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Gary Graham

Goodreads Author

Born

Louisiana, The United States

Website

https://www.garylgraham.com/

Genre

Fiction, Adventure, Science

Influences

Barbara Kingsolver, Anthony Doerr

Member Since

June 2020

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Gary Graham writes stories that sit at the intersection of literary fiction, adventure, and science. His novel Parallels That Cross follows archaeologist Mica and ornithologist Clay as their parallel lives cross in the Peruvian wilderness. He is also the author of the nonfiction guides Bats of the World and Texas Wildlife Viewing Guide.

Book Highlights

Parallels That Cross is a story about identity, destiny, love, and the wild places that shape us. Readers have connected with its vivid portrayal of the Andes, the authenticity of its characters, and the quiet power of its storytelling. The novel blends adventure, romance, and science in a way that feels both grounded and deeply human. It is a book that stays with you long after the final page. Gary Graham writes stories that sit at the intersection of literary fiction, adventure, and science. His novel Parallels That Cross follows archaeologist Mica and ornithologist Clay as their parallel lives cross in the Peruvian wilderness. He is also the author of the nonfiction guides Bats of the World and Texas Wildlife Viewing Guide.

Book Highlights

Parallels That Cross is a story about identity, destiny, love, and the wild places that shape us. Readers have connected with its vivid portrayal of the Andes, the authenticity of its characters, and the quiet power of its storytelling. The novel blends adventure, romance, and science in a way that feels both grounded and deeply human. It is a book that stays with you long after the final page.

Gary grew up off the grid in Louisiana. One of his earliest memories is of his father telling him scary stories about nighttime creatures living in the Louisiana backwoods. Gary carried that tradition forward by telling similar stories to his own sons and to cub scouts around campfires. In doing so, he discovered the joy of a story well told and the power of an active imagination.

He went on to earn a PhD at the University of New Mexico, where he conducted research on bats and birds in Peru. He camped in cloud forests, caves, and next to a wonderful Quechua family while doing his fieldwork. That research and the unexcavated ruins he visited inspired much of Parallels That Cross.

His career took him to Austin, Texas, where he worked for Bat Conservation International and later as Director of the Wildlife Division for Texas Parks and Wildlife. He then became Executive Director of Audubon Colorado and worked for Western Resource Advocates in Boulder. While in Colorado, he climbed twenty-two fourteen-thousand-foot mountains.

After retiring early to tell more stories, Gary wrote Parallels That Cross. The idea first came to him in 1993 while driving on a small country road in east Texas. He stopped the car, jotted down the concept, and carried it with him for thirty years. The novel follows two people whose lives run parallel until they finally cross in the Peruvian wilderness. It is a story about finding your way, even when the path is not clear.

When he sent an early draft to his wife Lauren, an archaeologist who has worked in Belize for over thirty years, she helped him shape Mica's voice. Her review of his manuscript led to their reconnection after thirty years. He calls that the luckiest day of his life.

His writing is grounded in real experience, from decades of fieldwork in South America to discoveries of rare bats and new plant species. He worked alongside some of the greats in natural science, including botanist Al Gentry and ornithologist Ted Parker.

Gary now lives in California near his grandchildren, who keep him on his toes. He has two adventurous adult sons, one in California and one in Louisiana, who also help keep him busy. He continues to write, explore, and advocate for the wild places he loves.

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Average rating: 4.4 · 35 ratings · 28 reviews · 30 distinct works • Similar authors

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Gary Graham's Blog

Returning to the Andes with My Son: A Story of Hope

In 2018, I returned to a place I had not seen in forty years. I took my son and daughter-in-law with me.

The place was an outlier mountain ridge of the Andes in northern Peru, near a mountain called the Cordillera Colán. In the late 1970s, I had conducted biodiversity fieldwork there. I had camped in those forests, explored those caves, and worked alongside people I would never forget.

I did not kno Read more of this blog post »

4 likes · Like • 2 comments • flag

Published on September 15, 2026 17:14 • Tags: andes, author-s-life, conservation, cordillera-colan, environmental-protection, family, father-and-son, fieldwork, hope, legacy, memoir, nature-writing, peru, wildlife

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Gary is Currently Reading

Gary Graham is currently reading

Last Man Standing (The Earthburst Saga, #1)

by Craig A. Falconer (Goodreads Author)

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Jan 04, 2023 08:00PM

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Lights Beyond The Stars 2 of 3 (LBTS Mini Trilogy)

by J.V. Nolan

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Nov 28, 2022 03:07PM

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Lights Beyond The Stars 1 of 3 (LBTS Mini Trilogy)

by J.V. Nolan

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Nov 17, 2022 02:30PM

Gary’s Recent Updates

Gary Graham has read Homeworld Lost (Homeworld Lost, #1) by J.N. Chaney (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 15, 2026 11:36PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Homeworld Lost by J.N. Chaney. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Homeworld Lost by J.N. Chaney <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gary Graham and 8 other people liked Gary Graham's blog post: The Stories That Shaped Me: Growing Up Off the Grid in Louisiana "I grew up off the grid in Louisiana. It was not a choice, it was just life. We did not have much, but we had stories. My father used to tell me scary stories about nighttime creatures living in the Louisiana backwoods. He had a way of making the ..." Read more of this blog post »
Sep 15, 2026 05:06PM
Gary Graham made a comment on Trapped by Killer Bees: A Real-Life Adventure in the Peruvian Andes " Lyn wrote: "Okay, I was NOT expecting this to turn into a killer-bee survival story 😂🐝. Exploring caves for rare bats is already adventurous enough, b ...more "
Sep 06, 2026 01:18PM · see blog post
Gary Graham made a comment on The Stories That Shaped Me: Growing Up Off the Grid in Louisiana " Kathryn wrote: "There’s something really special about how stories can travel from one generation to another. Your father’s stories stayed with you, t ...more "
Sep 06, 2026 01:12PM · see blog post
Gary Graham and 12 other people liked Gary Graham's blog post: Trapped by Killer Bees: A Real-Life Adventure in the Peruvian Andes "I have spent a lot of time in the Andes over the years. It is a place that gets into your blood. The mountains, the forests, the people they stay with long after you leave. But one memory stands out more than most. We were deep in the field, exp..." Read more of this blog post »
Aug 28, 2026 01:50PM
Gary Graham and 13 other people liked Gary Graham's blog post: Title: How a 30-Year Idea on a Texas Country Road Became a Novel "In 1993, I was driving on a small country road in east Texas. I was on my way to give a presentation about the endangered species program I was running at the time. My mind was full of logistics, data, and the weight of responsibility. But somewh..." Read more of this blog post »
Aug 17, 2026 06:15AM
Gary Graham made a comment on Title: How a 30-Year Idea on a Texas Country Road Became a Novel " Michael wrote: "I love that you carried this idea for so long. It gives me hope for my own dreams." See my above comment. I would just add that it is s ...more "
Aug 06, 2026 05:30PM · see blog post
Gary Graham rated a book it was amazing Entanglement (The Belt #1) by Gerald M. Kilby (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 24, 2026 10:52AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Entanglement by Gerald M. Kilby. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Entanglement by Gerald M. Kilby <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gary Graham rated a book it was amazing The Worst Spies in the Sector (Dumb Luck and Dead Heroes, #2) by Skyler Ramirez (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 22, 2025 07:24AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Worst Spies in the Sector by Skyler Ramirez. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Worst Spies in the Sector by Skyler Ramirez <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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