Books published by publisher Outskirts Press

One day in October, twelve fighting dogs were rescued from a dogfighting ring and brought to the shelter. They got new Christmas names because they were supposed to be available for adoption at Christmas time. This is the story of Jingle, who joined our family as a medical foster dog. He went through six weeks of vet treatments, destroyed all the different cone collars we tried, ate the door jamb and a pillow, got out of his locked crate, shredded a $5 bill, but amazingly never barked, growled, or threatened anyone. Two months of fostering turned into eleven months when the court case dragged on into the following year. During that time, Jingle learned commands such as SIT, PAW, DOWN, and most importantly, LEAVE IT and DROP IT. Somewhere along the way, he learned to love and trust, chose us for his family, and wormed his way into our hearts. He has changed from an anxious, cowering dog into a fun-loving, confident one. We've learned a lot from Jingle, too. He taught us some valuable lessons about the true nature of pit bulls and how fighting dogs can be rehabbed with patience and love. This is the story of how that happened, how Jingle went from fighter to lover, Rescued by Love.

Mr. Sebring travels south for the winter, just like the snowbirds. He leaves Judith Ann and Alma, his daughter and granddaughter, in charge of Pipsqueak and Pumpkin. Pipsqueak, the parakeet, escapes. Seeing a few green feathers on the floor, Judith Ann and Alma are worried that Pumpkin, the cat, may have eaten Pipsqueak. When they tell Mr. Sebring what they think happened, Mr. Sebring says, "Never! Pumpkin would never eat Pipsqueak!" Then a strange thing happens. Sally and Brad, residents in Mr. Sebring's home town, spy a lime green parakeet in their backyard. The parakeet stays in their yard for several days, along with the hummingbirds, orioles, finches and other local birds. Sally and Brad love having the parakeet, they fondly call Pete, hang out in their yard, but they worry what will happen to Pete when it gets too cold and the birds migrate south for the winter. When the cold begins to set in and the other birds leave, so does Pete. Sally and Brad reach out to try to find Pete and his owner. Using posters and posts on Facebook, they follow Pete's great escapade from Ames, Iowa to Tucson, Arizona. You, too, can follow Pete. Join in their fun and track the grand adventure of a truly remarkable pet bird, Pete, the Parakeet.

One Little Egg by Kimberly F. DeMeo is a children's book which was written to teach kids about egg donation in a colorful, lively, kid friendly way. The theme of this book is important because today more and more people are getting married and waiting to have children at an older age. For a staggering number of women, it is not easy to conceive a child on their own, so they have to use methods such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Unfortunately, a large number of these IVF cases are unsuccessful. That is where the miracle of egg donation comes into play. For families who want to have a child and cannot on their own, egg donation is their last resort. But what about the children of egg donation? How does learning about how they were conceived affect them? Unfortunately, there is still an unnecessary negative stigma when it comes to using an egg donor in order to get pregnant. This should not be! Explaining to children of egg donation how they were conceived at an early age is vital in raising a well-adjusted, happy and successful child! Children will love reading this book. This story is unique in that it is told from the viewpoint of the egg and is relatable to children. Exsie the donor egg is the main character in One Little Egg. It is her job to explain egg donation to the younger eggs, or "recruits" as they are called in the book. She explains the crucial role they have in helping a family's dream of having a baby come true. Children will relate to an adorable little egg named Sara who struggles with her existence. She is at the "Egg Donor Academy" being taught what her role is in helping couple who is yearning to have a baby. This story is filled with action, emotion and of course, education about egg donation. The author was compelled to write this children's book for two very important reasons, and their names are Miranda and Sydney! After five long years of unsuccessful procedures, she and her husband decided to have a baby through egg donation. Fortunately,

This lighthearted collection of 52 devotional readings--stories that illustrate relevant Bible truths--is designed for the whole family to enjoy together. Each entry includes a variety of activities that will motivate you to put God's Word into practice, to share it with others, and to have fun together!Written by a teen, a tween, and their parents, this refreshing book brings a wide range of perspectives to life experiences and Bible lessons. House on the Rock can help your family grow closer to God and to each other. It can also be used by individual children or teens for personal devotional time or as a resource for children's and youth groups. Use this helpful tool as you build your life and your family on a solid foundation of God's Word!"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." Matthew7:24 (NIV)

From and Amazon #1 Best-selling author of "The Book of Barkley - Love and Life through the Eyes of a Labrador Retriever, "Small Town Roads", and "True Course - Lessons From a Life Aloft - another Amazon #1 Best Seller - a story of family, redemption, and hope. It started with a piece of paper--a birth certificate, sent to the author's parents long after her birth. There is much history in that piece of paper. For she was born to an unwed mother in the generation prior to Roe v. Wade, on a warm day in August-a small, painful beginning in which she had been an unwilling participant, yet one that would shape her destiny. She is adopted into a loving home with another child that would become her beloved brother. She finds herself pregnant; she's a teen and a college student, abandoned at the news. The options are obvious, but there is only one decision she could make: to give her child up to a family praying for one, and walking away. Saving Grace is more than a story of adoption. It's a deep look into family-at hope and faith and why we end our days surrounded by souls that may not bear our name or share our blood, but who are our true family.

Murphy and the Magical Hat When a rainy day threatens to spoil a little girl's plans to play outside, her disappointment quickly disappears when her Mother shares a magical hat with her. This magical hat has the power to whisk little Murphy away to where she most wants to go. Explore the power of imagination with Murphy as it turns her disappointment into joy!

Here Comes Ingo is a stunning visual story about a female macaw's elaborate dream with underlying themes of love, tolerance, kindness, and inclusion and will make an excellent addition to any storybook collection. This wordless picture book is a great example of the benefits of art in early childhood development. The book encourages children to switch seats with the illustrator via painting, coloring and drawing directly ON the page inviting them to tap into their creativity and include process art in their daily lives in order to search for and create new meaning, test their comfort zone and take risks. IndieReader Approved Creative Child Magazine 2019 Book of the YearThe National Parenting Center Seal of Approval Mom's Choice Gold Award Winner

Everything Changes for a Teenage Girl when her Mother DiesSensitive and shy, Susan spent her childhood relying on her mother's love and guidance. But when she was twelve years old, her life was broken apart in a way that would change her forever. Her mother was diagnosed with cancer, and two years later, she left an empty seat at the table, and an empty place in her family that nothing else could fill. The family began to change. Susan’s relationships with her siblings and her father unraveled and knitted back together in an unfamiliar shape. She navigated her adolescence profoundly alone without her mother’s wisdom and comfort…but the ache of that lost love remained with her. Susan searched for answers. She wanted to hear someone say, “I know what you mean. I felt that way too, when my mother died.” She never heard those words. But now, the feelings she kept buried for so long have found a voice in this soul-searching book.

The Shoemaker's Castle: The classic All-American rags to riches to rags story based on the life of Thomas Plant, the man that built the iconic Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough, New Hampshire. Reversal of fortunes, unexpected events, crazy twists of fate, emotional roller coasters, women ahead of their time, engaging characters, corporate greed and backstabbing, U.S. history... and baseball, all elements that breathe life into this work of historical fiction, making it an enjoyable read. The book is set in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, a time when the United States economy transformed from one based on agriculture to a robust manufacturing powerhouse, and all things seemed possible in this country of hopes and dreams. Thomas Plant rose from humble beginnings, started his own shoe factory with a winning bet on a baseball game, and with ingenuity and hard work became one of the country's richest men, only to loose it all. From the beginning we empathize with Thomas and the other characters in The Shoemaker's Castle as we learn their backstories and motivations... then later as we watch them struggle to succeed and watch them fail, only to find out what really matters in life.The Shoemaker's Castle is the story of The American Dream... with a twist.

Arnie Esterer, the father of vinifera in Ohio Arnie Esterer and Tim Hubbard were taking a big gamble back in 1968 when they started their vineyard and winery. With guidance from Dr. Konstantin Frank, Arnie and Tim built a winery that has led the way for the next generation of European-style vinifera growers and winemakers in Ohio. Markko Vineyard did not happen overnight. It was years of trials and errors, successes and failures and much collaboration and learning. This is the story of one remarkable man, Arnie Esterer, and his passion to produce only the best vinifera wines in the Conneaut Creek region of the Lake Erie appellation where the critics said it could not be done. Clifford Annis captures the untold story of Arnie Esterer, the "father of vinifera in Ohio" and Markko Vineyard in Arnie's own words.