A Lucky Prairie Boy

Resilience. Persistence. Determination. Ingenuity. These are qualities farmers possess, and they were required to be a successful pioneer. They also happened to be some of the founding characteristics of the Brewster family. Douglas K. Brewster was born into a long line of Brewster men, proud of their American roots, proud to be pioneers in Saskatchewan, Canada, and proud to be farmers. Their lineage marks their contribution to the various communities—big and small—they’ve inhabited over the years. Doug grew up in Earl Grey, Saskatchewan, but the pursuit of knowledge carried him all across Saskatchewan and Alberta, as well as to other areas of Canada and the United States. A Lucky Prairie Boy is the story of Douglas K. Brewster, a farm kid with a rich family history and a keen mind for the bigger picture. Always looking to leave people, places, and inventions better than when he found them, Doug pursued an education in business and professional accounting before starting his manufacturing, construction and farming businesses. He was just as concerned about the farming industry as a whole as he was about his neighbour’s farm and livelihood. But this story is not just about Doug. Always reflecting on the bigger picture, where his family came from to where they are now and will go in the future, Doug intricately weaves his family’s history and his ancestors’ stories throughout his own life’s narrative. Through a gruelling but happy childhood, first and second chances at love, failed and successful business ventures, friends cherished and lost, and unexpected and ongoing health struggles, A Lucky Prairie Boy is a testament to the Brewster family.

'With reverence and warmth the author writes and paints his memories of boyhood on a 1930 prairie farm in winter. The narrative is colorful and interesting...the illustrations, one for each of twenty brief flashbacks, are rich in texture and painted in the American folk-primitive style; nearly all are small triumphs which can stand alone.' ---Booklist

Cavalry units from Midwestern states remain largely absent from Civil War literature, and what little has been written largely overlooks the individual men who served. The Fifth Illinois Cavalry has thus remained obscure despite participating in some of the most important campaigns in Arkansas and Mississippi. In this pioneering examination of that understudied regiment, Rhonda M. Kohl offers the only modern, comprehensive analysis of a southern Illinois regiment during the Civil War and combines well-documented military history with a cultural analysis of the men who served in the Fifth Illinois. The regiment’s history unfolds around major events in the Western Theater from 1861 to September 1865, including campaigns at Helena, Vicksburg, Jackson, and Meridian, as well as numerous little-known skirmishes. Although they were led almost exclusively by Northern-born Republicans, the majority of the soldiers in the Fifth Illinois remained Democrats. As Kohl demonstrates, politics, economics, education, social values, and racism separated the line officers from the common soldiers, and the internal friction caused by these cultural disparities led to poor leadership, low morale, disciplinary problems, and rampant alcoholism. The narrative pulls the Fifth Illinois out of historical oblivion, elucidating the highs and lows of the soldiers’ service as well as their changing attitudes toward war goals, religion, liberty, commanding generals, Copperheads, and alcoholism. By reconstructing the cultural context of Fifth Illinois soldiers, Prairie Boys Go to War reveals how social and economic traditions can shape the wartime experience.

Cather, the Nebraska-born novelist, describes her childhood, her career as a writer, and the influences on her work

From Edna's childhood wearing a flour sack dress while living in a leaky barn to breaking ground in a small mid-west city, outdoor education and the ministry, this story chronicles a determined Canadian prairie pioneer through defining 20th century world events. The following excerpt is from the dedication of her street, Edna Perry Way: "If you grew up in Transcona between the 1950s and 1980s you likely will know the name Edna Perry".

BLIZZARDS, BEARS, AND BARROOM BRAWLS Disgraced sheriff’s deputy Ruth Cortez never thought she’d be a wanted fugitive. She certainly never expected to be facing the End Times with nothing but an old flintlock and a dead man’s boots. But someone has to stop the snake-handling Reverend Jolly before he recruits the most infamous outlaws in the Northern Territory to terrorize her hometown. With luck, she can stay one step ahead of her lover-turned-enemy Marshal Sebastian Hardin—and keep the irrepressible Lee Merriweather from landing them all in even deeper trouble. When Ruth, Lee and the train cook Ned Carver roll into Hatchet, the Wickedest Little Town in the N.T., all their plans go sideways. Something is terribly wrong with Ruth’s cantankerous phantom, Doc. And an unexpected betrayal leaves them in their tightest spot yet. Things are looking decidedly grim when evil forces descend on the isolated town of Lucky Boy. But as they say on the prairie, a pair of six-shooters beats a pair of sixes—and Hell hath no fury like a woman defending her home.

Poltergeist meets Wild, Wild West in this genre-bending adventure trilogy readers are calling “fast-paced,” “high-stakes” and full of “page-turning twists and turns.” THE JOB It was supposed to be simple. Help Marshal Sebastian Hardin escort his prisoner one stop on the railway to Charter Oak. Just one stop. But when that prisoner is a savant who talks to ghosts, even the simplest plans have a way of falling apart. THE LAW Sheriff’s Deputy Ruth Cortez always does the right thing. Lucky Boy is a company town, dependent on the rich and powerful Carnarvon family. Besides which, the charismatic Sebastian Hardin isn’t an easy man to say no to. When his transport derails in the middle of the prairie, Ruth begins a relentless manhunt that leads straight into the dark heart of the Carnarvon empire. THE FUGITIVE Lee Merriweather favors sharp suits and fast trains – especially when he’s stealing them. At the ripe old age of 18, he’s managed to become the most wanted criminal in three territories. Lee can’t resist playing cat and mouse with a small-town deputy, but what starts as a game becomes deadly serious. THE FIXER Sebastian Hardin is the Carnarvons’ right hand, loyal to the death and willing to keep any secret to protect the family. They want Lee alive, but with the young savant’s disturbing abilities it won’t be an easy proposition. Whoever catches Lee gets the keys to the kingdom and the Carnarvons aren’t the only ones hunting him down. Sebastian has enough problems without falling for Deputy Cortez – but you can’t always choose who you love. THE PHANTOMS They terrorized the settlers until Calindra Carnarvon learned to speak their language. Her empire relies on controlling their telekinetic powers, but Lee Merriweather could destroy it all. And not even Lee suspects the shocking truth of the phantoms’ real nature. Praise for the Lingua Magika Trilogy “The world-building is vivid and immersive . . . a fascinating mishmash of technology, steampunk and fantastical creatures. I loved it!” -Jazzy Book Reviews "I love Ruth and Doc and the steampunk world is so very cool and interesting - and really immersable. I feel like I'm there on the train going through the badlands. Can't wait for the next one!" -Reader “Completely original and engaging, the perfect read for fans of Westerns, mixed with action, danger, supernatural and a tough cookie of a main character.” -Smada’s Book Smack “I’ve been craving a story that was just different while also providing a crazy, exciting twist, and I didn’t realize that this was what I was looking for until I devoured it all.” -Treestand Book Reviews “Fun and adventurous and high-stakes. I couldn’t get enough!” -A Booktropolis Reviews “A complex, engrossing, fast-paced and extremely entertaining read.” -Gwendalyn Books