New halem tales


13 Stories from 5 NW Authors

    a fun read                     

               Short Stories

 

NEW HALEM TALES

by Kate E Thompson, L. C. Mcgee, Catherine Kigerl, Charles Thompson and Gwendolyn Van Hout Knechtel

 

$24.99 hardcover       ISBN: 978-0-9906998-1-1

$14.99 paperback       ISBN: 978-0-9906998-3-5

$7.99 eBook                 ISBN: 978-0-9906998-5-9

November 2016           TwoNewfs Publishing

Nestled around a bay at the base of Lahkanea Mountain on the Oregon Coast, New Halem is a strangely exciting place created by a group of Northwest writers. Each tale, set in this quirky community, gives a peek into the lives and secrets of its townspeople.

 

From 5 nw Authors

A book of treasures…
     

   New Halem Tales started as a challenge among writer friends, the 5 NW Authors. After a glass of Merlot, or maybe a few, Gwen laid it down. “Let’s all write stories that take place in the same town; maybe a small town on the Oregon Coast. We could kick it off with a weekend beach retreat… for inspiration.” We found our inspiration and returned with the foundation of our village.
   Together, we created New Halem on a bay with a sandy hook and an imposing mountain towering over the landscape, Lahkanea, a spiritual place filled with mystery, native traditions, and stories passed from generation to generation. Each writer crafted their own tales of conflict, relationships, decisions, mistakes and unintended consequences.
   The village newspaper, The FishWrap Bugle, chronicles the day to day lives of its good citizens.  William Cooke is the publisher. There’s Sheriff Astra Billings, By-the-Book owner, Adele Delacruz, the young actor, Kevin McLeod and The Parking Lot Prophet who lives in a camper in a park by the sea and more. Sometimes one character appears in another’s tale.
   Everyone has a secret. They’re looking for friendship and solace, a fresh start, truth and forgiveness, and true love. Welcome to New Halem. We hope you find the 13 tales of this quirky village as much fun as we had writing them.

         Learn more at: newhalemtales.com

 

 

About the Authors

Kate E Thompson is a Seattle author, a Hedgebrook Writers in Residence alumna, book artist, graphic designer and has been a freelance journalist, editor, event planner, and bookstore owner. She is the author of Bigfoot Hunters Never Lie and is currently working on her next novel, a historical fiction called A Family of Forgetters.

L. C. Mcgee, his wife and a fine cat live on the coast of Puget Sound. He enjoys reading, writing, writhing in coils (yoga), gardening and the occasional summer sail. L. C. is the author of, The Amber Crow, the first in a cozy mystery series, The Amber Crow and the Black Mariah, and coming soon The Amber Crow and the Hooting Woman.

Cat Ruiz (Catherine Kigerl) Cat Ruiz was born in Seattle. She is the author of Beach Notes, TwoNewfs Publishing, 2020 and At the Town Café, Goldfish Press, 2016. Her book, Glimpses. Selected Poetry of Cat Ruiz. 1995-2023, is due out by Goldfish Press in 2024. Her poetry has appeared in many journals, including The Jung Institute of Los Angeles’ Psychological Perspectives. She is also a fiction novel and screenplay author. She currently lives in Seattle, Washington State, USA. 

Gwendolyn Van Hout Knechtel was born in Jakarta, Indonesia and lived with her parents and sister on Java until age four when political unrest moved the family to the Netherlands and finally to Washington. A graduate of Fairhaven College and WWU, Gwen works as a teacher. She celebrates daily, love of family, friends and creativity. With stories in Lembas for the Soul and New Halem Tales she is currently working on a new novel.

Charles Thompson lived on the Oregon coast and worked for several years at small community newspapers in Tillamook, Seaside and Coos Bay. With a Master’s Degree in Education from the UW he has embarked on a second career at Edmonds  College. His experience in graphic design, photography and publishing combined with creative art, writing and editing skills has fueled his most recent editorial adventure, TwoNewfs Publishing.

your favorite bookstore

Buy Now   

amazon

Buy Now

barnes & noble

Buy Now

praise 

I wanted to move there.

New Halem doesn’t exist. Too bad because right from the beginning I wanted to move there! Snapshots from the life of interesting characters that earn a spot in this book. It is the product of the work of five different people, and as such is a very interesting experiment. The stories do not have beginning or end, they let you wonder what is next, what will happen just like life. You never know and yet you want more. One of the best things about this book is the language is written. The authors are educated and I enjoyed the word flow. Obviously English is not my first languish but one that I love and I appreciate it when is used to its full extend without becoming scientific or boring. As far as I can tell, is very well edited too, but what the heck there are five writers there, they shouldn’t miss much!

Maria of Arcadia

It was a fun read with many characters from different authors slowly converging to a fast finish. Love the bits of fantasy and interesting characters. Especially liked the local Northwest feel.

Susan l. fitzpatrick

I really enjoyed reading this book. For sure my next vacation needs to be to New Halem (can you add a campground – not sure they will let me stay on the beach with the Parking Lot Prophet). The stories were full of interesting characters, just the kind of people you find in your own life. There was mystery, romance, sex, sci-fi fantasy, history, food, social issues, crime, detective work and more. I want to read the FishWrap Bugle, attend the many festivals, go to a play, have lunch or dinner at the Sea & Sky, visit the many shops, and every morning of my stay go to Sea Sprite Bakery for a cuppa along with a delicious sweet. Life does not get better than this. Enjoy your journey through this book.

K H, Amazon Reviewer

 

 

This book is filled with great writing. I have not finished all the stories yet but I have read about the PLP, the Parking Lot Prophet by Catherine Kigerl and I’m pretty well hooked on this character now. I will be looking for more books, stories from this author.

Will, Amazon Reviewer