As a child, author K.D. Kulpa had two major interests: writing books and investigating ghost stories.
This year she combined both passions by publishing ‘Coma’, her first supernatural horror novel, and on Thursday she’ll be reading from it during a book launch at the John M. Cuelenaere Public Library in Prince Albert.
“It’s been an amazing experience,” said Kulpa, who grew up in Nipawin but now calls Regina home. “I’m always in awe of Saskatchewan support, especially for small authors or small artists. It’s actually quite unbelievable and quite heartwarming how supportive the community is.”
Kulpa always wanted to be a writer. She would frequently pound away at the typewriter at her realtor grandfather’s office in Nipawin, writing her own stories, but didn’t take the dream seriously until she had children.
When COVID hit in 2020 she found herself with extra time on her hands, and started writing.
“It took until I had kids of my own that I realized that if you want a dream, you kind of have to go after it,” Kulpa said. “It wasn’t until I had them that I realized I should atleast try, and now here we are. It’s actually out there, which is an amazing thing.”
‘Coma’ focuses on a man who falls into a coma after a life-altering accident and becomes lost in a mysterious realm. While his body heals, he must find a way to escape his otherworldly prison.
Kulpa found inspiration for the story from popular horror novelists Stephen King and his non-fiction book ‘On Writing’. In it, King talks about his own medical struggles after being hit by a car while walking down a road.
For the rest of her inspiration, Kulpa drew on stories from her hometown in northeast Saskatchewan.
“There are so many ghost stories in Nipawin, it’s actually quite amazing,” she said. “My friends and I would always go and try and search for the ghosts, of course, and we’re surrounding by lots of forested areas, so you have the creepy stories of being in the trees and all of that kind of thing.
“The unknown is spooky and interesting, and because you never really know what’s happening, it kind of gives you that more exciting aspect of it as well,” she added.
In addition to writing novels, Kulpa hosts the ParaGhoul Paranormal podcast and radio show on 91.3 FM CJTR in Regina. The show focuses on Saskatchewan ghost stories, investigations, and haunted locations.
Kulpa hasn’t decided on her next project, but with one novel already in print, she’s leaning towards a non-fiction book cataloguing Saskatchewan’s various ghost stories and paranormal investigations.
K.D. Kulpa will read from ‘Coma’ at the John M. Cueleneare Public Library on Thursday, Oct. 10, starting at 7 p.m. Kulpa will also hold readings at the Tisdale Community Library on Oct. 16, and the Nipawin Public Library on Oct. 17. Both readings start at 7 p.m.
