It’s been a year since The Dark Side of Hunger Mountain went live on Substack and there are so many people to thank.
Thank you to all my readers with a special thanks to my First Readers—you know who you are—who patiently read the manuscript before it went public. They commented on the characters and storyline, caught typos, gave input on the cover design and sent encouragement when I was beyond exhausted from researching, writing, rewriting and rewriting again.
A big thank you for helping push the novel out into the world goes to the fearless Elizabeth Nickson of Welcome to Absurdistan. Elizabeth wrote an insightful book review in 2024 and then featured excerpts from the novel in 2025 (1, 2).
Kudos to those in the forestry biz who were so patient with my never-ending questions. Jim Peterson of Evergreen Magazine earns special mention plus thanks for supplying logging-in-action photos for the Substack and eBook versions. Jim also wrote a very thoughtful book review (spoiler alert!).
Thank you to those who generously donated time on their podcasts, including:
Sean Stone who dove into a discussion about the Chevron decision;
Tom Nelson who introduced the novel to those concerned about climate campaign chaos; and
Trent Loos who has chatted with me weekly, highlighting a quote from a chapter without ever giving away the plot!
Thanks to the efforts of Bruce Vincent, Warren Smith and others, I have a PowerPoint presentation for use with trade associations, patrons of the arts, and the movers and shakers in the political and media landscape. Interested? Just ask.
John Droz, Grahame Webb and others graciously shared the novel with their global networks, engaging providers of food, fiber and fuel—and many curious minds relying on them—in 38 countries.
Here are some of their reviews:
… compelling, deeply dramatic, and reminiscent of novels when they meant something.
… Full of intriguing plot twists and juicy information vital to understanding what and why things are happening the way they are…
… I couldn’t stop! I actually took the whole day off yesterday and read the book online.
… one of the best books I’ve ever read.
… a staggering achievement of storytelling.
… easily one of the most electrifying and enlightening books I have ever read.
… riveting … a story that needed to be told … an outstanding read and a valuable contribution … a timeless book … remarkable … a fascinating tale … engrossing … one hell of a novel … poignant … beautifully written …
… a totally awesome book that I couldn’t put down! I still think about those characters.
… The characters kept me interested and the story made me wonder if it was really fiction.
… I greatly appreciate the book … I like the characters and their journeys, and the plot kept it all moving at a nice clip. I really enjoyed reading it beyond even how important the message is.
… the prose is captivating.
… a literary ride readers will grab onto with characters we can identify with and care about. I highly recommend this entertaining, yet educational, heavily researched novel.
… a great book, an exciting and satisfying read, and profoundly engaged with the real world.
… Millions of people around the world will relate to this book, especially to the characters as they face authentic challenges detailed so well by the author.
… it's a moving, inspiring and well-told tale of human bravery, faith and love that you won't soon forget.
The Dark Side of Hunger Mountain Substack site is free up to Chapter 9 at which point there is now a modest $5/month paywall. Finish the book in 30 days and then cancel the monthly plan or, if you wish to contribute more, let it run. You can also select the $30 annual plan or become a Founding Member.
If you prefer, I offer an eBook version and a Full Moon Discount for readers seeking paperback and hardcover formats.
Whatever you choose, I urge you to share the book with your networks.
With your help, we can create audio versions in multiple languages and push on to serialized content.
Overall, it has been a very productive year and I could not have done it without the support of all of you so, again, thank you very much!
T.H. PLATT