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Keremeos man now published novelist

Marke Lunde’s book The Phantom of Witch’s Tree was released July 24.
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Fast forward more than two decades and a short story Mark Lunde wrote is now a 616-page published novel.

After years of false starts, writer’s block and intermittent writing, the Keremeos man finished his book The Phantom of Witch’s Tree. Lunde’s first published novel was released earlier this week on July 24.

“It’s sort of a noir Western, based on a short story which I wrote many, many years ago. I don’t know what happened to that story. It’s probably in the dump. But, I always wondered what happened before and after to the characters,” he said.

The story follows character Deputy Matt Hargreaves who is assigned to serve a warrant miles from home. The simple task turns tragic when a father and child die. Hargreaves flees from the carnage and there starts a downward spiral leading to hallucinations and a passage through an alternate reality.

At the same time, character Jody Simms is transporting a prisoner. They pass through an abandoned mining site with a grim history. Simms spills a sick fantasy to the prisoner that could destroy him. There’s only one answer to the dilemma - a loaded pistol in a box under the seat.

Lunde, who’s had several short stories published, said the story was one he felt compelled to finish.

The avid reader studied journalism at Vancouver City College, but never pursued reporting or writing as a career, instead he worked at the City of Penticton as an equipment operator for 30 years and worked away at writing in his spare time.

“I was writing short stories, but then the market dried up, so I thought I would try my hand at novels. I wrote three very bad novels that just ended up being recycled. By doing those, I’d done my homework and by the time this came out of me I knew a bit better what I was doing,” he said.

When he finished the book a friend told him they knew an editor at a San Francisco publisher called Untreed Reads.

“I don’t really understand the business side of things. I just really understand the writer’s suffering, There’s a lot of anxiety, a lot of sleepless nights, even now.”

A chapter was passed to the editor who liked it and eventually a book deal and 30-year contract was signed.

“They did a great job on it. I did a lot of the editing and they came in and helped out and saw some spots that were kind of shaky here and there. They did a beautiful job. The cover on Amazon is a knock out,” he said.

The novel is available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Untreed Reads in paperback, hardcover and e-book.