In 1979, I was in the ninth grade, and we took a trip to Alberta, Canada. On the way home, we drove back south through Seattle and then through Oregon. I still remember going through a beautiful area of country and seeing a sign that said: Rogue River.
Back then, even at that young age, I remember making a promise to myself: "When I grow up, I'm going to write a book about this place. And it's going to be a Bigfoot story." For those who don't know, "rogue" is a term sometimes used to describe the creature, and it seemed to be a perfect setting for that type of story.
In 1990, I started the story, but called it "NightSounds" and set it in Cloudcroft, New Mexico. By then, I was years removed from Oregon and was a frequent visitor to the Cloudcroft area. I wrote many chapters, and the book took shape.
Things changed in 2004. I had three books published with another ready to go. At this point, I started thinking that I might want to write a sequel to one of them. I had numerous novels started, including "NightSounds." Because my published novel "Omens" was selling well and was wide open for a sequel, I decided I would start writing myself in that direction. Besides, it was my own personal favorite and just begged for a sequel. As I thought more about it, I was stunned to realize that by changing the setting of "NightSounds" from Cloudcroft, New Mexico, to the Rogue River area of Oregon, the story was almost perfect! Yes, there still was that pesky Bigfoot element to deal with, but I had a plan.
To date, I've made three research trips down to the Merlin/Galice area. Each trip was extensively videotaped and the road charted mile marker by mile marker. A fortune was spent on maps and books about the area, and a lot of time was invested talking to "the locals" and observing the area. Soon, the book started to take shape.
As I drove the historic Rogue River Loop, the ideas just came at lighting speed. It was almost as if I'd lived there in a previous life. Pointing out a cob house across the road from the Wolf Creek Cemetary, I told my wife: "I'm going to put the Boss Man in or in the vicinity of this very house!" Since then, I've had the priviledge of touring the house and corresponding with the architect and builder of the house. We learned more with each trip, and met many people, including Frank, a local who mines for gold in the Hog Creek recreation area. I decided to model the Boss Man after Frank.
Yes, Cliff Rilek returns - in Josephine County, near Wolf Creek. If you don't understand the significance of that, you'll have to read "Omens."
If you haven't read Omens yet, you may want to click the link and get your copy. The sequel is coming soon.
