Adirondack Spirit
It’s one thing to set out to write a book. As if that isn’t a daunting enough challenge, aspiring to write a series of books seems like a massive commitment to make. I can’t think of a better way to spend my idle time and I’m excited to travel that path. After a couple of years working on the book Wanders Far—An Unlikely Hero’s Journey, it feels strange to think of the moment when that book is published as a beginning. Yet that’s exactly what I hope it is.On the one hand, a book should be a complete work of art, with its own beginning, middle, and end. It should be self-contained, and you should be able to enjoy reading it without feeling obligated to read another book, before or after it. I think a series of books should have a great reason to be linked to one another, and if someone enjoys reading one book in a series, there is a good chance they would enjoy reading the others as well.
My aspiration is to write a series of books that follow a similar formula. I intend to follow the main character of each book through a twenty-year period in their lives. The Adirondack Mountains of New York state, and more specifically the Whiteface Mountain region, will be the spiritual center of all the books in the series. The books will also be linked by bloodlines to the fictional main character of the first book in the series, Wanders Far. Each book will prominently feature supernatural and spiritual elements as a major part of their storylines.
When the first draft of the first book was completed, my editor and I had a great time enriching the spiritual elements of the story. Originally those were all packed into the last half of the book. An early reader suggested more foreshadowing. My editor and I shared a running joke about the psychic snacks on the way to the book’s climax—appetizers on the way to the big feast. I was very grateful for the feedback and suggestions, and those are exactly the kind of elements I’d like to incorporate throughout a series of books.
There are several points in this first book where I left little gifts for future books in the series… something lost in one book that could be found in a later book, something planted that could be discovered later, a mystery partially resolved to be more fully revealed later, and a prophecy of sorts that points to the last book in the series. Gosh, that seems like a big challenge to deliver upon.
I’ve been asked how many books I plan to write for the Adirondack Spirit Series. I have no idea. I have a well developed plan for my next book, which I’m tentatively calling She Sees Ghosts. That will be set in the 1800-1820 time frame. I would love to create a story at the time of Henry Hudson and Samuel de Champlain’s discoveries of the area in 1609. I have a lot of ungathered thoughts about the last book in the series which will be set in the 1960-1980 time-frame. The 1980 Lake Placid Olympics will be part of that story.
There are lots and lots of great stories I think I could tell, and twenty-year periods I could explore between the first book and the last. I’m not committing to any particular number of books, and I’m not expecting to write them in order. As they come to fruition, I’ll just merely state that they are “Part of the Adirondack Spirit Series,” just as I’ve done with the first.
As the proverb says, “Man plans, God laughs.”
Here’s hoping the Great Spirit meant for me to travel this path.
Wanders Far by David Fitz-Gerald
Publication Date: May 11, 2019
Outskirts Press
eBook, Paperback, AudioBook; 197 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Wanders Far lived in dangerous times and was faced with one difficult challenge after another. He was a skinny, quiet boy who was raised on the banks of a tributary of New York State’s Mohawk River, hundreds of years before colonists arrived. One lifetime was not enough for Wanders Far’s old soul.
From a very young age, his wanderlust compelled him down one path after another. No village could contain him.
He was happy living a simple life in the physical world during challenging times. The spirit world had other plans.
A wise, enigmatic shaman mentored Wanders Far and helped him cultivate the supernatural visions that haunted him. His guide could only help him so far.
He set out to become a runner, carrying important messages across the lands of his people and their enemies. He ended up fulfilling a much greater destiny than he ever imagined.
"This engrossing, well-written novel tells the story of a pivotal moment in Iroquois history through a well-traveled protagonist." - Kirkus Reviews
Watch the Book Trailer HERE
About the Author
After a chaotic day as a business person, Dave enjoys getting lost in the settings he imagines and spending time with the characters he creates. Writing historical fiction is like making paintings of the past. He loves to weave fact and fiction together, stirring in action, adventure, romance, and a heavy dose of the supernatural with the hope of transporting the reader to another time and place. He is an Adirondack 46-er, which means he has hiked all of the highest peaks in New York State, so it should not be surprising when Dave attempts to glorify hikers as swashbuckling superheroes in his writing.Wanders Far—An Unlikely Hero’s Journey is the first in a series of books in the Adirondack Spirit Series.
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Blog Tour Schedule
Monday, September 2Review at Historical Fiction Reviews
Thursday, September 5
Review at Locks, Hooks and Books
Monday, September 9
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit
Tuesday, September 10
Interview at Jathan & Heather
Monday, September 16
Review & Interview at Jorie Loves A Story
Friday, September 20
Feature at Coffee and Ink
Monday, September 23
Review at Nursebookie
Wednesday, September 25
Review & Excerpt at Just Another Reader
Friday, September 27
Review at Red Headed Book Lady
Monday, September 30
Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads
Friday, October 4
Review at Gwendalyn's Books
Wednesday, October 9
Excerpt at Maiden of the Pages
Monday, October 14
Guest Post at Passages to the Past
Thursday, October 17
Review at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals
Monday, October 21
Review at Jessica Belmont
Excerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots
Saturday, October 26
Review at Reading is My Remedy
Monday, October 28
Feature at CelticLady's Reviews
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away a paperback copy of Wanders Far! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.Giveaway Rules
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Wanders Far
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