Winter

Vice and attraction in the oil fields of North Dakota, a teenager’s search for the truth, a struggle between art and commerce, and curiosity that leads to tragedy.

With J. Hartshorne Stories, it’s all connected.
And it’s all presented in 20,000-word packages that tell character-rich, self-contained stories, picking up threads from previous installments and laying the groundwork for new adventures.

The first group of four, the “Year in the Life” series, will be launching soon: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall.

Up next: “The International Set,” where characters old and new pick things up in The Immigrant, The Expatriates, The Ambassador and The Agent.

WINTER
As a graphic designer for one of the Twin Cities’ most prestigious companies, Melissa’s problems were those of the white urban hipster variety: ridiculous deadlines, lazy interns, meetings rife with obnoxious jargon.

When a layoff swiftly depletes her savings and her pride, her brother – through somewhat suspect connections – finds her a new job in the oil fields of North Dakota. He also procures a neighbor’s camper to serve as her makeshift abode in this housing-challenged boomtown.

“I watched the miraculously growing balance of my bank account. Why hadn’t I discovered this Williston place before?”

Discovery remains the theme of the season – friends with unexpected professions, a 24-hour Korean bath house in the middle of nowhere, bratty children that lead to a business idea. And, of course, no journey to the heartland is complete without a bit of romance, mystery and danger.