ABOUT THIS BOOK
First, I want to explain why I am posting my trilogy Journey to the Midnight Sun for free to read. It is because it is a gift from God. No one I know raises their children and then hands them a bill for $50 an hour. And since I have no children of my own, God said he would share his children with me if I served him. That is my reasoning. Many people have already done their free work for God by raising their children and grandchildren and in other ways. So this is my way.
Secondly, I would like my readers to know that they will not have to wait long for more chapters to be added. This is because I have completed all three books in this trilogy and most of the polishing work is also complete. So I will be adding chapters regularly as the final editing work is completed. After all 95 chapters are posted, I plan to post printable PDF files for each chapter so readers that wish to read this book on paper can do so by printing it out at home. I encourage readers to print this book for personal use and to share with friends. Those that want to print now can copy text directly from posts and print but be advised that chapters may receive minor editing even after posting. So you may want to allow several weeks between the posting of a chapter and printing it. Those that share must cite the source (book title and name of author).
Later, I will publish this book as a paperback at Amazon and other outlets for people that would like to have it in paperback or hardcover form. I will price it as low as the outlets allow. I will receive no royalties and that is perfectly fine with me. I have nothing against making money. Honest people that work hard deserve rewards. But as I explained, this is different.
Thirdly, I would like to explain one thing about my book but first I must give a ‘spoiler alert.’ If you don’t want to know anything about the story beforehand, then please skip this segment and read only the note at the bottom of this page. Okay now that I have that out of the way, I would like to explain why the first two chapters bring the hero and heroine together through a tragedy that is as awful as can be imagined. It's about dealing with the sometimes tragic ramifications of being human, and rising above it.
To write this book, I have drawn on exhaustive research plus 68 years of life experience including 5,000 miles of travel by horse, canoe, and foot, staying out-of-doors for long periods of time. For example, the opening scene is inspired by an actual event. I was with my horse Reba. A blizzard was howling. I was looking across an open expanse. I watched as a snow devil whipped up. A wooded area in the distance looked like a dark wall. We were not traveling. It was an early season cold snap followed by a very long Indian summer the same as in this book. Likewise, John’s first campsite in chapter 1 is based on a place that I know well. Another place I know well from Chapter 1 is the Lewis and Clark trail (see photo below). Another experience that lends itself to chapter 1 was an attempted ambush that happened during my travels while camped in a ravine at night. I saved my gear and possibly myself and no one got hurt (the account of this event is in my book about my travels on the Lewis and Clark trail, American Errand). The fictional ambush in this book (Journey to the Midnight Sun) brings the hero and heroine together as mentioned above.
John’s horse ‘Ellie’ is literally my black and white Clydesdale horse Reba both in appearance and disposition. Reba is not 8ft tall like Ellie, however. Reba is 7ft tall. The hero and heroine are figments of my imagination but initially my wife, Laura, inspired Laureal’s character both in appearance and disposition (Laura blamed [my obsession with] the book for our divorce and there is truth in that. That was long ago. I put the book away after our divorce only to dig it out all these years later. I have lived and learned and I wish Laura nothing but health and happiness). The Matriarch, Emma, is inspired by my late mother, Silvana (originally from Yugoslavia) who suddenly became a widow when I was one year old and found herself at the helm with three small children. And finally, the Emerson clan is inspired by the small town clan that I grew up in, a big kinship with an illustrious history, locally powerful and famous, now scattered to the wind.
Supporting the hero and heroine are a cast of characters including a Matriarch (and a Patriarch that arrives in book two). There are old folks, middle aged folks, young adults, teenagers, children, and even a baby. It’s a big family! And they all go together on a daring adventure!
Thank you, dear reader, for your time and interest!
James
Note: I have tried to enable a reader comments section for this book but have encountered some technical difficulties. Perhaps at this time it is meant to be because I need to keep my focus on posting chapters as promptly as possible. In any case, I hope to resolve the issue so that readers can communicate through this website. I will resolve this technical issue although perhaps not until after I have posted all 95 chapters
