Award-winning author Steven T. Callan, who grew up in Orland and who earned accolades with his “Book of the Year” finalist Badges, Bears, and Eagles, is highlighting his new book, The Game Warden’s Son, on his 2016 book tour. Callan’s sequel, which was released by Coffeetown Press of Seattle on March 1, recounts his storybook childhood as the game warden’s son in the small farming community of Orland during the 1960s. The Game Warden’s Son, which recently garnered a five-star review from the Manhattan Book Review, is the subject of a presentation Callan will give at the Friends of the Orland Free Library meeting on Thursday, September 1, at 10:00 a.m., at the Orland Free Library. The public is welcome to attend, and a book signing will follow.
Synopsis of The Game Warden’s Son:
Retired game warden Steven T. Callan’s love of nature and passion for protecting wildlife took root long before he experienced the adventures described in his memoir, Badges, Bears, and Eagles. In The Game Warden’s Son, he recounts more of his own investigations, along with those of his game warden father and their colleagues. Intertwined with a half century of adventures and investigations is a story of the lifelong relationship between a boy and his father. The book begins in the 1950s in the canyons and on the beaches of San Diego with incidents that sparked Steven’s youthful imagination. After an idyllic boyhood in the Northern Sacramento Valley farm town of Orland, where he rode on patrol with his father, Steven became a game warden himself in the early ’70s, joining the desert rats who patrolled the California counties banking the Colorado River. With wry humor, Callan tells how he and his fellow officers outwitted the perpetrators—most of them crafty, some of them hilariously foolish— who poached deer, lobsters, and abalone, baited bears and sold their parts, shot wild ducks to supply restaurants, and killed songbirds for epicurean dinner tables. Their cases took them across the Channel Islands, through the back alleys of San Francisco, up the Sacramento Valley, into the Sierras, and along California’s pristine North Coast. While these dedicated wardens saw their share of greed, they also appreciated the many hunters and fishermen who obeyed the laws and respected the earth’s resources. In the end, it was all about protecting California’s natural resources for future generations, which is what Callan and company did, enjoying themselves every step of the way.
Praise for The Game Warden’s Son
“A witty and enlightening memoir, The Game Warden’s Son brims over with tales of stake-outs using disguises and subterfuge to trap transgressors. . . . The book’s slang or jargon related to wildlife is a fun bonus and makes the timely account of environmental protection even more enjoyable.” —Jane Manster for the Manhattan Book Review
“Callan’s writing is dynamic and authoritative, with an episodic structure that will keep experts and novice readers turning the pages. The dialogue, sharp and resourceful, helps to move the story forward without bogging down the narrative structure.” —Dan Good, NY Daily News
“An exciting series of easy-to-read and gripping detective stories . . . It was extremely hard to put down. Callan is a fine storyteller. Each chapter stands on its own and is a fun read.” —Frank Galusha, founder and former editor and publisher of MyOutdoorBuddy.com
“The Game Warden’s Son is a stellar follow-up to Callan’s first book.” —Gerry Lister for International Game Warden Magazine “A wonderful tribute to the legacy of a father, a son, and many other wildlife professionals dedicated to protecting all of California’s natural resources.” —John D. Nesbitt, award-winning author of Field Work and Dark Prairie
“What a great book! The Game Warden’s Son not only captures the essence of the adventures of being a game warden, it sets the groundwork on how the passion to protect the wildlife resources can be inspired in a young person’s upbringing.” —Michael P. Carion, retired Deputy Director/Chief of the Law Enforcement Division of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
“My desire to continue the same battles protecting fish and wildlife has been rejuvenated by reading Steve’s book.” —Jerry Karnow, Jr., Past President of the California Fish and Game Wardens Association
“Steve Callan will keep you on the edge of your seat and show you that law and order comes in many guises.” —Patricia Lawrence, executive producer, Travel Radio International and reporter for the Palo Cedro East Valley Times
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Steve Callan grew up in the small Northern California farm town of Orland, where he spent his high school years playing baseball, basketball, hunting, and fishing. With an insatiable interest in wildlife, he never missed an opportunity to ride along on patrol with his father, a California Fish and Game warden. Steve went on to graduate from CSU, Chico, and attended graduate school at CSU, Sacramento. Hired by the California Department of Fish and Game in 1974, he began his career as a game warden near the Colorado River, promoted to patrol lieutenant in the Riverside/San Bernardino area, and spent the remainder of his thirty-year enforcement career in Shasta County. Callan has earned numerous awards for his work in wildlife protection. He also has earned the 2014, 2015, and 2016 “Best Outdoor Magazine Column” awards from the Outdoor Writers Association of California. Passionate about the environment, Steve and his wife, Kathleen, are avid kayakers, anglers, bird-watchers, and scuba divers. They currently live in the Redding area.
### Complete bio available at steventcallan.com
Review copies of The Game Warden’s Son and Badges, Bears, and Eagles are available upon request.