Someplace North, Someplace Wild Archives

Loved the book? Share your thoughts.

Now that you’ve read one or both of my Mountain Ranch Adventure series you can do me a great kindness by posting a review at Amazon (and Goodreads, too).

Reviews make a real difference

If you’re like me, when shopping online you look for the items with lots of reviews, right? Everyone does the same.

Since I’m trying to build a book business (having recently retired from pastoral ministry), building my review list is a big deal.

It’s a quick, easy, free way to help a starting author. You don’t have to write a magnum opus. A single sentence of genuine praise would help lift my profile from the murk of new titles.

Persuaded? Just click the appropriate image below and you’ll come immediately to the place where you can write and post.

Book 1 was released in August 2024 but when I republished it I lost the 50 original reviews due to Amazon’s policies.

Thanks in advance, and we’ll see you down the trail.

The Chilcotin River Flood and Cody Brandon

By now, most folks are aware of the Chilcotin River flood, in the interior of British Columbia.

A landslide dammed the Chilcotin River. The water finally surged over the dam and headed downstream where the Chilcotin flows into the mighty Fraser River.

The flood is expected to reach Hope, where the Fraser takes a hard right and heads for the Pacific, on Wednesday.

In the late 70s we lived four miles from the convergence of the Chilcotin and Fraser rivers. In Someplace North, Someplace Wild a young Texan named Cody Brandon will have his life changed in that same neck of the woods.

The Chilcotin is huge ranching country, including the Empire Valley Ranch, owned and operated in the 70s by a Christian couple who quickly became lifelong friends.

Tom wrote that story in Mountain Ranch at the End of the Road: horses, cows, guns and grizzlies in the Canadian wilderness published in 2019 and also available at Amazon.

The chilcotin country

The Chilcotin is a huge area of mountains, vast ranches, and forests. My first novel, Someplace North, Someplace Wild, encompasses the Fraser a few miles below the Chilcotin, where the August 2024 flood took place.

The story begins when Cody Brandon, the protagonist, leaves the Texas panhandle to seek his fortune in a remote mountain ranching area. Disaster meets him almost as soon as he enters Canada, and he is led finally to the Grand Valley Ranch (aka Empire Valley), west of the Fraser River.

He meets a beautiful school teacher, lands a dream job, and sits on top of his world, climaxing with a ten-day ride into the mountains to recover lost horses (where he also encounters a grizzly up close).

But on his return from that ride he hears some very bad news that will change his life.

What’s the point of the novel?

The story could be considered a book-length commentary on Mark 4:26-29. Jesus tells a short parable about a farmer who plants seeds and harvests the crop but in between the seed somehow grows without any effort from him. “The kingdom of heaven is like …” Jesus says, and then tells that story.

I summarize that parable as “The kingdom grows as God and man work together.”

If you read the book, you’ll see what I mean. 😊

A woman endorses Someplace North, Someplace Wild

After my previous blog post, my wife said, “You need an endorsement from a woman.” Good idea!

Here it is, from my young friend Britney Ta, at 8 million followers, the outstanding social media influencer in my circles.

Someplace North, Someplace Wild is a raw tale of courage, resilience, and the pursuit of one’s dreams against all odds. Gary Brumbelow delves into complex relationships, unfulfilled expectations, and the transformation of letting go of the past to embrace the promise of a new beginning.

A must-read for anyone yearning for a story that speaks to real human experience and the enduring power of the Holy Spirit. Britney Ta, Founder and Owner of Fish4Ever Aquatics

Heart-pounding Western coming … and a sequel

My wife agreed to mow the lawn if I would till the garden. But by the time I had the tiller ready, and discovered the garden was too wet, she was finished. I’m not sure we’re even yet. 😎 As for the book … the 3 rounds of editing are finished. Next month, the publisher will read it. Following any needed changes, the production process will kick into high gear. You can go here to check the status of the book. Ah yes, I got another helpful endorsement: “I’m impressed with Gary’s debut novel…

My wife agreed to mow the lawn if I would till the garden. But by the time I had the tiller ready, and discovered the garden was too wet, she was finished. I’m not sure we’re even yet. 😎

As for the book … the 3 rounds of editing are finished. Next month, the publisher will read it. Following any needed changes, the production process will kick into high gear.

You can go here to check the status of the book.

Ah yes, I got another helpful endorsement:

“I’m impressed with Gary’s debut novel and proud of him. His story has all the twists and turns you want in a yarn that just might keep you up all night. Enjoy and be looking for more from him!” Jerry Jenkins, Writer of the Left Behind series and The Chosen novels

The “more from him” is the sequel, Someplace North, Someplace Home. Currently about 72 pages are written. Cody gets back to Canada in time to save the inheritance. That’s good! But a new cowboy on the ranch is trying to romance his girl. That’s bad!

As for Someplace North, Someplace Wild (book 1), in the next few weeks I will put together a launch team, maybe 20 fans willing to spend some time, around the actual release, promoting the book to their circles.

I’m joining some other authors to share a promotion. Here are some other books you might enjoy … for free!