Birdie - by Candace Simar

Birdie

by

Candace Simar

Birdie, Book 3 of the Abercrombie Trail Series by Candace Simar, was released by North Star Press in May 2011.  Birdie continues the story of Evan and Inga Jacobson from Abercrombie Trail, eleven years after the 1862 Sioux Uprising.  They struggle to raise their family in the midst of bank failures, grasshoppers and lingering effects of the Indian war.  Harsh economic realities force them to relocate to Otter Tail County where they must begin again in a hostile environment.  It also continues the story of Pomme de Terre’s Ragna Larson, their foster daughter, who grows up haunted by her missing sister, Birdie.  Though both girls were kidnapped by the Sioux during the Uprising, only one returned.  Ragna must make peace with the past before she can move forward with her life.  Evan and Inga must do the same.

BIOGRAPHY

Candace Simar, a life-long Minnesotan and the granddaughter of immigrants, writes historical fiction about Scandinavian immigrants in 1860s Minnesota. Her historical novels Abercrombie Trail and Pomme de Terre are applauded by readers of all ages.  She is a member of Brainerd Writer’s Alliance, Bards of a Feather, The Loft Literary Center and Western Writers of America. She is a grateful recipient of Five Wings Arts Grants through the McKnight Foundation. 

PURCHASE

http://ourbooks.myshopify.com/products/birdie

Emily's Run - by David Holmes

Emily’s Run

by David Holmes

Emily Parkhurst is running to save her and her daughter’s life. Roger, her unstable ex-husband, is on a murderous rampage to eliminate his family as witnesses to the despicable things he has done. His carnage and outrageous acts bring devastation to the North Shore of Lake Superior in his quest to remove anyone who gets in his way ‒ or who can implicate him.

STORY HISTORY
Emily’s story has been out since September, 2010, and is gathering attention from more and more people. The overwhelming comment I get is: “I couldn’t put it down” and, “I found a part of myself in it.”

Before it was published I sent a copy of the manuscript to Judy Pearson, director of the Pearl Crisis Center. She read it and loved it enough to offer an endorsement. Judy and I have worked on fund raisers for Pearl putting the story in front of people with the message, “The abuse needs to stop.” Because of my interest in women’s rights and the elimination of abuse, I am now sitting on the Board of Directors for Pearl.

I put a request on Reporter Connection asking for stories from women who were victims of abuse to put into a real-life story. I received comments from all over the country and some from abroad. However, an overwhelming number of women asked that their story not be put into print. They were afraid of recrimination and some just couldn’t bear to see it all over again. Respecting those wishes, I put Emily’s story into a fictional format. It is a compilation of many different events, but hidden behind the fictional shield.

In my marketing and signing tours, one event took place that I will never forget. I was signing books when a woman came to the table and literally froze in place. She looked at the cover, put her hands to her face, and burst out in tears before running away. She was a victim that was living in pain. I pray that I will meet her again someday and at least talk to her.

Emily’s story doesn’t delve into the actual physical abuse. People know what happened to them and don’t need to go into it again. Instead, I have tailored the story to follow Emily while she is running and what she needs to do to protect her daughter. She develops relationships while running; some are good, and some are bad. The story has a positive ending and I am proud to say that the effect will stay with you. The message of the book is clear, and if it bothers anyone—it probably should.

The last pages of the book show the National Hotline numbers for abused, run- aways, and victims of crimes. It also pays homage to Jacob Wetterling, Jaycee Lee Dugard, Elizabeth Smart, and others.

One note I am compelled to add is that my son, Jeff Holmes, did the amazing cover art. The picture alone is a story narrative.

WEBSITE
www.davidpaulholmes.com

PURCHASE
Amazon.com

Planning The Ulitmate Event - Carmelita Jenkins Anderson

Planning The Ultimate Event

by

Carmelita Jenkins Anderson

Planning The Ultimate Event is a tool to guarantee that you have all of the information needed to properly plan a burial or cremation. This book includes a workbook for all of your vital statistics! No other book to date has offered such financial insight on how to save on costs without sacrificing the stateliness of a proper final disposition.

Top financial institutions have received stimulus packages while the average American has been forced to find creative ways to make ends meet. This book will offer various ways in which you can save on one of the most important purchases you will ever make. There are also many etiquette tips on the who, what, when, and where's of Planning The Ultimate Event.

BIOGRAPHY

After graduating from North Community High school, Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1988, Mrs. Carmelita Jenkins Anderson continued her studies at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and the University Of Minnesota School Of Medicine, where she completed her undergraduate studies with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mortuary Science in 2001. She then went to work for Service Corporation International (SCI) the largest funeral corporation in the world, while continuing her studies to earn a Masters degree in Business Administration from Marylhurst University in 2004. She continues today as a Location Manager, author, wife and mother.

Mrs. Anderson has arranged funerals for Movie Stars, Professional Athletes, Politicians, Clergy, fallen soldiers, police officers, friends and family and has won several awards for her writings.

PURCHASE

https://www.createspace.com/3477462

https://www.createspace.com/3395260

BLOG

http://carmelitaja.blogspot.com

OTHER BOOKS
Upon Grace. My mom died of breast cancer

Upon Grace is a book series for teen girls. The series is based on a teenage girl named Grace Elizabeth Jenkins, age 14. Grace's father and uncle own and operate a funeral and cremation establishment in Dallas Texas. The funeral home and cremation service is committed to the community's complete satisfaction. Through her many visits to the funeral home Grace has learned a lot about death and the grief associated with losing a loved one.

The first book in the series recalls the events surrounding Grace's mother dying from breast cancer and how she deals with her feelings, including her journal writing. There's also a section entitled "Your Personal Journal", so you can write your feelings and experiences!

PUBLISHER

createspace.com

Amazing Gulls - Marlin Bree

Amazing Gulls:

Acrobats of the Sky and Sea

by

Marlin Bree

Seafarer Marlin Bree captures the poetry of the seagull’s flight, the majesty of its soaring wings, and its amusing antics as gulls gregariously interact with humans. Through black-and-white digital stop-sequence photography, this tribute introduces their habits and habitats, their special abilities, and their remarkable intelligence. Via detailed drawings and illustrations, Bree examines the gulls’ “wings of wonder” and how they achieve their amazing sense of air, control their soaring and hovering, and remain aloft over great distances. The work also recounts fascinating legends that have sprung up over the years about gulls and their mystical symbolism in life and death, as well as lighthearted stories, such as that of Sam, a gull who walks into a seafront store and picks up the same brand bag of chips day after day.

BIOGRAPHY

Marlin Bree is an award-winning marine journalist and a two-time winner of the Boating Writers International Grand Prize Writing Award. He is a former magazine editor for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, a past president of the Minnesota Press Club, and a contributor to publications such as Cruising World, DIY Boat Owner, the Ensign, Good Old Boat, and Lakeland Boating. He is the author of several boating books, including In the Teeth of the Northeaster and Wake of the Green Storm. He lives in Shoreview, Minnesota.

PURCHASE
Amazon

WEBSITE
www.marlinbree.com

By The Light Of The Carnival - Peter Joseph Swanson

By The Light Of The Carnival

by Peter Joseph Swanson

Joe goes to work as a carnie for a week and meets worldly gypsies: Carlos, a young man looking for trouble; Lady Fortuna, a guilt ridden old fortune teller; Pinda, a self assured young woman he thinks he might want to run off to see the world with; and Miss Toulon, who decided where to place the glass maze having been told in no uncertain terms by loud voices in her head. But Lisa, who has also just graduated from Joe's high school, shows up. She's no longer a shy stranger, and Joe falls for her too, even though choosing her would mean staying on the farm. Strange things happen and there are rumors that the glass maze is haunted and evil. Furthermore, it has plans to free itself, even if it means taking down the whole carnival-and Joe's life-with it.

BIOGRAPHY

I grew up on a goat farm in Illinois near the Mississippi River (near Mark Twain’s stomping grounds). In the 1980s, after college where I studied cinema and fine art, I moved to Minneapolis because a friend was driving there to visit. So I hitched a ride on a whim. I didn’t know much about Minnesota at the time. I only knew it was far north and I wanted to go far away. Minneapolis is wonderful and anybody would be lucky to find it. I have worked in filmmaking, have done newspaper cartoons, and do cover art for other authors. I did the illustrations for a children’s story, Tedoul. I have six novels out so far with my small San Francisco publisher. My most current novel is a ghost story that takes place in a country field in 1977 called By The Light Of The Carnival.

PURCHASE
Amazon.com

BLOG
http://peterjosephswanson.blogspot.com

OTHER BOOKS PUBLISHED
Hollywood Sinners
The Joan Crawford Murders
Bad Movies
Merlin’s Charge
Punk Minneapolis

PUBLISHER
Stone Garden Publishing