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Local authors pen a variety of books

Looking for that last-minute stocking stuffer? Seeking a good winter read for that bibliophile on your Christmas list (or for yourself)?

Several local publishers and authors have books available, ranging from local history and sports to fiction.

Browns Scrapbook

by Chuck Heaton

Gray and Co. Publishers

www.grayco.com

$14.95

Although the Cleveland Browns are fighting for a playoff spot, recent years have been tough on Browns fans. Because of this, some younger fans may be interested to learn how the Browns became the most beloved sports franchise in Cleveland.

Hall of Fame sportswriter Chuck Heaton provides such insight with "Browns Scrapbook," a collection of columns and articles compiled for more than 40 years of covering the Browns for The Plain Dealer.

Heaton covers a wide spectrum of topics on the "old Browns," from memories of the team's training camps at Hiram College to remembrances of traveling with, talking and covering the great Browns players and coach of both the early days and Dawg Pound years.

While some Browns fans may be jolted by Heaton's words of admiration for owner Art Modell, its should be noted all of the subject matter was written prior Heaton's retirement in 1993 -- a year before the Browns' move to Baltimore was announced.

Heaton's work is an easy read, as he colorfully describes the building of the franchise which Paul Brown wanted to become "the New York Yankees of pro football."

Folks with Browns fans on their Christmas shopping list would do well to consider this book. It gives great insight into the team that captured the hearts of Northeast Ohio sports fans.

-- by Michael Leonard, sports editor

The Gift of Amanda

By Judy Hoover

Self-published

$14.99, with $2 shipping

Finishing "The Gift of Amanda" was the completion of a life-long dream for Judy Hoover, a Cuyahoga Falls High School graduate.

"I have folders of musings and short stories, but working for 25 years put that idea on hold," she said. "Then when I was down-sized and had my first computer at home I just felt that God had opened the door finally for me to do so."

Hoover called her story "a combination of inspirational mystery and drama."

"The appearance of a child on the scene sets the stage for life altering experiences for all the characters who come in contact with her, even through the time she grows to be an adult," Hoover said. "It draws the reader deep into the twists and turns of her world and shows how at any given time in anyone's life there may be what can only be called a gift in the form of a person who touches the world like no one else."

So far, her book has turned up in Indiana and Pennsylvania, Hoover said. In the meantime, she is not resting on her laurels.

"I have another one waiting to be published and am working on the sequel to The Gift Of Amanda presently," Hoover said, adding that she hoped to go through a publisher for all of her future literary efforts.

"The Gift of Amanda" is sold at Logos Bookstore in Kent. For additional information, call Hoover at 330-497-0716.

-- by April K. Helms,
Special Products Editor

Over the Rainbow: Poems from the Heart

By Carolyn Jones-Carter

AuthorHouse

www.authorhouse.com

$21.95

Twinsburg resident Carolyn Jones-Carter follows up her previous book of poetry, "Poems from the Edge," with "Over the Rainbow: Poems from the Heart."

Writing poetry has always been therapeutic for me," Jones-Carter said of her writing. "I have always loved writing, not only because I love the beauty of words, but because writing challenges me to reach within the depths of my soul and pull out something beautiful, thought provoking or inciting commentary on societal mores."

Poetry includes "Blank Slates," which Jones-Carter said was inspired by comments by comedian Bill Cosby on African-American youths; "Why?" which was inspired by the shootings at Virginia Tech; and "Empty Nest," a more personal look on her life as her children have left home.

"Over the Rainbow" is a "spiritually motivated book that has been in the process of being created through the experiences I have encountered throughout my entire life," she said.

Jones-Carter said she started writing after retiring from her job of 33 years. She also is working on her first novel.

-- by April K. Helms,
Special Products Editor

Trail Guide to Cuyahoga Valley National Park

By Cuyahoga Valley Trails Council

Gray & Company Publishers

www.grayco.com

$15.95

Whether you're an experienced backpacker or a casual cross-country skier, the third edition of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park's Trail Guide, published by the Cuyahoga Valley Trails Council, is a must. From maps detailing the length, difficulty and elevation change of a trail to maps of the entire Cuyahoga Valley National Park, this trail guide is exhaustive in detail.

And with 40 black and white photographs of past and present life in the valley, the guide provides a photographic tour of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park as well.

The 254-page guide is organized by length -- the longer Ohio and Eire Canal Towpath, Buckeye and Bike and Hike trails have the first three sections totaling more than 70 pages dedicated to the exploration of these trails. The guide is then divided from north to south as trails from the Bedford Reservation and Viaduct Park in Cuyahoga County to Hampton Hills Metro Park in Summit County are detailed.

Trails are marked with the nearest restroom, parking lot, picnic grounds and even scenic overlooks. The best hikes for fishing, waterfalls, geology, wildflowers and more are revealed, giving hikers an opportunity to explore the national park according to interest.

Natural and human history in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park is explained as preludes to each trail section, giving hikers a sense of time and place as they step onto the trail. Each trail section also contains a trail description, directions to the trailhead, map and descriptions of any side trails.

"The Trail Guide to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, third edition," which retails for $15.95, also contains trail listings for bikers, skiers and horseback riders, making this comprehensive guide of interest to anyone journeying through the valley.

For more information on the guide, published by Gray & Company, Publishers, visit the publisher's Web site at www.grayco.com.

-- by Lauren Krupar, Associate Editor,
Hudson Hub-Times

Lisa's Story: The Other Shoe

By Tom Batiuk

Kent State University Press

upress.kent.edu

$27.95 cloth/$18.95 paper

Of all the places one might expect to find a character dealing with breast cancer, a comic strip seems to be the least likely. However, "Funky Winkerbean" creator Tom Batiuk has tackled just that subject, resulting in "Lisa's Story: The Other Shoe."

The book collects selected "Funky Winkerbean" strips from 1999 through this year. The story begins in 1999, when a self-exam by Lisa leads to the discovery of breast cancer. During the course of the next eight years, Lisa goes through many ups and downs related to her battle with cancer, before finally succumbing to death on Oct. 24 of this year. Throughout the storyline, Lisa handles her ordeal with humor, grace and fear.

The collection, which is quite touching, will read differently for everyone, based on how closely cancer has touched their lives. And despite the fact that the book is a series of three- to six-column comic strips and that it jumps ahead a few years at a time at several intervals, the book flows very well and is extremely hard to put down.

Batiuk, who was born in Akron and attended Kent State University, does an excellent job of putting a very human face on breast cancer and bringing it home.

-- by Sean Gerski, editor, Stow Sentry

The Buzzard: Inside the Glory Days of WMMS and Cleveland Rock Radio

By John Gorman with Tom Feran

Gray & Company Publishers

www.grayco.com

$24.95

What was it like behind the scenes at WMMS, the nation's hottest station during FM's heyday from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s?

John Gorman, who ran the Cleveland radio station as music and program director and later operations manager, provides a riveting look at the events and people who shaped the station's history.

The station's former on-air personalities are well known among longtime listeners. They include Kid Leo, Denny Sanders, Matt the Cat, Jeff Kinzbach and Ed "Flash" Ferenc.

Gorman wrote about a 1974 visit by singer Lou Reed, who came to Cleveland to promote an album. "(Reed) was in his Orbitrol and Desoxyn drug period," Gorman wrote. "He greeted us by spitting on the floor ... and slipped into his drugged-out persona."

A couple of hours later, Kid Leo interviewed Reed live on the air. "Leo did his best with Reed's one-word answers," Gorman wrote. "Any attempt to converse was met with silence."

Gorman wrote that Kid Leo, referring to Reed's hair, which was peroxide blond at the time, asked the singer, "Is it true that blondes have more fun?"

Reed responded with an obscenity and the interview was over.

In 1979, a WMMS radio interview was set up with former Beatles' legend John Lennon. A recording representative called WMMS to say Lennon would be phoning that day sometime after noon.

"The WMMS production studio wasn't set up to take the call," Gorman wrote. "It would have to be relayed to WHK's production room to be recorded. But WHK's production director refused to vacate the studio. He had his own production to do."

Gorman said Sanders, who would be doing the interview, appealed to general manager Hal Fisher to use the production room.

"You know," Fisher said, "he's one of my favorite actors."

"No," Sanders replied. "It's not Jack Lemmon. It's John Lennon."

"Who's John Lennon?" Fisher asked.

"He's one of the Beatles," Sanders answered.

"Didn't they break up?" Fisher said.

Members of the WMMS crew were still unable to get permission to use the studio, but they tracked down an old tape recorder and made the proper phone connections.

"We figured it hadn't been used since before the Beatles were formed," Gorman wrote.

Somehow, everything worked out fine. "Denny's interview was a masterpiece," Gorman wrote. "It ranked as one of the best interviews Lennon gave."

-- by Mike Lesko, Editor, Bedford Times-Register and Maple Heights Press

Truth and Justice for Fun and Profit

By Michael Heaton

Gray and Co. Publishers

www.grayco.com

$24.95 hardcover

Michael Heaton, a well-known journalist for Cleveland's Plain Dealer, is celebrating his 20 anniversary at the newspaper with a new book.

The compilation of articles in the book, "Truth and Justice for Fun and Profit," written by Heaton is both humorous and serious. Each article takes the reader back a few years or a few months to a part of Northeast Ohio's history.

Again, with the different tones of the articles, there are also subjects as different as local restaurants and trips to El Salvador. However, Heaton relates all of the stories to something in Northeast Ohio.

The book would be a great read for anyone who wants to reflect on a piece of Northeast Ohio history or for those who would appreciate learning a new fact about the Cleveland area.

The articles in the book range from short articles to long columns. Heaton's articles show his love for the Cleveland area and his love for writing.

-- by Amanda Harnocz, Reporter, Stow Sentry