Books published by publisher Wheatmark

For Caleb and Liam, a pair of close-knit brothers who have trouble fitting in at school, the Southwest desert around their home offers a place where their imaginations can run wild. But as their explorations take them farther from home, a sinister darkness begins to invade their happy adventures -- a darkness that is far more real than what their imaginations can conjure up. And when they collect souvenirs from an abandoned house that turn out to be powerful talismans connected to a mysterious shadow land, strange events and people begin intruding into their lives. Along the way, the brothers acquire some new friends -- including two ghosts and a reclusive neighbor -- who give them valuable insights into the darkness they are fighting. Will the evil from the shadow land gain control over Liam and Caleb so that the doorway to Earth remains open? Or will they learn to keep the secrets necessary to survive and become free from the evil that is attempting to absorb them into its dimension?

Between the summers of 1967 through 1969, before the term serial killer was coined, a predatory killer stalked the campuses of Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan seeking prey until he made the arrogant mistake of killing his last victim in the basement of his uncle's home. All-American boy John Norman Collins was arrested, tried, and convicted of the strangulation murder of Karen Sue Beineman. The other murders attributed to Collins never went to trial, with one exception, and soon became cold cases.With the benefit of fifty years of hindsight, hundreds of vintage newspaper articles, thousands of police reports, and countless interviews, Terror in Ypsilanti: John Norman Collins Unmasked tells the stories of the other victims, recreates the infamous trial that took Collins off the streets, and details Collins' time spent in prison. Terror in Ypsilanti compiles an array of physical and circumstantial evidence drawing an unmistakable portrait of the sadistic murderer who slaughtered these innocent young women.About the AuthorGregory A. Fournier received his bachelor and master's degrees from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti while the Washtenaw County murders were occurring. He lived one block up the street from John Norman Collins and had several unpleasant brushes with him. Like so many other people in Ypsilanti, it was not until Collins was arrested and his photograph ran on the front pages that Greg could link a name with the face. He has first-hand knowledge of the Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor area and many of the people associated with these cases.Greg has appeared on the Investigation Discovery Channel as a guest expert on John Norman Collins for their true crime series A Crime to Remember in an episode entitled “A New Kind of Monster.” He is the author of Zug Island: A Detroit Riot Novel and writes a blog entitled Fornology.

Professor Winslop's lessons on mythology are the worst. But are his stories really just myths? When Maisie and her twin brother Jasper discover a Stonehenge-like monument in the woods of New Hampshire, they find themselves caught in the middle of something much darker and more dangerous than they ever imagined. Shamans, intent on bringing about a world-wide apocalypse, are planning to break through the veil between reality and myth, and the twins are the only ones capable of finding the weapon to stop them. With only days before the Winter Solstice, will Maisie and Jasper be able to stop the rising tide of evil? Reminiscent of Escape to Witch Mountain, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Wizard of Oz, The Stone Circle will entrance and bewitch readers through to its final climax.

FINALIST, HISTORICAL FICTION, BOOK EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2018FINALIST, HISTORICAL FICTION, ERIC HOFFER AWARDS, 2019"The Last Crusader Kingdomis filled with lessons we'd be foolish to neglect. -- CHANTICLEER REVIEWS John d'Ibelin, son of the legendary Balian, will one day defy the most powerful monarch on earth. But first he must survive his apprenticeship as squire to a man determined to build a kingdom on an island ravaged by rebellion. The Greek insurgents have already driven the Knights Templar from the island, and now stand poised to destroy Richard the Lionheart's legacy to the Holy Land: a crusader foothold on the island of Cyprus.

When people who have never been to Tucson think about this desert city, visions of dustbowls, brown landscapes, and eggs frying on pavement often come to mind. "Why would anyone ever want to live there?" they might ask. Well, Michelee Morgan Cabot will tell you in her book Dust Devils, Cozy Corners, and Javelinas: A Newcomer's Tale of Tucson. Not only has she found Tucson to be none of those preconceived notions often bandied about by the uninformed, but she's discovered a culturally rich landscape teeming with desert beauty, fascinating opportunities, and great food. Who wouldn't want to live here? So journey along with Michelee as she describes in creative and often hilarious prose some of the wonders of Tucson.About the AuthorAward winning author Michelee Morgan Cabot uses her literary talent to help other people experience Tucson in a bright and entertaining way. Her other books include India, David, and the Devil and Fly Over Down Under: Australian Adventures by Single-Engine Airplane for which she won a coveted IPPY award in 2016.

The pigs are running the farm. So begins the story of Farmer Able. Everyone on his farm — people and animals alike — is downright downtrodden by him. He's overbearing and compulsively obsessed with profits and productivity. He's a typical top-down, power-based manager, forever tallying production numbers in his well-worn ledgers. But the more he pushes the hoofs and horns and humans, the more they dig in their heels. That is until one day when he hears a mysterious wind that whispers, "It's not all about me."Can he turn things around and begin attending to the needs of those on his farm, thus improving their attitudes and productivity? Farmer Able is an engaging parable that entertains as it enlightens. It reveals a profound truth about the dysfunction in organizations and how dramatic improvements can be made when leaders liberate employees to operate at their fullest potential and discover the significance in their work. If you're looking to develop a new and profoundly satisfying leadership style, one that advocates serving others and creating ethical, engaging workplaces and innovative environments, this book will set you on your way. If you are tired of "business as usual," this lively story will get you thinking about how to inspire your employees and produce better results.

Imagine renewal in fifteen minutes a day. This forty-day program includes simple, yet meaningful spiritual reflections and practices that will guide you on the path toward emotional, physical, and spiritual restoration. Simplicity reigns--just show up every day for forty days and trust the process. Living AWAKE is a gentle reminder that all in life is sacred. Busy, stressed-out people will welcome Living AWAKE's clear and straightforward approach. Drawing from diverse sources and the author's own experience as a retreat leader and spiritual companion, Living AWAKE is accessible to all, regardless of faith or background.

When Ava's husband, Richard, is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, she is shocked -- not only because of the bad news, but also because Richard was right. A bit of a hypochondriac, Richard often imagined he had contracted one deadly condition or another. Over their then nineteen years of marriage Ava had dismissed his concerns. But this time it was true. In fact, he had two horrible diseases: Parkinson's and Lewy body dementia -- a fate you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.For the next seven years Ava wages war against these bad boys, writing her reflections and journaling her experiences as she tries everything she can find to help Richard. Parkinson's: A Love Story with Dementia for Dessert is her brutally honest, yet beautiful portrayal of losing her soulmate and best friend. Deeply sad at times, but also inspiring and even humorous, this story is sure to warm your heart. About the AuthorAva S. Butler is an organizational development consultant based in Tucson, Arizona. Her first book, Mission Critical Meetings: 81 Practical Facilitation Techniques, was published during her husband's illness. For more information on her story, please go to: DementiaForDessert.com.

Enrique Salazar and Jasmine Ejeekwa seem like normal sixth-graders.They attend a regular public school, with the usual assortment of friends and bullies. But the two friends share a secret. They are members of Magic User families, which have been entrusted for generations to help the Earth's endangered species without anybody else discovering their special role. These unusual "totem mages" embody the spirit of whatever animal they are born to represent and protect. Jasmine's totem animal is the mountain lion, and Enrique's is the common turkey vulture, which is not actually endangered -- yet.When Jasmine's father, a leader in the Magic User community, is kidnapped by an evil witchdoctor, the two budding totem mages set out to rescue him, and possibly the entire planet. Their journey begins with a dreadlocked, high-spirited, taxi-driving witch who can be instantly summoned -- at great risk -- to provide a wild ride through a magical world at war.Jasmine and Enrique will have to be brave and extremely clever if they hope to survive vicious attacks from the witchdoctor's powerful gang members and the various monsters lurking in the dark corners of this supernatural world. It doesn't help that the only two weapons they possess are Jasmine's oversized, all-seeing glasses and Enrique's magically malfunctioning flip-flops. Even worse, both are on the verge of an abrupt and mysterious preteen mental and physical change that the adult totem mages call going MAD ...About the AuthorJohn "Griff" Griffith spent his childhood along the creeks and rivers of Northern California catching and releasing turtles, tadpoles, crawdads, and frogs. He has spent his adult life working to keep those creeks and rivers healthy so future generations can enjoy the same discoveries. When he turned eleven, John began his career as a naturalist. He volunteered at the Suisun Wildlife Care Center near Fairfield, California, where he cleaned the cages of injured animals, fed baby birds, and assisted older volunteers in general care-giving to the furred, feathered, and sometimes scaled patients. Caring for wildlife that was injured and/or orphaned due to human activities opened John’s eyes to the plight of animals and their habitats and eventually inspired him to write Totem Magic: Going MAD.Today he is the host of Animal Planet’s Wild Jobs—an online show that features people who have dedicated their lives to working with animals. He is also a crew supervisor for the California Conservation Corps, a state youth program that employs young people to plant trees, create salmon habitat, and build trails in the wilderness. When he's not working, reading, or writing, John can be found snorkeling in the nearby Eel River. He still catches and releases turtles, tadpoles, crawdads, and frogs.

Alaska has long held fascination for many. As the largest American state but the most sparsely populated, much of it is uninhabited wilderness. It is a pristine land mostly unchanged by man, filled with roads less traveled. It remains the final frontier.The wild of Alaska is where we find Big Nick and Brodie Olson. They are on a mission to rescue a young woman bank teller who was kidnapped during a robbery in Anchorage. Alaska poses extreme difficulty to them both. From dangerous crevasses and caves to raging storms and snowslides, Big Nick and Brodie fight the elements, animals, and the rough mountain terrain in the hopes of rescuing the hostage.The episodes in Daring Alaska Rescues reflect the adventures author Carl Forssell had during his youth while working in Alaska's wild hunting and fishing industry. Although the various adventures in Daring Alaska Rescues are fiction, they are based on real experiences, adding depth and dimension to these action-packed tales.

The new kid in town - along with the coolest geek squad ever - save the town from the volcanic Mister Jones and his Book of Darkness…CRACK! BOOM! Fireworks explode all around a small girl. SAMANTHA, 13, races between the blasts on an all-terrain vehicle piloted by her friend, CONNOR – code named Gears. Behind them, the men chasing never see the bursts of light coming and crash into neighboring trees.As SAMANTHA escapes, she clutches onto the prize that she has stolen from Jones’s mansion – an ancient book of text named The Book of Darkness. With it, Samantha and her group of DEFENDERS hope to decipher what mysterious activities Jones is planning and save the town from his evil ways.The next day, KYLE CHRISTENSEN moves to his new home of Elmcrest. Kyle is a typical thirteen-year-old boy with an attitude about everything and has not yet found his calling in life. He is a genius who can figure out anything in the blink of an eye and gets bored at school fast. His father, PETER, recently agreeing to work for Jones, warns Kyle that this opportunity is a great one and not to do anything that could spoil their future.While Peter settles in to his new job, Artie Jones reveals to him the reason he has been hired and shows him the secret that lies beneath the mansion. The two travel down six hundred feet to a cave whose walls are lined with an ancient scripture embedded into it. Peter learns that his primary job is to decipher the ancient script so Jones can find the RED BERYL – the rarest of the precious gems – and a link to the power of the gods – as foretold in The Book of Darkness. Jones demands Peter stay at the mansion until his work is complete or never see his family again.As Kyle tries to fit into his new home, he stumbles upon Samantha and her group of friends. In the back of a Curio Shop filled with strange wonders, Kyle meets the rest of Samantha’s crew. Gears – the computer expert, an oddball set of adrenaline junkie, always bickering with each other set of twins named Rocket and Wedge, and finally their mentor, Charlie Thompson, the old man that runs the shop and guides the group. Together, they show Kyle that Jones is not all what he seems. Since Kyle’s dad moved their family to work for Jones, he begins to worry about his dad’s safety.Once Peter goes missing, at the hand of Jones, Kyle rises to the challenge and enlists Samantha and her friends to help rescue his father. As Kyle and the Defenders make a charge on Jones’s Mansion, the heart of the story is the rescue of Peter and the rise of Kyle fulfilling his destiny of becoming Kid Combat…the last legend in the Book of Darkness.