About the Author
Doug Sellers is an actor, playwright, and screenwriter based in Portland, Oregon. Drawn to strong, complex women and fascinated by the stories of the American West from childhood, he spent decades researching and piecing together his great-great-grandmother’s journey before he felt confident enough in his craft to bring it to the page as a novel. The Road to Belmont is his debut work of long-form fiction. Doug is a member of the Dramatists Guild and Western Writers of America.
Full Author Biography
Doug Sellers
Actor. Entrepreneur. Playwright. Novelist.
Doug Sellers is a proud native Oregonian whose life reads like one of his own stories — full of unexpected turns, rich characters, and an unrelenting drive to create. A natural entrepreneur, Doug has built and led several small businesses over the course of his career, while also navigating the corporate worlds of banking and film production. It is that rare combination of street-level hustle and industry experience that gives his storytelling an authenticity few writers can match.
Doug has been a performer his entire life, earning credits both on stage and on screen. But a few years ago, a new creative force took hold — writing. Since then, he has been prolific and purposeful, producing a body of work that includes multiple plays and screenplays. His debut novel, The Road to Belmont — Bible to Brothel, marks a new high-water mark in his creative output, drawing on the full breadth of his experiences to craft a story that is as thought-provoking as it is compelling.
Doug’s creative life is very much a shared one. He and his wife Dawn — a fellow screenwriter and his longtime business partner — have been married for twenty-eight years. Together they travel, seek out great wine and good company, and pursue the work they believe in most: stories that entertain, move, and ultimately change lives.
Debut Novel: The Road to Belmont — Bible to Brothel
Also Written: Soap Stars, No Sex Without Toys, Sam’s Birthday Party, The Golden Years, Where’s Pauly, Literally Lost (Episode Two), Greased, Trigger Point, It’s Complicated, Engagement Party, Clay Finds Love, Striptease, Last Man Chosen, Angel, Force Majeure, Scribs Lake, Hairline Fracture, and The Cookbook
Background: Entrepreneur, actor (stage & screen), banking, film production
Based in: Oregon, USA
Business Partner: Dawn Sellers, screenwriter
Inspiration for The Road to Belmont
The inspiration for this book began as a small boy, I sat transfixed by westerns, colored ghost towns in my coloring books, collected every book I could find on abandoned ghost towns, and begged to visit them in person.
As I grew up, my grandparents filled me with real stories about my granddad’s grandmother. Her remarkable life and her saloon, the Cosmopolitan, in Belmont, Nevada. I was in awe that I had a living connection to the Old West, and I cherished every piece of history I could muster. I interviewed my great aunts and uncle, and my grandparents after their visit to Belmont. I collected pictures alongside the stories.
I made the journey to Belmont myself with my granddad and my mother, and we had our picture taken in front of the building. There, I had the great fortune of meeting Rose Walters, the last living resident of Belmont, and was lucky enough to interview her twice.
The Road to Belmont
Summary
The Road to Belmont spans sixty-five years, following Minnie Hawley, born on the Oregon Trail in 1848, as she struggles against loss, forced marriage, exploitation, and violence – all while refusing to abandon her dreams of independence. It’s a tale of survival, resilience, and transformation, culminating in her building a life on her own terms in a world that gave her no place.
Book Details
Genre: Historical Fiction
Number of Pages: 530
Publisher: BTP Publishing
Publication Date: June 1, 2026
Distributor: Ingram
ISBNs:
- Hardback, Retail $40: 9798234072030
- Paperback, Retail $28: 9798234106131
- ePub, Retail $9.99: 9798234072047
Social Media Links
- Substack: https://dougsellers.substack.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/douglas.sellers1
Author Appearance
Doug Sellers is available for an author appearance, reading, sharing of artifacts, and signing books. He is based in Portland, Oregon but able to travel to your location. To request an author appearance complete this form
Questions for the Author:
While Doug Sellers is always happy to answer questions and talk about his research, writing process, and family stories, following are questions that are most often asked at author appearances:
- What Inspired you to write this book?
- How has this book changed you?
- What do you hope others get out of your book?
- What has been the journey for you writing this story that is over a hundred years old?
- What is your process for writing?
- What do you think past family would think?
- What’s next?