Kelly Randall Ricketts has spent over half his life in the Campbell River area of Vancouver Island and lived in almost every region of BC, and like many rural British Columbians, he has tried his hand at an astonishing array of occupations from logging to mining to wrangling horses. Add to this a passion for the outdoors, heavyweight boxing, performing his own music and storytelling, and you have the makings of a very lively memoir.

In One Inch from Disaster, Ricketts shares his closest calls, most daring feats and most embarrassing mistakes with the nonchalance and wry self-deprecation that comes from living a highly active life. Whether leaping from boat to boat on the crest of a giant wave, driving a bulldozer over a pile of dynamite, changing a tire just feet away from an angry grizzly or picking a fight with a group of Hells Angels, Ricketts rarely let the possibility of danger get in the way of a good story.

Featuring hilarity, excitement and occasional moments of true reverence, One Inch from Disaster may inspire even the most confirmed city-dweller to get out and explore the adventures that await on the wilder side of life. On the other hand, the reader may feel grateful to live out these adventures vicariously from the comfort of their home, guided by such a riotous narrator.

Kelly Randall Ricketts has worked as a singer/songwriter, logger, miner, wrangler, heavyweight boxer, fishing guide, taxidermist, coach, sawyer, carpenter, welder, mechanic, heavy equipment operator, millwright and butcher, and has studied clinical psychology and sports administration. He currently lives in Hanna, AB.

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“The story of Mr. Ricketts’ life moves through the pages like a prize fight, with left hooks and uppercuts coming at you from all directions. It’s a West Coast frontier sparring match you won’t soon forget.”

Reg Sherren, author of <i>That Wasn’t the Plan</i>

“Whether narrowly avoiding being blown up or crushed by a tree, going hunting with a broken jaw and nose, or punching out a Hells Angel, you can call Kelly Ricketts reckless, but you’ll never accuse him of being boring.”

Randy Nelson, author of <i>Poachers, Polluters and Politics</i>