Books published by publisher Eakin Press

"Ghostly Chills: The Devil's Backbone 2" picks up where "The Devil's Backbone: Ghost Stories from the Texas Hill Country" left off. This volume brings the reader 21 more mysteries including "The Blue Nun," "The Tattered Man," "Road to Nowhere," and many more. Bert Wall, a fifth-generation Texan, grew up in Houston where he graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in history and political science. But he also spent a lot of time growing up in the Texas Hill Country where he heard the stories and folklore that permeated the area. He started gathering and documenting the stories of supernatural occurrences that took place on or near the Devil's Backbone, a rugged area between the towns of Blanco and Wimberley. In the 1980s Wall started writing about the spooky tales of the area, such as "The Mystic Herd," "The Mystery Riders," and "The Haunted Valley." His stories have been published in the "Canyon Lake Times-Guardian," the "New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung" and the "Houston Chronicle." In 1996 four of his stories were featured on the CBS television series, "Unsolved Mysteries."

Searching for a better life, Mina, Papa, and Mama left their German fatherland aboard the brig Margaretha ,bound for Texas. They had been told it was the paradise of North America, but when Mina steps onto the desolate beach at Indian Point on a cold December day in 1845, she wants to go back to Germany and Opa's cozy house in the village of Wehrestedt. But go on they must. In spite of mama's tragic death, Mina and Papa push inland with the Kaufmann family to the Texas Hill Country. There Mina encounters an Indian chief and his young daughter, Amaya, whose help she needs when Papa falls ill. Based on her ancestors' immigration to Texas, Janice Shefelman tells of a journey into the wilderness that is filled with hardship, tragedy and adventure.

UP FROM THE ASHES tells the story of the development, destruction, and rebuilding of a dynamic neighborhood from a child's perspective. Based on actual historical events, during the Tulsa, Oklahoma, race riots in 1921, it is a positive, life-affirming book. Readers will discover what it means to be part of a community, with all its ups and downs. The book demonstrates many of the timeless virtues we all cherish, not just for ourselves, but for our children: faith, determination, integrity, humility, and compassion.

What other state has been governed under six flags? What other state has lived independently as a republic? Or been influenced by so many diverse cultures? There is much for children to learn about the great state of Texas, and it's all here in capsulized version that is filled with fun, colorful illustrations. Texas is loaded with colorful history-and so is "A Child's History of Texas."

A stray cat showed up at the Alamo in 1981 and had to be coaxed out of a tree by one of the Alamo Rangers who was on night guard duty. The cat became a fixture at the historic site and was given the name Ruby LeGato. She would hang out in the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library during the day and go on night patrol with the rangers. She eventually became a celebrity at Texas' most historic site and when she gave birth to kittens in 1982, a TV news camera crew showed up to report on the blissful event. Ruby zealously guarded the grounds of the Alamo fending off other stray cats, raccoons, dogs or any other varmint that strayed onto her turf. Unfortunately Ruby drowned in 1986 on the Alamo grounds. Special permission by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas was given for Ruby to be buried in a beautiful garden spot on the Alamo grounds; a wooden marker was placed there and has since been replaced by a bronze plaque. Ruby is now immortalized in Rita Kerr's book, "The Alamo Cat".

A summer of drought and epidemic illness in 1847 forces Mina, Papa, and his new wife, Lisette, to move on from Fredericksburg, Texas, to a larger land grant deep in Comanche territory. This is the sequel to Janice Jordan Shefelman's "A Paradise Called Texas," and the second book in her popular early Texas trilogy. Illustrated by Tom, Karl & Dan Shefelman.

Bert Wall, a fifth-generation Texan, grew up in Houston where he graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in history and political science. But he also spent a lot of time growing up in the Texas Hill Country where he heard the stories and folklore that permeated the area. He started gathering and documenting the stories of supernatural occurrences that took place on or near the Devil's Backbone, a rugged area between the towns of Blanco and Wimberley. In the 1980s Wall started writing about the spooky tales of the area, such as "The Mystic Herd," "The Mystery Riders," and "The Haunted Valley." His stories have been published in the "Canyon Lake Times-Guardian," the "New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung" and the "Houston Chronicle." In 1996 four of his stories were featured on the television series, "Unsolved Mysteries." This volume contains twenty-two tales about ghosts, the supernatural and other legends and lore.

Searching for a better life, Mina, Papa, and Mama left their German fatherland aboard the brig Margaretha ,bound for Texas. They had been told it was the paradise of North America, but when Mina steps onto the desolate beach at Indian Point on a cold December day in 1845, she wants to go back to Germany and Opa's cozy house in the village of Wehrestedt. But go on they must. In spite of mama's tragic death, Mina and Papa push inland with the Kaufmann family to the Texas hill country. There Mina encounters an Indian chief and his young daughter, Amaya, whose help she needs when Papa falls ill. Based on her ancestors' immigration to Texas, Janice Shefelman tells of a journey into the wilderness that is filled with hardship, tragedy and adventure.

When Mina learns that Amaya, her Lipan Apache friend, has been kidnapped by a band of marauding Comanches, she disguises herself as a boy and follows the Texas Rangers to search for Amaya. Sequel to A Paradise Called Texas and Willow Creek Home. This is the third part of the very popular Texas Trilogy from award-winning author, Janice Jordan Shefelman.

What happens when the President of the U.S. learns that some unsavory scientists are hiding in a pyramid in Egypt using bones of ancient pharaohs to clone a new race to take over the Middle East? What else? He sends the super-secret Cats of the CIA to check things out. And stop the craziness before it gets out of hand. Where will they find the scientists' laboratory? And will The Curse of the Pharaohs keep them from bringing the scofflaws to justice? One thing's for sure. They, and you, will tour some fantastic Egyptian pyramids. And learn to speak some Arabic.

Cynthia Ann Parker may be the most famous of all of the people taken captive by Indians. Her story was loosely told in the John Wayne movie, "The Searchers," and has been retold in numerous books. She was raised and lived among the Comanche, was married to a chief of the tribe and her son, Quanah Parker, was the most famous of all of the Comanche leaders. Her story is one of the saddest from the Texas frontier. She was taken captive as a young girl and torn from her family. Then after she became acclimated to the Indian way of life and has her own family, she is once again torn from her family. Part of the Stories For Young Americans from Eakin Press, young readers can learn one of the most iconic stories involving Native Americans and the settlement of American West.