Autumn 2004, I wrote an animal fantasy novel, Brave Tails: The Moon’s Prophecy, inspired by a summer spent hiking in Appalachia. The landscape, animals, and the dialect full of pulsed life woke dreams hiding in my heart since I was a child. The multifaceted artist John Bergin agreed to illustrate the story. The result was my most unusual novel – so much so, it plummeted out of print almost instantly.
A story is a dream. The meaning changes daily. 7,000 days later, the meaning of Brave Tails for me seems artificial (talkin’ critters) while still revealing something genuine of our humanity. To see if – in the age of social media – there is a readership who agrees, I’ve posted the first nine chapters of Brave Tails on Wattpad and will serialize the rest of the novel without a paywall.
https://www.wattpad.com/story/403387909-brave-tails-the-moon%27s-prophecy
If those talkin’ critters charm enough readers, there’s a sequel I’d like to write: Brave Tails: Invasion of the Boars. I developed a detailed outline for the sequel back when the enchantment of my Appalachian summer was yet upon me. The treasures I discovered then still offer the lore and lure of those ancient mountains.
