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No Compass, No Map, Just Stories with Dirt Under Their Nails

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Where Rugged Landscapes Meet Hidden Truths

Forest Road

For Readers Like You

Where Pacific Northwest stories meet raw emotion and human resilience.

From the edge come stories of loss, reckoning, and resilience.
Rooted in the Pacific Northwest, my novels explore the quiet weight of guilt, the bonds we can't outrun, and the truths that surface when everything else is stripped away. These are character-driven stories shaped by struggle, haunted by memory, shame, and lit by the stubborn spark of hope.

Is This You?

You’re the kind of reader who doesn’t just want a story—you want to live in it for a while.


You can smell the pine. Feel the riverbend. Hear the silence between two people who should’ve said something years ago.

You don’t need perfect characters. In fact, you prefer the ones who screw things up, carry some guilt, and still try to make it right.


You’ve been through some stuff. You’re not afraid of hard truths, messy families, or the kind of silence that says more than words ever could.

And even when the fire comes—literally or otherwise—you still believe in redemption. Maybe not the easy kind. But the kind that matters.

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If you like these authors/books...

  • Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens

  • Wild – Cheryl Strayed

  • The Great Alone – Kristin Hannah

  • Ordinary Grace – William Kent Krueger

  • A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman

Stories Inspired by Oregon’s Wild Spirit

Welcome to the Pacific Northwest, where mystery intertwines with Oregon’s raw beauty. I’m Mike Walters, an author crafting suspenseful, character-driven tales inspired by the state’s rugged landscapes. With a sharp wit and a knack for snappy dialogue, my novels deliver unexpected twists, clever turns, and mysteries that keep you hooked until the final page. If you’re craving an unpredictable adventure laced with humor, you’re in the right place.

"Original and impressively well-written debut novel deftly crafted and highly entertaining by an author who will have his readers looking eagerly toward his next effort.” 

James Cox, Midwest Review

Praise & Reviews

“Great character development, likable characters to boot, and mysteries that yearn to be solved.” 

Rebecca Skane, Portsmouth Review

"I enjoyed the characters immediately and felt like I knew them. The story has a good balance of mystery, romance, and thrills that keep you reading until the very end!."

Lindsey, Amazon Reviewer

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I write because stories saved me. 
Because characters helped me understand people I couldn’t reach in real life. And because it is a way for me to make sense of the past, both messy and wonderful.

If my books can do that for someone else—well, that’s all I ever hoped for.

Thanks for being here.

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– Mike Walters

Mike Walters Oregon Novelist cycling in Etna, CA

About Mike Walters

From a young age, Mike found life far more exciting when fueled by imagination. He discovered the magic of storytelling, turning ordinary moments into grand adventures. Whether it was the tale of the enormous steelhead that got away in the Rogue River or the story behind the mysterious scratch on his father’s truck, Mike found himself always ready with a captivating narrative. For him, weaving stories became a way to entertain, enchant, connect with those around him and bring a little more wonder into the world.

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