Books published by Piscataqua Press

I want this book to be allowed to make no coherent sense because much of life is absurd. Yet I also want us to caress the inner rhinoceros, the one who forgets things, listens only partially, procrastinates, misses edits, second guesses, and barges through situations. We can evolve, bit by bit.

"From dawn to sunseta daylily blooms just once; its survival brief in the patterns of life.A dozen more disguiseits demise with the next sunrise.Strength comes with thefresh bloom of the new day, weakens as the light fades."(from "Strength to Survive")

Skunk on the Potty is a comprehensive, imaginative and entertaining book for readers of all ages.This charming, genre-bending narrative has been created to teach the topic of waste-water treatment.Where does it go after we go?Follow Zorillo the skunk through this brilliant story as Rick Rotifer, master plumber, explains the ins and outs of turbulent flow.

TURNING EIGHTY"I can't believe it," she said,"You can't possibly be eighty."She seemed truly shocked.Most people seem surprised(Or so they say) when they find outHow old I am, and I takeTheir reactions as compliments.It's great when people tell youYou don't look your age.The only problem is that you areYour age.

The devastating accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union, occurred on April 26, 1986. On April 29, Alexander A. Borovoi, an atomic physicist with the Kurchatov Institute in Moscow, was ordered to Chernobyl to help measure and control the release of lethal radioactive materials. He stayed for twenty-three years. In My Chernobyl, first published in 1996-at which time, the Russian magazine New World called it the best work of journalism for that year-Borovoi writes of his first two years at Chernobyl, when the initial response to the catastrophe was as a rule heroic, but unfortunately, not always effective. Although My Chernobyl touches on technical aspects of dealing with the uncontrolled release of radioactivity from the damaged nuclear reactor, Borovoi tells stories-sometimes humorous, sometimes chilling-of people charged with different aspects of the cleanup, as well as some who were directly affected by the tragedy. Told in an engaging style, My Chernobyl is a personal and unforgettable story of an international crisis. Borovoi's calm, levelheaded, and human responses to both the original meltdown and the problems created by ill-founded attempts to manage the disaster contain lessons for our world today, as new crises continually loom on the horizon.

Kids in Costume is written with students in grades K-2 in mind. Story structures are carefully chosen and glued together by familiar sight words. Print layout and supportive pictures lift the reader and new vocabulary is clearly defined.

It's a beautiful morning and Grandma is getting ready for the day when there is a knock on the door! What's this? A rollerskating dog? Things will never be the same on the Itty Bitty Hill Farm now that Ella May is here!

Death is not life's final stop. There are worse ends. Two brothers, once disciples of the Pharoah Akhenaten, reincarnate in seventeenth century France. From Spain to Morocco to Egypt, one is determined to rule, the other to protect.Horemheb, driven to destroy his brother and end their ancient rivalry, invites an African shaman to assist in recovering ancient artifacts of power that will ensure his dominance. Twice before, these artifacts have raised and then destroyed civilization.The other, René Gilbert, escapes from the murderous sultan of Morocco, closely followed by the sultan's personal guard, the Bukhari. Trained from childhood, these assassins live to kill.Now, in the blockbuster conclusion to the Sun God's Heir trilogy, René must find a way to fulfill a commitment made lifetimes ago. His long journey across the ages hurtles toward its climax, with the fate of his soul, and perhaps our very world, in the balance.

Mr. Muffins lives a pretty normal life. He goes to school and plays with his toys.But one day, Mr. Muffins pulls a little too hard on his leash while barking at a squirrel, and everything changes.

It's just another beautiful morning on Itty Bitty Hill Farm until Grandma finds out that all the treats are gone! So Grandma does the only thing she can do. She bakes her famous Monkey Man Treats...

Poems from the Blue Ridge is a work of art. Indeed, two works of art in a single volume. On the one hand, a compendium of poems-inspiring poems, complex poems, playful poems-and on the other hand, a collection of sketches-inspiring sketches, complex sketches, playful sketches. The reader will return to these pages time and again to contemplate the art of the written word and to appreciate the art of illustration. Skim through a few pages. You will immediately wish to own this book!www.alexanderterweele.com

Miss Lulu is a teacher. She likes to explore yard sales and old barns for interesting objects she can share with her class. On one warm summer day in Vermont, Lulu is just about to give up searching for the day when something unusual catches her eye... Denise Tiralla resides in Kensington, NH with her husband, two daughters and small collection of vintage cars. Jessica Guercia lives in Conway, NH with her dog "Loafie." She spends her days making art and enjoying the outdoors. Stu is a1962 Studebaker Lark that was built in South Bend, Indiana.

No one can truly guesshow free I feelwiththe arrival of spring,really May, as if every-thingis no longer under-groundandruns, flops, flashesforall on the prejudicedmudl-

Pep Talks is the inspiration you need to get up and out and start working on your art!Sue Anne Bottomley is a New Hampshire native.Raised in NH and Massachusetts, and an art majorat the University of New Hampshire, she left the areaafter her college graduation to live in WashingtonState, Maryland, and England. After many years away,she returned to live in New London, NH, in 2008.Her first book was "Colorful Journey: An Artist'sAdventure Drawing Every Town In New Hampshire."

Scott Pennell witnessed something horrible on Halloween night, 1969 - he found the body of his girlfriend, Kacey Wymer, impaled upon the stick shift of his car. Kacey's brutal murder affected him so intensely, that he lost all memory of that time in his life…until 20 years later, when he returns to Columbus, Georgia to start a new job. One of the first persons he meets is a beautiful woman, Macey Garner, who not only lives in the same complex, but who was, also, in line for the promotion that went to Scott. Macey recognizes Scott immediately, because she is Kacey Wymer's twin sister. The next two months introduces other members of the Wymer family, as well as the dark secrets they have kept hidden for 20 years. Has the real murderer been living among them all these years? Why was Kacey killed in such a brutal manner? Was Scott really involved, but just doesn't remember? What other secrets is the killer trying to hide, and will he/she kill again to keep those secrets hidden forever?

Three Portsmouth wars in the last thirty years? Impossible! If there are no "Materialist Magicians" doing evil, how can there be any "elves" working to stop them? How could you visit other worlds without dying?Last year, Janjan Javorski's friend Leda disappeared from their house in Portsmouth. Nobody knows where she went. This year Leda comes back to visit - from the next world over, where people become elves. She has a weird story to tell. When Janjan wonders where her own life is headed, Leda asks her to be an Elf Friend.Things get weirder when Coran, immortal king of the Fae, invites Janjan to walk the road around the human worlds with him and all the travelers wrapped in light. Eternal youth, really?Oh, and Jackson, Janjan's handsome new boyfriend? He's a Materialist Magician who's been sent to Portsmouth to cut people off from the elves by sending them to the Fae. Will he take their relationship to the next level-by killing her?When Jackson's master stalks her, Janjan escapes to the fae-road. But where is the real land of heart's desire? Will she live with the Fae forever, or will she inquire into the painful mystery of the invisible elf-charm Leda gave her? The going gets weird once again in Joining Janjan. This second Portsmouth Paranormal Romance is the sequel to Loving Leda.

Shanna has a friend named Irga. Shanna loves to play with Irga. Until today, Irga has been Shanna's secret imaginary friend. Today is Shanna's fifth birthday. Shanna's friends are coming to lunch to celebrate, with presents and cake too. Also, a magician is coming as a big surprise for Shanna and all her friends. SHH, don't tell! Shanna wants Irga to be at her party too. Shanna is so happy. It is going to be a Very Special Day! Deby Gervais is an author living in Newburyport with her husband and Shih tzu Kanji. As children, innocence lets our imagination take us to places that are safe. As adults we relive our imaginary thoughts and dreams by reading stories to our children and grandchildren. My daughter Lynsey's imagination and our shared enthusiasm for reading is how Shanna Poe's Imaginary World came to be. Everyday with Shanna Poe is A Very Special Day. Ellen Topoitzer is a freelance illustrator living in Western Massachusetts. With a love of picture books from a very early age, she has always had an incredible passion for all sorts of art and literature. However in the end she is really just a girl whose heart belongs to storytelling.

The year is 2016, but you wouldn't know it if you walked into Murray Segal's typewriter shop. The machines are a throwback to a bygone era, much like Murray himself.A mysterious old Underwood gives Murray a chance to play detective, but when he is visited by dangerous men who make him an offer he can't refuse, the peril is very real.Murray and his wife Janice find themselves on the run in northern Maine, their lives at stake. But that doesn't mean they can't make the most of their undercover lives, enjoy a good meal, and retell old jokes in the way that only a long-married couple can.Still, the mystery of the typewriter looms, and Murray and Janice must unlock its secret before the past catches up with them.

History affords us with many examples of individuals of principle who were either alone in their efforts or were part of a decided minority. They may have found themselves separated from the majority due to propinquity or circumstance, or they may have placed themselves in such position due to deep-seated beliefs, or an occasioned wisdom, or even just bad luck. But they stood, and because of that they will always stand the test of time. They knew they would fall victim to what Lincoln referred to as "positive Enmity." No doubt many of them were familiar enough with human nature to have cause for alarm and to know in advance that their actions would cost them everything; yet they chose to follow the right path anyway. This is their story. Michael L. Hastings is a former soldier and current advocate of conservation issues. After attending the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, he served a number of years in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For the past two decades, he has worked in the construction industry producing paving materials used in the production and maintenance of transportation systems. He resides in his hometown of Barrington, New Hampshire.

For three thousand years a hatred burns. In seventeenth century France two souls incarnate, one born the child of a prosperous merchant, the other, determined to continue an incarnation begun long ago. In ancient Egypt, there were two brothers, disciples of the pharaoh, Akhenaten. When the pharaoh died, the physician took the knowledge given and went to Greece to begin a mysterious school. The general made a deal with the priests and became pharaoh. One remembers, one does not. Now the year is 1671. René Gilbert's destiny glints from the blade of a slashing rapier. The only way he can protect those he loves is to regain the power and knowledge of an ancient lifetime. From Bordeaux to Spain to Morocco, René is tested and with each turn of fate he gathers enemies and allies, slowly reclaiming the knowledge and power earned centuries ago. For three thousand years a secret sect has waited in Morocco. After ages in darkness, Horemheb screams, "I am." Using every dark art, he manages to maintain the life of the body he has bartered for. Only one life force in the world is powerful enough to allow him to remain within embodiment, perhaps forever. Determined to continue a reign of terror that once made the Nile run red, he grows stronger with each life taken.