The Last Coon Hunter:
Book I of the Ryland Creek Saga

The Last Coon Hunter begins the Ryland Creek saga, introducing Widower Jacob Ernst and his two sons, Nathan and Mead.  It depicts the lifestyle in rural Upstate New York, the passion of raising and chasing behind coonhounds in the night time forests, and the bonds between family and their hounds.

Just as important: the reader learns about Painted Post (my real hometown) and some of the wonderful legends and history behind this storied place.







 Things I've Learned as a Writer

       Many curious (even say, magical) things happen as an author. The three biggest surprises for me about the Ryland Creek series that I hear from readers are:

• Each reader connects to something very personal, and the individual's takeaway is just as real as anything the writer ever meant.
  
  

 ​       The scenes or images that one reader makes an emotional connection--which might have seemed less important--always surprises and delights me.

• Just as much as hunters, avowed non- and even anti-hunters love the series, too!
  
  
• The way one dear reader put it: "It's not about coon hunting as much as it is about the people who go coon hunting."
  
  There's a lot of truth to that sentiment. 
  

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• Readers' realize Upstate New York is not at all like New York City (NYC).

      Yes, in this part of New York, we have millions of acres of forests, rivers, fields, farms, and waterfalls. A rural lifestyle is very much enjoyed by the folks who live outside the five boroughs in NYC.

       There's a great deal of pride in the life we live here.

Nathan Ernst and Sharon Helm in The Last Coon Hunter

An ancient spreading red oak in the Painted Post area.