It wasn't long ago that Tyrell Johnson was a regular Kelowna father working as an editor.

Now, with his first book, The Wolves of Winter, in bookstores across the country, Johnson is one step closer to becoming a hot new author.

He's signed a book deal with publishers Simon and Schuster in Canada and Scribner in the United States.

He didn't say how much his deal is worth, but did say he's now got the financial freedom to concentrate on his next book.

"Yeah, it's fantastic, especially for a debut author. I'm incredibly lucky," he said.

And Johnson says his agent is actively shopping the book for a Hollywood movie deal.

The novel is getting high praise and is being compared to the runaway hit The Walking Dead.

"It's a post-apocalyptic book about a young woman surviving in the Yukon after events have wiped out most of civilization. I've always liked the genre," said Johnson. "I'm a new father, and I wanted the father-daughter relationship to be important."

Johnson says the outdoors has really influenced his writing.

You can find his book on the shelves at local bookstores and, who knows, you might even run into him at the grocery store.