New England Books and Authors

236 pages; Published by Bauhan Publishing, LLC ©2020 The Seventies are entering the downturn, and a young woman is minding her own business at work in the college library. It's one of those days that start like any other, and the young, unassuming professional, the main character in "The Story so Far" by Jane Eklund , has no idea this day will change her life. This is the day she will meet "The Author"; an older, alluring woman who is known for writing, "the kind of book my friends and I mocked over pitchers of beer... Here, at the library, it wasn't even worthy of a catalog number." The books could be cheesy and preposterous, but they covered the bills and paid for the trips she frequently took. The attraction between the author and the main character is immediate and undeniable. Set over the course of twenty-five years, it follows the library assistant as she goes from work to The Author's home to her own home, a duplex she shares with a gay

178 pages; Published by Harcourt, Incorporated ©2001 There are many things we use everyday that we take for granted. We don't think about how they came to be, who came up for the idea, or how people survived or accomplished their work before the invention/discovery. Amir D. Aczel's "The Riddle of the Compass" sheds light on an instrument that proved vital to trade, navigation, and other maritime duties. "Compass" begins in the Bronze Age and immediately challenges the long-held notion that ancient sailors and navigators never let the coast out of their sights for fear of becoming lost at sea. Instead, sailors ventured far from terra firma with the aid of large statues, lighthouses, and even hiring out local fishermen whose knowledge of the waters due to their daily work proved invaluable. As time went on, ships' captains were able to sail the seas on their own with help from a little gadget that helped in big ways. A simple device that today is a basic

263 pages; Published by Jean M. Roberts © 2018 I narrated the audiobook version of this work, so I get paid if you purchase it. Tales of arriving in a new land are numerous. History books tell students of all ages about people who left everything behind in order to make a better life for themselves and their family. The dangers they encountered were both exciting and harrowing. For people like Hugh Parsons, the dangers came from the wild of an untamed land and the very community he lived in. "Weave a Web of Witchcraft" by Jean M. Roberts details the struggles of a man who is forced to learn a trade despite wanting to farm and live off the land. After learning his trade, Parsons travels to the New World in hopes of better opportunities, only to find himself accused of witchcraft by his own family. Roberts' book begins in the 1630's. Parsons is working on his family's farm when his father informs him an apprenticeship has been arranged with a local brickmaker. Despi