Fyfe Releases Sequel to "Lost and Found in Missing Lake"

SEELEY LAKE - Seeley Lake resident Tanya Fyfe recently released her second book, "The Dragons of Missing Lake," the sequel to her 2014 adolescent fiction book "Lost and Found in Missing Lake."

Fyfe is excited about the development of the story line. She said the second book is "more of a page turner."

In the first book, the main character Luke Houser is an animal-loving, fifteen-year-old who has moved to rural Montana with his father and stepmother Jackie. Luke and his father commit to training their Alaskan Husky sled dogs in the mountain community of Missing Lake.

Luke also helps Jackie at her veterinary clinic, where he learns about different animals and veterinary procedures. Through the clinic, Luke and Jackie meet one of the people hiding in Missing Lake, the mysterious Oscar with his foreign accent and secret ways. Oscar needs veterinary help for the most incredible of animal companions and Luke and Jackie face a world where the impossible has suddenly become possible. Luke must keep this secret world to himself while dealing with normal aspects of being a teenager.

"The Dragons of Missing Lake" picks up where the first book left off. Luke continues to run sled dogs with his father in Missing Lake and has adventures with his friend Tabitha, an enormous crimson dragon. In this book he ventures further into adolescence balancing school, basketball, mushing and the amazement and confusion about his seemingly-adult responsibilities.

It took Fyfe less than a year to complete the book. She spent a couple of months editing and enlisting inputs from different reader age levels and areas of expertise.

The only character in either the first or the second book that is based on a real human is Jackie. Fyfe said after closing her veterinary practice in Seeley Lake, she's able to live vicariously through Jackie and find the passion in working with animals again. All the rest of the characters are fictitious.

While it is a fantasy novel, there are certain realities that Fyfe said she believes need to remain true. For example, Luke lost one of his sled dogs to lymphoma in the first book.

"It's a loss that occurs and I can't bring that character back," said Fyfe who has practiced companion animal medicine as a veterinarian in North Dakota and Montana. "As a vet I need to be true to that. I would have liked to have saved them [her animal clients] all."

Fyfe asked local mushers Dona Miller and Gary Kyrouac to provide their feedback about mushing to ensure everything written was believable and accurate. Fyfe's expertise is horses, having only ridden on a dog sled once with Miller. Kyrouac said there were a few minor tweaks for Fyfe to make, including "getting rid of the reins since there are no such things for dogs. It's just a handle bar." Kyrouac also said Fyfe's book is an outstanding depiction of mushing dogs.

Fyfe also had Seeley Lake seventh-grader Bethany Hoag review the novel before publication. Fyfe knew Hoag enjoyed the first book and wanted her opinion of the second since it is written for teenagers.

"It was good," said Hoag. "It's about someone my age. They [kids my age] can relate to the story."

Hoag said that her only big suggestion was adding more background on the characters so if someone had not read the first book, they could understand the second.

Fyfe worked with a graphic designer to develop the cover of "The Dragons of Missing Lake" to make it more appealing to adolescents. While many teens enjoyed the first book, she heard several say that the book cover was more appealing to adults. Fyfe said that despite the book being written for adolescents, she has a large following of middle-age readers.

Fyfe said she has already started the third and fourth books of the series in her head. However, she is going to focus her attention on promoting the series before jumping into writing again. She feels the series is the perfect fit for an animated Disney movie but is not actively pursuing that avenue.

Both of Fyfe's books are available locally at the Double Arrow Lodge and the Grizzly Claw Trading Company in Seeley Lake. They can also be found on Amazon.com or purchased directly from Fyfe by emailing montanagem@live.com. Find out when book signings and other events are happening by following the Lost and Found in Missing Lake Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Lost-and-Found-in-Missing-Lake-578449102259842/?fref=ts