I’m pleased to announce that one of my short stories was recently published in Placed: An Encyclopedia of Central Oregon, Vol. 1. This slim volume, however, is not an encyclopedia in the traditional sense of the word. It contains a collection of poetry and prose about this part of the planet. Central Oregon includes sagebrush deserts, thick pine forests, winding rivers, and volcanoes lining the horizon. Placed embraces tales of the wild, but also stories related to unique features – like Ocean Rolls from a local bakery.

My contribution is The Toad Queen, written after encountering a Great Basin spadefoot toad in my yard. It is one of the most unique things I’ve observed in Oregon – unlike anything I have ever seen. I snapped a couple pictures of it and gently pushed it off the trail. This creature with such an odd appearance and life history deserves a special story.

If you would like to help support the writing community that contributed to this project, please consider purchasing Placed: An Encyclopedia of Central Oregon, Vol. 1 from Amazon or local booksellers. There are plans in the works to eventually create additional volumes.

Special thanks to local writers extraordinaire, Ellen Santasiero and Irene Cooper, for their work on this project. Thanks also to Sarah Cyr, Cat Finney, and Shelby Little for helping bring this project from an idea to an eventuality.