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By Tracey Jerald

Blessed with the adventure of a lifetime last fall, I was invited to be a part of a book signing taking place aboard an Alaskan cruise. This trip was not only a chance to connect with readers who I had formed relationships with online, it was a bucket list trip for my husband and me.

Our first stop was Ketchikan, Alaska. The minute we got off the boat, I was charmed by the seaside port of call. We were immediately entranced by the totem poles telling stories about the Tlingit and Haida Native Alaskan cultures as well as the breathtaking views offered from the piers along the western coast of Revillagigedo Island.

We signed up for a tour package that permitted time to explore on our own, devour Dungeness crab (a particular favorite of mine), and enjoy what was being touted onboard as the infamous Lumberjack Show. Even our cabin steward couldn’t do more than give a secretive smile when we asked about it. All he said was, “It has to be experienced.”

So, we went. And boy, did we experience something we’d never forget! Though, that might have something to do with the ninety-plus pictures I took.

Surrounded by a bunch of individuals who were voyaging with us, we whooped it up in the audience as four male athletes competed in teams of two for glory, for pride, and most of all, bragging rights. Adding to the larger-than-life event, was a Master of Ceremonies who was a character unto himself that deserved a standup routine.

It was Team USA versus Team Canada, with each challenge becoming more increasingly difficult. And each time someone won, the winning Lumberjack would bound into the audience to present a gift to the fan who cheered the loudest.

And next to me was my amazing husband leaning over and murmuring, “I can see the wheels turning in your head.” Of course, they were. He just had no idea where my mind was carrying me.

But I knew, as our Lumberjack on Team Canada winked for my camera as he ran by.

After the show, the Lumberjacks were gracious enough to take pictures with everyone who wanted one. I flushed as one of my readers ousted me as an author. Immediately, the guys asked if they could be in a book someday. Little did they know…

One leaned forward and asked, “Can I be a little taller? Maybe a bit broader?” He may never know it, but he is in Return by Air’s sequel, Return by Land.

I didn’t base the Glacier Adventure Series, Return by Air, or the subsequent books, off of the Lumberjacks, per se. I created it from was the conversation I had with those four men: they’re sense of humor, respect for one another, and the apparent friendship between them as they joked with each other. There’s a brotherhood that exists between them few likely would understand.

But they were young men with a life to lead.

As I turned away to find my husband (and the Dungeness crab mentioned above), my eye caught that of the Master of Ceremonies. A man, who, when he had my attention, smiled so broadly, it split his beard in two. He winked, and I knew without reading the bios in the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show calendar clutched in my hand, who was the heart and soul of this crew.

As if I was plunged into the freezing glacier water, bits and pieces of the story started coming together.

A brotherhood of friendship started years ago because of a job and never let go…

Return by Air is the first story in the Glacier Adventure Series. It’s about lifelong friendship. It’s about falling in love when you’re older and wise enough to appreciate it.

And I don’t just mean with your soulmate.

Tracey Jerald is the author of the new book Return by Air.

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What can you tell us about your new release, Walk The Dog?

Walk the Dog is a standalone, single dad romance between a reluctant dog sitter and the dog’s veterinarian. Delilah, the resistant caretaker, is the blonde, fun friend from the first two books in the series. The book is a true standalone, and you don’t have to have read the first two, but she’ll be familiar to readers who did, and she’s the inspiration behind this book.

Walk the Dog is a reference to a yoga pose, a full-body stretch. Delilah and Mason both find themselves stretched by responsibilities to other family members in their lives. Dating each other comes easy for these two. The challenge is finding the time to prioritize a relationship in their already stretched lives.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

When I was younger, I wanted to be a writer but put the dream on a backburner. In undergrad, I did graduate with a journalism degree, but I chose to pursue advertising as it promised a more lucrative career path. Shelved the dream.

Then I read the author notes in the back of one of Jewel E. Ann’s books. She mentions she was an avid reader who decided to try and make some money from her addiction. Those are not her exact words. She says it better. But, she’s the person who got me thinking, why not try?

What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?

In no particular order,

Outlander (the entire series), Wuthering Heights, Gone with the Wind, The Great Gatsby, The Scarlet Letter

Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

I’d invite the writing duo Christina Lauren on, because they seem like they’d be a lot of fun, plus, so much to ask them. One, I’d ask about their process as a writing team, if they still love Twilight fan-fiction, and how they come up with their next idea. I feel like I’ve noticed a shift to more mainstream stories, and I’d like to ask about the driving forces behind those decisions and if they’ve noticed any demographic changes in readership.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

I love how I can sit down and lose track of time, and how at a certain point, I hear the characters. I love daydreaming (always have, teachers reamed me for it) so writing, to me, is socially acceptable daydreaming.

What is a typical day like for you?

Most mornings, I wake up, drink coffee, and work out. Pre-quarantine, that meant kickboxing, now I’m on the Hydrow row machine. I check email and advertising metrics, then I spend several hours writing the first draft of something while drinking coffee. In the afternoon, I’ll spend time editing, and take care of business items. Pre-quarantine, my afternoons were loaded with after school pick-up and sports activities, but now we’re all home and sports haven’t reactivated, so at the end of the workday, I’ll put on headphones and listen to a good audiobook while I walk my dog. A domestic goddess I am not, but we do prepare dinner and eat together as a family most evenings. My daughters are on the cusp of the dreaded teenage years, and sadly, they don’t always want to hang with us. But, when they do, we’ll play board games or watch a TV show together. Well, they watch while I read.

What scene in Walk The Dog was your favorite to write?

There’s a scene where Mason’s daughter convinces him to let her adopt a stray dog, and I think I smiled the entire time while writing that scene. Mainly I guess because I’ve definitely played that role, as a kid, of begging for the stray.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Mark Twain’s quote, “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.”

If I’m ever second-guessing something, I always think of his words. I once opened a business (selling pottery online) and it failed spectacularly. But, I’m glad I did it. Writing may prove to be a marked financial failure and what I write may be mocked or disliked. But, twenty years from now, I’m confident I’ll be happy I tried.

Isabel Jolie is the author of the new book Walk The Dog.

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