Capture The Moment
National Parks Book 1
Suzanne Woods Fisher
Revell Pub
May 6, 2025
Capture The Moment by Suzanne Woods Fisher brings together nature, romance, and suspense. The setting of Grand Teton National Park plays an important role in the story. The mystery of the story is finding out who the poacher is that is endangering the animals as well as the wilderness.
“I want to be clear that the poaching is separate from hunting, even for those who hunt for the sport. Poaching is a disrespect for the animal, taking body parts and selling them on the black-market and leaving the animal’s carcass.”
The story has Kate Cunningham given the opportunity of a lifetime. As a zoo photographer, she’s spent years photographing animals in carefully controlled environments, but now National Geographic has dangled an irresistible prize: If Kate can snag a unique photo of the legendary Grizzly Bear 399 in Grand Teton National Park, they might publish it.
“I love wildlife photography and got this amazing picture of this grizzly bear. I am like the main female character, intrigued to study animal behavior through pictures. Kate, the female lead, has dyslexia which helped her see photography in a different way and made her resilient. During her school years her confidence was shaken. With photography she saw herself as a capable person.”
But her inexperience shows, and she must not only combat it but other competitive photographers. Fortunately for her, she crosses paths with Grant Cooper, a seasoned park ranger who knows the terrain. His tracking skills could be exactly what Kate needs to succeed, because he has tracked and found 399’s den. Her naïveté of the wilderness tends to get her in trouble, and he’s determined to keep her safe. As they work together, sparks fly, but the timing isn’t good. Cooper is still healing from a breakup, and Kate is struggling from a disconnect with her boyfriend back home.
“Cooper is the silent type who has a sixth sense. Prefers being with Grizzlies over people. Risk-averse, passionate about the outdoors, and perceptive. He grew and changed throughout the story. Kate is determined, bold, and brave. She is naïve, patient, vulnerable, feisty, and super focused. She has self-doubt because she is humiliated and mocked, called the ‘Zoo Girl.’ She did not fit well with her family’s emphasis on tradition.”
With rumors of a dangerous poacher and hungry bears waking from hibernation, the danger becomes real for Kate and Cooper as she tries to capture a prize photograph. As they get closer to finding bear 399, a corrupt ranger and poacher bent on bagging the bear as a trophy will stop at nothing.
The other characters that make a great impression are Maisie and Frankie. He is a 16-year-old boy who is Cooper’s intern and roommate for the summer. and Maisie, the 13-year-old granddaughter of Ranger Tim Rivers. Although she is adorable, she can also be a nuisance since she is always underfoot and is a constant chatter box. Frankie is lonely and neglected and can be very cruel to others.
“Frankie is insensitive, uncaring, and self-centered. He has a lot of hurt because he is neglected. He is hurting but it comes out in an obnoxious way. Maisie is friendly, enthusiastic, conversational, and innocent. She is typical thirteen-year-old, gawky and awkward, not coming into her own yet. She can be immature and unaware. I used her with ‘her fun facts’ to bring in a lot of information about the park and the bears.”
This is a book about seeing things differently, being authentic, and actively listening. “I wanted to show the difference between Cooper and Kate’s current boyfriend Oliver. Cooper was not the guy on the white horse because Kate learned how to handle many of her problems by herself. She is always at ease with him and feels connected with him. Oliver, Kate’s boyfriend, has the attitude, ‘my way or no way’ frame of thinking. He never listened to her. She struggled with this relationship. He does not care about her feelings and uses his power over her mentally and emotionally.”
Readers will enjoy the mix of romance, mystery, adventure, and humor along with some plot twists.
