BookSpeak Network

Arcane Assassin: Path of Annihilation is the first of the Raven Naelo series, now available on the Hellbender Books imprint of Sunbury Press. 

The daughter of an elven king and human mother, Raven is a would-be rogue seeking to follow her father's path and become a realm guardian. After proving her worth against a gang of half-orcs, her father sends Raven to a training camp, where she meets fellow travelers, mages, nymphs, and archers. Their training is tested as they step into the world of advanced magic, but Raven finds her own power and danger at every turn.

As the world plunges into war, Raven must fight to save her homeland from destruction, and the possibility that living and dead will never find peace.

AnneMarie Knorr-Fischer is co-author of what promises to be an exciting quest, that she and her wife Rachel have set Raven upon. She discusses with host Lawrence Knorr how a love of Dungeons & Dragons and the discovery of old gaming documents and maps inspired Raven and the newly-released start of an exciting and captivating series. The authors live in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

R. Kane Maurer brings his love of fantasy and adventure tales to a trilogy of his own design, The Forbidden Powers. After agreeing to explore a local cave, Jonny is thrust into another world of magic, trolls, dragons, and legendary heroes only read about. Jonny quickly finds this is all too real and must learn to not only save himself but to defend the world he knows from a sinister force who seeks the power of a god.

"The Cup in the Shadows" is the first of Maurer's three-volume set, available through the Hellbender Books imprint of Sunbury Press. Inspired by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and others, Maurer has brought his original storytelling to the printed word, and discusses the trilogy with host Lawrence Knorr.

R. Kane Maurer lives with his family in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

The Deceived Ones is a tale of displacement, a stranger in a strange land, music, and a tale most familiar to fans of a certain bard. In her debut novel, Judith Krummeck brings real places, war, music, and identity to life. 

Vira is a talented, but introverted Ukrainian woman who is forced to flee her homeland as Russia invades. She lands in Baltimore with help from the Uniting for Ukraine program, carrying the clothes on her back and her viola da gamba. An assault and the loss of her passport drive Vira to assume the identity of her twin brother Sevastyan, who fights to avoid conscription and follow Vira to the US.

Meanwhile, Orson is commissioned to write an opera for the Twelfth Night Festival, but cannot compose; his muse, the equally brilliant soprano Isabella refuses to sing again, for him or anyone else. Vira's musical talents come Orson's way, as she tries to remake herself and navigate a path to a new life. 

Based on Twelfth Night, Judith Krummeck discusses The Deceived Ones on the Brown Posey Press Show. A native of South Africa, Krummeck is an essayist, author, and playwright. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts from the University of Baltimore. She is the author of "Beyond the Baobab," an autobiographical series of essays, and "Old New Worlds," a work of historical non-fiction. Her writings have appeared in The Rumpus, Baltimore Fishbowl, and Past Ten. Judith is also the evening drive presenter on classical music radio station WBJC in Baltimore, where she lives with her husband. You can find more about Judith on her website.

The Pittsburgh Pirates were the doormat of the National League for much of the 1950s but began to turn things around late in the decade. Through changes in the front office and management, the Bucs had their first winning season in a decade in 1958 but slipped to fourth place the following year. 1960: When the Pittsburgh Pirates Had Them All the Way is the story of that magical run, from spring training to a wild World Series against the New York Yankees.

Wayne Stewart brings his love of baseball, plus extensive research and player interviews to the table in this comprehensive look at a unique team that won 95 games and then took the Yankees the distance. Shortstop Dick Groat earned the NL MVP Award, 20-game winner Vernon Law took Cy Young honors, and an outfielder named Roberto Clemente hit .314 with a then career-high 16 home runs. Players such as Harvey "The Kitten" Haddix, Roy Face, Hal Smith, and Bill Mazeroski made their respective marks; the latter was mostly a defensive specialist who hit the series-clinching homer.

A native of Pittsburgh, Wayne Stewart grew up in Donora, Pennsylvania. The town produced several athletes who made it in the pros, including Stan Musial and Ken Griffey, Senior, and Junior (Stewart in fact was a high school teammate of the elder Griffey). Stewart is the author of a string of books on baseball, football and basketball, and has interviewed some of the biggest names in professional sports.

"A must-read for every baseball fan." -- Vernon Law

Massachusetts was one of the states on the front line when it came to the Abolitionist Movement, but it also served as an early hub for the slave trade in New England. In his new book on Local History Press, Slavery and Abolitionism on Cape Cod, Dr. Michael Pregot looks into how both the pro and anti-slavery factions took hold. To understand the shift away from slavery, Dr. Pregot looks into the forces that caused this change, including the political and religious persuasions, economic factors, and social movements of the time.

A resident of Brewster, Massachusetts, Michael Pregot's interest in the stories of the Cape and Islands led to his research into the sea captains who acquired wealth, fame, and prominence as they sailed the world, as chronicled in his first Local History release, Sea Captains of Cape Cod.

Justin Moore, the protagonist of Dennis Clausen's works, The Accountant's Apprentice and The Return of the Fifth Horseman is back with Apocalypse in Our Time. In Justin's time as the director of a homeless shelter, he's seen an awful lot. The latest residents of the shelter include Young Angelina, an artistic savant with an obsession with Shakespeare's plays and the paintings of Michaelangelo. When Justin later picks up a nameless, catatonic man from a bus depot, he wonders if the long-lost A.C. has indeed returned. Or is he an otherworldly figure whose mission is to convince Earth's inhabitants to destroy themselves?

Dennis Clausen is a native of Minnesota and draws on his home state to inspire his numerous works. He is the author of books that include Prairie Son, My Christmas Attic, The Search for Judd McCarthy, and The Sins of Rachel Sims. A professor of American Literature and Creative Writing at the University of San Diego for over 40 years, Clausen has also written the instructional Storytelling as Art & Craftsmanship: Practical Strategies for Screenwriters and Creative Writers. Find out more at his website.

Altoona, Pennsylvania, 1966. Nineteen-year-old Frank Davis stands on the edge of adulthood in a tumultuous time of American history, brought to life in Fred J. Lauver's new novel, Heart in the Jungle - Mountain City. Frank's middle-class neighborhood has streets named after poets, in contrast to the reality of the city's industrial lands, the remains of the coal and railroad industries. Amid this, Frank dreams of rock stardom with his band, while living a somewhat-sheltered life that hearkens back to a decade before.

The Vietnam War hangs heavy over the nation, and while patriotism remains strong, the feeling pervades many that this is a war we should not be fighting. Frank enlists in the Air Force, only to find he's been drafted, by the seemingly standard practice of the local board. Efforts of wealthier families, determined to keep their sons from this war resort to extreme measures and Frank is caught up in it.

All the while, Frank tries to find love. His lifelong friend Jeannette Wiley is gone, the allure of Sarah Meade, the girl everyone wants, and the courtship of Brandi Jo Pulinni, guided by her Italian-American family's ever-changing perceptions. 

A native of Altoona, Fred is the author of works including Aziza, the Caves of Mars, and Olympus. His short stories have appeared in anthologies such as The Darkened Doorstep, and Bitter Sweet. He co-authored The Pennsylvania Trail of History cookbook and was assistant editor of Pennsylvania Heritage magazine. 

Find out more about Fred here.

A small-town murder in rural Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania is examined by author Taj Magruder in his Milford House Press debut, In the Day of Trouble.

On March 17, 1934, a woman named Susan Mummey was shot and killed by a known assailant. Her murder was due to her being known as the Witch of Ringtown Valley, which Magruder covers in detail for the first time. For years Mummey was rumored to practice magic from her isolated farm home, and her battles with family, neighbors, and the law were known. When detectives extracted a confession from her assailant, the revelations that followed not only shocked the county, but far beyond. As quickly as the excitement and interest in Mummey's murder and what she was alleged to have done grew, it faded away.

Magruder's research into the historical record, press reports, and insights from survivors of those involved has resulted in a fascinating look at a strange time in American history. Magruder examines Mummey's life, and her connections to "powwow," the Pennsylvania Dutch form of mysticism, faith healing, and spirituality. He also looks into how Mummey came to be misunderstood, the mental disturbance of her killer, which may make the reader examine their own selves.

A Baltimore native, Taj Magruder has worked in state and local government. A graduate of Penn State University with a degree in political science, he lives in the Greater Philadephia area with his cats, Benji and Roxie.

Rita Wilson's debut novel, When the Only Light is the Moon tells the tale of four women, each with their own story, and a chance encounter in a foreign land that changes everything.

Demi is a Greek-American banquet manager who is still recovering from a breakup. She joins her mother, aunt, and cousin for a trip to Greece. The plan for a relaxing holiday does not begin well as their rental car breaks down. Rescue by a villager and her grandson Stavros leads to an unexpected romance, with Charles, a British author who offers humor and sage advice. 

Demi must consider her feelings for Stavros, and with Charles' advice in mind, all four women face their issues in this work on the Milford House imprint.

Rita Wilson is an award-winning artist, writer, and educator. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including the literary magazines Rune and Riverspeak, Voices from the Attic, and The 100 Lives Anthology. Her first book, Greek Lessons is a biography and memoir, and her many trips to Greece have informed the new novel she speaks of with host Lawrence Knorr.

Wilson has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Carlow University in Pittsburgh. A retired teacher, Wilson has held creative writing workshops in the US and Europe. She is also a Western Pennsylvania Writing Project fellow, a Non-Fiction Editor for the Northern Appalachia Review, and a Director of the Writing Conference of Northern Appalachia (WCONA). She lives near Pittsburgh.

Brian George has drawn on his experiences (both in and out of body) for his poetry and essays. A collection of the latter form his book, Masks of Origin: Regression in the Service of Omnipotence, on Untimely Books. Stories, examinations of faith and spirituality, philosophy, and visual works show a unique take on our world. George discusses the pushing of boundaries, including time and space, and how our experiences, though perhaps negative or even traumatic, may well open doors to discovery.

As part of his appearance on The Brown Posey Press Show, George reads selections of his works, drawing the listener (as it has the reader) into a deeper look at the author, and perhaps ourselves.

Brian George grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts. He is a Massachusetts College of Art graduate and is an exhibitor and educator. George has published works of poetry and essays (with more to come) and is editor of the Metapsychosis Journal. He lives in Boston.