Just launched in 2023…
Faces of Boys, Hearts of Men: An English Lad’s Stories Before, During and After World War II
$14.95
World War II started in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland—one year later, London would be at the very center of the war. This time in Europe’s history is woven into the story so readers can understand how these events affected Charlie and his family’s life forever.
Since age seven, Charlie attended a prestigious boys’ school, but tragedy struck at age fifteen. He left the prominent school to help his mother cope with the loss of his father. While living in London, he joined the Home Guard. There he witnessed death and destruction at the hands of the Nazis. The bombings by the Nazi planes profoundly affected Charlie, especially during the “Blitz.” The Blitz was the fifty-seven days and nights when London was bombed relentlessly by Nazi planes.
The most impactful event happened on Charlie’s 17th birthday in 1940. Charlie was standing in his backyard in London when a Messerschmitt Me 109, German aircraft, came out of the sky. The German aircraft dropped to five hundred feet off the ground, and one second later, Charlie watched in amazement as a British Supermarine Spitfire pursued it. This was Charlie’s defining moment—it was the moment when he decided to serve his country as a Royal Air Force pilot.
Charlie joined the Royal Air Force in the fall of 1941 and was sent to Scotland for basic force protection instruction. After this training, thousands of English lads boarded the Queen Mary for the voyage to New York City. One morning they stood mesmerized at the ship’s rails as they passed the welcoming Statue of Liberty. This became another defining moment for Charlie—he decided to become an American citizen one day.
Before that could happen, Charlie and the other young pilots were headed to Western Canada, where they acquired their piloting skills on various aircraft. Then, Charlie was transferred to the Mediterranean region where the war raged; he used his reconnaissance pilot training when looking for German U-boats as he flew over rivers, oceans, and the Straits of Gibraltar.
At the war’s end, Charlie returned to England to reconnect with family and friends. Finally, at the now veteran age of twenty-four, he will decide on his next great adventure.
2013
When Polio Came Home: How Ordinary People
Overcame Extraordinary Challenges
$14.95
The word “polio” frightened families in the 1940s and ‘50s. The poliovirus mostly attacked children as young as a year, up to young adults. No one knew how the virus passed, so everything was suspect and feared.
Americans didn’t know how to react—we had nothing to which we could compare this national tragedy. Every day new cases were announced. The early ‘50s were the worst, with 1952 reaching the epidemic stage. The costs must have been staggering, but most hospitalizations were paid for either by March of Dimes, the Shriners, or through being in a state-run hospital. Over 5,000 cases were reported in the U.S. in 1933. That’s not a lot—unless it was your loved one. When Polio Came Home tells how polio struck all kinds of homes, and once children were diagnosed, hospitalized, and then returned home, many lives changed: theirs, their parents and siblings, and their community.
Starting in the mid ‘90s, some people who had overcome polio, and had lived a full and normal life, were now suddenly feeling new weaknesses. Often post-polio symptoms hit their bodies in same
areas as affected when children, shocking them with the severity of the decline in their health.
Over sixty-plus years ago, polio came home to the forty-one individuals who tell their story. May we never again experience such a national epidemic.
2019
Man Overboard:
Hubby’s Getting a New Boat
$8.95
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” is a well-known saying, but it’s not always true. The fun begins when the man decides he would catch more fish in his own boat. His choices are many, decisions are tough—like size of boat, color, brand, and then there’s the size of motor, with the need for speed. Ah, waiting is hard for him…it’s too many days until delivery.
His family members are front-seat observers to his boat obsession and the ensuing craziness. Finally the shiny new boat, bright enough to be seen by all the neighborhood men, arrives home and is lovingly stored in the warm garage. Yes, his car has been banished to the driveway. Fishing opener in May is truly a day to remember as the family enjoys its first ride in the aptly named “Dad’s Pride.” Grab your fishing rod, hop in, and go for the ride of your life as Dad and his family pull up anchor on their maiden voyage to catch fish for dinner…and maybe for the record books. … “Ah, it’s a keeper!”
2018
The “I” of a Woman:
How to Succeed in Life With Humor and Grace
$9.95
Women need each other… Sometimes our job as a friend includes lunch with sharing, laughter and, of course, dessert. Sometimes our role is just to listen, or cry together. The busier and crazier our lives get, the more we need girlfriends to help us decompress, and keep our lives in perspective. This is true whether we are long-married, newlywed, single, widowed, young, old, or somewhere in between.
Our problems might be different, but we can all recognize the emotions involved. When your hand goes to your heart in empathy, you know you connect to the words. When you wipe away a tear, you can feel the emotions resonate. When you become upset, as unpleasant memories surface, the bond between us strengthens.
This book was written for all women. Its lighthearted approach is filled with humor, profound insights, and powerful encouragement. Explore all the different roles the “I…” reveals. I’m certain you’ll feel a connection with many of them.
2013
In My Next Life I Want to be My Dog
$7.95
If you’ve had the privilege of owning a dog or two or six, you know that at the end of the day you will be met by a tail-wagging welcome—and regardless of whether you’ve had a good or a bad day—that welcome is filled with unconditional love. In My Next Life, I Want to be My Dog is written from a dog’s point of view, with purebreds, other rescued mutts, and all that’s in between being a puppy and an older dog. In lines like: “My owner can be trained. That’s the good news,” you will see your dog. There is nothing happier than a dog on a walk, so mosey along with other dog lovers, and think how different life would be if you were a dog in your next life.