Unwrapped: An Appalachian Mountain Christmas Mystery

Unwrapped: An Appalachian Mountain Christmas Mystery
Author: Lynda McDaniel
Publisher: Lynda McDaniel Books
Total Pages: 211
Release: 2023-07-17
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:
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"The joy of Christmas lasts all year!" “This is Lynda McDaniel's best book ever! I thoroughly inhabited it…these folks have become so precious to me.” Laurel Falls, N.C., Christmas 2012: The walnut dresser I bought my son sure brought a load of trouble. Not because one of the drawers kept sticking and the whole thing needed so much refinishing. No, I could handle that, what with being a woodworker most of my life. It was the diary hidden in a secret compartment for almost sixty year that turned everything upside down. That diary was filled with stories of mistreatment and misfortune, stories that twisted up something inside of me. Especially because the teenage girl who wrote them stopped writing mid-sentence. Like someone grabbed her and took her away. Or killed her to keep secret what she’d written. I just had to find out what happened to her. I knew what a lousy upbringing looked like, but even mine couldn’t compare with what she'd faced. I needed to know she'd made it through, like I had. The timing, though, couldn’t have been worse: Christmastime and I had the boys that year. I was set on making it the best one yet, but with mean threats and truck chases and family feuds raining down on us, it was hard to squeeze in very much ho-ho-ho. And yet we did, sharing old memories and making new ones. Della Kincaid stepped in, helping with our holiday celebrations and looking into that poor girl's whereabouts. Together we traveled through the mountains of North Carolina and up into Virginia, witnessing things I never wanted to see again while treasuring the everlasting beauty of the natural landscape. ~Abit Bradshaw You'll enjoy this suspenseful Christmas mystery because who doesn't hope someone would care if they disappeared? If you love Jacqueline Winspear, Sue Grafton, and Cheryl Bradshaw (no relation to Abit Bradshaw that we know of), you're sure to enjoy the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series. Get it now—for the rich natural setting, colorful characters, and suspenseful investigations. Unwrapped is the seventh book in the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series and a standalone novel. The books in this series may be read in any order. Look for the latest book in the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series, After Dusk, coming soon! Interview with the Author Q: Where does this seventh book pick up in the lives of Abit Bradshaw and Della Kincaid? A: It's three years after Abit and Della helped a man reclaim his identity in Up the Creek. Abit is feeling more content with his lot in life, doing his woodworking and enjoying the nature that surrounds him on his farm. Della, on the other hand, is feeling unsettled, bored even, with her life at Coburn’s General Store. Q: What's new in the series? A: Abit’s mission involves discovering who wrote the 60-year-old diary he discovered in a piece of furniture he’s refinishing. He feels a strong connection with her difficult childhood. The entries are disturbing, and he has a strong need to make sure the young writer is okay all these years later. Q: Why should readers give this series a try? A: Because these are serious mysteries without over-the-top violence. And readers tell me the character development makes them eager to read more: "A pair of unforgettable crime-solving characters," one reader shared, and another wrote, "I became intrigued by and attached to the characters – Della, Abit, Alex, even the dog, Jake – and their dialogue." Q: In what order was this series written? A: Unwrapped, like all the books in the series, is a standalone, so readers won't be confused if they start with this book. The other books (in order written) include: A Life for a Life, The Roads to Damascus, Welcome the Little Children, Murder Ballad Blues, Deep in the Forest, Up the Creek, and After Dusk. Waiting for You is a free prequel novelette.

Appalachian Mountain Mysteries Box Set Books 1-6

Appalachian Mountain Mysteries Box Set Books 1-6
Author: Lynda McDaniel
Publisher: Lynda McDaniel Books
Total Pages: 1599
Release: 2022-09-25
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1734637196
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* SIX SUSPENSEFUL MYSTERIES * CAST OF BELOVED CHARACTERS * DOZENS OF TWISTS & TURNS * 2500+ 5-STAR SERIES REVIEWS “Terrific series! The characters are awesome! I can't stop reading! I don't want these books to end!” Take a suspense-filled Appalachian journey with Abit Bradshaw and Della Kincaid, two unlikely partners who work together to right wrongs, fight corruption, and solve crimes. Along the way, they experience love, loss, and abiding friendship. "FIVE STARS! Lynda McDaniel has that wonderfully appealing way of weaving a story." ~Deb, Amazon Hall of Fame Top 100 Reviewer A LIFE FOR A LIFE #1 "The most satisfying mystery I've read in ages." ~Joan Nienhuis, Top 1% of Reviewers on Goodreads Laurel Falls, N.C., 1985: I was done with being a crime reporter in Washington, D.C., tired of all the violence. So I packed up and moved to Laurel Falls, N.C. Peace and quiet—until I found the body. The sheriff called it a suicide. No way. Trouble was, without my usual sources, how much of an investigation could I pull off? But my neighbor Abit Bradshaw and I teamed up and cooked up a plan to solve that crime. Of course plans rarely pan out the way you think. ~Della Kincaid THE ROADS TO DAMASCUS #2 "I absolutely devoured this book! " ~Cynthia Williams Laurel Falls, N.C. 1989: I couldn’t believe I was in trouble again. I’d finally got what I’d always wanted—return to school—then lost it. It all started when a family of con artists stole our money and good intentions. Trying to find them again took everything I had—and then some. ~Abit Bradshaw WELCOME THE LITTLE CHILDREN #3 "I've come to think of these characters as cherished friends.” ~L. G. Yaldezian Laurel Falls, N.C. 1994: I would never have risked so much if it hadn’t been for Astrid Holt. She brightened things at Coburn’s General Store every time she stopped by for recipe ideas—at eight years old! So when Astrid’s mother disappeared—lost in the woods? kidnapped? murdered?—how could Abit Bradshaw and I turn our backs on her? ~Della Kincaid MURDER BALLAD BLUES #4 "A riveting mystery designed to keep readers on their toes." ~Midwest Book Review Laurel Falls, N.C. 2005: Our small town is in an uproar—there’s a serial killer on the loose in the mountains of N.C. At first we thought it was just one tragedy, but by the third murder, the FBI finally got involved. Trouble is, I know they’re looking in all the wrong places. Della Kincaid is helping, and we can only hope the FBI will listen to us … before the culprits strike again. ~Abit Bradshaw DEEP IN THE FOREST #5 “Deserves a spot in any mystery collection.” ~Midwest Book Review Hampshire, England, 2006: I should've known not to visit Nigel Steadman; trouble followed him closer than his shadow. He roped me into doing some undercover work, and next thing I knew gunslingers, kidnappers, and thieves highjacked my vacation and turned it into a nightmare. Now I’m in a makeshift jail, and it feels like I’ll never see Fiona and the boys again. ~Abit Bradshaw UP THE CREEK #6 “FIVE STARS. Lynda McDaniel writes magical stories. She brings out the very best in her characters.” ~Joyce Davis Laurel Falls, N.C., 2009: Life on the farm was pretty much one day the same as the next—until that stranger showed up. I figured that big gash on the back is what stole his memory. But how did he get that wound? And who was after him? It wasn’t ‘til Della Kincaid put her crime-reporter skills to work that we got to the bottom of everything. And I do mean bottom. Things sunk pretty low before we started getting at the truth. ~Abit Bradshaw If you love Jacqueline Winspear, Sue Grafton, and Cheryl Bradshaw (no relation to Abit Bradshaw that we know of), you're sure to enjoy the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series. Get all six books now and find out why critics and readers are praising Lynda McDaniel's unique voice in mystery writing.

Up the Creek

Up the Creek
Author: Lynda McDaniel
Publisher: Lynda McDaniel Books
Total Pages: 188
Release: 2023-07-17
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1734637161
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"The joy of Christmas lasts all year!" “This is Lynda McDaniel's best book ever! I thoroughly inhabited it…these folks have become so precious to me.” Laurel Falls, N.C., Christmas 2012: The walnut dresser I bought my son sure brought a load of trouble. Not because one of the drawers kept sticking and the whole thing needed so much refinishing. No, I could handle that, what with being a woodworker most of my life. It was the diary hidden in a secret compartment for almost sixty year that turned everything upside down. That diary was filled with stories of mistreatment and misfortune, stories that twisted up something inside of me. Especially because the teenage girl who wrote them stopped writing mid-sentence. Like someone grabbed her and took her away. Or killed her to keep secret what she’d written. I just had to find out what happened to her. I knew what a lousy upbringing looked like, but even mine couldn’t compare with what she'd faced. I needed to know she'd made it through, like I had. The timing, though, couldn’t have been worse: Christmastime and I had the boys that year. I was set on making it the best one yet, but with mean threats and truck chases and family feuds raining down on us, it was hard to squeeze in very much ho-ho-ho. And yet we did, sharing old memories and making new ones. Della Kincaid stepped in, helping with our holiday celebrations and looking into that poor girl's whereabouts. Together we traveled through the mountains of North Carolina and up into Virginia, witnessing things I never wanted to see again while treasuring the everlasting beauty of the natural landscape. ~Abit Bradshaw You'll enjoy this suspenseful Christmas mystery because who doesn't hope someone would care if they disappeared? If you love Jacqueline Winspear, Sue Grafton, and Cheryl Bradshaw (no relation to Abit Bradshaw that we know of), you're sure to enjoy the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series. Get it now—for the rich natural setting, colorful characters, and suspenseful investigations. Unwrapped is the seventh book in the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series and a standalone novel. The books in this series may be read in any order. Interview with the Author Q: Where does this seventh book pick up in the lives of Abit Bradshaw and Della Kincaid? A: It's three years after Abit and Della helped a man reclaim his identity in Up the Creek. Abit is feeling more content with his lot in life, doing his woodworking and enjoying the nature that surrounds him on his farm. Della, on the other hand, is feeling unsettled, bored even, with her life at Coburn’s General Store. Q: What's new in the series? A: Abit’s mission involves discovering who wrote the 60-year-old diary he discovered in a piece of furniture he’s refinishing. He feels a strong connection with her difficult childhood. The entries are disturbing, and he has a strong need to make sure the young writer is okay all these years later. Q: Why should readers give this series a try? A: Because these are serious mysteries without over-the-top violence. And readers tell me the character development makes them eager to read more: "A pair of unforgettable crime-solving characters," one reader shared, and another wrote, "I became intrigued by and attached to the characters – Della, Abit, Alex, even the dog, Jake – and their dialogue." Q: In what order was this series written? A: Unwrapped, like all the books in the series, is a standalone, so readers won't be confused if they start with this book. The other books (in order written) include: A Life for a Life, The Roads to Damascus, Welcome the Little Children, Murder Ballad Blues, Deep in the Forest, Up the Creek, After Dusk, and Waiting for You (free prequel novelette).

The Roads To Damascus

The Roads To Damascus
Author: McDaniel
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2023-02-13
Genre:
ISBN:
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He got what he'd always wanted ... then lost it. Trying to find it again could cost him everything. Abit Bradshaw finally made it back to school--only to be thrown out when a trio of con artists fleeced his school and blamed him.

Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians

Common Mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians
Author: Karl B McKnight
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 396
Release: 2013-02-21
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1400845882
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A comprehensive guide to the mosses of the Northeast and Appalachians This is the first book to help general readers recognize 200 common mosses of the Northeast and the Appalachian Mountains. With just this field guide, a hand lens, and a spray bottle—no microscopes necessary—readers will be able to identify and name many of the common species of mosses growing in the region's backyards, parks, forests, wetlands, and mountains. At the heart of this guide is an innovative, color-tabbed system that helps readers pick out small groups of similar species. Illustrated identification keys, colorful habitat and leaf photos, more than 600 detailed line drawings, and written descriptions help differentiate the species. This accessible book allows all nature enthusiasts to make accurate identifications and gain access to the enchanting world of mosses. 200 species included More than 600 detailed line drawings More than 400 color photographs Innovative color-tabbed system for species identification Illustrated species identification keys Helpful tips for moss collecting

A Life for a Life

A Life for a Life
Author: Lynda McDaniel
Publisher: Lynda McDaniel Books
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2016-08-15
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0997780819
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“Five Stars! The tale immediately drew me in, into the town, into the intriguing mystery, and into the people. A real treat to read." ~Deb, Top 100 Reviewer on major retailer Laurel Falls, N.C., 1985: I was done with being a crime reporter in Washington, D.C., tired of all the violence. So I packed up and moved to the small town of Laurel Falls, N.C. It looked like heaven to me—ancient mountains brimming with tall trees and songbirds, peace and quiet. Until I found the body. The sheriff took the easy path, calling it a suicide. No way. I’d found that young woman, and I just knew she hadn’t taken her own life. I’d spent my whole career searching for the truth, and I wasn’t about to stop now. Trouble was, without my usual sources, how much of a murder investigation could I pull off? But a special kid lived next door. Abit Bradshaw, a teenager struggling to find his rightful place in the world. Hey, I knew all about that. I’d never fitted in either, but eventually I’d found something I was good at. I figured he just needed a chance too. And he got one when we teamed up to solve that crime. Along the way, we sure met some interesting characters—both bad and good. We had a plan, and we worked it hard to find that killer before we became the next victims. Looking back, I should’ve known plans rarely pan out the way you think. ~Della Kincaid You'll enjoy this suspenseful story because who doesn't dream of second chances? If you love Jacqueline Winspear, Sue Grafton, and Cheryl Bradshaw (no relation to Abit Bradshaw that we know of), you're sure to enjoy the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series. Get it now—for the rich natural setting, colorful characters, and suspenseful investigations. A Life for a Life is the first novel in the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series by award-winning author Lynda McDaniel. Look for the latest book in the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series, After Dusk, coming soon! Interview with Lynda McDaniel Q: What makes the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries Series so special? A: In addition to the suspense of a good mystery, each book includes people and stories from the years I spent on my "back to the land" farm in Appalachia. You'll meet a cantankerous laundromat owner who was just as weird as she's portrayed, a gentle giant of a beekeeper with an abiding love for his family, and Cleva Hall, who's based on a woman who taught me how to put food by. But especially Abit Bradshaw, one of the amateur sleuths along with Della Kincaid, a former journalist. Abit started in a supporting role, but I listened to my readers and gave him a starring role in the rest of the series. This book and the next two—The Roads to Damascus and Welcome the Little Children—are coming-of-age stories for Abit. Q: Why should readers give these books a try? A: Readers who prefer suspense without over-the-top violence will enjoy this series. I write in the British style, where the dastardly deed is done off stage; (similar in that way to cozy mysteries). I don't like mounting body bags, but I do enjoy the chase for justice. In addition to the crimes, readers will find vivid mountain settings, colorful characters, sharp wit, good food, and a touch of romance. Q: In what order were the books written? A: A Life for a Life The Roads to Damascus Welcome the Little Children Murder Ballad Blues Deep in the Forest Up the Creek Unwrapped After Dusk Waiting for You (free prequel) What readers are saying: "REMINDS ME OF To Kill a Mockingbird. You are a treasure of a writer." ~J. M. Grayson "THIS WAS MY FIRST BOOK BY LYNDA McDANIEL, WON'T BE MY LAST. Love a book that can hold my interest to the point I don't want it to end." ~M. Ballard "McDANIEL DELIVERS A PAIR OF UNFORGETTABLE CRIME-SOLVING CHARACTERS. She lured me into her story and kept me there." ~Virginia McCullough, award-winning author of Amber Light.

Unbored

Unbored
Author: Joshua Glenn
Publisher: A&C Black
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2013-07-18
Genre: Crafts & Hobbies
ISBN: 1408830256
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Unbored is the book every modern child needs. Brilliantly walking the line between cool and constructive, it's crammed with activities that are not only fun and doable but that also get kids standing on their own two feet. If you're a kid, you can: -- Build a tipi or an igloo -- Learn to knit -- Take stuff apart and fix it -- Find out how to be constructively critical -- Film a stop-action movie or edit your own music -- Do parkour like James Bond -- Make a little house for a mouse from lollipop sticks -- Be independent! Catch a bus solo or cook yourself lunch -- Make a fake exhaust for your bike so it sounds like you're revving up a motorcycle -- Design a board game -- Go camping (or glamping) -- Plan a road trip -- Get proactive and support the causes you care about -- Develop your taste and decorate your own room -- Make a rocket from a coke bottle -- Play farting games There are gross facts and fascinating stories, reports on what stuff is like (home schooling, working in an office...), Q&As with inspiring grown-ups, extracts from classic novels, lists of useful resources and best ever lists like the top clean rap songs, stop-motion movies or books about rebellion. Just as kids begin to disappear into their screens, here is a book that encourages them to use those tech skills to be creative, try new things and change the world. And it gets parents to join in. Unbored is fully illustrated, easy to use and appealing to young and old, girl and boy. Parents will be comforted by its anti-perfectionist spirit and humour. Kids will just think it's brilliant.

The Secret Life of Squirrels

The Secret Life of Squirrels
Author: Nancy Rose
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Total Pages: 41
Release: 2014-10-21
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0316257761
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An irresistible photographic story featuring wild squirrels in homemade miniature domestic settings -- taking a bath, doing laundry, and barbecuing -- will surprise and amuse readers and animal lovers of all ages! Adorable squirrels as you've never seen them! You may think you know what squirrels do all day...but Mr. Peanuts is no ordinary squirrel. Instead of climbing tress, he plays the piano. ("Moonlight Sonutta" is his favorite.) Instead of scurrying through the woods, he reads books (such as A Tail of Two Cities). But everything is more fun with company, so Mr. Peanuts writes a letter to Cousin Squirrel and invites him for a visit! Featuring candid photographs of wild squirrels in handcrafted, homemade miniature settings, this irresistible book is sure to delight readers young and old!

Hillbilly Gothic

Hillbilly Gothic
Author: Adrienne Martini
Publisher: Atria Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2008-08-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9780743272766
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"My family has a grand tradition. After a woman gives birth, she goes mad. I thought that I would be the one to escape." So begins Adrienne Martini's candid, compelling, and darkly humorous history of her family's and her own experiences with depression and postpartum syndrome. Illuminating depression from the inside, Martini delves unflinchingly into her own breakdown and institutionalization and traces the multigenerational course of this devastating problem. Moving back and forth between characters and situations, she vividly portrays the isolation -- geographical and metaphorical -- of the Appalachia of her forebears and the Western Pennsylvania region where she grew up. She also weaves in the stories of other women, both contemporary and historic, who have dealt with postpartum depression in all its guises, from fleeting "baby blues" to full-blown psychosis. Serious as her subject is, Martini's narrative is unfailingly engaging and filled with witty, wry observations on the complications of new motherhood: "It's like getting the best Christmas gift ever, but Santa decided to kick the crap out of you before you unwrapped it." New mothers and those who have struggled with parenthood -- whether or not they dealt with depression -- will find affirmation in this story of triumph, of escape from a difficult legacy, of hope for others, and of the courage to have another baby.

The Birds of Opulence

The Birds of Opulence
Author: Crystal Wilkinson
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2016-03-18
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0813166934
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A lyrical exploration of love and loss, this book centers on several generations of women in a bucolic southern Black township as they live with and sometimes surrender to madness. The Goode-Brown family, led by matriarch and pillar of the community Minnie Mae, is plagued by old secrets and embarrassment over mental illness and illegitimacy. Meanwhile, single mother Francine Clark is haunted by her dead, lightning-struck husband and forced to fight against both the moral judgment of the community and her own rebellious daughter, Mona. The residents of Opulence struggle with vexing relationships to the land, to one another, and to their own sexuality. As the members of the youngest generation watch their mothers and grandmothers pass away, they live with the fear of going mad themselves and must fight to survive. The author offers up Opulence and its people in lush, poetic detail. It is a world of magic, conjuring, signs, and spells, but also of harsh realities that only love - and love that's handed down - can conquer.