Guest Post by Middle Grade Author Terry Lynn Johnson

Terry writes outdoor adventure stories. When she’s not writing, she works as a Conservation Officer. She loves living in northern Ontario where she can snowshoe, kayak, and fish—all in the same month! Terry’s newest middle grade novel, ICE DOGS, hits the shelves tomorrow.

Cover Copy: Victoria Secord, a fourteen-year-old Alaskan dogsled racer, loses her way on a routine outing with her dogs. With food gone and temperatures dropping, her survival and that of her dogs and the mysterious boy she meets in the woods is entirely up to her.

Today we are lucky to have Terry Lynn Johnson share an experience that inspired her writing.  

Welcome, Terry!!!

A Journey that begins with Doo

My first-ever published articles were both accepted on the same day. Adventure Kayak Magazine bought, How to Pee Out of a Kayak, and Dogs in Canada bought, Frozen Turd Wars. Shortly after, I started writing stories for middle grade readers on the advice of a writing mentor. Looking back I can see why she might have concluded that would be a good fit for me, as it doesn’t seem that I have outgrown toilet humor.

Frozen Turds was about one of my lead dogs, Apollo, who took his excrement seriously. He liked to erect towers in odd places. The article mentioned a certain neighbor, and a memorable dogsled ride. I’d like to share that story in a bit more detail.

I had been trying to persuade Lisa to come dogsledding with me, but she wasn’t keen. She sold Mary Kay cosmetics for a living, and her idea of a good time and mine were slightly different. However, one day she accepted and I set forth to impress her. I wanted to show her how awesome this dogsledding thing was. For extra power, I hooked up eight dogs. I snugged her in to the dogsled, which I had placed on the other side of the snowbank before hook up so that it would be flat and comfortable for her. With this lack of foresight, I called to the dogs and yanked the snub line to set them loose. As soon as I did this, I realized we were on the wrong side of the snowbank.

The sled launched like Santa’s on Christmas Eve, and for a few moments we had a fine ride. But as we descended, we canted sideways and unfortunately landed at the spot where Apollo had been — leaving his fresh, steaming tower.  

The dogs didn’t stop though, not for a minor thing like a tipped-over sled. We continued down the trail. Me face down, hanging off the back runner, and Lisa … poor Lisa cocooned inside the basket, which plowed snow along the way. I could hear the muffled screams.

When we finally jerked to a halt, I stood to dig my passenger out.

 “Are you okay?”

“Gah!”

“You’ve got some…in your hair.”

“Gaah!”

“Ooh, and it’s … um, in your ear…you might want to…let me brush this off…wow, that’s ripe eh?” 

She never did come with us again. But I had a great story to share. And that’s how these things get started. One story at a time, till one day you decide to write a few down and send them in to a magazine. I’m so glad my mentor suggested I try fiction. Hopefully, I’ll be lucky enough to keep writing — the real-life canine characters I have known are a bottomless well of inspiration.

 THANK YOU, TERRY!!

A conversation with Terry Lynn Johnson

Terry Lynn Johnson’s middle grade adventure novel ICE DOGS comes out in one month.

Victoria Secord, a fourteen-year-old Alaskan dogsled racer, loses her way on a routine outing with her dogs. With food gone and temperatures dropping, her survival and that of her dogs and the mysterious boy she meets in the woods is entirely up to her.

As you can see from the comments below it’s already a hit with reviewers and adventure writers:

"(A) thoroughly engaging and incredibly suspenseful survival story... Well crafted, moving and gripping."
   —Kirkus
"A page-turner full of white-knuckle action...Readers will be riveted until the end."
   —Publishers Weekly
"Ice Dogs is both a great sled dog story and a suspenseful tale of winter survival. The story's emotional depth is interwoven with the action. I found it authentic to the North, and read it in one gulp."
   —Will Hobbs, author of Far North and Never Say Die

Paul: So, Terry, you’ve written this amazing adventure story, ICE DOGS, that is due out next month. The story centers around a dog team. Tell me a little bit about your experience with sled dogs.

Terry: I was owned by a dog team for many years. They took me all over the back trails of northern Ontario getting into some adventures and misadventures that were the inspiration to ICE DOGS. We raced for a while, but the dogs let me know they'd prefer to run a little slower. They loved it when we started working with kids teaching dogsledding classes at an outdoor school. When the dogs were pups we'd visit kindergarten classes for the experience of hearing high-pitched squeals of kids having fun. The dogs became accustomed to lots of attention and pretty much had my days set out for me. Morning - scoop poop, breakfast, and lots of individual attention. Then some trail running, followed by more attention, frozen chicken to chew on, and maybe some fresh straw in the houses. One little female, Elsie, loved fresh straw so much, she'd throw a party for twenty minutes in her doghouse - grunting, rolling, tossing straw into the air. That's the best thing about spending time around dogs - you can't help smile at their excitement and pure joy in the little things in life. 

Paul: The extreme cold is definitely a factor in ICE DOGS. Tell me about a  "cold experience" you've had while mushing on the back trails of Ontario.

Terry: One frosty night (at least 20 below) camping sticks out in my memory - I slept in my winter sleeping bag on a tarp on top of the snow right next to my lead dog. The wolves had been howling around us, and the dogs were nervous on the drop line, so I stayed out with them. In the morning I was frozen to the tarp after my leader marked me as his by peeing on my bag.

Paul: Maybe the howling wolves had something to do with the peeing. Speaking of wolves or any other animals. Have you ever run into any animals on the trail that have caused a little ruckus with team?

Terry: One day the team saw a large black wolf trotting on the trail and started chasing it. But the wolf didn't seem too concerned. He stopped suddenly and looked back at us with an expression much like disdain, or boredom. His meaning was loud and clear to the dogs. They piled up on top of each other in an effort to stop. Then the wolf trotted off the trail into the trees. That experience inspired a scene in the novel.

Paul: Wow! I guess a situation like that can have many outcomes. One final question. Terry, I know you have lots of interest in all things out-of-doors. You're an expert kayaker and a long distance hiker as well as a dog musher. How did you get so interested in spending so much time in wild places?

Terry: I grew up on a lake and spent my share of time catching frogs and canoeing. But it was in my late teens, when I started working in a wilderness park where I learned how much I love being outdoors. It has influenced every part of my life. Now I work as a Conservation Officer, another outdoor job. I camp and play outdoors in my spare time. Being outside is my church - it fills up my soul. There is so much to be learned if we take a moment, step into the woods without iPods or cell phones or other distractions, and just be.

Next month (the day before ICE DOGS comes out) Terry will be back for a guest post. To learn more about Terry and her writing, visit her website. And, if you want to preorder ICE DOGS, you can do it here.

Thanks for stopping by.

Ice Dogs ARC Winner

Christina Farley is the lucky winner of an ICE DOGS ARC by Terry Lynn Johnson. Congrats Christina. And, thanks to all who participated.

Ice Dogs ARC Giveaway

I feel really fortunate to be able to show off the cover of Ice Dogs, a gripping character driven middle grade adventure/survival story. And, to top it off, I'm giving away an arc of this page-turner!!

I think this cover does a great job of capturing the mystique and allure of travelling though the backcountry in Alaska, which is where the story is set.

A little cover copy: 

Victoria Secord, a fourteen-year-old Alaskan dogsled racer, loses her way on a routine outing with her dogs. With food gone and temperatures dropping, her survival and that of her dogs and the mysterious boy she meets in the woods is entirely up to her.

The author, Terry Lynn Johnson is a musher herself and her crackling writing puts readers at the reins as Victoria and Chris experience setbacks, mistakes, and small triumphs in their wilderness adventure.

Although I've never met Terry in person, we've been trading manuscripts for a few years and man, this one rocks!!! It's due out in November from Houghton Mifflin.

Terry with a couple of her dogs.

For the ARC contest, leave a comment, and an email contact in it, anytime before midnight Saturday February 16th. One winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!!!

And, if you want one more chance to receive an ARC you can try your luck here.

Thanks for stopping by!!