Bookstore Categories

Memoir

Daughter of the Mountains

Sharon canfield dorsey 24 months daughter of the mountains
By Sharon Canfield Dorsey

A “dreams do come true” story in prose and poetry, chronicling the author’s journey through childhood in Appalachia, marriage, divorce, single parenting, travel adventures with a new love, plus, the enlightenment and humor of aging in our technological era. At the end of the book, you will feel as if you have made a new friend.

Available at sharoncanfielddorsey.com

Escaping Madness: Alcoholism, Mental Illness, Murder

David cariens escaping
Escaping Madness: Alcoholism, Mental Illness, Murder
By David Cariens

This memoir was a difficult book to write. It is, however, a story of destruction of the lives of my family through the mechanisms of alcoholism, mental illness, and murder. It is a difficult journey. Yet, to remain silent would be a mistake. I want my family to know what may lie ahead, to learn from the past, and to learn from my mistakes, as well as the shortcomings of others. Forewarned is forearmed.

Available on Amazon 

Full Bloom 

Full bloom
By Mark Greene

I'm in that awkward stage between Birth and Death.

Full Bloom offers an unflinching accounts of the rapturous highs and despondent lows of someone afflicted with bipolar disorder. Certainly readers who’ve been diagnosed as falling within the bipolar spectrum, as well as their friends and loved ones, can experience a resonance in the pages of this forthright manuscript. While that familiarity may sometimes be uncomfortable—these stories don’t make for easy reading—the close of each story offers comforting and admirable hope.

Available on Amazon 

My Time with General Colin Powell

Image

Stories of Kindness, Diplomacy, and Protocol


By Leslie Lautenslager and Bradley Harper

Do you enjoy peeking "behind the curtain" when the great and powerful reveal their true human nature? In My Time with General Colin Powell, you will learn about his tenure as Secretary of State, his professional speaking career, see his humorous side, and what a beloved humanitarian he was.

General Powell was well respected and loved by people on both sides of the political divide. He was the youngest and the nation's first African American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest position in the US Military. He was also the first African American appointed Secretary of State, the world's leading diplomat. The world saw him as a military leader, a diplomat, a senior statesman, and an advocate for young people. To friends and family, he was so much more -funny, charming, self-deprecating, practical, generous, gracious and kind. He was also a song and dance man, a car aficionado, a handyman, a lover of comfort food, a standup comedian, and a storyteller.

Lautenslager shares a small portion of her time of over 25 years of working with General Powell. She reveals how close they became with a shorthand of knowing side glances and raised eyebrows in her enlightening memoir.

Leslie Lautenslager’s career in protocol began in 1986 when she was hired by U.S. Chief of Protocol Selwa “Lucky” Roosevelt as assistant to the manager of Blair House, the President’s Guest House. Ambassador Roosevelt later promoted her to a protocol officer in the Ceremonials and then Visits division at the U.S. State Department. In addition to working on state and official visits of chiefs of state and heads of government, she organized and lead delegations representing President Reagan at various events around the world. After her administration appointment ended, Leslie joined the Battle of Normandy Foundation where she oversaw special events and protocol for over five years leading up to the 50th anniversary of D-Day.

In April 1996 Lautenslager was hired by the co-founders of the Washington Speakers Bureau to assist one of the most popular speakers on the international stage: General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) and her life changed. Despite their different backgrounds, they quickly developed a unique rapport and language that lasted until his death over 25 years later. On the professional speaking circuit, she was his liaison to clients, responsible for the logistical details of travel and preparations to make him “smart” about each event.

A graduate of the College of William & Mary, she has a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Psychology and in Fine Arts. www.leslielautenslager.com

Bradley Harper is a retired US Army COL and pathologist who, after a brief and undistinguished stint as an Infantry officer went to medical school. He retired after thirty-seven years of active duty with four commands and two years in the Pentagon on the personal staff of the US Army Surgeon General. His writing credits include A Knife in the Fog, a 2019 Edgars Finalist in which a young Arthur Conan Doyle stalks Jack the Ripper. COL Harper has an associate degree in creative writing from Full Sail University, and a Masters in Creative Writing from Napier University in Edinburgh, Scotland. www.BHarperAuthor.Com

Available at:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Fountain Books in Richmond
 

Ever Vigilant: Tales of the Vietnam War

Michael hebert   ever vigilant
By Michael J. Hebert

War is carried out by young people trained for the task. It occurs at the edge, or just over the edge, of what passes for civilized behavior. During the Vietnam War, the US military employed heavily-armed high-speed gunboats to intercept and disrupt enemy travel on the rivers and bays of South Vietnam.

In this variant from standard Vietnam War works, Michael Hebert takes the reader along for a ride in this engaging memoir of his year in Vietnam. This light yet quick-witted nautical adventure entertains readers with tales of romance, daring exploits, and abject fear. It is full of mayhem peppered with humorous undertones.

The remote Vung Ro Bay, while an idyllic setting, is not without peril. It is a constant target for snipers, mortar barrages, and full-out perimeter assaults. Hebert’s boat becomes a casualty to a rocket propelled grenade. Their base is wiped out by a super typhoon and they are forced to spend two days in the South China Sea with mountainous swells that threaten to sink the small 32-foot craft.

From start to finish, ‘Ever Vigilant’ is an introduction to a young man’s journey and coming of age in a war zone. While primarily based on his first-hand experience, he deftly weaves sufficient representation to incorporate the difficult life circumstances of the Vietnamese people and the Viet Cong. The motivation for why the enemy fights is a product of the life-hardships they bear. ‘Ever Vigilant’ offers a lively, compulsive read.

Available on Amazon

1st PLACE in Southern California Book Festival (Memoir)

     2022 BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR from PenCraft Awards (out of 700 entries)

     WINNER Royal Dragonfly Awards (Memoir)

     WINNER International Impact Awards

     SILVER MEDAL from Military Writers Society of America (Memoir)

     FINALIST in 2022 Best Book Awards (Memoir)

When He Was Anna: A Mom's Journey Into the Transgender World

When he was anna
By Patti Hornstra
 
When He Was Anna: A Mom's Journey Into the Transgender World is a mother's brutally honest story of the stress and confusion that consumed her family in the early years of her child's transition from female to male. 
In the end, there is one certainty--the struggle is real; so is the love.

Available on Amazon  Amazon 

Awakening Soul

Tracy lanum awakening soul20170910 30027 14ypuom
By Tracy Lanum
 
When local journalist and author Tracy Lanum was seven years old, she was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. Her family never came to terms with the disease. She describes their sense of bereavement following her diagnosis. Her daily struggle to cope with their sense of loss carried through from her childhood to her adult years. She wanted very much to win their love and approval, but her life-altering diagnosis ended any chance of a normal life.

This inspiring story is Tracy’s memoir of growing up “afflicted”, and have the inner strength to cope. She has written a moving and personal testimony of the harsh reality and consequences of never feeling “quite right”, and of her parents and their inability to accept her because of her diabetes. Tracy writes of her bewilderment, questions, pitfalls, explorations, shortcomings, mistakes, poor decisions and truthfulness throughout her lifetime as she searches for herself. She had the stamina, courage and honesty to make herself vulnerable by revealing her innermost questions of herself and others.

Anyone who grew up “less than perfect” will understand Tracy’s struggle to fit in to the family hierarchy. By the end, we believe you will agree that her battle over a lifetime has indeed awakened her soul.
 
Tracy Lanum is a native of Warren, Ohio, now living in Gloucester, Virginia. She has lived in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Wyoming and California, where she was employed for16 years as a social worker in Child Welfare and Adult Protective Services.
She won third place in the Chesapeake Bay Writers 2016 Golden Nib Contest in the non-fiction category. She serves on the board of The Writers Guild of Virginia.

Available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and from the author at tracygl@cox.net

Twenty Three Years

Twenty three years
By Eve Monk

The horror of the expulsion of the Jews by Nazi Germany in 1938 shatters the naiveté of a ten-year-old German girl’s idyllic childhood. During the Nazi war teenagers are drafted to work for the war effort on the home front. The loss of home and the separation from family deepen the indignities inflicted by Russian soldiers. Being reunited with the family and returning to school gives new hope. The escape to West Germany makes a new life and the ultimate immigration to the United States of America possible.

Available as pdf on her website
or
Ebook or Hardback on Amazon 
 

I Used to Wear Shoes Like That

I used to wear shoes like that
Family - Friends - Love - and A Naked Man in an Elevator

By Peggy Newcomb

A thwarted moose attack. Hurricane Isabel. Dodging elk in Montana. COVID-19. Summertime at Girl Scout Camp. Growing up in the country. Oh, and don’t forget the naked man in an elevator. A joy from start to finish, this book tells of a less challenging time growing up in rural Virginia. Later years adventures with friends and family, including the sudden loss of the love of her life. A beautiful book of poetry add to the recipe.
Cyrus Cormier
Best-Selling Amazon Author

I Used To Wear Shoes Like That is warm walk down memory lane with an author, Peggy Newcomb, who loves her family, appreciates life, and finds humor in every-day situations. Her colorful stories about growing up in the country are reminders of a less-complicated time. Her love story with husband, John, and their three adopted daughters, is filled with the usual joys and challenges we all experience, spiced with the humor of a woman who is at peace with herself and her life but also, always ready for a new adventure. Her travel stories make us wish we’d been there for all the fun. So, pour a cup of tea, put your feet up and enjoy this lovely ride!
Sharon Canfield Dorsey,
Award Winning Poet and Author
Peggy Newcomb has written about her life in a thoughtful way that reminds us how simple life events affect and navigate the course of our lives. Although unique to her, Peggy’s experiences remind me of the many similarities we have each had in our lives: the county fairs, the school or group trips, special teachers, family trips, memorable pets. Peggy’s book brings these experiences back to life.
Lynn Underwood
Author
If you used to wear high heels, or know a lady who did, you will understand Peggy Newcomb’s poignant, passionate lament about the blessings and losses of passing time. Peggy is an amazing artist and writer with a wonderful power of expressing universal feelings.
Joyce Stedelbauer
Award Winning Poet and Author

MEMORIES ARE THE STORIES WE TELL OURSELVES

Front book cover
By Christian Pascale

This collection of stories presents a mixture of truth and fiction akin to J.D. Salinger’s "Catcher in the Rye” or John Glassco’s “Memoirs of Montparnasse.”

Sometimes told in the third person and sometimes in first person, the stories have several common themes that reverberate through them. The first series of stories include the themes of innocence, coming of age, finding oneself, being a loner, learning not to judge others, the need for companionship, how to face death, the afterlife, disillusionment with religion, and can we make a difference in this world.
The second series follows a young man’s experiences in France. They explore the expat life of a youth who goes in search of adventure and self-knowledge and describe his quest to find himself. In them, he falls in love with a city, deals with jealousy and unrequited love, survives and thrives as a tennis coach, and finally learns a truth that takes him back to the original memories.

In the last section, four stories, all told in the third person, explore the life of diplomats living in imaginary countries. The stories address social issues such as corruption and violence, and the main characters must come to terms with the paradox of encountering wonderful people living in corrupt and violent societies.

I believe that writing is a way of communication with the wider world and a means to transmit something of what we have experienced. Each new experience contributes to who we are, and I would not be who I am without having lived and loved and met such a wide variety of characters. Although some of the stories are not completely true to life's experiences, they are based on what I have seen, a reality sometimes time ugly, but often wonderful and beautiful. Each experience taught me something of life's basic values. Without the ability to cherish what is good in ourselves and others we have nothing. So I write because I cannot afford not to write, just as I cannot afford not to breathe. When I write, I draw on what is within my soul, an essence which pours out and hopefully allows me to touch the soul of the reader.

Available at
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
and Kobo

Plunge!

Plunge sally stiles
By Sally Stiles 

An exceptional, deeply-moving memoir—a classic love story.

In the late 1970s, a fragile thread linked a woman living on Park Avenue in Manhattan and a man in a guarded house in West Africa. “I love you very much he whispered softly across 7,000 miles of ocean and up the East River.”

Plunge! is a love story, exquisitely told. Sally was a New York career woman when David showed up in her life. Their first dinner date was July 13, 1977, the night of the New York Blackout. Six weeks later he told her he had accepted a job in Nigeria. After a romantic weekend at the Pierre Hotel, David left the city. “The noise of the engines was muffled through the window, and as the plane taxied to the runway, the sound faded away, like a love song drawing to a melancholy close.”

As David struggled to clear a jungle to build a paper mill in West Africa, Sally worked at her fast-paced job, occasionally flew private planes, and led the tenants of her Park Avenue apartment building into battle against her notorious landlord. Over the next nine months, they corresponded—openly, often with humor—and had three brief reunions: in Nigeria, London and New York. “Perhaps the distance that separated us, the lack of instant interaction, helped us both to communicate more thoughtfully, more honestly and even more passionately than we might have otherwise.”

“An amazing, beautiful literary accomplishment.” – Carol Shaben, author of Into the Abyss.

“I can’t remember the last book that affected me like Plunge! It’s very moving and strong and honest and beautifully written. I was drawn in from the start—a gifted writer.” — Dalia Pagani, author of Mercy Road

“So well written and so compelling.” – Louise Crowley, Program Director, Vermont College of Fine Arts, MFA in Writing

“A deeply moving and deeply-felt story which will resonate with others as it resonated with me” — Michael Boxall, author, The Great Firewall

“Alive and vibrant . . . An interesting, compelling narrative.” — Phyllis Barber, author of eight books, including Raw Edges.

Available on Amazon

Reminiscences of a Cynical Idealist: Global Experiences of a Naïve Farm Boy

Charles sutherland reminiscences of a cynical idealist
By Charles W. Sutherland

A brief set of recollections of growing up in the farm country of Nebraska in the “50s”, achieving a marvelous education from some of the best universities in the world, but retaining those basic farm values in a variety of global experiences, over several decades, in different countries, different cultures, different religions, different wars with different enemies, and different friends, male and female, many life-long from around the globe.

Then, using the knowledge and experience gained to raise two wonderful young men, who excelled beyond what one could hope.

A lifetime of experiences: All-night voodoo ceremony in Haiti; witnessing terrorists in Ethiopia and Argentina; close friendships with top Israeli generals in Jerusalem; private meetings in Palestine in the middle of the night with Yasser Arafat; traveling to Pakistan to provide military supplies to the anti-Soviet Mujahideen in Afghanistan; bringing food and cigarettes to protestors on the barricades in Moscow during the coup to overthrow the government of the Soviet Union; making a movie in Russia; setting up international charity organizations; being a single father raising two wonderful sons – it's been an unusual journey.

"It was a wonderful experience, and far more interesting than an abused and lonely little boy from the farm country of Nebraska would have … or could have … expected.

I wish you the best, peace, and love, and I hope you also appreciate and enjoy your journey in our little part of the magnificent cosmos."

Available on Amazon