For the outdoor lovers, I wanted to call attention to a book I wrote that's set in the BWCA. There's amazing scenery, primitive camping, hiking, and fishing all wrapped up inside an page turning action/adventure/thriller storyline.

Fugitives from Northwoods was released back in February in paperback and eBook. It can be found on Amazon's and Barnes & Noble's websites:

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Thank you all for your support! I welcome any questions, comments, etc....

Ok, so I took the plunge (ie. got suckered in?) & spent three bucks or so on the Kindle version of this book.  I must say I was quite prepared NOT to like it.  I wasn't keen on the idea of someone who has never posted to QJ before suddenly posting for the single purpose of promoting his own commercial interests.

HOWEVER, db reminded me that the book appeared "topical" and that Mr. Bostic had paid his membership dues.  [Informationally speaking, for you newbies like Mr. Bostic, db is the guy who actually runs this website].  At that point I reconsidered my objections and actually ponied up to buy the book.

My review?  It was money well spent.  I enjoyed it.

I found the book to be quite entertaining in an adolescent, "Hunger Games" sort of way.  The fact that the setting was Canoe Country certainly helped to hold my interest.  Of course, it is at once both a good thing & bad thing to be so intimately familiar with the terrain, as so many here on QJ are.  While you will certainly appreciate the familiar feel, sights & sounds, I suspect you will also spot irregularities fairly quickly, too.  Frankly, there were actually a lot fewer "screwy" things than I expected to discover.  My biggest beef may be with the premise that eight fugitive teenage kids can so frequently swim across deep frigid lakes with full packs on during the darkest hours of sub-freezing autumn nights... sometimes even perforated with bullet holes.  The extent these kids perform this trick stretches even my gullibility a bit much.  Also, if the late autumn fish bite was as good as these kids found it to be, I think more of us would be targeting late October & November for our canoe trips.  These kids were hauling in full stringers (of everything but lake trout) while fishing from shore using mostly cane poles, hooks & crayfish!  For the most part, however, the energy of Mr. Bostic's tale overcomes a few such relatively benign shortcomings.

This is an adventure story about eight teenagers escaping a government gone bad... real bad.  On one hand, I found myself wanting to learn more about how the USA had gone to hell-in-a-handbasket and turned so radically tyrannical so quickly.  On the other hand, had the author spent much time developing that theme, it would likely have detracted from what is a fairly taut, suspenseful, and engaging tale.

Bottom line: if you liked "Hunger Games" and if you are a fan of the park, I think you will enjoy this book.

The book IS topical.  I now agree that db's judgment to allow the commercial post to stay was a good call because, ultimately, I did enjoy the book.  I may even consider buying the sequel when it comes out.

By the way, the author might actually improve his worthy sequel by spending a bit more time here on QuietJourney... a place where he might pick up a few more of those details that make a story real.

That's about it.  Your teenagers will enjoy this book.

Jimbo   

Downloaded the book to read on my Kindle. In short, I enjoyed the story. Jimbo got me hooked on the Cork O'Connor series so I took his overall positive review as a good sign. Also, any story based on/in the BWCA/Quetico region will probably get my attention.

I agree that the book would be a good read for younger folks. I found the dialogue a bit simple. Not a slam, just an observation and perhaps intentional for the demographic you are targeting. Given the ages of the characters, probably fairly realistic.

Having only traveled in the Q, i found myself referring to maps to "follow along" and enjoyed that aspect.

I would most likely read story #2 based in the Q, more familiar turf for me, and am very interested in the potential third book dealing more with what was a disturbing, but given the current state of affairs, not completely incomprehensible political environment.

So Chris, how much of yourself comes out through Penn in your story?

J

Here's some extra BWCA flavor.  Check out this book trailer video.  It'll give you a little idea for the story while including several pictures from a trip I took to the B-Dub last summer.

The music is by a paddler friend of mine, Jerry Vandiver. 

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