June Bug

From the best-selling author of War Room comes a Christy Award finalist, now a Lifetime original movie called Child of Grace. “I believed everything my daddy told me until I walked into Wal-Mart and saw my picture on a little poster . . .” For as long as she can remember, June Bug and her father have traveled the back roads of the country in their beat-up RV, spending many nights parked at Wal-Mart. One morning, as she walks past the greeter at the front of the store, her eyes are drawn to the pictures of missing children, where she is shocked to see herself. This discovery begins a quest for the truth about her father, the mother he rarely speaks about, and ultimately herself. But when her father’s past catches up with them, forces beyond his control draw them back to Dogwood, West Virginia, down a winding path that will change their lives forever.

The vibrant South Georgia scene was pure Americana-a picturesque, old-fashioned grocery store next to a thriving jook joint in the heart of a South Albany African-American community. Originally more secluded, this nucleus of the neighborhood became a familiar sight to all Albany residents with the opening in the 1980s of a roadway that passed by the scene and across a new bridge over the nearby Flint River. The waters of the Flint proved to be much too near in 1994, when a catastrophic flood damaged beyond repair the grocery, jook, and hundreds of homes along the river. Deeply touched by that enormous community loss, Mary Sterner Lawson used her own 1987 photographs to paint a watercolor of the once-flourishing South Albany scene. She never imagined how overwhelming the public response would be when the painting was exhibited in the main lobby of a busy local hospital in 1996. A veritable flood of reminiscences came her way-tales of childhood memories, community gatherings, friendships, brotherhood, families, prostitution, moonshine, and murder. Inspired by the community members who encouraged and aided her efforts, Lawson began recording the rich recollections. June Bug's Grocery and the Cornfield Jook registers these voices of the community, the voices behind the painting.

¿Move over, Stephanie Plum. There's a new bad girl in town, and her name is Mira James." --New York Times Bestselling Author William Kent KruegerMira James never imagined life after college would be a doublewide trailer outside Battle Lake, Minnesota. Then again, maybe the North Country has more to offer than mosquitoes and broasted chicken. Maybe it has sexy, sensual Johnny Leeson and¿jewels?Local legend claims that a diamond necklace was lost nearly a century ago in Whiskey Lake, not far from the present-day Shangri-La resort. Mira, a part-time reporter, goes fishing for the story behind the legend, but her dives turn up more than missing jewelry. Buoyed by frozen Nut Goodies, a painfully weird love triangle, and a diminutive circus performer, the exhilarating search leads to a new mystery and puts Mira face to face with a menacing foe from her past."Jess Lourey is a talented, witty, and clever writer." -- Monica Ferris, author of the bestselling Needlecraft Mysteries"Jess Lourey offers up a funny, well written, engaging story...readers will thoroughly enjoy the well-paced ride." -- Carl Brookins, author of The Case of the Greedy Lawyers

The good, the bad, the ugly.

?Junebug is a rare and special book, one of those mysterious and totally original inventions that summon attention because they are so unique. It is as American as the Great Plains, as poignant as Carson McCullers at her best, and imbued with the deeply affecting and poetical heart-song of its lonely and quirky narrator. Maureen McCoy writes like an angel, full of passion, musical cadence, and offbeat curious insights into the human soul. This novel is a deeply touching prayer for all the wild and beautiful misfits on earth . . . including you and me.? --John Nichols, Author of The Milagro Beanfield War

"With focus and characters as mainstream as Main Street, this fine novel is far more a great read than message tale."-Tom Corcoran, author of Air Dance Iguana, Jimmy Buffett-The Key West Years, and Key West in Black and White Life is good for Jenna Bianchi. She's just started her second year of teaching English at Morrison High School, a job she loves. She has a pet parrot with attitude. And there's a handsome math teacher who wants to be more than just friends. But everything changes when a defiant, disruptive tenth grader walks into her classroom. With a smart mouth and a swagger to match, Michael Tayler is a problem for Jenna from the very first day. His school record screams troublemaker, and Jenna wonders if the new year is already doomed. But when she reads Michael's first poetry assignment, she recognizes it for what it truly is: a cry for help. Michael's presence sets into motion a chain of events that turns Jenna's perfect life upside-down and threatens to destroy her career. Faced with a challenge unlike anything she's ever known, Jenna commits to doing what no one has done for Michael Tayler before.

A fictionalized account of Wilson Edward Reed, PhD’s experience growing up Black in the South during the 1950’s and 60’s, Junebug is a middle-grade novel that shows how to move beyond hardships, like those many faced while living under Jim Crow. Full of humor and heartache, Junebug depicts a young person’s journey to find self-worth despite American society’s onslaught of negative messaging determined to define one’s identity and future—the kind that can come from any side. The story follows Junebug’s exploits with his friends, the loss of his mother, and his struggles with racial discrimination, before he sets his sights beyond Mississippi. After taking the 2,600 mile bus journey to Seattle, Junebug is encouraged by his three aunts to earn a college degree, all while his spiritual and emotional growth is on display. Like the Sankofa bird, Junebug is able to make peace with his past and use that knowledge to move forward as he takes responsibility for his mistakes and forgives those who hurt him. Junebug shows how familial support and community involvement can help motivated individuals rise above anger and discrimination and discover the life of their dreams.

In this charming story about respecting the smallest forms of life, June helps her friends see that we should not harm those who have a right to be here just as we do, no matter how tiny they are. She demonstrates actions we can take to keep bugs and little critters out of harm's way. The inspiration for Junebug came from things that author Nicole Daniels did as a child to save bugs.