The Footpath, some background

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The Footpath is my fourth novel published by SynergEbooks.

I drew the color and tone for The Footpath from several areas of my background. Although the story begins in New York City, the main location is the northwestern Arizona desert. We've camped in several locations in that state and visited many more. Tomque, AZ, the site for most of the novel, is a fictitious town built from the ground-up in my imagination, but I believe I was faithful to the local color when so doing. Also I relied on my background in law enforcement, my counseling practice, and anecdotes contributed by my students for subtext, and some of the characters are modeled after either patients or students.

Of the many 'stars' in The Footpath, three are my favorites: Avrial Woodsen, Bridget McMillan, and Alexis Marie St. Pere. Even though a very successful therapist and much appreciated author of a series of children's books, Dr. Woodsen is old-fashioned. In an age of cellphones and sophisticated word processors, he still relies on his landline for communicating with the outside world and pen and paper for writing his stories. Although friendly, he is not outgoing preferring a quiet, almost reclusive lifestyle. It is his transformation that I found so appealing, a transformation that was begun by Bridget McMillan.

Bridget McMillan, a bright, beautiful young woman with a number of psychosomatic problems becomes Dr. Woodsen's patient at the request of a friend. In the process of helping her to gain peace of mind, she discovers that Woodsen authored the Campfire Stories children's series, and that he has several hand-written manuscripts of yet unpublished tales. Wanting to repay him for his kindness, she offers to put his manuscripts in finished form. Not long after starting her work, she convinces Avial to purchase a computer. This creates a new series of problems for him as she gently forces him to move into the computer age. It is her patience with the doctor, as well as her charm and wit that make her so attractive.

Alexis Marie St. Pere, middle-aged, comely, and very intelligent, breaks through Avrial's defensive barrier of anger and grief with which he has wrapped himself since his wife's murder. With care and determination she helps him to rediscover love and sex, and to finish remaking himself. I especially appreciated her courage and resourcefulness in the face of an impossible situation. She is my favorite and is the capstone of a very engaging novel.