COLUMBIA FALLS — Montana has many authors across the state, and now there's a new name to add to the list.
But this Columbia Falls man had an unusual path to writing children's books.
The retired Plum Creek employee and avid outdoorsman was spurred on by his family to take his storytelling from around a campfire to paper.
“That's what got me into writing books and inspiration from the stories I used to tell the kids when they were small, and to keep them healthy, keep them safe. And then the friendship that Tony and I shared,” said Glenn Osborne.
Osborne is a self-published author from Columbia Falls who has lived in Montana since 1975.
His storytelling career began around the campfire telling stories to his children, and now he has two children's books and a work of fiction published.
“It's amazing. A lot of people can relate to especially relate to Trapper Creek because it talks a lot about Montana, the Cabinet Mountains by Libby and Troy and I've met some amazing people,” said Osborne.
Early in life, Osborn worked various industrial jobs until his retirement in 2016.
While he's always been a storyteller, it was Osborne's daughter who pushed him to write the stories she had heard all through her childhood.
“They didn't expect here's a grouchy old guy working graveyard shift at the sawmill being able to sit down and write books. So it's it's different. It really is, but it's so enjoyable. They're they're all amazed that I did it. One guy even mentioned he said, I didn't even know you can spell you know, I didn't either really,” joked Osborne.
Trapper Creek — Osborne's work of fiction — has reached Amazon's top 100 list twice and is one of the top 10 books in Sweden.
While this is an amazing accomplishment, Osborne's favorite part of being an author is reading his children's books based on his kids and grandkids to the family.
“It's amazing. It is so so much fun. My wife has to read them because because her about my grandkids I get all emotional and stuff, you know, tear up," said Osborne. "They know that it's, it's about them, the five cousins, so whenever they say something in the book, you know, they get all excited and everything."
Osborne is almost done with his third Monster Masher book in hopes of having it published earlier this year.
But he has not done writing and already has a star on his next fiction book as well.
“I'm gonna keep going. I truly enjoy it. It’s an amazing adventure to do it in and what helps is the response that I'm getting from people and people saying when's the next book? When's the next book writing? It doesn't seem like a job. It's a passion, and I definitely enjoy it,” Osborne concluded.
