Title: The Woodlander (The Grey Tales Book One)
Publication Date: July 2013
Product Description:
“By the time you read this, I’ll already be dead.”
These are the last words of John Grey: squirrel, husband, and award-winning reporter for the Langley Post—Woodland’s most prominent newspaper. Or at least they would be John’s last words if he could just finish the note! But after suffering an unspeakable tragedy, a crippling case of writer’s block has left him unable to write a single word more for the past six months.
Desperate, he decides to attempt one last reporting assignment, venturing into Woodland’s seedy underworld to capture his greatest story yet. But when his investigation goes awry, it is John who is captured instead, quickly finding himself part of the story he meant to report.
Kidnapped and smuggled to a mountain faraway, he learns the dark secret behind the disappearance of some of Woodland’s less desirable citizens. But as great of a story as it is—the story of a lifetime—it’s one he’ll never get the chance to report… unless he can first escape!
Now, on the run and facing certain death, city squirrel John must elude his kidnappers through the forests of Woodland. Along the way, he rediscovers something he thought he had lost: his will to live. But will it be too late?
Book trailer:
John Grey as depicted by fellow author Anthony Lance
What Others Are Saying About The Woodlander:
From my editor A. L. Walton on his blog Writin’ Fish:
A little while back, I had the distinct pleasure of serving as editor for Kirk Watson’s fantasy adventure, The Woodlander. Watson himself pitched the novel as “The Most Dangerous Game” meets Fantastic Mr. Fox, and after jumping at that hook, I found it to be a pretty apt encapsulation!
An animal tale for an older audience (teens and up), the story focuses on a downtrodden squirrel named John Grey – a reporter whose cynical disposition and snarky quips are reminiscent of a hardboiled detective of ’30s pulp, and an immediately likeable protagonist for it. Six months after a terrible tragedy divested John of his will to write, a strange encounter outside a tavern prompts the squirrel to pull himself together for one more assignment, but when his investigation takes him to the less savory parts of town, he quickly finds himself a part of the story he meant to report.
Well-written with plenty of action, humor, and heart, this is a book I would gladly recommend even if I had nothing to do with it. (>^-’)>
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