passion for the written word. Inspired, the pair set out to refashion DeFazio’s screenplay into a novel.
“I knew there was a reason I was keeping it (his screenplay),” said DeFazio. “After I met Tamara I heard this voice in my head saying ‘write a book, you idiot!’ and it just made sense. She completely inspired me.” Their endeavour involved three years of painstaking research and world travel, while maintaining their families as well as their personal relationship.
The culmination of their journey is “One Great Year,” which they initially self-published in February 2012. The second edition was released by Red Tuque Books earlier this summer, and will make its American debut with Green Leaf Book Group at a launch in Beverly Hills, California on October 24.
The dynamic duo was at the Oliver Farmer’s Market recently for a book sale and signing where Veitch said they received “an unbelievably warm welcome” from local fans.
Photo contributed
“I bought ‘One Great year’ and was drawn in right away,” said Lynda Dacosta. The Oliver resident said she was so captivated by the story, and the authors’ personal story, that she “had to tell people about it.”
“It’s one of the best books I’ve read and it’s so great that Tamara and Rene were able to come to Oliver and share their story with people.” But Dacosta isn’t the only person to take notice. Hollywood has also taken notice of the pair’s effort.
Heralded by early reviewers as “Indiana Jones meets Eckhart Tolle,” the book has been optioned for three feature films, two more books and a documentary, which is slated to hit the festival circuit in Summer 2014.
To find out more about the authors or their work visit www.onegreatyear.com
Erin Christie
Oliver Chronicle
