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Christopher Schmehl is tickled pink to offer you his first published novel. He has dreamed of this since his days at Wilson G. Sarig Elementary School. Schmehl has a BA in English/professional writing from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. He is an Eagle Scout. At different times he has been a summer camp counselor, a machine operator in a micro-electronics/integrated circuit facility, a security guard, a produce selector, a cashier, a material handler, and a grocery stocker. He lives with his family in Laureldale, Pennsylvania.

Everyone has heard of little Dorothy Gale of Kansas and her exciting adventures in Oz. Not everyone knows there is more to tell beyond the 1939 MGM film. Those in the know have read some stories shared by L. Frank Baum, Royal Historian of Oz, and his successor Ruth Plumly Thompson. But what is happening in Oz now?

Two youngsters named Jon and Ben enter Oz accidentally when they follow a strange, old man across a bridge at Hawk Mountain. They find themselves caught in a bizarre series of events as Oz’s citizens celebrate the opening of their new hall of fame while trying to understand several natural disasters.

Princess Ozma takes Jon and Ben on the adventure of their lives: flying in the reconstructed Gump, facing bandits, enchantments by a long-lost magic mirror, and a showdown with representatives of the American government. It will take every bit of bravery and skill they can conjure to help the princess and make it back home.

““The State of Oz” – Christopher Schmehl’s Take on the Most Beloved Well-Known Classic – a Follow-Up to “The Wizard of Oz” Narrative

The story begins about two young men, Jon and Ben who entered Oz accidentally when they followed an old man across a bridge at Hawk Mountain. Only to find themselves caught in a strange series of events as Oz’s citizens celebrate the opening of their new hall of fame while trying to figure out what caused the several natural disturbances occurring around it.

Schmehl revisits Oz hoping to recapture the essence of L. Frank Baum’s original “The Wizard of Oz.” As he throws his protagonists to the wolves, literally, as well as to a mysterious mirror that could have got its start in some carnival funhouse.

The author included some references to Baum’s Oz series. Fans will recall the Wizard and Glinda the Good and the other original mainstays: Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, and of course Toto. True Oz readers will definitely remember the familiar Ozma, the Hungry Tiger, and the Patchwork Girl.

The new cast of characters is outrageous and entertaining. They seem intent on treating Oz like a theme park and having all the excitement and fun they can have.
Schmehl dives into some of Oz’s history by adding a new landmark in the realm, such as The Queasy Streets, to re-live out memories, desires, and other feelings of its inhabitants. It’s during this process that an old antagonist resurfaces and infiltrates the Emerald Palace. Read the book to find out the events as they unfold.”