MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
What began as campfire stories from a rugged hiking trip has grown into a published book — and a shared creative journey between a father and his son.
Dr. John Walker, superintendent of Central Christian School, recently co-authored a short novel with his son, Colin Walker, inspired by real-life backpacking experiences in Arkansas. Their book, Campgrounds: The Ouachita Mountains, is now available for purchase on Amazon.
Dr. Walker said the idea for the book grew out of years of backpacking trips with a close friend across multiple states, including a memorable hike along the Eagle Rock Loop in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. During one winter trip, the pair heard something circling their campsite late at night — a moment made more unsettling by earlier warnings of a mountain lion in the area.
While the hikers were never harmed, the experience stuck with Walker and eventually became the foundation for the novel.
“One of the joys for me as a dad is coming home and sharing those stories with my sons,” Walker said. “Colin heard that story and thought, ‘I think we can make this even better.’”
Colin said the idea to turn the story into a book came naturally after hearing his dad recount the adventure.
“One night he told us the story, and I said, ‘Dad, can we write a book?’” Colin said. “Now it’s turned into a whole series.”
The novel follows two brothers, John and Joe, on a hiking trip that quickly becomes a fight for survival. The characters’ names were intentionally chosen — Joe is Dr. Walker’s brother — adding another personal layer to the story.
Colin said one of his favorite scenes involved imagining the main character running for help while tracking his pace and heart rate on a watch, while the most difficult part was simply finishing the book.
“Starting it is fun,” Colin said. “Finishing it took a lot of long days.”
Dr. Walker said their writing process was collaborative and deliberate. Colin often generated ideas or wrote portions of the story, while his father helped refine the language and structure. At times, they stepped away from the project for months due to busy schedules and writer’s block, before returning to complete it.
“We really tried to blend childlike imagination with more mature language,” Walker said. “It was truly a team effort, but it was Colin’s persistence that pushed us to the finish line.”
The pair also navigated creative disagreements along the way, which both described as productive rather than frustrating.
“We sharpened each other,” Dr. Walker said. “Colin’s fingerprint is throughout the entire book.”
Beyond storytelling, both said the project reinforced lessons about teamwork, perseverance, and endurance. Colin referenced Romans 5:3-5, noting how endurance leads to character and hope — a theme his father echoed while describing the challenges of self-publishing.
The book was published through Kindle Direct Publishing, an Amazon self-publishing platform, a process that required learning formatting and layout requirements.
From the initial idea to publication, the project took roughly a year, including three to four months where they stepped away from the project.
“We wouldn’t be here without Colin pushing me,” Dr. Walker said.
The Walkers have already begun working on a second book, inspired by Dr. Walker’s more recent hike in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming.
Campgrounds: The Ouachita Mountains is available on Amazon. You can purchase a copy at this this link.