News & Notes
Exciting New Releases From Apprentice House Press: Spring 2024 Lineup
February 23rd, 2024
Baltimore, MD- Apprentice House Press is thrilled to announce an array of captivating reads lined up for release this spring. “We are thrilled to bring these compelling stories to readers around the world,” said Kevin Atticks, Director of Apprentice House Press. “From riveting novels to thought-provoking memoirs, our Spring 2024 lineup showcases the diverse talents of our authors.”
Mark your calendars for these fourteen highly anticipated titles:
- “Pierce” by Patrick Simpson
Release Date: March 12, 2024
- “That Summer She Found Her Voice: A Retro Novel” by Jean Burgess
Release Date: April 9, 2024
- “Everywhere I Look” by Ona Gritz
Release Date: April 16, 2024
- “Judicial Soup” by Shannon Bohrer
Release Date: May 7, 2024
- “Death Cleaning and Other Units of Measure: A Story Collection” by Nancy Burke
Release Date: May 7, 2024
- “For All We Know: A UFO Manifesto” by Michael Friotity
Release Date: May 7, 2024
- “The Deceived Ones, or, The Food of Love” by Judith Krummeck
Release Date: May 7, 2024
- “Not You” by Megan Madramootoo
Release Date: May 7, 2024
- “Spider Democracy” by Peter Okeleke Nzeogwu
Release Date: May 7, 2024
- “Eat Dessert First” by Michelle Paris
Release Date: May 7, 2024
- “The Ghosts of Glenn Dale” by Mark Reefe
Release Date: May 7, 2024
- “The Year We Danced: A Memoir” by Stephen Smith
Release Date: May 7, 2024
- “Maine Under Water” by Allison Whittenberg
Release Date: May 7, 2024
- “Stress Test” by Katherine White
Release Date: May 7, 2024
The titles are available wherever books are sold, including on Bookshop.org. Stay tuned for more details and pre-order information!
About Apprentice House Press:
Apprentice House is the nation’s first entirely student-managed book publisher. Students at Loyola University Maryland are responsible for every aspect of the publishing process, from acquisitions to design and publication of every book. Our mission is, first and foremost, to educate students about the book publishing process. With the industry in flux, we provide the experience needed to place our students in internships and management-level jobs at book publishers. For media inquiries or to request review copies, please contact katticks@gmail.com.
Funny, wild novel “The Gym” is released
Apprentice House Press releases The Gym, a debut novel by veteran writer Kevin Cowherd.
About the Book
The gym saved my life.
Maybe you rolled your eyes at that statement. Maybe you think it’s hyperbole. Maybe you think I’m a diva or a drama queen or whatever. But it’s true. The gym saved me in more ways than I could ever explain.
Before I joined and began working out to stave off the massive coronary that surely loomed in my future, I never much cared for exercise. Any old photo of me would confirm that. What you saw was a pale, doughy man who appeared in desperate need of a place to sit, preferably one where you could also order a burrito.
The gym was called Ripped! It sat in a forlorn strip mall near the confluence of the Beltway, Route 40 and I-95, which, if nothing else, allowed management to advertise “Convenient From Anywhere!” and not technically be lying.
One thing they didn’t advertise: there was a murderer among us.
About the Author
Kevin Cowherd is the New York Times best-selling author of Hothead and five other baseball novels for young readers written with Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. and published by Disney-Hyperion Books.
Cowherd has also written six books of non-fiction. His 2019 book When the Crowd Didn’t Roar: How Baseball’s Strangest Game Ever Gave a Broken City Hope was featured as one of the five best new sports books in the Times’ Summer Reading issue that year.
He was an award-winning sports columnist and features writer for The Baltimore Sun for 32 years, and has also written for Men’s Health, Parenting and Baseball Digest magazines.
Learn more about his work at his website: kevincowherd.com
Advanced Praise
“The Gym is darkly funny, written with wry spark and a keen eye for killer details. There are also humane and wistful notes, a tribute to the way Kevin Cowherd has coped with a lifetime in bruising, big-city journalism. Not every writer can pull that off.”
— Carl Hiaasen, bestselling author of Hoot
“Kevin Cowherd’s latest left me convulsing in laughter and tears. The brilliance of The Gym is in its fresh take on the pain and complexity of divorce, from the perspective of husband and father. A good and decent guy can move on, with a little help from his friends. The novel is brimming with truths and insights but with lightest of touch and a big, beating heart. Anyone whoever grunted through a workout (at a modest fitness center) will adore this Baltimore tale.”
— Michael Davis, author of The New York Times best-seller Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street
“A very funny book by a very funny guy.”
—Dave Barry, New York Times bestselling author of Swamp Story and Peter and the Starcatchers
Apprentice House releases 25 books!
Apprentice House Press is releasing 25 titles in the first half of 2023. “From humorous romance novels to deeply introspective memoirs, this cohort of books represents an incredible portfolio of creative work.”
- A Fly in the Ointment by Nathan Leslie
- A Moment in Time by Thomas Dunne
- Burnt Toast by Nancy Gerber
- Clonk! by J Paul Rieger, Jr.
- Destiny’s Daughter by Frances Altman
- Emily’s Secret Slippers by Ronnie Gunnerson
- Flashbulb Memories by Cecilia Saint Denis
- From Ash to Ashes by Krishma Arora
- Growth: A Mother, Her Son, and the Brain Tumor They Survived by Karen DeBonis
- Kindergarten at 60: A Memoir of Teaching in Thailand by Dian Seidel
- Losing Purchase by Bruce Dethlefsen
- Marfa’s River by Marina Cramer
- my mother’s tomorrow by Kaye Whitehead
- New Normal by Michelle Paris
- Of White Ashes by Constance Matsumoto & Kent Matsumoto
- Off to Join the Circus by Deborah Kalb
- Sane Asylum by Allison Whittenberg
- Searching for Steve by Joel Harris
- Self-Destruction: The rise, fall, and redemption of U.S. Senator Daniel B. Brewster by John W. Frece
- The Accidental Universe and Other Stories by Gerard Marconi
- The Good Slope by Elizabeth Rau
- The Path from Regret by Jeffrey Gardner
- The Spectacle of Punishment: US Cultural Beliefs about Prison through a Century of Moving Pictures by Benjamin Boyce
- Welcome to Monsterville by Laura Shovan
- Wild Girls by Shirley Brewer
The titles are available wherever books are sold, including on Bookshop.org.
War Hero and U.S. Senator Danny Brewster Had It All, and It Nearly Killed Him. What Happened?
A new biography by John W. Frece – “Self-Destruction: The rise, fall, and redemption of U.S. Senator Daniel B. Brewster” – is available now
Foreword by Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Brewster’s bitterly fought victory over segregationist Governor George C. Wallace in Maryland’s 1964 Presidential Primary helped clear the way for congressional passage of landmark Civil Rights Act
Baltimore, Md. – Hollywood handsome Danny Brewster had it all: inherited wealth, stellar education, decorated combat Marine, prestigious horse farm, and even a seat in the United States Senate. He helped pass some of the most important civil rights legislation in our history, and provided the first political jobs to future House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Then, debilitated by alcoholism, he self-destructed and lost it all.
A new biography of Brewster’s life of enormous ups and downs – “Self-Destruction: The rise, fall, and redemption of U.S. Senator Daniel B. Brewster” – is available now. It was published by the Apprentice House Press at Loyola University of Maryland.
This book is the fourth written by John W. Frece, a longtime legislative reporter with the Baltimore Sun and United Press International.
Raised in Baltimore County horse country, Brewster attended Gilman, the St. Paul’s School in Concord, N.H., and Princeton University before dropping out to enlist in the United States Marine Corps on the first anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Brewster experienced savage fighting in the South Pacific, including the three-month-long, kill-or-be-killed siege of Okinawa. Brewster was wounded seven times, including by one bullet that tore through his helmet.
“Reexamining the life and legacy of Senator Brewster is particularly timely at this pivotal moment in our nation’s history, in light of our renewed struggle for racial
justice,” writes Pelosi in the foreword. “Danny showed notable political courage in helping pave the way for progress on civil rights. … He was the only Senator from south of the Mason-Dixon Line to co-sponsor both the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.”
Pelosi continues, “John Frece’s honest, meticulous narrative for the first time shines a bright light on Senator Danny Brewster: a consequential leader whose two decades in public office helped shape the history of both my beloved home state and our entire nation. As his good friend, I am grateful that his story will finally, fully be told.”
The pages that follow tell the story of a tumultuous life that included three marriages and 12 victorious elections, the last of which was as a surrogate for President Lyndon B. Johnson in Maryland’s 1964 Presidential Primary. Brewster’s victory over the segregationist Alabama governor, George C. Wallace, was credited with clearing the way for Congress to enact the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Brewster co-sponsored that historic legislation as well as the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the only Democratic senator from a state south of the Mason-Dixon line to do so.
The bitter Wallace election, in which Brewster was booed, cursed, and spat upon by Marylanders opposed to civil rights, left the young Senator shaken. He began drinking heavily, a problem that became public by the time he lost re-election in 1968 to his longtime friend, Republican Charles McC. Mathias, Jr. After leaving office, Brewster was accused of accepting bribes, a legal ordeal that dragged on for six ruinous years.
He then started his third act: He quit drinking, married Judy Aarsand, a woman he met in rehab, and became a doting father to their two daughters and son. He helped other recovering alcoholics and was named to hospital boards and government commissions. Gradually, he brushed the tarnish off his reputation and found equilibrium and happiness in his life.
About John W. Frece
This is the fourth book by former Baltimore Sun State House bureau chief John W. Frece. He previously co-authored the autobiographies of Senator Joseph D. Tydings and Governor Harry R. Hughes, both of Maryland. As a former gubernatorial aide, Frece also wrote an insider’s tale of the internal political machinations surrounding the passage of Governor Parris N. Glendening’s controversial land use program, Smart Growth. Frece is married to children’s book author, Priscilla Cummings, and they have two grown children, William and Hannah.
Quotes on Brewster:
“Daniel Brewster’s legacy can be found in his commitment to civil rights, his ability to find strength through adversity, and his devotion to the state of Maryland and its people,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“We need to acknowledge the depths of his fall from privilege and victory to understand the courage and grace of his ascent to the gentle man of decency and principle that he had been and would remain,” said Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.
The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said of Brewster: “The devotees of civil rights in this country and freedom loving people the world over are greatly indebted to you for your support in passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
President Lyndon B. Johnson stated, “When the going was tough, and when the campaign was rough, Maryland produced a courageous and a valiant senator to uphold my hand, and he stood in for me when I couldn’t be here – my old and good and trusted and beloved friend, your great Senator Danny Brewster.”
The Story of the Dragonfly
A book by Debbie & Laura Sorrells
This is the story of an amazing little girl who grew up into an incredible woman who dedicated her life to helping others. After a tragedy, a dragonfly appeared to remind others of her presence, and to support and encourage them.
The Story of the Dragonfly brings hope to members of the community who suffer from the loss of a loved one, through touching prose and endearing illustrations.
A Tribute to Officer Amy Sorrells Caprio
“When not handling a call for service or investigating a crime, Amy could often be found spending time with the children at a local elementary school,” wrote Major Deanna L. Chemelli, Baltimore County Police Department, who worked with Amy. “Amy would read books with the children, play with them at recess, or assist them in the cafeteria during lunch time… Amy was described as a loyal, kind, hardworking, inspiring, dedicated, selfless, and community-oriented police officer.”
A Gift to the Community
“On one level, this book is an encouraging story about a wonderful girl who grew up to do great things for others,” said Kevin Atticks, director of Apprentice House Press at Loyola University Maryland, the book’s publisher. He notes that the book serves the community by providing a pathway for children to manage the grief of losing a loved one. “It’s a service to the community, a fitting tribute while honoring Amy’s legacy.”
Come Celebrate & Get a Copy of the Book!
Thursday, November 17 from 4-7pm
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #4
9304 Harford Rd., Baltimore, MD 21234
Monday, November 21 from 6:30-7:30pm
Perry Hall Baltimore County Library
9685 Honeygo Blvd, Perry Hall, MD 21128
Thursday, December 1 from 4-8pm
Conrad’s Seafood Restaurant
Percentage of food & beverage sales to benefit Gunpowder Elementary PTA
9654 Belair Rd, Nottingham, MD 21236
Details of The Story of the Dragonfly
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-62720-455-2 / $26.99
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-62720-456-9 / $16.99
Available from Apprenticehouse.com, Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com
Description of the Book
This is the story of an amazing little girl who grew up into an incredible woman who dedicated her life to helping others. After a tragedy, a dragonfly appeared to remind others of her presence, and to support and encourage them.
About Apprentice House Press
Apprentice House Press is the country’s only campus-based, student-staffed book publishing company. Directed by professors and industry professionals, it is a nonprofit activity of the Communication Department at Loyola University Maryland.
Honorable Awards For 3 Apprentice House Books
Apprentice House Press is proud to announce that 3 of its 2021 releases have been named Independent Press Award 2022 Distinguished Favorites. Books receiving this honor include A Place to Hide by David Salner in the category of General Fiction, Falling From Trees by Mike Fiorito in the category of Short Stories, and Questions for Water by Virginia Crawford in the category of Poetry-Social/Political.
This award will allow the honored authors’ opportunities to gain more attention and expand their audience. Copies of all books submitted to the competition are donated to the local libraries in Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Montclair, and Newark, New Jersey.
Learn more about The Independent Press Award here and purchase these books in our shop.
March 21 Book Launch: A Love Story
Join Loyola University Maryland first-year student Enrique Muchacho as he reads from his new book, “A Love Story,” on Monday, March 21 @ 6pm in Humanities Hug Lounge. Light refreshments will be served. Books will be available for sale at the event.
About “A Love Story”
On the night Taylor came out to his parents, his life completely changed.
His father rejected him, his mom is thinking God knows what and he might just be on the brink of getting shipped off to a conversion clinic. To keep himself safe, Taylor keeps his head down, avoids getting into trouble, all while trying to find a way to get his father to have a change of heart, which seems almost impossible.
Just as his safety hangs in the balance, Taylor meets Matthew, and over the course of the following days, begins a relationship. As their romance blossoms, the risk of getting caught increases, and when things get out of hand, Taylor needs to find a way to keep himself safe before it’s too late.
THE BOOKSTORE TO PRE-LAUNCH O’HARA’S NEW BOOK ON ST. PATRICK’S DAY
The Bookstore in Lenox will host Pittsfield author Kevin O’Hara at a pre-launch party for his new book, “Ins and Outs of a Locked Ward: My 30 Years as a Psychiatric Nurse,” to be held at The Olde Heritage Tavern on Thursday, March 17th, from noon to 6 p.m. O’Hara’s latest memoir chronicles his three decades working at Berkshire Medical Center.
Anyone who pre-orders O’Hara’s book at The Bookstore that day–it’s not due out until May 3rd–will be given a token to receive a free pint of Guinness or a glass of wine at The Heritage, compliments of The Bookstore. In addition, O’Hara will read excerpts from his new book at 1, 3, and 5 p.m. at DARE Bottleshop & Provisions next door. An actual reading and book signing is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, May 10th.
For more information, call The Bookstore at 637-3390 or visit their website at www.bookstoreinlenox.com
New Books Hitting the Shelves from Apprentice House Press
Apprentice House Press is set to release various diverse genres of books in the upcoming months for all to enjoy. With help from the students who manage the Apprentice House Press, 17 books will be released in 2022.
From memoirs to poems, to science fiction stories, there is a unique array of novels written by self-published authors from all over the world. Some releases include A Love Story by Enrique Muchacho, Go Play Outside by Robert Cooperman, and Psychic by mother-daughter duo TS Rose, along with many others.
“The Apprentice House team and I are very excited to present this incredible cohort of books,” said Kevin Atticks, director of Apprentice House Press. “The titles represent such strong work from the authors, and our team of undergraduates who edited, designed and marketed the titles.”
All books will be available wherever books are sold, including in our shop.
Growing Mangos in the Desert • Katherine Baird
The Chocolate Jar and Other Stories • Roselee Blooston
Dr. Junkie: A Guide to Ending the War on Drugs • Benjamin Boyce, PhD
The Psychopomps • Sean Byrne
Go Play Outside • Robert Cooperman
The Miraculous Flight of Owen Leach • Jennifer Dupree
Wrecks and Ruins • Eric Goodman
The Student • Stephen Gordon
Chasing Shangri-La • Gary Ingber
On the Wings of a Hummingbird • Susan Mills
A Love Story • Enrique Muchacho
The Ins and Outs of a Locked Ward • Kevin O’Hara
BOOGIE: Life on a Merry-Go-Round • Michael Olesker
Children of Someone Else’s Longing • Sandra Rokoff-Lizut
Psychic • TS Rose
Woman by the Door • Kashiana Singh
The Monster of the Gunpowder and Other Fabrications • Michael Stang
The Carnival of Reality • Allison Whittenberg
New Novel, The Student, Is Available For Purchase!
Apprentice House Press has recently released Stephen J. Gordon’s The Student, the third novel in his Gidon Aronson mystery-thriller series. This installment follows his earlier works, In the Name of God and Confluence, also published by Apprentice House Press.
“In The Student,” says author Gordon, “the hero works to protect a threatened foreign college coed, and we are swept into his investigation, which takes him from Baltimore to the Middle East. What excites me about this latest entry is that it pulls the reader into his world to an even greater level than the previous novels…right until the last page.”
Praise for the Gidon Aronson series:
“…first-rate…exciting, suspenseful and filled with enough action to satisfy even readers of Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy.”
– New York Journal of Books
“I felt as if I were racing through the streets of Jerusalem with Gidon. His banter with colleagues and sensitivity…endear this detective to any reader.”
– Jewish Book Council
“From the alleys of Baltimore to the streets of Jerusalem…a wild ride.”
– Urbanite
Follow Gidon Aronson, a veteran of the Israeli military, as he protects the niece of a Mossad officer, enrolled in a local university, from threats that run deeper than they seem. Be sure to get your hands on this captivating novel. It promises to keep you on the edge of your seat!
The Student is available wherever books are sold, including in our shop