UPCOMING TITLES
March 2026
Maine's Still Reading
Buddy Doyle
Photo & Coffee Table Book
Discover even more of Maine's beloved reading culture in this joyful follow-up to Where Maine Reads—a celebration of the inclusive literary community that makes the Pine Tree State so special.
May 2026
Skyland and
Down From Cascom Mountain
Ann Joslin Williams
FICTION
A deeply moving novel that illuminates the complex ways we survive the unthinkable and slowly, painfully, learn to live again.
When Celia is murdered by a troubled young man from across the street, her family is left to navigate the unthinkable in their small town of Kittery, Maine. Desperate to help his daughters heal, widowed Henry sends young Nora and Lucy to Skyland Farm, a remote artists' retreat in the New Hampshire mountains run by his beloved cousin Franny.
The girls, overwhelmed by grief, struggle to find their footing among the resident artists. Nora grapples with her complicated feelings about her mother’s murderer and former love interest, Blake, while forming a new bond with a young sculptor. Lucy, the sole witness to the crime, retreats into silence and the mysterious world of a painting above her bed. Back in Maine, Henry battles his own past when he becomes entangled with Blake's alcoholic mother, threatening his twelve years of sobriety.
Set against the rugged beauty of coastal Maine and the mountainous landscape of New Hampshire, Skyland reveals how art, nature, and unexpected friendships guide us back from the brink.
A haunting debut novel about loss, healing, and the power of place to both wound and restore us.
Mary Walker returns to the New Hampshire mountains with her new husband, ready to rebuild her family's house on Cascom Mountain. But during a routine hike, she watches helplessly as her husband falls to his death, leaving her alone in the wilderness that once felt like home.
Struggling with sudden widowhood, Mary finds unexpected solace among the seasonal crew that maintains the mountain trails. She forms connections with Callie, a sensitive sixteen-year-old who sees past her grief, and with Tobin, the brilliant but awkward boy she once babysat, who now keeps silent vigil on her roof.
When her husband's estranged father arrives seeking connection to his lost son, Mary must confront her grief and the complicated legacy of family wounds. As the small community rallies around her, Mary discovers that healing comes from embracing the rugged beauty and harsh realities of the place that shaped her.
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May 2026
Maine, A Love Story (Paperback)
Blue Butterfield
ART
"Can you live in a moment?"
Portland printmaker Blue Butterfield's intimate illustrated memoir pairs personal history with her stunning woodcut prints, exploring how place shapes identity and art becomes a lifeline through loss.
From her childhood on Mount Desert Island—raised by a resourceful single mother who painted paisley swirls on her car and grew their food—to her current life in Portland's West End, Butterfield reveals how Maine nurtured both her creativity and resilience. Her reflections navigate profound themes through specific landscapes: a father's abandonment after a devastating accident, finding solace in Acadia National Park, the search for control in an unpredictable world, and the discovery that "it's not loss that defines us—it's what we find."
What she found was a state that became both sanctuary and inspiration, from the peaks of Katahdin to the "turquoise rosettes" of Brussels sprouts on the family farm, from the islands of Casco Bay to the magnolias blooming in the city. In these essays, she translates the same mindful attention she brings to carving wood into words that capture fleeting moments of beauty and meaning.
This is a book about finding home—not just in a place, but in the act of truly seeing it.
June 2026
Grafting
Rylan Hynes
FICTION
A luminous debut novel about second chances, forbidden love, and the courage to cultivate beauty in unforgiving soil.
When Eben Turner returns to his family's apple orchard in rural Maine after his parents' death, he confronts more than inheritance—he faces the love he left behind. A decade has passed since he and Chris Hartley, the Methodist minister's son, were torn apart in their final year of high school, their secret relationship severed by faith and small-town judgment. As Eben and Chris reckon with their buried past, they discover that healing requires more than forgiveness—it demands the courage to cultivate love in hostile ground.
Set against the Edenic beauty of New England, Grafting unfolds through dual perspectives in a lyrical narrative that mirrors the art of joining two trees to create something stronger. A voice-driven and unforgettable tale of queer love and rural identity, this exquisite debut explores the cost of forbidden desire and the resilience required to claim one's authentic self.
June 2026
Who Loves Blueberries?
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Rebecca Rule
CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK
When summer sun ripens wild blueberries, every critter comes out for a taste!
From buzzing bees to slithery snakes, mischievous mice to graceful deer, a wide assortment of creatures gather to enjoy nature's sweet-tart treasure. But who loves blueberries most of all?
With charming illustrations that bring the blueberry barrens to life, this scrumptious picture book follows a parade of animals as they discover there's plenty for everyone. Young readers will delight in spotting each new visitor while learning about the joyful rhythms of the natural world.
Backmatter offers some juicy facts about blueberries and the wildlife they support.
Perfect for ages 3-7, Who Loves Blueberries? celebrates seasonal bounty and the simple pleasure of sharing nature's gifts in this heartwarming tale of community.
Available for pre-order soon...
August 2026
Oyster Society
Virginia Shaffer
NON-FICTION
Part culinary adventure, part personal awakening—one woman’s story chasing oysters across North America to discover a hidden world and her own true path.
What started as a whimsical visit to an oyster farm became a life-changing journey across North America's hidden shellfish world. As Virginia Shaffer (“Lady Oyster”) traverses saltwater marshes and sticky mudflats, from bustling seafood parties to clamorous shucking competitions, readers take an immersive dive into the gritty, passionate community of people who live and breathe oysters.
Oyster Society reveals the profound stories hiding beneath the surface of our food system. As the author sinks deeper into this briny underground, she discovers that oyster people aren't just growing shellfish—they're cultivating resilience, sustainability, and authentic connection to the coast.
September 2026
Hard as a Headstone
Richard Cass
FICTION
The dead don’t lie. The living do.
Former Army CID investigator Ardmore Theberge just wanted to complete his assignment: a routine land survey. But when he discovers a young woman murdered in a historic Maine graveyard—her skull crushed by blunt-force trauma—routine goes out the window.
The victim, Janey Nightingale, was part of an activist group fighting to stop a bottled water company from relocating the cemetery. The authorities seem in no hurry to solve the case. But when Ardmore's friend Millicent Feathernight implores him to look into what appears to be a crime against a fellow Native American woman, he can’t say no.
In the unorganized town of Platen, everyone has secrets and everyone has an agenda. When the victim's identity proves to be as false as the town's promises of cooperation, Ardmore realizes he's stumbled into something far more dangerous than a simple murder.
Especially when he becomes the prime suspect.
Now Ardmore must use every skill from his mysterious military past to clear his name and expose a killer—before he becomes the graveyard's next permanent resident.
October 2026
The Cosmic Journey of Jessica Meir
Jamie Hogan
CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK
Jessica Meir always knew what she wanted to do: VROOOOOOOM to outer space! Growing up beneath the dark night skies of northern Maine, Jessica had her head in the stars and her feet in the wild woods. As she got older, she traveled around the world to study extreme environments and the animals that thrive in them. She plunged under ice and slithered inside caves. Jessica’s hard work and determination led to a career with NASA, living out her astronaut dreams, and making history as part of the first all-woman spacewalk!
Get ready for astronaut Jessica Meir’s incredible cosmic journey.
3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .
Liftoff!
October 2026
Hector Fox and the Snowy Surprise
Astrid Sheckels
CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK
Winter has come to the Green Wood, and Hector Fox and his friends are busy preparing for a festive celebration. But when howling winds and wild snows arrive, the friends get lost in the storm. Will they find their way home? Will all of their party plans go to waste? In their newest, snowiest adventure, Hector Fox and his woodland crew must rely on each other and their courage more than ever as they discover that friendship is one of the greatest gifts of all.
Hector Fox and the Snowy Surprise, created by award-winning author and illustrator Astrid Sheckels, is the fifth in her series of picture books featuring Hector Fox, Lucy Skunk, Mo Marten, Charlie Chipmunk, Jeremiah Rabbit, and other surprise friends.
November 2026
Throwbacks and Keepers
Ron Pedro
Young Adult Fiction
Throwbacks and Keepers is a coming of age novel about a boy in foster care who wrestles with losing his mother and finding family, friends, and a place to call home.
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COVER
DESIGN IN PROGRESS
November 2026
E. Norm Moose
Heidi E.Y. Stemple
CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK
More information coming soon
December 2026
Wood Work: Building a living, Crafting a Life
Steve Smith
Nonfiction | Memoir
In January 2019, former white-collar worker Steve Smith stepped into the snowy Maine woods with a single question: could he make a living using only an axe?
With no business degree and no formal training—only books, YouTube videos, and stubborn determination—Smith founded Renaissance Timber LLC in Cumberland, Maine, becoming one of the only commercial hand-hewers in the United States. Over the next six years, he navigated brutal weather, physical danger, financial uncertainty, and family strain while building a successful timber operation that ultimately earned more than any of his previous office jobs.
Drawing on an upbringing in a religious cult and years of failed attempts to secure meaningful wage work, Smith explores the deeper forces that drove him toward a life of manual craft and self-reliance. Structured around the months of the year, A Hewn Life follows the seasonal rhythms of labor—frost, mud, sun, and sweat—revealing both the hardship and deep satisfaction of building something real with one’s hands.
Part memoir, part meditation on work and meaning, A Hewn Life is a resonant testament to the enduring human desire for purpose beyond the fluorescent glow of the modern office—and a beacon for anyone who has ever dreamed of leaving the desk behind.
COVER
DESIGN IN PROGRESS
COVER
DESIGN IN PROGRESS
February 2027
ABCs of Maine
Erika Zambello
Illustrated by Mary Zambello
Board Book
March 2027
Matinicus
Jenny Connell Davis
Middle Grade
