Sara Dahmen

A village snared with hive-brain controlled by an ancient queen faces an evil beast who is said to devour the hearts of maidens...or so the rumor goes... Zaklina hoards stories to give her comfort in a lonely existence, even after she travels to distant Mi dshire to care for her pregnant sister. Upon arriving in the village, Zaklina meets the town's wisewoman, Mrs. Staryski, who warns Zaklina about the local meadow and the ageless monster who roams the forests beyond it. But when rot and decay descend upon Mi dshire and all begin to mindlessly starve, Zaklina is certain there is something far more sinister living among the townfolk. She offers herself to the monster, a Gargoyle-creature who takes her to his crumbling castle. It is a place filled with a fickle magic that strips Zaklina of her stories. She is not certain she escaped a far worse doom in Mi dshire, until the Gargoyle asks for her help-if she can abide the unwritten rules and spend seven nights in the castle. As the horrors unfold each sunset, Zaklina must fight to survive demons and terrors without her memories to help her. While she shields her aching heart, she slowly discovers the Gargoyle is more ancient and powerful than anyone could imagine.

No-one takes a woman seriously in the Dakotas, least of all a woman of mixed race who owns the only general store in Flats Junction. But Kate has never let her heritage or her gender stand in her way. Not even when shy, Boston-bred widow Jane moved to town and stole her beloved. Not even when her Lakota mother was forced to flee after her house mysteriously burned down. But now a posse of outlaws is threatening her supplies, and making demands on Kate that will surely become too much to bear. But Kate has a plan to make herself indispensable to Flats Junction and she intends to succeed, no matter who stands in her way.

“Sara Dahmen's beautifully photographed book is the most useful resource on copper cookware I've come across. An accomplished coppersmith, Sara not only shows us how copper cookware is made, but how to cook with it (along with a myriad of recipes), and care for it, too. The mysteries and mystique of cast-iron and clay cookware are explored in depth as well. Copper, Iron, and Clay is an indispensable cookware reference that every cook should have in their library. I learned so much from it . . . and you will too!” —David Lebovitz, author of My Paris Kitchen and Drinking FrenchA gorgeous, full-color illustrated love letter to our most revered cookware—copper pots, cast-iron skillets, and classic stoneware—and the artistry and workmanship behind them, written by an expert craftsperson, perhaps the only woman coppersmith in America.Today, most people are concerned about eating seasonal, organic, and local food. But we don’t think about how the choices we make about our pots, pans, and bowls can also enhance our meals and our lives. Sara Dahmen believes understanding the origins of the cookware we use to make our food is just as essential. Copper, Iron, and Clay, is a beautiful photographic history of our cooking tools and their fundamental uses in the modern kitchen, accompanied by recipes that showcase the best features of various cooking materials.Interested in history and traditional pioneer kitchens, early cooking methods, and original metals used in pots during the early years of America, Sara became obsessed with the crafts of copper- and tin-smithing for kitchenware—specialty trades that are nearly extinct in the United States today. She embarked on a journey to locate artisans nationwide familiar with the old ways who could teach and inspire her. She began making her own cookware not only to connect with the artisanal traditions of our nation’s past, but to adopt the pioneer kitchen to cook and eat healthier today. Why cook fantastic, healthful food in a cheap pan coated with toxic chemicals and inorganic elements? she asks. If you buy one high-quality item made from natural materials, it can serve your family for generations.Richly illustrated with dozens of stunning color photographs, Copper, Iron, and Clay showcases each material, exploring its fascinating history, fundamental science—including which elements work best for various cooking methods—and its practical uses today. It also features fascinating interviews with industry insiders, including cookware artisans, chefs, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers from around the world. In addition, Sara provides recipes from her own kitchen and some of her famous chef friends, as well as a few historical favorites—all which are optimized for particular kinds of cookware.

Proper Boston widow Jane Weber moves to the Dakota Territories under layers of lies to save her reputation. Stirring up controversy, Jane rooms with the last Blackfoot Sioux in town while navigating a mercurial friendship with the fiercely independent town grocer. In Flats Junction, though, everyone has an untold story. Battling her shortcomings, falsehoods, and swallowing her inherent curiosity, Jane must choose how she will truly reinvent herself, and where she belongs.

When her tinsmith father and brothers head West, Polish immigrant Marie Kotlarczyk has no choice but to go along. Family, after all, is family. The Dakota Territories are anything but welcoming to the Kotlarczyks, and as the months trip by, Marie must pick up the hammers she's secretly desired but also feared. When she faces the skeptical people of Flats Town, the demands of the local Army commander, and her public failures, her inner voice grows destructively, forcing Marie to decide exactly who she is and what it means to be a woman smith.

Hazad the Story Master exits his tent and one of the children pulls out a treasure from his special story sack. From there, he spins a tale about a faraway place, with lessons in generosity, loyalty and friendship. Best for early readers up through fourth grade, this book is illustrated with original watercolor images and easy to read formatting.