October 2011 Just as fall was getting into its full glorious swing here in Maine, we proudly released Paul J. Fournier's Tales from Misery Ridge, One man's adventures in the great outdoors.
Paul is highly regarded throughout the state, well known for an illustrious career that included work as a Maine Guide, bush pilot, sporting camp owner, and outdoors writer and photographer, not to mention his 20-year stint with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Paul writes about his favorite canoes over the years, search and rescue missions in the wilderness, crazy moose and black bear antics, giant leaping trout and more. Published reviews and the word on the street about the book have so far been favorable to say the least. You'll enjoy it, too! It's really hard to pick a favorite from among the thirteen non-fiction stories in the book, but I'd have to say "Foster Eagle," about the successful transplant of bald eagle eggs from Minnesota to Maine, which helped save the bald eagle population from extinction, is right up there on my list. An accompanying photo of a month-old eaglet is either the cutest or ugliest thing I have ever seen. I'm leaning towards cutest at the moment.
Meanwhile, I'm putting the finishing touches on another great outdoors book, Suddenly the Cider Didn't Taste So Good, by retired Maine Game Warden John Ford Sr. It's funny, it's touching and it's scheduled for a spring 2012 release. Can't wait! Stay tuned.
Amy Canfield
Senior Editor
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IN THE NEWS
| :: Paul Fournier and Tales from Misery Ridge featured by the Associated Press
:: Sarah Thomson, author of Mercy, interviewed on WCSH6-TV's Morning Report and featured in the Bangor Daily News
:: Jessica Kinney, author of The Pig Scramble, interviewed in The Maine Sunday Telegram and in the Bangor Daily News
:: Sarah S. Brannen, illustrator of The Pig Scramble, interviewed in MetroWest Daily News
::The Pig Scramble reviewed in Publisher's Weekly
:: My Cat, Coon Cat reviewed on Maine Coon Cat Nation and illustrator Jeannie Brett interviewed in The York Weekly
:: Abbott's Reach reviewed in The Bangor Daily News and a Q and A with author Ardeana Hamlin in the Maine Sunday Telegram
:: Old Maine Woman reviewed in The Bangor Daily News
:: Becky Rule interviewed on Chronicle
:: The Calico Jungle and Farmyard Alphabet reviewed on The Black Sheep Dances
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TALK TO US!
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Send us e-mailCall: 207-846-3344 Fax: 207-846-3955 Write: Islandport Press PO Box 10 Yarmouth ME 04096 Islandport Press is a dynamic, award-winning publisher dedicated to stories rooted in the essence and sensibilities of New England. We strive to capture and explore the grit, heart, beauty, and infectious spirit of the region by telling tales, real and imagined, that can be appreciated in many forms by readers, dreamers, and adventurers everywhere. |
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TALES FROM MISERY RIDGE: "AN OUTDOOR GEM"
 Anyone who loves the outdoors, whether it's from the safety of an armchair, the cockpit of a float plane, or seat of a canoe, will cherish Paul J. Fournier's Tales from Misery Ridge: One man's adventures in the great outdoors. In fact, according to The Maine Edge reviewer Katy England, "anyone with a fondness for this state would do well to read this book. If nothing else, it will make you yearn for the great outdoors and find a way to enjoy it and preserve it."
Rave reviews are pouring in for Fournier's book, a collection of essays and stories about his adventures in the Maine woods and beyond. John Holyoke, writing in The Bangor Daily News, says it "is simply an outdoor gem, a must-read book for anyone who loves spending time afield in Maine, and who likes hearing stories about the way things used to be (and, perhaps, learning more about how they got to be the way they are)."
Read all the reviews here.
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JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN!
MERCY BRINGS HOME A MOONBEAM AWARD
 Mercy: The Last New England Vampire, by award-winning YA author Sarah L. Thomson, has earned the silver medal award in the Young Adult Fiction - Horror/Mystery category of the 2011 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards.
Mercy tells the story of Haley, a modern-day narrator who must dig deep into her family's past for a school project. When a blood-stained glove appears on her bed, eerie messages show up on the TV screen, and ghostly images flicker on her camera, Haley wonders: just what -- or who -- has she unearthed? Inspired by a true story, Mercy will make you think twice about what lies beyond the grave.
The Moonbeam Children's Book Awards are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary children's books and their creators, and to celebrate children's books and lifelong reading. "This year's Moonbeam award winners confirm that books can change children's lives," says Moonbeam Awards founder Jerrold Jenkins.
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TWO PICTURE BOOKS EARN MOONBEAM AWARDS
 Yay! In addition to Mercy's recognition in the YA category, two Islandport picture books were also awarded Moonbeam Children's Book Awards, continuing a strong run of industry recognition for Islandport Press.
My Cat, Coon Cat, written by Sandy Ferguson Fuller and illustrated by Jeannie Brett, was awarded a silver medal in the Picture Book, Ages 4 - 8, Category. Brett used her own cat, Trout, as a model for the rich, detailed illustrations of a beautiful Maine coon cat, and Fuller says the story, about a girl who makes friends with a shy cat over the course of a day, was inspired by a true story. No wonder the book has such authenticity!
 Dahlov Ipcar's Farmyard Alphabet earned a bronze medal in the Board Book category. The book also received Honorable Mention in the Maine Literary Awards this year. The board book is legendary artist Dahlov Ipcar's first new book in more than 20 years, and combines illustrations from eleven of her picture books with fresh, new verses that take you through an A to Z of farm life.
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CD SALES TO BENEFIT MAINE ANTI-HUNGER CAMPAIGN
 This holiday season, Islandport Press is pleased to announce it will partner with the Maine Credit Union League, Port City Productions, and Maineville Publishing to help fight hunger in Maine through sales of two CDs, The Amazing Music of Mainers and Christmas in Maine.
A portion of all CD sales will be donated to the Maine Credit Union's Campaign for Ending Hunger in Maine. The overall goal is to raise $30,000 through the sale of The Amazing Music of Mainers, an amount that will provide approximately one million meals. "Hunger is an unfortunate reality for far too many people in our great state," said Dean L. Lunt, Islandport Press publisher and a Maine native. "Con Fullam has produced  such a wonderful CD with such an important mission that we are honored to play a role, not only in making the CD available for people to enjoy, but also in helping to provide healthy meals to our hungry neighbors who find themselves struggling against very difficult circumstances."
The Maine Credit Union's campaign has raised and distributed more than $3.9 million since 1990 to help end hunger in Maine. According to the credit union, more than 40 percent of the children in Maine under the age of 12 show evidence of hunger.
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ISLANDPORT PRESS ONLINE AUCTION TO BENEFIT MAINE CREDIT UNION'S EFFORTS TO FEED THE HUNGRY
In addition to donating a portion of CD sales, during one week in November we will conduct an online auction of literary items, using our Facebook page, to benefit the Maine Credit Union's Campaign for Ending Hunger. We will e-mail details of the auction to everyone on our e-mail mailing list and make announcements via Twitter and Facebook. To participate, all you need to do is "Like" us on Facebook. You can also sign up for our mailing list here.
Watch for details. We will be auctioning off many great items that will make great holiday gifts! And 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward helping fight hunger in Maine. |
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WINTER CATALOG NOW AVAILABLE
 Don't let the image of a snow-covered tree scare you!
Our newest catalog is now available, chock full of our new winter titles, all our 2011 offerings, and of course our wonderful back list of books.
You can download a digital version of the catalog (note: it's a large 12MB file) as a PDF here: Winter Catalog
If you would like to receive a copy in the mail, please send your name and address to info@islandportpress.com.
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FIND AN ISLANDPORT AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR NEAR YOU!
 Islandport authors and illustrators are at events all over Maine and New England between now and Christmas, so check our Events Calendar to see if there's a signing in your neck of the woods. A few highlights:
October 29
The Pig Scramble author Jessica Kinney will be in Freeport, Maine, at LL Bean, for Camp Sunshine's PumpkinFest. Mercy author Sarah Thomson will be in Barrington, Rhode Island, at Barrington Books' 3rd Annual Book Fair.
October 30
The Pig Scramble illustrator Sarah Brannen will be in Newington, NH, at Barnes & Noble. This is a rare opportunity to learn Sarah's original song about how to draw a pig, and sing it with her! A can't miss event!
Dahlov Ipcar will be making several appearances in the southern/coastal area, signing her new board book, Wild Animal Alphabet. Catch up with her in Brunswick (Nov. 4), Portland (Nov. 19), Georgetown (Dec. 3) and Freeport (Dec. 10).
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