Cozy mystery Deep Bitter Roots

Deep Bitter Roots, a Deep Lakes Mystery Series, book 2
Joy Ribar
374 pp print
April, 20200
Orange Hat Publishing

ebook $5.99
Print $16.95
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My Review

Deep Bitter Roots is a quirky cute cozy set in northern Wisconsin. Deviating somewhat from cozy formula in that the mystery, a death, doesn’t happen until chapter 7, nearly a quarter of the way into the book, nevertheless readers who adore small towns with fun people will enjoy the build up.

Entrepreneur and busybody Frankie Champagne, divorced and of a certain age with grown daughters, is in the perfect spot to hear and get involved in all the local gossip of Deep Lakes with her part-time journalist work and bakery/wine bar business. Having a boyfriend who’s also the local coroner is a bonus when Frankie’s latest project, helping an heiress put together a speech rededicating the town park, goes awry.

The granite industry made Deep Lakes a century ago, but until now, its secrets were literally buried under a long-time Ides of March curse. Using all her wiles and delectably filled bakery boxes, Frankie offers to lend an eye to her friends on the police force and those in other official capacities when they must deal with a suspicious death. Most of them gratefully trust her.

Heavily detailed with a large cast, readers can walk into this second Deep Lakes mystery without having read the first book of the series. Readers who love the aroma of baked goods in all their glory and are intrigued by wine-making will get their fill with this sweet mystery. The story is told generally from Frankie’s point of view with the help of two internal sidekick conscious minders and includes many wonderful epigraphs opening the chapters. And recipes!

About the Author

Joy Ann Ribar lives in central Wisconsin where she writes the Deep Lakes Mystery Series, starring baker/vintner Frankie Champagne. Joy’s writing is inspired by Wisconsin’s four distinct seasons and other Wisconsin whimsical quirks, which she hopes to promote for all the world to enjoy.  Joy is a member of Sisters in Crime and Wisconsin Writers Association. Joy and her husband, John, someday plan to sell their house, buy an RV and travel around the U.S. spreading good cheer and hygge! Joy is a little proud that her first mystery, Deep Dark Secrets, is the #1 bestselling fiction with Orange Hat Publishing for 2019.  joyribar.com

Debut historical fiction with Jane Yunker

Ebook $3.99

Print $12.99

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Mary Bishop, by Jane Yunker

Historic romance, 230 pages

February 2020, self-published

About the Book:

Mary knew from the moment they met, Earl Bishop would be the love of her life. Together they survived the Civil War and the loss of their children, only to face a much greater danger from the people of one small northern town.

When Earl dies, Mary is left alone to continue the fight against those who would harm her. Can she trust local shop owner, Oliver Polk, when he offers his help, and his heart?

Just when all appears lost, an old friend returns to help Mary overcome her grief and learn how to love again.

My Review:

I knew Jane Yunker as a most favored poet, so I was eager to read her first full length novel. This wonderfully poignant historical work set during a devastating period in American history admirably traverses northern and southern sympathies in the nineteenth century.

The first half of the story is set in Virginia where Mary, the daughter of a minister, is encouraged to read widely and learn about the world. She is a child of the South, but not a wilting Southern Belle. The love of her life, Earl Bishop, is raised in neglect and violence; a hard-working and sensitive young man, he finds his way to Mary’s family after attempting to show kindness to the slaves under his uncle, an overseer on a large plantation with many ill-treated slaves, and is beaten. Mary and Earl marry and set up their home nearby, making a good living from the land and Earl’s work at a lumber mill. Their firstborn, a son, is the darling of their eyes, and eventually Mary and Earl find special friends in Sara and Lucas when their sons join forces in mischief at school.

Earl’s sensitive reaction at the loss of an infant daughter push him off the wagon and he begins a lifelong battle with addiction. Only the perilous undertaking of giving aid to the most desperate gives him purpose in life. Mary lives in fear for Earl and their friends and family if Ear is caught. Her fears come true with the death of Sara’s husband. This tragedy is the tip of the iceberg of fear as war between the States looms. Mary and Earl’s son is the embodiment of State’s Rights convictions. Torn between pride in their child, Southern sentiment and tradition, and their own belief that the institution of slavery is wrong, Mary wonders if perhaps they shouldn’t have had more open dialog in their family as their son proudly goes to fight.

The ravaged South no longer feels like home at war’s end, and Mary and Earl relocate to northwest Wisconsin where Earl can work in the lumber mills. But the north is not so welcoming and the viciousness of those who also lost their sons to the rebellion make life intolerable for Earl. Twelve years of suffering pass and Mary is left a widow. But life is not over, and Mary learns that not everyone in her adopted community shares the sentiments of the most vile of town biddies. Meeting rumor, false accusations, and death threats with dignity and a well-aimed pistol, Mary shows her true character and reaps only good things.

One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Mary has nothing left and teaches her husband Earl a lesson in how his actions affect everyone around him. “Who taught you to swear?” he asks at one point. “Who do you think,” Mary responds.

Told through Mary’s point of view, this lovely, poignant story opens in the ultimate tragedy, reverses and builds slowly to meet itself in time and move forward. Mary’s insecurities, grace, longing, and anger offer readers who love strong characters at a fragile time in history much to enjoy in Mary Bishop.

About the Author:

Jane is a blogger, poet, and fiction writer living in NW Wisconsin along the beautiful St Croix River. Most recent publications include Creative Wisconsin, Oshkosh Independent, Living and Playing Magazine, Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets’ calendar (2014, 2015, 2016, and 2018), Red Cedar 2015 and 2016 (UW Barron County), and the Hometown Gazette. She won the Saturday Evening Post’s 2014 Easter limerick contest. Her first novel, Mary Bishop, was a finalist in WisRWA’s 2016 FabFive competition in their historical romance category. Her current work-in-progress is the first of a trilogy, The Pine Lake Girls: Alice. www.janeyunkerauthor.com

Nancer the Dancer beats crippling disease

Nancer the Dancer: myosititis and me
Memoir
Judith Gwinn Adrian

HENSCHELhaus publisher
March 2020

$9.98 eBook
$16.95 paperback
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About the Book:

The inspired 1960’s phantasmagoria called Nancy’s name. She smiled and joined. Why not? She was part of the summers of love, and the winters; dancing the light fantastic.

Unique to Nancy’s story, however, is that she took this youthful swashbuckler chutzpah and used it to confront her dermatomyositis; the rare crippling autoimmune disease that attacked her skeletal muscles, her being AND her physical beauty. Evil trio.

Nancy believed that there are many ways to be crippled and some of them are physical. She focused her energy on “attitude.”

It took her twenty years to squelch Reuben (the name she gave the disease to separate it from who she was). In final measure the only way to slay Reuben was for Nancy to die. By dying, she beat him – turned him to ash.

Toward the end, she wrote: “Let’s get one thing straight – if I never go anywhere or do anything else again in my life, I suspect I’ve had one of the best times of anyone I know.  It’s been mostly fun and I’ve had entertaining company. I got to cherish the fat arms of the babies, the silly laughter between friends, spontaneity, respect, comfy laps and the touch of his hand.”

About the Author:

After retiring from twenty-five years of college teaching, I am currently mid-stride, co-writing biographies with two Milwaukee men. The processes are captivating as I learn about their Puerto Rican cultures, life experiences, and success stories. I am proud to have three published books: Because I Am Jackie Millar (2007 & 2010), In Warm Blood: Prison & Privilege, Hurt & Heart (2014), and Tera’s Tale: Rebel on the River (2019). Book #4, Nancer the Dancer: Myositis and Me, will be published in early 2020.

Web: Judithadrian.com

**Adrian, Judith Gwinn (March 2020) Nancer the Dancer: Myositis and Me. Milwaukee: HenschelHAUS. (Chronic illness)

**Adrian, Judith Gwinn (February 1, 2019) Tera’s Tale Milwaukee: HenschelHAUS (March 2019 Finalist, Eric Hoffer/Montaigne Metal)  (Hoarding and mental health)

**Adrian, Judith Gwinn & DarRen Morris (2014). In Warm Blood: Prison & Privilege, Hurt & Heart. Milwaukee: HenschelHAUS. (USA BOOK AWARDS: 2015 finalist in non-fiction Multi-cultural and True Crime categories) (Incarceration and abuse)

**Millar, Jackie & Judith Gwinn Adrian (2007 & 2010). Because I Am Jackie Millar. Los Angeles: Golden: The Press. (Forgiveness and restorative justice)

**Colon, Hector & Judith Gwinn Adrian, “From the Boxing Ring to the Boardroom” (working title) (Summer, 2020) Milwaukee: HenschelHAUS. (Personal courage and success)

Reviewed by:  Jan Jenson (Janet Kay) www.novelsbyjanetkay.com

It’s all about attitude – equal amounts of optimism and realistic expectations.

That was Nancy Gwinn Dell Nee’s mantra and her secret to successfully coping, later in life, with chronic illness, disability, and eventually a premature death. 

A free spirit with an adventurous streak, her journey in life began as a rebellious wild child of the 1960s. Nancer the Dancer, as she was affectionately called by all who knew and loved her, knew how to dance, how to have fun, how to play pranks and break all the rules. Her love of life and sense of humor were infectious.  

Throughout her life, she maintained a close, loving relationship with her sister, Judith Gwinn Adrian, the author of this personal biography. The sisters shared everything – the highs, the lows, the everyday moments of their lives. Together, they struggled and supported each other through Nancy’s ordeal with the ravaging disease of myositis. Much of this is documented through their letters, emails, and Nancy’s spontaneous journal entries which are shared in this book.

Nancer The Dancer is a heart-warming, yet heart-wrenching story that draws the reader into another world, opening our hearts to those who struggle with chronic illness. Written through Nancy’s eyes by her beloved sister, this is a must read – especially for those suffering with chronic illness, and for their loved ones.

One of Nancy’s favorite quotes, a Chinese proverb, sums it up: “You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair.”

You can’t help but love Nancy the Dancer. May her spirit live on through the pages of this loving tribute written by her beloved sister.

Author Jan Jenson writes from northern Wisconsin. Her books include Waters of the Dancing Sky; Amelia, 1868; and Sisters.

New from Frank Dravis a Dianis book

The Matriarch, book 2 in the Dianis, a World in Turmoil Chronicles

Frank Dravis

Epic Sci-fi/fantasy

Six Factors Publishing, LLC, March 2020

386 pp

$3.89 ebook

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About the Book

The second book in the Dianis, A World In Turmoil chronicles, The Matriarch, a sci-fi fantasy, centers on the protected planet of Dianis. In a sudden shift of federation policy the planet is stripped of its cultural observers and colonization control agents, but a single team circumvents the withdrawal and stays behind. Love, friendship, and career aspirations drive the members of the last remaining Interspecies Development Branch team.  In many ways The Matriarch can be compared to Dune. Both are on primitive backwater worlds with precious resources coveted by the galaxy. Both are protected by a caretaker organization, and both succumb to galactic intrigue and betrayal.

The IDB team has disappeared, and the Matrincy, the governing council of adepts has intervened seeking clues as to their whereabouts. In the absence of the IDB, Nordarken Mining has intruded in the planet in its quest for new sources of aquamarine, a strategic resource needed in the Turboii War. Before his disappearance, Chief Inspector Achelous of the IDB predicted Nordarken Mining, in the form of extrasolars, would invade the planet and they do.

The effort to defend Dianis from extrasolar incursions has attracted the attention of the powerful Paleowrights a major religious sect on Dianis. The Paleowrights covet the technologies that Achelous brought to Dianis and have begun to raid any suspected sites where Achelous and his team may be. The free peoples of Dianis are thus faced with two enemies: galactic conglomerates intent on stealing their resources and the provincial Paleowrights intent on suppressing their free will.

Becoming aware of the cosmic turmoil that surrounds her lover Achelous, Marisa, a trader princess and force of nature, learns more and more of Achelous's secrets: he is not the simple Dianis trader he pretended to be but an undercover agent for a secret monitoring organization of a galactic federation hundreds of years in advance of her own. Marisa loves Achelous, her son, and her country, but can she unravel the mystery of Achelous' disappearance in time to save him from Paleowright retribution?

My review

The world of Dianis holds more precious secrets than the desperately needed and highly sought aquamarine taken for granted by the planet’s inhabitants.

Once secluded and sheltered from a galaxy at war, matriarch herself, the leading adept, or a type of mind-reader, of the ruling federation council has taken an interest in the turmoil surrounding this planet. The federation's leading expert on Dianis, cultural anthropologist Archelus, chief inspector of Interspecies Development, has not only been found, but has committed a grievous misstep on the planet he's supposed to be observing. He's uncovered the surface secret that makes Dianis a prize to mining companies eager to profit from war, but also the darker secret that would destroy the balance of power in the federation.

Dianis is a complicated hierarchy of various species with several different moralities and faith values at odds--sound like another world we know? The mysterious but despised Paleowrights know something's amiss due to strange phenomena occurring on their world and will use any means to control the source of these powerful abilities. At war with the Life Believers and everyone else, they wreak havoc. The Matriarch goes undercover to the planet to determine the real interest in exploiting this little world. Who will win the battle over Dianis’s true treasure trove?

Told in multiple viewpoints in epic format from a boundless cast, it’s troglodytes, Timberkeeps, Paleowrights and various tribal peoples fight to defend their way of living and coping on Dianis, a small planet in the Margel Damansk Asteroid Cloud. At stake? The culture of Dianis. At greater stake? A battle for control of the galaxy. Fans of epic sci fi serials will enjoy this second episode in the World in Turmoil series.

About the Author

Living along the Mississippi River, Frank Dravis has leveraged his many life experiences to write The Foundry, the first book in the Dianis, A World In Turmoil series. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan where he and his father cruised the Great Lakes. His father often chose to go out on the lake when it was empty, on the roughest days. Frank spent six years in the US Navy chasing Soviet submarines during the Cold War. His love of the sea is reflected in The Foundry, a love he has shared with his wife and two girls.

A hunter, Frank has taken game with a variety of weapons, including the bow, rifle, shotgun, and muzzleloader, the weapon modeled in The Foundry and used as the tool of choice in the fight against corsairs in The Citadel.

He assists his wife in her passion for horses as stable hand and the sole rider of Shaboom their willful appaloosa. Equines appear regularly in the Dianis series, not as horses, but as eenus.

Frank's care for Earth and the stewardship of their land in Wisconsin are reflected in the culture and ethos of the Timberkeeps.

He has two degrees, a Bachelor of Computer Science and a Master of Business Administration. Those degrees have been integral to his professional life where he has worked in a variety of roles from software engineer, to marketing executive, to chief information officer, at such prominent firms as SAP and Organic Valley. The technical and scientific acumen he gained through those endeavors is demonstrated in the series in the effort to make the Dianis brand of science practically possible somewhere in the galaxy today.

High School Writing Competition now open

High School Writing Contest

Calling all High School Juniors and Seniors

Enter Wisconsin Writers Association High School Writing Contest

Official Rules:

·         No charge to enter.

·          Awards for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place winners in both fiction and non-fiction.

·         Entries may have a 1500 words maximum.

·         No swear words may be used. 

·         Entries must be submitted by Thursday, April 30th.

·         Entries must be submitted as doc or docx

·         Double space and use 12 pt. font

How to Enter:

            Fill out the entry form at:

                                       https://forms.gle/pkfMQF1JFxLtQui99

            Include on your submission:

o   Name, phone number, email address of student.

o   Name and city of school you attend.

o   Name and email address of teacher. (So we can notify both student and teacher.)

o   Title of Essay

o   Add Disclaimer at bottom: "This is my original work." with student's name typed after disclaimer.

Two Categories: Fiction and Non-Fiction

1st Place in each will be awarded $75.00 

2nd Place in each will be awarded $50.00

3rd Place in each will be awarded $25.00

*All winners will get a free one-year membership to the WWA.

Please Note: All winning submissions will be published in our Wisconsin Writers Association Anthology. A copy will be sent to the student and the school they attend.

Review childrens fantasy Isasnora Snores

Isasnora Snores
Young Adult Fantasy
Carol L Paur
Black Rose Writing, 2019
178 pp

$5.99 ebook
$17.99 paperback
also available in hardcover

Buy on Amazon
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Goodreads

About the Book

Exiled because of her dangerously loud snoring, Isasnora realizes that living in the forest has its advantages, such as talking animals and flying dragons. When an evil ruler declares war on her former kingdom, Isasnora wants to go into battle for her country.

My Review

Isasnora Snores is a delightful young adult fantastical story ultimately about learning to accept differences and overcome prejudice.

Once upon a time, a baby was born—a most unusual baby with a horrible problem. “We heard monstrous clanging and crashing, and the king’s household couldn’t sleep,” Sir Hybroth said, puffing out his shoulders. “Worse, glass is shattering all over the kingdom, and a strange malady has struck. People can’t stop laughing and scratching! If this all continues, surely the Kingdom of Calelind will disintegrate before our very eyes.”

When the kingdom of Calelind’s knights are sent to root out the source of the trouble, they are baffled. How could a tiny baby, a little girl, cause so much havoc? The king is unmoved and does what he must to save his kingdom. Banished to the forest miles from the glass castled kingdom of Calelind, Isasnora and her family carve out a rustic life in the woods. Isasnora is gifted with the ability to understand the language of creatures large and small, exotic, and the stuff of fairy tales. Her close friend and ally is a giant and her other confidants bugs, mice, and birds. Isasnora is influenced by her wild life in the forest and avoids the  training and manners her mother tries to enforce. It takes another kingdom of the forest, her creature friends, to help Isasnora learn to overcome her feelings of anger and rejection and embrace politeness and kindness. Eventually her parents decide to believe their daughter’s fantastic tales of speaking to the animals, and they meet her friends. Learning to communicate comes with a happy price: “‘You finally have reached an understanding,’ Lovel said. ‘For some, it’s harder, but you have overcome the biggest obstacle.’

‘What is that?’ Sir Callum asked.

‘Doubt,’ the slug replied.”

Along with acceptance and tolerance, Isasnora and her family and friends must also overcome jealousy and learn the value of the truth and obedience. The young son of a neighboring kingdom finds refuge with Isasnora’s family, but when George’s father declares war on Calelind and George, along with Isasnora’s father, go to battle, Isasnora wants to be more than “the girl who snores.” and follows them.

Although written for kids, Paur’s vocabulary is quite fun including words like corpulent, vociferously, malaise, and impudent, and fun phrases like “keep a low profile.” This is the first of a series, and the next quest is introduced at the end of the book. Those who enjoy fantasy tales of queens and kingdoms, giants and dragons; stories that have a feel of Alice in Wonderland, will enjoy this story.

About the Author

Isasnora Snores is Carol L. Paur's first children's book, inspired by her own snoring! She now has a special machine called CPAP that quiets her snoring and helps her sleep soundly. When she's not slumbering, she's writing, cooking, singing, painting, traveling, producing plays, and spending time with her family.

The Sisters, a ghostly tale by Janet Kay

The Sisters
Janet Kay
published 2018 by World Castle Publishing
264 pp

$3.99 ebook
$15.99 paperback
also available in hardcover

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Goodreads

About the Book

Bella and Jimmy, long lost soulmates, rediscover each other in a chance encounter that forever changes their lives. Jimmy, however, is already engaged to marry Bella’s sister, Veronica.

Heartbroken, they continue along their destined paths in life, journeys that flow from the shores of historic Galveston Island on the Gulf of Mexico to the icy depths of Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota. Along the way, life confronts them with devastating losses – and experiences that defy explanation.

Bella seeks solace through her spirit guide and visits to the other side of life.

The sisters, torn apart by their love for the same man, spend many years locked in a cycle that fluctuates between feuding and estrangement. It is only after Jimmy’s death that they begin to discover secrets buried within a past life they once shared. Secrets that may help them to unravel this bizarre love triangle.

Can they find a way to heal, to forgive, and to break free from the karma that has haunted them for an eternity? Or, is it too late to penetrate the veil separating the world of the living from the land of the dead?

My Review

The Sisters, steeped in the occult and spiritism, is a cautionary tale of three souls locked in a cycle of jealousy, rage, and despair. This lifetime could be their chance at forgiveness.

Kay’s novels are set in exotic eras of unusual settings, always painstakingly researched with believable characters experiencing the reality of their situation. In this story, Bella relives the shock of a soul lost in the devastation of the 1900 hurricane that shredded Galveston, Texas. But the gift of Bella’s spirit guide is only the means to show her truths of a battle that she can ultimately decide to win or lose…again.

Bella and her older sister Veronica are two sides to the coin of an old-money, well-established family on Galveston island. Bella has always had a wild side, whereas Veronica has always been a “stuffed shirt,” concerned with reputation. Bella seems to have inherited all the passion between the siblings. The story opens at the death of Veronica’s husband Jimmy, a self-made man chosen for her by her father, but living a double life. Since girlhood Bella is the sister who accepts the hauntings of her ancestral home while Veronica pooh-poohs the whole notion…until the death of the girls’ mother a short two months after Jimmy. While Bella writes her spirit-guided novel in her cozy little cottage, strange occurrences at the family home send Veronica looking for answers at the island’s Witchery shop. The sisters meet by chance downtown when Bella finishes her book, and decide to call a truce. But the reconciliation is short-lived when Bella simply can’t find a happy place, even for a moment, whenever Jimmy’s name is invoked. Jimmy isn’t the only soul with a secret.

Upon accidentally overhearing gossip, Veronica is forced to look at the truth of her life. She attempts to reconcile with Bella one last time in a triumphant party to celebrate Bella’s book. Tragedy sends Veronica over the edge to search for understanding the lies she’s accepted and reinvented through several lifetimes. But forgiveness can’t be one-sided. Veronica’s revelation, “That’s the way I’d always handled troubling situations in my life—locking my emotions away someplace deep down so I wouldn’t have to deal with them,” shows how these souls have struggled.

Told in first person through four characters, Kay explores an imaginative idea about choice, justification, reunion, and reincarnation. “We decide what’s right and wrong,” declares a spirit on the other side. Those who like ghosts and the occult will find a lot to think about in this tale of love and loss.

About the Author

Janet Kay lives and writes on a lake in the woods of Northwest Wisconsin. Drawn to nature since she was a child, she sees it as a source of renewal, reflection and connection with something greater than oneself. She has previously published two novels, Waters of the Dancing Sky and Amelia 1868. Her work can best be described as a blend of paranormal, historical, fantasy, romance, spiritual and visionary fiction. Janet Kay’s lifelong passions include creative writing, travel, photography and spending time with family and friends. She frequently combines these interests as she explores new and exciting destinations to set her novels.