The Life and Times of Joe Casey: From Fish to Politics

Nonfiction: Biography, The Maritimes, Politics, World War II

192 pages, $19.95, 6"x9" Paperback (Includes photographs)

ISBN-13: 978-1-897426-02-9

ISBN-10: 1-897426-02-X

Available in September 2008

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Joe Casey's life story mirrors the history of Nova Scotia in the twentieth century. It shows how that history shaped the man and how the man shaped that history - as harbour pilot, fisherman, fish plant owner, lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Navy, hotel owner, and Member and Deputy Speaker of the Nova Scotia Legislature.

His quick wit and indomitable spirit let him take risks in every job he ever undertook. Born in Annapolis County, Nova Scotia, in 1918 and still going strong, he will make you laugh your way through the many dramatic events of his active life. As a boy, he delivered his mother's loaves
of bread up and down the Victoria Beach Road and later in life he would break bread with the rich and famous. As a third generation harbour pilot, he faced many dangers piloting munitions-laden ships through Digby Gap during World War II and piloting ships of all kinds in the most severe weather.

Joe has pitted his storytelling skills against some of the best, including the American actor James Cagney. On a sailing trip down the East Coast, Joe's spirit of competition led him to
trade tales with Robert Ripley of Believe It or Not fame. In this volume, his rich stories bring the past alive.

The author, elected six times as a Liberal candidate, explains how his verbal skills, humour and dogged determination helped get things done in the stodgy Provincial Legislature. Premiers
Gerald Regan and John Buchanan both praised Joe for his ability to make friends on both sides of the aisle and they have written forewords for this book. Your excursion through Joe's life will make you laugh out loud at times and, at others, will make you reflect on some of the fundamental issues of our times.

Peggy's Cove: The Amazing History of a Coastal Village

Nonfiction: Nova Scotia History, The Maritimes

146 pages, $15.95, 6"x9" Paperback (Includes photographs)

ISBN-13: 978-1-897426-00-5

ISBN-10: 1-897426-00-3

Available in July 2008

Amazon || Chapters

Here is the complete history of the famous cove and the unique village that hosts thousands of visitors each year. The story begins with the formation of the rocks along these shores and the impact of the glaciers. The Mi'kmaq were the first to live here in the summers, harvesting the
riches of the sea. A land grant in 1811 brought the first hardy settlers, who built homes and wharves and discovered that the sea could provide bounty but was also a source of great danger.

The story includes the origin of the name, Peggy's Cove, and details about the everyday life of nineteenth-century families living here. A history of the famous lighthouse is included and there are excerpts from many of the famous and not-so-famous visitors who have written
about the Cove through two centuries.

The author explores the most damaging storms, the shipwrecks, the reports of sea monsters and other strange phenomena. Fishing was always a source of income, but it changed over the years. At times the fish prices were so low it was not worth the effort and, in recent years, dramatic changes to the ocean have seen the collapse of several important species of fish.

In the twentieth century, Peggy's Cove attracted artists, writers and ultimately thousands of tourists. Sculptor William de Garthe made his home here and created his monument to the coastal fishermen out of the sheer granite outcropping in his backyard. In 1998, Swissair Flight
111 crashed off the shores of Peggy's Cove and the community opened its doors to the world in an effort to provide support for the rescue workers and the families of the victims. From the earliest days to the present, the story of Peggy's Cove has been a tale of natural wonder and
human endurance.

Lesley Choyce lives at Lawrencetown Beach and is the author of 65 books including
Nova Scotia: Shaped By The Sea and The Coasts of Canada, a history of the country's shorelines. He has also edited Nova Scotia: A Traveller's Companion.

Giants of Nova Scotia: The Lives of Anna Swan and Angus McAskill

Nonfiction: Biography, The Maritimes

146 pages, $16.95, 6"x9" Paperback (Includes photographs)

ISBN-13: 978-1-897426-01-2

ISBN-10: 1-897426-01-1

Available in September 2008

Amazon|| Chapters

This double biography depicts the lives of the famed Nova Scotia giantess Anna Swan (1846-1888) and the celebrated Cape Breton giant Angus McAskill (1825-1863). These two splendid and singular celebrities toured the world entertaining royalty and impressing audiences from town halls to palaces. Angus and Anna's Scottish influences were deeply embedded from childhood and although it was unlikely the two ever met, the similarities in their lives are uncanny. During their adventures, both worked with and met many unusual characters. Both met Queen Victoria. Anna married an American giant and the two toured as "The Tallest Married Couple in the World."

The book explores the causes of gigantism and how this rare condition shaped the lives and personalities of these two Nova Scotians. Anna and Angus were born to normal-sized, hard-working parents and grew up in rural surroundings but rose to great stardom on the world stage. Both were regarded for their kind hearts and compassion for others. They have left a meaningful message for readers that resonates more than a century after their deaths. Both are honoured at museums in Nova Scotia that house their artifacts. Thousands of people flock to these sites to learn about these great giants.

Shirley Vacon was born in Truro, Nova Scotia. Her career was with the Department of Youth Corrections in the capacity of a youth care worker with young offenders. While working in
St. John's, Newfoundland, Shirley attended Memorial University. She is the mother of three children and proud grandmother of seven. She got her start as a freelance writer in newspapers
and magazines. This is her first book. She now lives in British Columbia.

Anchorman: My Life in Broadcasting

Nonfiction: Biography, The Maritimes, Politics

192 pages, $19.95, 6"x9" Paperback (Includes photographs)

ISBN-13: 978-1-897426-03-6

ISBN-10: 1-897426-03-8

Available in September 2008

Amazon || Chapters

Bruce Graham started his television career working on Romper Room, with excitable five-year-olds and near-daily on-air disasters. Undaunted by that experience, he moved on to other forms of mayhem with excitable ambitious politicians. Police stories, pumpkin stories - he reported it all. Anchorman is filled with Bruce's experiences, observations, commentaries and occasional letters from viewers who took it upon themselves to correct, compliment or contradict him Through four decades there were many high points but absurd moments and disappointments as well.

As a student reporter, he found himself sharing the same streets as the Boston Strangler, mob hit men and Jack Kennedy. He encountered a labour leader so intoxicated he fell asleep on the news set before his interview. There were plenty of controversies in his career, some so explosive that they threatened the stability of a city. As a news director in Halifax, Nova Scotia, he was often at odds within his own profession. Bruce didn't believe that news should be tamed or timed for somebody's convenience. This led to battles over news embargoes and the campaign for television cameras in the Nova Scotia Legislature.

There are plenty of personal glimpses of people in this book, from Ralph Kline to Pierre Trudeau, as well as many other newsmakers of the day. And there are also the humorous moments: Cape Bretoners witnessing the Virgin Mary on the side of Tim Hortons and the man who tried to convince the anchorman that he was being destroyed by aliens. There are stories of injustice too, of people charged with arson, the murder of a young man in a Calgary convenience store and those people who just disappear off the face of the earth.

Bruce Graham has had a long and distinguished career in broadcasting. He has worked in Newcastle, Moncton, Winnipeg, Calgary and Halifax-Dartmouth. Bruce is the 2004 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Canadian Radio & Television News Directors Association. He and his radio newsroom won the Ohio State Award for journalistic excellence. Anchorman is his fourth book. He is also the author of three novels: The Parrsboro Boxing Club, Dream of the Dove, and Ivor Johnson's Neighbours.

A Mother's Road to Kandahar

A Mother's Road to Kandahar
Andria Hill-Lehr
Nonfiction: Autobiography, The Military, War160 pages$15.956" x 9" PaperbackISBN-13: 978-1-895900-96-5ISBN-10: 1-895900-96-4
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As a mother and grandmother, Andria Hill-Lehr writes about her eldest son's decision to join Cadets, then Reserves, and then to be deployed to Afghanistan in 2006. From the time she learned of his decision, throughout his deployment and after his return home, whether speaking publicly or privately, Hill-Lehr has emphasised that unconditional love and support for her son is not synonymous with support for the political agenda behind Canada's presence in Afghanistan Ð an idea that is gaining momentum through an organization that Hill-Lehr co-chairs, called Military Communities Speak Out.
The author explains what inspired her to become a peace activist. She reflects on the influence of her mother, a writer who recalled with painful accuracy how she endured the London Blitz, and her father, who was a World War Two veteran and an inspector with Metropolitan Toronto Police. Both raised her to challenge authority Ð which presented some challenges of its own.
Her son's path inspired Hill-Lehr to scrutinize Canada's military culture and the influence of the American armed forces. She writes of her own experience with the military while the spouse of an Armed Forces officer. With clarity and insight, she examines the practices used by Canada's Armed Forces to cultivate children as young as twelve to become future recruitment prospects or loyal supporters of the military through schools, co-op education programs, military displays, advertising and marketing, and video games.
From Cadets to Reserves to Regular Forces, the Canadian government engages in endeavours that are, at times, questionable. The author hopes those who read this book will think critically about the proclaimed virtue of military programs for youth, and that Canadians will challenge the government of Canada's policies, particularly how they determine the deployment of Canadian troops abroad.
Andria Hill-Lehr is a mother, grandmother, writer and counsellor/therapist. She has been an increasingly vocal opponent of Canada's mission in Afghanistan, giving interviews on radio and television, and writing articles about it throughout her son's seven-month deployment to Kandahar. As a counsellor, she belongs to the Social Justice chapter of the Canadian Counselling Association. She is the Nova Scotia representative on the national board of the Voice of Women (VOW) for Peace.

From the Other Side of the Fence: Stories from Health Care Professionals

From the Other Side of the Fence: Stories from Health Care Professionals
Edited by Dr. Jeff Nisker
Anthology196 pages$19.956" x 9" PaperbackISBN-13: 978-1-895900-98-9ISBN-10: 1-895900-98-0
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"It is only with the heart that one can see truly, for what is essential is invisible to the eye." So writes Antoine de Saint- Exupéry in The Little Prince. Stories can help all of us see with our hearts. Stories of health care can help the public to understand the full human dimension of both patients and health professionals, fostering a better understanding of what patients and health professionals feel and face.
Fences represent the confines within which patients and health professionals find themselves. The stories, plays and poems in this collection - written by nurses, physicians, physiotherapists, social workers, and occupational therapists - are representative of experiences in all Canadian hospitals.
This important volume portrays the desire in the hearts of Canadian health care providers to give compassionate care to those who need it. It also brings into focus the limitations on both sides of the "fence" for the medical professionals and their patients. The writings in this book, resonating with wisdom and honesty, will help validate your concerns with health issues and confirm your resolve to push for the need for compassionate care.
"The paramedics had Wally bound and masked on a stretcher on his way to my familiar territory, the hospital. I felt relieved that he was soon to be treated with the modern medical ways I knew so well. That relief was short-lived when I arrived and was told to sit in the waiting room not knowing what lay beyond that hospital "fence." Alone, I sat breathing deeply, praying for some news. I found the sterile antiseptic smell from this side of the doors seared my nostrils. Every beep, buzz, or whistle had me deciphering what it could mean in Wally's case... I had never actually been in this waiting room for more than a few moments. Is this what my patients' families feel like? I wondered." - Michele Ivanouski
Jeff Nisker is a Professor of Obstetrics-Gynaecology and Oncology and Coordinator of Medical Ethics and Humanities at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario. Jeff uses narrative forms, particularly theatre, to bring to the surface health care issues for the general public, medical students, and clinicians of many disciplines. He has received many teaching awards. He was chosen by the CBC's Peter Gzowski as one of the 13 "Best Minds of Our Time." He also co-edited In Our Hands: On Becoming a Doctor for Pottersfield Press with Linda E. Clarke.

The Maritime Book of Climate Change

The Maritime Book of Climate Change
Richard Zurawski
Nonfiction: The Maritimes, Weather, Climate Change192 pages$16.956" x 9" Paperback26 Illustrations/PhotographsISBN-13: 978-1-895900-97-2ISBN-10: 1-895900-97-2
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The global climate is changing. The world is getting warmer. The Arctic ice is melting faster than it has in 5,000 years, the oceans are warmer than they have been in 100,000, there are more and bigger storms all around the world and ocean levels are rising. And everyone wants to know what this means.
What would you do if Canada's Maritime Provinces were plunged into a mini ice age? What if the winter was eight months long? What if the Gulf Stream shut down and we were plunged into a 20-year winter? Can this really happen? These are a few of the possibilities that face us in the future.
Atlantic Canada has the dubious distinction of being "the global canary" of climate change. By a strange confluence of geography and meteorology, not only will we feel the effects of climate change first and most dramatically here, but also, paradoxically, we will experience a host of seemingly contradictory climate and weather effects. Global warming could actually lead to a cooling of the Maritimes, even a mini ice age spanning the North Atlantic, before the warming takes hold.
Almost certainly the oceans will rise. If so, how much and how fast? And it is quite possible that storms could get worse and more frequent. Can we expect more Hurricane Juans and White Juans? Richard Zurawski takes a hard look at our regional weather and then projects into the future to see what the Maritimes will look like in the coming years as the world's climate changes. And he discusses what we should be doing now. How we respond and how soon we respond to the coming changes will determine how easy or how difficult the transitions will be.
Richard Zurawski is a meteorologist, documentary filmmaker, and television and radio personality who has called Halifax, Nova Scotia, his home for almost two decades. He has been in the science and weather business for more than 25 years. He was the host, creator and producer of Wonder Why?, The Adventures of the AfterMath Crew and WiseWeatherWhys. His documentaries range from technology, to the weather, to philosophy. He can be heard daily on Rogers Radio in Halifax, Moncton and Saint John. His first book was Richard Zurawski's Book of Maritime Weather.

Angels of the Maritimes: By Your Side

Angels of the Maritimes: By Your Side
Karen Forrest
Nonfiction: Angels, The Maritimes, Spirituality96 pages$14.956" x 9" PaperbackISBN-13: 978-1-895900-99-6ISBN-10: 1-895900-99-9
Order this book: [from Pottersfield Press] [from Amazon] [from Chapters]

Do you believe in angels? Angels of the Maritimes is an array of heart-warming accounts of angels from people across the Maritime Provinces. These are personal stories about events ranging from everyday encounters to profound moments that reshape lives. Ever wonder how to connect with your angels? Following each story is relevant, angelic information to assist you in connecting with your own angels.
Read about loving angel messages, simple prayers and meaningful angel tips. The book is written in a down-to-earth way by Karen Forrest, Angel Therapy Practitioner, who, from her own spiritual growth, went from just simply believing in angels to learning to connect with them to help her in her everyday life. Learn how to invoke Archangel Michael, call upon nature's angels (fairies) to heal your pets and how to ask your angels for even small things, like getting that perfect new outfit or finding a downtown parking spot. Included are prayers to protect your family and home, increase your faith and find your lost pet. The reader will be guided to receive loving messages directly from the angels on how to trust your intuition, keep yourself safe and draw on the angel's strength to assist you with what you need.
You will also discover how to recognize signs from your deceased loved ones and be reassured that they are by your side. The author gently guides the reader further on how to recognize angel messages that are there to help you. From the stories you will better understand the roles angels play in your life.
Focusing on inspiration and faith, Angels of the Maritimes encourages you to connect with the angelic/divine realms to lovingly and gently assist you in your daily life. After reading this book, you will no longer doubt that angels are constantly by your side, ready to help you as soon as you ask. Transcending various religious and spiritual beliefs, the book focusses on personal connections to angels and God. Read the stories and embark on your own angel journey today.
Karen Forrest, BN, ATPR, CD, Angel Therapy Practitioner (certified by world-renowned Doreen Virtue, Ph.D.), has received extensive spiritual training. With a vision of assisting people to personally connect with their angels and the divine in honouring their life purpose, Karen offers private angel/medium readings and workshops through her practice, Words of Wisdom Counselling. With a background as a retired Mental Health Nursing Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces, Karen counsels and heals with a heart of compassion. Visit Karen's website: http://www.healingwordsofwisdom.com/.