Four years after he started working on it, Calvin Murdock can finally hold his first novel in his hands.
The medieval fantasy adventure, Wolfsblood, was recently published through Amazon.com, and is available online as a paperback and e-book, and in Creston at Black Bear Books and Kingfisher Used Books.
Writing a novel was a logical step for Murdock, who majored in art — and now reuses items to create what he calls “junk art” — and English in high school.
“I’ve always been a writer,” he said. “I’ve written lots of stories and poems.”
Murdock was born in Golden and raised on a ranch near Spallumcheen, then moved to Creston when he was nine. His parents became missionaries in Calgary when he was 16, which led to Murdock living “all over B.C. and Alberta”. But his wife loved Creston, so the couple moved back about 20 years ago.
His novel focuses on Kaliegh Wolfsblood — the name comes from an incident at the veterinarian’s office with Murdock’s wolf-dog mix — who is “a bit of a thief and a vagabond,” said Murdock. “And he has heightened senses.”
With his four dogs, he sets off on a quest to search for a powerful object.
“The land is in distress because the Emerald Chain, a mystical thing the leader of the land has that gives him power, has been stolen,” said Murdock.
The journey allows Wolfsblood to change and grow, surrounded by all the elements critical to any fantasy story.
“It’s a struggle,” he said. “He’s an addict. He kind of overcomes it and goes from hating God to thinking he’s OK. … It’s got magic and dragons, love and hate.”
A sequel is in the works, so any readers who enjoy the foray into the world Murdock created have something to look forward to — just as he enjoys following in the footsteps of his inspirations, fantasy authors Michelle Sagara and J.R.R. Tolkien.
“It seems with fantasy that people come up with new and different ideas,” he said. “I like things that are unique.”