From Infamy to Hope

Told in the compelling voice of Rachel Moore, a housemaid in 17th century Puritan Boston and featuring that colony’s two most powerful figures in Governor John Winthrop and his courageous opponent Anne Hutchinson, From Infamy to Hope is the story of the religious persecution of a servant girl made pregnant by rape. Convicted of fornication, she is sentenced to wear a black W for “whore” on her gown. Over the opposition of Hutchinson, the colony heads into war with the Pequot Indians. Rachel masquerades as a boy soldier, hoping to recover her baby who was sold to the Pequots by her alcoholic father to satisfy a debt.

She is at the war’s final battle when the colonial army burns down the Pequot’s fortified village in Mystic, Connecticut. Will she find her baby among the ashes?

Although Hutchinson was ultimately excommunicated and banished, a statue in her honor now stands before the State House in Boston, and a parkway bears her name in New York near where she died in another Indian war. Her descendants include F.D.R., the Bushes, as well as Mitt Romney. The present day Pequots now run Foxwood Casino near the site of the massacre in Connecticut.

Furs and Fevers

Don’t mistake this for dry history! Lynn MacKaben Brown’s Furs and Fevers offers the reader a view into a long lost and mostly forgotten world—a world where Indigenous tribes interact with French-Canadian trappers and traders, while their way of life is unravelling under the pressure of American expansion into Indiana. The characters are historical, and their interactions follow the historical records available thanks to Brown’s exhaustive research.

The author has a gift for placing believable and compelling words in the mouths of those long dead and weaving it all into a story that keeps the reader entranced. Along the way, without noticing, that reader receives an education into the systems and politics of Indiana and the frontier in the early part of the 19th century.

There is plenty within these pages to challenge you, and controversial actions that leap out of their hoary context and force you to contend with your contemporary judgements and worldview. The past has dilemmas that can still cause debate today.

“Furs and Fevers is a compelling, enjoyable, and highly enlightening read that I envy you the initial discovery experience that is now, sadly in my rear-view mirror. Savor it!”

Brian Hogan, direct descendent of Dominique Rousseau.

“Lynn enthusiastically embraces the concept of history as a story. She combines bulldog determination to unearth truth with her interpretation of events. Then she re-creates the multicultural, time-honored role of tribal historian/storyteller. And who doesn’t love a good story?”

Sigmund Brouwer, author of The Last Temple.

Good Rain

Growing up in Kansas in the summer, the air would be so thick with humidity sometimes it would be difficult to breathe. Sometimes the air would be so heavy you would hope for a good rain. After it would pour you would walk outside and everything would feel lighter, brighter, greener, and cleaner. A fresh scent, like everything, was new. Sometimes life gets heavy like the humidity and your soul is the one that needs the good rain. This was mine.

Government Girls

It’s 1942, and best friends Mary and Marge leave their teaching jobs behind in Iowa to move to Washington D.C. to work for the FBI. Excited yet apprehensive, neither of them could anticipate the rapid changes the war will bring into their lives.

Arriving at Union Station, they meet Dotty, a quick-witted woman who left her all-girl band in New York City in search of new opportunities. Despite rampant racism, Dotty manages to find a clerical job with the government, thanks to her prized possession - a typewriter.

The three women band together, renting rooms in a run-down mansion that operates as a restaurant and boarding house. Under the same roof lives Natalie, an eccentric artist trying desperately to sell her screenplays and achieve her Hollywood dreams.

As Mary and Marge begin their demanding fingerprint filing jobs at the FBI, they find themselves growing increasingly vulnerable, but also courageous, in the face of a world ruptured by war. The four women couldn’t be more different, yet they forge an unbreakable bond confronting rapidly shifting social conventions and opportunities for women.

Kat's Dilemma

Kat’s Dilemma is a work of fiction. Created out of bits and pieces of research into the social and cultural challenges encountered by women and men in America at the turn of last century. Only two of the characters are based on real life people in the history of my family. Katherine Gehm was my great grandmother. Some of the known family incidents and resulting emotions are reflected in the character Kat.

Johann Wuenderlich was a young German Lutheran who immigrated to the US, converted to Methodism, and returned to Germany to introduce and spread that Christian sect. A memoir of his experience came into my possession, was translated by my daughters, and provides the basis of some of that character’s words and actions.

The US Constitution and Bill of Rights were meant as a foundation of government for all American citizens. But, the men and women of that era (and ours), influenced by societal norms or religious dictates, have never fully understood its real meaning. Therein lies the promise and the struggle between principle and prejudice in Kat’s Dilemma.

Labyrinth

When everyday people find themselves trapped in unthinkable circumstances, they discover reserves of courage that transform them in profound ways. This gripping tale pulls back the curtain on a hidden world, one where the influential and privileged prey upon the defenceless. As the characters navigate this treacherous maze, they are forced to confront the darkest corners of humanity and summon the heroism within themselves. Labyrinth is a heart-pounding exploration into the complexity of morality and the depths of depravity that will leave readers questioning where the monsters end and the humans begin.

Life as a Joke

Embark on a transformative journey as you delve into the pages of Life as a Joke, a compelling narrative tracing the path of a young girl’s evolution into a formidable, independent, and unapologetic woman. This book is a courageous exploration of her struggles, a raw and unfiltered expression of her powerful emotions, and a testament to the liberating force of truth.

This book is a therapy session which lasted years. This book has all sets of emotions, laughter, tears, shock, depression, and happiness, it is life as we know it.

Life as a Joke reminds us that, despite life’s challenges, there’s always room for a smile. Your struggles are uniquely yours, and within them lies your worth and strength. This book is an invitation to embrace your own journey, finding inspiration and hope in every page.

Love Bites...Sometimes

Imagine a night out celebrating a friend’s birthday, hopping from bar to bar, when you bump into someone, and not just anyone. The moment you lock eyes, you’re convinced he’s the one. What happens next?

When you encounter him again, would you seize the opportunity, even after discovering he’s not what he seems? He has a secret, cleverly hidden in plain sight. Do you take the plunge into this uncertain romance, or cautiously test the waters?

Fairy-tale love stories are often fraught with obstacles before the ‘happily ever after.’ This is the beginning of my journey with Bryce, a mesmerizing dark brunette with piercing green eyes and a smile that can stop time. Love can bite, and sometimes you want to bite back. But every bite has its price. Are you willing to pay it?

Dive into a love story that’s as thrilling as it is mysterious. The question isn’t just whether love conquers all, but whether you’re willing to pay love’s toll.

Magda by the River

Angela Young’s novel, Magda by the River centers on the captivating journey of Magdalene, known affectionately as Magda. Feeling suffocated by the monotony of her small village life, weary of battling societal expectations, and yearning for acceptance, Magda longs for change. Her life takes an exciting turn when she joins a traveling troupe of performers, where she forges deep friendships that open her eyes to the possibilities and ‘more’ she has been seeking.

However, the most significant journey in Magda’s life is the introspective one. It’s a path that leads her to a profound understanding of her identity and self-acceptance, making Magda by the River not just a story of adventure, but also a tale of personal discovery and growth.

Manifesting Memories

What does a memory look like? Often it will appear personal and sacred because we have created it ourselves with every sensual focus we brought to our experience. Then, we sprinkle our thoughts and perspectives on it. A memory will reconnect us to the past for a  reimagining, a review, and a reframing. It will end up looking very much like who we are.

I hope the stories on these pages will entice you to return home to your own memories. Will you be stirred by how your memories have shaped you? Do they help reveal to you how unique you are? How have you chosen to be in life because of your memories? Reflecting on our memories may reveal how we truly belong to ourselves and to one another.

Enjoy the journey,

 Darlene

Me and You - You and I

Madison Dorsay loves to put on paper the ongoing thoughts, conversations, sights and sentiments that surround us every day. In particular, Madison is drawn into the meanderings of wandering spirits and their intertwined relationships in an eternal love of life and each other, interrupted by the occasional interlude. The poems collected here reflect collective thoughts and considerations made during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact they had on love, togetherness and the realization that we are never alone.

Mirror of Time

Thomas Roop has been fortunate enough to travel widely through his life, learning from a wide variety of cultures, traditions, and religions. These encounters inculcated and developed a love for humankind. While travelling through Denmark, he encountered and fell in love with the work of the 19^th century poet, novelist, and playwright Hans Christian Anderson. The literature of T. S. Eliot, Carl Sandburg, Sylvia Plath, Maya Angelou, and others are all evident influences on Roop’s own work. All of these encounters inspired him to share his own ideas, reflections, and insights in this anthology of poetry.