Books published by Ten16 Press

The summer before her senior year of high school, Rosalee fell in love with George. By the next summer, George had broken her heart, and Rosalee was sure she'd never see him again.Forty years and a lifetime later, Rosalee's quiet, predictable life is turned upside down when she runs into George at a restaurant and discovers he's moved to town. George wants to reconnect, and while Rosalee's head isn't so sure that's a good idea, her heart is saying something different.It's a story about first love and second chances, family, friendship, and living life to the fullest.

Being dragged out of a car and shoved into a darkened trunk might make a normal girl feel helpless, but Meda isn't just any girl, and the boys who kidnapped her have no idea who or what they are dealing with.At seventeen years old, Meda is ripped from her family to train as a shape-shifting operative for the Agency. It's her job to seek out and discredit political figures. While on a high stakes mission, Meda is kidnapped by three teenage boys. It's the last thing she needs. She's behind schedule, and if the mission fails, her family pays the price. However, the longer she spends playing hostage, the more information she gathers on her kidnappers. Fueled by revenge, the boys are gathering intel on the Agency in hopes to take them down.Allegiance and family are tested to their limits as bullets fire from all sides. Meda finds herself caught in a political conspiracy that shakes her to her core, and it'll take all her strength to trust her own instincts and stop following orders.

Experience what it's like to spend over 4,000 miles riding across the country with the Women's Freedom Ride in Kickstands Up!Divorced, in her fifties and tired of watching other people living interesting lives on television, Paula O'Kray wanted something new to write about. With only a few hours experience on long motorcycle rides, Paula made the decision to ride across the United States with the Women's Freedom Ride. She found what she was looking for, and a whole lot more.Join Paula on a two-week odyssey as she rides across the states experiencing highs and lows, fun times and danger, sharing laughter, gifts, advice, and deep emotions in a learning curve that's more like a cliff. You'll also learn about the important bonds of new friendships and the support of readers, friends and family that allowed Paula to sustain the harsh conditions she faced on and off the road. You'll feel like you're right there with her on the bike!

Bury yourself alive with the first published play of Oliver Bestul! First performed on April 27th of 2019.

A Marshland of His Own is author Gavin Zastrow's first-time experience with death. Twenty-six years ago, Gavin's friend committed suicide. One year later, he decided at the urging of his friends, family, and teachers to turn that experience from a short story into a book. This book was written from the point of view of a high school student. Outside of grammatical changes and minor edits, all the thoughts and events hold true to that high school voice. A Marshland of His Own is divided into three parts: mourning, mending, and moving on, which follows the grief process Gavin went through and how, through that process, he learned to heal and move on with his life. This event marked the turning point between the end of the naivety of childhood and the beginning of the complexities of adulthood.

This book is the ultimate guide to family fun in and around Milwaukee.Find ideas for every season that will help you make memories to last a lifetime. Soak up summer with visits to new water parks and splash pads, berry picking spots, free summer concerts, and kid-friendly festivals. When fall hits, find the best apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and unique Halloween events. Make the most of winter with sledding and tubing hills, toboggan runs, ice skating rinks, horse-drawn sleigh rides, and holiday fun. And as the weather warms up again in the spring, learn about maple sugaring and venture out on a kid-friendly hike.All year round, explore the arts, nature, live theater, museums, state parks, local tours, gardens, zoos, and festivals that make Milwaukee a great place for kids and families.Happy exploring!

At least you have the "good" cancer!You go girl; you've got this!Good for you-Now, you can use this as motivation!What do you say to someone who has just been hit with the gut-punch of a cancer diagnosis, or in my case, stage III, aggressive breast cancer? How are we supposed to navigate the life-altering roller coaster rides of life with any amount of grace when all we really want to do is scream? When facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, how do we prevent ourselves from falling headfirst into the abyss of fear, doubt, mutilation, and yes . . . hopelessness?THIS IS MY STORY.No concretes. No panaceas. No prescriptive, five-step plan to deal with the fight of your life. I certainly don't have the answers. No one does. These are simply the unfiltered truths of my journey of harnessing a hidden warrior princess mentality to battle hurricane gale-force winds of adversity. Feel free to insert your own moniker for "cancer." We all encounter adversity. Sometimes it's a knock down, drag-out experience. How we wipe off the blood and iron out the kinks in our armor is what matters. That's what makes life, well . . . life. Let's navigate it together with a few giggles, eyebrow raises, and tears along the way. It's true. Together, we are better.

Dan Novice, an American detective, and his social worker wife, Karen, now both retired, embark on the promise they made to spend more time together. They have rented a cottage in the quaint Irish village of Ballyram for three months. Their plans include visiting tourist sites, eating out, and interacting with the villagers. It doesn’t take long for the plan to be challenged when a prominent villager, Lord O’Connor is murdered and Dan and Karen stumble upon the scene.Local Sergeant Peter Quinn heads the investigation and engages Dan’s experience as a detective in solving the crime. As the case proceeds, villagers seek to deflect suspicion from themselves, implicate their neighbors, address personal secrets brought to light, and avoid being victims themselves. Conflict occurs between Dan and Karen when Dan is drawn back into a job he still loves, while Karen is left to fill her days alone. Karen, a smart and dedicated professional in her own right, becomes involved in her own investigation of the secrets of Ballyram and its residents. As she plumbs their depths, her inquiries lead to unexpected and nearly fatal consequences.

Do you have a secret?More than likely you do, or you know somebody who does. Often times a secret will tell you “You’re not good enough” or “You are alone.” Whether it’s a secret involving drugs, depression, abuse, or suicide, the secret has one lie . . . You Can’t Tell Anybody! In Secrets Anonymous, you will read Terrence’s personal story as well as messages and notes written to him from students across the country after they experienced a school assembly program that spreads the message that “You are loved” and “You are not alone.”No matter what your secret is, in this book you will find a similar story of a real student that is experiencing the same thing. The details may not be the same, but the feelings will. Some letters end positively and some not so much, but it’s all real. Whether you’re the friend looking to help a friend deal with a secret or you yourself are holding one, you will get some answers and knowledge that will give you comfort and hope.

"If you are exploring the possibility of getting involved with foster care, or are already involved in this profoundly difficult yet rewarding place, then this book is a must read for you. You'll find the insight, encouragement, and hope you need no matter where you are on your journey."- Jason Johnson, author of "ReFraming Foster Care" and "Everyone Can Do Something"This story is an account about engaging in foster care: how it opened our eyes, our hearts, and changed the way we live our life. We entered foster care in ignorance of a complex system full of people who live and hurt differently than we do. The more time my family and I spent involved with foster care, the more people we met who opened our eyes to the hurt around us. This is a narrative of our journey in foster care, an educational resource, but even more a story of how we learned to see others - how we learned to love.

Even as a kid, Art read poems and liked poetry. His fifth grade teacher asked him to write a poem to go with a wedding present she was giving. The next poem, "Abloom," written in 1953, was inspired by his daughter when she broke out with measles as a baby. That was followed by "A Periodical Question" inspired by a scene he witnessed at the Muskegon Public Library in 1965.It wasn't until he was invited to a poets group meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin several years ago that Art began to write poems on a regular basis. "Living on Borrowed Time" appeared in 50's Plus, a paper aimed at senior citizens, in March of 2016. "A Quiet Interest" appeared in Across the Fence Post, the newsletter of the Wisconsin Federation of Stamp Clubs. Art will be turning 95 years old in October of this year.

"A unique and exciting suspense story from a promising newcomer, richly embedded with local details . . ."- Youtube's The Exploring Series In 1903, the world marches toward modernity. The first World Series of baseball has been held, and everyday technology, from carriages to telephones, changes and pivots with each sunrise. The natural world is encroached upon and also offered new protection under dramatic new steps of a bold Theodore Roosevelt. Yet Chicago Tribune reporter Roger Merrick has been charged with investigating a curious piece of the older world: the grand Fountain Spring House of Waukesha, Wisconsin. Now past its heyday of resort tourism, its precipitous decline proves to be a denser mystery than the Chicagoan first anticipated. Wandering amidst whispers of folklore, threat, and mounting dread, Roger seeks to uncover the truth while preserving his reputation and very livelihood.

Please Send Hats tells Laura Clark-Hansen's moving and often hilarious story of cancer survival. She combines vibrant reflections on her Baby Boomer past as she tells the story about the transformative power that cancer can have as it . . . Rearranges the present . . . Evokes memories of the past, and . . . Forever changes the future.Please Send Hats emphasizes the importance of early detection, teaches the warning signs of ovarian cancer that we can all be watchful for, while providing hope and inspiration for survivors, their caregivers, and their loved ones.The overall message is one of hope and healing as it follows her journey to rebuild, reclaim, and revitalize a life battered and bruised by illness.

"One man's journey on a bicycle ride across country is the spine of Cycling Nomad 1982. However, the story is rich with life lessons that will remind you of your life ride. Dave Simon re-examines his summer of 1982 and his book will stir you to re-examine your life as well - because what is personal is universal."- Bob Delaney, retired NBA Referee, author of "Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob" and "Surviving the Shadows"In 1982, while living in Milwaukee, WI, Dave Simon bought a bicycle, accessories, camping gear, trained for several months, then rode across 3,500+ miles in the United States and Canada. Adding in extra miles where he caught rides or hopped trains, he covered a total of close to 5,000 miles over almost four months.This is his journey.Simon's account captures the core of the United States and Canada in 1982 in its people and scenery. The sweat, pain, discoveries, and joys will resonate with bicyclists and those wanting to break out of their day-to-day life and take on a tough challenge. But his chronicles are not just for the adventuresome. Simon's narrative of the journey is peppered with keen insights, ideas, observations and revelations that will stay with the reader long after the book is put down.

"Such a needed, fun, and insightful book! It is packed with so much wisdom and great story telling. Navigating this important life change with Nancy will leave you feeling uplifted and inspired."-Ariane de Bonvoisin, Best-selling author, The First 30 DaysShould I sell my house? Where should I go? How do I get rid of all this stuff? What can I do so I am not a burden to my kids? These are the questions senior citizens face. In Early Birds Flock Together, Nancy Runner shares a personal story of moving from her city of thirty-five years to a new community, new apartment, and new people. Woven throughout are humorous anecdotes about dealing with change, frustrating senior moments, accepting eccentric people, and maintaining good relationships with adult children.

"She was not the kind of girl you would whip your head around for on a path to class, but the more Craig gazed at her, the prettier she got." How do you meet someone you don't even know? How does a boy without a purpose fall in love with a girl who has her whole life planned? Craig and Abby meet by chance but are soon confronted by the possibility that they are only in love with the idea of each other and not the reality. As they discover themselves, the sense of raw emotion, felt for the first time, fills them with excitement, confusion, and hope.