River Fork: Delayed Release and Customer Info

May 4, 2026May 4, 2026 / jmorise / Leave a comment

Those of you who ordered, and already received River Fork – The Bear in the Storm, please contact me at jm@jmorise.com* See below for the why.

Why?

In March I announced April 2 as the release of my debut novel: River Fork – The Bear in the Storm.

Then I pushed it out to April 30 with a promise of a final review, update and submission to the publisher to meet the deadline.

Well that didn’t work out!

Hubby went to ER. His breathing was seriously comprimised. They admitted him to the hospital. He stayed a week. The problem—his heart.

During his stay at the hopital, I remained at his bedside 9 hours a day. A phalynx of doctors entered his room every other day with more info and concerns.

Of grave concern was his low red blood count—therefore, his O₂ level was low.

The next task…replace Hubby’s Aortic valve. At this time, we are still waiting for his surgical procedure.

Back to my book: I cleverly saved a working copy as a .PDF file and imported it into my KOBO reader, which I brought to read while sitting on a small folding chair, cramped between the bathroom wall and Hubby’s wheeled tray where he ate and stored books to read.

First problem: constant interruptions, doctors appropriating my handy notepad where I made notes for planned edits to be execute once I returned home late in the evening.

Second problem: I was bushed, unable to focus, and missing Hubby’s presence in our now all-too-quiet house.

With my energy drained, my review was not good. I missed simple typos, a mispelled word, and a missing word. But among these, other salient details had been incorrectly represented. Perhaps only I noticed? Or would others notice too? All of this caught my attention while re-reading my paperback copy which arrived May 2nd.

I was apalled! How could this be! OMG!

So, the remedy*, find those customers who ordered their printed book between April 1 to May 3.

How?

If you are one of those lucky customers, you now own a collector’s item (and I appreciate your being one). However, for a remedy, please contact me at jm@jmorise.com . We’ll talk. (The deadline to contact me regarding this issue is May 20, 2025)

J. M. Orise
Author

Note to those planning to order River Fork: The Bear in the Storm, for this interval of time in May only, there may be a short delay in delivery. I appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience.

Feb. 16, 2026 – Update! – River Fork: The Bear in the Storm, uploading to a publisher service soon!

February 16, 2026 / jmorise / Leave a comment

River Fork: The Bear in the Storm was reviewed last April. The reviewer loved the story and concurred it needed to be published for Young Adults as well as Adults.

Happy to hear that, I re-read the story to check for typos, awkward sentences, etc., just in case.

Since then, I have re-read and edited it seven times. It is amazing how one does not see what is in front of them when reading their own work. This phenomenon is known as expectation. You see what you expect. Very easy to do in a manuscript. That’s why another pair of eyes is helpful.

Am presently formatting the manuscript, making it ready to upload to a publisher.

The novel is Young Adult, Historical Fantasy. The setting is 1956-1957 in a fictitious farming and logging town in the New Hampshire mountains.

The theme deals with loss, grief, belief, acceptance, self-discovery, and coming of age.

Though a Young Adult novel, it is suitable for children and parents dealing with loss.

Please keep in touch to learn more about the River Fork series, and to purchase it when available.

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Keep following for my updates!

Please tell others about it.

Contact me below to: reserve your copy ahead of time OR leave comments and questions.

I’ll keep you informed when River Fork: The Bear in the Storm is available, and where to purchase.

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July 22, 2025 – Update! – River Fork: The Bear in the Storm

July 22, 2025February 15, 2026 / jmorise / Leave a comment

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My research focused on the frequently neglected subject of childhood grief, incorporating my own experiences growing up in the 1950s and living for twenty years in a rural New Hampshire community shaped by logging, farming, and the towering presence of Mount Washington.

The research included indigenous Native Americans of the Algonquin Nation, namely the Abenaki tribe and the Pequawket band.

Later I explored the process of novel creation, encompassing manuscript writing, cover design, assembly, and publication. Even though I trembled at the enormity of this self-imposed task, luckily, friends—authors and other writers—urged me to persevere.

A story had initially brewed in my head for over two years. Then I jotted down scenes for a young audience—a children’s book with lots of graphics. I’d do my own artwork, of course.

Years ago, I had purchased Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein and read it to my son many times. My son was around 6 or 7. It was rollicking fun to read. Son, and I nearly fell off the sofa from laughing so hard. Silverstein provided great humor, timing, and storytelling. The artwork was hilarious and beautiful. I had hoped to emulate his style of writing stories for children or adults.

Well, back to my update! I decided that this novel would not suffice as a “children’s” book, for loss and grief affect not just the little ones; everyone in a family, or any relationship, is affected in different ways.

Therefore, it is not a Silverstein-style book. But it is a story I feel strongly about. Some of the scenes are based on my own experience at suddenly losing my mom when I was five.

The novel is a Young Adult, historical fantasy. The setting is 1956-1957 in a fictitious farming and logging town in the New Hampshire mountains. The theme deals with loss, grief, belief, acceptance, self-discovery, and the coming of age.

I am currently refining the manuscript and artwork I plan to incorporate for the publication of River Fork: The Bear in the Storm, the first of two novels. The sequel involves the same characters, but two years later, in 1959, which I plan to publish after River Fork: The Bear in the Storm.

Though this is a Young Adult novel, I consider it suitable for children and parents dealing with loss.

The plan is to have River Fork: The Bear in the Storm available on the Internet and at bookstores.

Please keep in touch to learn more about the River Fork series, and to purchase it when it is available.

Follow my updates!

Please tell others about it.

Contact me below to reserve your copy ahead of time, to leave comments or ask questions.

I’ll post when River Fork: The Bear in the Storm is available.

J. M. Orise