We’re just under a week away from the publication of my new novel, COUNTY ROAD SIX, which will land in bookstores on May 19th. As you can see, I’ve already been fortunate enough to get a whack of copies from the magical people at Doubleday Canada, and it looks pretty damn impressive (which I can say, cause I didn’t actually make the physical book).

You can grab your own at all your local indies, or go ahead and pre-order now to make sure this tale is waiting for you on the day. Either way, I will high five you relentlessly if you do. As I tell folks all the time, you don’t even have to read it if you don’t feel like it, just buy it and pretend you did. If you are so inclined to take it for a rip, I’m very interested in how readers react to this book, as it took some doing to get it right and quite a few years.

There are a number of events I’m doing around the land after that, and I’ll post again very shortly to share all of those with you, and will recreate that tab on my page so that you can find them easily there. The summer tends to be quiet for book events, but, given the timing, I’m also hoping to pick it up again in the fall at some of the many glorious fests that take place throughout the country. More to come when any new dates or details come in.

In the meantime, the most sincere thanks to my editor Janie Yoon at Bond Street Books/Doubleday Canada, and to publisher Amy Black, managing editor Maria Golikova, and to the copyeditors and readers for the novel, including Melanie Little and Tilman Lewis. And, also, Kathleen Jones and the folks who worked on the audiobook version, performed by Métis actor Jenny Pudavick. I’ve also been very lucky to be in the good hands of some of the best publicists in the game, including Steven Myers, Kaitlin Smith, and Taylor Rice!

Of course, none of this would have happened without the incredible agents at Cooke McDermid, firstly Dean Cooke, who worked with me on COUNTY ROAD SIX for years until we had it in the right shape to send out to publishers. I was very happy that he was able to get this across the line with a formidable major press before he took his well-earned retirement. With that said, many folks out there in the literary world will know that we lost Dean not long ago, and on top of the sizable heartache I’ve felt over that, I just wish he’d been able to hold this novel in his hands…

Of course, I have been taken on by Ron Eckel, who joined Dean in the latter years to work on the novel and take the baton from there. He has championed my work tirelessly, and I hope to work with him for a very long time. I’ve also been shown stellar support from Paige Sisley and Carolyn Buszynski, along with Suzanne Brandreth and the rest of the Cooke McDermid crew. Through their hard work, and keen eye, the novel got to Anna Deroy and Sanjana Seelam at William Morris Endeavor, and they now represent COUNTY ROAD SIX for film and television along with CMD.

There are so many more that I’m grateful to in and outside of the literary scene, and they’re all in the acknowledgements for their support. But, a shout out here to my wife, who had to live with me while I wrote this story. And, if you know what I write already, it ain’t always easy or pretty, and takes a lot to get on the page, but she put up with me all the while.

May 19th, friends. Mark it on your calendars, and come see me talk about the novel at various events in the coming weeks if you want to hear more. There are some interviews already in the can and on the way, and reviews to come as well, and I’ll share them all as they appear.

Believe in your dreams, as always…