When Diane Bradley first visited Rainy Lake more than 30 years ago, she instantly fell in love.
The Two Harbors native says while writers are discouraged to write about what they enjoy most, Bradley beat the odds with her first published book, “Wilder’s Edge,” a historical fiction for young adults about bootlegging and finding gold.
“What kid doesn’t want to read about a gold hunt?” Bradley said.
The author was introduced to the area shortly after she met her husband, Jeff Kantor, an International Falls native, while attending the University of Minnesota in Duluth.
“I fell in love with him and I fell in love with Rainy Lake,” she said.
The couple lives in Granger, Ind., but spend their summers in a cabin on Jackfish Bay where Bradley is constantly inspired by the natural beauty around her.
“We had been looking for a cabin for 10 years ... it’s nothing fancy,” she said of the summer home. “We were lucky enough to get the cabin we have. It’s the old Jon Nelson property. We absolutely love it and we’ll never change it.”
Bradley, a retired radiation physics professor at the University of Indiana South Bend, said she always had a secret passion for writing.
“In the back of my mind, I always wanted to write,” she said.
Two years after her retirement, Bradley said she “floundered” with piecing together a book.
“I wrote books, but they were so bad, even my two sons would not read them,” she said with a laugh. “They were that bad.”
Determined to carry out her dream of becoming a published author, Bradley joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, a non-profit organization which is one of the largest existing organizations for writers and illustrators.
“It’s a major network for people like me who love to write,” she said. “It’s only purpose is for people to get better and improve the quality of children’s literature.”
Because the SCBWI acts as a network for the exchange of knowledge between people involved with literature for young people, Bradley said she was able to make connections with people who ultimately led her down the path to becoming published.
“I got a fabulous author, Kathleen Duey, as a mentor,” she said. “She has written over 80 books.”
Bradley said Duey “literally tore the book apart” during the first review of the book.
Eventually, Duey suggested Bradley throw her draft away and start Wilder’s Edge from scratch.
“I did it,” she said. “I valued her opinion so much that I didn’t get discouraged at all.”
Duey’s advice paid off and Bradley’s book made its debut in June after being picked up by North Star Press in St. Cloud.
Wilder’s Edge is an action-packed story of two 13-year-old cousins who set out on a hunt for gold.
“These kids think a perfect day is being out on the lake,” she said. “They had a love of adventure.”
The book includes many local attractions including Little America Island and Rainy Lake One Stop.
“People who live in the area will definitely recognize some familiar spots in the book,” Bradley said. “I hope readers – regardless of age – will rediscover what a beautiful area we have ... the perfect day can be without electronics and just be spent out on the lake.”
Wilder’s Edge is available locally at City Drug, the Coffee Landing Cafe and at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com.
