Led to the Slaughter is ready to go out.

Or it will be by the end of today.  I'll be sending it to the publisher this evening.

Lara did a great job on the last edit.  This is the book I set out to write.  I wanted a cross between Cormac McCarthy and True Grit (not that I would claim to be as great as either of those writers.)

With werewolves as a 'reasonable' explanation for some of the events.  To me, werewolves aren't a supernatural creature, they are a cross between man and wolf.  So I could explore their nature -- that of man and beast.

I tried to make it as realistic as possible.  I stuck to the fact whenever possible.  I changed events or times slightly, but not so much that it changes the basic story.  (It's amazing how many incidents that really happened could be easily adapted to werewolf explanations.)  Everyone (even little kids) seem to know about the Donner Party -- it is a fascinating survival story all by itself.

This is the most confidently written book I've done -- it is what I set out to do.  I think it's a good book -- and I'm not always so sure about my own writing.  It almost feels real to me.  I'm now sure this is the way it really happened.

I stuck the the bare facts of the Donner  Party and used my imagination to flesh it out.  I did do research on wagon trains and pioneer women and such -- so that hopefully the journey has an aura of verisimilitude. 

I spent the time and effort to get the writing as professional as I know how, and it reads that way to me.  I called in every favor from friends, and had my copy-editor go over it more than once.  I think it really reads well -- and even --dare I say it -- attains some depth at the end.

I'm really proud of it.