September Novel Essential Information

Novel Title: Found Missing

Time Setting: 2020

Genre: Thriller

Minimum Word Goal: 120,000

Timespan: April–July

Locations: North Battleford, Saskatchewan; Bieseker & Red Deer, Alberta

Main Characters: Corporal Dallas Klybanowski

Background Information: 

Born the only son of his parents’ union, Dallas grew up with one older sister and two younger sisters in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. His parents divorced when he was eight and custody of him and his sisters fell predominantly to his mother thereafter.

When he was eleven years old his father married a second wife and was able to get custody of Dallas and his sisters — who preferred living with their father to living with their mother because of the constant parade of boyfriends their mother brought home.

Because Dallas’ father lived south of Saskatoon a ways Dallas and his sisters were required to attend schools out in the country, which Dallas enjoyed, even if he was brutally bullied during his Grade 7 year.

As part of the bullying Dallas was shoved into the lead bully’s locker and discovered a loaded handgun; he called 911 and was gratefully rescued by RCMP officers, who inspired him with their bravery, as well as their kindness, solidifying in his mind that he wanted to become an RCMP officer.

Prompted by his desire, Dallas proceeded to do everything he could to give himself a leg up when it came to entering the RCMP Academy, even before he was old enough to be eligible, including practising shooting pellet guns — until he was able to get his firearms licenses and fire live ammunition — with his dad, getting his driver’s license as soon as possible and taking defensive driving courses to improve his driving skills, as well as doing a regular and intensive fitness regimen to be prepared for chasing down criminals and any other potentially physically demanding tasks being a policeman required.

Because he had to wait until he was nineteen to enter the RCMP Academy, Dallas had a year after his high school graduation, during which he worked for the City of Saskatoon clearing snow in the wintertime.

He distinguished himself in his job because, while clearing snow early one morning, he heard a sound he recognised as gunshots and — despite the fact that he could well have been shot — traced the sound, apprehending the responsible party, who’d been robbing a convenience store.

Dallas entered the RCMP Academy as soon as he possibly could and distinguished himself in his courses before, upon graduating, being assigned to the detachment at North Battleford, where he has worked in traffic and general policing for the past three years, with the goal of getting promoted, but he knows promotions take time, so he is striving to be patient, but to do his job well in order to earn notice and, hopefully, a promotion. 

Pronunciations:

Bieseker: byesehker

Klybanowski: k'lyebahnowskee