 | Ever since 2008, Tom Seymour has been among Just Write Books’ most prolific writers, penning no fewer than five books under the Just Write banner, and while they span a wide range of topics and formats, they all come back to the theme of Maine’s wilderness, since Tom is an avid naturalist. He also writes for numerous columns and keeps up his own blog on his website, tomseymourmaine.com, and conducts wild plant seminars and field trips, teaching about Maine’s native flora. |
| Maine’s flora is among the numerous subjects Tom wrote about in Hidden World Revealed: Musings of a Maine Naturalist, which we published in 2008. In his first publication with Just Write Books, Tom compiled numerous posts he’d written for his blog Wild Plants and Wooly Bears, discussing interactions with his animal neighbors and exploring subjects such as plants, seasonal changes, and reflections on Maine rural life. Flora would be the sole subject of Tom’s second book, Wild Plants of Maine: A Useful Guide. In its pages you will find thorough documentation of Maine’s various kinds of plant life, describing all manner of plants that can be safely eaten and including plenty of recipes for their preparation. Currently in its third edition, Tom has since added to the book with the addition of numerous new plants and recipes. |  |
 | Of course, while using Wild Plants of Maine to discover new plants to eat and how to prepare them, one might feel the desire to document their foraging, to which we turn to Tom Seymour’s Forager’s Notebook. More than a simple empty notebook in which to record what one finds in the wilderness, the Forager’s Notebook includes tips at the footnote of each page. In addition, each month is prefaced with a small anecdote about the season, some helpful information about a particular plant, and a small illustration, ensuring that Tom Seymour’s Forager’s Notebook is a helpful resource in its own right. |
| Tom would turn the subject from flora to fauna in his next book, Getting Your Big Fish: Trolling Maine Waters, which, incidentally, was the first book we published where Tom himself graced the cover. Full of tips and techniques on catching big trout in smaller waters, Getting Your Big Fish shares the secrets of finding your big catch in the most unassuming of places. This brings us to Tom’s most recent book, Wild Critters of Maine: Everyday Encounters. From common Maine wildlife like loons and moose, to the more obscure, such as green frogs and cormorants, Tom has spent much time trekking through Maine’s wilderness encountering all stripes of wildlife, and in Wild Critters of Maine, shares a plethora of stories about them. From the hare to the muskrat, from mammals to birds to even amphibians and insects, Tom discusses his time spent observing Maine’s animal life and their quirks and habits, doling out education and entertainment in equal measure. |  |
Across all these titles, the most common threads in Tom’s writing are his lively, accessible storytelling and his love of Maine’s outdoors. Whether he writes about its plants or its animals, be he reminiscing about his favorite encounters with gray squirrels or taking time to educate readers about how to prepare wild elderberries, Tom’s unique voice and love of our home state shine through, making any and all of his books a joy to flip through.
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