Books published by publisher Quarry Press

n 1745, Mary Draper moved with her parents to Draper's Meadow in the Shenandoah Valley. Here they hoped to finally have rich farmland and the freedom to worship freely - far from the greedy landlords of their native Ireland and the partisan rules of Quaker Pennsylvania. Mary and her family were industrious and strong, quickly learning skills to survive on the frontier. In 1750, at the age of seventeen, Mary Draper married twenty-year old Will Ingles, the first wedding of two white settlers in the region. As more Europeans moved into the area, tension between the settlers and the Native Americans increased. Raids and killings by both sides became common. One day while the men were at harvest, a band of Shawnee warriors stormed Draper's Meadow, killing some settlers and burning the settlement to the ground. Taken captive were Mary, pregnant with her third child, her two young sons, and her injured sister-in-law. Through intuition and courage Mary impressed her kidnappers almost immediately. The captives were marched 800 miles over mountains to a Shawnee village on the Ohio River, presumably to spend the rest of their lives among the Shawnee tribe. But Mary vowed to escape and return to her husband and her people. The story of this remarkable woman's harrowing and courageous trip home places Mary Ingles at the pinnacle of American frontier heroes.

The rocks around their mountain farm serve all of the Woods family in many ways, both utilitarian and recreational, until the day two ladies from the city come to visit. The Woods family lived on the top of a windswept mountain. Their farm was on old rocky soil, and they made their living the best they could. They raised knee-high corn, walnut-sized potatoes, but you'd hear no complaints from them. Their house was drafty, their animals skinny, their clothes patched. But one thing they had was pockets, and in their pockets they carried rocks. Yes, rocks. They were very important. They carried rocks to keep from being blown away; they played games with them; they'd worry them; and they wrapped them in heavy socks, after heating them by the fire, to keep warm at night. But early one summer day, the rocks proved to be more important than all these things and changed life forever for the Woods family. An amusing tale of resourcefulness and honesty. "A subtle but beguiling message about values, packaged in an offbeat, entertaining tale." - Kirkus Reviews

A straight-from-the-heart autobiography of gay denial that portrays the author's upbringing in the Bible-Belt South by loving, yet conservative evangelical parents. Humorous as well as agonizing stories filled with attempts to become straight are weaved throughout the authentic narrative. When the battle was finally won, other challenges loomed. Easing Out is a fascinating book that offers thought-provoking insights, understanding, and encouragement for others who are grappling with their own conflicts, as well as for those who love and support them. LGBT resources are included at the end of the story.

In August 2014 at the Congres Mondial Acadien, the Acadian communities in Canada and the United States commemorate the Grand Derangement (Expulsion) in 1755 when they were transported, under great duress, from their homes in Acadia to Louisiana. The Acadians were emigrants from France who settled in the Acadia region (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Maine) and built a rich culture there. This is the world where the young Evangeline from Longfellow's poem would have lived.This ABC book for children K to 3 paints a picture of the Acadian community before the Expulsion, a community with unique customs and beliefs. The pages are alive with will-o-the-wisps, werewolves, gremlins, and goblins. Porcupine quills are used as decorations and worn-out clothing made into rag dolls. The community was thriving until the British expelled them and set them adrift.The paintings in ABC Acadie were done by Anne LeBlanc, an Acadian from Clare, N.S. Anne is a renowned story-teller of Acadian Legends, and has brought her legends into the ABC Acadie pages, giving children lots to look for from page to page. Anne's vibrant paintings are unique in style and complement well-known author Mary Alice Downie's down to earth explanation of the history of the Acadians. The simple lines and wonderful paintings come together for a compelling read-along story book to share with youngsters or read for your own pleasure. The notes at the back of the book help to expand on the customs and farming practices brought by the Acadians to the new world. Each of the notes pages is illustrated by details from the full paintings used on each of the alphabet pages to bring attention to the delightful stories being told within each page. Children will enjoy going page to page seeking out the often hidden goblins, which took the blame for any unexplained event in Acadie.

Miracles await the reader in this instant West Virginia classic by the poet laureate of West Virginia, Marc Harshman, and the gifted painter, Cecy Rose. Every page reveals a new glimpse of Santa coming to the mountains with his sleigh and reindeer. You do not have to be a West Virginian to enjoy this book, but natives will certainly recognize iconic scenes featuring such familiar sights as the State Capitol, Green Bank Observatory and Blackwater Falls. Cecy Rose has crafted magnificent illustrations to complement the story that add their own rich layer of visual storytelling to Harshman s compelling voice. With poetic stanzas, each of which teases us with the coming arrival of Santa Claus, this is sure to become a keepsake volume for children of all ages.

Isn t it time there was a fairy tale aimed at girls and women who wear hiking boots, don t comb their hair, and love pick-up trucks? The prince in this story wants to marry a real mountain princess, so he searches all the mountain ranges in the world... looking in the Sierras for women in tiaras, and at Glass Mountain for ladies wearing just one shoe. He ends up going home alone, only to be found by a princess who knows what she wants and isn t afraid to set out into the world on her own to find it. The Princess and the Pick-up Truck is a modern retelling of The Princess and the Pea, but with an Appalachian, or at least rural, slant.

When I was little, we couldn t see the stars in the nighttime sky because the furnaces of the mill turned the darkness into a red glow. So begins the beautifully told and illustrated No Star Nights. This book recollects growing up in a steel-mill town with its memorable sights and sounds, sometimes glorious and sometimes frightening. Life was marked by the shifts the fathers worked at the mill, and vacation pay, which meant Christmas in July. Special summer days included baseball games in Pittsburgh. A child s insightful memory of the past. WINNER 1990 - IRA Children's Book Award for Younger Readers

D’Angelo, a young pit bull, was neglected, starved, and left for dead. He was able to survive this horrific abuse because of his kindness, strength and will to live. Follow D’Angelo’s rags-to-riches story—from his rescue by the New York Bully Crew to the wonderful life he lives today. He is now happy and healthy in his “furever” home, along with three “fursisters” and the rest of his loving family. Inspired by gratitude, D’Angelo and his family seek to reverse common negative stereotypes of the pit bull breed by training him to become a Therapy Touch dog and sharing their story. They hope to make a difference, giving other pit bulls a chance to experience a beautiful transformation like D’Angelo’s. All proceeds from the sale of this book will benefit animal welfare and rescue.