Books published by Lucky Valley Press

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONLooking for John Steinbecka novel by Ginna GordonLooking for John Steinbeck is the first novel in Ginna Gordons multi-volume Lavandula Series, the story of the Wyman Family, of Carmel Valley, California.Book One joins the family int he 1960s as the Wheel of Life turns at Sweet Farm, the Wyman Homestead. The focus is on three sisters: Rita, Nana and Fox, and their three daughters: Tate, Stevie and Jolene, cousins and friends, as they tell the story in their own words.Sweet Farm is a colorful compound full of women, their men, children, elders and friends. They breathe the air of Carmel Valley, filled with the scent of their lavender growing on ten fertile acres. The women are restless. The men are nervous. The girls are growing up in the 60s and tyheir generation will become known as Baby Boomers, Flower Children, Hippies, Yuppies, the ME generation; they will be affected by the Vietnam War, Rock & Roll, revolutions from sexual to political and other dramatic social changes.But, mostly, they will be dealing with their loves, their children and their homes as they are touched by all the concerns mentioned above.

Honey Baby Darlin' is a multi-volume series memoir about cooking, love and the love of cooking, in which many beloved characters help to develop a young girl's consciousness about food, the art of nurturing, and the kitchen. It tracks the journey of a girl cook on her quest to create beauty, to nurture, to comfort and to please palates: to hear the sighs of the well-fed.

AUTHORS NOTE:Sweet Farm is the stage on which our players play. It is a Carmel Valley, California Lavender Farm of some local reknown. It is also the home of a revolving cast of characters all somehow related to the Wyman clan: farmers, artists, writers, musicians. They bond and clash in unusual ways as they create their lives one breath at a time.The women are restless. The men are nervous. The girls are growing up in the 60s and they and their peers will become known as Baby Boomers, Flower Children, Hippies, Yuppies, the ME generation; they will be affected by the Vietnam War, Rock & Roll, revolutions from sexual to political, and dramatic social change. But, mostly, they deal with their loves, children and homes as they relate to and are touched by those issues described above.Deke Interrupted, Book Two in The Lavandula Series, begins with Stevie mapping her first sexual encounter and Jolene working out some guilt, while Tate and her mother get a big surprise.There's more, of course. There's always more

After decades of singing Bach's music and lecturing about Bach and the world of the early 18th century, renowned Bach tenor David Gordon has compiled his favorite material into one volume. The Little Bach Book is a light-hearted scholarly look at Bach and the world around him, with a special focus on Leipzig, the city where he lived for 27 years and wrote most of his great masterworks.Assembled and written by a master lecturer and story teller, this is an eclectic selection of historical anecdotes, scholarly explanations, gee-whiz factoids, vintage illustrations, time lines, bits of pathos, facts about daily life, and true stories about Bach and his world in the 1700s.In the 18th century, what did people drink instead of water? How did Bach light his home, and how did he write his music? Which concert killed Bach's principal trumpeter? How many of Bach's 20 children lived to be adults? What happened to Anna Magdalena after Bach died? What is the puzzle inside Bach's monogram? What did people eat and drink in Bach's time? What was the job application Bach sent to Dresden? What did everyone do just before getting into bed? How many church services did Bach oversee each week? What happened at the organ duel in Dresden? Why did Bach tell his cousin not to send him any more free wine? What was Bach's actual job description in Leipzig? How often did people do the laundry?The Little Bach Book is filled with fascinating and sometimes unexpected answers to these and many other questions. The scholarship is serious, and the stories are fun, surprising,  and heartwarming!150 pages, richly ilustrated, even a recipe for beer soup...

Today, marriage is inclusive, and the true meaning remains: a devoted loving relationship. These thoughts on love and relationships are fresh and timeless, and the accompanying illustrations are ... priceless. The Wise Ones of the Second Grade Class have created the perfect gift: a book of instructions - straight from their hearts - to establish a good and lasting partnership. May you have a long and beautiful life, filled with joy and happiness and all that comes from loving deeply. And remember to "use school rules."

The circumstances and challenges of our time call for wise counsel and disciplined practice. "Jesus and the Practice of the Golden Rule - A Book of Hours" offers each of us just these gifts. Here is an inspired companion to daily prayer and generous service. What began for the author as a study of the golden rule in its several iterations became a deeper consideration of the transforming power of empathy and forgiveness that Jesus brought to this principle which lies at the heart of all of the world's religions and great philosophies. The format of the book is taken from books of hours, the devotional resources of the Middle Ages designed to nurture the spiritual lives of lay Christians. It is arranged in seven days, Sunday through Saturday, setting aside four times during each day, Morning, Day, Evening, and Night, for reading, meditation, and prayer. The readings are from the Christian scriptures and the Hebrew psalms, and the prayers are from several religious traditions. Included in the prayers, introits, and benedictions are poetry and comments by the author. "Jesus and the Practice of the Golden Rule - A Book of Hours" is intended to be a useful devotional tool in the real life practice of the golden rule. It is not about doctrine; rather it is about energizing the practice of loving God and your neighbor. It will help feed your soul and expand your service to those around you. All the proceeds from the sale of this book will be contributed to UNICEF, in support of their work improving the lives of children around the world.