Back in 2006 I had the privilege of being one of 8 authors to help debut a new publishing company in Canada--Kunati Inc. Book Publishers, or as I tend to call them--Kunati Books. Shortly afterward, a handful of authors joined us and amidst this small and cozy group of talented writers was Red Evans, a man who had written a novel that has always reminded me of the movie National Lampoon's Vacation, with Chevy Chase.

The novel is On Ice, and Red's humor is evident from the first to last page. To borrow from the Kunati.com site, here is a brief summary.

A twelve-year-old boy from West Virginia, a banjo player and a flatulent dog set out for Louisiana in a 1959 Studebaker pickup truck. In a kiddy pool full of ice, is the corpse of Tyrane Percival. Their mission is to bury Tyrane where he is meant to be, next to his long-lost love, Leona. Young Eldridge and his new pal Felton soon learn that transporting a body that distance is more difficult than they had anticipated as they are pursued by a motorcycle gang and well-meaning bumbling police in this heart-warming and funny road adventure.

“Evans’ humor is broad but infectious ... Evans uses offbeat humor to both entertain and move his readers.” —Booklist

Sadly, Red Evans passed away on January 13, 2008, but his joyous spirit is immortalized in his wonderful novel On Ice. Red Evans had a varied career in the print, radio and television media and traveled extensively throughout the world to research his writing projects. He lived in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

***Red Evans' novel On Ice is this month's Foreword Magazine's Book Clup pick, and I encourage you to pick up a copy of On Ice and join in the conversation.

You can order On Ice from your favorite bookstore or online retailer.