C-Falls graduate publishes first novel

Columbia Falls graduate Bret Kamrud published his first novel, “Landslide,” this fall. It is a dramatic romance written for a female audience. The story is about a veteran railroader Steven Lange who wants to have a son to carry on his legacy, but he faces a crumbling marriage and a worsening alcohol addiction.

Kamrud’s interest in writing began when he was 13 on a trip to San Francisco. He was born in Kalispell and graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 1978. His brother and father still live in Columbia Falls. He married his high school sweetheart Tammy and after only two years they divorced. Kamrud then worked across the country in the Air Force and later as a film production assistant. After 13 years apart, he and Tammy reunited and have since been married for 22 years.

They settled in Montana to raise their daughter and her son and daughter, but now live in Texas. Instead of continuing in the film industry, he decided to write a novel. In 1998, he started reading novels and in addition, books on how to write fiction.

While developing his craft, he worked for the railroad for two seasons in the Essex area.

“That was when the story first came to me,” Kamrud said. He saw a story within the camaraderie between his coworkers and the legacy passed from grandfather, to father and to son. The book also includes an encounter with a grizzly bear and a car wreck.

After initial feedback on the book, he hired a professional editor in Austin, Texas and had it printed by Bookbaby Publishing. It is available as an eBook and from Amazon for $15.99.