The Winter Calf

My first novel, The Winter Calf, is now available in both hardcopy and on Kindle.  This book was literally 20 years in the making.   It is based on a short-story I first wrote in my fourth year of college, mined from memories of my relationship with my grandmother.  This past year, I sat down and re-read this story and realized how special it was, even if just to me.  I decided it not only could be - but should be - expanded into a longer work.


Why did I wait 20 years?  The original short story was well-received by the fiction writing class that it was written for.  Nonetheless, until recently, I had little confidence in my writing abilities.  I've always felt that people said my work was good to protect my feelings.  A few early failures kept me from any serious attempts at publishing.

As a result, my writing has languished unshared for many years -  seen by one or two people at most.  Like many writers, I was afraid of having my work read and criticized.  My own self-doubt prevented me from pursuing something I loved .  Writing remained a hobby only - something I did to clear my thoughts.  I focused my energies on my 40 hours a week behind a desk job - which has always paid the bills but left me mentally drained and spiritually unfulfilled.

As I've grown older, I've realized that trying and failing is okay.  In fact, I've finally come to realize that taking risks is the only way to grow.   Maybe releasing the "The Winter Calf" is part of some mid-life crisis as I look at what I've accomplished and question where I am going.  Nonetheless, releasing this book is a risk for me, as I share deep-rooted emotions about a different time in my life.

So far, readers have proven my own inner voice wrong.  The Winter Calf  has already received several five star reviews on Amazon.

The Winter Calf draws from many genres.  It is best described as Southern Gothic, reminiscent of Harper Lee and Flannery O'Connor.  The Winter Calf tells of a bitter recluse living away from society and of a family torn apart by child abuse.  The book can also be described as magical realism; it hints at a ghost story.  It draws heavily from Appalachian folklore -- the wise but misunderstood mountain witch who saves a troubled boy.  Some would describe The Winter Calf as a coming of age story -  the story of how two boys from very different worlds are changed when a strange woman enters their life.  Finally, like James Herriot's veterinary tales or Steinbeck's The Red Pony, The Winter Calf is a rural story about life on a farm - a boy dreaming about raising a calf. 

The story is set in the fictional town of Maple Gap, Virginia -- which astute readers will recognize as a loose interpretation of Monterey, Virginia, located in Highland County.  My father's parents are buried there; much of the imagery in the book emerged from a visit to their graves with my own parents one cold March day 20 years ago.  Nonetheless, Maple Gap exists solely in my mind - created from bits and pieces of life in the Shenandoah Valley - from Winchester in the North to Lynchburg in the South. 

The story focuses on three primary characters.  Iris Littleton is the old recluse on the hill that everyone says is a witch.   Henry Mayfield is the wide-eyed but stubborn boy who dreams of raising a calf for the county fair.  Jerome Bigman is the school bully and Henry's nemesis.  Henry comes to learn that Jerome is an abused child looking for the smallest bit of kindness.

I sincerely hope that you enjoy The Winter Calf as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks to everyone for their support.