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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

Pages: 1 | 2 | Single Page

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:

Pages: First | 1 | 2 | 3 | Next → | Last | Single Page

Run, Buddy, Run

Last week we watched our grandson run the 1500 meter. Took 4th place in his heat. We clapped and hollered, pleased as a couple of blue-ribbon winners at the county fair.

“Looked like you were hurting on that home stretch,” I said afterward. He smiled. “Yeah.” (He’s kind of the strong, silent type.)

If you’ve run any distance, you know about the vast gap between your unseen pain and the obvious composure of those smiling spectators. “The heart knows its own bitterness, and a stranger does not share its joy,” Proverbs 14:10.

You can’t feel my pain, but I’m running right now. Not quite to the home stretch, yet pressing toward the goal: my book release this summer.

Indie (self-published) authors can set their own deadlines. As for me, I actually have a publisher. That’s great, but I have no control over the timing. July or August, I’m told.

Evading obscurity

Meanwhile, I’m working on marketing strategies. As a writing coach says, “You may write the best book in history but if nobody knows about it, so what?”

One helpful bit of publicity is an endorsement from someone with his own following. I already have the first, from my friend and former pastor, Stu Weber.

Stu is the founding pastor of Good Shepherd Community Church here in Oregon. He’s authored 8 books himself, and has a national speaking platform, especially at men’s gatherings. Stu has been a giant in my life and was kind enough to say this about Someplace North, Someplace Wild.

“Writing like an evangelical Louis L’Amour, Gary Brumbelow has an uncanny ability–by engaging our senses and implanting us into the middle of the story–to lead us to evaluate our own lives. What might I have done trapped in a similar circumstance? It smacks of my favorite of Jesus’ parables.”

Thank you, Stu!

Meanwhile, I’ve asked three more acquaintances: a former lieutenant governor of Alaska, and two well-known Christian authors.

Would you pray with me for favor with these three brothers?

Of course, God doesn’t need any human help … but He does use means. David testified, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will trust in the name of the Lord,” Psalm 20:7. Nevertheless, you can be sure he had the best chariots and horses in the kingdom.

You also will have opportunity to help by joining my launch team. More about that next time.