Books published by Apprentice House

On a hot summer day in 2009, Dave Sandler's life took its biggest detour. He dropped dead on a softball field, but God was not ready to take him. Taking a Detour, describes the many health obstacles and professional challenges he overcame when a cure for cancer caused unforeseen-and catastrophic-health problems decades later. Each chapter is punctuated with important life lessons that will inspire and motivate readers to persevere through their most difficult challenges.

Sage Barnaby never asked for this soulless and friendless existence, but despite being unwelcome, the darkness found her and made her its companion. When her sister fell sick Sage became desperate, so she turned to the one malevolent thing that could reverse her sister's fate, but she was cheated. In a final effort for redemption, Sage summons her guardian angel, which just happens to be the most beautiful and arrogant creature in Heaven and Hell. They embark on a grim and twisted journey to uncover a sacred object that might have the power to save her soul. Sage and the angel face a series of challenges that test their loyalty and their morality, and together, they come to discover that their quest decide more than Sage's fate alone. Sage Barnaby gave up everything to save her sister, but she died anyway. Now she has nothing left to lose, and that makes her very, very dangerous. "e;This powerful first novel tells a riveting and supernatural story of angelic forces pitted against the power of the devil. An intimate account of betrayal and salvation that requires no translation to engage us."e; - Anthony Laurino, retired publishing executive at Penguin"e;If any young writer knows how to channel the traditions of gothic fantasy and horror to spin an elegant tale full of beauty and bad things, it's Bret Bucci."e; - Kenny Herzog, Pop-Culture Critic

Washington, D.C., 1996-1997: German professor Dave Bell suspects he''s Ungeminnt-cursed with the inability to love or be loved. Tormented by nightmares and confused flashbacks, he''s haunted by a half-remembered clandestine mission in Vietnam and by the myth of Trion, the Greek demigod who disemboweled his infant son to demonstrate his ferocity. Dave discovers an unpublished novella by Thomas Mann based on the Trion myth and believes he sees himself. Friendless, Dave is betrayed by his colleagues and accused of sexual harassment. He loses his job, his wife divorces him, his children refuse to see him. At his lowest point, he remembers what happened in Vietnam: he killed a child. As he considers ending his life the way Trion did-by drowning-the illegitimate son he''d paid to have aborted, now a grown man, finds him.

For over twenty years, the Maryland Writers'' Association (MWA) has fostered a literary arts community that supports and connects writers from across the state. The MWA is comprised of seven chapters spanning seven Maryland counties, and growing. Our diverse membership ranges from experienced professional freelancers and published authors, to emerging writers aspiring to be published, and to those who write as a creative outlet. Members produce both nonfiction and fiction, including novels, short stories, poetry, plays, speeches, feature articles, and essays. This year for the first time, the MWA partnered with Apprentice House to publish the winners of the 2014-2015 contest. The MWA received over two hundred submissions for the novel and short works categories combined. We are proud to present this anthology of winners from the short works submissions. This collection is a synergy of voices from Maryland and beyond, deftly undertaking themes such as humanity and loss with elegance and intensity. "This collection traverses the Mason-Dixon line and the Potomac. The stories and poems cross boundaries of geography and the human condition. Maryland, considered ''America in Miniature,'' is a diverse state and this anthology, skillfully crafted, is one of its prizes." -Jason Tinney, author of Ripple Meets the Deep, winner of Baltimore Magazine''s Best Book of 2015

Over his fourteen years of age, Alex McGregor's world has thrived inside the borders of his rural Pennsylvania town; to an outsider, his life is as picturesque as the rolling hills and peaceful farms surrounding his home. His father, Michael, and mother, Lauren, attempt to correct the mistakes of their pasts through the auspiciousness of their son. The family's pristine appearance is shattered, however, when Michael falls ill to a strange lung infection. The internal tension of the family, building for years, explodes as Michael and Lauren separate, heading for a divorce. Alex can only watch as Michael's health fades, Lauren becomes estranged, and his entire world collapses around him. What none of them could've expected is that a more sinister illness might be hiding underneath Michael's ailments, one which threatens to take the life the family built and shatter it into a million pieces. Through resilience, love, maturity, and the undying perseverance of the human spirit, The Hard Way Back to Heaven serves as a testament to the power of hope.

Jump inside this amazing, original golf book...Filled with the ABCΓÇÖs of success to life and the game of golf, this book is written by the very people who have achieved fame and fortune in their respective golf-related field. Historically compelling and just plain fun to read, Wisdom For A Young Golfer will fascinate those golfers new to the game, as well as the serious golf historian and weekend hacker. You will not be able to put these compelling letters down until you have reached the very last page. Then you will want to share this rich knowledge with someone close to you, even if they have never picked up a driver or putter in their life. Wisdom For A Young Golfer includes letters from Greg Norman, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, and many more.A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit The First Tee. The First TeeΓÇÖs mission is to positively impact young people with educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.

The book comprises the work of Danuta E. Kosk-Kosicka across a range of media: her own poems and essays, as well as her translations of the Poland-based poet Lidia Kosk (who is also her mother). The poems share themes and speak to each other across geographical and generational barriers. Lidia Kosk survived both World War II and the Communist regime that the Soviet Union introduced in Poland after the war; it was then the martial law imposed by that regime in 1981 that decided that her daughter would settle permanently in the States. In the essays, Danuta E. Kosk-Kosicka reveals how she, a scientist who arrived in the USA on a postdoctoral fellowship in biochemistry, has over the years turned to writing and translating poetry. The book is a set of meditations on history, family, identity, and border-crossings-for countries, languages, and senses of self.

Drops on the Water is a book about the childhood experiences of a father and son, and their gradual entrance into adulthood. It traces the similarities and differences between distinct generations in their unique geographical environments. From the suburbs and fairgrounds of the United States to the majesty and beauty of the Swiss Alps, from a beach in Nicaragua to a gum plantation in Zululand, these stories jump between Europe and America, east and west coast, and the African continent. They trace the inheritance of World War II, of German nationality, of the shock of a friend''s suicide to a classmate''s overdose. The anxieties of early love and rural small town life are balanced against changes seen in the familial sphere across generations. Apartheid inequities, corporal punishment in strict prep schools, a friend''s illicit affair with an African maid, hitchhiking barefoot, and a scheduled Ping-Pong match with the Prince of Lichtenstein, all coalesce in a book that brings to life the circumstances that bind its authors to history, family, generation, and place. Eric G. M├╝ller is a musician, teacher and writer living in upstate New York. He was born in Durban, South Africa, and studied literature and history at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. M├╝ller continued his studies in England and Germany before moving to America. He has published three novels and a collection of poetry. Matthew Zanoni M├╝ller was born in Bochum, Germany and grew up in Eugene, Oregon and Upstate New York. After earning his BA from Emerson College, he received his MFA from Warren Wilson''s MFA Program for Writers. He teaches in his local Community College System and currently shuttles between western Mass and upstate New York. His writing has appeared in numerous magazines and journals and this is his first book.

In Hush, Don''t Tell Nobody Kyle Doty weaves a story about tragedy and forgiveness. Part poetic memoir, part present-day ruminations, this daring collection explores the complexity of human relationships, child abuse, and the Divine."As with abstract impressionist painting, the apparent simplicity of the poems in Hush, Don''t Tell Nobody belie a profound complexity and deep and satisfying richness. This is a major debut, and Kyle Doty is a poet to watch."- Charles Blackstone, managing editor of Bookslut and author of Vintage Attraction and The Week You Weren''t HereKyle Doty is a Middle School English teacher. He lives in Southwest Florida-Tropicalia-with his family, where he is at work on his next collection of poetry.

The Rethinking Emilie Frances Davis companion reader is a supplemental curriculum guide that expands the work on Emilie Davis that was started in the award-winning book Notes from a Colored Girl: The Civil War Pocket Diaries of Emilie Frances Davis (USC Press, May 2014) written by Karsonya Wise Whitehead. Curriculum designers from a range of content areas and grade levels offer common core aligned lesson plan sets for middle, high school, and college students that outline the scope and sequence and frame the organization of activities and assignments in a coherent fashion. Edited by Whitehead and Conra Gist, the reader includes Whitehead''s article-Forensic Herstor­ical Investigation: Redefining Emilie-which analyzes Whitehead''s method of active engagement, close reading, and archival research; and, Gist''s article-A Black Feminist Interpretation: Reading Life, Pedagogy, and Emilie-that uses a black feminist lens to explore the life of Emilie Davis. The user-friendly design of the book allows Davis''s life to be viewed through a transdisciplinary lens enabling teachers to work both across disciplines and beyond their own discipline to help students connect to the life of a 19th century free black woman.

Andrew Tollson, age twelve, runs away from his New Jersey home when his mother finds out he has been skipping school. Deep in the forest Andrew stumbles upon an ancient revolver, loaded with six rounds. Deeper in the forest he finds a door that takes him to another world entirely-a world in which guns don't exist. Paired up with an imaginative farm boy, Andrew encounters danger and dark magic in his adventures as a legendary gunfighter. However, he has a limit-he only has six bullets to spend, and his enemies are bent on closing the door that Andrew hopes will lead him back to his world.

In Sparking the Genius, Whitehead outlines the Critical Moments in American History that defined both the beginning of the early Civil Rights Movement-with the release of the Emancipation Proclamation-and the modern Civil Rights Movement in 1963. Starting with the Birmingham Campaign (Project C), Whitehead outlines, defines, and deconstructs five Critical Moments including the release of Dr. King''s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," the assassination of Medgar Evers, the March on Washington, and the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. With an introduction from Dr. Alicia Moore and Dr. La Vonne Neal, the book also includes an article on critical pedagogy by Dr. Conra Gist and a lesson plan for teaching the Woodson Lecture to K-16 students. Whitehead''s 2013 Carter G. Woodson Lecture is both a challenge and a call to action: Will you answer the call to help spark the genius?"Sparking the Genius is a gem that illuminates the African American struggle in the United States.- Daryl Michael Scott, Professor of History, Howard University, and President of ASALH"In the dynamic oratory voice of her father, who is a pastor, Whitehead challenges us to (re)spark the genius in not only ourselves, but to also spark this genius in those we come in contact with, especially the youth."- Janet Sims-Wood, Ph.D., National VP for Membership of ASALH"Sparking the Genius is a riveting call to action from Dr. Whitehead to all generations to fully embrace and learn from our Black History and Heritage." - Cheryl Clark, CEO, National Visionary Leadership Project"Karsonya Wise Whitehead is one of our new script-writers!"- La Vonne Neal, Dean, Northern Illinois University, College of Education

There are 325 languages spoken in the United States and over a million immigrants enrolled in federally funded English classes. Most are beginners. In this collection of poems, an ESL teacher and former expat illustrates her students'' struggles and triumphs by addressing their linguistic challenges and culture shock alongside broader social issues such as poverty, spousal abuse, religious traditions, illegal immigration, education, the role of women in other cultures, and the mental scars of war. Their stories are heart-breaking, uplifting, and tinged with unexpected humor that shines a new light on their place in America. "You will never think the same about immigrant workers and their children after you read these poems. And you will better appreciate the passion, frustration, pain and joy of those who teach English as a second language. A remarkable achievement in a few words."- Newt Gingrich, 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives"Elkin manages to capture the amusing without poking fun and to embody the heartbreaking without resorting to pity. Instead she employs the strong rhythms of accentual verse to explore what it is like to teach and to learn from students whose stories span the globe." -Sue Ellen Thompson, author of The Golden Hour and winner of the 2010 Maryland Author AwardJ.C. Elkin is a graduate of Bates College, Southern Connecticut State University, and the Defense Language Institute. Founder of The Broadneck Writers'' Workshop, she is a Pushcart Prize nominee whose work has been recognized by Poetry Matters, The Poetry Society of New Hampshire, and the Maryland Writers'' Association. An E.S.L. instructor at Anne Arundel Community College, she also works as a theater critic and singer, and makes her home on the Chesapeake Bay.

Christy Sampson-Kelly exposes a journey through the lived experience of being neither this nor that. Drinking in the world around her with a palate unrestricted by ancestry, her open and often privileged view as a perceived insider is vibrantly brought into focus. Whether echoing tenderness, perplexity or resiliency each poem is stitched to her richly interwoven and often blended identities. Taking the reader by the hand, she offers a glimpse into one most human way of being.