There are several people I need to thank. My parents for not telling me I was insane for wanting to be a writer and Robin, Tim and Mark R. for encouraging me, especially when I thought I was insane for wanting to be a writer. I also need to thank Henry, Nirmal, Mike, Vera and Rob for their tireless line-by-line editing efforts. The awesome folks involved with NaNoWriMo in Vancouver, BC deserve huge props for their cheerleading as does Perry who suggested creating PaperBox Books and the rest is history.

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Prologue

April 12th, 1850

The fire had burned low in the fireplace, leaving embers glowing beneath weak flames. Outside, a storm raged.

With a loud crash, the heavy wooden door to the cabin flew open, swinging wide and fast from the force of the wind. Barely visible under a mantle of snow Jake Adams staggered into the shelter of his two-room cabin. Ice pellets clung to his beard and eyebrows. He could barely see. His eyelids had frozen into shape as he had squinted into the driving snow.