Business & Tech

Retired Editor Uses Encounter with Hunters as Jumping-Off Point for First Novel

Former Register-Pajaronian editor will have a book signing at Crossroads Books on Saturday afternoon.

Years ago, former Register-Pajaronian editor Mike Wallace was fly fishing in a remote meadow in the High Sierra, when a couple of people camped at the other side of it came over to warn him off.

“They said they were going to be doing a little target practice and that they hoped I wouldn’t mind the noise,” he recalled. “When they started shooting, their target practice sounded like a war and destroyed the serenity of the beautiful mountain setting. I decided to cut my losses and move on.”

Several years later, that incident became the starting point for The McHenry Inheritance, a mystery novel now available at bookstores locally and as a Kindle e-book. Wallace will be signing copies of the book Saturday at Crossroads Books in Watsonville from 1-3 p.m.

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Quite a bit was added, Wallace says, to flesh out the original idea and turn it into a full-length novel.

“The encounter at that meadow showed me how vulnerable a lone fisherman can be in a tranquil, isolated mountain environment, and how menace can lurk in such a peaceful setting. But to make it into a book, I had to add some courtroom drama, a citizen militia heading toward committing a violent act against the government, a romance between two people from different backgrounds, and a radio talk-show host progressively losing his grip on reality. That was a lot to fit into just under 200 pages.”

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Quill Gordon, the book’s lead character, is named after one of America’s oldest and most distinctive trout fly patterns, and Wallace says he can easily be brought back for further adventures.

“In this book, he’s a guy who went on vacation and got caught up in a situation that was happening where he was staying. That’s a concept that can be almost infinitely extended to a broad range of other stories.”

Wallace says that although The McHenry Inheritance has some detailed descriptions of fly fishing, they appear as backdrop and were written so as not to distract those who know nothing about it.

“Most of the people who have read the book so far don’t fish,” he said, “but they tell me they enjoyed the descriptions and the feeling they got of being outdoors in the mountains. More importantly, they liked the characters and the story.”

Crossroads immediately asked Wallace to do a book signing when he asked if the store would carry his book locally. “Local bookstores have a vital role to play in supporting independent authors and promoting the work of local people. I’m very grateful to Kelly at Crossroads for extending the invitation and for giving me a chance to sign the book and discuss it with anyone who might be interested.”

The McHenry Inheritance sells for $12.99 at Crossroads and is also available as a Kindle e-book. To learn more about it, visit www.quillgordonmystery.com


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