An Inside Look - The Mongrel of Kaymoor Mountain

Title:  The Mongrel of Kaymoor Mountain

Author: Philip R. Morehouse

ISBN: 9798623496096

Page count: 209

Genre: Fiction; Survival/Adventure

Book Price: $14.99

Kindle Price: $4.99 or Free with Kindle Unlimited membership

Author Bio:

The author was born in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, where he started his life's training on the family-owned farm. Throughout his youth, he was mentored by his grandfather, who taught him how to spearfish, set a trap, and stalk big game. These skills back in those days were crucial to the family's survival.

After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the Navy, where he received engineering and survival training. Then was assigned to an amphibious ship that was deployed as a part of the Cuban Blockade Missile Crisis and later rescued Americans from Haiti during the Dominion/Haiti Crisis. He also served an extended hitch during the Vietnam War. After returning home, he married and joined the Army National Guard, serving in various aerial and ground support photography assignments.

Among the many diverse jobs he held, he also worked as a professional writer and photographer for over 60 years. With his family grown and on their own, he now pursues what he loves the most - writing true-to-life, survival, adventure-type stories from which he draws on his past experiences and extensive research.

Tell us about your book:

"The Mongrel of Kaymoor Mountain" is a story about Levi McCormick, a poor young boy who lives with his Grand Popaw, Earl, and Grandmother Mawmaw, Mildred McCormick, after his mother, Savannah dropped him off and never returned. Levi's whole world changes in ways that he could not ever have imagined when he happens to find an old 100-dollar bill on the tracks of an abandoned railroad bed. This finding leads to the Mexican Cartel trying to find their secret cache, Levi falling in love, and a whole town coming back to life.

How does this book relate to your real-life experiences?

At one point in my life, many years ago, I was an underdog. Everyone loves to see an underdog come out on top. With this being the main ingredient, I took a look at the poorest of the poor and downtrodden in the Appalachian mountains and framed a story around these families using the background of abandoned coal mines and the people who used to work them and then to some spice, I mixed in the Mexican Cartel looking for their long lost millions and added a dash of young love and stirred well and put it on the front burner and brought it to a boil and watched as a poor young boy becomes a superhero to a dying village by organizing the people to fight back against the cartel and winning.

How long did it take to write the book?

It took four months from concept to rough draft, initial edits, final edit, and finally, to have it published on 03/15/2020.

What inspired you to write the book?

I was inspired by the memories of my once being extremely poor and how we succeeded in overcoming our disadvantaged lives and becoming successful each in our own right.   

Let's talk about the writing process. Did you have a writing routine? Did you do any research, and if so, what did that involve?

Having a computer and word processor at my disposal and being retired, I find that I have the time and resources to write, and what better subject to draw on than my past life experiences, studies of backwoods events and folklore? Also, most recently, a news item about coal miners and their tragic polite captured my attention and triggered me to write this story.   

What do you hope your readers come away with after reading your book?

I would hope that they would develop an awareness of those who are disadvantaged and would reach out to help - be it a word of encouragement, a job offer, housing, food, or whatever their need might be.

Where can we go to buy your book?

This book is readily available online through Amazon.com as a softcover, as a Kindle download, or at Barnes & Noble. If any of your bookstores should be out of stock, be sure to give them the following number: ISBN- 9798623496096.

List of Novels

FREE with Kindle Unlimited

BUY NOW

Excerpt from this novel:

#1

"Then he removed from the bag several more boxes of ammo for all his guns. They were amazed at his ability to bargain for all this for just 100 dollars and some vegetables. He explained that the 100-dollar bill had become 300 dollars because the 100-dollar bill was so old that it was worth much more than the face value to those who collect ancient currencies. He explained to them that he had met a man who could have cheated him but was honest and fair about giving him fair value for what he had offered him in trade. Going forward, he'd call this man a friend."

#2

"Jake had just returned to his pawnshop with a hot cup of Joe and sat down behind his counter when his door suddenly opened. A large man with a scared face, followed by a second of slight build, entered. The last one turned the sign over and locked the door.

Immediately, his senses told him that these men were up to no good. He'd noticed that they moved on the balls of their feet like prizefighters, their eyes scanning and missing nothing. This was one of those times that he wished he had a partner to back him up. But he wasn't on the force anymore – it was just him, and he had a feeling that this was not going to be one of his better days."

#3

"Again, a dark cloud came over her – an indescribable sadness – "why," she asked herself, "did she have to have these feelings?"

She wished she no longer got the omens and more … she wished they never came true, but they always did."

#4

"Ivan didn't see the nod that the man next to him made, as pain such as he had never known shot through his leg as a sound like a cannonball ricocheted around inside his head, followed by a high-pitched scream, like that of a woman in the midst of child birthing."

#5

"A hale of shots rang out all around them, along with the bark of a shotgun. It seemed as if everyone was screaming at once. Then there were more shots followed by dead silence – not even a dog barked."