In this day and age of omnipresent cell phones and electronics, is it not the quintessential dream to quit one’s day job to seek the peace and quiet of the last frontier and live off the land?
It wasn’t necessarily Bonnie Rose Ward’s dream, but her husband Sam’s to move to Alaska for a pure existence. However, her deep love and admiration for her mate led her to check out library books on how to live in the wilderness and finally make the difficult decision to leave their home in Ohio for a tiny island on Skilak Lake on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska.
In her beautifully written memoir, Winds of Skilak: A Tale of True Grit, True Love and Survival in the Alaskan Wilderness, Bonnie invites us into a routine that began in 1980 when she was 25 and Sam, 36. It’s an engaging and inspiring story ripe for anyone who has merely dreamed of a new life or for those similarly courageous enough to take the leap to remote living.
Through Bonnie’s intimate excerpts, we learn how the couple, and their friend Bob who tags along, lived on Caribou Island in self-built cabins without running water, electricity or a phone. They deal with isolation and sub-freezing temperatures along with making new wildlife friends like a milk goat named Esther. Bonnie steps out of her comfort zone and learns how to shoot a .375 Holland & Holland Magnum.
If you are wondering what a grocery list would look like for such an adventure, you’re not alone. The following passage is labeled a ‘Popular Highlight’ in the Kindle edition:
“We bought what we figured to be a year’s supply of dry goods,” Bonnie writes. “These staples included two hundred pounds of flour, a hundred-pound burlap bag of pinto beans, fifty pounds of sugar, thirty pounds of cornmeal, fifty pounds of rice, twenty pounds of noodles, several gallons of cooking oil, honey, powdered milk, salt, pepper, spices, baking powder, yeast, tea, several cases of three-pound cans of coffee, and powdered creamer. Anything else we needed must come from the land—must be what we could hunt, fish or grow.”
In one episode amid their remote homestead, we learn what most likely influenced the book’s title of “true grit” and “true love,” both of which were prerequisites for the trio to survive the ensuing frost. A devastating logging accident puts Sam in the hospital and sidelines him as he accepts a painful recuperation. Meantime, the misfortune tests Bonnie’s faith in God (and in Sam), as she tells us with heartbreaking honesty:
“A brisk cold wind greeted us as we stepped out of the doctor’s office that day— a stark reminder that summers are short in Alaska,” she writes. “We had forty dollars left. It was all the money we had in the world, with nothing else coming. It couldn’t get worse. We were broke and living in a pup tent with winter on the way.”
Fortunately, with the determination that got them out there in the first place, the couple sees the sun shine again. Through astute observations and crisp writing, Bonnie takes us on their 15-year wilderness journey treating us along the way to the Alaskan landscapes:
“After that first day, the clouds vanished from the mountains, and all remnants of foul weather fled from a sun-drenched sky. Skilak Lake calmed and grew at peace with itself. I stood at the water’s edge struck by the pristine beauty all around me. The color of the lake changed like a giant mood ring from a milky green to a brilliant peacock blue.”
According to Bonnie’s website, which she maintains to promote the book, the couple has since moved to West Virginia to live a self-sufficient lifestyle on a farm where they enjoy raising goats and chickens and gardening and canning vegetables. Despite their exodus to the lower 48 to live closer to family and friends, Skilak Lake will always be in their hearts as it “has left its imprint deep within us and no matter where we go or what we do, neither time nor distance will ever change that.”
Nonfiction at its finest as one woman faces her inner fears and the outward challenges of paddling solo up the Inside Passage.
While many of us dream of setting off on an adventure, few of us ever do. But in mid-life, Susan Marie Conrad was determined to stop running from fear and sadness and start paddling toward something positive. Leaving behind a confusing and frequently cruel childhood, a failed relationship, and the cloak of anxiety that often held her in its grip, Conrad embarked on a quest to live her dream of kayaking the Inside Passage from Washington State to Alaska.
Unlike some celebrated explorers, Conrad was well prepared with expert paddling skills, modern safety equipment, and charts notated by her cherished friend and mentor. But no amount of careful planning could prepare her for weeks of traveling alone.
During her journey, she experienced the astounding power and beauty of Nature. She paddled in drenching rains, fierce winds, and violent seas. Extreme high tides forced her to rise in the darkness and stand in frigid saltwater holding her gear out of the water until the sea receded and she could sleep again. Grizzly bears prevented her from landing in choice camping spots. Black flies tormented her. Creepy men studied her from boats offshore. Every night she slept with her VHF radio, flare gun, knife, bear spray, cell phone, and SPOT satellite device in her tent, reasoning that if man or beast attacked, she would spray the intruder and fire her flare gun, cut an escape hole, call for help, and then press the 911 button on the SPOT so someone could locate her body.
Inside brings the reader along on the adventure as Conrad battles her way up the Inside Passage, learning to cope with ever-changing moods of weather and sea, wildlife both friendly and fierce, and the mixed messages of her own mind. Within these pages of eloquent writing and striking photos, readers will sleep to songs of humpback whales, thrill to spectacular scenery, delight in the generosity of strangers, and share in the author’s joy as she discovers the courage and the deep gratitude that comes from experiencing the best and the worst of Nature and humanity. This is a book we highly recommend.
Inside: One Woman’s Journey Through the Inside Passage won the 2017 GRAND PRIZE in the JOURNEY AWARDS.
Did you know that only one percent of all Jewish children in World War II Europe survived the war?
YisharKoach:ForwardwithStrength shares the account of a man who was entrusted with inspiring some of these precious few orphans to find strength and hope after experiencing tremendous loss. At Aglasterhausen, a United Nations school for WWII orphans, Fred Fragner took on the mantle of principal and teacher at the school—a daunting responsibility for most, but not for Fragner—a fighter of the Nazi regime who was shot, captured, and interrogated by the Gestapo and then imprisoned for five years in Buchenwald Concentration Camp.
The life of this most remarkable man of integrity and altruism was the inspiration for Susan Sloan to write Fragner’s biography—a five year project that she undertook with great passion after being introduced to him at a café in Bellingham, Washington. Sloan researched transcripts of lectures and speeches made by Fragner, she refers to newspaper clippings and documents about him, listened to audio and video tapes, and interviewed many who knew him as mentor, coach, friend, family member, and teacher. Most importantly, Sloan had access to Fragner’s own scrapbook about Aglasterhausen that vividly tells how “the children gave him his life back” as he tried to help restore theirs.
The author took on this project with the hope that it will inspire others “to understand the importance of persevering even in the midst of the most daunting challenges.” YisharKoach: ForwardwithStrength is a most timely and much needed reminder for today’s unstable times when there are the most people, worldwide, who have been forcibly displaced since WWII. (The United Nations reports 60 million people are currently displaced as refugees from brutal acts of war, political coups, and religious intolerance.)
Sloan’s illuminating biography captures Fragner’s lifelong altruism and strength so that it may continue to shine for future generations to come and act as a guidepost and a cautionary tale for today’s challenges.
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A timely and thoughtful work that documents and honors Fred Fragner whose unconditional love, respect of others, and perseverance in the face of insurmountable odds still inspires and heals. YisharKoach: ForwardwithStrength, authored by Susan Sloan, is an illuminating biography of this amazing man who made a difference to so many people throughout his life. Sloan’s biography captures Fragner’s lifelong altruism and strength so that it may continue to shine for future generations to come and provides a guidepost for today’s challenges.
Hairstyles can speak volumes about your personality, or at least, that’s the idea Stacy Harshman explores in Crowning Glory: An Experiment in Self-Discovery through Disguise. A heartfelt portrayal of Harshman overcoming anxiety, her memoir is for anyone looking to read an uplifting story that’s also a sheer delight.
Harshman spends weeks in New York City running an outrageous experiment: she records people’s reactions to the different colored wigs she wears. Her hairstyles range from a fiery redhead to a raven-haired goth. Her obsession with hair goes back to her adolescence: “…my hair has been my archenemy since seventh grade. There was never enough of it, and what I had was wimpy.”
In addition to the unusual experiment, readers are drawn to the author’s motivation to continue and complete her venture. Readers connect to not only the book’s premise, but to Harshman herself; readers advocate for her to succeed.
However, beneath the hilarity of the experiment, readers see the author’s vulnerability:
“I didn’t have a job to give me some sense of being a productive human being… I wanted to get one, but just the idea freaked me out…Before the depression, I had rehearsed and performed music…not being able to play out with my band killed me…just being around people was tough to impossible…I spent the rest of the day fighting panic attacks.”
Readers also cheer for Harshman’s bravery to face and conquer her anxiety through finding her true self. Her courage elevates the writing of this memoir, definitively distinguishing it from a self-absorbed story. The narrative reduces the stigma of mental illness that plagues so many people. The story offers hope and encouragement to those who have a mental illness, while bringing awareness and understanding to those who do not.
The memoir demonstrates that appearance does play a role in social interactions to varying degrees. People’s feelings about their looks can become a determining factor in how others perceive them; a better understanding of self goes a long way in relationships.
Some may find that the impact of the story is too diluted due to Harshman’s retelling of the experiment as she explores different looks. However, the book still resonates with emotion throughout, while still providing readers with a candid and fun experience.
Readers get to embrace the past and present life of Harshman, sharing in her laughs, fears, and tears as she plays out her social experiment. An adventurous journey from start to finish, Crowning Glory provides fresh perspectives and insights about anxiety and self-image that might just inspire readers to conduct their own experiments with image in today’s society.
The JOURNEY Awards writing competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Narrative Non-fiction. The Journey Awards is a division of the Chanticleer Book Awards & International Writing Competitions.
We are pleased to announce the JOURNEY Awards Official Finalists List for 2016,The Official Finalists Listing is comprised of works that have passed the first two rounds of judging from the entire field of entrants. These authors and their titles will now compete for the SHORT-LIST of the 2016 Journey Awards for Narrative Non-fiction.
NOTE: This list is now Complete as of January 28, 2017. Congrats and good luck everyone.
Congratulations to the JOURNEY AWARDS 2016 FINALISTS and Good Luck to them as they compete for the Short List Positions:
Roni McFadden – The Longest Trail
Richard Southall – Haunted Plantations of the South
Cyndy Sheldon – Gestalt as a Way of Life
Sean-Michael Green – The Things I Learned in College
Monica Sucha Vickers – My Extraordinary Life
Robin Suerig Holleran, Lindy Philip – Bracing for Impact: True Tales of Air Disasters and the People Who Survived Them
Michael Anthony Turpin – 53 Is The New 38
Phillip Buchanon – New Money: Staying Rich
Sean Dwyer – The Year without Tears
Nick K. Adams – My Dear Wife and Children: Civil War Letters from a 2nd Minnesota Volunteer
Abbe Rolnick – Cocoon of Cancer: An Invitation to Love Deeply
Christopher Oelerich – Merry Christmas and a Happy PTSD
Viviana Agostini – The True Sense of Life
Gretchen Walker – The Silver Lining: Encounters with Angels
Christie Musso – Hope Knows Your Name
Hazel J. Magnussen – The Moral Work of Nursing: Asking and Living with the Questions
Destiny Allison – The Romance Diet: Body Image and the Wars We Wage on Ourselves
L. Darlene – Another Thirty-(Seven) Days (The Aftermath)
Scott Kiersztyn – Metamorphosis, Notes from a stay-at-home dad naturalist
J.E. Roth – A Fine Line
Judy Lytle – A Mile in Her Shoes
Gwen Miller – Echoes of Silence: Letters to a Drug Addicted Mother from the Woman Who Took Her Place
Peter Gibb – Walking Straight, Down A Crooked Path
Good luck to all the Journey Awards Finalists who made the Finalist List as they compete to be Short Listed!
More than $30,000 dollars in cash and prizes are awarded to Chanticleer International Blue Ribbon Awards Winners annually.
The Journey Short Listers will then compete for 5 First Place Category positions that will be announced and awarded on April 1, 2017 at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala, Bellingham, Wash.
The First In Category award winners will receive an book award package including a complimentary book review, digital book award badges, shelf talkers, book stickers, and more.
We are now accepting entries into the 2017 JOURNEY Awards. The deadline is January 31st, 2017. Click here for more information or to enter.
More than $30,000 worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to the 2016 Chanticleer Novel Writing Competition winners! Check out out fifteen genres to enter your works into to compete on an international level and distinguish your books from the two million new titles hitting the market this year.
Who will take home the $1,000 purse this coming April at the Chanticleer Awards Gala and Banquet?
“Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.” — President George Washington
“With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, an d for his widow, and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.”— President Abraham Lincoln 1865
“Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.” — President Theodore Roosevelt
“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official.” –President Theodore Roosevelt
“In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.” — President Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them.” —President Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” — President John F. Kennedy
Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States in remembrance of the people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces. It is observed the last Monday of May.
Originally, there were two different holidays celebrated by the North and the South to honor their Civil War dead in 1868. After World War One, the two holidays were combined to honor all Americans who died while in the military service.
Veterans Day, which honors all U.S. veterans, is celebrated annually on November 11th–the day that WWI officially ended. V-E Day (Victory in Europe), May 8th, 1945 is the date United States and Great Britain celebrated defeating the Nazi war machine.
We at Chanticleer Reviews are honored to present four excellent reads that exemplify the honor and courage of the men and women who serve in the U.S. military. For information about each book, please click on the link provided.
GySgt. Bussler served three tours of duty in Iraq in 2003. The last tour (2005 -2006) proves to be the most challenging when Bussler narrowly escapes an IED blast with his life and sent home with injuries. The year proved challenging not just for Bussler, but for his whole team and it leaves each one of them forever changed. After recovery, Bussler then served as a Mortuary Affairs officer.
Though now retired from the Marines, GySgt L. Christian Bussler is still active in the veteran community and acts as a mentor for other veterans. A truly magnificent and heartfelt memoir, No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor is a must-read for every American.
“I went away to war one person and came back another, and in my wildest dreams would never have chosen to be the one who came back.” – Christopher Oelerich
For those who suffer from PTSD, understanding that they are not alone and that they can help themselves is a huge step toward embracing a recovery program. Oelerich, as one who has experienced combat and traumatic events, wrote this book as a “How To” guide for combat soldiers, like himself, who suffer from PTSD.
Christopher Oelerich relates his own personal history, beginning from when he was drafted into the military during the Vietnam War, and continuing through his return to civilian life and his own rocky road to recovery.
GENERAL in COMMAND – The Life of Major General John B. Anderson by Michael M. Van Ness
A remarkable biography chronicling the adventures of a farm boy born in 1891 who rose high rank in the US military and served with distinction in two world wars as a combatant, officer, and sage observer. He served in the Mexican War, WWI, the Civilian Conservation Corps in the Great Depression, and WWII.
A farm boy from the hills of Coker Creek, Tennessee to driving tanks across France and into Germany as part of an initiative that ultimately saw the end of Hitler’s Third Reich. A heartfelt recollection of the sacrifices of America’s soldiers in WWII.
The often-unknown role of women in wartime as travel nurses and pilots, as well as the use of herbs for natural healing, adds interesting and relative historical content to the story. The WASP pilots and their active role in the war effort was particularly fascinating reflecting Shawgo’s vigilance with her medical and military history research.
After the prologue shows Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, establishing the World War II setting, the story begins on September 23, 1940 in New York.
Readers may find it interesting that Shawgo, along with being an award winning novelist, is also a travel nurse who goes where and when she is needed for national disasters.
A riveting portrayal of the lives of children whose parents serve in the armed forces. Being a teenager is hard enough, but adding the constant uprooting and moving from base to base adds its own unique challenges as well as rewards.
The story focuses around young Stephen, a “military brat”—a term that these children use to distinguish themselves from their civilian counterparts. Stephen finds himself uprooted once again from his most recent home in California and moved across the country to Quantico Bay, Virginia. His father is a Marine and relocating often has become a part of Stephen’s life. However, becoming accustomed to something is not the same as liking it.
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.“ Mark Twain
“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” – Maya Angelou
“A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” —Joseph Campbell
Remembering those who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice….
As my father who passed in 1981 from 100% service-connected disabilities (a Marine Corps lifer with WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam conflict in his military service) repeated,
“May we never forget freedom isn’t free.” —Unknown
What Opens but Never Closes? The Opening Day of Boating Season
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]Opening Day of Boating Season
Here are five of our favorite reads from authors who followed their dreams to sail away.
One couple (with two teenagers in tow – yikes!) started by building their boat in the backyard of their suburban home; two who started only with the love for each other, the support of friends and family, and a dilapidated hull and a three cylinder iron works engine; one whose true story will make you reconsider taking to the tall seas; one whose story will inspire you to look beyond society’s conventional solutions and rationalizations and to plot your own course; and one who shares how an everyday couple made their dream come true of sailing the Pacific Ocean on a 31-foot boat and a tight budget.
[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container backgroundcolor=”” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”0px” bordercolor=”” borderstyle=”” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”0px” paddingright=”0px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]Boating season begins in the Pacific Northwest on the first Saturday in May, a tradition which goes back to the 1920’s. To celebrate, we thought we would offer you this superb reading list of true story boating adventures by local northwest authors.
After all, if you are going to be spending time boating this summer, or enjoy dreaming about boating from your lawn chair, stocking your library is just as important as stocking your galley!
More Faster Backwards: Rebuilding David B by Christine Smith
“Christine Smith and her husband Jeffrey race against time, money, and natural elements to save the David B—the vessel that they bet all of their resources on in hopes of making their dream of owning and operating a small expedition cruise boat in the Pacific Northwest come true.
“More Faster Backwards, Rebuilding David B” seamlessly mixes nautical terms with natural elements and boat builder’s craft. Those who enjoy cooking and baking will also discover it a delightful read. Seafaring people will sail through the narrative like soul mates, but landlubbers might appreciate a glossary of boating terms. The map provides great references and the photo albums heighten the pleasure.
More Faster Backwards, Rebuilding David B by Christine Smith won the Grand Prize of the Journey Awards for Narrative Non-fiction, a division of Chanticleer Book Reviews Blue Ribbon Writing Competitions.”Read full review…
Christine Smith started working on tour and whale watching boats in 2001. It combined her love for nature and her interest in helping others to enjoy it. She is also an avid birder, and has worked as a volunteer interpreter for the Eagle Watchers on the Skagit River from 1997 to 2008, she helps visitors observe the local eagle population. She is also a founding member of the Northwest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, which became part of Whatcom Humane Society in 2014. She served for two years as a board member and Secretary for the North Cascades Audubon Society in Bellingham, Washington. When not watching birds or cooking on the David B, Christine enjoys running, ice skating and downhill skiing. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container backgroundcolor=”” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”0px” bordercolor=”” borderstyle=”solid” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”20px” paddingright=”20px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]
Cape Horn: One Man’s Dream, One Woman’s Nightmare by Réanne Hemingway-Douglass
“In Cape Horn: One Man’s Dream, One Woman’s Nightmare,” Réanne Hemingway-Douglass vividly recreates a sailing voyage in which she and her husband Don set out to round Cape Horn. As the reader discovers, they never quite got there. Meanwhile, Hemingway-Douglass shares the heady magic of starlit nights and breathtaking dawns, grueling and toilsome days, emotions ranging from joy to absolute terror, and a determination not to give up hope when all seems lost.” Read full review…
Réanne Hemingway-Douglass is a sailor, writer, cyclist and language teacher. Here articles have appeared in numerous outdoor magazines. Her best-selling book, Cape Horn: One Man’s Dream, One Woman’s Nightmare, has been published in French and Italian and is being translated into Spanish. In the 1980s, Réanne led the first women’s bicycling team to cross Tierra del Fuego at the tip of South America.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container backgroundcolor=”#f8fafb” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”4px” bordercolor=”#4687bf” borderstyle=”solid” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”20px” paddingright=”20px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]
Home on the Waves by Patrick Hill
“Family, love, and adventure are all tied together in Patrick Hill’s alluring travel memoir “Home on the Waves.” It’s a story set in the 1970’s that provides remarkable insight into the lives of a family exploring the open ocean and discovering new cultures and people.
Hill’s memoir is an excellent read for everyone interested in reading about out-of-the-ordinary lifestyles and family adventures, even if they have never set foot on a boat.
“Home on the Waves” brings life to exotic cultures, sailing, and family life in 1970’s America. It’s a true story that will inspire readers to seek their own adventures and find ways of making dreams come true.”Read the full review…
Patrick Hill, with wife Heather and family, have been sailing out of Vancouver, B.C. for years. They’ve owned nine sailboats from a 17′ to a 42′ boat, Sky OneHundred which they built. They have cruised extensively, written articles for magazines, made presentations to yacht clubs, libraries, the Vancouver Aquarium, and a major Alaskan cruise line[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container backgroundcolor=”” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”0px” bordercolor=”” borderstyle=”solid” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”20px” paddingright=”20px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]
Prepare to Come About by Christine Wallace
“Christine struggles with her loss of identity as a successful professional, a role model, a caring mother, and a supportive spouse while she battles with the economic recession, personal depression, and, worst of all, her own loss of trust in herself and her capabilities.
Her fractured family makes an unorthodox choice that pivots them all into unfamiliar waters. Their lifeline comes in the form of a tall ship named Zodiac and its enigmatic captain. Life or death challenges and unforeseen moments of wonder and awe await Christine and her family. As they venture forth together in this new venture, the family members reconnect and rebuild their lives.” Read full review…
Christine Wallace is the author of two books including The Pocket Doula and Prepare to Come About. Her work has appeared in the literary journal Clover (vol. 3, 2012, vol. 6, 2014). Christine was founder and CEO of “Gracewinds Perinatal”, a nationally award winning business. Christine currently resides in the Pacific Northwest onboard an ex-forestry boat with her husband, youngest daughter and a seaworthy tabby named Lucky Jack. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container backgroundcolor=”#f8fafb” backgroundimage=”” backgroundrepeat=”no-repeat” backgroundposition=”left top” backgroundattachment=”scroll” video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” bordersize=”4px” bordercolor=”#4687bf” borderstyle=”solid” paddingtop=”20px” paddingbottom=”20px” paddingleft=”20px” paddingright=”20px” menu_anchor=”” equal_height_columns=”no” hundred_percent=”no” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]
Tightwads on the Loose by Wendy Hinman
“Tightwads on the Loose – A Seven Year Pacific Odyssey” opens with a map of the Pacific Ocean that showed the voyage of the sailing vessel Velella starting and ending in Seattle. Soon the reader is immersed in the plans of Wendy and her husband, Garth, to set sail on their open-ended adventure. And we wonder how long an introvert, whose motto is “always be prepared,” can live in tight quarters with an extrovert whose motto is “just wing it.”
This book will definitely appeal to those who are curious about sea voyaging. Armchair travelers will find a diversity of cultural experiences, historical details, and adventures for their entertainment and education. Come on board and sail away with the intrepid Wendy Hinman and her humorous and ingenious insights about life at sea.” Read full review…
Wendy Hinman, author, editor, and speaker, has shared her sailing adventures through emails and her blog. She is a regular contributor to the Magazines 48 North and Latitude 38. Wendy’s also been featured in Sail, Cruising World, Sailing, CYC Leadline, Hebe Jebees (Hong Kong) and Kazi Magazine (Japan).[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Enjoy getting to know these intrepid souls by visiting their websites for more information and the latest updates on their adventures.
Family, love, and adventure are all tied together in Patrick Hill’s alluring travel memoir Home on the Waves. It’s a story set in the 1970’s that provides remarkable insight into the lives of a family exploring the open ocean and discovering new cultures and people.
Hill’s memoir is an excellent read for everyone interested in reading about out-of-the-ordinary lifestyles and family adventures, even if they have never set foot on a boat.
As a previous liveaboard and fellow sailor, I enjoyed reading a story that showed the family’s journey in becoming familiar with the sea. Their adventure starts with Patrick, a civil engineer, sitting in his office reliving fond memories of his days on the water.
He decides to take action and create more treasured memories and to share his love of sailing with his wife and children. That momentous decision will disrupt his normal life with its mortgage almost paid off and a boss not expecting him to ask for an extended leave of absence just so he could go sailing.
From start to finish, we see every step of Patrick and his family’s adventures in building the boat and getting it into the water. I particularly liked watching them build the boat in the backyard, and reading about all the BBQs they had and the friends they made (and neighbors they probably annoyed).
A novel and compelling addition to this engaging memoir is his incorporation of his family’s perspectives. His wife, Heather, and his children Jeremy and Erica, voice their experiences, including both the happy memories and the frustrations of living together on a 42-foot sailboat with one head (toilet) over fourteen months and across 15,000 miles at sea while moving at an average speed of five miles per hour.
This family travel memoir uses some technical terms of boating and lingo of sailors, adding to the genuine nautical ambiance of the story. I found it fascinating to read about sailing during the 70’s before computer technology was available to individuals. Cell phones, personal computers, chart-plotters, “epirbs” for satellite location, and other gadgetry didn’t exist. Noon sights had to be taken from hand-held sexton for navigation, printed charts were a must, and de-salinator water makers were not readily available, so gathering rain water using tried and true methods was essential.
What really makes this memoir a special gem are all the nuances incorporated into the chapters. I learned about pleasingly random things such as how to make limes last longer and on which side to wear a flower in your hair when attending local festivities. As well, Hill is unflinchingly honest about the less glamorous aspects of sailing: trash on the shores, paying people off to get gas, and long johns. Are you wondering what they are (and they are not what you thinking)? Join Hill and his family to find out.
The Hill family definitely was at home on the waves as they sailed down the coast from Vancouver, British Columbia to Mexico, over to the Marquesas, on to Bora Bora, and finally, back north to Alaska. As I sailed with them, I kept an atlas nearby to orient myself to major points. This gave me a deeper “armchair adventure” to the South Pacific and to Alaska. I was engaged quickly and then transported because there was never a dull moment in this Pacific sailing adventure and Hill graciously supplied photographs of the family’s journey.
Home on the Waves brings life to exotic cultures, sailing, and family life in 1970’s America. It’s a true story that will inspire readers to seek their own adventures and find ways of making dreams come true. Here’s to the Hill family and their adventures, their boat, Sky One Hundred, and to all those who follow their dreams.
Sean-Michael Green looks like a typical college student; he meets new people, finds himself at parties on the weekends, and rushing to classes during the week. But Sean-Michael isn’t a typical college student — he doesn’t stick around long enough for final exams.
The Things I Learned in College delves in to the journey of a 34-year-old former Marine who spends one month at all eight Ivy League schools just for the sake of understanding what makes each individual university unique and what are its quirks and attractions. Along the way, in between classes, he finds himself at a strip club, a bar with a lesbian cast of The Wizard of Oz, and on the verge of more than a couple of altercations.
Beyond the witty experiences, Green takes readers through the real ups and downs of the Ivy League, leaving them with a sense of the heartfelt relationships and meaningful experiences of college life. Anyone looking to attend college, whether or not he or she is applying to the Ivy League schools, should read this book closely to get a more realistic picture of university life: the parties, the relationships, the laughs, the tears, and the nights you find yourself without a way to get home at three o’clock in the morning.
The work moves through Green’s rich experiences at each of these eight highly selective and most academically challenging universities: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale. The Ivy League is known to attract the best and the brightest students from around the world and, by doing so, they shape tomorrow’s global landscape of business, politics, technology, medicine, science, mathematics, and the humanities. Competition is fierce and the stakes are high.
By reading Green’s engaging assessments, a prospective student would learn about things as mundane as which Ivy League college has the best pizza, to which ones are more liberal or more conservative politically, which ones live up to their academic and/or party reputations, along with more important ones such as which ones eschew fraternities for “eating clubs.”
Green adeptly details the social landscape of each college to the point that anyone could jump in and understand how to get his or her bearings. Readers will discover the particulars that won’t be covered in college brochures; everything from which student newspapers have sway on campus, and how students actually view their professors, to which types of the ubiquitous fringe people who hang out by the different campuses, along with other idiosyncrasies that are distinct to each institution. In Green’s own words, he learned how to embrace a Zen-like state of acceptance when parking in Philly; that one should be wary of a smiling dog; that a cappella singing is sexy; and that marching band is not.
Join Sean-Michael Green on his enlightening journey through the Ivy League to discover that there is so much more about life on campus to think about than what can be found in the college guides or the university websites. Anyone seeking to round out their information about student life at any of these eight colleges would be well served to read the candid, often humorous, but always informative, The Things I Learned in College.
Next, we hope that Green tackles the science and engineering institutions of Cal Tech, M.I.T., Stanford, and ….
The JOURNEY Awards writing competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Narrative Non-fiction. The Journey Awards is a division of the Chanticleer Awards International Writing Competitions.
We are pleased to announce the 2015 JOURNEY Awards Official First Place Category Winners. Good Luck to them as they compete for the 2015 Journey Grand Prize Award.
Enlightenment: Grant Harper Reid – Rhythm for Sale
Travelogue: Bonnie Rose Ward – Winds of Skilak: A Tale of True Grit, True Love, and Survival in the Alaskan Wilderness
Self-help/How-to: Dr. Harish K. Malhotra, M.D. – Metaphors of Healing
Volunteer Experience: George DeVault – Fire Call: A Volunteer Firefighter’s Memoir
True Action/Adventure: Wendy Hinman – Tightwads on the Loose – A Seven Year Pacific Odyssey
Memoir/Journey: H. Alan Day – The Horse Lover: A Cowboy’s Quest to Save the Wild Mustangs
More than $30,000 dollars in cash and prizes are awarded to Chanticleer International Blue Ribbon Awards Winners annually.
The Journey First Place Category award winners will compete for the Journey Grand Prize Award for the 2015 Best Narrative Non-fiction work. Grand Prize winners, blue ribbons, and prizes will be announced and awarded on April 30, 2016 at the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala, Bellingham, Wash.
The First In Category award winners will receive an award package including a complimentary book review, digital award badges, shelf talkers, book stickers, and more.
We are now accepting entries into the 2017 JOURNEY Awards. The deadline is February 28, 2017. Click here for more information or to enter.
Congratulations to those who made the JOURNEY AWARDS 2015 FINALISTS official listing.
More than $30,000 worth of cash and prizes will be awarded to the 2015 Chanticleer Novel Writing Competition winners! Ten genres to enter your novels and compete on an international level.
Who will take home the $1,000 purse this coming April at the Chanticleer Awards Gala and Banquet?
Nonfiction at its finest as one woman faces her inner fears and the outward challenges of paddling solo up the Inside Passage.
The JOURNEY Awards writing competition recognizes emerging new talent and outstanding works in the genre of Narrative Non-fiction. The Journey Awards is a division of the Chanticleer Book Awards & International Writing Competitions.
The Journey Short Listers will then compete for 5 First Place Category positions that will be announced and awarded on April 1, 2017 at the 
