Your town has a new book and a Purple Platypus

Morning from Central Alberta — five communities, one correspondent, and all the stories the big papers forgot.

Well now, I'll tell you what, there are stories you pick because they’re important, and then there are the ones you pick because they just make you smile a bit. And today, friends, we're talking about a new book from a first-time author, twenty years in the making, finally coming out of Castor. It’s the kind of quiet, determined effort that just feels… Albertan. You know, you stick with something, even when it takes a good long while.

This author, they spent twenty years on this story. Think about that for a minute. That’s longer than some of our newer oil wells have been pumping. Then, a teaching sabbatical, bless their heart, finally gave them the time to finish it up and get it through Friesen Press. And where's the book signing? Not some big chain store in Red Deer or Calgary, no sir. It's at a place called The Purple Platypus in Castor.

* **Who:** A first-time author, after two decades of work.

* **What:** Releasing their debut book, published through Friesen Press.

* **Where:** The book signing is set for The Purple Platypus, a local gem in Castor.

* **Why it matters:** It's a testament to sticking with your passions and the unique small-town venues that make these stories happen.

It just goes to show you that the really interesting stories, the ones with legs like a yearling, they’re often found a little ways off the QE2, in places like Castor. It's not about the big city lights; it's about the grit and the community that celebrates one of their own, whether it’s at the Coronation community hall or The Purple Platypus.

Wyatt Brandt, MiTL Sports Desk, Red Deer.

The guys on the morning show are probably having a good chuckle about The Purple Platypus — check 'em out live at mornings.live.