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When WDFW officials receive an anonymous tip that poachers might be taking young falcons and eagles from nests around eastern Washington and shipping them to a Russian oligarch, Washington State fish and wildlife officer Luke McCain and his colleagues must go to new heights to save the federally protected raptors.Meanwhile, domestic animals are going missing in the region, and Luke investigates the gruesome remains. As details of the animals' mysterious deaths emerge, rumors explode that a mystical creature-the ever-elusive bigfoot-may be responsible. Thinking a more plausible explanation is likely, Luke endeavors to unravel the clues leading authorities to whoever, or whatever, is killing the animals before bigfoot mania overruns the region and more beloved animals are slaughtered.NOWA Excellence in Craft Award runner up for 2023"I had almost given up reading novels...then I picked up Creature of the Cascades. Here is something you don't see every day. A wordsmith with depth who has not only lived the outdoor life; he's an observer of the critters and the characters of the Northwest. Rob Phillips writes real places into this page-turner, and he is not averse to taking risks with humor, suspense and wordplay. I was hooked from the first jump." --Gary Lewis, TV host and author of Fishing Central Oregon, Fishing Mount Hood Country, and John Nosler Going Ballistic¿"Rob Phillips takes you on another fun romp into the wilds of Washington State as Luke McCain works on arresting poachers who are stealing young raptors.... McCain also struggles to figure out who or what is killing pets, livestock, and wild game in the South Cascades. Is it Sasquatch as some believe or is it something else? Read Creature of the Cascades, the latest Luke McCain novel and find out!" --John Kruse, host of Northwestern Outdoors and America Outdoors Radio¿

After plans were announced for multiple dams in Mongolia's Selenge River watershed, award-winning author and veteran flyfishing guide Peter W. Fong was spurred to learn more about this remarkable ecosystem. On a first-ever scientific expedition from the headwaters of the Selenge to Russia's Lake Baikal, he and an international team traveled more than 1,500 kilometers by horse, camel, kayak, and rowboat through one of the world's most rugged regions and a last, best stronghold for the planet's largest salmonid: the taimen.¿Fong's account of this dramatic journey tells a passionate yet nuanced story of the Selenge River and its tributaries. About the fish and wildlife that call the river home. About the human history of the region, from the Bronze Age to the fall of the Soviet Union. About the people who live in the basin now-from nomadic herders to construction engineers-and their attitudes toward development and conservation. About the old gods and legends that haunt the mountains. And about the disparate possible futures for one of the most starkly beautiful places on earth.

After continuous complaints that a poaching ring is running rampant in northeastern Washington, Fish & Wildlife police officer Luke McCain is assigned to go undercover to infiltrate the gang. Just as Luke and his fellow officers move to finally catch the poachers red-handed, one of the crooks flees into the mountains and Luke has to hunt him down.¿Days later, a serial killer suspected of killing dozens of women around the Northwest escapes from custody when a Department of Corrections van crashes in the rugged North Cascades. Luke and Jack are hand-picked by the governor to join the manhunt, and the pressure is on to find the fugitive before he disappears into the wilderness, possibly to reemerge and kill again.Praise for Cascade Manhunt:NOWA Excellence in Craft Award winner for 2023"Cascade Manhunt is the fifth book of Rob Phillips' Luke McCain series, and I believe it to be his best work. The book follows Washington State game warden Luke McCain as he works undercover to apprehend a group of hardcore poachers and then feverishly hunts down a fugitive wanted in several states. As a retired Washington State undercover Fish and Wildlife detective, I found Rob's book to be spot-on. I simply couldn't put Cascade Manhunt down and am already thirsting for Rob's next book." --Todd Vandivert, retired Washington State Fish and Wildlife Detective and author of the Wildlife Justice series"Like Rob Phillips' earlier books in the Luke McCain series, unique characters make Cascade Manhunt come alive. A plotline that twists and turns through the backcountry woods of central Washington keeps your attention until the very end." --Dennis Dauble, author of Bury Me with My Fly Rod and Chasing Ghost Trout¿"Thieving poachers, a corrupt cop, a psychopathic serial killer-multiple intriguing, fast-paced plots skillfully written to move along separate but parallel storylines toward an epic conclusion master-minded by Washington Fish and Wildlife police officer Luke McCain. That all three plots flow singularly and seamlessly from chapter to chapter in narratives rich with accurate outdoor expertise without confusing this reader is a testament to Rob Phillips' wordsmithing skills. Cascade Manhunt, the latest edition to the Luke McCain thriller series leaves me wanting more." --Terry W. Sheely, author and writer

Just before Lee's wife joins him in retirement, their plans for their golden years are dashed. COVID-19 has thrust the world into lockdown, and nothing will ever be the same. A near-death experience lands him in the hospital at the peak of the pandemic. Then, he must grapple with his new limitations amidst a world seemingly coming unhinged. As COVID grinds on, month after month, the truth of his identity bubbles irrepressibly to the surface, forcing him to confront his demons and finally share what he has long buried. Witty and insightful, Shainen shares a series of anecdotes from the COVID era and meditations on what it all might mean. In a double-helix style of prose and poetry, this avant-garde memoir dives deep into the malaise and madness, ultimately reminding us that there is always much to be grateful for if only we lean in and take a closer look.

When Vince Montague's wife perishes in a tragic car accident, he is plunged into a world of grief. After weeks of loneliness and despair, he begins to explore his wife's pottery studio in the wild hills of Northern California, teaching himself to mix clay, throw a pot, fire a kiln, trim and glaze. Just as his grief is ebbing and his future in clay is looking bright, a wildfire advances upon his studio and threatens to destroy everything he has created.¿Cracked Pot is a singular book: a story of love lost and the labyrinthine path through grief; a meditation on the craft of pottery and its power to inspire and restore; a rumination on the life of a writer and the refuge of words; an examination of how generational family trauma can shape an artist. Montague's haunting memoir is a kaleidoscopic and redemptive reading experience, one that serves to remind its readers about the cracks and the light. "Cracked Pot is a soul-baring memoir of love, creativity, loss, grief, and creativity again." --Benjamin Dreyer, New York Times bestselling author of Dreyer's English

After surviving the usual debacles of adulthood (marriage, taxes, divorce), Ammi Midstokke does what any sensible single mom would do: She purchases an off-grid fixer-upper perched on a granite hilltop in rural Idaho. Underprepared and overcaffeinated, she embarks upon a series of seemingly inadvisable activities from getting lost in the mountains after dark to dangling on a rope with a chainsaw to relationshipping with bearded woodsmen and falling in love. In her hilarious yet sage debut essay collection, Midstokke demonstrates that battles with freeloading varmints, clogged stove pipes, childhood trauma, and one surprisingly aggressive boulder are unexpected, if not wonderfully entertaining, pathways to personal growth and joy. All the Things delivers the irreverent, fearless, and brilliant voice of a woman who laughs in the face of failure and soothes her wounds by splitting wood, often in her skivvies.

Once again, Washington State Fish & Wildlife police officer Luke McCain and his partner - a yellow Lab named Jack - are having a busy summer. Dealing with salmon poachers, elk-killing outlaws, and other wildlife issues have Luke looking forward to an early season wilderness hunt with a long-time friend.Luke's week in the mountains goes from pleasure to business in an instant when he is called upon to help find two teenage boys - one the son of a multi-millionaire Starbucks VIP - who have been abducted at gunpoint during a wilderness survival school expedition. Their captors, and the foreigners calling the shots behind the scenes, are desperate for their ransom money and willing to do almost anything to get it. Trekking through backcountry teeming with dangerous wildlife, Luke must help rescue the missing boys before the kidnapping scheme becomes deadly.Praise for Cascade Kidnapping:NOWA Excellence in Craft Award winner for 2022"Poaching big game . . . check. A loveable yellow Lab . . . double check. Computer hackers from India . . . WHAT! That last item is the big checklist twist in outdoor writer Rob Phillips' latest novel, Cascade Kidnapping, the fourth in his Luke McCain series. As in all of Phillips' books, Cascade Kidnapping reinforces healthy respect for the outdoors and laws that protect it. Conversational narrative writing as well as the Cascade Mountains' sense of place reward readers. Recurring characters -- especially that Lab, Jack -- anchor each book." --Bob Crider, retired editor and publisher, Yakima Herald-Republic¿"Rob Phillips, award-winning outdoor writer, has given readers the 4th installment in his most entertaining Luke McCain mystery series! Cascade Kidnapping has Washington State game warden Luke McCain and his yellow Lab Jack arresting salmon poachers, investigating a serial elk killer and dealing with administrative duties. While finally on a few days off, McCain and Jack are asked to help locate and rescue two young kidnapping victims being held in the rugged wilderness of north central Washington. They race against time and the elements to save the boys before they can be hurt or worse . . . Phillips' writing displays a real knowledge of the outdoors, as well as the duties and responsibilities of game wardens. A very enjoyable book!!" --Rich Phillips, book reviewer for the International Game Warden Magazine

"During World War II, xenophobia peaks as Japanese Americans are interned in Western US states. George Yano and his mother, sister, and brothers succumb to this fear: they are forced to abandon their farmland in Central Washington and must relocate to a Portland, Oregon assembly center. While the Yanos scrabble for normalcy--pickup baseball games for the boys, homey touches in the family's cramped private quarters--George becomes a recruiter of Japanese ancestry workers for Eastern Oregon's sugar beet fields. While George charts a course for the Yanos through financial ruin, racism, and hardship, Molly Mita does the same for her family. As Molly and George grow closer, so too do their families. In a rich novel spanning Portland's assembly center, farming communities in Eastern Oregon, and internment camps like Minidoka in Idaho, A Shrug of the Shoulders renders the Yanos' and Mitas' lives with care, hope, and historical fidelity. Through multiple points of view and dozens of vivid settings, author Elaine Cockrell creates a mosaic of Japanese-American perseverance: one tiled with humor, frustration, despair, anger, and love."--Back cover.

With two major investigations now closed, fish and wildlife police officer Luke McCain is called upon for his most high-profile case yet. En route to the Washington State Fair, an exotic cat show''s trailer is stolen. After some of the big cats are released into the Cascade Mountains, McCain and his dog Jack try to locate the show''s most menacing member: a Bengal tiger. Meanwhile, there are rumblings that a wild cougar has killed a dirt biker in the region. While news crews flock to McCain''s neck of the woods, he must stay on the trail of both big cats before anyone else falls prey to the predators.

After helping solve the Cascade Killer case, Washington State Fish & Wildlife officer Luke McCain thinks life will return to normal: hunting with his Labrador named Jack, policing Eastern Washington's wilderness, and spending time with his girlfriend, FBI agent Sara Sinclair. But when dead bodies are discovered in illegal marijuana fields hidden in the Cascade Mountains, McCain and Jack are thrust into a new investigation. With the help of Agent Sinclair, county law enforcement, concerned citizens, and, of course, Jack, McCain works to discover who is killing workers within the region's drug trade. As illegal marijuana fields continue to appear, and bodies pile up, McCain and the others must run down every lead in the hopes of catching their shooter before the killer exacts more vengeance.

The general public is starting to recognize what parents, teachers and therapists have known for years: we are losing our young men. ∩╗┐∩╗┐Now more than ever, emerging men between 16 and 35 find themselves stuck in limbo between adolescence and adulthood. Addictions, anxieties, egos, and overwhelming expectations leave them trapped in childhood, frustrated with their lives, and feeling forced to cope with drugs, porn, and video games. For too many young men, this vital period has gone from a stage of emergence to a state of emergency.  In The Primal Method, addiction counselor and therapist Gregory Koufacos draws from his extensive background with troubled young men to identify what has gone wrong, why traditional therapy often fails, and how emerging men can break their debilitating cycles. Using vivid examples from his professional career and own life, Koufacos demonstrates the use of the walking cure, Miyagi mentoring, emphatic challenge, and other techniques that harness young men''s primal motivation to live a life of power and purpose.

As a Fish and Wildlife police officer, Luke McCain and his partner -- a yellow Lab named Jack -- spend their days patrolling the rivers, lakes and forests of the wild and scenic Cascade Mountains in Eastern Washington. After hunters discover human remains inside a bear's stomach, McCain is thrust into the investigation. As more dead women are found in McCain's region, authorities suspect a serial killer is prowling the mountains he knows best. McCain will need his knowledge as an outdoorsman, and his instincts as an investigator, to track the psychopathic predator before he kills again.Praise for THE CASCADE KILLER"Phillips tells a masterful tale that is engaging, endearing and suspenseful. It is rich with local knowledge of central Washington and the Cascade Mountains, two places the author is intimately familiar with. Once I started, it was hard to put the book down. A page-turner for sure."--Pat Hoglund, publisher of Western Hunting Journal, Traveling Angler, and Salmon & Steelhead Journal"Real! Captivating! Once you start, you can't put it down! The Cascade Killer is VERY well done!"--Scott Haugen, host and producer of The Hunt and author of numerous outdoor books"Yakima outdoor writer Rob Phillips knows his woods, waters and wardens, and it shows as he weaves them into this fast-paced, gripping murder mystery. You can practically smell the ponderosas and pack horses among pages that seem to leap straight out of the gazetteer. Mixing good old fashioned game wardening with current events, Phillips highlights the complex, often lonely and very vital work Washington fish and wildlife police perform, and a modern nationaltravesty, the high number of missing or murdered native women."--Andy Walgamott, editor, Northwest Sportsman magazine"Rob Phillips' intimate knowledge of Washington State's outdoors scene and recent newsworthy events is on full display in this fast-paced novel. Featuring a smart, hard-working fish and wildlife officer, a demented serial killer, an attractive FBI agent and a scene-stealing Labrador retriever, this is a great read and if you are like me you'll have a hard time putting this book down!"--John Kruse, host and producer of Northwestern Outdoors Radio"The author's knowledge and love of the outdoors and the bounty it provides shines through in this fast-paced, fun and thrilling story. The Cascade Killer captures many of the attributes important to those within the rural, outdoor community."--Buzz Ramsey, author, outdoor personality and Hall of Fame angler"The Cascade Killer is a fun, adventurous, entertaining story. I thoroughly enjoyed accompanying Wildlife Officer Luke McCain, his yellow Lab, Jack, and FBI Agent Sara Sinclair as they pursued a serial killer in the Cascade Mountains of Washington. A great story!"--Steve Raabe, author of Patrolling the Heart of the West, True Tales of a Nevada State Trooper"The Cascade Killer checks all the boxes of a good book. It is entertaining and fast-paced. It also provides a glimpse into the world of today's game warden, from the routine to the spine tingling. This book has it all!"--Rich Phillips, book reviewer for the International Game Warden Magazine"Luke McCain and his lovable sidekick, Jack the yellow Lab, are hard not to love in this fast-paced mystery that you may not be able to put down. I cannot wait for more!"--Vikki J. Carter, host and producer of Authors of the Pacific Northwest Podcast

"Told with great humor and compassion, Raabe's tales show us the heart behind the badge."--Michael Gurian, NY Times bestselling author of The Wonder of Boys"Raabe's stories reflect “the good, the bad and the ugly” aspects of patrolling our highways. Patrolling the Heart of the West will bring a new appreciation for the unique role and responsibilities of state troopers, especially those who work in rural or remote areas."--G Paul Corbin, criminal justice professor and former chief of the Nevada Highway PatrolFrom the back cover:For decades, Trooper Steve Raabe patrolled some of the most desolate and dangerous highways in America. Alone in the remote Nevada desert, miles from any backup, Raabe was forced to contend with murderers, thieves, perverts, dope peddlers, and the occasional runaway train.While often tragic and terrifying, Raabe's true tales also abound with his signature wit and playful good cheer. Policing can be a deadly serious business, but for Raabe it also entailed buying a prisoner an ice cream cone on a hot summer day, or laughing along with some good old boys before booking them into jail, as you'll discover in Patrolling the Heart of the West.In our contentious and politicized era, when police officers are too often portrayed as either infallible superheroes or oppressive henchmen, Raabe's charming collection reminds us that cops are mostly just ordinary men and women who've chosen an extraordinary career.More praise for Patrolling the Heart of the West:"Whether you have an interest in law enforcement, are a fan of all things Nevadan, or just want to enjoy a good book that you won’t want to put down once you start reading it, you’ll find Patrolling the Heart of the West to be a memorable read. Highly recommended."--Excerpt from Readers’ Favorite, review by Kimberlee J Benart“Patrolling the Heart of the West is a quick, entertaining and informative glimpse into an important, sometimes dangerous career spent in a little understood corner of the country.”--Ed Pearce, Senior Reporter, KOLO-TV Reno"Perhaps the most endearing police memoir yet written. As a son and brother of cops, I admire the humanity Raabe brings to each of these stories."--Jon Gosch, author of Deep Fire Rise"Patrolling the Heart of the West is a thoroughly entertaining and enlightening read. With a style reminiscent of the war stories exchanged during a law-enforcement family barbecue, Raabe's skill as a storyteller is evident as he imparts his wisdom and experience with a unique sense of humor, candor, and insightfulness."--Andy Brown, author of Warnings Unheeded: Twin Tragedies at Fairchild Air Force Base"Raabe tells his experiences with excellent accuracy, grace and wit. I couldn’t put the book down!"--Colonel Michael Hood, Nevada Highway Patrol

Ryan Turane, 17 years old, wants to be somebody, wants to make his mark on the world. When he gets the chance to chauffeur his idol, the famous writer Cole Hardt, he can't believe his good luck. Ryan figures that if anyone can teach him how to reach his goals of fame and fortune, it will be Cole.Soon after they meet, Ryan rolls his father’s prized Corvette off the highway and into the woods where no one will spot them. Injured and trapped upside down as the night turns cold, Ryan learns more about the writing life than he ever imagined. But he also fears that he'll forever be known as "The Kid Who Killed Cole Hardt."Praise for The Killed Who Killed Cole Hardt:"Terry Trueman has delivered a novel of uncommon perspective. Encapsulated in the wreckage of modern life, a subtle friendship is formed that transcends generational trauma, releases a heart's-cry elegy to Bukowski and Whitman, and symbolizes the poem that resides in the heart of everyman." --Shann Ray, American Book Award winning author of Balefire, American Masculine, and the poetry chapbook Atomic Theory 432"Every aspiring young author will benefit from this book. Packed with wit and wisdom, The Kid Who Killed Cole Hardt entertains, illuminates and inspires."--Michael Gurian, New York Times bestselling author of The Wonder of Boys"Coming-of-age sometimes takes a knock upside the head, and by the end, Trueman's “kid” is anything but a kid. This book is perfect for that bright, next generation of readers and leaders looking to take the wheel. Literally and metaphorically, Trueman hands over the keys."--Will Weaver, Award-winning Y.A. author of Memory Boy"Another great story by Terry Trueman, whose books always hit squarely on issues of coming of age and learning important life lessons."--Edward Averett, Award-winning Y.A. author of Cameron and the Girls

Praise for The Blind Woman and Other Stories"(Gurian’s) skillful characterizations, convincing dialogue and richdetails make this a worthwhile, entertaining collection.”—Publishers Weekly“Timely . . . a fascinating look into a world that remains impossiblyforeign and opaque to most Americans.”—Kirkus ReviewsFrom the back cover:Within this dramatic and profound collection of stories, New York Times bestselling author Michael Gurian explores the cultural and spiritual gulf between Muslims and Westerners.  From Ankara to Seattle, the West Bank to Manhattan, these provocative stories continually surprise with scenes of shocking brutality and improbable enlightenment.In A Desperate Pride, a Palestinian woman falls in love with Raf Horowitz, an American Jew who arrives in Israel with reckless idealism. In The Reincarnation of Donaldo Fuertes, an elderly writer recruits a young African American Muslim to accompany him on a pilgrimage to his homeland. And in the title story, a young hospice nurse finds her life course completely changed as she fulfills her duties to a Somali woman scarred by her upbringing.With the grace and craftsmanship of a veteran storyteller, Gurian’s collection is an emotional powerhouse filled with animosity and love, heartache and understanding, disillusionment and hope.  Lyrical and absorbing, these stories reveal the humanity of a culture so often in conflict with our own.More praise for The Blind Woman and Other Stories:“Translucent stories! Courageous! While the rest of the world isgearing for war with the Muslims, Michael Gurian is calling forsomething higher, better, the kind of peace that only a first-ratestoryteller can imagine.”—Jim Connor, author of Silent Fire“We could not ask for a more important, true or better book aboutthe ‘politics’ of our world and, far more importantly, about the truthshidden in the human soul than we find in The Blind Woman andOther Stories.—Terry Trueman, Printz Honor author of Stuck in Neutral“These stories immerse us in the mysteries that attract us to, and repelus from, foreign cultures. These are very important narratives for ourtime. In them, individuals of various ages, genders and faiths revealhow culture can save us or fail us, at times simultaneously. I saw thesestories as a narrative bracelet which, once put on, cannot be turnedaway from. Their beauty and unsentimental power are stunning.”—Michael B. Herzog, author of Troilus and Criseyde

Advance praise for Deep Fire Rise:"The greatest geological event of our times finally has the novel it deserves. While the literature of Mt. St. Helens is rich in documentation and description, Deep Fire Rise is the first fiction of note to come out of that earth-shattering eruption. And fine fiction it is, melding Jon Gosch's taut, fresh style with an unforgettable cast and a riveting plot that gathers with all the tension and inexorability of the very eruption itself."  --Robert Michael Pyle, 2x Washington State Book Award winner and author of Wintergreen and Where Bigfoot Walks“Deep Fire Rise is a murder mystery, a character study, and a depiction of place that builds in tension like a swelling volcano. Having covered the eruption of Mount St. Helens as a journalist and ridden with Clark County deputies, I can testify just how impressively Jon Gosch has captured that time and culture.”  --William Dietrich, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and NY Times bestselling author of the Ethan Gage adventure series“Jon Gosch’s Deep Fire Rise rings with authenticity.  The intimate, complicated, and downright strange relationships amongst the people in these small towns are pitch perfect, as is the music of the dialogue and rhythms of the prose."  --Bruce Holbert, 2015 Washington State Book Award Winner of The Hour of Lead"A bright young talent is on display in this vivid, avant-garde take on our local lore."  --Michael Gurian, NY Times bestselling author of The Wonder of Boys"Deep Fire Rise perfectly captures the world of Mount St. Helens at its most terrifying moment. A magnificent read."  --Terry Trueman, Printz Honor Author of Stuck in Neutral From the back cover:It is 1980 and Deputy Wilson has been banished to a backwoods district in the shadow of Mount St. Helens. His duty is to protect a humble rural populace from the miscreants and misfits who lurk at this fringe of society – an all-too-human cast of white supremacists, PCP brewers, Sasquatch hunters, and hermetic schizophrenics.That spring the volcano awakens from its long dormancy. Earthquakes rock the locals in their beds. Plumes of ash blot out the sun. Amidst the rising threat of eruption, a horrific act of bloodshed will propel Deputy Wilson to the very flanks of the smoking volcano on a mission that blurs the line between justice and vengeance.A genre-defying blend of mystery and history, Deep Fire Rise is also an homage to the everyday heroism of a profession so often maligned in America today. Dark yet tender, comedic yet sincere, this carefully crafted novel builds into a climax as shocking and unforgettable as the events of May 18, 1980. Brief passage from the novel:"They had finally begun to run for the truck when a hot black raging smog swept them up like puny ragdolls and body-slammed them into the road.  Wilson hit chest-first with such an impact that his lungs caved.  The cracks he heard seemed to be his ribs, but were in fact the firs crashing around him.  He was gasping for oxygen when a tree fell upon his legs to vise him to the hostile earth.  Next a scalding brew of mud and ash began to cover him and boil his flesh.  He felt his ears stiffen and curl.  So hot was the slurry that he could only imagine it was lava.  Choking and burning and pinned to the ground, Wilson waited for his life to end as missiles of rock and glacial ice detonated around him in that alpine apocalypse."