A light snow was falling as our family of six and a dog started out in our 1935 Ford. The tires were almost bald and there was a third of the steering wheel missing. The trailer behind was a modified shell of a travel trailer. It was loaded with the bare necessities to set up housekeeping nearly two thousand miles away. We were moving from Kanawha, Iowa to Yakima, Washington to seek our fortune picking fruit in the fruit-rich Yakima Valley.” UPHILL ALL THE WAY, a collection of sixty-seven short stories, is a first hand account of the life of the author’s family and their struggles through the Great Depression and World War II, and their eventual triumph. The circumstances they endured, some beyond their control and some created by the choices they made along the way, provided rich experiences for their family and does the same for the reader. The author’s father suffered ill health the last twelve years of his life. It was during this time that the author spent many hours with his father and heard, for the first time, several of the stories told in this book. After his father died, the author had many visits with his mother to get a better understanding of his parents’ lives before they were married and to clarify some of the things he remembered from his youth, taking notes and recording it all in the form of short stories. The end result is an unusual collection of poignant vignettes that draw the reader in and make the pages turn. More than 2,000 copies have been sold. Here are some comments from readers. * “UPHILL ALL THE WAY” By James Sloter. “Anyone who grew up in small-town Iowa and especially those who grew up right after the Great Depression will find something to relate to in James Sloter’s stories about the obstacles his parents overcame in raising their family in Iowa.” Ellen Heath, Homegrown Writing, The Des Moines Register and Tribune. “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few are to be chewed and digested.” “OF STUDIES” ESSAYS II, Francis Bacon (1561-1626) “Thanks, Jim, for the copy of “UPHILL ALL THE WAY”. We are ‘digesting it’. The book signing was such fun—we’ll do it again for the sequel!” Claudia Warner, Administrator: Algona Public Library, Algona, Iowa “You asked me to tell you what I thought of your book “UPHILL ALL THE WAY”. You said that you rewrote each story several times to ‘make it flow’. Does it ever flow! WOW!” Betty Shipman, Corwith News editor, Corwith, Iowa “I just finished “UPHILL ALL THE WAY”. It was wonderful. I would like to buy ten copies for my book club.” Peg Williams, Minneapolis, MN “This check is for five more copies of your fascinating book. Thank you very much for the privilege of reading it.” Kent Ryerson, Norwalk, IA “I just finished reading your book. I enjoyed it so much.” Delores Huse, Pharr, TX “I enjoyed your book so much and am passing it around for all my family to read.” Maxine S., Dixon, IL “I hope your travels through Iowa and book-signings have been successful. I have finished your book—enjoyed it very much—it has us reminiscing about our own youth.” Pearl White, Sioux Falls, SD “Your book was interesting reading and factual, as I can really remember doing many of the things you mentioned doing in your childhood. The one difference though is that you were loved and you knew it.

    Meet Karl (the Joker), Boris (the Gladiator), Miss Winnifred Hardbottle, Buddy (the Little Whittler) and many more.

    Two loving parents, a beautiful home, and grandparents that doted on her. Life was a dream until the day that changed everything. Sparrow's perfect life was ripped away at age three in one tragic moment that would forever change her. Follow her on her journey as she tells the story of her traumatic childhood and how she fought hard to stay strong despite her circumstances. In Riding Standing Up, Spaulding’s compelling storytelling will have you on the edge of your seat. Get ready to laugh out loud and cry more tears than you’d like as you follow her on her journey to empowerment, never knowing what’s around the corner. Brutally honest, truth-teller Sparrow Spaulding has been an unsung antiheroine…until now. She shows us we don’t have to be perfect to be worthy and that there’s power in being real.

    But nearly choking to death on her own vomit after yet another secretive binge forced her to seek professional help and confront the origins of her consuming and shame filled behavior of compulsive eating and extreme dieting. This raw, illuminating and tragically comic book is the story of child Azure struggling to survive her upbringing by a brilliant, sociopathic father who starved and belittled her as well as adult Azure attempting to save her marriage and her psyche while contending with her preoccupation with food, her body, a fat-phobic society, and her insatiable hunger for love and acceptance.

    Driven from their home countries by famine and persecution, they arrived at Ellis Island full of fear and hope, determined to claim their share of the American Dream.Among the first to pass through Ellis Island was young Israel Baline, a Russian Jew who at the age of just five had seen his homeland overrun by anti-Semitic violence. Forced to flee their village deep within the Russian Empire, the Baline family used their meagre life savings to cross Europe and buy a one-way steerage-class ticket to America. They landed at Ellis Island in 1893, only to find that the streets of New York were not quite paved with gold; the riches they had risked everything for would not be easily won.Israel Baline may have traded a rural slum for an urban one, but he was an American now. He would not stay impoverished for long. Blessed with talent, spurred by the will to succeed, Israel Baline would grow up to become—under another name—his adopted country’s most famous songwriter.

    writes with humor, dripping Southern charm that you can’t miss.” (The Greenville Examiner). A collection of short stories from the author of Sean of the South, and Lyla. Columnist, humorist, and novelist, Sean Dietrich, is known for his commentary on life in the American South. In his newest work, Small Towns, Labradors, Barbecue, Biscuits, Beer, and Bibles, he delivers a set of quirky tales filled with smiles and a hefty dose of heart.

    "Don’t think about him. Don’t talk about him. And, whatever you do, don’t write about him. If you do, he might come back," they told me. Ghost hunting isn't always fun and games. Sometimes, it can be deadly. Paranormal investigator, Joni Mayhan, found out the hard way when she met The Soul Collector, and had to fight for her life. True story. Contains photos and links to Joni's EVPs

    As Lisa explored the streets of Florence, she felt invigorated and fulfillled wandering through the famed architecture and spectacular galleries; a deep sense of peace enveloped her as she discovered the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside, where Condie sought out wineries and olive groves, and monasteries and churches for answers and inspiration. The imposing Duomo that dominated the Florence skyline and the city’s awe-inspiring bridges and meandering rivers beckoned her to leave her Utah home. The sights of Florence not only healed her, they became her muse.

    Cows, burros, dead animals or broken-down cars might be just around the bend—even bandidos. Tonight, the danger is crazed, drug-running gringos flying down the mountain, blowing past anything threatening their rhythm.”~Flying Into the SunIn 1979, a Mexican army truck and a small U.S.-registered airplane race toward each other on a remote airstrip in southern Mexico. Their game of chicken marks the end of a young surfer’s true-life smuggling odyssey involving midnight powwows with indigenous Zapotecs of Oaxaca, paddling kilos of marijuana across the Rio Grande on surfboards, learning to fly, and a stint in the Oaxaca State Penitentiary.Narrated by the main character, Flying Into the Sun is not just a true-crime adventure memoir. It is an introspective, coming-of-age tale that weaves through a secret Mexico and chronicles the fast-changing 1970s in the U.S. with its emergent culture of long hair and drugs, rebellious youth versus hostile law enforcement, and the music and pop themes of the times.The author worked his way up through general aviation to become a pilot for American Airlines, where he flew twenty years and retired as captain. Previous literary endeavors include publishing the insubordinate aviation tabloid Houston Air News, as well as writing stories for national and regional publications such as General Aviation News, the Portsmouth Herald and the Texas Flyer.Chapters* Prologue (Chicken)1 Mexico2 El Salvador (Bandidos)3 Costa Rica (The Brotherhood)4 Oaxaca (The Zapotecs)5 The Rio Grande6 Solo Run7 Oil Initiative8 Learning to Fly & Rainbow Weed9 Saga of the El Camino10 A New Era11 Pop12 La Carcel (Jail)13 Kilos14 La Casa Grande (The Big House)15 Escape16 Kilos Again17 The Judge18 You Will Be Free19 Disco Sucks20 What’s Your Purpose?21 Southbound with Our Ears On22 Cocaine All Around My Brain23 Volcan Orizaba24 Flying Home* Epilogue* Thanks* About the AuthorPRAISE FOR FLYING INTO THE SUN“This is fantastic!! It's going to be BIG! I see a movie!”~Chris Cantara, pilot & owner of Seaside Aviation, LLC“So many great parts in the book. Magical Mystery Tour down the mountain was excellent. The book reveals a Mexico that tourists never see.”~Eric Knight, semi-pro surfer“F****** awesome!!!!!!!!!!!”~Dave Bicknell, guitarist and software engineer“I think it's great. You are a very accomplished storyteller. As a US expat living in Mexico I found the Mexican details to be quite accurate.”~Tom Bailey, retired expat living in the Yucatán, Mexico"I just finished this book. It’s killer. I loved it. 5 stars. A true story about some wild, crazy times in the 70’s. I really felt like I was there with you. I got a bit nervous a few times. Great Read. Hate that it ended."~Sandi Syndergaard, moderator of the Original Over the Hill Hippies FB groupYup, I love books. And I'm always happy to find out about a surf/ travel book that takes me back to places I've been to, or back to a time I've missed. Flying into the Sun is a mix of both...a time before smartphone navigation in rental cars or even planes, and what more a surfboard can be used for than just riding waves...Worth a read.~thefreesurfer.com

    Away from all the modern conveniences and comforts most take for granted, his tale is one of adversity, building a dream with dogged determination. Battling against considerable and powerful opposition, bureaucracy, severe lack of money, unforgiving nature, loneliness and ultimately his own ill health; only to find the dream fulfilled will almost destroy him. A sometimes spiritual and critical tale of self-discovery where ultimately his growing faith in God literally saves him from a very sorry end in the mountainous wilderness of New Zealand. A story that exposes wilderness living as it truly is, not for the faint hearted. However, Out of the Wild is more than just a candid wilderness survival tale, but includes some very interesting snippets of New Zealand's early pioneer history associated to the Fiordland National Park, the Hollyford Valley, Martins Bay, the beautiful deserted ghost town of Jamestown Bay and even the fabled "lost ruby mine" in the inaccessible Red Hills. For the outdoor and "back to basics" enthusiasts Charlie details his accounts of hunting red deer in the thick Fiordland rainforest around his wilderness home to using the old traditional methods to store his kills, through to trapping introduced predators destroying the special rainforest ecosystems of Fiordland. "Out of the Wild" is a very unique New Zealand wilderness tale which will appeal to the outdoor conservative types.

    **Includes an exclusive 15% discount code for Gilbert Netball**Geva Mentor is the best netballer in the world. In her honest, open and inspiring autobiography, Leap, she sheds light on her journey to the top.As a child Geva was a naturally gifted athlete, standing out at 5'10" at the age of twelve. She began life as a champion trampolinist, but when she outgrew the sport, literally, she found she had to try something new. This led her to basketball, but the boys on the other teams complained - she was just too good. Making up the numbers for an impromptu netball match one day at the age of thirteen she found her home in netball - or rather it found her.From here, Geva's rise amongst the ranks of British netball was stratospheric, she was playing for the England senior team when she was just fifteen years old. Taking risks and forging the way for other athletes Geva moved to Australia to develop her game by playing in the best league in the world and eventually winning Commonwealth gold with the England Roses. However, it's not all been easy, both on and off the court, and Geva talks honestly about her personal life, and how the difficulties and failures of her teams, both international and domestic, have driven her on to achieve the highest possible success in the sport.

    

    Eradicating what makes up the majority of foods used up in the typical American diet can be extremely overwhelming. My first suggestion is transition in steps and don’t do it all at once. Take a slow start. Even if you’re not involved in the vegan diet this book is a great addition to your collection due to the informative section about desires. Ever have those desires for something crispy, or sweet and salty for some chocolate? Well, these needs are described in detail and suggests a healthy alternative that recognizes the vitamin deficiency and the food that would address that desire. For instance, have an impulsive desire for chocolate? It means our body might actually be craving magnesium which can be found in seeds, nuts, fruit and Legumes. Are you craving for sweet or sugary foods? Then your body might require carbon, sulfur, phosphorus or chromium. These vitamins are found in fresh fruits and broccoli just to name a few. Why You Should Buy This Book This book is the vital book for learning about the benefits of a vegan diet. It will helped you understand the science behind a vegan diet and showed to you that veganism was the way to go. The books explains in simple terms how a vegan diet is the sturdiest tool we have against disease and ailment. It is easy to read and will entirely change how you ponder about food. You’ll be hooked by the Introduction where the book tells you that by simply changing your diet, you can completely avoid heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. It also reexamines the myth about protein and depicts how not only vegans are getting sufficient protein, but that eating a lot of protein actually promotes cancer. This book teaches you how to eat in order to make your health best and longevity, and tells why you haven’t been educated proper diet before. The book lastly looks at the frightening truth as to why there is so much distortion about how we should be eating. This is a fantastic Vegan For Beginners Guide. Plain & Simple. Here's what you'll find inside this vegan diet guide: IntroductionWhy I wrote this bookWhy should you Read this BookChapter 1: What is Veganism?Chapter 2: Reasons to Go Vegan Today1. Long Life2. Slimmer and Smarter3. Healthy Planet4.  Save Animals5. Yummy and Easy6. Meat, sometimes disgusting7. Dairy as Source of Pus and Blood8. Vegan fashion9. How Flesh is formed10. Save Money11. You’re in good company12. it’s not a religion13. Glowing skinChapter 3: The Do's and Don’ts of a Vegan LifestyleDon't…Rely on packaged vegan foods.

    For thirty years, Diane Covington-Carter dreamed of living in France and immersing herself in the country and language that spoke to her heart and soul. At age fifty, she set off to fulfill that yearning. Journey along with her as she discovers missing pieces of her own personal puzzle that could only emerge in French. Most of all, Covington-Carter learned that a long cherished dream can become even more powerful from the waiting.

    Along with black-and-white photographs, Katie shares letters written to her mom, who died of cancer before the two of them could go on this adventure of a lifetime together.A Season with Mom reminds readers that in life, as in baseball, sometimes you strike out, but sometimes you hit home runs. Even if the wait is longer than you’d hoped, dreams can come true.