Korean War murder mystery & legal drama subject of Joseph Carvalko’s “We Were Beautiful Once”

Mechanicsburg, PA – Sunbury Press has released Joseph Carvalko’s novel “We Were Beautiful Once”; a murder mystery and legal drama set during the Korean War

We Were Beautiful Once

ABOUT THE BOOK:
“We Were Beautiful Once” is a psychologically complex courtroom novel that builds an intriguing web of events, creating a sustained sense of anticipation from chapter to chapter in the mold of John Grisham’s The Pelican Brief, where trial lawyer Nick Castalano tries to uncover the fate of Roger Girardin, MIA during the Korean War, and discovers he may have been murdered in a POW camp by Trent Hamilton, a politician (sights on becoming governor) and businessman. Before the war, Jack O’Conner, Hamilton, Girardin and Julie, Girardin’s girlfriend and Jack’s sister, hung out. In part the story follows the lives of the survivors, who after the war, with Roger’s disappearance and Jack and Trent having spent years in a North Korean hell-hole, change dramatically, notably Jack goes through life teetering on the edge of insanity (believing he may have killed Girardin) and that his murderous act will be discovered by his sister, who waits her entire life for Roger’s return.

REVIEW:
Carvalko writes with such convincing realism and lyricism that I was at once brought into the landscape of his literary vision and grip of his storytelling.  His prose is wiry and wise, steely yet soulful. His tales are tethered to real life, lived and thoroughly pondered.  In right light, he is a cross between James Patterson and Scott Turow, only wiser and much more generous. — Da Chen, New York Times bestselling author of “Colors of the Mountain,” a memoir, “Brothers,” a novel, and “My Last Empress,” a novel.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Joseph Carvalko is an American writer, lawyer born in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The novel, We Were Beautiful Once, Chapters from a Cold War was inspired by a case he tried in Federal Court to locate a Korean War POW. In addition to numerous professional and academic writing, other of his publications include: The Techno-Human Shell-A Jump in the Evolutionary Gap (2012), which details the rapid rise in cyborg-like technology; A Road Once Traveled, Life from All Sides (2007); and A Deadly Fog (2004). In 2012, he was one of two finalists for the 2012 Red Mountain Press Prize for Poetry, for The Interior, A Memoir; and one of three finalists for the 2012 Esurance Poetry prize, for his poem “The Road Home.” When he is not writing, he plays jazz piano. He, his wife Susie, and four cats live between the Connecticut and Florida coastal areas.

We Were Beautiful Once: Chapters from a Cold War
Authored by Joseph Carvalko
List Price: $16.95
5.5″ x 8.5″ (13.97 x 21.59 cm)
Black & White on White paper
352 pages
Sunbury Press, Inc.
ISBN-13: 978-1620061718
ISBN-10: 1620061716
BISAC: Fiction / Legal

For more information, please see:
http://www.sunburypressstore.com/We-Were-Beautiful-Once-C…

Also available on Kindle and Nook

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Dr. Philip Benjamin explains the bio-chemistry of our inner-selves in his latest book…

Mechanicsburg, PA – Sunbury Press has released Philip Benjamin’s latest book delving into the existence of the inner-self titled “Spiritual Body or Physical Spirit?: Bio Dark-Matter Chemistry & Your Invisible Doppelganger ”

Spiritual Body or Physical Spirit

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Philip Benjamin uses qualities of dark-matter to unravel the invisible but experientially present “self” in a rational way enabling future quantification in practice and therefore theory. As he elegantly puts it “where matter exists chemistry exists”. Dark-matter gives dark-matter chemistry and a dark-matter body.” His methodical and evidential approach including the analysis of emission of biophotons “the light of life” delimits our cognizable limits–the limits rationalism’s hubris ignores to the point of ungrounded myth and myst about mind. Here is reason that does not exploit the mysterious derivation of matter, i.e., life as such. Philip penetrates matter (though constantly aware of our cognizable-predicament) and participates in a healthy, informed cautiousness toward using philosophical reasoning (but only vs. metaphysical rationalism)—an existential attitude made clear in the positive theistic existentialistic works of Karl Jaspers. There’s the leaning toward a reasoning that encompasses and shatters rationalism. While the source of life is implied, he respectfully avoids eye contact and meaning by association with the divine. It’s an extraordinary unifying quiet approach that cannot be reduced to a dimension that excludes occidental historical wisdom. The work presents a friendly unifying natural view in so far as it preserves an open-endedness toward experience. — Glenn Wood, BSL. MA Researche, Karl Jaspers

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Bio Dark-Matter Chemistry. International Journal of Current Research and Reviews, Vol 4 issue 20, 2012.

Dark Chemistry & the Paranormal, WorldComp’10 Proceedings of the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Vol II,  pp 633-39, July 12-15, 2010, CSREA Press, Las Vegas, NV.

Dark Chemistry & the Paranormal Phenomena. International Journal of Applied Science & Computations, Vol. 17, No. 1 Pages 16 to 36, June 2010

Dark Matter & Dark Chemistry NeuroQuantology September 2007, Vol 5 # 3, 322-326.

Dark Chemistry or Psychic Spin Pixel? NeuroQuantology, June 2007, Vol. 5 # 2, 197-204.

Mind Matter, Noetic Journal Vol 4 # 4, 351-360, 2003  [Nobelist Sir John Eccles Centennial Edition].

Spiritual Body or Physical Spirit?: Bio Dark-Matter Chemistry & Your Invisible Doppelganger
Authored by Philip P Benjamin PhD MSc MA
List Price: $14.95
5.5″ x 8.5″ (13.97 x 21.59 cm)
Black & White on White paper
104 pages
Sunbury Press, Inc.
ISBN-13: 978-1620061824
ISBN-10: 1620061821
BISAC: Science / Life Sciences / Biophysics

For more information, please see:
http://www.sunburypressstore.com/Spiritual-Body-or-Physic…

Also available on Kindle and Nook

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Former slaves battle the Klan in this Reconstruction-era action adventure by Lane Heymont

Mechanicsburg, PA – Sunbury Press has released Lane Heymont’s debut novel pitting two former slaves against the Ku Klux Klan in this post-Civil War era action adventure novel “The Freedman and the Pharaoh’s Staff.”

The Freedman and the Pharaoh’s Staff

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Jeb, a former slave, rescues his brother-in-law Crispus from the Ku Klux Klan, pulling him into a world of Creole Voodoo, hatred, time travel, and redemption. The two brothers-in-law set out to stop Verdiss and his Klan followers from using the Pharaoh’s Staff, a magical artifact from ancient Egypt. Soon, Jeb and Crispus learn Verdiss’ diabolical plan and discover that he is working for an even more evil force. In the end Jeb and Crispus must stop the eradication of an entire people and each must find redemption for his own past sins.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lane Heymont was born in Pennsylvania. He has been a lifelong reader and writer. As a child, his grandfather would pay him $5 to read the best literature had to offer. Such titles included “Ivanhoe”, “the Iliad”, “the Odyssey”, “A Tale of Two Cities”, and more. Ironically, as a lover of fantasy and medieval adventures…he hated “Ivanhoe” with a passion.
He earned a BA in Liberal Arts with a focus on literature and history. He also holds a double minor in psychology and business. After college, Lane turned his focus back to writing. He has several short stories published and his debut novel, “The Freedman and the Pharaoh’s Staff” is his debut novel.

Lane belongs to a number of professional organizations including the Horror Writers Association, the Historical Novel Society, the Association of Writers & Writing Programs along with the National Writers Union. He also belongs to the Infinite World of Fantasy Authors.

When Lane’s not writing stories, he writes freelance for various websites on a range of topics. He focuses mainly on science, astrophysics, environmental studies, including Global Warming.

He currently attends Harvard University in Extension, pursuing an MLA in creative writing.

The Freedman and the Pharoah’s Staff
Authored by Lane Heymont
List Price: $16.95
5.5″ x 8.5″ (13.97 x 21.59 cm)
Black & White on White paper
286 pages
Sunbury Press, Inc.
ISBN-13: 978-1620061626
ISBN-10: 1620061627
BISAC: Fiction / Historical

For more information, please see:
http://www.sunburypressstore.com/The-Freedman-and-the-Pha…

Also available on Kindle and Nook

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Dan Shutter’s “The Mouse with the Broken Tail” re-released by Sunbury Press

Mechanicsburg, PA – Sunbury Press has released an improved edition of “The Mouse with the Broken Tail” by Dan Shutters and illustrated by Sharon Shiffler.

The Mouse with the Broken Tail

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Join Sam the mouse as he leads his mouse tribe from the dangers inside the house to the promised land Outside. Will they finally escape Faro the cat? Will they finally be free? Along the way, the group learns about hard work, creative thinking, and the benefits of self-sacrifice. However, the Outside is not without its own challenges! This charming tale gently deals with various issues that face children, the power of evil vs. the power of God, the reasons for warnings, faithfulness, and the ability to change among others. Rev. Dan Shutters wrote this parable of the Book of Exodus for use as a series of children’s sermons.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rev. Dan Shutters was ordained in 1969 after graduating with a Master of Divinity degree from Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, Waterloo, Ontario. He is a pastor with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He has been delivering messages for children for most of his ministry. Always in search of unique ways to communicate, he is a member of the Society of American Magicians, performing the stories from his book, “Magic in Ministry”. In the early days of home computers he wrote “Farway” as an educational program for Lutheran World Relief which illustrated the problems encountered by bringing wells to African villages. In 1979, the Red Cross asked him to help with the children in the Hershey, PA shelter set up iduring the accident at nearby Three Mile Island.

The Mouse with the Broken Tail
Authored by Dan Shutters, Authored by Sharon Shiffler
List Price: $9.99
7.5″ x 9.25″ (19.05 x 23.495 cm)
Black & White on White paper
44 pages
Sunbury Press, Inc.
ISBN-13: 978-1620061893
ISBN-10: 1620061899
BISAC: Juvenile Fiction / Religious / Christian / Action & Adventure

For more information, please see:
http://www.sunburypressstore.com/The-Mouse-With-the-Broke…

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“Rock-a-billy Rebel” headlines Sunbury Press’s best January ever… Sunbury’s January best-sellers

Rock-a-Bill Rebel

Mechanicsburg, PA – “Rockabilly Rebel: Known and Unknown Stars I’ve Known”, Mack Allen Smith’s recollection of the numerous musical talents he interacted with during his Rock-a-Billy Hall-of-Fame career,  was #1 in print thanks to regional bookstore sales. Mike Campbell’s “Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last” led all eBooks and was 7th in print thanks to those seeking the truth about Amelia’s disappearance. Farrell & Farley’s “Keystone Tombstones Volumes 2 & 1” were #2 & #3 in print, respectively,  due to several television appearances by the authors.  Dr. Brandon Musgrave’s medical school expose “Hour 30” ranked #2 in eBooks, thanks to a author promotions. “Of Guilt and Innocence,” John Scanlan’s debut police-procedural mystery, was #3 in eBooks and 4th in print due to heavy regional media coverage. Daniel Diehl’s “Revelations: Book One of the Merlin Chronicles” was #4 in eBooks thanks to the efforts of Daniel’s publicist.

Sunbury Press experienced its best January yet, after seeing sales decline slightly in 2012 versus 2011, as eBooks cannibalized print.  Sales for January 2013 were up 21% over the prior year, with growth in print leading growth in eBooks for the first time in years. “We have seen an increase in print sales to independent bookstores,” said publisher Lawrence Knorr. “We’ve had a lot of regional interest in many of our titles, and the media seems to be more open to reporting on smaller presses. Conversely, from our perspective, it appears eBook sales are beginning to level.  Regardless of which way the market goes from here, we are ready.”

Darla Henry’s “The 3-5-7 Model – A Practice Approach to Permanency,” detailing her system for dealing with grief, nabbed #5 in print due to wholesale orders to conferences.

Carol Schultz Vento’s “The Hidden Legacy of World War II,” revealing the affect of PTSD on her famous father, Arthur Dutch Schultz and their family, ranked 5th in eBooks due to continued media interest in the book.

Joseph Carvalko’s “The Techno-Hum​an Shell: A Jump in the Evolutionary Gap,” detailing the merging of technology and anatomy, debuted at 6th in print and 7th in eBooks thanks to author events.

Robert Broomall’s “Murder in the 7th Cavalary,” a mystery based in General Custer’s camp, continued to sell well in eBook format, ranking 6th.

Sue Dahlgren Daigneault’s biography about her famous father, WW2 hero Ed Dahlgren, grabbed 8th in print and 9th in eBooks thanks to author events.

‘The People’s Medium,’ Michele Livingston, rejoined to the top 10 eBooks, slotting in at #8 thanks to author events.

Ann Elia Stewart’s “Twice a Child,” a novel recounting her father’s Lewy Body Dimentia, ranked 9th in print.

Bob Ford’s “Beagle Tales,” the first volume in his popular series, finished the eBook top 10, thanks to author appearances.

“There is Something About Rough & Ready: A History of the Village at the Heart of the Mahantongo Valley” rounded out the print top 10, as regional sales continued to be brisk.

Following are the top overall print sellers by category:

History / Memoir – “Rock-a-Billy Rebel” by Mack Allen Smith
Fiction  – “Of Guilt and Innocence” by John Scanlan
Horror/Mystery – “Of Guilt and Innocence” by John Scanlan
Children/YA – “USA to Z” by Mary Stout and John Gascot
The Arts – “Contemporary Photo Impressionists” by T K McCoy
Self-Help – “The 3-5-7 Model” by Darla Henry
Metaphysical/Spiritual – “Messages from Beyond” by Michele Livingston
Reference – “Education Behind Bars” by Chris Zoukis

The company released four new titles during the month of January:
“General John Fulton Reynolds: His Biography, Words and Relations” by Lawrence Knorr, Diane Watson and Michael Riley
“The Techno-Hum​an Shell: A Jump in the Evolutionary Gap” by Joseph Carvalko
“Rock-a-Billy Rebel: Known and Unknown Stars I’ve Known” by Mack Allen Smith
“Of Guilt and Innocence” by John Scanlan

For a list of Sunbury’s all-time best-sellers, please see the Sunbury Press web site:
http://www.sunburypressstore.com/BESTSELLERS_c3.htm

For a complete list of recent and upcoming releases, please see:
http://www.sunburypressstore.com/COMING-SOON_c47.htm

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Lancaster County’s Hackmans subject of reissued family history

The Hackman Story

Mechanicsburg, PA – Sunbury Press has released an updated edition of “The Hackman Story: The Descendants of Henry Hackman of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania” by Dorothy Elaine Grace and Lawrence Knorr.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Dorothy Elaine Hackman Grace compiled the original version of “The Hackman Story” in 1976 for her cousins, neices, nephews and children. Lawrence Knorr was a recipient of one of these comb-bound volumes, triggering his interest in genealogy and family history. ‘Elaine’ passed in 1999, and Lawrence has since updated the book based on correspondence between the two and Lawrence’s subsequent research.

“Elaine was always very encouraging,” said Lawrence, “I looked forward to her updates and she to mine. I am very pleased to help present Elaine’s work to a greater audience. I am certain she would be very proud of it.”

This book details the history of the Hackman family, Mennonites who emigrated from Ibersheim, near Worms, Germany, and settled in Lancaster County near Lititz and Manheim. Much more than just genealogical information, this book contains many anecdotes, including early farm life, the first airplane and automobile seen in Millport, near Manheim, life at Elizabethown College from the 30’s to the 60’s, and events at various Churches of the Brethren.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Dorothy Elaine (Hackman) Grace (1934-1999) was a great granddaughter of Andrew Baer Hackman, and a  granddaughter of Willis Brenner Hackman (via Henry Hess Hackman).  “Elaine” is also the author of ‘The Becker Story’. She thoroughly enjoyed researching and writing about family history. Her life through 1976 is well chronicled in this work, including the connections to the family she loved so dearly.

Lawrence Knorr (1964- ) is the 2nd great grandson of Andrew Baer Hackman, and a great grandson of Willis Brenner Hackman (via Emma Amelia Hackman). For those keeping score, this makes Lawrence a ‘half-cousin once-removed’ to Elaine.

Lawrence is the author of numerous other books including A Pennsylvania Mennonite and the California Gold Rush, The Relations of Milton Snavely Hershey, The Descendants of Hans Peter Knorr, The Relations of Dwight D. Eisenhower, The Relations of Isaac F. Stiehly – Minister of the Mahantongo Valley, General John Fulton Reynolds – His Biography, Words and Relations and There is Something About Rough and Ready: A History of the Village at the Heart of the Mahantongo Valley.

The Hackman Story: The Descendants of Henry Hackman of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Authored by Dorothy Elaine Grace, Authored by Lawrence Knorr
List Price: $14.95
5″ x 8″ (12.7 x 20.32 cm)
Black & White on Cream paper
120 pages
Sunbury Press, Inc.
ISBN-13: 978-1620061886
ISBN-10: 1620061880
BISAC: History / United States / State & Local / Middle Atlantic

For more information, please see:
http://www.sunburypressstore.com/The-Hackman-Story-978162…

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