I love a bookstore. You should too.

Imprint Book Store, Port Townsend WA. Photo by Nancy Botta

I have a mental image of a bookstore. 

It is much like the Nancy Botta photo above, a cozy place on an inviting street and, just at dusk, the light shines out golden, as if to say "come on in." 

Inside, the exotic scent of dry paper and printer's ink, invites—beckons—and the comfortable busy clutter of too many books, many of them calling out ... "look at me." 

Some of the world's smartest and most interesting people, from all ages, are shelved here, waiting to whisper their truths, their secrets into our eyes, into our hearts, memories and lives. 

My very first bookstore

You never forget your first one. Oh, okay, I don't remember the name, I was about ten. We had come back to Cambridge where my father attended the Episcopal Theological School and Harvard. My brothers and I attended running wild across acres of campus lawns in an area where history still lived. 

A fence I jumped over put me into Longfellow's garden! No, he wasn't there. Richard Henry Dana lived around the corner ... well, used to. These streets and sidewalks knew their tread.

My first bookstore stood off Harvard Square, in memory, much as described above. We were about to drive back across country to our home in Nenana, AK, and each of us could choose a book for the trip. Esther Forbes lived up the street, and I often passed Paul Revere's shop. Some of those old buildings still had bullet holes, they claimed.

So I chose Forbes "Johnny Tremain," the tale that encompassed youth, adventure, Paul Revere and the American Revolution, to read on my way. I think I probably read it about ten times in the next few years and have it still. 

Yes, this is it. A little ragged.

With Christmas almost here ... 

It's worth mentioning that someone you know, whom you can't think of a thing to buy for, would enjoy something from a bookstore. 

Not every area has a small, independent bookstore anymore, though I understand they are coming back. But that's where to start, if you can. 

Sadly, you won't find my books there. I'm unknown as writers go. It takes a bit of a 'name' to be worthy of shelf space limits and I don't have it. But it's something I enjoy aspiring to. 

But wherever you are, resolve that this year you'll take the kids or grandkids into a real bookstore, and let them wander. Let them explore, discover, make a memory they can take down and enjoy, like this one, more than half a century later. And let them remember you in it. 

Happy Christmas. Happy reading!

This Christmas, give adventure.

Three different adventures for readers, age 10 through adult

Treat your readers to three complete volumes of Alaska adventure. Books one and three, "Cheechako," and "Musher!" take place in Alaska's wild interior, the area of Nenana and Fairbanks. They're chock full of dogsleds, blizzards, wolves, grizzly bears, survival and even a tiny bit of romance.

"Float Monkeys," in this case boys—and girls—who work for a float plane service in Southeast Alaska, showcases an entirely different Alaska. 

Set near Sitka, Will, Elias and Blackie get caught up in a world of float planes and pilots, a Sitka logging show, and new friends who live on boats and in logging camps. When trouble comes—and it does—get set for edge-of-seat adventure sorting it all out ... and hope you don't have to get up early the next morning. 

Get the paperback set for $30 on Amazon. Here is the link. Later, if you'd like them signed, I'm happy to do that. 

The Cheechako Book Series

Finally, thanks to all of you who have been readers, reviewers, and supporters. This is a tough business to get off the ground, and thanks to you, I'm airborne.

For a limited time ... "Cheechako," FREE

From now through December 31, a free ebook

I'm so sure you'll want to read all three books in the Cheechako series, here's a digital copy of the first one, free. 

The Cheechako series is written for age 10 - forever ... really!

Use the book for your own enjoyment, or if you're planning to give an e-reader, no matter what brand, including Kindle and Nook, it only makes sense to also include a great 'read.' 

"Cheechako" is the exciting, sometimes heart-thumping story of Will who comes out to Alaska from Boston. He has a lot to learn and not much time to learn it. 

You can even read 20% of the book for free on Smashwords.

Here is the link: Cheechako Series on Smashwords

There's a free copy waiting for you. To get the book, you'll be prompted to enter this code: VT96R 

And, as always, I would love to read your review, posted in Smashwords, Amazon Kindle, or Goodreads.

If you have any trouble with this, at all, be sure to let me know right away. 

Give a child a book for Christmas ... then read it aloud!

Reading aloud changes lives.

I'm a bear about reading aloud to children and you should be too. 

Many parents and grandparents are frankly puzzled at how to share time with a child. Get down on the floor and play plastic soldiers or Barbies? My wife does and is beloved as 'the playing grandma.'

But for the rest of us, reading aloud preps a child for school and for life and for a real relationship with you! Time spent together. There's no substitute. 

With Christmas and gift-giving in mind, I want to list a few books that delighted me, my children and my grandchildren, and will delight you and yours as well. But for maximum effect, you can't just give them, you have to sit down with a child to read. And this works all the way through grade 8. 

Doubts about what book to buy? Start here.

The short answer is 'anything by Maurice Sendak.' For most people, the Sendak pinnacle is "Where the Wild Things Are." Never read it? You're in for a treat. It starts the night Max wears his wolf suit. 

Less widely known, but also wonderful—rich, rich artwork—is anything by Chris Van Allsburg. Thanks to movies and video, his "Polar Express," is better known. But feast your eyes on the rich images and compelling tale ... with a twist ... in this book, "The Garden of Abdul Gasazi." Just wait until you see what happens when Fritz, the dog, ventures where he is not supposed to. 

Not just for children!

If you imagine you'll be bored reading children's books, get set for a pleasant surprise, especially when you get to the middle grades. "Hatchet," by Gary Paulsen, will have you sneaking to read ahead.

Find out what happens to Brian when he's stranded, forced to spend the summer, alone in the north, with just a hatchet. A youth book? Yes, but one you'll love at any age. I still buy this one at the Goodwill for a buck or two and hand them out. 

It's that good!

A similar, northern adventure book, suitable for about age 10 to forever, is my own Alaska dogsled tale, "Cheechako." The book is enthusiastically recommended by reading specialists, who tell me that kids who don't like to read, read ahead to find out what happens. You will, too. 

Like "Hatchet," "Cheechako" is the first book in a series. It's great to know that when you and your kids or grandkids get hooked on a book, there are more to come!

Escape to Narnia

There are more good starter books than anyone can blog about. But my list would be incomplete without mentioning the classic C.S.Lewis "Narnia" series. They are wonderful adventure, and with seven books in the series, an adventure that goes on and on. These were the "Harry Potters" of their day, and are still filled with magic and adventure.

The "Narnia" series is the sole reason my brothers and sister survived into adulthood, because our mother used to read them to us while we did our group chores, the supper dishes. Otherwise, we would certainly have beaten each other to death with soapy kitchen implements. 

These books are all available in paperback, digitally in any format, or ... with the exception of "Cheechako," even available in hardback.

And be sure to sign the book at the front, before you Christmas wrap it. Someday, your signature, message, and this gift will be what's left when you've left the planet. In addition to all the other benefits, this is your chance to give a child a lifelong, warm memory. 

How often is something like that this easy?!

Your next trip ... how about I ride along and read to you?!!

http://www.audible.com/pd/Kids/Cheechako-Audiobook/B00C2ZZZ6K/ref=a_search_c4_1_2_srTtl?qid=1478716602&sr=1-2

One easy trick to change a child's life ... no, really!

"One easy trick ... sure." 

You see this one easy trick thing, all the time. It's usually a lie, or they want to sell you something. But I promise you, this is the real deal.

We all want the best for our children or grand children. And many of us not only want the best, we're willing to participate to get it. 

Often that means buying something, and grandparents especially, with a bit of disposable income, are experts. 

But you can't buy this. 

Okay, I suppose you could, but why would you? Would you really hire someone to read aloud to your kids? It's best when you do it yourself. 

There are lots of reasons to read, not just to a toddler, but all the way up to grade 8. I won't go into all of them here because I want to keep this short. But here is what's critical.

Reading aloud changes lives.

This is the important part, borrowed from a site called "Reach Out & Read." 

"Research shows that the more words parents use when speaking to an 8-month-old, the greater the size of the child's vocabulary at age 3."*

And here's the chiller:  

"Children from low-income families hear as many as 30 million FEWER words than their more affluent peers before the age of 4." 

So yes, they arrive at kindergarten already behind. 

The easiest way to let children hear more words is to read them. The more the better. Some parents start reading to the child in the womb. 

What to read?

Do this search: "Best books to read aloud." You'll get a whole page of great suggestions. If money is an issue, don't be deterred. You can go to the Goodwill, St. Vinnie's or yard sales and pick up all you need for pocket change. 

One good reason not to? There isn't one. Start today.

*(Hart, B. Risley, T. Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experiences of Young American Children (1995), Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.)

Want to write? Here's the best kept secret.

People who don't write at all, will tell you this.

When you decide you're really going to do it, or when you start writing and then get stuck, someone will ALWAYS say: "Well, you should just write what you know," ... as if that's it. 

It's right, of course, but it's also not right. I can't even type the phrase without going back ... about a thousand years ... to when I was teaching junior high. I remember a student moaning ... "BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT I KNOW!" 

And that's the problem.

What you know isn't what you know. 

We get the two confused. People start thinking about things they've read or been taught. Facts and figures. There is a place for all of that in writing, but not at first. What you really know is  much more subtle. 

It's the way air smells, mingled ever so softly with scents of bacon and coffee, early in the morning. It's the way a favorite trail feels under your feet, or how your shoulders loosen and lower as you start along that trail and finally relax. Or, Emily Dickinson's "certain slant of light." 

You probably know that one yourself, a cast of light that uplifts, or completely depresses. 

Start with this: your 'eyelid movies.'

When I was in advertising, I had the great good fortune to work for Bill Hoke, long-time friend, creative director, and a gifted writer (Bill's poems.) A small aside, he's the one who contributed "cut it 'til it bleeds," to my writing vocabulary. Solid advice.

Bill talked about 'eyelid movies,' scenes you remember or imagine. When I picture a scene in one of my books, it's how I start and where I start. I put myself there and know exactly how it sounds and smells ... how it all feels. 

Those are things I know. Now it's your turn. Go ahead and  write from there. 

That's what you know. Better than anybody. 

"Cheechako," now available on Smashwords, in all ebook formats!

Fast-paced, Alaska adventure

Cheechako, first book in the Cheechako Series—written for age ten to forever—is now available in ANY ebook format.

You can find it here: "Cheechako" on Smashwords

A reminder to Facebook readers you need to click on the post and go to the blog site for the link to work.

Adventure for boys ... but girls are reading, too. 

An exciting story is still an exciting story. This one has it all: dogsledding, hatchet throwing, getting out on the trail with no parents around—a plucky dog for a best friend—and lots of living by wits, so there are no computers or cellphones to save the day. Does it get any better?!

Check out this new review of my Alaska mystery, "In Gold We Trust."

5.0 out of 5 starsA terrific read, like coming home to old friends.

By lelliott541 on October 27, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

A strong follow-up to "Indecent Exposure," the next installment in the Father Hardy series, "In Gold We Trust" follows our beloved cast of characters into a new chapter in their lives.

Returning to the Post-WWII Alaskan frontier at a dangerous time, the Spring thaw, we find Father Hardy being used as a pawn in a long-running blood-feud, fueled by murder and missing gold. In order to save his friends, and a new love, Hardy confronts danger head-on, but it isn't long before he needs saving himself.

What chance can faith and compassion have in the face of corruption, greed, and murder? Father Hardy's unique mixture of kindness, optimism, and skilled fisticuffs are put to the test when he faces off against a corrupt clan of murderous thieves, who may or may not be operating under the auspices of a shadowy new government organization known as the CIA.

The Father Hardy series is a return to the gee-whizz days of Post-WWII innocence, optimism, and encroaching Cold War paranoia. The harsh beauty of the setting is primed for adventures that could happen nowhere else. Ranging from a young Seattle to the fading glory of the last Riverboat on its final voyage over the wild and deadly Yukon River, in search of stolen gold.

If this is your initial entry into the Father Hardy series, you'll find a cast of complex characters that mesh and conflict in ways that ring true to life. Amateur detectives by accident, these friends are made up of Alaskan Natives, an itinerant preacher, an army sniper, and a Russian spy. Layered and complex characters whose lives evolve in ways compelled by the navigation of the real issues of their day, and ours as well: faith, racism and bigotry, loyalty and betrayal.

A terrific entry into the serial detective genre, "In Gold We Trust" is a brisk read. As is Stratman's style and forte, he deftly balances the pacing, plot, and characterization, while exploring a world he is intimately familiar with from his own childhood in the wilds of Alaska. If you are a returning fan, welcome back to your home away from home.

I saw the sternwheeler Nenana's last departure

Leaving Nenana the last time

My dad drove us out in our 1956 Ford pickup truck. It was me with my brothers Michael and Joel in the back, Mom and Dad in the cab. 

In those days, riverboats used to winter over on the Nenana, just around the bend from the Tanana river and from the town of Nenana. Tied up in the Nenana, the boats were relatively safe from breakup damage on the Tanana. 

It was sometime during the summer of 1957 and I was nine, my brothers seven and five. I had no sense of history, that I was seeing the last of these steamboats, but my dad felt it keenly. The Nenana would travel upriver on the Tanana to the Chena river, on to Fairbanks, and never return. The newer boats were steel, powered by diesel and driven by propellor ... no more paddle wheel. In a way, no more magic.

When we got to the river, they'd broken the single stack down, to fit beneath the railroad bridge decking. I remember birch and cotton wood trees, the soft murmur of the river and the gentle chuffing of the wood-fired engine, her paddlewheel turning slowly. 

A small crowd turned out for the last look. I believe I remember she would cast off and batter upstream past the town, under the railroad bridge, and put in at the old St. Mark's Mission School site to take on enough wood to make the trip. 

Then she'd blow her whistle and sail away, never to run the Tanana and Yukon rivers again. And for certain never to set sail with me aboard. I'd missed my chance. 

How I got to re-launch the Nenana

The second volume of my Father Hardy mystery series is called "In Gold We Trust," and is loosely structured around an actual steamboat gold bar robbery in Alaska.

When I was a kid, my friends and I never dug a hole that we didn't thrill to the notion we might just find that gold. Once my dad and I were out at the Old Mission digging—for some far less romantic reason—and a shovel hit something that clinked! Not much clinks in that part of the Tanana valley, where everything is built on river sand. 

So we got a little excited and kept digging. It was probably the easiest and most motivated digging of my life and we found ... a brick. A brand new, perfect, absolutely inexplicable brick ... no gold. But a guy can dream!

So in my book, I relaunch the Nenana and send her off down the Tanana and Yukon Rivers on a mythical last voyage, in 1957. I studied images and actual film footage of the boat underway, pouring over maps and playing around with my story until it had as many twists and turns as the river. 

Come on along!

If you like riverboats, lost gold, lots of twists and turns in a plot, and a last chance voyage on a classic Alaska steamboat, "In Gold We Trust," will be a mystery for you. You can get it from Amazon as an e-book or paperback, and remember I would love your Amazon or Goodreads review. 

Until then, happy sailing ... and happy reading. (Here's an Amazon link:) In Gold We Trust

Will Trade Free Kindle Mystery For Your Review!

Have I got a deal for you!

If you're a mystery reader, especially an Alaska mystery reader, I'm offering a free book in exchange for an Amazon and/or a Goodreads review. 

Here's a review of this book, by fellow writer, Lawrence Elliott. And remember, you can read the first thirty pages of any of my books, free, on Amazon. Search: Jonathan Thomas Stratman.

5.0 out of 5 starsFather Hardy shines!

Bylelliott541on December 27, 2015

Format: Paperback

At once a period piece capturing the 'gee-whizz' feel of the post-WWII 50's and the deep paranoia of 
the Cold War, a frontier adventure in a harsh and wild land, and an almost hard-boiled style mystery,
"Indecent Exposure" is a fantastic novel that heralds the beginning of a series that can't be written
fast enough for my taste.

The protagonist is a complex man; an Episcopal Priest both practical and tough, who mixes a weary 
faith with compassion and insight into human nature to influence the hard-scrabble lives in his frontier
village, deep in the wilds of Alaska. The relationships he builds throughout ring true and are laced
with humor and affection, even as they are tinged with suspicion in relation to the cold-blooded
murder of a widely-loathed man, Frankie Slick.

As the mystery unfolds, Stratman deftly balances an ethereal haunting steeped in the grieving heart 
of a lonely man, with the brutal reality of life on the edge of starvation and poverty lived at minus
thirty degrees. With snipers, spies, the dark underbelly of human nature, and the redemption that
an earned faith can bring to even the darkest corners of life, "Indecent Exposure" is a page-turning
 delight. The prose feels effortless as the pages evaporate in record time. The noir-ish mystery is
both tantalizing and realistically satisfying, yet still manages to explore grief, betrayal, and the
enduring values of compassion and faith.

Weaving these facets into a compelling novel is no mean feat, but to do so in a lean 236 pages is 
a tour de force in narrative pacing and literary style. Fans of episodic mystery series everywhere
have a strong entry into the genre, and a memorable protagonist to root for. Can't wait for the
next installment!

How to write your review. 

Your review can be shorter than Lawrence's. Just rate the book, by assigning it some number of stars, and then write a couple of lines about what you like or don't like about it. 

How to get your free book. 

Send me an email or a Facebook message and I'll work out the Amazon transaction. Be sure to mention this offer to friends ... especially librarians. 

And thank you. I couldn't have done this without your support.

(Offer ends October 1, 2016)

NEW ... The Father Hardy Alaska Mystery Sequel, Now Available

The one readers asked for. 

Yes, it's nice to have a book readers ask for and have been waiting for. This is it, In Gold We Trust,  a Father Hardy Alaska Mystery, Book 2. Here is the jacket "blurb." 

"Tied to an anchor and dumped off a mothballed sailing ship, Hardy and Evie are in over their heads in a fast-paced tale of old secrets, stolen gold, and cold revenge. An unsolved 1930s steamboat gold heist, puts Hardy and his friends back aboard the historic steamboat Nenena on her last voyage down the Tanana and Yukon rivers and into danger. There’s an assassin aboard, and one unsolved murder … by paddlewheel. Will there be another? Get set for the ride of your life."

Available online ... or order from your bookseller!

This is the sequel to "Indecent Exposure," the book that introduced Father Hardy, his friends, and the central Alaska town they live in. I call it Chandelar, but it's loosely modeled after the town of Nenana where I lived, and set in that same time period, the 1950s. 

Please rate and review ... and tell your librarian!

In these modern times, books live and die by Amazon and Goodreads reviews and ratings ... and of course always by word-of-mouth. Just a line or two is great ... however you feel about any of my books. I'd love to hear from you. 

All my books are available in paperback or Kindle format. You can find them at this link: Jonathan Stratman's books

Thanks to all of you for your support and good wishes!

Happy Birthday, Dad! I've written you into my novels.

My dad and brother Joel in the '50s

Today is my dad's birthday, so he's been on my mind. I decided to write something about him and what have turned out to be ... in a way ... his books.

I've written three adult mystery novels, one is available this moment, another will publish next week. A third is written and in the edit process.

All three novels are set in a fictional version of my old hometown, Nenana, Alaska. The challenge writing mysteries, is not the figuring the mystery so much as finding the right character to solve the mystery. It needs to be someone original, someone whose fictional voice you know well enough to speak in.

So I'm sitting around trying to imagine who that character might be, and in walks the memory of my dad.

The character as a box we color in. 

Readers frequently want to know if my dad did all that stuff in the books. 

He didn't. The books are fiction. The town is darn near fiction. It's my version of Nenana in the 1950s, a time I was in elementary school. Do I even remember what I think I do? Probably not, but it doesn't matter: it works in the stories. 

And dad is a box, or a shell, that I fill with ideas and adventures. The advantage for me as a writer is I know how he sounds in my head. A lot of times I know what he might say, and how he'd sound saying it. I know what he wore, what he drove ... how he spent his days ... and I invest all that knowing in my books. 

An invitation to time travel

The first book is called "Indecent Exposure." It's based on the notion that if you're indecently exposed in Nenana in winter, you'll freeze! The first book has spies, snipers, pornographers, mystery, intrigue action, all built around trying live in a lonely place with a broken heart. 

If that sounds good to you, check it out here: Indecent Exposure

If you've already ready IE, check out the new one: "In Gold We Trust," out next week. 

Why I'm NOT writing the GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL

Photo by Vernelle Judy

Okay, I admit, I've always had a hard time telling people "I'm a writer. " It has always seemed pretentious.

Never mind that I've earned most of my living writing since the early '80s. Yeah, I know it's stupid. Yes, stupid.

If you meet someone, say at a party, they always ask "what do you do?" It's a kind of code for whether we will like each other. "Do you do something that fits with my sense of whether I should stand here and talk to you or not."

I'd rather that decision not be based on some sense of what I do, especially if it sounds pretentious.

So yes, often I dodge it.

"Am I writing the GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL?"

No. People always ask that. Great American Novels have truths. My novels are filled with lies, falsehoods, made up stuff. Prevarications, as Mark Twain might have said ... did say. 

Yes, I make shit up. I do it deliberately, so you'll laugh or cry ... and turn the page ... ALWAYS turn the page. 

I love it when my readers stay up late because they can't turn out the light and go to sleep without finding out what happens! My cousin called from China to say he couldn't go to sleep without finishing my mystery, Indecent Exposure.

And a teacher told me about reluctant readers in Vermont, kids who would rather bang on the ends of their fingers with ball peen hammers ... than read ... actually sneaked to read ahead in Cheechako instead of going off with classmates to see a movie. 

That's why I write. 

Novels that take you places

 One other reason I write is to take you—and me—places. My first six books take place in Alaska. Not just Alaska, but the amazing Alaska I got to grow up in. The Alaska of an older, wilder time.

When my wife, Billie, told me about living in a logging camp and water-skiing around whales, I knew I had to take my readers along on that adventure, and others like it. Not a video game about it, but as real as I could make it.

I not only do get to go home again, I get to take you along.

Tell your friends, tell your librarians ... write reviews!

I can always use your help. If you like books filled with lies, read mine and tell your friends and especially tell your librarians. Share my blog! And if you've read one of my books , I would love to read your review on Amazon or Goodreads, whether you did or didn't like it.  

Happy reading!

Here's the weird thing about writing a novel.

With grandson, Silas (last year)

The hardest part about writing a book has nothing to do with writing.

The hardest part involves going up to strangers—or friends—saying, "hey, I carved a year out of my life and I sweated bullets to write this great book. Wanna buy it?"

Most writers are so severely introverted they would rather lop off a body part.

Writers used to be able to just write ... I'm told. Some big publisher would sign up a writer who would then hole up and work. Period. The big publisher would do the rest.

I missed that bus.

The best way to get your book reviewed.

Prayer.

But seriously, reviews are my friends. Reviews are  others telling readers how good my books are with no loss of body parts.

When you read a book and tell your friends, "hey, I liked this book, you should look at it," ... that's word of mouth advertising, the best kind. The only kind that really works. We trust our friends.

And I'm not just talking about my writing and my books. I'm talking about any book and any writer. Your reviews are the rocket fuel that helps those books and writers rise into orbit.

What about magazine reviews? Turns out magazines like "Library Review," and "School Library Review," don't review self-published books ... those not published by the so-called big five publishers in New York, even though only 16% of recent e-books were published by those folks.

Read my book, write a review ... tell your librarian!

It's that simple. And if you're facing a long summer with kids or grandkids, check out my Cheechako series for middle grades. There are three books, not expensive. Each is an exciting Alaska adventure, with books two and three also featuring strong female characters. So not just for boys.

If you do read or have read any of my four published books (these three plus an adult mystery,) I'd love to see you post your review on Amazon or Goodreads, whether you liked a book or didn't. Just write a couple of lines of what you think. And thanks in advance.

So what do you say? Want to buy a book? Cheechako


  

Why you NEED to read

(Takes place in and near Sitka, AK)

I believe in reading and have been a reader from early. Do I believe in reading because I hope people will buy and read my books? No, I just believe in reading, though I don't mind if you read my books.

Readers think differently

Two of the most powerful words in any language are these: "What if ...?" Put simply, people who read are more likely to say them. Reading lets them become other people, live other lives, feel other feelings, solve other problems. Reading—and writing—is a muscle you build. And it's not like the basketball muscle, or the video game muscle, where you enjoy a thing and can do it when you want. 

Reading is like the swimming muscle. You can do it when you NEED to—in your life, on the job, wherever—for as long as you need to do it. You have endurance. 

In any business, in any situation, "what if?" makes a person the problem solver, the solution finder, often the person who gets ahead in life. 

Why writing for children is important

Tomorrow I drive to Seattle to appear in a video produced by boysread.org. The truth is, they're also concerned about girls reading, but it's the boys whose reading numbers have fallen so drastically. 

They'll ask why my work is important. But you won't have to wait to see the video, I'll tell you now. When 8th grade boys in Vermont, known to be reluctant readers, were assigned my book, "Cheechako," they not only read it, they sneaked to read ahead. Of all the comments I've had about my work, that one makes me happiest.

Read aloud for real results

Small children who are read to, reach school with bigger vocabularies. They can understand more and communicate more than those around them. So yes, they go to the head of the class. And studies indicate that the benefit of being read to continues, at least through 8th grade ... so keep reading!

Small children being read to, actually develop new brains cells, that they'll keep all their lives. And there's some evidence that reading when old, helps to retain brain cells, never a bad idea.

Importance of living by your wits. 

When I'm visiting in schools, kids often ask why my stories are all in the past. Clever kids! I'm currently writing my 8th book, and I do write in the past deliberately. A cell phone or a computer changes everything—so I don't write them. In my books, everybody has to live by their ideas and energy—by their wits. 

As readers we get to participate. 

So here's the bottom line, literally. If you want to change a life—really change it—find a child today and start reading. Yes, it's good for them, and you'll always look back fondly at the quality time you spent together.

Check out "Cheechako" here, and happy reading. 

"But I'm too old to start writing ... painting ... photography ... and other bits of silliness."

Although I started selling short fiction in my thirties, I didn't publish a novel until after age sixty. Why not? All the usual reasons: no time, no energy, no idea I could commit to, a long line of more-pressing chores.

And one more thing—a big thing—probably the sense that I somehow didn't deserve to do this. Yes, I know it doesn't make sense, but it seemed to at the time.

So two things happened: I gave myself permission to "waste" the time, and I started getting up early at least six days a week, working on writing FIRST in my day, instead of dead last when I was exhausted. Yes, instead of waiting until I finished all the other trivial things I put in front of what I really had wanted to do MY WHOLE LIFE.

Colonel Sanders started late. 

By now we've all heard the Col. Sanders and Grandma Moses stories of old codgers who started late and were vastly successful. I love those stories but they don't really matter. 

It's not about being vastly successful. It's about the minutes or hours you spend being true to yourself and to your dreams. For me, it's about looking up from the laptop, knowing I'm spending time doing what I want to do and what I've dreamed of doing and that I've just written something I really, really like. If it never goes any further, that's okay.

Bottom Line. 

We're gonna die, all of us. Nobody gets out of here alive. NOW is when you get to shape your final thoughts. Will they be, "darn, I shoulda ..." 

Or ... "well, that was kind of fun." 

Questions or concerns about starting late? I'm happy to try to answer. 

Summer ... time to get boys reading!

Here's exciting news. I just made the author list under "adventure" writers, at boysread.org. My middle-grade book, "Cheechako," is well-rated and reviewed for reluctant readers—the ones who can read but would rather not.

Are the boys in your life readers? A recent study by the National Literacy Trust in Great Britain states that "only one in four boys reads out of school." My guess? It's similar here.

Why should boys read? If there's a core reason, it's that reading builds the ability to use language effectively. To make it possible for a young person to understand more of what they hear and communicate more of what they understand and feel.

Want your child or grandchild to do well in school? They should read. And you should know that young children who have been read to, reach kindergarten at the top of their pack.

So here comes summer.

The best way to help kids with summer reading? Have something around for them to read. The list of authors and books at boysread.org is a good place to start. These are books with a track record—and truthfully—a track record for both boys and girls. A good book is a good book. 

When might kids read this summer? When the alternatives are worse: stuck in the car, waiting at an appointment, a rainy day, a day when regular play friends are gone. Those are great days and times to be able to pull out a book and say "try this." 

To add extra kick, try reading a chapter or two aloud. You know what? You might get hooked, too.

Model the activity

Want kids to do some particular thing, like reading? Then show them it's okay and that you do it. And make sure you have books or worthwhile magazines around. 

When you're shopping for summer books, you can read the first thirty pages of any of my books, completely free, right here ... Jonathan Thomas Stratman books  ... And thanks in advance for considering my work among your summer bring-alongs. 

Happy reading!

School librarians and teachers, take note: this one's a keeper!

5.0 out of 5 starsCheechako is a triumph!

ByAmazon Customeron May 23, 2016

Format: Paperback

School librarians and teachers, take note: this one's a keeper!
A young teen finds himself in a new culture when he moves
to Alaska. In order to blend in and be accepted by his native
Alaskan schoolmates, Will must first learn the skills and then
find the courage to overcome what seems the hostile Alaskan
environment. With the aid of his dog, Blackie, Will faces
frightening challenges in this coming of age story. The author,
Jonathan Thomas Stratman has captured the essence of the
youthful challenges of growing up. As a former educator,
librarian, teacher, and administrator, I highly recommend this fast paced story for its
universal themes that apply to all adolescents moving towards adulthood.

Exciting summer reading for someone special, Grade 5 through adult.

Jonathan Thomas Stratman books

One easy trick to transform summer for kids and grandkids.

Photo by Billie Judy

Summer vacation as a brain drain

Before 1900, there was no such thing as summer vacation. Generally, kids went to school year round, with farm kids getting spring and fall off to work the fields. And long before air conditioning, city schools, surrounded by pavement and interrupted air flow, became too hot to handle. 

Today, summer vacation is a billion dollar industry. Think about it! Toys, games, vacations, child-care. But the costs are higher than just dollars. The old notion that kids needed time off to rest up, doesn't really hold. Many kids, especially kids from families with less cash, experience an actual brain drain over the summer holiday, returning in the fall even further behind. 

Build a child's mind with video games

NOT!. There's no evidence that video games do more than entertain kids. Which isn't a bad thing. It's maybe a little silly to expect a game to dramatically improve a child's mind. Does basketball? Hopscotch? Mumbly peg?

What children do remember—see if this is true for you—is the time parents spent with them. Maybe it was a trip, maybe just a hobby. Time they got your full, positive attention. 

What's interesting is that the memorable thing doesn't have to be a big thing. It can be a small shared moment. Like sitting down to read a book together.

Children's ability to learn from hearing outpaces their reading capacity up until about grade 8. But here's the thing: you can't just hand a child a book and walk away. For the most part, if you don't read, they won't. One in four adults doesn't read a book a year.

So reading is an easy, inexpensive way to share and enjoy one-on-one time with a child you may have difficulty connecting with otherwise.

26 advantages to reading

Hit this link for a fascinating look at the difference books can make in your kids.

What to read? My middle-grade Alaska adventure, "Cheechako," is recommended adventure reading on the www.boysread.org (girls, too). The second book in that series is an unforgettable summer tale of Alaska adventure, and even a tiny bit of romance. 

If you, or your child, haven't read Gary Paulsen's "Hatchet," you're in for a treat. It's the first (and best) of three. Richard Peck and Ursula LeGuin are always good. The series of seven 'Narnia' books by C.S.Lewis, satisfies your need to keep going. 

And then, of course, there's Harry Potter. Amazing, fantastic books for adults and children. 

And remember, all these books can be had used. I get most of my copies from Goodwill or St. Vinnie's for dimes on the dollar.

Start planning, and collecting, now!

You can read the first thirty pages of any of these books FREE on Amazon. Here's my link and others are easy to find, too. 

Books by Jonathan Thomas Stratman

Reading to kids can change lives—yours and theirs. And I'd love to hear how it goes. 

Who wants to read a book without a gadget?

Don't get me wrong.

I love computers. I love getting the occasional email from a real person, love hearing that some African person wants to send me millions, and am even fond of FaceBook. With FB particularly, I like that friends and family, people I admire and am however connected to, choose and present bits of news, art or info they think I might like. And I often do. 

So that out of the way, I'm not a complete 

Luddite. 

But as a writer—computers and gadgets in stories—not so much. 

Living by wits!

I'm on page 156 of my newest book. I think it's called "The Taking of GrayGhost Island." It is my 8th novel (four published, three on the way) and takes place on Puget Sound just after WWI and somewhat before computers.

I enjoy ... not always exactly true ... writing these books, and certainly enjoy when people write, call or step up to tell me how much they've enjoyed them. I love the reviews! Thanks to all of you who have or will submit one.

It's a lonely process but I'm okay with that. I sit in my chair, research, imagine and type. I learn things. Like, the United States was one of the last countries to adopt commercial toilet paper, and that around 1900. And one big problem with early toilet paper was splinters. I won't tell you why I needed to know that, you'll have to read the book. 

But back to topic, there are no computers, or GPS units, cellphones, or any other of today's gadgets in any of my tales told of yesterday's adventures. 

Here's the problem.

Is it a problem? You decide. If your child or grandchild asks you a question, how do you answer? Most of us grab some form of computer and look it up. Driving across town? Do we take out a map and master it? No, the computer tells us. In my stories, adults and children have to figure it out, and gut it out. They have to practice to perfect skills, take chances, fail or nearly fail ... sometimes lose ... sometimes struggle to survive.

It may read like fiction, but it never reads like virtual.

(You can read 30 pages of any of my books free!)
Find them here:
http://thebookspot.org/jonathanstratmanbooks

Help an author ... post a book review!

How to be a successful Indie author

People who claim to know this, say the average "indie" author sells about 100 books, total. Agggg!

Happily, I trudged past that number a long time ago, especially with this book, the first in my Cheechako series of three. 

There are two other numbers that are very important to writers like me ... and this is where I need your help. I need a rating of stars (1 to 5), and as little as one line telling what you liked about the book. 

Help! Author needs reviews. 

My books aren't found in many bookstores. Why? Because very few people in the world have any idea I exist. Most of my books are sold through Amazon and through library distributors. For much of the book buying, reviewing world, a book doesn't become official until it has about 25 reviews.

This is where you come in. 

Please consider posting an Amazon book review. 

If you've read one of my books, and especially if you liked it, or if you've read it to the kids or grandkids (this is a great read-aloud book). Or if you're a teacher and have read it in your classroom. Then please consider contributing a review. 

You can do a review in :60 seconds. Really!

To do an Amazon review, you just decide how many stars it deserves, and write as little as one line about what you liked, or what your kids liked. It's that simple and that quick. 

It will be a big help to me ... and, you'll like it!

This New Review Shines!

Father Hardy shines!

Bylelliott541on December 27, 2015

At once a period piece capturing the 'gee-whizz' feel of the post-WWII 50's and the deep paranoia of the Cold War, a frontier adventure in a harsh and wild land, and an almost hard-boiled style mystery, "Indecent Exposure" is a fantastic novel that heralds the beginning of a series that can't be written fast enough for my taste.

The protagonist is a complex man; an Episcopal Priest both practical and tough, who mixes a weary faith with compassion and insight into human nature to influence the hard-scrabble lives in his frontier village, deep in the wilds of Alaska. The relationships he builds throughout ring true and are laced with humor and affection, even as they are tinged with suspicion in relation to the cold-blooded murder of a widely-loathed man, Frankie Slick.

As the mystery unfolds, Stratman deftly balances an ethereal haunting steeped in the grieving heart of a lonely man, with the brutal reality of life on the edge of starvation and poverty lived at minus thirty degrees. With snipers, spies, the dark underbelly of human nature, and the redemption that an earned faith can bring to even the darkest corners of life, "Indecent Exposure" is a page-turning delight. The prose feels effortless as the pages evaporate in record time. The noir-ish mystery is both tantalizing and realistically satisfying, yet still manages to explore grief, betrayal, and the enduring values of compassion and faith.

Weaving these facets into a compelling novel is no mean feat, but to do so in a lean 236 pages is a tour de force in narrative pacing and literary style. Fans of episodic mystery series everywhere have a strong entry into the genre, and a memorable protagonist to root for. Can't wait for the next installment!

I Learned a lot about writing ... in an igloo!

It all started at the Pioneers of Alaska, Igloo #17

Friday night was movie night, in Nenana, Alaska, when I was a boy, mid 1950s. (This is a shot from Alaska Digital Archives, ca 1920. Notice the POA Hall, first building on the left.) 

Nenana of those days was a dusty railroad and riverboat town with a disproportionate number of churches and saloons, two stores—Coghill's (still there) and the NCCo, a post office, lodge and the Coffee Cup Cafe.  

Right ... no theater! So we watched movies at the Pioneers of Alaska Hall. The Pioneers were an early Alaska social club, started in Nome, that still exists in some Alaska towns today. Appropriate to Alaska, the meeting halls were called "igloos." 

Story structure in "B" movies

I think I learned everything I know about story structure at the Pioneers of Alaska. 

The staple in those days was Hollywood grade "B" movies, usually westerns. I no longer know why, but my favorites starred Anthony Quinn. Of course we saw John Wayne and the whole bunch, but somehow Quinn and I bonded. Not so I could tell you the name of a single movie, however.

But at the end I'd go home and recount the whole thing. Absolutely the whole thing in detail, with all its characterizations, plot twists and plot arcs—plus acting out the climactic moments—for my long-suffering parents.

It's a wonder they'd let me go at all. 

Now I'm writing my 8th book!

What it is ... is rhythm, and it's stayed with me. For a long time I didn't know how I knew what I knew, just that I did. And I know that, even after all these years, it still works for me. The other thing that has stayed with me is Nenana. 

Those of you that have read my Cheechako series, or the first book in my Father Hardy series, can spot bits of that old Nenana peeking out around the corners. 

Here's the scene as it plays from "Indecent Exposure," featuring Orie Williams, the only real character I've ever written into one of these. (With his permission.)

"But on a Friday night, a bright-eyed, bespectacled boy named Orie, gets there early enough to light a fire in the big barrel stove up front, to pop the popcorn, and get the first movie reel threaded into an antique projector. He’s the only one who can keep it running. I’ve heard rumors of a pact with the devil.

Much of the town files in, kids to the hard benches near the screen where their front sides get roasted by proximity to the barrel stove at the same time as their backsides are still freezing. Adults sit on the hard chairs behind. The room starts out so cold that most of us leave our parkas on until about halfway through the movie when we all simultaneously realize we’re sweltering and can’t possibly wait for the reel change."

In a world where every single other thing has changed, that old Nenana remains a place I can find my way back to.