Published Books

Living with Magic: A Memoir from Bali and Beyond

Claire L. Dunphy considered herself a worldly traveler, well-versed in the customs of different countries, different people...until she experienced Balinese black magic. Although an Earthwoman at heart, Claire dwells on the positive side of the magical see-saw, singing songs to animals (who always respond positively), living with nature and not on nature, and placing wildlife-decorated rock circles all across the American West, Mexico, and other far-flung places she has visited in her travels. But her move to Bali jolted her into a brand new world. In Puakan, a small forest village, she has engaged the local children in their own traditions, ritualized dances and began a milk aid program to help them grow physically, as she gently aids them in their quest to grow artistically and spiritually. In Claire's words, "Everything is Spirit in Bali."

How I Got This Way: An Autobiography

A life lived in mid-air. First with the Navy, then American Airlines, Erm Mueller has flown on metal wings across this planet. From his time as a midwestern child in a Germanic American village to his eventual retirement in the northeast Georgia mountains of Gainesville, Erm has lived a full life "on the wing." Enjoy his stories of a largely idyllic small town childhood, his Naval tales (like the time John McCain exposed his bully side), and his insider airline tales of what happens inside the cockpit and out.

Memoir of a Moron

An anthology of wit and wisdom, jokes and jaw-dropping insight, philosophy and family, Coleman Hood has always been a keen observer of the human condition. Read his rants, essays, and surprisingly erudite tirades against pretty much everything.

Pass the Oxtail (Before the World Ends)

Bowen and Kelly decided to write a second book together. Thinking they'd just mildly philosophize about how stupid teenagers are, dog sweaters, flying cars and stupid teenagers (they really hate teenagers), they were unprepared for the avalanche of human idiocy that landed in America in 2020. Now they can really rant.

Kudzu Road

Nestled in a small southern town called Hopewell lives a young girl named Zoe and her dad. They grow sunflowers, attracting birds in the valley who befriend one another and experience events that contain adventure, struggle, hardship, problem solving, creativity, self-reliance, a positive attitude, faith, and hope.

Author and artist Robert Milton Fetzer, Jr. from Bogart, GA has woven a multi-level story of words and visual artistry to engage you and your senses. Robert suggests that, as you read, you and your listeners chew grape bubblegum and munch on sunflower seeds. These interactions and the turning of the book to view this colorful expressive art allows the book to come alive instead of having the usual sedentary experience of reading. In the surprise ending, Kudzu metaphorically transforms the land and community. Come and join us on the entertaining journey down Kudzu Road.

Digitarians

A rogue anti-book cult gains traction amidst a global pandemic, slowly igniting the life of a lonely professor. Unprepared to fight, he is roped into a wild road trip in his sister's abandoned van with three kids left to him by his impetuous neighbor.

Expectations, Great and Small

We all have expectations. We expect the rain, the actions of our loved ones, life and death...and taxes. We expect all the time. In this book a woman expects to be swept off her feet by her Hollywood crush, the guests at a dinner party expect the end of a pandemic, and a young boy expects to solve Global Warming with a chair, a fan and a really long extension cord. I expect you to see people you know in this book.

Rootin' in the Rhizosphere: Growing up in Ecosystem Ecology

David Coleman is the David Attenborough of the Rhizosphere, exploring the upper layer of the ground on which we tread, the ground all of us tread. His expertise has taken him, quite literally, around the world, from New Mexico to New Zealand, from Stockholm to Saskatchewan. Root with him in the soil of his life, ride the rails, enjoy the experiences of a soil pioneer and heed his call for responsible stewardship of the planet we all occupy.

Passages

This collection of detailed memories spans the 20th century. Follow Maurita as she, like America, grows, learns, stumbles and achieves her dreams. This observant memoirist travels the world, and observes, raises a family, and observes, and comes into her own as a dynamic woman of the world.

G88

A strange substance is changing Joshua Lee’s classmates in unusual ways. Determined to uncover the plot spreading throughout the city and whoever is behind it, he is aided by his mother’s boss as they strive to expose this scheme. The deeper they dig, the further they become entwined in an international intrigue whose aim is nothing less than the transformation of the entire human species — but for better or worse?

Visit Todd Platek's website

The Genial Genealogist: Careening to Freedom

In case of emergency, call 911. In case of long-forgotten, mysterious, contentious, genealogical/historical emergency, you need to find The Genial Genealogist. You can meet at the Coffee Barn.

In this collection, The Genial Genealogist solves the mystery of missing Confederate Gold, the mystery of Cherokee artifacts with disputed ownership, and other mysteries from long-ago which still resonate to this day.

Transformations: Stories of Sudden and Astonishing Changes

"Everything changes. Everyone transforms. Most transformations are less grand than the ones in this book: ant murderers transform to ant death row inmates, a little girl transforms into a butterfly. An old man transforms his aching toes into working toes, and visible people transform into invisible people. This book will transform you, too."

Tobias

"You fantasize about murder to relieve stress. I committed murder to find truth. If you find these pages, my only hope is that by reading them you will see a side of yourself which was previously unknown."

Read chapter 1 of Tobias

The Early Life and Times of a Princess

Sienna didn't know she was a princess until the day her anxious but helpful Lady-in-Waiting, Felicity Fluttertung, knocked excitedly on her door, whisking her (and her overly-sensitive teddy bear Rufus) away once a year, on her birthday, to the land of Humbertia. Once Princess Sienna's coronation is finished, she is free to explore the land, the sea and the air...and she does. Swimming with the local mermaid, soaring above the land in a hovercraft, finding the magical spots of the kingdom, meeting new friends and sneaking Rufus into royal events which otherwise adhere to the "No Bears Allowed" policy are just some of Princess Sienna's adventures.

Freshley Made: The Life of Dwight Freshley

Dwight Freshley's life is classic, twentieth century Americana at its finest. He grew up on an Ohio farm with more siblings than any three modern American families combined. He played in his family band, The Freshley Family Orchestra. He dreamed of playing baseball, went to the Saturday matinee movies, acted in high school plays, went to church and then dreamed some more. He was shipped off to England in WWII, fought the Nazis, ensured the future of free society, and enjoyed the dances and wartime entertainment. Dwight came home, got his education, wrote songs, had an amazing family, and taught at the collegiate level for decades, winning awards and earning a Fulbright scholarship to study in Greece for a year. Always musical, always upbeat, always ready with a joke to lighten the mood of a room, Dwight Freshley has put his 90+ years on Earth to good use.

A Story of Vision and Values:
Memoirs of DePauw University's 18th President

Dr. Robert Bottoms' memoir is half life-story and half leadership parable. His meteoric rise from small country boy in Sandusky, Alabama to the president of DePauw University is a tale of a man "living his values." Dr. Bottoms assumed that he'd go into the formal Methodist ministry, and did for a time, until his desire to actually help the world and his understandable impatience with church politics and religious hypocrisy led him into academia. As president, Dr. Bottoms fought off an attack by the Religious Right, took on a national sorority which was kicking members out based on their looks, and helped smooth out the path toward racial equality... and he did by sticking with his principles.

The Elderly Traveler's Guide to Advanced Study

Mathematicians don't just travel. They take note. Dr. Thomas Brahana is one such mathematician on the move... traversing the globe, noting details of the cultures, the art, the history, the cultural phenomena, and, in the process not only discovering what different countries are all about, but also discovering more about himself by tracking down the records of his own ancestors. With special emphasis on traveling as an elder, Tom has transformed his Epic Letters to his family back home into a narrative about the world and how to get around in it as an elderly traveler. It's a beautiful world. See it through the eyes of a seasoned mathematician.

The Chronicles of Lower Piddlington

The town of Piddlington is divided: Greater and Lower Piddlington. Recently, there has been an outbreak of Civility in Lower Piddlington, and the townspeople are having a hard time keeping up. Enjoy Stanley Longman's eight tales of Civility personified. Meet an Incorrigible Curmudgeon, a Squabbling Couple, an adamant Doomsayer, and others.

Age-Old Tales of the Greeks and Hebrews: Altered, Twisted & Mutilated

Author and theatrician Stanley Longman has taken popular Greek myths and Biblical stories and thrown them into a centrifuge. What if Adam and Eve met Pandora as they were exiting the Garden of Eden? What would happen if Odysseus and Jonah met inside the belly of the whale? Longman, the retired head of the University of Georgia's Theatre Department and the author of Corah's Magical Excursions in the Night, has used his prodigious imagination to mix these popular stories, and, in the process, created his own enlightening version of these timeless stories.

Special Days

For years, author Alice Mohor has used her poetry to get children interested in history, literature and physical education. This simple yet revolutionary teaching tool has inspired hundreds of elementary school aged children to get in top physical and mental shape. This collection of poems, Special Days, showcases her holiday work, both religious and secular, all written from a child's point of view. As any great teacher would, Alice strives for inclusion and has written poetry in celebration of holidays for various religions. Although they are capable of standing alone, the magic of her work can be most easily seen when an adult reads Alice's poems aloud to a child.

Becoming Earthwoman: Thank You Notes from a Grateful Guest

Claire L. Dunphy wants readers to recognize the interconnectedness of all things, all beings, all people, all animals, streams and rocks. The Harmonic Convergence of the 1980's launched Claire onto a Cosmic Missionary Path, sharing the good word of the Spirit with as many people as possible. Her method -- painting and arranging rock circles everywhere. The circle has always been a symbol of togetherness. Claire's version comes with colorful animals. Her spiritual awakening led her to Sioux ceremonies in South Dakota, abandoned farms in Kansas, onto a Russian ice cutter and into the pyramids of Egypt. Crack the spine and enter a larger world.

I Thought Mommy Didn't Want Me Anymore

I Thought Mommy Didn't Want Me Anymore is one man's belated coming-of-age story, as well as a helpful guide for anyone else struggling with early childhood attachment issues and a blueprint for psychologists dealing with this issue from the other side of the equation. With years of therapy and the healing process of writing this book, Rob has recognized the emotional scars leftover from his early childhood and is taking steps every day to remedy this.

Struggles: Stories of Mind, Body and Spirit in a Broken World

by Allen Woods

Everyone struggles with something. Karol struggles with the vagaries of his religious and sexual guilt. Caitlyn struggles with the men in her life. Atanasio struggles with his childhood memories of the Nazi occupation. Everyone struggles. Not everyone comes out the other side intact.

Full Circle

by Kathryn Stiles Stribling

Much like popular children's book protagonist Eloise, Kathryn Stiles Stribling spent her childhood in hotels run by her father. She flew kites off the roof of The Georgian Hotel in Athens, Georgia. She learned how to dance at a pavilion outside of The Balsam Hotel in the North Carolina mountains. In high school, Kathryn and her entire class staged a walk-out to protest the "mandatory retirement" of a beloved principal. Marrying into the Stribling family, industrial leaders in rural Habersham County, Georgia, Kathryn's life took an unexpectedly "Green Acres" type turn. She set her sights on improving the lives of her neighbors: broadening special education programs and building projects. Finally, in her most recent stage of life she has moved to the Iris Place assisted living facility, in Athens, Georgia which to a hotel child feels a lot like coming home. Read about Kathryn's adventures. Enjoy the lessons from the well-told story of a life well-led.

A Journey of Faith, Family and Future

by Kay Shepard, Robert Bishop and William Bishop

Harrell and Kathleen Bishop set the tone for a strong, close-knit Southern family. Their children and grandchildren listened and learned. From running a dairy concern in Daytona, Florida to setting aside family land in Oconee County, Georgia to give neighboring children a safe place to swim and play baseball, the Bishop family has stuck by their parents' values, and have helped make this a better world. This book details the family history, relates the stories, anecdotes and lessons of Harrell and Kathleen, and tells the stories of their childrens' families. Hard work, an abiding faith in God and good old-fashioned American ideals have defined the Bishops. Thanks to the groundwork laid by Harrell and Kathleen and passed onto their children, future generations will learn the same timeless lessons.

Corah's Magical Excursions in the Night

by Stanley Longman

Young Corah wakes up in the middle of the night to discover that her closet door has come to life. Is this really happening? Door calls to Corah, inviting her to cross the threshold and join in on a series of magical excursions in the night. Corah visits a tennis game in the clouds. She sinks under the sea in a bathysphere to witness the seahorse races. She travels to another planet, visits a crazy zoo, and joins mythological figures on their excursion up Mount Parnassus. Meet Corah and join her as she explores the universes which exist just beyond her closet door. You can bring your dog.

True Believer

by Kelly Codling

"From his upbringing as a rural farm kid in Trewalny Jamaica to owning multiple restaurants in Athens, Georgia Kelly's wild and curvy path to success is littered with interesting stories: his days of successfully gambling on "the ponies" in Maryland, his time driving a cab and working in a hospital morgue in Washington DC, the painting business he ran with a descendant of Edgar Allen Poe in Texas which, unsurprisingly, ended with a suicide, and the many naysayers along the way who told him he "couldn't do it," often because of outright racism. Through it all Kelly's unwavering belief in the goodness of God and in his own abilities has sustained him. Enjoy his stories. Learn some Jamaican patois. And don't forget to try out some of the recipes for his signature dishes included in the book, including Jerk Chicken, Jamaican spicy squash and, if you're feeling adventurous, Oxtail."

Meandering Paths of an Artist

by John Kollock

John Kollock lived a life of artistic liberty, of unadulterated creativity funneled into practical endeavors... a life of freedom. Drawing from an early age, John captured the essence of his north Georgia mountain home in everything he did: painting, writing, collaborating with Celestine Sibley, and founding and designing the Bavarian-inspired mountain town of Helen, Georgia. His memoir captures his journey in all its natural splendor.

Shared Days

by Alice Mohor

Author Alice Mohor and her illustrator sister, Carol, have teamed up to create an illustrated book of poems about the triumphs, tragedies, pitfalls, and quirks which define cohabitating couplehood. Alice married her partner Nancy in 2015 and has crafted a rhyming tribute to the joys (and the non-joys) of living together. Couples of all types will enjoy seeing themselves in the scenarios Alice and Carol have given us.

In the Tomb of the Soul

by Herbert "Herb" Meyer

“I was paying silent tribute to a friend who knew the Hag of Vietnam very personally.” Herb Meyer’s latest book, In the Tomb of the Soul, is an honest, penetrating look at the long-term effects of PTSD on soldiers returning from war. Emmett Peterson and Nathan Kuballe both shipped off to Vietnam. They both saw action. They both saw death up close. And they both returned home to the states, attempting to ease back into “normal life,” coaching football, attending school events, and settling down into the routines of everyday existence. At first, their re-entry into society seems to go according to plan…but the Hag of Vietnam doesn’t ever completely leave them. She remains, locked in the tomb of the soul. “Each conceals his demons, until events trigger memories buried deep inside of them. These guys think they have buried the war. They really haven’t.”

Cherokee: Valley So Wild

by Joseph E. Dabney

It is the beginning of the end for the Cherokee Nation. The American victory in the Revolution and the land-hungry attitude of white settlers heralds the demise of a once-proud people. It is in this world that young Jon "Jon-Boy" Merion, the son of a missionary, finds himself. With the help of Chief Talking Rock and his new best friend, Little Fox, Jon-Boy discovers the meaning of family, community, and struggle. This dramatic and well-researched coming-of-age saga is the final book and only novel by Beard Award winning author, Joseph E. Dabney.

Memoirs of a Southern Liberal

by Robert Ayers

"Thanks to the loud, but shallow, shouts of political pundits and the unparalleled reductionism of our modern sound-bite society, many people believe that the word 'liberal' is merely a political term, simply a decision to check the Democratic box on the ballot, as opposed to the Republican one. Liberalism is so much more than that. It's a point of view in one's approach to life itself. It's a term that identifies a way of interacting with the entire world, with all of its inhabitants, human and marsupial, vegetable and corporation, ocean floor and ozone layer. It's a raised platform that allows liberals to see beyond our front yard and clearly glimpse the other yards on the other streets in the neighborhood we call Earth."

The Moore Themerrier

by Sarah Tweet Moore

"I loved it! Though written for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, this book is a 'Tweet' journey that can be enjoyed by anyone wanting to learn more about life in the Twentieth Century. Full of humor, wisdom, and history, it is a true keepsake that preserves the essence and stories of a time of transition and growth in America. Tweet has written about the events and people who shaped her life and taught her lessons worthy of being passed on. This is one Moore book that should be added to your library!"

With A Song In My Heart

by Eleanor Moylan

Eleanor Moylan writes about a very full life. Her energy and enthusiasm have always been driving forces and are reflected by her three daughters who are leading active, productive lives. Mrs. Moylan's teaching career brought enrichment to people of every age. Teaching in Quito, Ecuador, realized her love of language and travel in a favorite landscape: mountains - the Andes. This love continues in her retirement, as she has traveled to many countries in the last ten years. Eleanor's Scottish heritage gave her a "waste not-want not" attitude which is especially relevant now in our planet's troubled times. Through painting and photography, her love of nature can be seen and admired. Read her memoir and look for yourself in her experiences.

At Full Bloom

by Kathleen Wright

An 'Odyssey' is described as any extended journey. My life can best be described as a series of odysseys, beginning in the colonial period, in Jamaica, a tiny island in the Caribbean, extending to Great Britain and currently settling in the United States of America. For these journeys, my role evolved from that of a frightened, naive youngster, to an independent young adult, an abused wife, a mother, a nurse, and a divorcee to that of a senior citizen living in Athens, Georgia. I am now 'at full bloom', remembering all the stages and absolutely enjoying this stage with the utmost contentment.

Kate's Funny Shoes

by Sims Lambert

Kate's Funny Shoes, the first book by author Sims Lambert, is the inspirational story of handicapped six-year-old, Kate, on her first day of school. Beautifully illustrated by Tennessee artist, Branden Ashley Chapin, the book chronicles Kate's struggle for acceptance in the cruel, cruel world of first grade.

Keeping Away from the Joneses

by Bowen Craig

Keeping Away from the Joneses is first-time author, Bowen Craig's, classless look at the American class system. Diedre Jones is a full-time Appalachian maid and part-time hypochondriac. She and her eclectic, crazy family have always been on the bottom rung of the American ladder. But that was before they won the lottery...

Middle Child

by Wanda Coley

Born the middle child of middle class parents in Middle America on the heels of the Great Depression, Wanda Bjornlie is embraced by the warmth and protection of her brothers and parents. As World War II demands the sacrifices and attention of every U. S. citizen, the prairies of western Minnesota provide an idyllic life for a young girl and her four siblings. Nourished by the love and security of her family, Wanda ventures into a brave new world of the big city and a new career, and is eventually thrust into the tense climate of a racially charged South in the sixties.

Defining Art: Messages from God

by William E. Bray

In today's murky attempts to define art we see articles entitled "What is Art?" Overlooked is the definition of art provided by perhaps the founder of Western Civilization: Socrates. It is clearly stated in one of Plato's earliest Dialogues Ion. In it, Socrates playfully questions an arrogant young actor who claims all the credit for his achievement. Socrates, instead, suggests that he is a channel (a link in a chain of "divine" messengers) to deliver the message which comes first to and through the playwright, then to and through the actor, and finally to the listener (in the audience), the last in the chain, who becomes a messenger himself who takes the message out into the world. Socrates is defining art as a process, whose origins and ultimate purpose is "divine."

A Look to the Future Through the Eyes of an Eighty Year Old Pirate

by Bowen Craig

Talking pancreases, fake superhero trials, God-like insurance salesmen, teenaged congressgirls, bovine genealogists, sausage lore, the forgotten history of the American canine electorate, and gynecological street gangs all guest star in this ode to the vortex of weird that we call twenty-first century America. Bowen Craig, author of Keeping Away from the Joneses, explores the stranger aspects of modern life through the lens of an aging pirate. Four out of five mental patients agree that A Look To The Future Through The Eyes of an Eighty Year Old Pirate is a "...book...read...good."

Puddles, Ponds and Piddles

by Nancy Sharp

The Adventures of E. Toad A' Thomas and His sister, T. Tiny Tadpole. Nancy Sharp, a native of Pototoc, MS is a graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Nursing and did graduate work at the University of Georgia. She worked in many different areas of nursing and later taught Health Occupation in high schools in Columbus and Watkinsville, GA. Always a lover of "little people" and "little critters", she combined the two in a children's book of reminiscing, helping a child gain knowledge of nature and establishing values in life.

Your Spiritual Lineage: Researching the Genealogy of Your Soul:
Pioneering a New Understanding of the Origins of Personality Development

by William E. Bray

Traditional psychology proposes that personality development begins at birth. Instead, this new study proposes that each of us has subconscious memories of past lives that from a much earlier origin. A child prodigy may be selectively “remembering” talents, skills, and accomplishments from a previous lifetime that he is building on early in this one. We are drawn to professions we are familiar with because we’ve done them before, and may choose places to live, visit or vacation because they are pleasant and familiar to us from a past life—walking on our own faded footprints without realizing it.

Thunder Is Not Scary

by Emily Rehberg

First-time author, Emily Rehberg's, twin sons were terrified of thunder. Whenever they would hear the loud crackle of thunder outside their window, they cried and tried their best to hide from this unknown menace. Emily and her husband tried to teach them that thunder was a natural part of the larger world. Emily went on a search for a book about the subject. Not finding one led Emily to write a book comparing the rumble of thunder to other, more familiar sounds which represented positive things in the eyes of the two young ones in order to lessen their fear. It worked for Emily. If your children are similarly scared, try it. It might work for you, too.