In a tale that’s a little bit of camp and a whole lot of carnage, Blood and Gourd offers up a small Washington town as a sacrificial lamb for the attack of the killer pumpkins. The Henderson family farm is all geared up for their Halloween celebration, but the pumpkin patch has other ideas as it springs to deadly, animated life. You’ll want to wear your pumpkin before it decides to wear you. Fortunately, Dead Peasant has you covered with a limited-edition t-shirt. There are three available issues, in limited quantities, in the Blood and Gourd series, and they are just the right story for Halloween. Become a stem-head when you read “Blood and Gourd.”
Continue readingCategory Archives: Books
Get Your Copy of ‘The Monster in Blackwood Forest’ Today! 31 Days of Halloween
“The Monster in Blackwood Forest” is out today! Ordering it now as an eBook (affiliate link) ensures that you get a story before someone can spoil the ending! (psss… the butler did it!) Plus, you get a great story that is just right for the fall-heading-to-Halloween season. (jk… There is no butler.) Maybe you want a taste of what you’re in for. In this video, Drue M. Scott reads a story inspired by Blackwood Forest:
Continue readingPre-order ‘The Monster in Blackwood Forest’ for 31 Days of Halloween
Tomorrow, Drue M. Scott releases the first book in his trilogy “Mortal Choice.” You can pre-order “The Monster in Blackwood Forest” (affiliate link), which focuses on Jinx, her pack, and her human friend, Christian. You can hear Drue read a story from Blackwood Forest accompanied with visuals in the video below.
Continue readingRecap of Second Chance Books Author Signing
We had a successful day at Second Chance Books for the author signing. We sold eight books in all – three “There Are No Penguins in Alaska,” three “Polly Penguin Wants to Fly,” and two “Adventures on the Amur: The Treasure of Nikolai Nikolaevich.” Thanks to the team at Second Chance Books for offering us the venue.
Continue reading‘Escape from Magic Valley’ for a Glimpse at Migrant Worker Life
“Escape from Magic Valley” (affiliate link) by Ricardo S. Rivera is an autobiographical book about his childhood in the 1950s in a migrant worker family. Rivera says that he wrote this book for his family, so they could know his history and through it learn about their own. However, Rivera did much more than write for his family, he gifted that story to us.
Rivera’s book takes us from his early days in Texas through to the University of Oregon for the High School Equivalency Program. Rivera details the fun times of his childhood and the abuse and racism he experienced. As a child he was part of a collective that picked cotton, onions, cherries and other crops. They also fished. (The book has my name in it as they use “shad” for bait.)
Rivera’s take on the Texas school system is none too flattering as he is met with unreasonable demands, prejudiced principals, and teachers who belittled the Hispanic students. Corporal punishment was readily and, sometimes, eagerly distributed for the slightest of provocations, including misspelling words and speaking Spanish.
Not all the teachers were bad, but those that were made school hell for anyone with brown skin. “Escape from Magic Valley” provides a glimpse into a lifestyle that most of us will never know. Take a trip back in time and find out how migrant farmers made a life in spite of the hardships they faced, both in their own families and in the world at large.
I purchased this book at Second Chance Books in Independence, Oregon. If you’re in the area, stop by and grab a copy. It is also available at Amazon.com. (The last is an affiliate link. If you purchase the book from Amazon using this link, it doesn’t cost you anything more, and it supports our website. Thank you.)
Local Author to Sign Books at Second Chance Books in Independence
On Saturday, Sep 12, 2020 from 10 am to 2 pm, Local Author Shad Engkilterra will be signing copies of his books in front of Second Chance Books on Main Street in Independence from 10 am to 2 pm. Shad has written 11 books for all ages; come by and get the books that are right for you.
Children of all ages will like “There Are No Penguins in Alaska.” Color the pages while learning about the animals that people find in Alaska. The humor at the end will keep you smiling. Shad has also written “Polly Penguin Wants to Fly,” the story of a young penguin taken with the idea of being able to fly. It’s meant for parents to read to their children.
For those from 8 to 11 and for fans of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, the Adventures on the Amur series is two great adventure stories that take place in Far East Russia. Explore a little history and enjoy Steve and Irina’s adventures as they search for “the Treasure of Nikolai Nikolaevich” or learn firsthand about “the Curse of the Golden Kopeck.”
Young adults, and people who dislike bureaucracy, will love “The Pirate Union,” which explores what would happen if bureaucracy regulated pirate activities. This comedy with a 1990’s sensibility promises magic, puns, and fun as the crew of the Jolly Rogue tries to find out what the nefarious P.U. is up to.
Want to know what it was like growing up poor in the 1980s? “My Life in the Projects” is the mostly true story of how I survived living in government housing as a child.
For nonfiction fans, “Disneyland Is Creativity” and “the Haunted Mansion Is Creativity” offer looks at Disneyland and the Haunted Mansion with an eye toward creativity principles. Take a tour of the Happiest place on Earth and let Walt’s dream bring you greater joy and inspiration through greater creativity, or go through the Haunted Mansion as your Ghost Host leads you on a tour of the beloved attraction while materializing habits to become more creative.
If you need a bathroom reader or are looking for activities to improve your creativity and life, “Tales at an Alaskan Cabin,” “Penguinate! Short Stories and Essays” and “Penguinate! The Disney Company” are the books for you. These collections of short stories and essays provide suggestions for activities to do after each section. Penguinating is the power of positive creativity.
People who join our Patreon will get $1 off for every $10 or more purchased. Join today and support a local author.
‘Love Is Like This’ Grants New Perspectives on Love
Within the first three pages of “Love Is Like This” by Nathan Deeter, you know you’re holding a work of paramount importance in your hand. This will show you the ways of love in the past, future, and present. It contains the love of sons and fathers, family, husband and wife, and it does so in the way that those kinds of love present themselves. It isn’t the “happily ever after,” but it also isn’t the doom and gloom. It presents the light and the dark of love, and if you let it, it will speak to your soul.
Continue readingFree Book from Best Selling Author Russell Nohelty – Just Pay for Shipping
Normally, I would be publishing a #WednesdayWisdom about this time. I’m not sure what this week’s would be about because I haven’t found the right subject. However, what I did find (in my email) was an amazing offer from Russell Nohelty – a free, hardback book! You just need to pay for shipping! (Offer good through Saturday, August 15, 2020.)
Continue readingBuy 5 Times the Number of Books You Plan to Read
In his book “Time Drive,” Gleb Arhangelsky recommends that you read at leas one serious book a week and that you buy five (5) times the number of books you plan to read. For those who plan to read a book a week and are buying for the month, that means buying 20 books. As an author, reader, and book hoard… er, collector, I am totally on board with this. However, beyond my monetary and intuitive biases, there are some good reasons to follow this tip from Arhangelsky.
Continue readingThe Wooden Pot Serves Goodness in Blackwood Forest, OR
I got a sneak peek at the menu for the Wooden Pot café in Blackwood Forest, OR, and I gotta tell, you the menu offerings look fantastic. The café itself is focused on a few sandwiches and coffee drinks. This allows it to make sure that what it serves will be amazing.
The Lunch Menu
While I can’t give everything away, I think the first thing I would get is the PB&J Extreme open-faced sandwich. I also find the Full-Moon Soup appealing. I guess I could get them both. Maybe my wife and I could share. The Juniper Blueberry Latte sounds just exotic enough to make it the best choice though I’ve heard the coffee here is fantastic on its own. The Wooden Pot offers daily specials, so depending on what they’ve got going on for the day, I might opt for something else.
The Wooden Pot Opening
The Wooden Pot can only be found in Blackwood Forest, and its opening date has yet to be revealed. If you want to visit the town and the café, you need to make a reservation with the only tour operator who can take you there: Author Drue M. Scott. Beware, while the Wooden Pot looks inviting, Blackwood Forest is a different animal entirely.
During the day, you get a quaint, small town in the Oregon forest with all of its beauty and failings. At night, things become darker, even, or more correctly said, especially when the full moon shines down on the trees, sidewalks, and streets. A quick day trip may be your best bet. Otherwise, be sure to get a room at the seedy hotel and wait for sunrise before going outside again. Watch Drue’s blog for tour availability this coming September or October. It will be an adventure with characters that you’ll want visit again.
Penguinate! Positive Creativity 