Works in Progress
Updated: 7 Sep 26
A Place Called Painted Post
As of this date, we've received the first (5 of 7) proof copies for A Place Called Painted Post: A Ryland Creek Story. The last two proofs are due tomorrow (8 Sep 26), and hopefully, by mid-week, I'll have ordered the on-hand inventory. Once I've received the on-hand inventory, we'll officially release publication at all our major vendors (Lulu, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.)
I’m co-authoring this book with Judith "Shanne" Bowie, who inspired the concept, and the very talented local artist, Lee O’Connell, who will be illustrating this work for the illustrated version.
From the Preface of A Place Called Painted Post:
“You should write a book from the raccoon’s point of view. . . .”
Huh.
I read that line in an email from a longtime reader of the Ryland Creek Saga, Judith “Shanne” (pronounced “Shane”) Bowie—an educator hailing from Louisiana, whom I’d been encouraging for some time to write her own book someday.
Again, I stared at Shanne’s email. Her suggestion would certainly be a different perspective, particularly since the other books in the Ryland Creek Saga storyline were primarily from the coon hunters’, coonhounds’, and oftentimes the villains’ point of view. Only once, in An Exceptional Hound, had a raccoon’s viewpoint been truly expanded upon, and then for only a single chapter.
But a raccoon as the main character? Hmm . . .
So, I replied to Shanne’s email with two conditions.
First, there would be no talking animals in the proposed book. For all that famed author E. B. White did with his classic children’s book, Charlotte’s Web, and American storytelling in general, I wanted the book to reflect a real raccoon’s life in the wild with all of its beauty, wonder, and sometimes tragedy. Sure, the reader would know what the main character was thinking and experiencing in general terms, as raccoon-kind earn their reputation for cleverness. But any dialogue would come from humans—characters associated with the first two books in the Ryland Creek Saga, The Last Coon Hunter and An Exceptional Hound—whenever the raccoon interfaced with people or overheard them.
The second condition: Shanne would coauthor the book with me.
Thankfully, she agreed, and this book is the result.
Initially, we started out with the mindset of publishing a middle grade book, also using the extraordinary talent of artist Lee O’Connell, whom I personally know, to illustrate the story. However, after a single session with the Corning (NY) area Writers Group, who read the first chapter, it became abundantly clear this “simple” story was being written at a higher level.
Perhaps Young Adult or New Adult then? Those genres also felt as though we were trying to shoehorn a tale into a boot where it didn’t fit, considering the writing style and storyline. So, while we agreed there could still be both an illustrated and non-illustrated version, A Place Called Painted Post just became an outright adult novel.
Now, I’m certain some folks will wonder if they’ll need to have read the first two books in the Ryland Creek Saga prior to A Place Called Painted Post to follow the storyline. If so asked, I’d say, “No, you wouldn’t necessarily have to read The Last Coon Hunter and An Exceptional Hound to appreciate A Place Called Painted Post, but you’ll have a deeper understanding of certain scenes and several characters from the other books, if you have.”
And for those who have read those first two books, you might think certain events in the other books couldn’t have happened without this simple raccoon.
Whether this is your first book in the series or a longtime reader, I hope you enjoy A Place Called Painted Post.
You see, there’s a magic here if you know where to look.
Estimated publication date: Late September 2026.
As of this date, we've received the first (5 of 7) proof copies for A Place Called Painted Post: A Ryland Creek Story. The last two proofs are due tomorrow (8 Sep 26), and hopefully, by mid-week, I'll have ordered the on-hand inventory. Once I've received the on-hand inventory, we'll officially release publication at all our major vendors (Lulu, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.)
I’m co-authoring this book with Judith "Shanne" Bowie, who inspired the concept, and the very talented local artist, Lee O’Connell, who will be illustrating this work for the illustrated version.
From the Preface of A Place Called Painted Post:
“You should write a book from the raccoon’s point of view. . . .”
Huh.
I read that line in an email from a longtime reader of the Ryland Creek Saga, Judith “Shanne” (pronounced “Shane”) Bowie—an educator hailing from Louisiana, whom I’d been encouraging for some time to write her own book someday.
Again, I stared at Shanne’s email. Her suggestion would certainly be a different perspective, particularly since the other books in the Ryland Creek Saga storyline were primarily from the coon hunters’, coonhounds’, and oftentimes the villains’ point of view. Only once, in An Exceptional Hound, had a raccoon’s viewpoint been truly expanded upon, and then for only a single chapter.
But a raccoon as the main character? Hmm . . .
So, I replied to Shanne’s email with two conditions.
First, there would be no talking animals in the proposed book. For all that famed author E. B. White did with his classic children’s book, Charlotte’s Web, and American storytelling in general, I wanted the book to reflect a real raccoon’s life in the wild with all of its beauty, wonder, and sometimes tragedy. Sure, the reader would know what the main character was thinking and experiencing in general terms, as raccoon-kind earn their reputation for cleverness. But any dialogue would come from humans—characters associated with the first two books in the Ryland Creek Saga, The Last Coon Hunter and An Exceptional Hound—whenever the raccoon interfaced with people or overheard them.
The second condition: Shanne would coauthor the book with me.
Thankfully, she agreed, and this book is the result.
Initially, we started out with the mindset of publishing a middle grade book, also using the extraordinary talent of artist Lee O’Connell, whom I personally know, to illustrate the story. However, after a single session with the Corning (NY) area Writers Group, who read the first chapter, it became abundantly clear this “simple” story was being written at a higher level.
Perhaps Young Adult or New Adult then? Those genres also felt as though we were trying to shoehorn a tale into a boot where it didn’t fit, considering the writing style and storyline. So, while we agreed there could still be both an illustrated and non-illustrated version, A Place Called Painted Post just became an outright adult novel.
Now, I’m certain some folks will wonder if they’ll need to have read the first two books in the Ryland Creek Saga prior to A Place Called Painted Post to follow the storyline. If so asked, I’d say, “No, you wouldn’t necessarily have to read The Last Coon Hunter and An Exceptional Hound to appreciate A Place Called Painted Post, but you’ll have a deeper understanding of certain scenes and several characters from the other books, if you have.”
And for those who have read those first two books, you might think certain events in the other books couldn’t have happened without this simple raccoon.
Whether this is your first book in the series or a longtime reader, I hope you enjoy A Place Called Painted Post.
You see, there’s a magic here if you know where to look.
Estimated publication date: Late September 2026.
