Paul Guernsey

Well, so a cloudy day today, and I decided to do some writing. I was just going to put down a preliminary sentence or two, but then I wound up writing onward for a few hours. Over 1,000 words down on screen; I suppose that months from now I'll be able to look back upon September 9 as the day I actually started a draft of the sequel to Rolling Back the River. That said, for the last few months, I've been researching, writing things down, outlining in my random manner . . . and also, I tend to do most of my writing in the late fall, through the winter, and into early spring, and we still have a few weeks to go until late fall is here. But . . . I'm working on a novel. 

What I didn't bring enough of? Tiny, black mosquito nymphs/emergers. That's what the Arctic char were taking, and they were amazingly selective. 

On my way north, to fish in Swedish Laponia (Lapland.) 

I think I mentioned before that I'm working on a sequel to Rolling Back the River—a sequel that will take place on an even broader international canvas than that of Vincent Mapp's Maine-to-Argentina adventure. The working title is Fish Story, and part of it will take place in above the arctic circle in Sweden. Anyway, I recently returned from a research trip to that area, and one of the species I targeted and caught was arctic char. The photo of of me with a char, caught on a tiny mosquito emerger. 

I'm planning a sequel to Rolling Back the River, and to that end, I'm currently in Lulea, Sweden, staging—with a group of other anglers—to head up to Swedish Lapland, above and below the Acrtic Circle, to fish and gather research. I've got plenty of flies, some of which you see here. I'll post some other photos and information when I get a chance. Wish me luck. 

Tomorrow, June 20, I'll hold my last book signing event for a while, as I'll be traveling next month to do some research for the sequel to "Rolling Back the River." Barnes & Noble in South Portland from 1:00 to 3:00. If you're in the area, stop by and say hi. This is a GREAT Father's Day book, by the way. ;)

Two book signings this weekend: Tomorrow, Saturday, I'll be at the Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shop in Falmouth from 12:30 to 2:30, and on Sunday at the Barnes & Noble in Augusta starting at noon. Stop by and say hi!

From Vermont . . . a land of trout streams and forests . . . comes a new review of RBtR rcently published on Substack by a poet and outdoorsman Dave Celone. Have a look. 

I just learned that my publisher, Stackpole/Globe Pequot, is planning to nominate Rolling Back the River for a 2026 National Outdoor Book Award in the Outdoor Literature category. The deadline for submissions is in mid August, and winners are announced in November. Now, I'm well aware that a nomination is not a win, but it's really good to know that Globe Pequot has this level of confidence in my novel; they publish a LOT of outdoor books every year, and they certainly do NOT nominate all of them for the outdoor world's most prestigious publishing award. I did some checking and, in the 30 years they've been giving out NOBAs . . . only two of the Outdoor Literature winners have been fiction; most of them have been real-life adventure stories of one kind or another. So, as with any award worth competing for, the odds here are long. Nonetheless, I'm excited. In fact more than excited, I'm hopeful. Wish me luck! 

Had a terrific time yesterday at my Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shops signing in Rockland. Sold a bunch of copies of Rolling Back the River; talked to a lot of great people. I learned a long time ago that book signings often don't go great if you're just sitting there looking hopeful. Much better to be on your feet, engaging with people. And, although I'm not a natural extrovert, I've learned to enjoy the interactions. Thanks to everybody who came by. For everyone else . . . I've got three more signings scheduled up and down the Maine coast later in June, and a bit closer to Fathers Day. Check my Home page for when and where!