Meet Author Kathleen Ernst

 

Kathleen Ernst, historical fiction mystery writer, will meet and chat with customers 3:30-5:00, Tuesday, October 25 at LaDeDa Books.  ‘Coffee with Kathleen” offers the unique opportunity for readers, and writers alike to visit casually with Ernst about her books, her varied careers, and about writing and publishing.

Fans of the Chloe Ellefson series know that the character’s first challenge in “Old World Murder” begins in May of 1982 when she accepts a job at Old World Wisconsin in Dane County.  On her first day at work, an elderly woman begs Chloe to find a priceless Norwegian ale bowl donated to the museum years ago. Chloe promises to look into it, but within minutes the woman dies suspiciously, and Chloe reluctantly steps up to help solve the crime.

 The “Light Keeper’s Legacy” finds Chloe in Door County in 1892, with an historical plot thread weaving between 1869 and 1906. Ellefson jumps at the chance to spend time on Wisconsin’s Rock Island, a state park with no electricity or roads. But the solitude she is expecting is soon disrupted by tragedy.

Ernst’s newest series, features Hanneke Bauer, who moves into a Wisconsin farm she inherited from her husband.  Mysteries ensue and Bauer uses her tenacity and intellect to inch her toward resolutions. 

Ernst peppers her storylines with experiences and lessons learned from years of working as a park ranger, historical interpreter, historic site curator, video producer, educator, and of course, as an avid reader.  She explained “As a child, I dreamed of being a full-time writer. Now I have the fun of writing books about ideas that fascinate me, experiences that fascinated me, and historical tidbits that capture my imagination.”

Readers with Ernst books are welcome to bring them along for signing.  A selection of books will also be for sale at “Coffee with Kathleen.” More information about the author can be found at www.kathleenernst.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

 

 

The Deception by David Jones

 

The Deception is the 5th book in David Jones' apocalyptic thriller series, but, this selection, in particular easily reads as a stand alone.  Of course, David suggests reading the series from the beginning to experience all the discord that comes before.   

... before a major financial collapse draws the United States into regional wars with Europe and Asia.  ...before a cyber attack by a foreign power leaves most of the world unprepared for a total communication blackout.  It is at this point that Jones introduces us to Doug Chapman, a retired Air Force OSI special agent who assembles a group to deal with the continuing chaos.

In book 5, the mass destruction has reached the Lakeshore, and Two Rivers is sure to be next.  Modern day pirates have commandeered the S.S. Badger, and are looting communities along the Lake Michigan shore.  

Jones, hinmself a retired Special Agent with the Air Force of Special Investigation (OSI),  spent time in our area researching possible locations to utilize as settings.  The YMCA, City Hall, and  the Wisconsin Maritime Museum all become major battlegrounds.  The Two Rivers Fishing Village, and the LeClair family share the spotlight in the opening chapters.  Members of the LaClair family even gave Dave permission to use their real names.

Page after page of high level tension fill the pages by a writer who knows his way around exceptional and unexpected conflicts.  Dave is an engaging guy, and an exceptional storyteller.  After visiting with him at length, I suspected that I might enjoy his novels even though this is not my preferred genre.  My suspicions were right.  Stop in, grab a copy of this book, or start at the beginning of the series.  He also has written several books not part of the series...one based on his work debunking UFO sightings..hummm...just in time for Halloween.

Thanks for stopping by.

Enjoy the beautiful weather.

Take some time to warch the leaves change color. 

Cue the Sun

Loving Amber by Robert Lentz

 

On October 9th, 1995, Amber joined the Lentz family.  Her parents, Robert and Marilyn, had one other daughter.  Amber's birth brought with her all the normal hopes and dreams of every parent - first steps, first words (hopefully "mama" or "dada") - first day of school....

However, Amber was diagnosed with spina bifida, a malady in which there is an opening in the back, exposing the  spine to infection.  Amber's condition was manageable. In April of 1997, she contracted hemolytic uremic syndrome, leaving her brain damaged, and nearly 100% paralyzed.  Some would assert that she was also non-communicative but Bob would disagree.  Although the complex medical terms flow smoothly as he speaks, it is not until he shares stories of Amber, his exceptional daughter, that his eyes sparkle, and his voice lightens.  He speaks of understanding Amber on her terms - the little lift at the corner of her mouth, the crinkled brow, and from time to time a tiny laugh.  Together, the family finds joy and beauty in small moments.

This is by no means an "Oh poor me" story.  In fact, it is the exact opposite.  Of course, the family never knew when there would be an unexpected equipment malfuntion, usually followed by a trip to the hospital. This was their life and they embraced it.  For some, there would have been anger - for them there was an open road of acceptance; for some there would have been frustraion, and perhaps guilt, but in the Lentz home, there was only the desire to see Amber happy, and for her to know how much she was loved.

When Bob came in to chat with me about his book he said, "I'm not a writer, I'm just a farmer, and I want my daughter's bravery to mean something."  You will probably cry as you read parts.  That's OK. but they won't be tears of sympathy.  They will be tears of admiration for the tenderness and warmth in the voice of Bob Lenz as he invites us to experience the wonder that was Amber.

Sunday is Father's Day. Dads, dance with your children, toss a football, read a story, or simply breathe in the goodness they bring to your lives.

James and Jill Iverson Book Signing

 

James and Jill Iverson’s nautical adventure began when they left Manitowoc on their single engine, 33-foot trawler in September of 2021. Their plan – to navigate America’s Great Loop while living on their boat for an entire year.  The Alvin James, christened after James’ father, returned to port one year later, completing the journey as planned.

Now, in 2024, the Iversons will set sail into what, for them, is uncharted territory – the release of a detailed and colorful narrative, Exploring the Great Loop: Artfully Cruising the Rivers and Canals of North America.

The write/illustrator team will visit LaDeDa Books for a meet and greet morning, 10:30-12 Saturday, May 25. Anyone interested is invited to drop in for casual conversation during that time.  Books will be available for purchase and signing.

From day one James kept a “Voyage Log,” documenting highlights, chronicling both the highs and lows, as well as noting weather conditions, motoring speeds, and other pertinent details.  In keeping with her love of visual art, Jill sketched, and journaled along the way. Both posted on Facebook and Instagram.  The idea of pulling everything together into book materialized when their readership grew significantly, and many began suggesting a book. Working with a national publisher, the story of their adventure became an informative and attractive book sure to fascinate sailors and armchair voyagers alike.

The duo credits Don Krumpos for collaborating with Jill on the cover artwork, as well as Suzanne Weiss and Susan Murtaugh for editing expertise.

If you would like a signed book but cannot attend the Meet and Greet, contact bdenor@lsol.net or message LaDeDa books on Facebook. 

Seven Kinds of People You find in Bookshops

 One of the perks of being of being a  bookseller is that I know readers - lots of different kinds of readers - and each and every one has a story to tell, a joke to share, a plate of homemade cookies, or a simple smile to remind me stop, breathe, and take in the day.  This may sound counter intuitive, but many of these readers  give me books. I am surrounded by books both at LaDeDa and at home, still, nothing tops a book that has been selected with care just for me.

My most treasured book-gift came from friends Jim and Susie Miller.  On our opening day of business, the Millers were among our first customers.  I was nervous, unsure if I had made the right decisions.  On top of that, taking money from friends felt awkward, and  embarassing.  The book they chose happened to be one I had read several times.  In fact, I owned a copy,  It seemed logical to say, "Hey, I have a copy of this book at home.  I'll drop it off at your house and you can return it when you're done."  They proceeded to school me in Bookselling 101,  Lesson #1 --sell the  book if you want to keep the doors open.

Susie then handed me the most wonderful edition of Flowers from Shakespeare's Plays. With a tattered cover faded to a quiet sage green, the book bloomed with page after page of watercolor paintings, descriptions of each flower (and sometimes weeds) along with a quotation from the play in which the flower was mentioned.  

Even better than that was the hand written note on the inside cover from gifter to recipient, followed by a note from Jim and Susie.  If that isn't special enough, in the margins near most of the pictures were dainty notes on when, and where each flower had been planted, along with the temperature on planting day, and whether or not the flower thrived.  Each February, I page through and begin planning for spring.

I began this blospost with the intention of focusing on the book pictured above. This, too, was a gift, nicey inscribed by customer-now-friend, Jim. "Bev, how often does a person run across a book that they give to their favorite bookstore?"  The post was to offer desciptions of the seven types mentioned in the title in hopes that you would find yourself among the list and send us a note.  Clearly, that didn't happen.  But it will.  I know this has gotten long. I have missed my moments pounding these keys; time flew as the words spilled.  Check back next week for those promised descriptions.

You're wondering where the blog has been, right?  Honestly, I don't know.  In part, I was playing with other formats, hoping to create a weekly newsletter for the store.  I enjoyed designing and writing short somethings in that form for a number of organizations and purposes.  But, do you know how short those news items are? I created columns,stuck in some artsy icons, leaving little to no room for my scintillating commentary on books.  And heaven forbid that my wisdom on universal truths would have to omitted.  So, back to blogging it is.  It is nice to be back and I am trying to figure out how to make commenting on here possible so you can add your own scintillating universal truths for our thousands of readers. 

Thanks for stoipping by.  (Please give the comment button a whirl so we know if it works or not. Thanks.)

Be happy

LaDeDa Bev

 

Cat's Cafe Book Signing

 

Ralls Melotte, retired from his architectural firm in 2019, sat down at his computer and began his first novel, Cat’s Café.  Meet and chat with Melotte, Saturday, November 11, 10:30-12:00 at LaDeDa Books, 1624 New York Ave., Manitowoc.

The book takes readers back to pioneer times when American settlers moved westward into the Rocky Mountains and beyond.  In 1879, in the small rural town of Eagle Rock Idaho, Cat and her husband Patrick run a saloon.  Patrick thought the saloon would be suited to the laborers who lived and worked there; Cat has other plans. When a new bridge connects the two sides of town and the population grows, Cat’s dream of opening a café could become reality.

However, on the morning of July 4, Patrick goes missing, and it appears he may not return.  Cat finds herself running the saloon, navigating challenges once handled by her husband, and forsaking her dream. Complicating matters is a corrupt sheriff who stirs up trouble at every turn.

Commenting on Melotte’s novel, the Kirkus Review stated “The dramatic center of the story – Catherine finding the inner strength to take on a pile of problems – is handled with an engaging sense of compassion…A zesty and occasionally touching story of a woman confronting the crude realities of a new life.”

Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event. Events like this offered free to the public, and help sustain the health of small, independent bookstores.   Individuals not able to attend can have a book reserved by emailing bdenor@lsol.net.

 

Judy Blume...banned again!

 

Let’s Talk About — Gasp! — Sex in Classic Novels

MARCH 23, 2023

By Christa Protano

When the trailer for the film-adaptation of Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret dropped in early February my social feeds were all abuzz. Mom friends were counting down the days until the film’s release so they can take their daughter and make it a generational event. But I couldn’t help but wonder … (cue Carrie Bradshaw’s sex-columnist voice): Were the morality police going to descend upon movie theaters everywhere come April?

After all, Judy Blume is one of the most frequently challenged authors of our time, with Margaret and four other of her novels challenged or banned in the nineties alone.  And since signs of this edgy decade are popping up in current fashion and music trends, is it possible that Blume’s popular coming of age tale will soon find itself back on a banned book list? Well, if Florida has anything to say about it, it just might.

According to the American Library Association (ALA), the rise in book bans and book challenges is unprecedented, with more than 1,200 challenges being filed in 2022. And while LGBTQ+ themes and characters of color are the top two reasons for these challenges, sexual content comes in third, as reported by the non-profit PEN America.

Now, we know you can’t really compare a 1970s book about puberty and teen sexuality to, say, a modern-day Fifty Shades of Grey, but the reason for both books being banned is the same: most people are still afraid to publicly talk about sex (unless you are a member of a certain 90s rap duo). But just because something is banned from the classroom or your local library, doesn’t mean it’s going to go away. In fact, because of the increased media coverage of current book bans, many challenged titles actually see an increase in sales.

 At the end of the day, sex definitely sells. So if like me, you want to know what all the fuss is about, consider adding these provocative — and once banned — classic novels to your TBR list. 

The Great Gatsby  As if an extramarital affair were not enough to raise eyebrows, Fitzgerald’s backdrop of drinking and excess landed this classic novel on the top of the challenged list many a times, according to the ALA. Most recently, Gatsby was challenged at the Baptist College in Charleston, SC, in 1987 because of language and sexual references.

 

 

Tess of the D’Ubervilles  When English author Tom Hardy wrote what is now regarded as his greatest work, the Brits were not pleased. Upon publication in 1891, Tess of the D’Ubervilles was immediately censored by the British government for its disconcerting take on Victorian society’s moral code. 

Leaves of Grass  Another classic work that managed to offend those of the Victorian Age is Walt Whitman’s collection of poems and essays. Published in 1855, libraries dismissed the work because of its sexual overtones and Whitman lost the respect of critics and peers for many years.

 The Sun Also Rises  Hemingway’s very first — and some say finest — novel was published in 1926 and banned in Boston, MA, less than five years later. The story, which follows a group of ex-pats as they travel around a post-WWI Paris and Spain, was last banned in California in 1960s due to the characters decadent behaviors and use of profanity.

So there you have it:  We live in a society that suddenly fears words and the ideas they convey.  The thought police exist in every community, challenging books available in libraries and school boards, and in doing so, they limit what some think, and above all, learn.  What can we do?  Read banned books. Seek out and discus controversial ideas. Watch the news with a critical eye and listen between the words.  Together we can push the pendulum back to a time before the growth of the lemming population.

Be sure to check out our events tab.  

Thanks for stopping by.

Stay happy and keep reading stuff you aren't supposed to.

 

 

Where are the Children Now - by guest reviewer Christina Brown

 

This was a a fast read for me, with well described characters and interesting details to set the scene, as is typical from Clark. Immediately prior to reading this, I reread Where are the Children? but found that I didn’t really need to as this book had plenty of context/back story for Nancy and her children’s history included - which was primarily meant to highlight how bizarre (and traumatic) it was for this family to be dealing with another missing child case in their lifetime. 

While I found myself suspicious of a few characters even early on, I was still surprised by the story’s twist in the end for who was actually behind Riley going missing. Which is what usually happens when I read Clark’s books- her character and intricate scene development leave you wondering who is truly to be trusted and what is even true. 

I found a few style differences in how the book was written as compared to other Clark books but it wasn’t anything bad per-say (just different) and I couldn’t quite discern if that was due to Alafair Burke’s contributions, the current/modern time period references or something else entirely. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and found it on par with Clark’s other books! Oh, and the original Where are the Children? still holds up as a really great book- only some references and details (ex: commonplace cigar/cigarette use in public) felt dated despite this being written in the 1970’s. My suggestion: read them both!

My two cents...

I agree...this is vintage Mary Higgins Clark. I totally enjoyed reading a traditional mystery where the plot is linear and the clues logical.  Predicting the ending is half the fun or reading mysteries, isn't it?  I never - and I mean NEVER - get it right, be it a novel or a TV show.  The trend in twister mysteries, started with Gone Girl, I guess, frustrate me.  They jerk me around, lead me hither and yon, and then, in the last twenty pages, they tell me they were just kidding,  Hidden clues, minor characters, and tons of red herrings make it nearly impossible to solve the mystery.  But they sure are popular so it's probably just me...too old fashioned for these new fangled styles.

Christina Brown has joined us as a now and then reviewer.   Let me know if you are interested (Steve? we miss you).  The marvelous perks include Advance Reader Copies (ARC) of books, continued pressure to get your review to me, and of course, a review on our blog is sure to make you famous.  Thank about it. 

Spring...yes, we see hints that it will surely arrive soon.

Stay safe, Stay healthy, Stay happy. Stay groovy.

Thanks for stopping by.

Women Talking by Miriam Toews

Eight Mennonite women have two days to decide their next move.  Will they run -- leave the settlement and the only life they have ever known?  Will they stay and remain subservient to a culture in which women are all but invisible?  Might they take unspeakable measures and risk their relationship with God in a superb effort to claim their freedom and search for independence and identity?

In two days, the men who have been systematically sexually abusing these women, as well as several young children, will be released from jail.  Gathering in the hayloft of a senile community member, the women meet secretly to discuss their future.  The fear of leaving sickens them, as does the fear of staying.  

For the past two years, the women have been repeatedly violated, and were told evil spirits came to them in the night to punish them.  The women believe these lies until one of them fights off the belladonna depressant used to sedate her, coming face to face with her attacker.  No spoilers here...suffice it to say the agonizing realization of what has been happening paralyzes some of the women while mobilizing others.

Since most of the women cannot write, they enlist the help and the skills of an expelled Mennonite man to keep minutes of their meetings.  There is no wonder this based on truth book has become the subject of a much talked about film.

On a Happy 2023 note...each year I choose a reading theme and try to wedge in as many books as possible that fit that mold.  Last year I chose tween books that I had somehow missed along the way, books like Black Beauty and Mary Poppins.  Books for the 9-12 year old age group are playful, imaginative, and --in my opinion -- too often sad.  But with the plethora of fine writers in that category, it is easy to circumvent those tear jerkers.  

2023?  I'll be checking out all sorts of mysteries -- cozies, police procedurals, locked rooms, supernatural, local color.  FB me with any suggestions you have for me please.

Thanks for stopping by.

Stay healthy. Stay safe. Stay happy.