Ian Webster holds a copy of his first novel, “The Shepherd’s Journey” which began in a spiral notebook as a short story. He skillfully weaves heartwarming conversations among the five dogs and other non-human characters as the story unfolds. Photo courtesy of Ian Webster

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - Local author Ian Webster is a modest storyteller who is still adjusting to being a published fiction writer and promoting his debut work to a wider audience.

Anyone who has tried to publish a first novel, secure a literary agent and land a book deal knows that success is rarely as easy as it appears.

Webster recalled how “The Shepherd’s Journey” began in a spiral notebook as a short story and eventually grew to 124 pages of dialogue and 26 individual chapters by the time it was completed.

“I wrote this story because I always wanted to create something with my imagination,” he said. His novel is dedicated to young readers everywhere.

The novel, which tells a story of camaraderie, love and rescue, is centered around the brotherhood of five young German shepherd male siblings living on a farm in Gwinn, Michigan with their owner nicknamed Kale, a veteran military dog handler.

When we meet the five rambunctious shepherds whom Kale has named Trooper, Taxter, Trigger, Toddler and Tazer, we learn that he initially struggles to physically tell them apart. Five brightly colored individual collars soon help Kale tell his dogs apart.

Kale lives peacefully on his Michigan farm with his five German shepherds until two thieves kidnap them and tear the family apart. The dogs must then outwit their captors and make the difficult journey home.

Webster skillfully weaves heartwarming conversations among the five dogs and other non-human characters as the story unfolds. The interplay between the five dogs as they work together to rescue their human owner is genuine and compelling. All five dogs show heroic tendencies by the novel’s end, each taking their own heroic journey to become the adult dog they are destined to be.

“Writing this story is something I take a lot of pride in,” Webster wrote. “I couldn’t have done it without the support I received along the way.”

Author Ian Webster said he chose to write about German Shepherds for their unique personality and keen intelligence. In the process of writing his first novel, “The Shepherd’s Journey,” he became a dog “Dad” of his own young Shepherd, also named Trooper, who demonstrates many of the character traits of his namesake in the book. Photo courtesy of Ian Webster

For his first novel, Webster said he chose to write about German Shepherds for their unique personality and keen intelligence. In the process of writing “The Shepherd’s Journey,” he also became a dog “Dad” of his own young Shepherd, also named Trooper, who demonstrates many of the character traits of his namesake in the novel.

“This is the only published story I’ve ever written, but I have every intention of continuing to write more,” Webster said. A second novel is pending federal copyright before publication.

“I first wrote this story in a notebook before I typed it out and then sought help with the editing, which took a while, but it was well worth the time to do it,” he said.

“I’m very thankful for finally getting it ready for people of all ages to read and hopefully enjoy it,” Webster said.

Webster, who has had Tourette’s Syndrome since early childhood, found that writing “The Shepherd’s Journey,” his first novel, was helpful in overcoming his disability.

“I’m thankful for everyone who encouraged and supported me along the way,” he said.

Webster also thanked his editor, John Crandall for his help in putting in the time and effort on helping him edit his completed manuscript, and his Uncle Ron “Tuffy” Vesci who successfully captured the theme of “The Shepherd’s Journey” in his original cover illustration.

“It is a joy working with Ian’s fresh perspective and his dedication to his craft,” Crandall wrote in his forward to the novel.

“The Shepherd’s Journey” can be ordered directly from the printer Lulu.com or through the publisher, Crandall Writers in Sacramento at: [email protected]

Lulu’s print on demand platform currently supports roughly 1.3 million registered users, who publish more than 4,000 new pieces of content each week across books, calendars, music and video.

For more information about the book or to contact Ian Webster, call 916-436-6018 or email [email protected].