The Wild Ways

Science Fiction & Fantasy

synopsis

Synopsis

I’ll bet you didn’t know that all animals communicate with each other. I know this because I learned it from a ten-year-old boy who was given the power to speak with them. ~Dale A. Swanson A loud-mouthed squirrel named Chatter, a fidgety Gopher, named Archie, a raccoon with special powers named Ring, and all the animals living on Enchanted Island select ten-year-old Oscar Johnson to receive the Wild Ways, the language that allows animals to communicate with each other. As development threatens their peaceful habitat, the animals need Oscar to help solve a thirty-year-old mystery to save their beloved Enchanted Island and the surrounding forest they call home. With his new power to talk to all creatures, Oscar receives a series of clues provided by the animals and helps FBI agent Jim Brandt solve a murder mystery and uncover a sinister plot to use Enchanted Island for nefarious purposes. Together, they race against the clock to discover the final piece of a puzzle that reaches into the highest seats of power within the US Government.

bio

Author Biography

SIGNED COPIES OF SWANSON'S BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE ONLY AT, http://www.dale-swanson.com Swanson grew up in Mound, Minnesota. He is a published author, screenwriter, playwright, and poet. His poems have been performed in stage productions and appear in multiple anthologies. Two of his radio plays were recorded live and aired statewide in Minnesota. His historical novel, THE THIRTY-NINTH MAN, published by North Star Press, was released in June of 2013 and was listed in the Minneapolis Star Tribune reader survey for the best book read in 2013. In 2015 his middle-grade fantasy novella, The Wild Ways–Mystery of the Hanging Tower, was released. His screenplay developed for Native Strong-ARC debuted in July 2017, and his newly published, TEARS OF SORROW – A FREE NATION LOST, was released June 2018, Dale’s favorite pastimes include hunting, camping, and canoeing. He has three patents related to archery. He's bow hunted the big timber from California to New Hampshire and the croplands between; he's paddled the Boundary Waters Wilderness Canoe Area–BWCA, Michigan's Manistee River, and New Hampshire's Merrimac; snorkeled in the Sea of Marmara, tracked satellites in Madagascar, and he can start a campfire after five days of steady rain.

website

Author Insight

Life's Lessons to Discover

I have known for a long, long time (because I’m very, very old) that children are a lot smarter than many think. I believe they see things below the surface that cannot be seen by the “mature” mind of an adult. Conversely, the young reader can often miss more profound truths aligned within a story. Conceptually, The Wild Ways – Mystery of the Hanging Tower, is a bit deeper than it appears on the surface. I think this is one reason this simple little book is enjoyed by adults as well as by children. When we go through life, we are continually changing from the experiences we live through. In this story, Chatter, the gray squirrel learns that he is not cowardly; Oscar, the little boy, is tempted to slide to the “dark side,” but regains his equilibrium through his contact with Ring, the raccoon. Perhaps the greatest changes occur in Oscar’s friend, Larry, and the gopher named Archie. Larry’s experience in the swamp dramatically affects his future and Archie undergoes a complete transition from his introduction to stories end. www.dale-swanson.com

Book Excerpt

The Wild Ways

“All animals speak a single language in thoughts. No matter where they are in the world, the language is the same. This ability ensures an accurate record of all major events, stretching back hundreds and hundreds of years, no matter where they occurred.”

Oscar was hearing Ring’s thoughts as though they were spoken words.

“We have a special gift beyond merely sharing thoughts, a gift that allows us to actually connect our minds. What I know can be shared with others of my choosing. It is a gift given only to animals, and only animals can cause a mind to connect. I have never connected with a human, but if I can share my mind with you, I can teach you many things. Do not worry; no harm will come to you. If we connect, you will learn many things from all over the world, things we know to be true because one of us was present for every event that ever happened. I am a Teller, responsible for all of history. There are no distance restrictions to mind connections between Tellers, but there are rules that must be followed. There are thousands upon thousands of Tellers, and each of us carries this history and passes it to our replacements. We also pass it to other Tellers, if requested.”

Oscar raised his head slightly and looked at the raccoon he now considered his friend. “I trust you. Let’s see if it will work.”

Ring’s thoughts were instantly transferred to Oscar. It was like pouring words from a pail. The pail had been filled one spoonful at a time but was emptied as though tipped upside down. The words came together, intermixed and interwoven, yet Oscar understood everything that was passing into his mind. In the blink of an eye, Ring told him of ancient history: the Pharaohs of Egypt, a man named Jesus and his miracles, the secrets of the Roman Empire, of Hannibal and Napoleon. Ring told it, and Oscar took it all in. In every instance, there were animals at the center of major events of the world. Their viewpoint was unlike any other.

Finally, Ring told of modern history. Oscar heard about the pilgrims and the settlement at Jamestown thirteen years before Plymouth Rock. He was told about the American Revolution and the progress of the new nation. Ring recounted the history of his ancestors and identified the last passing of the Wild Ways as the source of the Native American belief that humans must live as one with the earth and all creatures that share their world.

He told of White Eagle and the Native Indians, and their disappearance from the island. He told of the current animal inhabitants and how each functioned to help the others. The raccoon’s concentration was intense.

He told of the elder, Cottonwood, and how the Island Council now used her for their meetings. He told of the families: the shrews, squirrels, birds, turtles, snakes, and all the animal families now living on the island.

Ring was exhausted. Memories flowed from his mind. As he remembered stories that had been passed down from one generation to the next, they immediately transferred to Oscar’s mind. He told of the council meeting and why it was called. Finally, he told Oscar about Chatter, Old Blue, Archie, and Knothead. He told him about Spark, the chipmunk, Tambo, the crow, and all the others that helped bring him to the chamber.

“Oscar, you must use this knowledge to help all humans understand the wild creatures. You have the power to do much good.”

Then he was finished.

Oscar blinked, and the trance was lifted. He looked with softness at the wise creature that had taught him so much. He reached his hand to touch the raccoon, and Ring responded by pressing his head against Oscar’s palm, drawing close to his shoulder. They sat there for a long time.

“Why was I chosen?”

“You were chosen because of your good heart, Oscar. We knew you were a special human, and we thought we could trust you. The many kindnesses you showed us before your friend moved in far outweighed the bad things you did while you were with him. We have been watching. We were right.”

“But . . .”

“You will now be able to talk to all the animals. You must never allow another human to know you have this power because they will not understand.”