I had never worked on a Historical Thriller before so when I read that this one is set in the Mojave Desert in 1962 and that the author wanted the Joshua Tree front and center I had to get to work finding the perfect image. I loved playing with the coloring of the sky and the desert. This image makes me miss California so much. I hope you all enjoy the cover and Nancy's story!
Gunnysack Hell by Nancy Brashear
Historical Thriller
Released: February 10, 2021
Published by The Wild Rose Press
Designed by Greeff-iti Designs for The Wild Rose Press
It's the summer of 1962, middle of the Cold War, and the O'Brien family has moved off-grid to the Mojave Desert in Southern California. After all, the desert has to be a safer place to raise a family than the crime-ridden city, and there they can build a new future.
But evil also stalks dusty desert roads, and eight-year-old Nonni finds herself harboring a terrible secret: Only she can identify the predator who has been terrorizing the community. And he knows where she lives.
About the Author:
She wrote about sitting in the fog on a bench with magical creatures swirling around her—and she’s been composing poetry and prose ever since. As an adult, she has published short stories and poems as well as writing several unpublished novels. She recently won first place for her poem “Time and Time Again: The Mermaid’s Rite of Passage” in the 2020 Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens First Annual Poetry Contest. And her novel, Gunnysack Hell (a psychological thriller set in 1962) is under contract to be published by The Wild Rose Press later this year. Nancy Brashear has enjoyed participating in poetry and short story readings.
Additionally, she has written articles and chapters for academic books, blog reviews for children’s and adolescent literature in The International Literacy Association website, and content for educational publishers—including designing quizzes for textbooks and website content in teaching and literacy.
Holding a Ph.D. from the Claremont Graduate University in literacy development, Nancy Brashear is Professor Emeritus from Azusa Pacific University (APU) where she was the former chair of the Department of Teacher Education for twelve years and then worked in the English Department for another eleven years as their specialist in literature for children and adolescents. She has presented workshops and papers on children’s literature, teaching, and literacy all over the world from Costa Rica to England to New Zealand as well as teaching leadership courses in Zimbabwe and Kazakhstan for APU.
When she’s not writing, you can find Nancy teaching an occasional online course for the English Department or reviewing books for all ages and stages in different venues. She met her husband when she was in the eighth grade, and she’s the proud grandmother of seven talented and independent young girls—some of whom are already budding authors—ranging in age from four to twelve. Her life is guided by the wisdom found in 1 Corinthians 13:13: “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love” (NLT).