History of abolitionist activity in Waverly is Sunbury Press bestseller for January

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – Feb. 12, 2017 – PRLog — Sunbury Press has released the bestsellers list for January. Jim Remsen’s history Embattled Freedom took the top spot. Seinsoth by Steven K Wagner was runner up.

SUNBURY PRESS – Bestsellers for January, 2016 (by Revenue)
Rank	Last Month	Title	Author	Category
1	NEW	Embattled Freedom	Jim Remsen	History
2	2	Seinsoth	Steven k Wagner	Sports Biography
3	—	Hatched	Robert Barsky	Literary Fiction
4	1	Strange Magic	Catherine Jordan, et al	Literary Fiction
5	12	Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last, 2nd Ed.	Mike Campbell	History
6	11	Dead of Autumn	Sherry Knowlton	Thriller Fiction
7	—	Warriors, Wampum, and Wolves	John L Moore	History
8	44	The Sign of the Eagle	Jess Steven Hughes	Historical Fiction
9	18	Living in the Afterlife	Michele Livingston	Spirituality
10	38	Raising Monarchs	Sue Fox McGovern	Nature
11	—	The Final Charge	Charles Godfrey	Historical Fiction
12	—	Settlers, Soldiers, and Scalps	John L Moore	History
13	—	Mary Sachs	Barbara Trainin-Blank	Biography
14	—	Pioneers, Prisoners, and Peace Pipes	John L Moore	History
15	8	Pit Bulls	Anthony Julian	History
16	—	Hidden Dangers	R J Stout	Current Events
17	4	Keystone Corruption Continues	Brad Bumsted	History
18	33	Bows, Bullets, and Bears	John L Moore	History
19	24	Forts, Forests, and Flintlocks	John L Moore	History
20	16	Winter of the Metal People	Dennis Herrick	Historical Fiction
21	25	That Night at Surigao	Ernie Marshall	History
22	—	The Politics of Prevailing	William Miller	Education
23	—	The Bookseller’s Secret	Catherine Jordan	Horror
24	37	Traders, Travelers, and Tomahawks	John L Moore	History
25	48	The Wolf of Britannia Part I	Jess Steven Hughes	Historical Fiction
26	41	Jesus the Phoenician	Karim El Koussa	History
27	—	The Descendants of Johann Peter Klinger …	Max Klinger	Geneaology
28	NEW	Burner	Thomas Malafarina	Horror
29	NEW	13 Deadly Endings	Thomas Malafarina	Horror
30	49	Rivers, Raiders, and Renegades	John L Moore	History
31	—	Seeking Samiel	Catherine Jordan	Horror
32	—	The Wolf of Britannia Part II	Jess Steven Hughes	Historical Fiction
33	—	The Death Machine	Charles Godfrey	Historical Fiction
34	39	Hour 30	Brandon Musgrave	Memoir
35	34	Cannons, Cattle, and Campfires	John L Moore	History
36	36	The Best of Keystone Tombstones	Joe Farrell and Joe Farley	History
37	—	Indian Villages and Place Names in PA	George Donehoo	History
38	28	Dead of Summer	Sherry Knowlton	Thriller Fiction
39	—	The Georgia Segregated School for the Deaf	Ron Knorr & Clemmie Whatley	History
40	27	Cast Iron Signs of Pennsylvania Towns and Other Landmarks	N Clair Clawser	History
41	26	Call Sign Dracula	Joe Fair	Vietnam Memoir
42	22	A Year if Change and Consequences	Mark Singel	Memoir
43	5	Solomon Screech Owl’s Kangaroo Caper	Beth Lancione & Kathy Haney	Childrens
44	—	The Heatstroke Line	Ed Rubin	Climate Fiction
45	32	The Ripper’s Haunts	Michael Hawley	History
46	—	The Complete Story of the Worldwide Invasion of the Orange Orbs	Terry Ray	Paranormal
47	—	The Hidden Legacy of World War II	Carol Vento	History
48	—	Keystone Tombstones Volume 2	Joe Farrell and Joe Farley	History
49	—	The Devil Tree	Keith Rommel	Thriller Fiction
50	43	Digging Dusky Diamonds	John Lindermuth	History

Jim Remsen’s history of abolitionist activity in Waverly, PA, entitled “Embattled Freedom,” was #1 due to advance sales leading up to its release. Steven K Wagner’s biography “Seinsoth” about the Dodger who almost was took #2 due to bookstore sales. Robert Barsky’s novel “Hatched” returned to the rankings thanks to author appearances at topical venues. The Perry County Council of the Arts’ writers workshop anthology “Strange Magic” was #4 due to strong sales up until the release party at the Landis House in Newport, PA. Mike Campbell’s “Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last” nabbed #5 thanks to strong ebook sales of the 2nd edition.

The company released three new titles in January:

SUNBURY PRESS – New Releases for January, 2016
Burner	Thomas Malafarina	Horror
13 Deadly Endings	Thomas Malafarina	Horror
Embattled Freedom	Jim Remsen	History

For more info: http://www.sunburypressstore.com/BESTSELLERS_c3.htm

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Waverly, Pennsylvania was a haven for run-away slaves in the 19th century

SCRANTON, Pa.  — Sunbury Press has released Embattled Freedom: Chronicle of a Fugitive-Slave Haven in the Wary North, Jim Remsen’s history of the town of Waverly’s role in the Underground Railroad and other abolitionist activity.

About the Book:
Rural Northeastern Pennsylvania was a bucolic farming region in the 1800s—but political tensions churned below the surface. When a group of fugitive slaves dared to settle in the Underground Railroad village of Waverly, near Scranton, before the Civil War, they encountered a mix of support from abolitionists and animosity from white supremacists. Once the war came, 13 of Waverly’s black fathers and sons returned south, into the bowels of slavery, to fight for the Union. Their valor under fire helped to change many minds about blacks. Embattled Freedom lifts these 13 remarkable lives out of the shadows, while also shedding light on the racial politics and social codes they and their people endured in the divided North. The men had found a safe haven in Waverly, but like other people of color in the 1800s and early 1900s, their freedom was uneasy, their battle for respect never-ending.

Readers are invited to visit embattledfreedom.org, a related, free educational website. There you will find:
Learning segments based on themes in the book
Author’s blog
Classroom materials
Repository of illustrations
Recommended reading

About the Author:
Jim Remsen is a journalist and author of two prior books, The Intermarriage Handbook (HarperCollins, 1988) and Visions of Teaoga (Sunbury, 2014). Since retiring as Religion Editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer, Jim has pursued his keen interest in history, with a focus on underappreciated aspects of our nation’s local histories. Being a native of Waverly, Pa., he is pleased to be bringing his old hometown’s remarkable black and abolitionist period to light.

Praise:
“A fascinating history that needs to be shared.”
-Mary Ann Moran-Savakinus, Director, Lackawanna Historical Society, Scranton

“A well-researched and documented read that revisits the challenges of 13 freedom-seekers who served during the Civil War. A research gem.”
-Sherman Wooden, President, Center for Anti-Slavery Studies, Montrose, Pa.

Embattled Freedom: Chronicle of a Fugitive-Slave Haven in the Wary North
Written by Jim Remsen
List Price: $19.95
6″ x 9″   (15.24 x 22.86 cm)
Black & White on Cream paper
246 pages
Sunbury Press, Inc.
ISBN-13: 978-1620068113
ISBN-10: 1620068117
BISAC: History / United States / Civil War

For more information, please see:
http://www.sunburypressstore.com/Embattled-Freedom-978162…

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Harrisburg’s historic Bethel African Methodist Episcopal church predates the Civil War

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Sunbury Press has released Along the Bethel Trail: The Journey of an African American Faith Community presented by Friends of the Bethel Trail.

About the Book:

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church of Harrisburg, 1835 – 2015

Throughout its history, the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church of Harrisburg has been a critical link in the chain of places, people, and events that bind and strengthen Pennsylvania’s quest for equity, parity, and social justice. Along the Bethel Trail is an anthology of articles by area authors, scholars and humanists that guides readers through the history of this resilient congregation in relationship to the legacy and impact on the community that it serves. Each contributing author writes of a specific historical period and geographic site where the church was located. From that vantage point, the authors explore the social and civic engagement of the congregation and its leadership in time and place, as the church and surrounding communities were continuously uprooted to make room for the expanding state capitol complex. Together their articles frame the impact of the church and congregation on the development of Harrisburg’s diverse community. The combined articles also articulate the struggle of Harrisburg’s African-American community for economic development, sustainability, and a sense of place over the past 180 years.

The anthology of articles supports the eight paneled interpretive signage and self-guided experience along Harrisburg’s Bethel Trail. Discover the location of Bethel’s first church at the current Amtrak station, key 19^thcentury sites at Harrisburg’s Forum, Fountain, and Justice buildings along Commonwealth Ave, its 20^th century site at 6^th and Herr and Bethel’s current 21^st century home in midtowns at 1721 N.5^th street.

Along the Bethel Trail: The Journey of an African American Faith Community
Authored by Lenwood O. Sloan, Nancy Mendes, and Michael L. Barton
List Price: $29.95
Hardcover: 60 pages
Publisher: Sunbury Press, Inc. (April 15, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 162006586X
ISBN-13: 978-1620065860
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.3 x 11 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
BISAC: History / African American

For more information, please see:
http://www.sunburypressstore.com/Along-the-Bethel-Trail-9…

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