BookSpeak Network

The coming of age of Annie Shea is documented in two novels by Caitlin Hicks. Set in 1963 California, "A Theory of Expanded Love" finds a young Annie, desperate for attention in a family of 13 kids, a military father and a strong Catholic faith. With the passing of Pope John XXIII, a family friend stands to be the first American to be his successor. Annie seizes the moment to create a we...

Circumstances cannot be contrived. While researching the long-closed Irving College, Sunbury Press founder and presenter Lawrence Knorr discovered the master's thesis of Chad Leinaweaver, which for the first time is in book form, with "That Our Daughters May Be As Cornerstones."Founded in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania in 1856, Irving Female College was created at a time when education...

The career of Scottie Miller is one that cannot be confined...the Minneapolis, Minnesota native is a three-time inductee of the state's Blues Hall of Fame. He has toured the world with a long list of famous artists, including the likes of Bo Diddley, and currently with multiple Grammy nominee Ruthie Foster. His songs have been recorded by Foster and the Blind Boys of Alabama. In addition, Mil...

The term "Renaissance Man" is used far too often today, but if anyone is a contender to hold the title, John LaCasse could be one. A 25-year career as a Seattle yacht broker brought him in contact (and in business) with money people, magnates, politicians, actors, members of royalty, and a certain organized crime boss, but that was not all for LaCasse. Years of good living, fine homes, s...

As Alzheimer's Disease robs Elizabeth Bodien's brother Pete of his ability to speak, she finds she can still communicate with him, even after he has passed on. How is this possible? Elizabeth Bodien appears on the Sunbury Press Books Show to discuss her relationship with her brother, which travels beyond the physical plane in "Bigger Pete: Conversations Between Life and Afterlife,&q...

John "Doc" Holliday was many things in his short life. It may surprise readers to learn that Holliday graduated from The Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in Philadelphia, with his doctoral thesis on Diseases of the Teeth. While he practiced in various locations, Holliday was also a keeper of gaming tables and was involved in the events that surrounded the famous 1882 shootout at th...

Jeffrey Frazier has made it his life's work to collect accounts, legends and tales of Keystone State history and culture. "Pennsylvania Mountain Landmarks, Volume 1" offers an armchair journey to some of the most unusual and inaccessible landmarks in the state. These include treks to the Devil's Dining Room, Indian Steps and Umbrella Rock, among others, in this book, released o...

Nancy Hayes Kilgore brings to life a small town in Vermont at a time of great change, and the fears of what this may bring in her second novel, "Wild Mountain." Mona Duval runs the local general store, and when the nearby covered bridge is destroyed in a flood it is just one more matter that weighs on her. It is 2008, and Vermont is facing the potential shift to permitting gay marriage,...

In a tale of love and marriage looked down upon by early 20th century mores, Anna, a middle class English girl elopes with Charles, a Greek immigrant as they set off to build a life together. Making their way to Boston, their lives are pulled apart in 1913. Stricken with tuberculosis, Charles is sent off to a sanitarium, leaving Anna and their child to fend for themselves. Anna must face being ost...

The sister of author Nathaniel Hawthorne drowns in 1852...but was it an accident? Hawthorne's cousin, John Stephens Dike has left Massachusetts for Ohio and is a successful businessman. A traumatic past long behind him is brought back in 1883, through a bequest from his cousin, Elizabeth Hawthorne. Within this, a collection of papers reveals a love affair between his father, the late John Dik...

The story of four brothers, bound for America from Sicily in the early 1900s is told through the eyes of one, and in a series of short stories, poetry and prose in "Final Touchstones."In her Sunbury Press debut, author Linda Romanowski tells of her maternal grandfather and his journey, from the age of three onward, about his experiences in the New World and the decision he took that woul...

Leo is a dog full of kindness, wisdom and helpful advice. "Letters from Leo" is a series of friendly letters between Leo and kids who are dealing with difficult situations, such as loss, divorce and the issues that are sometimes very hard for children to process. Leo's responses involve practical strategies to help children thrive and cope with the numerous challenges involved in gr...

A recent acquisition by our Milford House Press imprint, J.B. Manheim brings the murky past of old-time baseball to life in "The Federal Case," the latest release in The Deadball Files series. Over a century ago, Major League Baseball and the upstart Federal League were embroiled in a legal dispute. An ancient legal document falls into the hands of night-schooled lawyer Andy Dennum, whic...

The independent Peschel Press is the work of the husband-and-wife team Bill and Teresa Peschel, who provide familiar tales of mystery, updates, reviews and examinations of our most iconic mystery authors. Combining a love of mystery, editing and research skills, the Peschels offer annotated, researched and in-depth examinations of the works of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. A further tack...

Nancy Rhodes has served the Arts as an administrator, director, educator and writer. The founding director of Encompass New Opera Theatre, she has staged plays, musicals and operas across the US, Europe and Asia, with performances that include the world premiere of "Tartuffe" for San Francisco Opera, and Virgil Thomson's "Lord Byron" at Alice Tully Hall. Rhodes has also se...

The Connor Stark novel series continues with "The Philippine Pact." Stark's private security firm is training elements of the Philippine Navy on a remote island, when terrorists take control to help China establish a foothold inth Western Pacific. Their only obstacle: Stark and his team. In a tale that reflects current events, Dr. Claude Berube brings his hero back for the third nov...

Novel Guys Brian Koscienski and Jeff Young, joined by Brian's wife, Christine Czachur gather at the hidden spot somewhere in Central Pennsylvania for the third installment of Random Randomness! In this episode the gang discuss "Nor Shapes of Men," a new release on the Hellbender Books imprint of Sunbury Press. The random number of 1,977 soon makes sense as Star Wars is recalled by t...

Sal Maggio brings his many years of service in law enforcement to life in his autobiography, "The Life of a New Jersey Road Trooper," on the Sunbury Press Books Show. Told in an understated yet forthright manner, Maggio discusses his 19 years as a Trooper and Road Sergeant with Lawrence Knorr, along with his years as a supervisor and manager. In this book, Maggio brings to life many of h...

Lana Shay is on a mission, to shed light on the perceived dark underworld of the sex industry. From five years in France where she learned French through an immersion program, the Wisconsin native worked as a stripper, webcam artist, a practitioner of sensual massage and a dominatrix for nearly ten years. Lana has also worked as a Transformational Coach, a Yoga instructor, Sensual Foodist, and Psy...

Audrey Markum is facing two conflicts at once: facing a violent attacker in court, just as her friend's baby has been kidnapped. With help from Detective Rodriguez, Audrey wants justice for herself, but also to find the child; all the same, Audrey realizes she may not be able to have both. A Carlisle, PA native, Linda Cotton Jeffries is the author of "Picturing the Dark," the second...

Conventions, large and small bring together creatives and fans like nothing else. Returning to Aurora, Ohio after a two-year absence due to the pandemic, Cleveland Concoction, aka CleCon, assembled authors, creators, cosplayers, gamers, and performers that crossed all boundaries and provided three days of entertainment, education, and fun. BPP Show host Tory Gates made his second appearance at Cle...

From its inception as a board game in 1987, the Arkham Horror franchise has continued to grow. Inspired by the works of J.P. Lovecraft, players are taken to Arkham, Massachusetts in the 1920s, where thieves, rare items, secret societies, and a drive and lust for power lead to adventures beyond imagination. That beginning has seen multiple versions of the board game, video games, and several litera...

The story of Madame Sara Spencer-Washington would be lost to not only African-American history, but US history as a whole, were it not for her descendants and the work of author Cheryl Woodruff-Brooks. With a goal of introducing a new generation of children, "The Story of Madame Sara Spencer-Washington and the Apex Empire" is one of an entrepreneur who broke boundaries. In 1911, Spencer-...

Sunbury Press author Sherry Knowlton has won awards for her Alexa Williams series of mystery works, "Dead of Autumn," "Dead of Summer," "Dead of Spring," "Dead of Winter" and "Dead on the Delta." Combining her love of travel with her literary skills, Knowlton joins Lawrence Knorr to discuss her two-volume series, "Beyond the Sunset."Writt...

The Pinchot Family's places in American history is a long and at times complicated one. David S. Patterson brings an examination of three generations in his new book, "The Pinchots: A Family Saga" to the Sunbury Press Books Show. The Pinchot name is one that winds its way through Pennsylvania and US history, dating back to the American Civil War. Gifford Pinchot is noted for his wor...