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  Newest Publication - The Lonely Donkey




The Lonely Donkey
by Joan H. Young

The Lonely Donkey is book five in the Dubois Files mysteries for children. It was almost Halloween of 1953. Cora and her friends had been so involved in trying to get Mr. Bigg to help Tito Gonzales and his family that we hadn't even thought about costumes. Ruby heard a scream one night. She thought it might be a ghost, but her brother George laughed at that idea. OK, they all laughed. But Ruby insisted she'd heard something. Then George heard it too! What did they find? What did they decide to be for Halloween? (Dubois Files #5)

Click the picture to read a sample. Paperback, 155 pages, line illustrations.
e-book $2.99
or print $8.99
You can now order at Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, or direct from the author

  North Country Cache


North Country Cache: Adventures on a
National Scenic Trail

by Joan H. Young.

"New York to North Dakota, snow- banks or blazing sun, afternoon strolls and backpacking treks, Young serves up an eclectic collection of essays chronicling 2300 miles of hikes on the longest footpath in the United States, the North Country National Scenic Trail." (Irene Szabo, editor: North Star)

Click the picture to read a sample. Paperback, 402 pages, color pictures.
$25.00 each.

Read what others are saying about North Country Cache


2006 IPPY WINNER - HONORABLE MENTION (THIRD PLACE) in Regional Non-Fiction / Great Lakes category


 
 
North Country Quest




North Country Quest
by Joan H. Young

North Country Cache is the rest of the adventure begun in North Country Cache, which will complete my hike of the entire North Country Trail, including Vermont. "Time, our most precious commodity, and we all need to spend more of it outdoors. But when we can't, we have Joan Young. She's the "Real Deal" hiker who can take us to the places that refresh our hope, our health and our sense of what makes us happy; the simple things, clean socks, dry sleeping bag, and waking to the butterscotch light of morning sun pouring into our tent." (Frida Waara, polar adventurer)

Click the picture to read a sample. Paperback, 410 pages, color pictures.
$25.00 each.

Anastasia Raven Mysteries

News from Dead Mule Swamp
by Joan H. Young.

A cozy mystery, introducing Anastasia Raven. Anastasia Raven is running from the pain of a failed marriage and hopes to hide from the world in an old farmhouse she has purchased at the edge of Dead Mule Swamp. When a hundred-year-old newspaper she finds inside a wall is stolen by Cliff Sorenson, and then Cliff disappears, Ana is convinced the paper holds the key to the mystery. But what old news could be important enough to put Cliff in danger?
Anastasia Raven (#1)

Click the picture to read a sample, 35,007 words
Listen to the author read chapter 1
e-book $1.99
or print $10.00
You can now order at either Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, or direct from the author


The Hollow Tree at Dead Mule Swamp
by Joan H. Young.

A cozy mystery. Anastasia Raven finds a secret hidden in a hollow tree near Dead Mule Swamp. She thinks she's seeing things, as the discovery appears to have come straight from a Nancy Drew story. With some simple sleuthing, Ana catches Jimmie Mosher, whose grandfather used to own the house she has recently purchased, hiding money in the tree. But what else does Jimmie have to hide?
Anastasia Raven (#2)

Click the picture to read a sample, 15,000 words
$0.99 for separate e-book, or included with News from Dead Mule Swamp in print
You can now download at Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, or direct from the author


Paddy Plays in Dead Mule Swamp
by Joan H. Young.

A cozy mystery. When Anastasia Raven agrees to keep Paddy, an Irish Setter, for the summer, she doesn't understand the mischievous nature of a large puppy. As a volunteer, she meets Corliss Leonard, and his granddaughters Star and Sunny, whose mother disappeared seven years ago. The girls fall in love with Paddy, but can the dog solve their problems?
Anastasia Raven (#3)

Click the picture to read a sample, 56,200 words
e-book $3.99
or print $10.00
You can now order at Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, or direct from the author


Bury the Hatchet in Dead Mule Swamp
by Joan H. Young.

A cozy mystery. Anastasia Raven opens a box containing a bloody hatchet, apparently sent as some sort of warning to her friend Cora and Cora’s ex-husband. When a hacked-up body is discovered in the Petite Sauble River at the small village of Jalmari, everyone is stunned at the victim’s identity. Continued puzzling discoveries just don’t add up. Ana discovers herself agreeing to participate in a zany conspiracy with a tall and handsome man.
Anastasia Raven (#4)

Click the picture to read a sample, 75,600 words
e-book $3.99
or print $14.00
You can now order at Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, or direct from the author


Dead Mule Swamp Druggist
by Joan H. Young.

A cozy mystery. Anastasia Raven has settled comfortably into life in Forest County. As in any community, obituaries are published each week. Suddenly, it appears that four deaths which occurred over the past year were not so ordinary and may be linked by overdoses of oxycodone. Charlie Dixon, the druggist, is in the spotlight. What did a healthy middle-aged CPA, an elderly car dealer, a mentally challenged handyman, and a young artisan have in common? Was it just coincidence that they filled prescriptions days before they died? Why would Charlie want to kill these four people? Why would Charlie want to kill any one of these people? Ana takes on a new role in the community which gives her the credentials to look into the deaths. Her investigations lead her to uncover some of the darker aspects of small town life. Friends Cora and Jerry Caulfield, Adele Volger, and young Jimmie Mosher are never far from the action.
Anastasia Raven (#5)

Click the picture to read a sample, 77,100 words
e-book $3.99
or print $14.00
You can now order at Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, or direct from the author


Dead Mule Swamp Mistletoe
by Joan H. Young.

A cozy mystery. Anastasia Raven accepts an invitation to accompany her friends Cora and Jerry on a Christmas ski holiday at the historic Janes Mill Bed and Breakfast. The rambling Victorian house, deep within Thousand Lakes State Forest, is being renovated by the new owners, Frank and Betty Farnsworth, who want to show off the beautiful home and location. A winter storm isolates the party. What could possibly go wrong? Ana is joined by her son Chad on this adventure, and Jimmie Mosher's family joins the fun and mayhem to cater the party as Cherry Blossom Cuisine.
Anastasia Raven (#6)

Click the picture to read a sample, 64,900 words
e-book $3.99
or print $14.00
You can now order at Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, or direct from the author


Dubois Files Children's Mysteries
The Dubois Files combine adventure and mystery without being violent or dark. They are set in the mid twentieth century when moral standards were generally expected to be upheld, and the children I've invented will sometimes be presented with opportunities to choose between right and wrong.

The series springboards from the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys model. However, in this era of extreme political correctness, those classic series are being retro-analyzed as racist. It is my desire to promote diversity and inclusiveness, and yet, I do not believe that re-writing history is honest. Every decade or century is tarnished in various ways. Some of these societal flaws will appear in the stories.

The primary characters in these books include Jimmie Mosher, of English descent; Cora Dubois with a Finnish mother and French father; Laszlo Szep, the son of a Hungarian tenant farmer; and George and Ruby Harris, a brother and sister of African-American ancestry. These ethnicities fit into the time and place without straining credulity. Of course, the extended families, and associated problems, will come into the plots.

You will find the Dubois Files to be entertaining, but also morally strong and educational.

The Secret Cellar
by Joan H. Young.

A children's mystery, Set in the 1950s, Cora Dubois, Jimmie Mosher and their friends, Laszlo, George, and Ruby, discover they have a talent for getting to the bottom of local mysteries. Each book includes a "forgotten" craft or skill, and may address social/moral issues of the mid-twentieth century. In The Secret Cellar (Dubois Files book #1), Jimmie's family is in danger of losing their farm to the bank. Old Granny May seems to be trying to tell them something, but maybe she's just losing her mind.
Dubios Files (#1)

Click the picture to read a sample, 13,800 words
e-book $2.99
or print $8.99
You can now order at Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, or direct from the author


The Hitchhiker
by Joan H. Young.

A children's mystery. In The Hitchhiker (Dubois Files book #2), Cora's family gives a hitchhiker a ride. He didn't seem to speak English, and Cora's mother thought he was ill. Then Jimmie went exploring and found more than he expected. The hitchhiker was not only sick, but he wanted the children to help him. If only they could have understood what he was saying! It took four of them to solve his problem.

Click the picture to read a sample, 17,000 words
e-book $2.99
or print $8.99
You can now order at Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, or direct from the author


The ABZ Affair
by Joan H. Young.

A children's mystery. George Harris liked writing messages in secret code. In August of 1953, he learned one that was tough to crack, and taught it to his sister Ruby, and then to his friends Jimmie Mosher and Cora Dubois. When the four of them were offered a job picking up trash at the Cherry Pit Junction canning factory, someone listened in on their conversation and stole a coder. The children were playing games, but what were the adults up to?
(Dubois Files book #3)

Click the picture to read a sample, 18,600 words
e-book $2.99
or print $8.99
You can now order at Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, or direct from the author


The Bigg Boss
by Joan H. Young.

A ohildren's mystery. It was September of 1953. Jimmie, George and Cora were moving into the upper level classroom of their two-room schoolhouse, leaving their friends Laszlo, and George's sister Ruby, in the other room. But on the very first day of school, someone began yelling at Ruby! Not everyone was happy that the children had helped break up the ring of thieves that had been stealing from the Cherry Pit Junction canning factory where Cora's father was the manager. And then there was Mr. Bigg. He was the owner of the canning factory, and why he acted the way he did was certainly a mystery. Cora didn't think that was a riddle she and her friends could solve.
(Dubois Files book #4)

Click the picture to read a sample, 22,100 words
e-book $2.99
or print $8.99
You can now order at Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, or direct from the author


The Lonely Donkey
by Joan H. Young.

A ohildren's mystery. IThe Lonely Donkey is book five in the Dubois Files mysteries for children. It was almost Halloween of 1953. Cora and her friends had been so involved in trying to get Mr. Bigg to help Tito Gonzales and his family that we hadn't even thought about costumes. Ruby heard a scream one night. She thought it might be a ghost, but her brother George laughed at that idea. OK, they all laughed. But Ruby insisted she'd heard something. Then George heard it too! What did they find? What did they decide to be for Halloween?
(Dubois Files book #5)

Click the picture to read a sample, 23,000 words
e-book $2.99
or print $8.99
You can now order at Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon, or direct from the author

 

'Get Off the Couch' Essay Collections

Get Off the Couch with Joan
by Joan H. Young.

Ten essays, most were previously published as newspaper columns, chronicling two years of hikes on the North Country Trail. Illustrated with photos by the author. (txt version not recommended, as the photos are a big part of the experience)

Read a free sample at Smashwords. e-book only, 6310 words, 25 photos
$1.89
You can now buy it at Smashwords


Fall Off the Couch Laughing
by Joan H. Young.

Ten humorous essays, most of which were previously published as newspaper columns. Themes have to do with outdoor recreation and are illustrated with photos by the author. (txt version not recommended, as the photos are a big part of the experience)

Read a free sample at Smashwords. e-book only, 6420 words, ten photos
$1.89.
You can now buy it at Smashwords


Puzzle Books


Puzzles for Outdoor Enthusiasts
by Joan H. Young. Volume 1 (Medium to Hard). Over 50 word puzzles: Crosswords, Anacrostics, Kriss Kross, Laddergrams, Cryptograms, lots more, all with outdoor activity themes.
$3.50 each, direct from the author



Puzzles for Outdoor Enthusiasts
by Joan H. Young. Volume 2 (Easy to Medium). Over 50 word puzzles: Crosswords, Anacrostics, Kriss Kross, Laddergrams, Word Search, lots more, all with outdoor activity themes.
$3.50 each, direct from the author

Writings on Faith


Devotions for Hikers
by Joan H. Young. Click the picture to read a sample. Ten short Christian devotions for hikers, weighs only 0.3 ounces (a concern of backpackers!)
$2.00 each, direct from the author
Or buy the eBook Devotions for Hikers for only $.99



Would You Dare?
by Joan H. Young. Click the picture to read a sample. A third edition of a collection of twelve compact biographies of Christians, originally printed in 1986.

paperback $9.99
You can now order at Amazon, or direct from the author

Short Stories

Accidentally Yours
by Joan H. Young

Accidentally Yours is a chaotic collection of short stories, essays, and poems by Joan H. Young. This collection includes a wide variety of genres and styles of writing. Young’s personal forté is to be diverse. Therefore, the apparent theme is that these stories, poems, and essays all came from her chaotic mind. Most any entry will be different in tone from the previous one. If you have just had a warm fuzzy moment, prepare to be disturbed. If you were creeped out by a poem, the next story may be more hopeful.

paper or ebook
You can now order at Smashwords, or Amazon