By Carol Stiffler
For the second time in almost eight years, Newberry is the setting for a thriller novel. David Kenny, a former Newberry resident and once the owner of the Falls Hotel, has published his debut novel, Long Winters North.
Kenny won’t give up much about the plot, but some familiar names, places, and local events are featured in the book. The main character, a man named Willis, moves to his wife’s hometown of Newberry.
“Newberry, Michigan. A town where frosted whispers linger in the pines and the past casts long shadows,” a teaser reads. “Seeking solace, Willis arrives at his wife’s childhood home, a haven of tranquility on the surface. A surge of drugs and a string of disappearances grip the dwindling community. Unease gnaws at Willis as silence shrouds each unanswered question. Driven by an insatiable quest for truth, Willis exposes a web of corruption that extends far beyond his grasp.”
Though Kenny didn’t expose a web of corruption while in Newberry, he did move to his wife’s hometown – just like Willis. Kenny moved to Newberry in 2013 with his wife, Rebecca Bjorklund Kenny. The pair purchased the Falls Hotel and opened the Great Waters Coffee Company inside.
While there, Kenny developed characters and the plot for his story.
“I believe that the best book characters are inspired by real-life people,” Kenny said. “Ironically, some things I wrote about hadn’t happened yet, but similar events occurred in the area afterward.”
Kenny said his target audience is anyone who loves the Upper Peninsula. “Additionally, if you are a fan of thrillers or mystery novels, I would strongly recommend it.”
The book is the first in what Kenny expects to become a series that he calls The God’s Country Mysteries.
“I already have a strong idea for the second book in the series, which also takes place in the Upper Peninsula,” Kenny said.
Published by Pegasus Publishers and printed by Vanguard Printing, Long Winters North is currently available for pre-order from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It will be released on Thanksgiving Day wherever books are sold. An audiobook version of the thriller is expected to be released next year.
“Seeing the book being published in the largest bookstores around the world is a humbling and surreal experience,” he said.
Kenny will be in Newberry for Thanksgiving and is planning to hold a book signing event; details will be announced when they are confirmed.
Kenny encourages other aspiring writers to get writing.
“Write what you love and push yourself to complete it,” he said. “Don’t overthink writing; just start with a beginning and an ending of your book, then fill the pages with great characters and locations, and the book will come to life.”
