Good Fortune Sweet Journeys


Book Description

With an insight he often wished he had not inherited, Michael Forester, a far-from-ordinary rural Missouri teacher nearing retirement, faces danger head-on with a wry smile and never-say-die determination. He is a Kelly from a long line of feisty Irish ancestors who first homesteaded the rough Ozark valleys along Flat Creek just after the American Civil War. He is compelled by the sight, as his Irish forbearers termed it, to travel to the lakes in the north. There, he seeks answers regarding his waking dreams and his foreboding of terrible difficulties that soon will follow. A craftsman and woodworker with an envious zest for living, Michael unwinds from teaching by building sturdy touring kayaks. He has tested their sea worthiness and his own metal on solo trips in northern Minnesota and on Lake Superior for almost a decade. In those wild places where Mother Nature and organized crime are oddly poised to cast terrible troubles his way, passionate intrigues from the past surface. They reweave an already complex fabric of difficulties. Death looms for Michael Forester on the wave-tossed islands of Lake Superior and ultimately back home in the steep hill country of the Ozarks. He refuses to run from evil forces, the endgame, front and center. Michaels courage astounds his enemies but not his friends. Forester just is, and you want him by your side when the devil knocks at your door. All should know that good fortune sweet journeys is a long-standing Irish farewell of hope for the traveler. The proud beginnings of an Irish American familys odyssey are revealed in Good Fortune Sweet Journeys, are continued in Recapturing Lisdoonvarna, and set to rest in the final book of this three-part series, Saint Francis in the Garden.




Recapturing Lisdoonvarna


Book Description

Michael Forester returns. The origin of the Flat Creek boys grit becomes clear in Recapturing Lisdoonvarna, the prequel to Good Fortune Sweet Journeys. This is the story of a grieving Michael finding peace and also Sean Kelly, his red-headed ancestor, whose tenacity during the Civil War earned him the beautiful and isolated land Michael today claims as his own. Michaels early forbearer is a poor but honorable young Irishman, who in 1859 escapes conflict and injustice in Ireland only to find flourishing evil on the streets of New York City. Sean then joins the Union Army as a horse soldier and serves under General Sheridan. In 1866 he musters out of his cavalry regiment in Saint Louis and journeys through the wild forests of the Missouri Ozarks intent on delivering a fallen soldiers effects to his family. His travels become a lonely mans odyssey to gain acceptance and love. Along the way several women seek his trust, and lay open their hearts. Seans political and religious tolerance shines in stark contrast to the hatred so prevalent during the times. The Irishman also plays an extraordinary fiddle, and his joyful tunes are a tonic for all who listen. Modern while at the same time compellingly nostalgic, two stories from different centuries pleasingly join to propel the readers quest for justice, love, and decency to a higher level.




The Sweet Journey


Book Description




Auspicious Good Fortune


Book Description

Has your life ever flashed before you? Sumangali Morhall chased everything Western society taught her to pursue: material wealth, academic success, and even the perfect relationship, only to discover something deeply significant was still missing. A sudden near-death experience opened her eyes, and her life began anew. Left with nothing and nobody to rely on, her inner strength blossomed and her spiritual search began in earnest. Her journey led her to study meditation with Indian spiritual Master, Sri Chinmoy: a direction she could never have imagined. Sumangali reveals the arcane practice of learning from a contemporary Guru in lively detail, shedding light on misconceptions while remaining candid about her own initial doubts. Heartwarming, courageous, and beautifully crafted, this spiritual memoir follows a Western woman learning the ways of the East, and putting them into practice in her modern world: an ordinary person leading an extraordinary life.




Saint Francis in the Garden


Book Description

Saint Francis in the Garden, the third book of the Michael Forester series, brings full circle the Flat Creek boys gift that has in the past provided both insight and despair. Religious intolerance and corporate greed in the heartland provide the catalyst. His possession of the sight influences his protection of a virtually unknown couple in need, while his kindly nature and also his rather brutal tendencies serve them well. His waking dreams of future dangers weave intrigue to storm-like intensity thereby reminding us that avoidance of risk by this Kelly is not an option. Trouble finds you. It always has, a friend tells him. Again stretched to his physical and mental limits among the pristine lakes of the North Country, the last of the Barry County Kellys struggles while clashing head-on with death on Norway Island. The author has spent the better part of thirty years teaching science in rural Ozark schools. Firefighting in the Northwest, serving as policeman in the army, and extensive traveling in his youth provided valued experiences. During his twentieth year a desire to write was sparked by two contemplative months as a fire lookout on an isolated peak above a wild river in Idaho. Different episodes in Europe provided opportunities to travel via train, bicycle, and his thumb from Athens to Amsterdam. Presently, he resides with his wife on a hundred acre farm where raising cattle and wine grapes have now taken the place of raising children. Five books later he maintains his quest to write novel tales for those of noble heart.




The Sand Mountain Armadillo War


Book Description

Cal Gibson rode horses with his father as a boy. Now, fifty years later and a lone rural relic, his lifestyle continues in the countryside of Missouri as well as in its neighboring states, the South, and West, despite the impersonal advances of technology. He is a cowboy.Southwest Missouri¿s oak forests, native prairies, grass-covered hills, and cattle operations second only to Texas, are Cal¿s home. Here as a young man, he gains the devotion of a lovely woman, but is forced to walk away. He makes do, however painfully, throughout his remaining years. Yet, here, too, Cal has held tight to friends that last and stand with him when the going gets tough. Cal and his six lifelong companions provide a final burst of heartfelt determination and courage that unknowingly fosters revolution in a land written off as soft, spoiled, and doomed by greed.Cal¿s violent but heroic end spells out how this brave cowboy near sixty contributes more to his small community, his state, and his country during a cold December and January, than anyone could dare hope in a string of lifetimes.This intense but uplifting story tells of the heartland and its real people, their loves, tragedies, and spirit in terrible times. Cal Gibson grows to be a lone rock of decency and hope holding on in midstream as a fearful river rises. He provides the steady hand his community needs to cope with a calamity that today is all too possible.Impressed by the independence of American farmers and ranchers, the author has chronicled measured doses of their wisdom and grit in his writing. Although leaving rural Missouri repeatedly, his love of the land and family have always drawn him back and added a keener edge to his storytelling.




Fortune's Journey


Book Description

On the Oregon trail, a theater troupe strives to reach California After months in the cramped confines of a Conestoga wagon, Fortune Plunkett is dreaming of the life she left behind in Charleston. It was her father’s dream to lead his band of actors to California, but he died on the trail. Fortune’s only inheritance is a trunk of old costumes, a handful of plays, and a passionate drive to reach the Pacific Ocean, no matter what hardships she might endure along the way. At the time of her father’s death, the actors were heading toward an engagement in the little town of Busted Heights—a place that held a fascination for Fortune’s father that he never explained. There Fortune meets the greenhorn Jamie Halleck, a naive young man who convinces her to let him join the group. With Jamie onboard, they hit the trail again, ready to reach California and find their destiny. This ebook features an illustrated personal history of Bruce Coville including rare images from the author’s collection.




Alex's Good Fortune


Book Description

Celebrate Chinese New Year with this sweet story of friendship and family! In this story designed to engage early readers, charming characters combine with simple text, lively illustrations, and laugh-out-loud humor to help boost kids' confidence and create lifelong readers! Chinese New Year is the most important holiday for Alex and her family, so it's even more special when she gets to share her favorite traditions with her best friend, Ethan. Together, they join the Chinese New Year parade and get to help make the dragon dance. Then they prepare for the festivities by tidying up, decorating, and making dumplings. After that, it's time to open red envelopes, eat a great big feast, and enjoy the lantern fesival! Complete with fun facts about the holiday in the back of the book, young readers will want to revisit this story again and again. Exciting, easy-to-read books are the stepping stone a young reader needs to bridge the gap between being a beginner and being fluent.




The Book You Were Born to Write


Book Description

A guide to writing a full-length transformational nonfiction book, from an editor with two decades' experience working in publishing. "I know I have a book in me." "I've always wanted to be an author." "People always ask me when I'm going to write my book." "I have a story to tell, but I never seem to make time to write." Are you a thought leader, healer, or change-agent stuck at the starting line of book publication? Life coach and publishing industry insider Kelly Notaras offers a clear, step-by-step path for turning your transformational idea or story into a finished book as quickly as possible. With humor, encouragement, and common sense, she demystifies the publishing process so you can get started, keep writing, and successfully get your wisdom out into the world. Notaras guides you through: Getting clear on your motivation for writing a book, Crafting a powerful, compelling hook and strong internal book structure, Overcoming resistance and writer's block, and Getting your finished manuscript onto the printed page, whether through traditional publishing or self-publishing. Publishing a book has never been as simple, accessible, and affordable as it is today, and in our tumultuous world, readers need your healing voice. Be brave, be bold, and take the steps you need to share your message with those who need to hear it most.