Paradise Gap Stories

Life around Paradise Gap in Virginia's Crutchfield County has been cadenced to the comfortable traditions of foxhunting for many generations. And then Ryman McKendrick receives a vision. Inspired by a message from Saint Hubert, or so he believes, Ryman launches the Ancient and Venerable Church of Ars Venatica, a.k.a. the Church of Foxhunting. The Venatican ranks swell, hunters sing the praises of the sporting life, and a current of titillation flows among the participants. But support is far from universal. Is one of Ryman's detractors committed enough to go to the ultimate extreme?

J. Harris Anderson's popular character Thumper Billington is at a crossroads in his life. A brief and impetuous marriage has ended, a new person has captured his interest. Has she captured his heart too? How can he assure this new relationship will be the one he's always hoped for? An avid foxhunter, he comes to a compelling realization: Life is about The Chase. Through a series of stories and lessons, told with wry humor and sprinkled with a wealth of practical tips, Thumper brings the listener along on his journey of discovery. It's Dave Barry meets Rita Mae Brown meets Dr. Phil!

Myrna Billington is in a life-or-death predicament. In debt to a shady loan shark and pursued by a persistent enforcer, she flees to Virginia in hopes of selling her share of the family's estate. The prospective buyer plans to build a major resort facility that will forever change the area's rural nature. Her brother, Thumper Billington, is master of the local hunt club and proprietor of the historic property. Convincing him to let her sell her part of Montfair will require subterfuge, duplicity, and ultimately the threat of personal ruin for him and those he cares about.