Susan Cronk

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About Susan Cronk
Finding new and interesting subjects to write about can be quite a challenge for an author, but at present Susan Cronk's futures file is quite full and growing everyday. The Missouri-born writer nurtures her curiosity, her love of history, and her lifelong interest in mystery, adventure, action, and suspense stories by rummaging through stacks of old documents, flipping through the pages of reference books, listening to stories from people of previous generations, digging into old newspapers, and trying to keep up with new releases from her favorite authors. Museums and research-focused libraries are among the author's favorite places to spend time in the real world, never forgetting that the virtual world also has a lot to offer.
Northwest Missouri, Nodaway County specifically, is the place that author Susan Cronk calls home, most of the time. It is where she was born and where she spent the first years of her life. But, as with many Missourians, the author has an adventurous side and is prone to wander. At present, through her online research she is exploring the nation, specifically the eastern part. Susan's latest effort has been to branch out creatively into the cozy mystery genre, publishing the first in her Cozy American Castle Mystery series, The End of Things at Dark Island, early in 2019. She believes that England, Scotland, Ireland, and Germany cannot be left to shoulder all the opportunities castles have to offer as far as mysteries go, so she's trying to do her part for the American side.
Susan has penned four nonfiction books, as of June 2019, with a fifth one slated for release soon. The author is also continuing her research for the Missouri Justice Project, a project she designed to collect and preserve the histories of Missouri's sheriffs, past and present. It is a large-scale project and is expected to continue for many years. In addition to that work, she continues to provide freelance assistance to historians and historical foundations, universities, agencies, and private companies around the nation to collect and preserve their history by conducting oral history interviews, transcribing recordings, and assisting with researching information and collecting documentation.
Author Susan Cronk is an avid reader and enjoys collecting and listening to audio books. Clive Cussler, Vince Flynn, Tom Clancy, Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell, John Grisham, David Baldacci, and James Patterson are among a long list of her favored authors. She's always on the lookout for the next great mystery, suspense, or action story.
Northwest Missouri, Nodaway County specifically, is the place that author Susan Cronk calls home, most of the time. It is where she was born and where she spent the first years of her life. But, as with many Missourians, the author has an adventurous side and is prone to wander. At present, through her online research she is exploring the nation, specifically the eastern part. Susan's latest effort has been to branch out creatively into the cozy mystery genre, publishing the first in her Cozy American Castle Mystery series, The End of Things at Dark Island, early in 2019. She believes that England, Scotland, Ireland, and Germany cannot be left to shoulder all the opportunities castles have to offer as far as mysteries go, so she's trying to do her part for the American side.
Susan has penned four nonfiction books, as of June 2019, with a fifth one slated for release soon. The author is also continuing her research for the Missouri Justice Project, a project she designed to collect and preserve the histories of Missouri's sheriffs, past and present. It is a large-scale project and is expected to continue for many years. In addition to that work, she continues to provide freelance assistance to historians and historical foundations, universities, agencies, and private companies around the nation to collect and preserve their history by conducting oral history interviews, transcribing recordings, and assisting with researching information and collecting documentation.
Author Susan Cronk is an avid reader and enjoys collecting and listening to audio books. Clive Cussler, Vince Flynn, Tom Clancy, Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell, John Grisham, David Baldacci, and James Patterson are among a long list of her favored authors. She's always on the lookout for the next great mystery, suspense, or action story.
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Author Updates
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Blog postDuring the last several weeks I've been spending a great deal of time watching news reports and political speeches, conferences, and debates. I have been listening to radio programs, and reading papers and articles from think tanks, magazines, newspapers, and academic scholars in an effort to learn more about the issues facing our country, the United States, but also the UK, Hong Kong, Australia, and other countries around the globe. People everywhere are fighting to preserve, restore, or obtai2 years ago Read more
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Blog post"Artificial Intelligence" or AI, as it's more commonly referred to, and its use in societies around the world is raising some interesting questions but the biggest of those relate to safety, privacy, and the potential for abuse of that technology by individuals, organizations, and anti-democratic governmental entities.
Anyone who has been following the issues in Hong Kong of late, as well as watching the documentaries related to Mainland China, North Korea, and Iran, know2 years ago Read more -
Blog postThe rough draft of the upcoming book, Thanks for the Hospitality But We Gotta Go, is complete and is now cooling its heels in its own little electronic cell for a while. Don't worry, it doesn't have a long sentence to serve. In the meantime, I have some design, layout, and cover issues to resolve. A bit of downtime and mental distance between a first draft and final draft of a manuscript is a tactic employed by many writers to allow them to come back in the editing phase and see areas that need2 years ago Read more
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Blog postWilliam Swinford, known to those who knew him locally as "Uncle Billy," served a two-year term as sheriff during the Civil War, 1862-1863. He was a farmer by trade, and later a hotel owner, and apparently very well liked in the community where he lived.
Sheriff Swinford was born in Harrison County, Kentucky on November 20, 1815 and moved to Nodaway County in 1856 from Putnam County, Indiana, to which his parents had previously relocated. He died in Maryville, Missouri on A2 years ago Read more -
Blog postThere is a lot going on in the world right now, from the continued unrest in the United States, largely related to the upcoming 2020 elections, to Brexit for the UK which will happen on October 31, 2019, the U.S. trade war with China and the implementation of tariffs on both sides, to the building of a wall on the U.S. Mexico border, the burning Amazon rain forest, the protests in Hong Kong and their resistance to Mainland China's increasing interference in the semi-autonomous region's governanc2 years ago Read more
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Blog postKeeping up with social media and online forums can be time-consuming. Between Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and a variety of others, hours upon hours of one's life is whittled away.
While they have a lot of positive attributes, especially for a writer, social media sites can also have some negatives. It seems that there is always someone spamming you, setting up spoofed accounts, or even trying to post inappropriate stuff to your timeline. So, it's time to go.
Those are2 years ago Read more -
Blog postThey've been around for as long as I can remember, since my parents were in grade school, actually. They're zip codes, five-digit numbers that allow the U.S. Postal service to route mail to district sorting facilities and on to local delivery offices, and finally to your home. And quite a few years back a four-digit extension was added in an effort to improve efficiency. But, someday, zip codes may become a thing of the past.
A few months back, I wrote about the problems that Nodawa2 years ago Read more -
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Blog postThe 1998 Chevy Astro van, which we dubbed "Green Lantern," finally gave its all at the end of May,
Memorial Weekend in fact, on my return trip from the Black Hills of South Dakota. Chevy built these vehicles tough. It's not the first Chevy we have owned, and may not be the last.
Its motor mind blew between two exits at North Platte, Nebraska. Big Red Towing came and moved us from I-80 to the next exit where we spent the night at the Flying J truck stop, ate a great2 years ago Read more -
Blog postUPDATED: June 2019
Compiled by Susan Cronk. Copyright. All rights reserved.(If you use this data or quote, please provide a back-link to this page, and attribute the author.)
On June 3, 1813, the office of sheriff was created in what was then called the Upper Louisiana Territory. It would later become known as the Missouri Territory, and then the state of Missouri.
Initially, the sheriffs in Missouri were elected to serve two-year terms and were not supposed to succe2 years ago Read more -
Blog postHoward Mantry and Effie Portchester will soon be on their way from New York to their next island adventure. This one takes them outside the Thousand Island region and up a river.
Up A River Without A Paddle?The title of the next book has been decided, but that's not it. You'll have to wait until November 1 for it to be revealed. But being "up a river without a paddle" is just how Howard and Effie may feel when they debark their boat and enter into a world secretive and som2 years ago Read more -
Blog postPhoto from WikipediaIt's all around us, falling on us from the sky, bubbling up from the springs underground, hidden in natural aquifers below the earth (and a new one discovered under the ocean off the East Coast), filling up the rivers (and farmland when the rivers can't hold it all), and the lakes (where the good fishing happens), and it floats around in some areas as giant ice cubes (icebergs). It freezes well, thaws quickly, boils well, evaporates, and then recycles itself, and it's one of2 years ago Read more
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Blog postIf that pack were any heavier and the hill
steeper, he'd probably tip over backward. Just say'n.
Original photo by @joelstylis on Unsplash.comFor the last couple of days I've been trying to increase miles ridden, as well as the tension on the bike, clicking up and down through the next two highest levels to mimic those monster hills west of town.
Through the window of a vehicle, they're not so intimidating, unless they're covered in snow and ice. Then they are, again, th2 years ago Read more -
Blog postEvery time you go out on a bicycle the potential is there to learn something new, and to relearn old lessons. This morning that was, for me, a reeducation in just how much a strong headwind can impede your progress, and a new lesson on packing lighter.
I set out this morning to ride the bike to town, an 8.5-mile journey. It should have presented few problems, as on the stationary bike I could average about fifteen to seventeen miles, on the next-to-last tension setting, and pedal fo2 years ago Read more -
Blog postThe research and writing of this book has, literally, taken years. There were times when I almost felt like I was being help captive by the Human Squirrel Cage. The publication deadline has been extended twice, in large part because many new pieces of information came to light and reading and careful consideration. In fact, up to the last few hours I was gathering information. I am glad to say:
WHEW! IT'S DONE!
The final book is 424 pages and over 90,000 words. A good-size chunk2 years ago Read more -
Blog postSo, the Human Squirrel Cage: Nodaway County's Rotary Jail is missing only one thing, a mugshot of the front of the present jail. I will try to add that tomorrow, run one final spellcheck, recheck the layout, and upload the book for publication. It's around 425 pages long, including several new pictures that weren't in the original proof copy.
In a day or two, or three, it will be available on Amazon for order. I won't have local copies for a few weeks yet. The author is always the l2 years ago Read more -
Blog postYou would think that adventure would be lurking around every corner, and mischief easy to get into, but it's not so easy as all that. Well, perhaps for the living it is, if you try very hard. But for fictional characters it's a waiting game. Waiting for the author to make up their mind as to which point on the map to send you, and just what kind of problems are waiting on the next page or chapter.
The next book in the Cozy American Castle Mystery series is one fraught with decisions2 years ago Read more -
Blog postI was beginning to think that the jailhouse book was a figment of my imagination. Some of you may have been wondering the same thing. But, the proof copy is finally on its way for the final read through before I press that "publish" button.
As with prior books, getting the images to stay where I put them in the manuscript was a challenge, but I think I have it this time. I know there are probably typos lurking in the proof copy, but I will get them weeded out and the final2 years ago Read more -
Blog postIt's important to keep moving on a bicycle. Momentum is everything. Life is like that. (Read that again with a Forrest Gump accent now. Sounds better, doesn't it?)
If we don't keep moving forward, life has a way of sneaking up on us and running us over. Momentum is everything.
Personal challenges are hills. There are small ones, and large ones, and just about every size in between. It's important to keep them in the proper perspective, adjust your gearing when necessary2 years ago Read more -
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Blog postAs I pen this post in the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday morning, I am happy to announce that I have only sixty-seven more pages to read before I finish the rough draft of the Human Squirrel Cage: Nodaway County's Rotary Jail. It's been a very long journey to reach this point.
After I finish reading those pages, I will go through and check the citations one more time, run a spelling and grammar check, and then upload the book to KDP. The question is, do I start work on the companion bo2 years ago Read more -
Blog postItalian green beans with sliced potatoes and pulled chicken. Smell that?
When left to my own devices, I am capable of rummaging through the kitchen cabinets and throwing together a thing or two for supper. For this recipe you'll need the following:
2 cans HyVee cut green beans, drained
2 cans HyVee sliced white potatoes, drained (or whole small fresh ones)
1 to 1 1/2 cups Tyson pulled chicken (precooked Tyson frozen or Tyson Premium White Chicken in a pouch2 years ago Read more -
Blog postWith some stormy weather moving through the area this week, and temperatures hovering in the 40s and 50s, I've had to adjust my agenda just a bit. My primary plan was to get the road bike out and do some distance cycling to see just how far I could make it without calling for SAG, or in my case MOM support. (I don't call her SAG. That could lead to trouble.) She's more than willing to come and rescue me in the event that my ambition overextends my actual ability . . . and sometimes common sense2 years ago Read more
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Blog postVoting is an important expression of American citizenship. Are you registered? More importantly, have you been purged from the rolls?
As of 2018, in different parts of the country, millions were purged from voter rolls. Whether you voted in the last election or not, it might be a good idea to check to be sure you're still registered to vote, because the purges continue. You can do that at your local clerk's office, and register if you find you're not. If you're a Missouri resident,2 years ago Read more -
Blog postComing up with new and interesting combinations for supper, to break away from the same-old menu, can be a bit of a challenge. Yesterday I decided to throw three things together and see what materialized.
1 Pkg Green Giant Steamer Riced Cauliflower Mixed Medley or Green Giant Steamer Riced Cauliflower with Broccoli
6 Johnsonville Beddar With Cheddar Smoked Sausage, sliced and fried
1/2 Pkg (or whole pkg) McCormick Onion Gravy Mix (prepared according to direction2 years ago Read more -
Blog postDo you recall that old joke about a man who stops to ask another man for directions (no, that's not the joke part) and is given a long list of turns and road markers to follow? He is finally told, "But, you can't get there from here." (You can chuckle now, or guffaw. Whatever you're comfortable with.) With the recent flooding in Iowa, Nebraska, and Missouri, some may be wondering if they can get to the west side of the flood waters from the east and vice versa. Can I get there from her2 years ago Read more
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Blog postIt was, to me, perfect cycling weather. Sunny and 66°. So, with the help of four little hands, the road bike was wheeled out of the shed and dusted off. The bike racks were affixed to the bumper basket so it could carry my bike and my nephew's youth bike. My niece's smaller bike fits inside the van with room to spare.
I'm not sure how I feel about the hitch basket as a bike carrier, however. It's a bit wobbly. I'm sure there's a workaround. It held the two bikes okay, but we wer2 years ago Read more -
Blog postI love watching peewee sports teams. Their enthusiasm is infectious, even when things don't go quite right. Many of us have seen the videos of the little football players who suddenly find themselves with the ball in their arms and the goal within reach. The player takes off running, with all their might, half of the players on the field, and their parents in the stands, and one of the coaches, are cheering and encouraging them on in their drive toward a touchdown. The other half are franticall2 years ago Read more
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Blog postWith the 2020 elections coming up, there will be a great number of interesting topics up for debate. If you've been keeping up with the media of late, you'll have an inkling of what those will be. President Trump's wall initiative will be up for discussion. Hopefully those tax cuts he made to help improve the incomes of working families will get some air time, but I doubt that. Certainly our nation's immigration process will be debated, and the census may come up for discussion early in the pol2 years ago Read more
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Blog postMy Chili Pie
Even though it warmed up later in the day, the morning was chilly and the evening is cooling down. I thought chili pie sounded good.
All I needed were the right ingredients. Turns out, we had them in the cupboard and fridge. Fantastic!
Chili Pie - 15 minutes to delicious. It took about seven minutes to throw the ingredients together on a plate, cover it with another plate, and microwave it on seventy-percent power for four minutes, then ano2 years ago Read more -
Blog postCanyonlands National Park, Green River Overlook. Utah.
Photo from wikipedia.org. Philip Armitage.Canyonlands National Park
What a way to start off a beautiful spring day. The snow missed us here in Missouri this weekend, thankfully, and the high winds we have experienced over the last two days have finally abated. It will be time this afternoon to dig the road bike out of the shed and dust it off in preparation for the summer and fall rides out of doors.
As I mentioned i2 years ago Read more -
Blog postFuzzy logic is a form of many-valued logic in which the truth values of variables may be any real number between 0 and 1 inclusive. It is employed to handle the concept of partial truth, where the truth value may range between completely true and completely false.[1] By contrast, in Boolean logic, the truth values of variables may only be the integer values 0 or 1.
The term fuzzy logic was introduced with the 1965 proposal of fuzzy set theo2 years ago Read more -
Blog postThe cost of doing business in America is going up again and it can't be good for our economy over the long term. The more taxes businesses have to collect and remit, and the more time they have to invest in being tax collectors, laboring to be compliant with some "10,000 state and local jurisdictions nationwide" the less time they may have to be entrepreneurs and focus on growing their businesses and securing the economy for everyone. I wonder how many thousands upon thousands of hours2 years ago Read more
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Blog postAuthoring books, or writing in general, is as much a business as it is a form of art and an ever-developing craft. Yet, there is an underlying belief that writers are somehow not as critical to the world as say, a doctor, or a scientist, or a teacher. "You're just a writer." "You're just an author." What is that supposed to mean?
I tried last night to reflect on all the ways that writers impact the world. I tried to imagine a world without them. Bleak. There woul2 years ago Read more -
Blog postThe cost of consumer goods is high enough. If you live within Maryville you will have the opportunity to prevent yet another tax being applied to the goods you buy online. A proposed tax on out-of-state vendors, who may sell you goods online, is being proposed. Just say no. The vendor will collect the tax, but make no mistake, YOU will be the one paying it, not the out-of-state vendor. They will only be remitting it as they already do the state tax.
For those with Maryville addresse2 years ago Read more -
Blog postI have to admit it. I missed it on the first research go-round. We have an even fifty, now. Five jails, fifty escapes, over 174 years. Those are nice numbers. Let's stick with those.
I am a realist however, and as I finish reviewing things in preparation of the book related to those escapes, I am keeping a keen eye out for any others I may have overlooked. I'll come back and post an update if I find any.2 years ago Read more -
Blog postAs I input the finishing edits and add in the photos for the Human Squirrel Cage book, there is a growing challenge for counties around the country, specifically with their pay-to-stay programs, some of which were initiated decades ago. Pay-to-stay requires those incarcerated in county jails to foot the bill for their own confinement. It is akin to locking yourself in a low-rent (although not low-quality in most cases) motel. Ironically, jails are sometimes referred to as the "Crowbar Motel2 years ago Read more
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Blog postI wrote the concluding paragraphs to the final chapter of The Human Squirrel Cage today. It felt pretty good. Tonight, I printed out a very rough draft. The final copy will be 350-360 pages or so, I think. A lot will depend on how much space the photographs use. The photos I don't use in the book will be printed and put on display at the book signings, whenever those happen. I will post the dates, times, and locations once they're set up. Lord willing, the first one will be in mid to late April,2 years ago Read more
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Blog postYouTube is a great platform for uploading videos, if you have a lot of time to record, edit, and upload. I am finding, with my writing schedule and other responsibilities, and some redundancies evident between that platform and this one that I simply prefer blogging.
In older posts on this blog, you will find links to previous YouTube videos I created for myserialbook.com. They are no longer active. Sorry about that. I didn't fully consider just how much time it would take to keep t2 years ago Read more -
Blog postA million gazillion little details. That's what the Human Squirrel Cage jail seems to contain at present - and I'm sure not all of those details in my notes are going to make it into the final manuscript. There may be some additional essays posted here on the blog, with facts I just couldn't work in somehow. We'll see.
As I go through the rough manuscript now for the second time, rewriting and editing as I go, I came across some details I had forgotten. I'm glad I put them in t2 years ago Read more -
Blog postI will be revamping the myserialbook.com page within the next week or two to prepare for Book 2 in the American Castle Mystery series. In the meantime, while you're waiting to see what the next installment will be, I have officially launched on Amazon the first book in the series. The e-book version of The End Of Things At Dark Island is available for purchase, and the print version should become available within a few days. So, you have time to do a bit of reading.
If you2 years ago Read more -
Blog postThe e-book version of the 2018 NaNoWriMo novel, The End Of Things At Dark Island, is now live on Amazon. The print version should be available for order within a day or two. The print version is now available.
I hope you enjoy the story. It's the first in a multi-book American Castle Mystery series.
In writing this story, I acquired some new knowledge, about the Thousand Islands area of the St. Lawrence River and Millionaire's Row, a little about yachts, docks, and2 years ago Read more -
Blog postSometimes the final chapter of a book, at least for an author, can be a fleeting thing to grasp. When I began making the edits of The End Of Things At Dark Island, I came across a few 'story potholes' that needed to be patched, and some wider chasms that had to be completely eliminated. A sentence here, a scene there, a new paragraph or two, and those chasms have been pulled together.
I also found that I was overfeeding a couple of the characters, giving them breakfast twice one mor2 years ago Read more -
Blog postWhen you mention the word "posse" to someone, even small children today who are aficionados of the old Wild West pictures, they'll tell you that a posse is a group of deputies sworn in to hunt bad guys. Well, that's still partially true in some parts of the country.
Wikipedia defines "posse comitatus" this way: The posse comitatus, in common law, is the group of people mobilized by the conservator of peace – usually the sheriff – to suppress2 years ago Read more -
Blog postI was thinking about the amount of time spent researching information for the three books I've been trying to finish this year.
The 2018 NaNoWriMo novel, The End Of Things At Dark Island, took much less time, really a few hours in total, to pull data as opposed to the two nonfiction books, The online launch in early December didn't go as well as I had hoped. The Lord willing, the next one will get off to a better start. It is due to launch publicly, in paperback and e-book form on A2 years ago Read more -
Blog postAs the novel goes through the editing process this month, one chapter at a time, it's already apparent that chapters needed to be moved and additional pages added to help Howard and Effie on their journey to solving the mystery.
Img by Rawpixel at Unsplash.comTake for instance the gap that materialized. The story needed help in making a smooth transition from 1906 to 1952. I know it was a span of forty-six years, but in words that gap isn't as difficult to bridge as you might t2 years ago Read more -
Blog postI began to think I would never see daylight at the end of this manuscript. Even now, the light is somewhat faint, but at least I'm now working on data for the Year 2000 and beyond. When you're dealing with information that goes back to 1845, a twenty-year span is a trifle.
The notes for the Human Squirrel Cage book stands at 199,699 and that will grow as I add in the last twenty years of abstracted data. That makes the notes alone 387,588 words shorter than War and Peace. Tolstoy I2 years ago Read more -
Blog postWell, the launch didn't go quite as expected early this morning, so some tweaking was necessary. It took a while, but I am pleased to say that the payment button is up and working on the website, www.myserialbook.com, and will remain working through 11:59 tonight.
If you're a cozy mystery fan, you wish to give it a try. Each week, another chapter will be emailed to subscribers to read over the following seven days. Then, the email will expire and the new chapter will arrive.
2 years ago Read more -
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Titles By Susan Cronk
Justice In Nodaway County: 1872 to 1931
Oct 28, 2016
$3.50
This is a compilation of true-crime essays related to cases from Nodaway County, Missouri between 1872 and 1931.
The cases involve murder and attempted murder. The outcomes for the defendants differed and included punishment by legally-sanctioned hanging, illegal lynching by mob, conviction and imprisonment, acquittal, and exceution by fire. The cases were chosen due to their notoriety at the time.
The cases involve murder and attempted murder. The outcomes for the defendants differed and included punishment by legally-sanctioned hanging, illegal lynching by mob, conviction and imprisonment, acquittal, and exceution by fire. The cases were chosen due to their notoriety at the time.
Other Formats:
Paperback
Brothers Such As These
Jun 9, 2013
by
Susan Cronk
$2.99
Wayne Warren's boyhood is one of oppression and violence at the hands of an alcoholic father. He survives the violence because of the fiercely protective love of his Aunt Winnie, who moved into her brother's home to raise Wayne after his mother died giving birth to Wayne. Aunt Winnie, a woman of strong faith, teaches her nephew that violence accomplishes nothing, but faith in Christ is great gain and the power of God is undefeatable.
Timothy, an orphan among the world since his birth, spends the first years of his life in a children's home under the stern watchfulness of the home's director. Their personalities clash. Timothy escapes the impersonal existence at the children's home as a teen when Fred McDonough comes there in search of a boy willing to help him on the farm. Eventually, Timothy looks upon the McDonough's as surrogate parents, and their son Alan as a brother. Eventually, he joins the Army and leaves to fight in Vietnam, only to return with a deep burden upon his heart. He turns to the scriptures to find peace, and in the preaching of the gospel, he finds purpose.
Alan, the beloved son of the McDonough's, Irish immigrant farmers, is a nervous and inquisitive boy who often gets into mischief, much to his father's displeasure. When Alan eventually learns that he is not the McDonough's natural child, he struggles with a sudden feeling of distance from the only parents he has ever known. Timothy and the other boys help Alan close that gap.
Eric Williams, gangly and underweight as a boy, grows up in a more traditional home, loved, protected, and well provided for. He wants for little. Prior to his graduation from high school, Eric joins the Marines, much to the surprise of everyone, and goes off to war. He returns to a different world than he knew before, one less secure and less welcoming. He finds a path through the storms brewing around him, with the love and support of his wife Emma and his brothers in Christ.
Troy Benham, a quiet and reserved professor, with an adventurer's heart, lives a sedate life as a child, relishing the time he spends with his friends fishing at the river and partaking of the baked treasures Aunt Winnie sends along with Wayne when he can steal away from his father's farm. Troy leaves his rural Missouri home for a time to test the waters of the world. While teaching at a university he meets Carolyn and eventually falls in love with her. They settle down in Troy's family home and look forward to a future together. When that future is threatened, Troy finds out just how strong the bond between brothers in Christ can be.
Timothy, an orphan among the world since his birth, spends the first years of his life in a children's home under the stern watchfulness of the home's director. Their personalities clash. Timothy escapes the impersonal existence at the children's home as a teen when Fred McDonough comes there in search of a boy willing to help him on the farm. Eventually, Timothy looks upon the McDonough's as surrogate parents, and their son Alan as a brother. Eventually, he joins the Army and leaves to fight in Vietnam, only to return with a deep burden upon his heart. He turns to the scriptures to find peace, and in the preaching of the gospel, he finds purpose.
Alan, the beloved son of the McDonough's, Irish immigrant farmers, is a nervous and inquisitive boy who often gets into mischief, much to his father's displeasure. When Alan eventually learns that he is not the McDonough's natural child, he struggles with a sudden feeling of distance from the only parents he has ever known. Timothy and the other boys help Alan close that gap.
Eric Williams, gangly and underweight as a boy, grows up in a more traditional home, loved, protected, and well provided for. He wants for little. Prior to his graduation from high school, Eric joins the Marines, much to the surprise of everyone, and goes off to war. He returns to a different world than he knew before, one less secure and less welcoming. He finds a path through the storms brewing around him, with the love and support of his wife Emma and his brothers in Christ.
Troy Benham, a quiet and reserved professor, with an adventurer's heart, lives a sedate life as a child, relishing the time he spends with his friends fishing at the river and partaking of the baked treasures Aunt Winnie sends along with Wayne when he can steal away from his father's farm. Troy leaves his rural Missouri home for a time to test the waters of the world. While teaching at a university he meets Carolyn and eventually falls in love with her. They settle down in Troy's family home and look forward to a future together. When that future is threatened, Troy finds out just how strong the bond between brothers in Christ can be.
Other Formats:
Paperback
The Reckoning
Mar 24, 2015
by
Susan Cronk
$3.00
Dr. Miguel Munoz is practicing the down-to-earth type of medicine he always longed to do. His focus is not on financial profit, but service to his fellow man, particularly the less fortunate and the working class struggling to stay ahead of their bills. When Dr. Munoz's unusual clientele puts him on the foul side of his more affluent and powerful colleagues, particularly Dr. Peter Arliss, he soon finds his life spiraling downward. Soon, he's in much the same circumstances as his patients, struggling to exist. Still, he continues to tend their medical needs. When he stumbles upon a human trafficking operation, he is compelled to act. Along the way, he learns that faith and good friends go a long way in righting the evils of the world, and that for everyone there comes a day of reckoning.
Other Formats:
Paperback
Tryst Twist
Mar 15, 2015
by
Susan Cronk
$2.50
Mrs. Hoyle, a young wife, is found dead in her bed early one spring morning. Her sudden and mysterious death compels Dr. Merryman, the county coroner, and his part-time nurse, Miss Jaymes, to dig more deeply into the cause of her death. Was it suicide or murder? What they discover in the course of their investigation surprises everyone, and exposes a silent enemy.
Other Formats:
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The Oppressor Project
Jul 6, 2013
by
Susan Cronk
$1.99
Halline Wells has an aptitude for computers. After her grandmother is defrauded of the family farm, her life savings, and her peace of mind by a group of men Halline refers to as the "Phishermen," she develops her skills further, honing them like a sword, a very sharp two-edged sword. Over the next few years, Halline ingratiates herself upon the Phishermen's world, and finds them in the middle of a special project they have dubbed "Oppressor." Halline is determined to become a part of that project -- and she will use it to destroy the Phishermen.
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Hezekiah Rasco
Jun 15, 2013
by
Susan Cronk
$5.95
In 1896, an argument over a butter churn resulted in the death of Katrina "Katy" Baumli, a thirty-five-year-old wife and mother of three young children. In 1910, poker losses resulted in the murders of Oda Hubbell, his wife Clara, and their two small children, as well as the burning of the family home. What did these two crimes, fourteen years apart, have in common? They shared a common acquaintance with Hezekiah Rasco, a handsome, intelligent, charismatic man from Nodaway County, Missouri.
Hezekiah "Hez" Rasco committed his first murder in 1896, at the age of fifteen. The sheer brutality of Katy Baumli's death shocked the people of Arkoe, the quiet farming community near where they lived. The community was stunned again a week later when Hez Rasco confessed to the crime. Ultimately, it would take three trials to get at the truth and secure justice for Katy and her family, and to restore the peace of the community.
In late 1897, Hez Rasco began his first prison sentence in "The Walls," the Missouri State Penitentiary at Jefferson City. There he lived the life of a model prisoner and learned a trade. Hez gained his freedom in 1905, but it was short-lived. He returned to The Walls in October of that same year to serve a two-year sentence for grand larceny, after being found in possession of a stolen horse in Buchanan County, Missouri.
Upon release in 1907, Hez Rasco made his way back to Nodaway County to resume his former life as a farmer, helping out on his father Henry's farm near Guilford, Missouri. On November 19, 1910, after a long day's work, Hez cleaned himself up and went to Guilford in search of some entertainment. There he met up with two acquaintances, Oda Hubbell and Charles Wallace. The men went to an empty boxcar parked on an unused side track at the Guilford depot and began to play poker. Eventually Hez and Oda were left to play until dawn. Hez's losses to Oda during the course of the game resulted in an argument the next morning. Oda refused to acquiesce to Hez's demand to continue playing. Instead, Oda went home that Sunday morning to be with his family. Hez went looking for a gun. By seven o'clock that Sunday evening, the Hubbell family was dead. By ten o'clock, their home was ablaze. Within twelve hours, Hez Rasco, age 30, was under arrest for their murders. But, was he guilty of murder and arson or was he a convenient suspect for predisposed minds? Only the evidence and a jury of twelve men could answer that question.
Hezekiah Rasco: Child of Woe - Man of Sorrow recounts the story of Hez's life, as evidenced through available records.
Hezekiah "Hez" Rasco committed his first murder in 1896, at the age of fifteen. The sheer brutality of Katy Baumli's death shocked the people of Arkoe, the quiet farming community near where they lived. The community was stunned again a week later when Hez Rasco confessed to the crime. Ultimately, it would take three trials to get at the truth and secure justice for Katy and her family, and to restore the peace of the community.
In late 1897, Hez Rasco began his first prison sentence in "The Walls," the Missouri State Penitentiary at Jefferson City. There he lived the life of a model prisoner and learned a trade. Hez gained his freedom in 1905, but it was short-lived. He returned to The Walls in October of that same year to serve a two-year sentence for grand larceny, after being found in possession of a stolen horse in Buchanan County, Missouri.
Upon release in 1907, Hez Rasco made his way back to Nodaway County to resume his former life as a farmer, helping out on his father Henry's farm near Guilford, Missouri. On November 19, 1910, after a long day's work, Hez cleaned himself up and went to Guilford in search of some entertainment. There he met up with two acquaintances, Oda Hubbell and Charles Wallace. The men went to an empty boxcar parked on an unused side track at the Guilford depot and began to play poker. Eventually Hez and Oda were left to play until dawn. Hez's losses to Oda during the course of the game resulted in an argument the next morning. Oda refused to acquiesce to Hez's demand to continue playing. Instead, Oda went home that Sunday morning to be with his family. Hez went looking for a gun. By seven o'clock that Sunday evening, the Hubbell family was dead. By ten o'clock, their home was ablaze. Within twelve hours, Hez Rasco, age 30, was under arrest for their murders. But, was he guilty of murder and arson or was he a convenient suspect for predisposed minds? Only the evidence and a jury of twelve men could answer that question.
Hezekiah Rasco: Child of Woe - Man of Sorrow recounts the story of Hez's life, as evidenced through available records.
Dying By Inches
Feb 22, 2016
by
Susan Cronk
$3.00
Maggie Gillings' life did not begin as a happy chapter in her overall story. This work of biographical fiction, based upon true events, bear evidence to that. Maggie's story, as related to the author, took 103 years to play out fully, thankfully ending in safer and somewhat happier circumstances than it began. The real Maggie Gillings was a creative, relatively happy, and productive person throughout her years. She had a take-charge kind of personality, and despite having only achieved an eighth-grade education, she was intellectually very keen right up until her passing in 2016. The lesson she would have readers come away with from the reading of this account of her life is that you cannot let the past dictate who you will become. Hurdles are just that, things to be overcome and to be left in the past.
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by
Susan Cronk
$2.99
Castle adventures are not limited to America's cousins across the ocean. America has plenty of its own castles that lend themselves to tales of mystery, intrigue, and romance. The End Of Things At Dark Island is where Effie Portchester and Howard Mantry's story begins. Howard enlists Effie's help to solve a crime that others thought finished forty-six years earlier with the death of the thief. Howard's discovery of several journals among his deceased father's belongings leads him to believe that there are more mysteries waiting to be solved, and treasure to be recovered. Effie and Howard decide to wrap up the mystery once and for all. This tale begins around 1906, long before Effie or Howard were born, and resumes in 1952. Over the decades, technology has changed, people have grown older, memories have faded, and a generation has nearly passed. This first cozy mystery is set on Dark Island, one of more than 1,800 islands in the Thousand Islands area of the St. Lawrence River, spanning both sides of the border between Canada and the United States. Dark Island is home to what was once referred to as Dark Island Castle, originally The Towers, and later renamed Singer Castle in honor of its owner. While the American castle and the island upon which it was built are real, the characters and events within this story are entirely fictitious. The author has taken liberty to move a few things around in the castle and on the island.
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Spokojny Valley: Hope for Spring
Feb 23, 2018
by
Susan Cronk
$3.99
Two generations before, God's faithful people abandoned the decaying society around them in order to preserve their beliefs and their lives. Now, in the peaceful and thriving valley communities, a thread from the old world has begun to work its way back into the social fabric. Their peaceful, productive, useful lives are at risk.
Surrounded by the decaying monoliths of a worldly society, whose self-destruction was assured through the rulings of the nation's high council that had abandoned all fear of God, the people of the Spokojny and Hojny valleys will be forced to make difficult decisions to address the threat to their Utopian world. Will those monoliths be enough of a reminder that God must come first, above all things?
Surrounded by the decaying monoliths of a worldly society, whose self-destruction was assured through the rulings of the nation's high council that had abandoned all fear of God, the people of the Spokojny and Hojny valleys will be forced to make difficult decisions to address the threat to their Utopian world. Will those monoliths be enough of a reminder that God must come first, above all things?
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The Surrogate
Nov 5, 2015
by
Susan Cronk
$2.99
Robyn Abram didn't realize that the gift she was offering her friends, Jeff and Ann, would spark so much controversy. When a local reporter, Manny Espinoza, exposed Robyn's identity as a surrogate to his readers and questioned whether science was circumventing the natural plan for the creation of new life, a social firestorm erupted. Two political Goliaths awoke and prepared to do battle. After a failed attempt on Robyn's life left her hospitalized and fighting for survival, they stepped up and demanded the right to determine which life would be sacrificed to save the other.
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Wandering Belle
Mar 21, 2015
by
Susan Cronk
$1.99
Ailis Belle and Adelio Beaumont are cast into the cruel world of the Great Depression at the death of their only parent, their mother. Belle, knowing that she cannot care for Adelio, makes the decision to leave her younger brother with a loving adoptive family in Missouri while she goes to Louisiana to carve out an existence for herself. Along the way she befriends a fellow wanderer, Gideon "Highshine" Brown, a talented trumpet player and a young man with a dream of making a name for himself in the world of jazz. When Belle's life is threatened, Highshine seeks a higher power for help. That help comes in the person of Jaimin Aiton, a young preacher of the gospel with a local congregation. Eventually, Jaimin manages to set their feet on narrower paths.
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The Sheltering Country
Feb 21, 2014
by
Susan Cronk
$1.99
The past is the past, or so it should be. But, when a dangerous figure from Mariette Holmes’ past imposes himself on her present and threatens to eliminate any hope for a future, she is left with no other choice but to flee to The Sheltering Country
Mariette soon realizes that danger comes in many forms. So does protection. She is determined to secure a future for herself, and through the kindhearted efforts of those she encounters, hope remains.
Mariette soon realizes that danger comes in many forms. So does protection. She is determined to secure a future for herself, and through the kindhearted efforts of those she encounters, hope remains.
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