Luanne Armstrong

 Someone described Luanne as a writer's writer.  I think that is so accurate.   She's not writing for money or awards, she's writing because that's who she is.  Well, and she's given as much as she can back to all the writers here in Creston.  Just a real force for the writing community and a big friend to us here in the book shop.  Hearing her read from one of her works or just a visit to the store is always a treat.

Tanna Patterson-Z

 On June 24, 1998, Ed Leonard of Creston, B.C. was kidnapped from his work camp in northeast Colombia and held captive for 105 days by leftist guerrillas.  Tanna does just an excellent job of telling that story from three perspectives.  Ed's partner, Trollee and their children in Creston, his brother Joe and their boss Norbert as they do all they can in Columbia to secure Ed's release, and of course Ed's story as a hostage.  A beautifully told story that leaves you wanting to learn more about Columbia.

Leaf McClary
    

A rollicking cross border road trip adventure for the hero of our story and his assortment of friends and foes.  Complete with betrayal, death, sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll - not necessarily in that order.  Check out the cover by the McDowells.  A painting by James and cover design by Nora.

Deryn Collier

Bern Fortin is an interesting, amiable character you'll enjoy spending time getting to know. A gardening coroner under the tutelage of his equally interesting but irascible 70-year-old Russian neighbor. This story is crafted so that the suspense builds in such a way that it gets harder and harder to put the book down - just what we want from a good mystery.  The only problem is, now we are left impatiently awaiting the next in what hopefully will be a series.

Woody Wodraska
 
I help Katherine with the garden in the spring but I am not a gardener. What would be in this book that could hold me beyond the first chapter? That was my starting point with Woody's book. Yet he had me right from the beginning. Go figure. It is truly an interesting read.  He spent his entire life working the land. As often as not moving on when he probably should have stayed put. It's an interesting journey in bio-dynamic gardening written by a real character.

Luanne Armstrong

Morgan, black horse, spotted dog.
Luanne spins a grand tale of a young woman on the planes of Kazakhstan in 3500 BC. How she befriends a black horse, tames him and learns to ride him. It's a story of a love of animals and how that both helps her and troubles her. This is the first of three in the series and that's good news as I'm left at the end of this book wanting more.

Vanessa Farnsworth
This is the author's firsthand account of an incredibly horrific journey. Two journeys in fact. The first through a medical system that is in the early stages of understanding a relatively new disease. The second through an illness that leaves me wonder how she survived. I say that because I don't believe I would have had the fortitude to carry on let alone keep a rough journal and then turn it into a book.  Her personal experience with Lyme Disease and the science of an incredibly complex microorganism. 

Rita Moir
The Third Crop by Rita Moir. The front cover tells us this book is " A personal and historical journey into the photo albums and shoe boxs of the Slocan Valley 1800's to early 1940's. "  I'd say its all that and more. Ms, Moir has lived in the Slocan Valley since she was 23. Her time in the valley and this book she's put together show us the people, the work, and what it is that makes a community. Check out her other works, Survival Gear, Buffalo Jump: A Woman's Travels and The Windshift Lines.

Alex Ewashen

This book is Alex Ewashen's life story as told by him for his grandchildren. In that sense I think he's done a good job of it.  I think he should have hired a professional editor to guide him, forcing him to rework his book and in short bring out what's best in the book. All that aside I still enjoyed reading of Alex's life and can honestly say that I don't know of anyone else who can say he was in the furniture business with the great, great, grandson of Leo Tolstoy. My hat is off to both Alex and Julie Ewashen. Thank You for sharing your story.

Marian lives up Kootenay Lake now. He was ten when the Russians invaded Poland. He's written a great story of that time in his life. We know the editors, cover designer and map guy. I don't mean to slam it. It was good. Just....

Well, at home I’ll make myself a meal of mac & cheese. I wouldn’t serve that to Katherine or friends. They get soup, salad, some vegetables, maybe even a coffee and dessert. That’s also what I expect when I go out to a restaurant for dinner. A complete meal. It’s what I expect when I purchase a book. Unfortunately most of these self published personal history's are simply a meal of macaroni. Fine for the family but not to be put out for sale to the public. 

There are just to many of these self published "Books". Enough already. 

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