Luke Houser, an animal-loving, affable, self-conscious 15 year old isn't so sure about the tiny community in Montana his dad and stepmom have moved them to. There is no Internet or cellular phone service so he can't email his friends back in North Dakota. And yet, for Luke and his dad its the perfect place to raise and train their Alaskan husky sled dogs. Luke shares his relationships with each dog and eventually has to face some extremely grown-up decisions regarding a medical issue for one of them. It helps that his stepmom, Jackie is a veterinarian. Luke enjoys hanging out and assisting at her clinic in Missing Lake, learning about different animals and procedures. Through the clinic, Luke and Jackie meet one of the people hiding in Missing Lake- the mysterious Oscar with his foreign accent and secret ways. Oscar needs veterinary help for the most incredible of animal companions and Luke and Jackie must face a world where the impossible has suddenly become possible. All of this is told through Luke's voice, with his somewhat sarcastic sense of humor and his penchant for making mental notes to himself. He meets several local kids through classes at his new school- classes that include a 'sharing session' with a former hippie English teacher. Ms.Tanner encourages growth and discussion through a Sharing Session she holds for the students. Lost and Found in Missing Lake is a contemporary journey into adolescence that explores the combination of fantasy with reality all while dealing with teenage concerns and issues.
Tanya Fyfe has been creating fictional characters and stories since she was in elementary school. Dr.Fyfe's background is colorful and varied. She was born and raised in British Columbia, Canada, but has also lived in Tokyo and now the United States. Dr.Fyfe attended high school in small town Grand Forks as well as Vancouver, BC, where she was enrolled in a sports-school for elite athletes. There, she trained with Dr.Hellmut May at the Kerresdale Figure Skating Club and completed her Gold Figure, Freeskate and Dances. She received her academic arts diploma from Fraser Valley College while pursuing theatre, performing with the Vancouver TheatreSports league's Rookie Nights. She also co-founded the Robin Goodfellow Players, which was an improv comedy troupe. Joining the ice shows took her to Japan, where she returned to teach English in 1992. The improv training helped significantly as she told potential employers she was 25 years old and had a teaching degree from the "University of Vancouver". (Note: she was 19 and there is no such institution). After one more ice show in 1994, Tanya decided to stick with coaching and moved back to Canada. Dr.Fyfe met her husband, Dr.Alistair Fyfe, an MD, in 1994 when she was the guest skater in a community show he attended with friends. They moved to North Dakota and she was able to finish her science education at Bismarck's University of Mary. She received her DVM degree from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon in 2005. In veterinary school, Dr.Fyfe published a regular newsletter with 3 classmates she convinced should contribute. The Times of Our Lives was well received by classmates and professors alike and helped keep the young veterinarians grounded. Together the doctors Fyfe have raised his 2 children along with American Paint Horses in North Dakota. Having both been raised in BC, the Fyfes missed their mountains and eventually made their way to Montana where Dr.Tanya Fyfe resides full time. There, she is surrounded by several animal companions who serve as highly entertaining muses. The 5 dogs, 8 cats, 3 ferrets, 2 guinea pigs and several horses often serve as the main focus of her blog, (tanyafyfe.wordpress.com). Dr.Fyfe enjoys writing and spending time outside with her husband. Together they golf, canoe, hike, ride horses, ski, plan holidays to Hawaii and enjoy the beautiful surroundings of their home in Montana.
