Thursday, September 29, 2011

KILLING KATE - Julie Kramer

KILLING KATE
by Julie Kramer
Not all angels are divine...

As TV reporter Riley Spartz discovers a serial killer drawing angel-shaped chalk outlines around the bodies of his victims, she unearths an eerie legend dating back nearly a century. Tracking the story to an Iowa cemetery, Riley finds an infamous Black Angel monument that may be connected to the string of homicides throughout the Midwest. Now she is up against a delusional young man who believes the statue is urging him to kill.

"With her newest book, Julie Kramer's reputation and following ought to soar. This wonderfully sardonic look at murder through the eyes of TV journalist Riley Spartz is not only surprisingly poignant, but is a flat-out tour de force of harrowing twists and turns." —NYT bestselling author William Kent Krueger

"A snappy repartee, tauntingly written, drum tight in its execution. Just good ole' fashioned, gimmick-free storytelling that catches the reader with line one and commands you to finish." —NYT bestselling author Steve Berry

"Julie Kramer has one of the best new series in crime fiction....You'll be turning the pages all night." —NYT bestselling author Lisa Scottoline

"Julie Kramer's Killing Kate offers everything a novel should—a most engaging protagonist, page-turning thrills, plot twists, and a host of characters that jump off the page. I loved it!" —NYT bestselling author Heather Graham

BIOGRAPHY
Investigative television journalist Julie Kramer writes a series of thrillers: STAKING SUSAN, MISSING MARK, SILENCING SAM and KILLING KATE—set in the desperate world of TV news. Julie won the Minnesota Book Award and the RT Reviews Choice Award for Best First Mystery. Her novels have also been nominated for the Anthony, Barry, Shamus, Mary Higgins Clark, and Daphne du Maurier Awards. She formerly ran the I TEAM for WCCO-TV before becoming a freelance network news producer for NBC and CBS. She grew up on a family farm along the Minnesota-Iowa State line and now lives in White Bear Lake, MN.

WEBSITE
www.juliekramerbooks.com

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Dorie LaValle - by Mary Desjarlais

Dorie LaValle

by Mary Desjarlais

A Minnesota story of moonshine and murder.

Survival takes many forms...but never the one you expect. Born on the first day of 1900, Dorie finds herself at odds with the world and out of options. When she married Louie LaValle, a local man with an inherited farm, but not the talent or stamina to run it, Dorie is anchored in poverty, childless and tied to someone she doesn't love.

Prohibition and desperation inspire Dorie to make and sell moonshine to the men in town; soon she makes more money than she ever dreamt possible. To expand production, she enlists freewheeling Victor, who builds a secret distillery in the woods. When Victor appears at her door with a gunshot wound, describing an ambush at the still, it's up to Dorie to protect her future -and Victor- against angry neighbors, a zealous sheriff and the Chicago mob.

BIOGRAPHY
Mary graduated from the College of St. Catherine in 1981. She lives in St. Paul and works for the MN AFL-CIO promoting diversity in the construction trades through teenage and adult training programs. She was a recipient of a Minnesota State Arts Board Grant and recently published her first novel, Dorie LaValle through North Star Press, Inc. of St. Cloud. Mary has enjoyed classes at the Loft and the University of Iowa’s Summer Writing Program and belongs to the Blue Moon Writing Group. When she is not working on her next novel, she is reading, gardening, or doing a variety of art projects.

WEBSITE
www.marydesjarlais.com

PURCHASE
Amazon.com

PUBLISHER
North Star Press, Inc.
info@northstarpress.com
http://ourbooks.myshopify.com

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Isle Royale - John Hamilton

Isle Royale
by John Hamilton
Shipwrecks, gangsters, and the mother of all storms. Living in a lighthouse can murder.

The year is 1924, at the height of Prohibition. The place: Isle Royale, a remote island on Lake Superior. Clarence MacDougal, keeper of Wolf Point Lighthouse, stands ready to guide sailors through treacherous waters.

One storm-tossed night, French-Canadian bootleggers arrive. The gang’s leader is Sean LeBeck, a former lover of Collene MacDougal—the lightkeeper’s wife. LeBeck is determined to rescue Collene from her dreary life and rekindle their old passion, even if it means taking her off the island by force.

The lightkeeper’s son, Ian, escapes during the storm, only to stumble upon a hidden cove, home of the last remaining members of the Coast Guard cutter Chippewa. A dark secret forced the crew to banish themselves. Now, given one last chance at redemption, the ancient mariners set out on stormy Lake Superior in a desperate attempt to save the day.

BIOGRAPHY
John Hamilton is a bestselling author and journalist. His work includes books about fantasy and folklore, science fiction, the national parks, and pirates. Lewis & Clark: Adventures West (Sparrow Media Group) was a finalist at the 17th Annual Minnesota Book Awards in 2005. He is a two-time Golden Duck Award winner for excellence in children’s science fiction literature. John can be found most summers hiking along Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior. He is also an award-winning photojournalist and nature photographer.

WEBSITE
www.johnchamilton.com

PURCHASE
Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble Nook

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Legacies of Faith

by Robert Roscoe and John Roscoe

Photography by Doug Ohman

Scores of remarkable brick Gothic and Romanesque style Catholic churches, perhaps the most significant religious architecture in rural Minnesota, are clustered within the rural core of Stearns County, seeming to be hidden in the wide open spaces of central Minnesota prairie. These remarkably designed churches form the basis of the recently published book Legacies of Faith – the Catholic Churches of Stearns County, written by John Roscoe and Robert Roscoe, and published by North Star Press of Saint Cloud. Renowned Minnesota photographer Doug Ohman’s 180 color images illustrate their magnificent interiors and richly ornamented details. Stearns County’s culturally distinct rural hamlets, many only five miles apart, are similar to their European counterparts. These iconic structures came into form by German and Polish immigrant farm communities in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

Legacies of Faith – the Catholic Churches of Stearns County brings to light the history of how these magnificent churches came into being from extraordinary circumstances of historical, social and ethnic forces, and why these communities created such great works of architecture.

BIOGRAPHY

Robert Roscoe
Robert’s primary work is Design for Preservation, devoted to residential renovation, with an emphasis on historic preservation. His professional experience includes 36 years of architectural office experience. His education includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History and five years in the School of Architecture at the University of Minnesota. His writing has been focused on architectural aspects of historic preservation-related issues. Robert served as editor of the Minnesota Preservationist, a publication of the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota for 14 years.

John Roscoe
John’s writing and historical research has developed from his educational career, teaching literature and writing for the Aitkin and Albany, Minnesota school districts. His education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from St. Cloud State University with a major in English as well as graduate studies at St. Cloud State and the University of Minnesota. The research involved in writing this book has led him to an even greater appreciation of the immigrant experience and how it produced the remarkable outcomes embodied in its churches.

Doug Ohman
Doug Ohman is an acclaimed photographer with extensive experience in photography, has produced images from every county in Minnesota, many which appear in a wide array of leading publications and exhibits of historic preservation. These photographs aptly express the architectural attributes of the buildings while revealing the regional characteristics of their setting.

REVIEWS
“A sumptuous visual sampling of awe-inspiring churches, many well over 100 years old.”-- Dennis Dalman, Sartell Newsleader

Brothers John and Robert Roscoe have combined John’s familiarity with Stearns County and Robert’s expertise in architecture with photographer Doug Ohman’s professionalism to create an intriguing and lovely book.” -- Sue Halena, St. Cloud Times

“Beautifully put together….it should sell like hotcakes.” -- Dave Wood, Pierce County (WI) Herald

LINKS
We appeared on a segment of Life to the Max hosted by Mike Max of WCCO Television. Watching this episode will give the viewer a visual sampling of the churches we wrote about in Legacies of Faith. The link to this segment follows.

We were interviewed by morning host Bob Hughes on WJON Radio in St. Cloud. The link to this interview follows.

PUBLISHER
North Star Press of St. Cloud

PURCHASE


WEBSITE

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Diet Myths Busted - Ann A. Rosenstein

Diet Myths Busted

by

Ann A. Rosenstein

Diet Myths Busted is a book written by Ann A. Rosenstein that offers readers a look at facts about food rather than nutrition fiction. Rosenstein is a fitness instructor and personal trainer with several certifications. She wrote this book to help the average person decipher misinformation that is currently out on the subject of dieting.

Instead of promoting a certain type of diet or exercise plan, Rosenstein simply gives you facts. With the use of this information, you can make informed decisions for yourself and your family.

Some diet related myths that are addressed include:

If I stop eating sweets I will lose weight


As long as I eat good food, calories don’t count


Low-carb diets are dangerous


I can spot reduce


I can eat foods that will make me lose weight


Low-fat diets are the healthiest and no fat is best


Organic is best at any cost

Diet Myths Busted offers honest information that is helpful for managing diet and weight. There are so many different sources available for diet information, and many give facts only as they pertain to a particular diet. This book can help you sort through the fluff and start losing weight in a healthy way.

BIOGRAPHY
My name is Ann Rosenstein. I am a fitness professional, mother of two and married. I have been a fitness instructor and personal trainer for 22 years and am certified by ACE, AFAA & AEA. I am also an author of 4 water fitness books.

As a fitness instructor it has become evident to me that most people are thoroughly confused about exercise and nutrition. I get a lot of questions from participants in my classes. I have researched the science of nutrition and exercise the entire time I have been an instructor and have found that if a person understands some basic concepts of nutrition and fitness, it can be fun, easy and enjoyable to eat well and exercise. My family and I enjoy physical fitness and we often workout together. We also enjoy outdoor biking and cross country skiing.

Not only am I a professional fitness instructor, I am also a reference librarian with Dakota County and have been for almost 30 years. BA/MA from the University of Minnesota, ACE, Schwinn Cycle, Pilates Certified, Fitness Instructor/Personal Trainer of 22 years. Teach weight training, indoor cycle (spinning), water fitness, beginning aerobics, aerobics and advanced interval training.

BOOK SIGNING
Wescott Library
Eagan, MN
November 7, 2011 - 7:00 PM

Heritage Library
Lakeville, MN
November 14, 2011 – 7:00 PM

WEBSITE
www.dietfitnessdiva.com

PURCHASE
www.dietfitnessdiva.com

www.iydllarbor.com

Amazon.com

OTHER BOOKS PUBLISHED

Water Exercises for Parkinson's: Maintaining Balance, Strength, Endurance, and Flexibility, Revised


Water Exercises for Fibromyalgia: The Gentle Way to Relax and Reduce Pain


Water Exercises for Osteoarthritis: The Effective Way to Reduce Pain and Stiffness, While Increasing Endurance and Strength.


Water Exercises for Rheumatoid Arthritis: The Effective Way to Reduce Pain and Inflammation While Increasing Flexibility and Mobility

PUBLISHER
Idyll Arbor Inc.
www.idyllarbor.com