New local books
‘A Trilogy of Contemplative Christian Devotionals’
C.J. Lee of Kalispell has recently self-published a book through Christian Faith Publishing titled “A Trilogy of Contemplative Christian Devotionals,” a Scripture-based collection of poetry and devotionals for prayer and meditation with an overall theme of faith and trust in a loving God.
To help facilitate meditation, Scriptures are listed with each devotional and some are accompanied by a prayer.
Lee is a retired clinical social worker in private practice.
Readers can purchase “A Trilogy of Contemplative Christian Devotionals” at bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.
For additional information, contact Christian Faith Publishing at 866-554-0919.
‘Terror of the Sea’
Richard J. Reed of Kalispell recently self-published through Scott Publishing a novel titled “Terror of the Sea.”
While a work of fiction, Reed includes historical facts and timelines, particularly with regard to the embargo placed on North Korea.
The suspense novel begins: “The cruise ship the Norwegian Joy left Miami, FL and was sailing with a crew of 3,900 passengers and a crew of 2,000 on board … Nowhere could a person feel more pamper or more secure than aboard a huge late model cruise ship. But all was not what it appeared to be, lurking beneath the sea was a North Korean nuclear attack submarine directly in the path of the Norwegian Joy.”
Reed’s cast of characters range from the U.S. president, CIA chief and Secretary of Defense to the head of the Russian KGB and North Korean premier.
Reed served four years in the U.S. Air Force as a munitions specialist and gunner in the Korean War.
To obtain a copy of his book, contact the author at 752-6029 or online at www.scottpublishingcompany.com/store
‘A Normal Life: Mish Kid and Prisoner of War’
John “Mac” MacDonald of Missoula has just issued a book detailing his experiences as a prisoner of war under the Japanese in World War II in the Philippines. Titled “A Normal Life: Mish Kid and Prisoner of War,” the book outlines the story of his missionary family during the harrowing years they were imprisoned by the Japanese from 1942 to 1945.
Age 14 at the time of his family’s capture by the Japanese, MacDonald, now 90, has been a resident of Stevensville and Missoula since his retirement from the U.S. Air Force in 1969 — a career he pursued four years after returning to the United States in 1945 at the age of 16, just before the war ended.
He details the day-to-day struggle of the internees to stay alive during their imprisonment as both a starvation diet and threats of brutality were constant factors in the camp. MacDonald uses both text and period photographs to tell his story.
MacDonald has lived in the Stevensville and Missoula area since his retirement from the Air Force, where he served as a pilot, flying 130 combat missions over Communist lines in Korea.
His book is available at area bookstores, gift shops and other outlets, or direct from Stoneydale Press, 523 Main St., Stevensville, MT 59870; 406-777-2729 or www. stoneydale.com
‘The Ultra Big Sleep’
Published in 2016, Patrick Swenson’s latest science fiction novel “The Ultra Big Sleep” is a sequel to “The Ultra Thin Man,” which debuted in 2014.
As a child Swenson lived near Shelby and then moved to Kalispell from where he graduated high school. He received his master’s degree in education in 2000 and currently teaches AP literature, creative writing, science fiction, honors 10 lit and journalism at Auburn Riverside High School in Auburn, Washington.
He has sold stories to the anthologies “Unfettered III,” and “Like Water for Quarks,” and magazines such as MZB’s Fantasy Magazine, Figment and others.
Swenson was recently featured on Montana-born science fiction author’s Lancer Kind’s podcast SciFi Thoughts for recent episodes 22 through 27. The internet radio show’s mission is to expand what science fiction means by exploring the genre in movies and literature through intelligent and engaging discussion. SciFi Thoughts uses advanced sound engineering to produce each five to10-minute episode. The SciFi Thoughts podcast can be found online at https://lancerkind.com/listen-to-the-scifi-thoughts-podcast/ The show is available and can be subscribed to via iTunes or Stitcher.
‘Feronia’s Call – A Hollywood Tale’
Lisa Bonaccorso has self-published her debut novel titled “Feronia’s Call – A Hollywood Tale.”
The story takes place in both California and Montana. Her main character Tess maps out a plan to rebuild her life after unexpectedly being fired from a crew position on a TV show where she quietly endured harassment. Devastated, yet determined, she resolves to come back bigger, stronger and running the show as the producer of her own film. As she dives into the unknown world of filmmaking, her winding path takes her in directions she could never have predicted.
A graduate of Boston University, Bonaccorso continues to work in the motion picture and TV industry as a camera assistant. After working in New York City mainly on indie films, she moved to Los Angeles to work on features films, “Rush Hour,” “Payback,” “The Fast and the Furious” and others, as well as TV series including “The West Wing,” “Bones” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Bonaccorso moved to Montana in 2010 and now resides in Kalispell.
“Feronia’s Call” can be purchased on Amazon. It is also available on Instagram: @feroniascall.