Blog Posts - Just Write Books

Behind the Books- A New Face in the office

2/6/2020

Good afternoon, all.

If you've been keeping track of Just Write Books' news feeds, you may have noticed an uptick in social media engagement- photos, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, blog posts, that sort of thing.

That would be my doing. My name's Ben, and I've been handling Just Write Books' social media since September of 2019. That's the bulk of what I've been doing, but strictly speaking, I'm Nancy Randolph's assistant. That means I've done about a hundred different things since I've started here, from whipping up social media copy to blog posting to scheduling to editing to actual copying to photography. I took pictures of mountain lions on this job! How cool is that?!

As for me, I get up to all kinds of stuff. I got involved with Nancy through my talents in writing and art, when the Merrymeeting Adult Ed class on narrative arts got together to write a bunch of stories to be published as the anthology Maine After Twilight. I submitted two pieces of art and a sci-fi horror short story.

I thought it turned out pretty good, and Nancy liked it, and you can check out the book here. As of this writing, I'm working on more sci-fi, a space western this time. Writing science fiction is really my primary drive, but that's not my only trick.

I've been drawing since I could hold a pencil, and for the last eight years or so I've been building costumes based on characters from comic books, video games, and Star Wars. More recently, I've turned my visual design eye to fashion, making jackets and basing outfits on pop culture characters.

Needless to say, I keep busy.

You might be asking, what’s working for Nancy like? It’s been a fascinating experience. Aside from the wide range of tasks I’ve done since starting here, it’s great working a job where I get to flex my creative muscles, even if it’s not the way I always intend. Between the writing and photography and all the different projects I’m always on my toes, and Nancy is a fascinating person to work for.

Plus, the view’s not bad.

Review: George Smith looks at wild critters of maine

2/6/2020

Here at Just Write Books, we love reviews. Getting opinions on our books from people who know their stuff stimulates engagement and helps our writers in their future endeavors. When we get a review as glowing as the one Wild Critters of Maine got from George Smith, writer of all things Maine outdoors, it's a nice reminder that we're in the right business. George, former executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, writes for numerous outlets, including his own website, georgesmithmaine.com, and centralmaine.com, where you'll find this review.

So writes George, "Tom starts with our mammals, from moose to rabbits and gray squirrels. The next section is about fowl, including turkeys, ducks, and lots of other birds. Then he moves on to fish, from brook trout and bass to crayfish. And then Tom surprised me with a section on crawly things from June bugs to dragonflies. I had no idea he knew so much about bugs! And he actually has a section on his favorite insects."

"Tom Seymour knows more about Maine wildlife than anyone in our state, and his new book, 'Wild Critters of Maine: Everyday Encounters,' published by Just Write Books in Topsham, is a real treasure of both information about our wild critters and very entertaining stories about Tom’s encounters with them."

But Wild Critters of Maine isn't the only book penned by Tom in George's library. "One that my wife Linda and I both enjoyed, and continue to use, is “Wild Plants of Maine.” Subtitled “A Useful Guide,” it certainly is. We’ve been amazed at how many edible plants can be found in the Maine woods and elsewhere, from goose tongue greens, which we harvested along the ocean in Lubec and Campobello, to chanterelle mushrooms. One day in August, up to camp, we picked nine large bags full of chanterelles. Yummy!"

Opinions are always welcome, and kind words are always heartening to read, but when those words are from someone educated on the subject at hand, it's all the better.

Read Full Review Here

Let Tom Seymour be your guide to the Wild Critters of Maine

1/30/2020

For the outdoorsy individual, for curious children, or the student looking to learn about the animals that can be found everywhere from right outside the doorstep to deep in the wilderness, your search ends here. With the latest publication from the pen of Maine author Tom Seymour- Wild Critters of Maine, readers will learn all about the wildlife that populates the state of Maine.

There are dozens of kinds of animals, insects, and birds in Maine’s outdoors. Some of them are common enough that any Mainer could identify them: loons, moose, black bears, great blue herons. Others are lesser-known, such as sora birds, green frogs, cormorants. As Maine Guide Tom Seymour treks year-round through the woods and fields of Maine, he gets to see all these creatures and has learned much about them. Now he’s sharing that knowledge in his new book Wild Critters of Maine.

With the same lively, informal storytelling as his previous books, including Wild Plants of Maine, Seymour introduces and describes the characteristics of many of Maine’s treasured animals. From the white-tailed deer foraging in the snow to feast on saplings to the red-winged blackbird indicating when the brown trout are coming to the surface--each of the critters is given plenty of space to show their best colors.

Loons are practically a staple of Maine’s lakes and ponds. Late at night and early in the morning, you can hear their calls ring out across the water, and when the sun is out, you can see them fishing--as Tom has, when relates a tale of a time when one nabbed a better white perch than he had on his line.

Although more often heard than seen, bobcats populate nearly every part of Maine. In the pages of Wild Critters of Maine, Seymour relays his stories of the few rare sightings of these elusive animals--including his encounters with them while hunting, when the dogs he hunted with chased them down.

Photo by Dave Small

Photo by Ben Blatz

Moose are massive creatures, much more so than most people realize. An adult bull moose is capable of utterly demolishing shrubs and bushes as it rubs the velvet off its new antlers, leaving a small tornado scene that instills a sense of cautionary fear in smaller animals. Ticks are the exception, and in large enough numbers, they can kill a moose from dehydration and blood loss.

To learn all about these creatures and more, track down a copy of Wild Critters of Maine at your local bookseller, jstwrite.com, or your favorite online retailer.

Tom Seymour has been a registered Master Maine Guide for decades. He leads foraging plant walks in various locations. On occasion, he may also be persuaded to talk at events about not only plants but fish and other animals, as well. He plays several kinds of Celtic pipes, writes for different news columns, and keeps himself busy gardening, fishing, and enjoying the rest of Maine’s outdoors.

Dave Small, photographer, has taken pictures for Bangor Daily News, U.S. Fish and Wildlife brochures, and signs in wildlife management areas, to name a few. His photos are for "conservation and education and are free for those uses". Visit his website, photosbychance.zenfolio.com, for more.

Just write books presents writing award for maine nonfiction

11/22/2019

The ability to write a story is a unique skill, and Maine has a long history of being the home of many a writer. To seek new talent and give a platform to Maine authors, the Topsham Public Library hosts its annual competition, Joy of the Pen, bringing together local writers and celebrating Maine stories. Just Write Books sponsors the Maine-related Nonfiction Award, and the winners were selected by Nancy Randolph.

Emma Gibbon, Topsham Library, presents awards to Mike Giggey (Honorable Mention) and Robin Hansen (First Place).

The winner for 2019 was Robin Hanson for her short story “Eternally Green”, a tale of a quest for a campsite. It was chosen for “a great story, clear characters, and an O. Henry ending,” This year’s Honorable Mention went to Mike Giggey for his short story “The Budding Outdoorsman,” about a fishing expedition he shared with his grandson, which is “a story that tugs the heart then delivers an environmental message.”

Robin Hansen has worked as a journalist and written about knitting, but pens stories and poems when deeply moved. Her articles and stories have appeared in regional and national publications from Yankee Magazine to Family Fun and Saturday Evening Post.

Mike Giggey is a semi-retired environmental engineer with Wright-Pierce of Topsham, former chair of the Topsham Planning Board, and life-long advocate for Maine and its water resources.

Storytime with Maine Children’s Book Authors

11/1/2019

Bring the kids to the Curtis Memorial Library, 23 Pleasant Street, Brunswick, Maaine 04011 for storytime Sunday, November 17th, from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. Two Maine authors, Vance Bessey and Norma K. Salway, will be reading their books Awk the Awkward Penguin and My Maine School Bus Driver.

In Awk the Awkward Penguin, written and illustrated by Vance Bessey, kids will learn about how their differences can really be their strengths. When a young penguin hatches with flippers far too long for his body, making swimming and belly-sliding difficult, he is dubbed Awk by his peers. Feeling like a misfit, Awk sets out to find his place in the world, and along the way, he discovers that his long flippers are as much a gift as a curse--that being different can be a wonderful thing.

In My Maine School Bus Driver by Norma K. Salway, kids will meet Mr. Gosselin and will learn about the importance of his job as he delivers children to and from school in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Eliciting laughs and groans from his young passengers, Mr. Gosselin announces gag lunches over the speaker, highlights Maine wildlife along the route, and enriches the commute of his students while keeping safety his top priority.

Vance Bessey is a published author, illustrator and cartoonist as well as an inventor with registered patents. A graduate of the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Narrative Art, Bessey is the author of the young adult novel, Orphans of the Storm, published by Dreaming Big Publications. He has created comic strips The Edge and Only in Maine and has illustrated numerous comic books, and teaches classes on illustration, writing, and narrative art.

Norma Kimball Salway, parent, grandparent, and graduate of the University of Southern Maine retired from teaching in 2009. During her thirty-four years in education, she taught students aged four to seven. Her hobbies include writing, kayaking, gardening, antiquing, and crafting. My Maine School Bus Driver is Salway’s fifth book since retirement. She continues to write and lives in Portland, Maine, with her Maine Coon cat, Gusty.

Just Write Books LLC, an independent publishing company based in Topsham, Maine, featuring Maine books by Maine authors telling Maine stories. JWB uses its trademarked High Point Publishing System with state-of-the-art technology mixed with old-fashioned writing, editing, publishing, and marketing skills to help writers become authors and authors reach their publishing goals.

My Maine School Bus Driver

9/4/2019

Local author, Norma K. Salway will sign books at Maine Line Products, 23 Main St, Bethel, ME 04217 on September 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. My Maine School Bus Driver written by Salway and published by Just Write Books in Topsham is a children’s picture book about a school bus driver, his bus and his passengers.

Bonjour! Welcome to Bus Number 14. My Maine School Bus Driver by Norma K. Salway introduces Mr. Gosselin and highlights the importance of his job as he delivers children to and from school in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. From pointing out wildlife along the edge of the road, naming an unexpected eight-legged stowaway, to announcing gag lunches over the speaker, Mr. Gosselin enriches the commute of the elementary school students every morning.

The cheerful Mr. Gosselin enjoys inciting uproarious laughs (or groans) from his young passengers, but it never distracts from his top priority of keeping the children safe. In her newest children’s book, Sawyer seamlessly blends bus safety rules into a charming glimpse of Maine school bus rides.

My Maine School Bus Driver is brought to life through the whimsical illustrations and authentic interactions between Mr. Gosselin, his passengers and their families. Moments that are rarely acknowledged in everyday life are given their time to shine in this heartwarming tale.

“Norma Salway has written a delightful story and an effective teacher resource all in one. Her book is a wonderful addition to our school bus safety curriculum.”
–Jason Manjourides, principal of Pond Cove Elementary School

Dick Gosselin drove for the Cape Elizabeth school district for decades. He completed a fifty-year broadcasting career in Maine and Boston, and even hosted the quiz show, “So You Think You Know Maine.” He worked as a videographer, conducted bus tours and was active in Big Brothers, Big Sisters. He is now retired but reminisces about interacting with students on his bus on their way to and from school.

Norma Kimball Salway, parent, grandparent, and graduate of the University of Southern Maine retired from teaching in 2009. During her thirty-four years in education, she taught students aged four to seven. Her hobbies include writing, kayaking, gardening, antiquing, and crafting. My Maine School Bus Driver is Salway’s fifth book since retirement. She continues to write and lives in Portland, Maine, with her Maine Coon cat, Gusty.

Just Write Books LLC, an independent publishing company based in Topsham, Maine, publishes Maine books by Maine authors telling Maine stories. JWB uses its trademarked High Point Publishing System with state-of-the-art technology mixed with old-fashioned writing, editing, publishing, and marketing skills to help writers become authors and authors reach their publishing goals.

The People & the idiots - author Talk and book signing

8/16/2019

August 28, 6:00pm
Topsham Public Library
25 Foreside Rd., Topsham

Daniel Hawes will be giving a brief author talk starting at 6:00 pm at the Topsham Public Library followed by a Q&A and book signing of his debut memoir, The People & The Idiots: Surviving a Cult Childhood.

In his harrowing memoir, Hawes recounts surviving his childhood trapped within the Synergias: the cult founded by the infamous John Polk Allen.

Copies of The People & The Idiots will be available for purchase at the event.

Separated from his mother, father and his two siblings, Hawes experienced torment and abuse at the hands of the synergists. The book details his life from the time his parents first joined the group, to when he was finally able to take control of his life as a young man.
Hawes’ tale is one of child abuse and neglect in a cult environment. The children were forced to work hour after hour, ordered and battered by adults. While names have been changed and faces blurred, the experiences themselves are very real. The recollections are sure to bring a chill to the spine of any reader.

“Nothing is more telling about an intentional community than how it treats and teaches children. Daniel Hawes describes in visceral detail his horrifying experience growing up among the Synergists led by Johnny Dolphin Allen. I first started tracking Allen’s cult in 1975. The People & the Idiots gave me deeper insight into how pathologically elitist and inhumane Allen’s teachings were.” - Joe Szimhart, Cult Study Expert

In 1994, between his time fighting fires in Montana and moving to Maine, Hawes and others who had grown up in the Synergias and left came forward to speak of their experiences for an article published in the Arizona Daily Star. Later, he was urged by the late Herb Rosedale, Esq. to write The People & the Idiots, to expose the truth of the Synergias on a wider scope than one article.

“Ultimately, Hawes’s narrative is one of triumph, as he manages to escape the cult, adjust to life in the larger world, and forge an independent identity. Hawes has a remarkable, often shocking story to tell, with wide resonance for the world today. In The People & the Idiots, he tells that story in precise and often heartbreaking detail. Readers will not soon forget this vivid memoir.” - Professor Shawn Rosenheim, Williams College.

Just Write Books LLC, an independent publishing company based in Topsham, Maine, publishes Maine books by Maine authors telling Maine stories. JWB uses its trademarked High Point Publishing System with state-of-the-art technology mixed with old-fashioned writing, editing, publishing, and marketing skills to help writers become authors and authors reach their publishing goals.

Let Tom Seymour help you get your big fish

7/31/2019

Get your copy today

In Getting Your Big Fish, Registered Maine Guide Tom Seymour teaches all you need to know about rods, reels, lines, bait, and more. He’ll reel you in with his tips and tricks backed up by many years’ worth of personal anecdotes and experience with landing fish. Keep it with your tackle. It’s a better fishing tool than any flashy lure.

“Tom is able to convey his knowledge and experience to his readers using an easy-going, informal writing style—heavy on the factual information; light on pretense and grandstanding." –Will Lund, Editor, The Maine Sportsman.

Despite routinely catching the largest fish of all, people who troll for trout, salmon and togue still represent a minority of Maine’s anglers. Trollers need never contend with the fly-fishing crowds, and their tackle permits them to send their bait down deep where the biggest fish await.

Many people still associate trolling as a sedentary sport using bulky gear and tackle, but heavy and unwieldy gear is a thing of the past. Seymour provides a thorough and comprehensive guide of the advancements made to trolling gear. Lines are new and improved, rods and reels are thinner, making gear lighter and stronger than ever before. “So if you ever entertained any notion of pursuing the art of trolling, there was never a better time to do so than now. And get set to hook on to some of the biggest trout you ever saw,” urges Seymour.

The age-old practice of lake trolling has now become the wave of the future. Getting Your Big Fish by Tom Seymour will help anglers to catch that wave

Seymour’s guide to trolling the lakes and rivers of Maine is packed full of the secret tips needed for an angler to finally catch fish that can be measured in pounds, not inches. At which depth are fish hiding in a cold-water lake? What lure is the most effective for brook trout? Which season will provide your best chance to catch a trophy fish? Getting Your Big Fish is ready to serve as your quick reference when you’re floundering.

The age-old practice of lake trolling has now become the wave of the future. Getting Your Big Fish by Tom Seymour will help anglers to catch that wave.

“Tom is able to convey his knowledge and experience to his readers using an easy-going, informal writing style—heavy on the factual information; light on pretense and grandstanding. Because of his vast knowledge of the flora and fauna of the natural world, Tom Seymour sets his fishing experiences in the proper environmental context —revealing why lakes turn over, how fish behave differently after ice-out, and the manner in which anglers and their quarry fit into the seasonal cycles of lakes, ponds, streams and brooks.
With Getting Your Big Fish: Trolling Maine Waters, Tom makes an invaluable contribution to the body of timeless literary works that will allow us all become more effective, efficient and productive anglers.” –Will Lund, Editor, The Maine Sportsman

An avid writer as well as a naturalist, Seymour writes four regular columns and a multitude of features including his popular “Maine Wildlife” for The Maine Sportsman Magazine. Seymour's credits include articles in other outdoor publications as well as published books including, Forager's Notebook, Wild Plants of Maine, Hidden World Revealed: Musings Of A Maine Naturalist, Getting Your Big Fish: Trolling Maine Waters and coming soon Wild Critters of Maine. All from Just Write Books. He lives in a small cabin in Waldo, Maine.

Just Write Books LLC, an independent publishing company based in Topsham, Maine, publishes Maine books by Maine authors telling Maine stories. JWB uses its trademarked High Point Publishing System with state-of-the-art technology mixed with old-fashioned writing, editing, publishing, and marketing skills to help writers become authors and authors reach their publishing goals.

Russian Historian tells His Story

5/24/2019

Robert Williams' autobiography could be the template for your own

Robert Williams describes the world that surrounds him and his family as he travels distance and time through his years. He has included photos of family and places. His story is flavored with interest and good humor.

In From Away: Maine Origins of a Russian Historian, Williams dives into his genealogy and reveals that many of his ancestors lived in or summered in Maine. He ties his and his wife’s blood to the land pointing to his family going to its summer camp on Kezar Lake in Lovell, Maine, generations on. Music is a recurring theme in Williams' life and he has sang with barbershop quartets in most of the communities where he landed. But more than anything else, Williams has always been a writer. His jobs required it and he enjoyed adding to the body of Russian history.

Robert (right) and his step-brother, John Vinton, stand atop Baldface with more mountains in the background. Williams's love of the mountains and hiking began early.

Since his youth, the camp on Kezar Lake has gone through many changes. Attempts from his father at getting electricity installed led to proper equipment being brought in until the lake house was properly wired. Williams learned cutthroat versions of bridge, hearts, and canasta from his grandmother between going hiking, boating, and fishing. Neighbors through the years made their summers different all the time. Some allowed Williams and his family to walk on their docks, sharing the lake. One neighbor in particular decided to shoot at people trying to walk on her dock, scaring off local fishermen.

Williams relocated from one place to another in his time as a professor, working in North Carolina, DC, Munich, and many other places, teaching Russian History. He went to that camp on the lake every year as an adult until he finally retired from his job as a professor. Then, Williams moved to Lovell, Maine, and subsequently to Topsham, Maine.

Kezar Lake, the view from the family summer camp and the location of many of Williams fond memories.

Williams's book, The Historian's Toolbox is being released in its fourth edition. His autobiography brings to fourteen the number of books he has penned.

Just Write Books LLC, an independent publishing company based in Topsham, Maine, publishes Maine books by Maine authors telling Maine stories. JWB uses its trademarked High Point Publishing System with state-of-the-art technology mixed with old-fashioned writing, editing, publishing, and marketing skills to help writers become authors and authors reach their publishing goals.

Bob Beringer's Guide to Living Unafraid

3/11/2019

Cover of the book Living Unafraid A the End of Life

Robert (Bob) and Peggy Beringer shared a 59-year marriage, including the final two years in which Peggy weakened and died. Bob then wrote the story of their life together and how they managed its concluding months.

“Living Unafraid at the End of Life” is utterly factual and explicit about what happened and how they felt about it. Somehow it does so in a very comforting and reassuring way.

It is a quietly inspiring little book.

About the Author: Robert (Bob) Beringer of Topsham, an unretired former Presbyterian minister who is volunteer chaplain at the Thorton Hall rehab/nursing facility and leader of Community Bible Studies at The Highlands, where he also co-chairs Vesper Services, and he is chair of the welcome committee at The Highlands.

Born in Basking Ridge, N.J., Bob holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell and two master’s from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Peggy Beringer

Robert Beringer

He began his ministry as associate minister in Bound Brook, N.J., in 1959, then was minister at Hopewell (N.J.) Presbyterian Church for 20 years. Later, he served as minister at the Metuchen Presbyterian Church for 18 years, concurrently lecturing at Princeton and serving as visiting minister at six other churches.

During this time, he started his summer service at Culver Lake Christian Chapel in Bashville, N.J., and continued for 23 years. He returned to Basking Ridge as Associate Pastor, then Pastor. While there, he began his connection with the Presbyterian Nursing Homes of New Jersey, which includes 3,500 nursing homes.

He moved to Maine in 2013 to “retire” at The Highlands.

Bob is widowed from his beloved wife of 59 years. The couple raised four children and loved eight grandchildren.

Just Write Books, an independent publishing company based in Topsham, Maine, publishes Maine books by Maine authors telling Maine stories. JWB uses its trademarked High Point Publishing System with state-of-the-art technology mixed with old-fashioned writing, editing, publishing, and marketing skills to help writers become authors and authors reach their publishing goals.

Just Write Books
14 Munroe Lane
Topsham, ME 04086

Phone: 207-729-3600

What our Customers say

Nancy E. Randolph, JWB owner, markets my titles on a wide scale. She also sets up book signings. I find it infinitely more enjoyable and rewarding to work with this Maine-based publisher than to deal with national publishers from out-of-state.
Finally, JWB does not publish just any aspiring author. Randolph is very selective, accepting only material that she is convinced will sell. I highly recommend JWB to any author.

Tom Seymour, author of Wild Plants of Maine and many other titles.

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