All posts by mikekalmbach
Tracy Kennedy
Jeva the Snowgirl: Perfectly Made
Perfectly Made
Edited by Mike Kalmbach
Illustrated by Nicole Cardiff
When my daughter was young, she became very sick. One night after a long day at the hospital, she asked me a tough question: “Mommy, why did my Maker create me this way? What good am I?” This broke my heart. That night, I prayed and found this answer. Every part of a child is like a snowflake, wonderfully and uniquely made. Much like how snowflakes form the foundation for a snowman, individual uniqueness is the foundation for each child. Even so, as anyone who has ever built a snowman knows, it is not the snowflakes alone that creates a snowman. The maker is essential in its creation. Every snowman, like every child, is created to delight its Maker. In their Maker's eyes, they are perfectly made. This story is for any child who feels different, strange, or downright weird, whether from interests, illness, or capabilities. My prayer is that every child finds a comfort within this story: that they are perfect just the way they are.
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Jeva the Snowgirl is available from:
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About the Author
Tracy Kennedy graduated from Bethel Seminary with a Master Of Divinity degree in May 2014. Tracy’s ministry is revealed through inspirational writing and other contributions in the service of God. This is her first children’s book. Tracy is currently writing her second children’s book with the expected publishing date of December 2014. Tracy is a mother to three wonderful children and step-mother to four more. Tracy and her husband live in Minnesota where Tracy is a chaplain.
About the Editor
Mike Kalmbach grew up in a forest near Lake Michigan. Spending his summers chasing wizards and fighting battles with evil ogres, Mike has always had a creative mind. He'll often share stories from his past, and some of them are even true.
After time dragged him from childhood, Mike moved into freelance editing, helping other authors improve dozens of stories. During the daylight hours, he writes software to help with genetics research. He leads the Rochester MN Writing group and often speaks on topics from writing and editing to engineering and robotics.
Luckily, Mike now has two sons, so he has plenty of excuses to set down the pen and play. He lives in Minnesota where he, his family, and a band of pirates can still be found battling ogres, dust bunnies, and even the occasional dragon.
About the Illustrator
Nicole Cardiff is an American artist currently living in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with BFA in illustration. Nicole has been honored by the ImagineFX Magazine as a Rising Star and featured artist under 25. She works as a freelance artist and her works have mainly fantasy themes.
Dealer’s Choice
See the world of antiques dealing and collecting from the standpoint of a happy-go-lucky dealer who manages to get herself into ridiculously comic situations--from accidentally setting off the burglar alarm at the mall to creating uproars at outdoor flea markets to fleeing from irate vendors at antiques shows. And always being rescued by her long-suffering husband, known as TMIM--The Man I Married. Joan Sween is a novelist, playwright, and humorist. She is also an antiques dealer who sees the funny side of the business. For eight years she has written the humor column for Minnesota's antiques newspaper, "The Old Times." This book is a collection of 50 columns from the first years. --like antiques, they increase in value as the years go by.
Purchase information
Dealer's Choice is available from:
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About the Author
For 11 years Joan has written humor columns for Minnesota’s state-wide antiques newspaper, The Old Times. Her books, Nice Girls Don’t Bite, Deathblow, and Dealer’s Choice can be found on Amazon.com. Some of her 20 plays can be found at Eldridge Plays and Musicals. She is currently seeking a theatre that will produce her latest play, The First Woman, which deals with the defense of Mary Surratt, the first woman executed by the U.S. Government for her participation in the conspiracy to assassinate President Lincoln.
Deathblow
An artist... and a cop.
A lady banker... and a cop.
A union strike leader... and a cop.
Riverbend has a serial killer who murders and then always returns to the crime scene to kill a cop. Despite strong warnings to be on the alert, uniformed police officers continue to be cut down with a bullet to the back of the head from close range. The Encore Killer has left only two clues--a high-heeled shoe print and a faint hint of perfume. Detectives Lobo Stangler and Wiley Middleton are on a full press search for someone who appears harmless but has the conscience of a killer. The investigation finally kicks into high gear, however, when a group of homeless people play at profiling, with surprising results.
Purchase information
Deathblow is available from:
- Amazon in Kindle or Paperback.
- Directly from the author
Not ready to purchase?
Go to Goodreads and add it to your to-read list!
Other books by this author:
About the Author
For 11 years Joan has written humor columns for Minnesota’s state-wide antiques newspaper, The Old Times. Her books, Nice Girls Don’t Bite, Deathblow, and Dealer’s Choice can be found on Amazon.com. Some of her 20 plays can be found at Eldridge Plays and Musicals. She is currently seeking a theatre that will produce her latest play, The First Woman, which deals with the defense of Mary Surratt, the first woman executed by the U.S. Government for her participation in the conspiracy to assassinate President Lincoln.
Nice Girls Don’t Bite
When "Transylvania Nasty" collides with "Minnesota Nice" the outcome is hilarious. Erleen and Louise, antiques dealers from the land of Garrison Keillor, come back from a buying trip to Romania to discover they got more than they bargained for. "We can't be vampires! There's no such thing as vampires!" "I absolutely refuse to go all crazy and look mean and bite people!" "How are we supposed to put on makeup if we can't see ourselves in mirrors?" After the first shock, they begin to cope like sensible down-to-earth Minnesotans, vowing to lead normal lives, never reveal what they are, and never ever to bite anyone. Then they stumble onto a bank robbery, a murder, and a kidnapping. Attempting to free their kidnapped friends, they confront a Norwegian crime lord whose Colombian partners decide they are witches—"Brujas! Brujas! But after putting ineffectual bullets through the ladies, the Colombians change their minds—"Vampiro!" Reluctantly, Erleen and Louise realize they must behave like "real" vampires in order to put a stop to an international drug ring. Which they do—but without biting anyone.
Purchase information
Nice Girls Don't Bite is available from:
- Amazon in Kindle or Paperback.
- Directly from the author
Not ready to purchase?
Go to Goodreads and add it to your to-read list!
Other books by this author:
About the Author
For 11 years Joan has written humor columns for Minnesota’s state-wide antiques newspaper, The Old Times. Her books, Nice Girls Don’t Bite, Deathblow, and Dealer’s Choice can be found on Amazon.com. Some of her 20 plays can be found at Eldridge Plays and Musicals. She is currently seeking a theatre that will produce her latest play, The First Woman, which deals with the defense of Mary Surratt, the first woman executed by the U.S. Government for her participation in the conspiracy to assassinate President Lincoln.
Books by local authors
Rochester MN Authors
Revenge of the Dust Bunnies
Book 1 of the Spooky Snacks series. "Scary short stories with a silly twist!"
Best for 4th-6th grade students. Perfect bedtime read for fans of Goosebumps!
40 pages
Paperback: 5 B&W illustrations and 2 games
Ebook: 5 full-color illustrations
Don't clean your room!
Dust always seems to collect in strange places: on your dresser, behind the TV, and under your bed.
It's not random. There's something sinister going on. A hidden group is behind this.
And they have a plan.
Purchase information
Revenge of the Dust Bunnies is available from:
- Amazon in Kindle or Paperback.
- Directly from the author
Not ready to purchase?
Go to Goodreads and add it to your to-read list!
Other books by this author:
About the Author
Mike Kalmbach grew up in a forest near Lake Michigan. Spending his summers chasing wizards and fighting battles with evil ogres, Mike has always had a creative mind. He'll often share stories from his past, and some of them are even true.
After time dragged him from childhood, Mike moved into freelance editing, helping other authors improve dozens of stories. During the daylight hours, he writes software to help with genetics research. He leads the Rochester MN Writing group and often speaks on topics from writing and editing to engineering and robotics.
Luckily, Mike now has two sons, so he has plenty of excuses to set down the pen and play. He lives in Minnesota where he, his family, and a band of pirates can still be found battling ogres, dust bunnies, and even the occasional dragon.