BOOKS FOR CURIOUS READERS--Real Stories with Multicultural Spice

This multi-culti dramedy is available  on  AMAZON

A Cowboy in Pune

Cowboy Carlos Sandoval, “Shlimazel” or Slim, is out of luck with rodeos and women. He blames his misery on the loss of his his lucky lizard bandana and searches for it in Pune, India. There, three strong women get the better of Slim—matron Niharika, her sassy daughter Sunita, and little Rani.

Soon Slim learns that India plays by different rules. When the supply chain falls apart, he flies back to India to check on things. Sunita, the wannabe Bollywood actress and designer has vanished. When Slim sleuthes her out, she puts him under her spell. Is she in with the mob? Things escalate when Slim gets beaten and robbed. A former Marine, he will reclaim his possessions. Or else he might also lose his precious fiancée, Catalina.

Can he salvage his merchandise and survive the ride through the tannery?

A modern day cowboy story.

Available on  AMAZON

The BANDANA BOOK III
Heroes Sung or Unsung

The Bandana Book III What if a bandana could save your life? John Wayne, Rambo, Bob Dylan, Rosie the Riveter, Geronimo, and other popular heroes have worn bandanas in their best of times. It got them through the thick of things.

But what about our everyday heroes? The little boy who braves leukemia, the mother who scrounges food for her children, the doctor who saves patients, or the Yavapai man who writes poems? Heroes in their own right. True heroes follow through, stand by you, and obey their conscience. Not all heroes receive a medal. Most actors here did not choose to be heroes. But they used their gifts of resilience, grit, and fortunate timing. And perhaps a bandana . . .

Read stories by AnnElise Makin Benjamin Reeser Betty Mermelstein Dan Baldwin Bevan Thomas Edda Buchner Elisabeth Sherwood, artist Eva Freitag Fawzia Mai Tung Gabriele Zeller Gautham Kalva Noel Alvarez Renate Mousseux Susanne Demme Uta Monique Behrens . . . and some of their alter egos.

This German book may be purchased on  AMAZON

Kreuzfeuer in Texas

Er schwor sich drei Eide: keinen Sarg mehr zu machen, nie wieder auf einen Menschen zu schießen, und diesen Dreckskerl umzubringen. Er brach sie alle.  Februar 1864. In Texas wütet der Bürgerkrieg. Waldrips Hängerbande terrorisiert die deutschen Siedler, weil sie gegen die Sezession und für die Union gestimmt hatten.

Waffenschmied Eberhard Kohlkrug fabriziert Zündhütchen für den Major, aber nicht genug. Seine stumme, indianische Adoptiv-Tochter ist den Nachbarn verdächtig. Mit den Komantschen ist nicht mehr gut handeln. Eberhard vermeidet den Konflikt, solange es geht. Aber die Hängerbande hat seinen Freund entführt. Raushalten geht nicht mehr.

English preview:

He swore himself three oaths: never to make another coffin, never again to shoot a man, and to kill this bastard. He broke them all.

February 1864. The civil war rages in Texas. Fredericksburg citizens suffer the terror of the Partisan Rangers because as Germans they voted against secession. Armourer Eberhard Kohlkrug tries to keep his cool in the middle of the conflict. But his friend gets taken. That changes everything.

This story book may be purchased on  AMAZON

The Bandana Book II–UNUSUAL ENCOUNTERS

The Bandana Book III tells stories of some remarkable encounters.

Read about how a young woman comes to see her pole-dancing grandmother in a whole other light; how the bandana wraps up a Mesoamerican pyramid and culture; how a bandana makes a Yavapai warrior stand tall; how it lends first aid to a wounded Apache; how another flutters through the dreamscape of a threatened rain forest; how one becomes a depository of memories for the next generation; how it creates a cowboy’s reason to establish an Indian fashion import business; and how it turns out to be the only comfort of a rambling man.

Our Authors

Zarco Guerrero, Vickki Lescoe, Uta Monique Behrens, Tuula Sumpter, Sarah Bohrer, Russ Young, Renate Mousseux, Noel, Keya Hunts-in-Winter, Katherine Zawada, Gisela Baudy, Emily Toadvine, Edda Buchner, Dan Baldwin, Christian Baudy, Buckeye Jeanie, Betty Mermelstein, AnnElise Makin

Available on  AMAZON

The Celtic Stallion Rendezvous

1974. Katrina, a stormy teenager in an ancient Bavarian village, plunges herself into love adventures and ends up seeing ghosts.  A dragon, a witch, and a hell hound spook around St. George’s Hill—and a white stallion that starved to death in the chapel. Katrina writes all that hearsay. Plus, Mara, a Celtic princess, whispers stories in her ear from the Otherworld.

As Katrina madly types up her homework in the old hen house, her grandfather outside peens away at his scythes. Katrina fails each essay until she plagiarizes her dead grandmother’s diary and the old misdeeds get printed in the newspaper. Not much later, a 2000-year-old Celtic princess is unearthed in paramour Mike’s house during a renovation project. That gives Mike a reason to dump her in connection with her newspaper story.

All along, the mute grandfather, who has never recovered from a bitter strike of fate, observes the on goings. He worries that Katrina mingles with the riff raff. Gramp’s worst fears come true: Katrina, blamed for a collusion in a church robbery, is driven of the house and into the forest cabin. In the end, the Celtic stallion soon becomes all too real. 

Young Adult, Fantasy-Romance, Village Trouble

Available on  AMAZON

Der Keltenschimmel, Neuauflage

1974: Der Keltenschimmel galoppiert 1974 durch ein kleines, oberbayerisches Dorf. Katrina, die 17jährige Gymnasiastin, hört ihn ganz laut wiehern. Aber auch noch andere Fantasien schwirren ihr durch den Kopf. Sie dengelt mit dem Großvater um die Wette, er seine Sensen auf der Dengelbank, sie ihre Sagengestalten auf der Adler-Schreibmaschine. Zwischendrin flüstert eine längst verstorbene keltische Prinzessin den beiden ins Ohr.

Katrina, das Kuckucksei im Dorf, ist eine passionierte Schreiberin. Aber ihr Lehrer denkt, sie fabuliert zu viel . Dann schreibt sie aus dem Tagebuch ihrer Großmutter ab, und gewinnt einen Zeitungswettbewerb. Das ganze Dorf gerät darüber in Aufruhr. Gleichzeitig wird beim Nachbarn ein Skelett ausgegraben. Die Ereignisse überstürzen sich und zwingen Katrina zur Flucht in den Wald—wie seinerzeit den Großvater.

Der lang verstummte Alte trägt selbst einen schweren Stein am Herzen. Er gibt sich einen Ruck, denn er will Katrina nicht ins Unglück rennen lassen.

Stichworte: Liebesgeschichte, Abenteuer, Volkskunde, Esoterik, Bayerische Geschichte

This book may be purchased on  AMAZON

The Bandana Book I–Stories of True Grit and Heart

The Bandana Book praises the versatility of the small, universal, multicultural piece of clothing. Ali Baba says, there are 1001 uses for a bandana. But perhaps we could find more. So here a group of authors expresses their appreciation of the bandana.

The Bandana Book is a collection of stories with true grit and heart. While Covid was raging, we all had to improvise with what bandanas were available to make our masks. Beyond that, the bandana has had a gazillion uses as universal survival gear (sun protection, splint, sling, water filter, cooling device, carry stuff, bandage etc.). If an old bandana could tell all its stories, what would it say? “I have been a snuff wipe before I became standard cowboy equipment”? Now a dozen authors have put their most creative thoughts on paper. Oh, what a little bandana can do! Find out in this enjoyable story book.

Our Authors

AnnElise Makin, Beth Dotson Brown, Betty Mermelstein, Dan Baldwin, Edda Buchner, Elisabeth Sherwood, Emily Toadvine, Keya Hunts-in-Winter, Renate Mousseux, Tuula Sumpter, and Noel Alvarez.

This story book for all ages may be purchased on  AMAZON

Random Accident in Sector Noah 135/56

In the far future, people on Earth live in population hubs under plexiglass domes. They are in control of (almost) all their biological needs and global processes. That is, until Sandy stumbles upon a book. Her emotions flare up uncontrollably. For Bob, the universal caretaker, this is a 911 call. Tears can’t be. He tries to fix this dire emergency. But things just snowball from there.

What can I say? Kids. And accidents happen.

Written by AnnElise Makin. Illustrated by Priyanka Makin. Dedicated to Greta Thunberg.

Random Accident Book Review

This German book is available on AMAZON

Der Keltenschimmel, original edition

Ort und Zeit: Ein Geisterross, der Keltenschimmel, galoppiert 1974 durch ein kleines, oberbayerisches Dorf. Katrina, die 17jährige Gymnasiastin, hört ihn ganz laut wiehern. Sie dengelt mit dem Großvater um die Wette, er seine Sensen auf der Dengelbank, sie ihre Sagengestalten auf der Adler-Schreibmaschine. Zwischendrin flüstert eine längst verstorbene keltische Prinzessin den beiden ins Ohr.

Zum Inhalt: Das „Kuckucksei“ Katrina ist eine passionierte Schreiberin. Aber ihr Lehrer denkt, sie fabuliert zu viel und gibt ihr einen Vierer. Bis sich das Blatt wendet. Sie gewinnt überraschend einen Zeitungswettbewerb, weil sie aus dem Tagebuch ihrer Großmutter abschreibt. Das ganze Dorf gerät darüber in Aufruhr.

Die Ereignisse überstürzen sich und zwingen Katrina zur Flucht in den Wald—wie seinerzeit den Großvater. Halluziniert sie schon? Es wäre kein Wunder mit all den Drachen, Hexen, Kelten und Waldgeistern in ihrem Kopf. Der lang verstummte Alte trägt selbst einen schweren Stein am Herzen. Er gibt sich einen Ruck, denn er will Katrina nicht ins Unglück rennen lassen.

Stichworte: Liebesgeschichte, Abenteuer, Volkskunde, Esoterik, Bayern, Zeitreise, Religiösität Kein typischer „Heimatroman“, denn Heimat ist wie man sich fühlt.