Upper Peninsula

These five compelling short stories from North of Nelson, Volume 2 will captivate even the most jaded listener with frankness and audacity. Moore holds nothing back, no subject is out of bounds, and no apologies are given as he exposes stories of incest, lust, love, and hate.

Envision 10,000 mounted men of one of the best cavalries the world has ever produced strung out along 13 miles, marching around Robert E. Lee's right flank, taunting JEB Stuart to come out and fight. In one of the most thrilling and detailed accounts of one of the most important battles of the American Civil War, James Kidd tells this story and much more of the Michigan Wolverine Cavalry under the command of George Armstrong Custer.

Mystery Underground is a collection of scary short stories for kids, middle grade listeners, and everyone who likes a good scare. The stories combine the monsters and mystery of Goosebumps with the surprise endings of The Twilight Zone. They are the perfect scary stories to listen to in the dark, around a campfire, or under the covers at night with a flashlight.

North of Nelson presents six gripping short stories set in the wilderness of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan will hold the listener spellbound as the various protagonists live, and sometimes perish, in this often harsh and rugged land. The mythical village of Nelson frames the life and plights of the various actors as they plunge headlong physically, psychologically, and metaphorically into the treacherous waters of the Sturgeon River Country, where humans live precariously on the edge of a knife, and every mistake could be fatal.

For many of those who've lived there, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan can seem like a magical place because nature there feels so potent and, at times, full of mystery. After having grown up there, Raymond Luczak can certainly attest to its mythical powers. In Chlorophyll, he reimagines Lake Superior and its environs as well as his houseplants as a variety of imaginary and historical characters.

"You Can Call Me Lucky" first appeared in Indian Country Noir, edited by Liz "Bootsie" Martinez and Sarah Cortez, and published by Akashic Books as part of their Noir series. Bootsie is a good friend of mine, and I had a hard time saying no when she beseeched me for a story. I felt unqualified, having minimal acquaintance with American Indians and their habitat. Then I thought of Indian casinos. And I remembered my nameless girlfriend, who'd thus far brightened Hell's Kitchen and Riverdale with her presence. No reason why she had to stay in the five boroughs of New York. Suppose she turned ...

During the mid-19th century, a quarter of a million travelers - men, women, and children - followed the "road across the plains" to gold rush California. This magnificent chronicle - the second installment of Will Bagley's sweeping Overland West series - captures the danger, excitement, and heartbreak of America's first great rush for riches and its enduring consequences.

Sometimes the best way to learn about a unique region is to listen to the stories told by those who've actually lived there. You learn things that no guidebook would ever tell you. You meet unforgettable characters who've strayed far off the beaten path. And you see clearly again how the power of memory is so strong that they can still recall incidents decades later. Michigan's Upper Peninsula has always been filled with remarkable sensations and indelible stories.