New Halem Tales: 13 Stories from 5 NW Authors

by Kate Thompson, L. C. Mcgee, Catherine Kigerl, Gwendolyn Van Hout Knechtel, Charles Thompson

Synopsis

"New Halem...I wanted to move there..."
Nestled around a bay at the base of a mountain on the Oregon Coast, New Halem is a strangely exciting place created by a group of writers living in the Pacific Northwest. Each story, set in this quirky community, gives a peek into the lives and secrets of its townspeople.

William Cooke, the new publisher of the FishWrap Bugle, moved to the village to escape the attention that accompanies winning a mega lottery. A new romantic relationship is complicated by his secret financing of a controversial county project. Don’t Let Them Know by Charles Thompson

The Parking Lot Prophet, a mystic, lives in his truck and camper in a park by the sea. He is pulled into the secret of Miss Linny Jones and a pair of blue jeans that fell out of the sky into her dahlia field. They appear to have a life of their own. Those Demon Denims! by Catherine Kigerl

Adele Delacruz, a young widow, and her daughter move to New Halem to start over. She buys a bookstore and convinces her brother-in-law, Drew and his partner, Daniel, to open a restaurant. They struggle to fit into small town life that wants to keep their family relationships a secret. In Which Relationships Are Key by Gwen Van Hout Knechtel

Kevin McLeod, more ham than actor, detours on his way to a new gig in New Halem. He stops at the old town of Hemlock where years ago an erotic liaison took him back in time to a strange cave. After leaving Hemlock, he is pulled into a violent past with a hostile shaman, pirates and treasure. The Cave by L. C. Mcgee

Sheriff Astra Billings wants to know who she is. Her mother claims she was fathered by an asteroid that crashed through the bedroom roof. Astra's budding romance with a handsome newcomer, Mathew, is threatened by deadly secrets that follow him from his West Virginia past. The Asteroid’s Daughter and the Serpent Handler’s Son a novella by Kate E Thompson

There are eight other stories of New Halem folks: reporters, a troupe of actors, a fortune teller, a panty bandit, Glenda Gadabout, gallery owners, an alien watcher and more. Everyone in New Halem is looking for friendship, solace, a fresh start, truth, forgiveness, or true love. Come visit New Halem with us. You may unravel the secrets held in the village or, perhaps, discover its treasure.

About the book
New Halem Tales started as a challenge among writer friends, the 5 NW Authors. After a glass of Merlot, or maybe a few, Gwen laid it down. “Let’s all write stories that take place in the same town; maybe a small town on the Oregon Coast. We could kick it off with a weekend beach retreat… for inspiration.”

We found our inspiration and returned with the foundation of our village. Together, we created New Halem on a bay with a sandy hook and an imposing mountain towering over the landscape, Lahkanea, a spiritual place filled with mystery, native traditions, and stories passed from generation to generation. Each writer crafted their own tales of conflict, relationships, decisions, mistakes and unintended consequences.

The village newspaper, The FishWrap Bugle, chronicles the day to day lives of its good citizens. William Cooke is the publisher. There’s Sheriff Astra Billings, By-the-Book owner, Adele Delacruz, the young actor, Kevin McLeod and The Parking Lot Prophet who lives in a camper in a park by the sea and more. Sometimes one character appears in another’s tale.
Everyone has a secret. They’re looking for friendship and solace, a fresh start, truth and forgiveness, and true love.

Welcome to New Halem. We hope you find the 13 tales of this quirky village as much fun as we had writing them.

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Release date: August 2, 2014

Publisher: TwoNewfs Publishing

Print pages: 358