Hey guys, it’s been a dang interesting spring so far (and about to be summer). I’ve been bouncing around Montana and the PNW, attending speaking engagements at conventions and also acquiring content for social media and the documentary I’m working on titled “Leaving Montana”.
I had an excellent time speaking at Miscon 37 in Missoula, Montana. There’s hardly a better place to be in the world than western Montana in spring.
In all that, I managed to finish a new novel, a psychological thriller based in Montana. It’s currently on submission with my agent.
I hope you all are having a great warm season. You can find me where the tall, north country forests mingle with hidden waterfalls and lumbering moose.
Hey guys, I didn’t get a chance up until now to post a 2022 year end wrap up, so here it is.
I’m sitting here in a hotel room in the Pacific Northwest working on my latest novel. There’s a lot going on. To the point I’m just trying to balance everything the best I can.
In 2022, My Facebook page reached 45 million people. I started that page to post writing and adventure photography a few years back. I’m extremely appreciative of all of you who frequent that page. I am humbled and surprised at what’s happening.
Also in 2022, my debut novel The Puller was published by Pyr and distributed by Simon and Schuster. I actually saw my book on the shelves next to Stephen King books at Barnes and Noble. I was stunned!
In addition, I did a very brief thing on the TV show Yellowstone that qualified me for SAG.
2022 was pretty cool.
I can’t thank you all enough. I have to admit, it’s also been a little weird. When you start accomplishing some of the career things you’ve always wanted to accomplish, you find out real quick who was actually rooting for you and who secretly wasn’t.
And that’s been a revelation. But as always, my eyes are on the big picture. To forge meaningful relationships and to create meaningful art. And to promote kindness and awareness through my writing and photography.
I’ve been walking a lot in Missoula. It’s what I do when I’m taking an hour break from writing. Usually I’m on my headphones listening to music, taking audio notes, trying to pet whatever dogs and cats I see. Yesterday, I walked past a bookshop I’m familiar with. The shop was where I had my first ever book signing in 2015. The book was my debut.
Eight people showed up.
One of those was my dad.
He flew out from Chicago for it, sat in the “audience” to support my first ever novel. And make no mistake, at the time that was me jumping off into the unknown. A leap of faith. A new valley to call my own.
After the signing (it didn’t take long haha), we ate ice cream and watched the river. A bald eagle soared over the valley, searching. He and I watched the scene quietly, an unspoken understanding between us.
No matter what, through it all, this guy has had my back. I strive to be more like him, more kind, less judgmental, more logical and practical.
A few years ago we took a camping trip to my favorite Montana river, and then on to Yellowstone. He bought a new tent and sleeping bag just for the trip. We fly fished and took pictures deep in the national forest. I still remember us wading the river at sunset, watching as the trout nipped bugs on the surface, as a moose and calf slowly emerged from the woods and crossed the river. Or filming the elk in Yellowstone, or the spectacular night sky. Or the poor guy having to eat my terrible cooking.
When I was a teenager and getting into trouble, he set me aside and told me I could be anything I wanted to be if I put my mind to it. I never forgot that lesson.
I miss those trips. Those times. I don’t see my parents as much as I used to.
But you see, that’s what they taught me. A healthy eagle flies far from the nest.
So, there’s a lot going on. My official Facebook page reached 1 million readers in the month of May.
I’m shocked, and the impact on my life has been immediate. I appreciate you all sticking by me over the years and participating in my art.
To put that into context, one of the top outdoor magazines in the country (and one my work has been featured in), Outside Magazine, reached 650,000 people last month.
On the writing front, my nature thriller “The Puller” is coming from award wining PYR in November, with distribution by Simon and Schuster. I couldn’t be more thrilled. I’m currently planning a tour in Montana, California, and the PNW. Can’t wait to see you guys!
I’m also working on two new novels.
If you look at my novels, “The Puller” was always a literary thriller at heart. Much of the novel is dedicated to landscape as character (see Cormac McCarthy as the best example of this) and to the relationships, with social commentary. My novel “Black Friday” expanded on this style, with a very expanded landscape, and also a focus on relationships and social commentary.
I was fortunate that “The Puller” was optioned for film and in development, and there are currently other options in the pipeline, for other stories.
I’m bringing this up because the new novels are absolutely a continuation of “The Puller” and the “Black Friday” literary experimentation style.
There were several directions I could’ve taken my career, but this path seemed to be the most organic fit. It’s not forced. It’s just what’s in my heart.
Hi. There’s been a lot of bear content in the news lately, especially in the Northern Rockies. A bear attack (sadly), and video of curious bears “following” people. I’ve noticed that it’s occurring more frequently this year. And that’s because a lot of people are moving to the Northern Rockies…people who think their new backyard is just like their backyard in Texas.
It’s not.
Unlike Texas, which has almost no public land or wilderness (and which most people sadly confuse as a wild place), the Northern Rockies are still very wild, with incredibly vibrant ecosystems and a full array of native fauna.
I’ve been filming grizzly and black bears in Montana and NW Wyoming since 2004.
How many times have I followed a bear into the woods? Zero.
How many times have I gone for a jog or bike in grizzly habitat? Zero.
How many times have I not paid attention to the woods in grizzly habitat? Zero.
More and more, I’m seeing people that think the Northern Rockies are some kind of paradise playground, a tame personal backyard.
They are not.
The moment you step into that national forest, you better give those woods 100% of your attention…not your music app on your phone as you jog or bike. Or that random text.
The national forests and parks of the Northern Rockies are the real deal. They are the home of the wildest and rarest animals in the world.
And for those continuing to consider a move there, here’s the reality. Check out the frost-free days of these Montana towns:
97 frost-free days in Bozeman 102 in Whitefish 110 in Missoula.
Can you handle 250+ days of cold? Think about it. For real.
The truth is, Montana is a place best visited. It’s home to a unique brand of hearty people who’ve developed a tolerance to the harsh winters and abundant wildlife.
Growing up, I used to want a cabin on a lake. Then I realized that’s how you ruin the place you love. I saw it happen to the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Soon, trees were cut down for a “better view”. Pine needle and sandy forest floors were replaced with chem-lawns that depleted oxygen levels in the lakes.
And if enough people keep building homes next to places like Glacier, they’ll deplete grizzly bear habitat like the oxygen in the Northwoods lakes.
To capture the essence of Glacier, tent for a few days in a campground. Or take a boat tour, or hike, or just drive. You won’t capture the essence by building a home there . You’ll only ruin it.
The Northern Rockies are more than your outdoor clothing catalogue dreams. More than your desire to “invest in a vacation home”. They are more than your personal goals. They go beyond you…beyond me.
