News
Another entry in my occasional series of Down East colloquialisms:
CAT SPRUCE: White spruce (Picea glauca), so named for the odor it gives off, especially when burned, reminiscent of a litter box. As in, "That fool Harris threw some cat spruce on the fire and stunk up the whole camp."
The Poacher's Son has crossed the border. In today's Globe and Mail (Canada's newspaper of record and its largest circulation national paper), Margaret Cannon writes:
This is one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read. Doiron, a licensed wilderness guide and editor-in-chief of Down East: The Magazine of Maine, has put unforgettable characters into a gorgeous setting and does it all with a lovely, liquid prose style that I found irresistible....
The plotline where the investigator has to save a relative is an oldie, but Doiron’s style and setting give it new life....Doiron is definitely a writer to watch.
Even though working with words is what I do, I'm having trouble expressing the gratitude I feel for reviews like this one.
Oline Cogdill, who writes for the Orlando Sun Sentinel and whose book reviews are syndicated in more than 250 newspapers, reads hundreds of new mysteries a year. Here's her take on The Poacher's Son:
Paul Doiron makes an outstanding gripping debut in The Poacher's Son. Doiron's rich exploration of characters shows people at their best and worst...Doiron, editor-in-chief of Down East magazine, showcases his native Maine's beauty and how the pristine woods are giving way to developers. Doiron skillfully melds an outdoor adventure with a personal story of families. The Poacher's Son moves at a brisk pace with unpredictable but realistic twists that reach a crescendo at the shocking finale. The Poacher's Son is proving to be one of the best debuts of the year.
This review has already appeared in the Victoria Advocate, the Sacramento Bee, the Kansas City Star, the News Tribune (Tacoma), and the Sun News (Myrtle Beach). God bless syndication.
After months of anticipation, I celebrated the official launch of The Poacher's Son with a fantastic party at the home of New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen and her husband Jake overlooking Penobscot Bay. The house was packed, and my local independent bookseller, The Owl & Turtle Bookshop, sold more than 100 copies of the novel.
Next comes a busy schedule of readings and signings that start in Portland, Maine, on Friday and take me to the American Library Association conference in Washington, D.C. in late June—and perhaps even farther afield as more events get added to the calendar.
All the more reason to take a moment and appreciate the fulfillment of my life's dream. I couldn't have asked for a better party or a better group of friends to help me celebrate.
In The Poacher's Son I have several characters who casually toss about some of my state's more colorful expressions. Retired Warden Service Chief Pilot Charley Stevens especially has a masterful command of the Maine idiom. Since my novel doesn't contain a supplementary glossary of regional expressions, I figured I should occasionally use this blog to clarify and explain what the hell these cussed* people are saying to my out-of-state readers. This term didn't make it into the final draft, I just happen to love it because of its sweet perfection.
TOOTH CARPENTER: a Maine dentist, especially one working in an upcountry town.
*CUSSED: A contraction of "cursed," but used in a familiar and genial manner; when applied to a person it usually signifies an obstinate but not altogether unpleasant individual.
