VW native’s novel earns good reviews

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for Van Wert native Adam McOmber, whose first novel, The White Forest, has just been published by Simon & Schuster imprint Touchstone.

The White Forest is set in Victorian England and details the relationship between three characters: Jane Silverlake, a young woman who has the ability to sense, and hear, the souls of inanimate objects, and her friends, Madeline Lee and Nathan Ashe.

The novel explores the relationship between Nathan and the two women, and their ensuing competition for his affections. However, Nathan’s interest in Jane’s “gift” also leads him to associate himself with a cult led by Ariston Day.

When Nathan suddenly disappears, Jane must infiltrate the cult to find him before it’s too late, while also coming to terms with who she is.

McOmber, the son of Michael McOmber and Denise (Skevington) Wehri, earned a bachelor’s degree from Ohio University and a master’s degree in fine arts from Indiana University in 2001, and has spent the last 10 years teaching creative writing at Columbia College, a small liberal-arts school in Chicago, while also editing the school’s literary magazine.

Noting that he learned a lot about writing from now-retired VWHS English teacher Elizabeth “Bitsi” Clark, McOmber added that the best way to become a good writer is to write … a lot.

“It takes a long time to do,” McOmber has said of developing a unique writing style. “It took me nearly 10 years to get to this point.”

He is also a lifelong reader, noting that it was his grandfather, Murray Skevington, who inspired him to read.

The Van Wert native, who calls his writing style “historic with a strange fantastic bent,” has used that unique writing “voice” to create an almost mythological world within an historical setting that early reviews have called “clever and beguiling” and “commandingly erudite and imaginative.”

He is also being compared to Edgar Allen Poe, James Joyce and Isek Dinesen because of his dark, Gothic writing style and his use of language and imagery (click here for more praise of The White Forest).

Although McOmber has previously published a well-received book of short stories, entitled This New and Poisonous Air, The White Forest is his first novel. He said having the book published by a major publishing house has been exciting, as well as a learning experience.

“In general, I feel really excited about the release of The White Forest,” he said. “Publishing a novel like this is something I’ve always dreamed of doing, so I feel like I’ve achieved a personal goal.”

McOmber added, though, that the process of promoting a book after it is written is also educational.

“It’s amazing when you realize everything involved in putting out a book,” he said, adding that publicity starts many months before a book’s actual release.

Not only has he already conducted a 30-person “blog tour”, but is currently doing a book-signing tour that began in Chicago at Unabridged Bookstore. A feature spread is also planned in the two major Chicago newspapers, The Tribune and Sun Times.

McOmber also said he is pleased with his book’s reception so far.

“The White Forest has been receiving great critical reception,” he noted. “Everywhere from Publishers Weekly to Library Booklist has reviewed the novel very favorably.

“There has also been a groundswell of positive reviews from independent book bloggers,” McOmber said, adding that he is amazed at how many blogs there are out there today devoted to talking about and reviewing books.

The Van Wert native is currently working on his second novel, as well as continuing to do publicity for The White Forest, and added that he couldn’t be happier with his first big publishing experience.

“Touchstone, my publisher, has been so great at every step of the way,” McOmber said.