BookSpeak Network

A New York native, Tom Wells graduated from Bates College in Maine in 1976, and landed a job teaching English in the Augusta School System the very same day. Forty-one years later, some of Wells' Cony High School students presented him with a handmade book: students, present and past, told him what a positive influence he'd been to them. "Dear Mr. Wells" is an examination of his growing up in a small town, his education in Maine, and stories of the unique kids who passed through his classroom. Wells examines the changes in the teaching profession, and its vital role in shaping young people to become confident difference-makers in society.Tom Wells brings us "Dear Mr. Wells: His Students Speak," his first book, by Maine Authors Publishing.

Entering the growing genre of Climate Fiction is "Rainwalkers," a novel set in the near-distant future. With a failing environment, a deconstructed United States and endless war against indistinct enemies, a once-thiriving agricultural region is now "The Valley," a dying land overseen by dictators. A desperate attempt to bring back the rain has made it toxic to all but a handful of children, called Rainwalkers.A former soldier, Willie Taft is in a race to find his daughter, while staying one step ahead of a law that is discretionary. A scientist with a moral conscience considers what he has done, and others merely fight to stay alive.Matt Ritter is a professor of biology in San Luis Obispo, California. He writes of the state's natural history, including the award-winning "California Plants."

A stolen guitar, an insurance investigator, her wisecracking tomboy driver and a lot of shady, sometimes dangerous characters make up "Special Risk," the first of a new series by author Sandy Nork. Set in the Philadelphia area, Valerie Sloan must track down a museum-piece axe, deal with her twisted family history and come face to face with foreign organized crime.Sandy is a former librarian, fabric inspector and clerk, among many careers. Her musician husband Bill inspired the heroine of the series. A member of Pennwriters, Sandy was published in the Sunbury Press Books collection of short stories, "Strange Magic." Sandy considers herself a musical tourist, coffee drinking, baking devotee, a lover of tiny toys and "most dogs." You can find Sandy posting #todayscoffee on social media, as well as exploits with her various gadgets!

IN THE COMPANY OF PATRIOTSVirginia Brackett seeks the truth about patriotism and loss as embodied by her father, WWII and Korean Conflict veteran Captain Edmund C. Roberts, from many historic sources – journalism, history texts, and military communiques, as well as personal documents. Her memoir details her journey to come to know a father lost to an ideal of service.Over ten years of research, she learns about her family’s slave-owning history and attempts to escape personal tragedy by moving from Kentucky to Missouri and into Illinois, of her parents’ romance through aging scrapbooks, discovers a letter written by her father among a rare documents collection, and hears her mother’s words read on a national broadcast. However, she discovers the real truth exists in the personal stories of those on the front, including her father, their lives permanently changed through service. Their voices educate her about Captain Roberts, an inspiration to troops, a war prisoner and an escapee, a decorated hero who met with General Patton, a ferocious infantryman. Killed by a sniper in the Korean Conflict, he would come to symbolize the shared values of his military community that became lifelong bonds for those who survived.As Brackett will learn, memories of her father run deep, and the extraordinary loyalty and devotion of those who remember Captain Roberts move her beyond feelings of betrayal that haunted her for decades. The crucial truth she discovers is that we must keep alive those lost by telling their stories. That is because their stories belong to everyone.Virginia Brackett, Professor Emeritus of English, retired in 2016 from Park University where she received varied teaching and service awards, including Faculty of the Year, 2013, Exceptional Services to Student Veterans.

Denis Akinmolasire is the author of "Love, War and Glory," a series of poems and short pieces about these emotional subjects, and more. In 2019, Denis released "The Mission to End Slavery: What if Slavery Never Existed?" The first of a time travel series, racism and prejudice are examined in a cautionary tale. Both are available on Akinster Books.Denis is a native of London, England. A graduate of Loughborough University, Denis describes himself as "friendly, likeable, nuts at times." A keen football fan, Denis is a supporter of Manchester United, and says there are four cardinal sins of football...Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City.

CRUEL DEATH, HEARTLESS AFTERMATH: My Family's End-of-Life Nightmare and How To Avoid ItNinety-three-year-old Joseph Yourshaw knew his end was near and had carefully planned so that he would have a peaceful and dignified death. He completed an advance directive, appointed his daughter, Barbara Mancini, as his health care proxy, and enrolled in home hospice care. He made it clear -- he wanted to die at home, not at a hospital. But it was not to be. A simple act of compassion on Barbara’s part led her father to a medically intensive, horribly painful death in the hospital – and left her an accused felon, facing 10 years in prison for allegedly assisting a suicide. Barbara fought back, in a case that consumed a year, cost over $100,000, and drew national media attention. Cruel Death, Heartless Aftermath is a compelling memoir about this injustice.ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Barbara Mancini graduated from Penn State University and Widener University with degrees in nursing. She has worked in emergency nursing for over three decades. In 2013, she was arrested and prosecuted in Pennsylvania on the charge of aiding the attempted suicide of her dying 93-year old father after handing him his prescribed morphine five days before his death. A hospice nurse and police ignored his written advanced directives, and he was then hospitalized and treated in defiance of his end-of-life wishes. Barbara’s prosecution lasted a year, during which time it garnered national and global attention, and it was roundly criticized throughout the media. Barbara is now an advocate for end-of-life care and works as a paralegal in the Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office. She lives in Philadelphia.

RABBIT STEW FOR YOUR SOUL: 20 Recipes with a Dash of StorytellingBob Ford has been hunting rabbits since he was a kid and has traveled the country with hunting beagles. Over the years, Ford has developed many recipes for rabbit, and you will find just a few of them here. He developed these recipes over more than three decades. Some go back to meals that the author’s mother made. Visits to restaurants inspired others. An abundance of harvested rabbits inspired some of the recipes, while others were created for those hunts where just one rabbit is brought to the game vest. Rabbit meat (domesticated) is now very popular, and while Bob created these recipes with wild game, they certainly would work well with domesticated rabbits as well, making adjustments for the increased size of domesticated rabbits. Rabbits are a sustainable source of protein and very low in fat. The contents of this book are recipes developed by a good hunter, who is a good home cook.ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Bob Ford is a United Methodist pastor who has lived most of his life in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania, except three years at seminary in Ohio. He has spent 23 years in the pulpit and 34 years following beagles in the same Alleghenies where he was born, raised, and worked. Ford is an award-winning magazine columnist, blogger, and author. His work has appeared in The American Beagler, Better Beagling, Hounds & Hunting, HARK-N, Sporting Classics Daily, and Fur-Fish-Game. He is also the author of the Beagle Tales series of books. He lives in the hills with his wife, Renee, and a pack of hunting house beagles, where he serves as a pastor.

GODS, PHILOSOPHERS, AND SCIENTISTS: Religion and Science in the WestAccording to Pew Research studies, most Americans think religion always conflicts with science. The popular writings of scientists such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Lawrence Krauss reinforce this idea, as do books by writers such as Christopher Hitchens and Daniel Dennet. Furthermore, the two versions of the enormously popular television show Cosmos, hosted by Carl Sagan in 1980 and Neil deGrasse Tyson in 2014, present a history of science in which religion has always acted as a barrier to scientific development.Gods, Philosophers, and Scientists shows that just because an idea is popular, doesn’t mean it’s correct. By examining the historical record from the time of the Ancient Greeks to today, readers are able to see that religion and science have been allies more often than enemies, and when conflict does occur it’s too simplistic to view it as coming from something inherent to either science or religion. Anyone interested in the history of science or religion, who is curious about how science works, or who wants to have a better understanding of the world should read this book.ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Scott E. Hendrix earned his Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee in 2007, specializing in the history of science. Scott started teaching at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin, upon graduation, and over the years has taught classes about world, medieval, and early modern history, as well as the history and philosophy of science. Scott has maintained an active research agenda, publishing numerous books, articles, book chapters, and even an encyclopedia on The World’s Greatest Religious Leaders.

WHERE THE TREE FROGS TOOK ME: How encounters with strangers shaped a life of travel and beyondWe are all looking for ways to make our lives meaningful and often turn to those in our inner circles and communities for the direction. But what if that sense of meaning and perspective comes from complete strangers? And what if those random encounters were not so random after all? This book shows us how to embrace the messages and subsequent lessons we receive from the different people – often complete strangers – that we meet while out there in the world.This collection of stories from over twenty years of travel shows what we can learn about the world we live in through greater empathy and understanding of the people we share it with. Each encounter we have, however, sad, humorous, strange or seemingly insignificant is part of the journey we are all on.Where the Tree Frogs Took Me is for anyone who appreciates the diversity of the human experience and our reaction to it in all of its different forms. This book will resonate with people who are open to the notion of synchronicity and the significance of each encounter as meant to happen in order to create a change or shift in our lives.About the Author:Maia has been an avid solo traveller for over twenty years and is interested in people as much as the places they inhabit. She prefers a backpack for all her adventures and loves to climb mountains, despite a crippling fear of heights. She teaches ESL in Ontario, Canada where she lives with her young son. She is hoping he will inherit the same passion for adventure so that travelling the globe becomes a family affair. Her writing and contact information can be found at maiawilliamson.ca

THE RELUCTANT RV WIFEFollow a reluctant wife and her excited husband through two humorously-conflicted years of RV travel. He wanted to go; she wanted to stay. They both learn, grow, and change as a new level of freedom evolves.This book is light-hearted and humorous but at the same time serious. While not a How-To book, it gives lots of basic information about RVing. And while not a travelogue, it touches upon many travel destinations in the United States and Canada. On deeper levels, the book is about marital relationships, retiring and getting old, and finding a new kind of freedom through a minimalistic lifestyle.After reading this book, you’ll never again look at one of those huge monstrosities driving down the road in quite the same way. The book answers questions for non-RVers and triggers chuckles of recognition from experienced RVers.What Others Are Saying:When his RV dream rear-ends her perfectly mapped-out retirement, navigating through their travails and travels - in life and on the road - spins a romantic and humorous adventure. - Doreen Orion, author of Queen of the Road About the Author:Gerri is a retired social worker turned writer, storyteller, and speaker. Her husband’s retirement crisis, which included buying an RV and declaring they should see the world, has given her untold ammunition for writing material. With a permanent home address in Tampa, Florida, Gerri and her husband Michael Hamlin now switch off their reluctancies. She continues to feel quasi-reluctant on the road and he feels acutely-reluctant during their periods at home.