Oh Mighty Mississippi - Melissa Vocelka

Oh Mighty Mississippi


by Melissa Vocelka

Oh Mighty Mississippi, a creative and beautifully illustrated children’s picture book, is Melissa Vocelka’s first book to come out in print. The book follows the mighty Mississippi River, and the plants and creatures it encounters on its long journey towards the sea. Featuring many of Minnesota’s state symbols, such as the Common Loon, the Pink and White Lady Slipper, the Walleye, and more, the book is not only entertaining, but educational as well. Oh Mighty Mississippi was inspired by a young child’s wonder and fascination of the Mississippi Headwaters at Itasca State Park, and is a great book for children, tourists, those who love art, those who love nature, and those who love Minnesota!

WRITER BIOGRAPHY
Melissa Vocelka was born and raised in Minnesota. Writing has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. In 2010, Melissa graduated from Rainy River Community College in International Falls, MN, with an Associate of Arts Degree. Soon after, she graduated with honors from Ashworth College in Atlanta, Georgia with a professional Career Diploma in Writing Children's Books. Melissa currently resides in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, with her husband, John, and daughter, Rebekah. Oh Mighty Mississippi was inspired by her young daughter’s wonder at the Mississippi Headwaters at Itasca State Park. Melissa plans to continue writing and to publish many more children’s books.

ILLUSTRATOR BIOGRAPHY
Amy Larson was born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois. Ever fascinated by color and form, painting has always been a part of her life. After receiving a BS degree in Art Education at Illinois State University, Amy moved to Minneapolis, MN, where she and her husband raised their four children. Amy currently resides near Park Rapids, MN. Her art can be found in many homes and galleries across the country. Amy Larson’s paintings represent her view of the world around her, and her emotional response to what she sees is the focal point of each painting. Amy has won many awards and commendations for her work.

WEBSITE
www.melissavocelka.com

PURCHASE

http://melissavocelka.com/Store.html

BLOG
http://melissavocelka.com/Oh-Mighty-Mississippi-Express.html

PUBLISHER
North Star Press
http://ourbooks.myshopify.com/

REVIEWS
Oh Mighty Mississippi is a creative and beautifully written story that will fascinate children and nature enthusiasts alike. The artwork is beautiful and Melissa has written it in such a way that you can almost imagine yourself winding along with the Mississippi River on each and every page. I loved how she incorporated many of Minnesota's state symbols into the book, making it not only entertaining, but educational as well. I can't wait to get a copy when it comes out in print! - Joan, Grandmother

Knowing Melissa personally, I was honored to preview a draft of this wonderful book. I am a librarian who has a weakness for illustrated books about Minnesota and this one takes my breath away. Waiting for my published copy has been unbearable but the anticipation will be worth it! -Stephanie, Librarian

Reprisal - Colin T. Nelson

REPRISAL


by Colin T. Nelson

What if terrorists used American children as weapons of mass destruction? It's already started with the disappearance of the Somali boys from Minnesota. Small pox was eradicated from the planet in 1979. For future research purposes, two repositories of the deadly virus were set up in Atlanta, Georgia and Vector, Russia. When an Islamic terrorist group steals samples of the virus from Russia, they need human hosts to carry the disease and infect defenseless Americans. Release of the virus is about to explode until a criminal defense lawyer gets involved. She becomes entangled in a race against time and the terrorists to save hundreds of children and her community.

BIOGRAPHY

Colin T. Nelson has been a criminal defense lawyer for over 30 years. He's been writing since high school and through law school where he wrote a humorous weekly column. Previously, he published a non-fiction book called, When Can I Tell My Boss, I Quit! He tries to both entertain readers and teach them something in his books. He's married, has two adult children, and plays the saxophone in a jazz group called BlueMood.

WEBSITE
www.colintnelson.com

PURCHASE
Amazon.com

BLOG
Courting Crime with Colin T. Nelson
www.colintnelson.com/blog

OTHER BOOKS PUBLISHED
When Can I Tell My Boss, I Quit!
A non-fiction book teaching people how to financially be able to retire.

REVIEW
"...a provocative and compelling thriller. A must read for anyone who wonders what might lay ahead for our country." Mary Logue--Author of Frozen Still

"A suspenseful, well-crafted thriller with a terrifying plot that will leave you questioning how secure we really are." Christopher Valen--Author of The Black Minute

PUBLISHER
NorthStar Press of St. Cloud
info@northstarpress.com

Penny's Tale - Mary Jo Mosher

Penny’s Tale

by Mary Jo Mosher

Penny’s Tale is about a child’s psychological suffering at the hands of negligent adults, her subsequent adoption at age 10, her ongoing search for her birth parents, and her tenacious push for release of her birth records. The story is told from Penny’s point of view.

The fortunate children born of dysfunctional relationships are given up as babies and placed in loving, secure homes. The unfortunate children are the older ones who end up in orphanages or foster homes and never experience permanency in their lives. Some become delinquents; others become psychologically damaged and can’t function well in society. Adoptive homes are scarce for the older child.

When a child enters the adoption courts, a new birth certificate is issued that states the child was born to the adoptive parents. The child’s original birth certificate is placed in an agency file never to see daylight again, and the birth family ceases to exist.

Adoption is a timely subject, especially in states where many adopted persons are pushing legislators to change the laws regarding access to adoption records. This book is based on a true story and deals with this issue as well as other aspects of adoption.

BIOGRAPHY

Mary Jo Mosher, whose home is in Becker, Minnesota, is a retired newspaper reporter and editor with a master’s degree in journalism. She was co-founder of her local newspaper, and several of her free-lance stories have appeared in horse magazines including Trail Rider and Western Horseman. She co-authored Hiking Minnesota published by Globe Pequot Press in 2002 and authored One Man Against the Mountain published by Studio See, Inc. in 2008. Her summers are spent volunteering for the U.S. Forest Service in Wyoming’s Bighorn National Forest with her husband and three horses.

OTHER BOOKS PUBLISHED

Hiking Minnesota by Mary Jo Mosher and Kristine Mosher, second edition published by Globe Pequot Press in 2009

One Man Against the Mountain by Mary Jo Mosher, published by Galde Press

PURCHASE

Amazon.com

PUBLISHER

Galde Press

www.galdepress.com

CONTACT AUTHOR

mjgmd32741@windstream.net

The Shadow Loom Poems - Mary Willette Hughes

The Shadow Loom Poems

by Mary Willette Hughes

In her third book of poetry, The Shadow Loom Poems, Hughes weaves poems around five central themes: Love, Sorrow, Poetry, Pain, and Joy. With each theme, the poet designs a tapestry of her life experiences and events which may resonate with readers, offering a universal application to their own lives.



CRITICAL ACCLAIM
“Like a gentle wave, Mary Willette Hughes’s poems glide over the jagged rocks of grief and pain, carrying readers to a welcoming shore of healing.” -Bill Meissner, author of American Compass,
winner of the Midwest Book Award for Spirits in the Grass

“This third collection of poetry shows Hughes at the height of her powers to appreciate the munificence of a long and well-lived life. Her voice is warm and wise in the knowledge that, as Walt Whitman wrote, “Every moment of light and dark is a miracle.” - Margaret Haase, author of Milk and Tides, winner of the Midwest Book Award for Poetry in 2009

“Mary Willette Hughes’s poems are filled with close observation of the things that matter most in life. She writes with urgency and such deep clarity that she makes us see again, too.” - Mark Conway, author of Dreaming man, Face Down

“These poems, using Hughes’ own words, are “pilgrims of hope,” sent out into a dangerous but dearly loved world.” Mara Faulkner, O.S.B., author of Going Blind: A Memoir, finalist for the 2010 Minnesota Book Award

BIOGRAPHY

Mary Willette Hughes, married to Mark, is a musician, teacher, poet, mother of seven, grandmother of twenty-two, and now great-grandmother of three. She has had three books of poetry published, Quilt Pieces, Flight on New Wings, and The Shadow Loom Poems. During the last eleven years, she has worked part-time for the Saint Cloud Hospital’s Recovery Plus program for addiction and recovery as a facilitator of poetry therapy and has given numerous presentations about poetry as therapy both locally and at national venues. In 2010, the National Association of Poetry Therapy presented her with a Public Service Award for her work at Recovery Plus. She has received two monetary Individual Artist Awards for her poetry, which were granted by the Central Minnesota Arts Board, the first in 1998, and again in 2010. She also has received the Mother Benedicta Riepp Award from the Monastery of St. Benedict in 2010 for “striving to exemplify Benedictine and Gospel values” in her life.

It wasn’t until 1989, when her children were on their own, that Mary discovered the world of writing poetry. After careers as a music teacher and working as an instructor for eighteen years at the Family Life Bureau in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, a new vocation arrived. Poetry writing entered her world, bringing a new passion and zest to her life as she attended creative writing classes and worked at learning how to write, to speak, and to sing in this new voice.

PURCHASE

North Star Press

PUBLISHER

North Star Press