I am working on a new book, one that has been brewing in the back of my mind for a couple of years. Like The Rats of Plainville: Tales from the Heartland, the new book will be a collection of short stories, all fiction. This book, though, will have a tasty twist.

Think back to when you were in high school or maybe college. One of the great books that was and is a staple of English classes is The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. In it, Chaucer takes us on a pilgrimage from London to Canterbury, and each night, a different pilgrim tales a story. There are 24 stories in The Canterbury Tales, as told by people from different walks of English life.

My new book will have 24 stories from 24 people I meet while on a pilgrimage here in Colorado. More specifically, I am walking to 24 breweries (Chaucer didn’t own a car), meeting people, listening to stories, and taking notes. When I am done with my research, I will compose 24 stories based on what I learn from the people I meet.

I have walked over 30 miles so far and have visited nine breweries around our home (Westminster, Broomfield, and Lafayette, Colorado). My journeys will take me into Boulder and Louisville, ending up at the Front Range Brewery (our favorite place to hoist a pint). I figure I’ll have walked over 80 miles by the time I am done (the distance from London to Canterbury is 61 miles – how about that, Geoffrey?).

So far, I have talked with a brewer (The Brewer’s Tale), a medical assistant, a computer scientist, a fisherman, a dog groomer, and more. All have given me morsels of material from which I’ll weave my tales. We’ve shared stories, laughs, and of course, beer.

Keep coming to this page to see the status of my pilgrimage, samples of stories, and photographs.

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Enjoy the stories. More to come . . .

Westminster Gabby