Vanderford’s to feature local authors

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

What does a lake monster, a psychic, time traveling, murder, Christianity and a Small Town Ho have in common? No idea? They are all subjects of books by local authors who will be making a special appearance in Sandpoint this weekend.

Vanderford’s Books & Office Products, 201 Cedar. St., will be featuring six local authors Saturday, June 11 from 12 to 2 p.m. The authors will be available to meet and greet readers, sign copies and sell their literature to potential readers.

The six local authors include Duke Diercks, Mary Haley, Tom Reppert, George Brinkman, Whitney Palmer and Marsha Lord.

Duke Diercks’ novel “Small Town Ho” is a humorous account of the author’s decision to uproot his family and move from the big city to North Idaho. Written in a smart, self-deprecating style, “Small Town Ho” is the funny struggle of an ordinary family of three boys, one black lab and one cat trying to acclimate to life in North Idaho.

After 25 years volunteering for junior high age kids, author Mary Haley has a pretty good idea of what that age level wants for reading material. Her murder mystery novel “Ghostwriter: The Great Potato Murder” was written very much with the Tween audience in mind. It focuses on young Julie Ann, who is no stranger to death. She has endured the death of both parents, but that didn’t prepare her for finding that her beloved Aunt Cynth is now a ghost. Cynth, a famous mystery writer, was murdered by one of her own storylines – a poisoned potato. Now, she stays behind to help her niece solve her own murder.

“This is a fun genre,” said Haley. “There is very little for this age group out there. What there is mostly is fantasy … but mysteries teach you math and science. They teach logic. Who are my suspects? What are their motives? Fantasy doesn’t teach you that.”

Army veteran and author Top Reppert’s will be presenting two novels at Vanderford’s: “The Far Journey: A Timeslip Novel of Survival on the Oregon Trail” and “Captured Girl.”

“The Far Journey” melds two very different worlds together, when sharp-tongued Paula Masters suddenly finds herself thrust back in time to 1848 and the Oregon Trail. Though she rebelled against curfews and restrictions in her modern life, in this alien world of buffalo stampedes, wild Indians and deadly pestilence, she is about to find out what real hardships are.

“Captured Girl” is a saga that follows Lt. Will Raines’ crucible of combat and young Morgan O’Connor’s struggle for survival after her capture by the Cheyenne. Filled with fascinating characters, this story of love and survival transports us from the Indian camps of Montana Territory to the mean streets of Gilded New York and back again, right into the heart of the Great Sioux War.

Have you ever wondered why people believe what they do? Why are there so many different religions? These are questions that George Brinkman hopes to answer with his book “Origins of Christianity: From Genesis to Jesus” on Saturday. Brinkman, who grew up in a strong Christian family, attended a church school, married within his religion and also taught religious classes.

While in his ‘40s, Brinkman because interested in historical nonfiction. As he read, he started questioning his “Christian beginnings,” with his book being only the beginning of his quest for answers.

Like many who grew up in Sandpoint, Whitney Palmer was always intrigued by the mythological lake monster we love to call the Pend Oreille Paddler. In “Suessian” style rhymes, Palmer’s illustrated book “The Mysterious Pend Oreille Paddler: Part 1” caters to grade levels 3 through 6. It’s the first book in a series that serves as an introduction, to be followed up with more elaborate stories and accounts of everyone’s favorite mystical lake monster.

Marsha Lord has been a practicing psychic for 35 years. She has traveled all over the world lecturing and speaks three languages. She has appeared on ABC, NBC and CBS as well as several radio shows during her spiritual quest.

Lord’s book “Call Me Crazy: Adventures of a Psychic,” is equal parts biography, adventure tale and exposition of the intuitive powers she supposedly inherited from her grandmother and father.

All of the authors’ books are available for sale at Vanderford’s during and after the event, so be sure to head down and get an autograph while you’re at it.