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Time in the Turkey Woods

Mike Joyner Author Interview

In Tales From the Roost, you share with readers a collection of both heartfelt and humorous tales taken from decades of time spent sharing the experience of hunting with friends. Why was this an important book for you to write?

As with the other turkey hunting storybooks, it is a capture in time. It is an important period as many changes in life had taken place in that period. It has altered my perspective, and how I experience my time in the turkey woods and I hope that my readers see that in this collection of time in the turkey woods.

Is there anything you left out of this book that you now wish you had included? Any anecdotes?

My initial response to that would be no, but as I give it a little bit of thought, I might have captured more with how I rough out my writings now. Voice-to-text is something I am using to make it more immediate, maybe a bit rawer emotion. From there I can edit and apply more nuance that I strive for. Any delay in capturing the experiences for me tends to gloss over or omit many finer details.

Why was it important for you to use a conversational tone when writing Tales From the Roost?

It goes all the way back to my first book, Hills of Truxton as I was greatly inspired by Tim Herald’s book Gobblers I Have Known that came out in 2001. It reminded me so much of the conversations at the local diner, or at the back of a pickup truck at a gate.

Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?

Two long-term projects are next to finish up. Empire Limb Hangers is wrapping up. It’s a wild turkey records book for New York, and a data-intensive, with and lot of moving parts to finish. The second big project is D.D. Adams: Evolutionary Turkey Call Pioneer, which is a biography of the famous turkey call maker, and again, it has many moving parts to it, and several setbacks that occurred. Both projects have been interrupted due to career and life changes I have had, but it will be a great thing to complete both of them.

I have other titles in various stages and will be coming out with my first novel in 2026. In addition, I am working on a wild turkey cookbook with my wife and several interesting novel concepts with my cousin in Australia!

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In his latest offering from the great turkey woods, “Tales from the Roost- Roost’n Time Tales,” acclaimed outdoor writer, and outdoorsman Mike Joyner weaves his tales from each hunt, with his deeply personal experiences. His descriptive storytelling puts you at the base of the same tree next to him as the story unfolds. Tales from the Roost will appeal to both the novice and experienced game hunter. A veteran hunter, Joyner sets up the reading experience of the trials, tribulations, challenges, excitement, and thrill of each glorious day in the turkey woods. Each memorable hunt is documented with photographs and vivid descriptions, making this a must-read for those who love their time in the great forests where turkeys roam.