Wow, it’s been a long time! In case you’ve been wondering, no, I haven’t given up  my dream of writing a novel. I’ve just been head-down working on it, so there’s been little time left for blogging. But I’m proud to announce that The Woodlander is finally available at Amazon!

Some of you may remember my original goal was simply to get published. I wanted to procure an agent, seek out a traditional publishing deal, get my books in stores, etc. But times are changing quickly in the publishing world! I now feel that self-publishing is the way to go.

In my upcoming posts, I’ll explain how I came to this conclusion and detail my own journey through the self-publishing process. Feel free to share your own tips and experiences with me–I’m happy to hear them (and I could really use the help)!

But today’s post is about the The Woodlander (I like to describe it as a cross between Fantastic Mr. Fox and “The Most Dangerous Game”). Here’s the story so far:

Life in Langley Grove might not be as charming as its cobblestone streets would suggest. Sure, the forest creatures who inhabit the Victorian town get along well enough. After all, they are enlightened, as the Woodlanders like to say. But despite having evolved from their natural instincts to prey on one another, some of Langley’s less desirable citizens have been disappearing, never to be seen again.

Enter John Grey, a squirrel on the verge of a serious drinking problem. You see, John used to have it all: a beautiful three-bedroom tree, a loving wife, and an award-winning career as a reporter for the Langley Post, Woodland’s most prominent newspaper. But after suffering an unspeakable tragedy, he is now on the brink of losing everything. Now he just wants to end it all, but to add insult to injury, a crippling case of writer’s block has left him unable to even finish his own suicide note, let alone continue his reporting career.

Desperate, John decides to take on one last assignment, venturing into Woodland’s seedy underworld to capture his greatest story yet. But instead, it is John who is captured, kidnapped and smuggled to a mountain faraway, where he learns not everyone has embraced Woodland’s enlightened ways—there are those who still prefer the old roles: the hunter and the hunted.

Welcome to the The Woodlander. I hope you enjoy it!