Before Memory Changes It
Rusty Pickett never began keeping journals for anyone else to read. He wrote because memory has a way of shortening the hard climbs, softening the mistakes, and changing a journey into a better story than the one a fellow actually lived.
No One Sees the Whole Trail
Tommy may be the main character, but he should not be the only one who notices what matters. Nate sees possibilities, Adam spots problems, and Murphy senses what the boys cannot. Together, they see more than any one of them could alone.
The Day Tommy Stopped Being an Idea
Every memorable character starts as an idea. Over time, though, something changes. Here's how Tommy, Nate, and Adam stopped being names on a page and became boys whose decisions I could no longer write for them.
Who I Hope Finds These Books
I do not know who will eventually hold these books, but I imagine the readers while I write. I hope Journeys Of The Crew finds children who already love the outdoors, those who have not explored it yet, and those who need to discover that there is more than one way to belong on an adventure.