Dark Canyons: A Young Adult Western Novel of Loss and Discovery

Dark Canyons is the story of a family forced to defend its way of life. Twelve-year old June is growing up happily with her scholarly mother and practical father on a remote ranch. She has never been to school, but June€s agile mind makes learning second nature. From her mother June has learned to love books and to question what she reads. From her father she has learned the practical skills that allow her family to thrive on their own. When officials concerned for June€s safety threaten to remove the girl from their primitive home, she and her father attempt to escape on horseback into the rugged Blue Mountains of Washington State.

About the Author

Bruce is a former high school English and history teacher and track and field coach living in the Inland Pacific Northwest. He taught Advance Placement World, English and American Literature, writing, and World and American History. Prior to becoming a teacher, Bruce worked as a newspaper reporter and editor for community newspapers in Washington State for 14 years. During that Time he covered everything from kids€ sports to presidential elections. He has been involved in rodeo as the vice president of the Benton County Junior Fair and Rodeo Association, as a journalist, and as a parent (his two daughters are accomplished rodeo cowgirls). Bruce and his wife, Tina, live on 25 dry and dusty acres in southeastern Washington with various dogs, cats, and horses.