The
Warrior
and the
Woodpecker
A Novel by Mark Anthony Powers
Available Now!
Jameson O’Neal exists in a solitary digital world, until he awakens to the beauty of a local forest. There he falls for Laurel, a flame-haired beauty who works for the corporation that owns the forest. He volunteers to become a forest steward and is paired with a spirited elderly birdwatcher, Willa, who believes she spots a woodpecker thought to be extinct.
When Jameson discovers the forest is at imminent risk of destruction, he and his new friends embark on a mission to save it. Can Jameson use his advanced hacking skills to combat this threat to the woodpecker, his beloved forest, and to Laurel’s job?
The Warrior and the Woodpecker is an entertaining read for everyone who values the natural world, the power of friendship, and opportunities for second chances.
Praise for
The Warrior and the Woodpecker
“Mark Anthony Powers narrates with gentle irony the transformation of a nerdy techie into an eco-warrior. Jameson’s mutation is a parable for our times, inspiring and entirely believable. A compelling story highly recommended to readers who enjoy stories about the hidden power of ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things.”
— S. Mathur, Reader’s Favorite 5-star review
“Mark Anthony Powers has delivered another page turner. With an unlikely hero you can’t help but root for, thisis a blisteringly fun romp through a threatened forest that will leave you cheering.”
— Brad Goodwin, author of The Independent
“The Warrior and the Woodpecker is a quietly resonant story of awakening—where a life rooted in screens gives way to forest light, human connection, and moral stakes that matter.”
— Carol Hamilton, author of Hitchhiking to Madness: A Memoir
“A finely tuned story of emergence. Mark Anthony Powers has written a gratifying novel, rife with genuine human frailty and modest hope.”
— John Mauk, host of Prose from the Underground and author of Where All Things Flatten
“Powers entwines personal growth with bigger-picture thinking to produce a powerful novel.”
— D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
About the Author
Mark Anthony Powers
Mark Anthony Powers is an award-winning author who grew up in the small town of West Lebanon, NH. At Cornell University, he branched out into Creative Writing and Russian while majoring in engineering. After receiving his M.D. from Dartmouth, he ventured south to the University of North Carolina for an internship and residency in Internal Medicine followed by a fellowship in Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine.
After almost forty years in clinical practice and teaching, he retired from the Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine division of Duke University as an Associate Professor Emeritus of Medicine and began an exploration of other parts of his brain. Writing classes, writers’ groups, and growing fruit and vegetables were some of the enjoyment that followed. A deep dive into beekeeping led to his presidency of the county beekeeping association and certification as a Master Beekeeper. He has also been a Certified Master Gardener Volunteer, a Little League coach, and a Duke Forest steward.
Two cups of coffee and two hours of writing most mornings produced the Phineas Mann medical thrillers series: A Swarm in May, Breath and Mercy, Nature’s Bite, and The Desperate Trials of Phineas Mann, which was shortlisted for The Hawthorne Prize in Fiction and is the 2024 Independent Author Award Winner for best Medical Thriller.
His published short stories online include Rabbits in Does It Have Pockets and Fledglings in Tige
