Always An Adventure

Hugh Dempsey recounts his interesting and varied careers as journalist, historian, archivist and museum administrator.

There are plenty of favorite things out there, but what if that “favorite thing” is always ... you? In the morning, you are the wonderful, happy thing. You remind people of sunrises, cuddly animals at the zoo, flowers, and even amusement park rides. As long as you’re around, every vacation is the best. You’re like a fairy tale; you make things magic! “You’re my favorite everything” is a phrase author J. J. Allen has said to her children and grandchildren every day. After years of using endearing quips to find different ways to express her love, she wanted to share her words with parents. She encourages verbalization of emotions to loved ones with sweet phrases and kind expressions. Kind words have a remarkable effect on self-confidence, so it’s important to tell the ones we love just how special they are. From exchanging laughs and dreams to going on adventures and telling stories, You’re My Favorite Everything will strike a chord for readers, parents, and children alike. By loving each other, we make the world a better place and make each other better members of the human race! “Lines and images from some books are so special they remain fixed in our memories for a long time, years and even decades after the children who were read these stories are grown and have children of their own. J.J. Allen’s “You’re My Favorite Everything” promises to be one of those special books, written with soft, comforting language that brings the reader and listener joy, and confidence that things are all right. Children who hear this book will probably be reciting it by memory to their own children years in the future.” Glenn Adams Freelance writer Retired Associated Press Writer

UNBORED Adventure has all the smarts, innovation, and free-wheeling spirit of the original UNBORED and its 2014 spinoff, UNBORED Games, but with a fresh focus on encouraging kids to break out of their techno-passivity and explore the world around them--whether that's a backyard, a downtown, or a forest. Combining old-fashioned favorites with today's high-tech possibilities, the book offers a goldmine of creative, constructive activities that kids can do on their own or with their families. From camouflage techniques, survival skills, and cloudspotting advice to instructions on how to build an upcycled kite or raft, to using apps to navigate and explore, it's all here--along with comics that dive into the secret history of everything from bicycling to women explorers. A fun corrective to our over-anxious parenting culture, UNBORED Adventure encourages kids to become more independent and resilient, to solve problems and ask questions, and to engage with both their community and natural environment. The original UNBORED is already a much beloved, distinctly contemporary family brand. Along with UNBORED Games, UNBORED Adventure extends the franchise in a handy, flexibound format so that the whole family can enjoy themselves indoors, outdoors, online, and offline. *Los Angeles Magazine

The book includes helicopter evacuations from dangerous situations, working with ex - KGB and IRA members, insider trade dealings, encounters with mafia gangs, middle eastern conflicts, sex and funny tales including romance, marraige and friendships forged in adversity.

Throughout the nineteenth and most of the twentieth century, the majority of Canadians argued that European "civilization" must replace Indigenous culture. The ultimate objective was assimilation into the dominant society. Seen but Not Seen explores the history of Indigenous marginalization and why non-Indigenous Canadians failed to recognize Indigenous societies and cultures as worthy of respect. Approaching the issue biographically, Donald B. Smith presents the commentaries of sixteen influential Canadians – including John A. Macdonald, George Grant, and Emily Carr – who spoke extensively on Indigenous subjects. Supported by documentary records spanning over nearly two centuries, Seen but Not Seen covers fresh ground in the history of settler-Indigenous relations.

Fledgling vampire Prudence Hightower longs for love. Not the tainted love of the vampire Nicholas, but that of a mortal man - the pirate Stede Bonham. But Stede’s happy-go-lucky nature hides a secret that can destroy her faith in love as surely as Nicholas destroyed her mortality. As the French tricolor is lowered in New Orleans with the American purchase, and old-world Creoles clash with arrogant Americans, the key to reclaiming Pru’s lost soul lies with an ancient witch inhabiting the body of a powerful voodoo queen. Can she trick the witch into chanting the spell that will restore her mortal soul? Will a voodoo love potion win Stede’s love? From the muddy streets of New Orleans, to the steamy bayous throbbing with voodoo drums, to the pirate stronghold of Barataria Pru follows a tempestuous path to the heart of darkness and into the arms of the vampire who will never let her go.

For fans of Mary Poppins, heroine Miss Petitfour and her feline friends return for more flights of fancy in this cozy, charming collection of illustrated stories. Miss Petitfour enjoys having adventures that are "just the right size" for a "single, magical day." With her sixteen cats and the aid of a tablecloth as a makeshift balloon, Miss Petitfour soars — which is to say, she rises high in the air and flies — over her charmingly eccentric village, encountering adventures along the way. One never knows where the wind will take her in this delightfully seasonal collection of magical outings: perhaps to the aid of dearly loved friends and neighbors, including a hapless handyman and an onion-loving baby, or to a coconut-confetti parade, or in search of keys, lucky charms or even simply the perfect tablecloth for her next flight. A witty, whimsical, beautifully illustrated collection of tales that celebrate language, storytelling and all the pleasures of life, large and small!

Completion of this project was something Richard T. (Dick) Miller had thought about for a number of years. The recounting of his experiences, his lifestyle as a member of French Hill, the French Canadian Catholic Community in Nashua, New Hampshire, as a young man gives the reader an insight of what this little known way of life was like. His college years and adventures as a tank platoon leader in the U.S. Army as well as a test pilot and a combat pilot in Vietnam round out this interesting account of The Adventures of Young Victor Huber.