Finally! It's 2024!

And that means Shelterwood is moving through the countdown stages before hitting bookstores June 4th. If you hear a crazy woman squealing with glee that day, don't panic, that's just me. This novel has been a long, wild, wonderful, hush-hush project and I've never been more excited to send a book into the world, or to share the insider story-behind-the-story with you ahead of time. Read on for news about the book, the research, a giveaway, and more.

But first, simplify, simplify (Because who really remembers dates on a calendar, right?) You can pre-order Shelterwood now by clicking the button below or by ordering from your local bookseller. If you're a Goodreads member, please take a moment to put Shelterwood on your want-to-read list. Your early support means more than I can say!

Just for Book Lovers

Here's the scoop on Shelterwood

What's Underneath That Gorgeous Cover?

The art department at Penguin Random House outdid themselves on this cover, didn't they? The scene features young Ollie and Nessa as they seek refuge in the Winding Stair Mountains. Here's the story summary from the back cover:

Oklahoma, 1909. Eleven-year-old Olive Augusta Radley knows that her stepfather doesn’t have good intentions toward the two Choctaw girls boarded in their home as wards. When the older girl disappears, Ollie flees to the woods, taking six-year-old Nessa with her. Together they begin a perilous journey to the remote Winding Stair Mountains, the notorious territory of outlaws, treasure hunters, and desperate men. Along the way, Ollie and Nessa form an unlikely band with others like themselves, struggling to stay one step ahead of those who seek to exploit them . . . or worse.

Oklahoma, 1990. Law enforcement ranger Valerie Boren-Odell arrives at newly minted Horsethief Trail National Park seeking a quiet place to balance a career and single parenthood. But no sooner has Valerie reported for duty than she’s faced with local controversy over the park’s opening, a teenage hiker gone missing from one of the trails, and the long-hidden burial site of three children unearthed in a cave. Val’s quest for the truth wins an ally among the neighboring Choctaw Tribal Police but soon collides with old secrets and the tragic and deadly history of the land itself.

In this emotional and enveloping novel, Lisa Wingate traces the story of children abandoned by the law and the battle to see justice done. Amid times of deep conflict over who owns the land and its riches, Ollie and Val traverse the rugged and beautiful terrain, each leaving behind one life in search of another.

What are early readers saying?

When a new book leaves home to travel into the world, it's always the most exciting and nail-biting of times. What will people say? Will they love the story? Will the characters find friends out there in the reading world?

SHELTERWOOD is already finding friends! I am thrilled and so grateful for these early reviews from a trio of amazing writers:

"Shelterwood is an instant American classic and a diamond in the crown of Lisa Wingate's canon of meticulously researched, atmospheric and emotional novels. In the hands of this master craftsman, the story of Ollie, Nessa and Hazel is a page turner. – Adriana Trigiani, author of The Good Left Undone

"Lisa Wingate’s riveting new novel is a complex and fascinating tapestry woven with threads of history, mystery, and menace. Shelterwood isn’t just a compelling story. It’s also an important one. This is a novel to be treasured, one that proves yet again there is no finer storyteller at work today than Lisa Wingate." -- William Kent Krueger, NYT bestselling author of The River We Remember

"Lisa Wingate has done it again! Shelterwood astounds with sacrifice and suspense while inspiring with courage and love. Clear your calendar and settle in because this captivating story will absorb your mind and heart, and then won’t let you go.” -- Patti Callahan Henry, NYT Bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea 

Just for Trivia

Courtin' Back In the Day...

My favorite source of research vignettes for the turn-of-the-century world of Oklahoma's Winding Stair Mountains were interviews with old timers, recorded by the WPA in the 1930's. Equal parts reminiscence and skilled storytelling, these life history interviews brought back memories of the tall tale tellers from my childhood days in Oklahoma.

In honor of Valentine's month, here's a fun snippet from one of my favorites, proof that young love will always find a way.

Just for Fun

Speaking of life in Oklahoma back-in-the-day, yes that's me, roughly the same age as Ollie in Shelterwood, trying to persuade my pony, Spirit, to look at the camera. Oklahoma's hills and dales were our adventurelands, and especially in summer we pony girls wandered from sunup to streetlights-on, making up "let's-pretend" stories. (Apologies to the friend hitching a ride here. How could she possibly have imagined she'd end up on the Internet someday?)

Just for You

A moment of serenity from a trip to Yosemite, researching the life of National Park Service law enforcement ranger, Valerie Boren-O'Dell, for the book. Our parks and wild spaces are good for the soul, and the rangers who work to protect them are a breed apart. I enjoyed getting to know them and hearing fascinating stories about park life behind the scenes. I hope you'll love journeying along with their fictional counterpart in SHELTERWOOD as much as I did.

Stay tuned for more newsletter updates on Shelterwood and book tour plans in the coming months, or join me on Facebook and Instagram. Until next time, friends, I wish you fair winds, cozy reading spaces, and good books!

-- Lisa