How many times have you heard someone call themselves a nobody? Or have you ever called yourself one? Why did you say it? And is it really a bad thing to be a nobody? Author Merlin Bylsma covers these questions and more in Nobodies in a Somebodies’ World, a series of...

A new biography for middle schoolers hit the shelves this Women’s History Month: My Name Is Dixie: Designer of the Iowa Flag, written by T. E. Waldmann-Williams, Ph.D., and illustrated by Cindy Gordon. As the title suggests, the book chronicles the life of Dixie...

This winter, Pella author Karen Fitzsimmons is celebrating the publication of her eighth book and first novel, Unfailing Love. Based on a true story, Unfailing Love centers on Kalena, a small-town Iowa girl born in the early sixties. The book chronicles Kalena’s life...

Peter, Mary Magdalene, Lazarus, Pontius Pilate—the life of Jesus Christ was peopled by fascinating men and women whose stories have long inspired writers and artists. But what about those quiet figures, the men and women who were part of the Gospels, but whose names...

Just in time for the holiday season, Pella author Jean De Vries has published her second novel, Brought Us Together. The story marks the return of the Millers, an Amish family first introduced in De Vries’ Bestow On Us Your Grace, winner of the Write Place’s 2016 Book...

Pella native Susan Kuyper loves to explore. After a childhood spent biking the streets of the small Iowa town, she went on to teach in Hong Kong, hike the mountains of Japan and Tibet, raise two sons, survive several near-death experiences and—eventually—move back to...

Just in time for the holidays, Dr. Bob Boerigter—retired commissioner of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), an NCAA Division II conference—has published a collection of personal essays titled Things Were Different Then. Honest and...

Each year, thousands of tourists travel to the Amana Colonies—the largest National Historic Landmark in Iowa. Settled by German immigrants, this cluster of villages is home to vibrant festivals, unique shops and well-known restaurants. Many of the visitors are kids,...

Nearly 50 years ago, author Warren Rushton of Mesa, Ariz., was hard at work at the San Francisco Conservative Baptist Theology Seminary, drafting his thesis on spiritual warfare and temptation. Today, Rushton is celebrating the publication of his first book, The...

Have you ever felt like your alarm clock is a starter’s pistol setting off a marathon sprint? In this hectic world, each day can seem like a never-ending race of deadlines, appointments and to-do lists. Then there are kids to pick up and drop off, emails to answer,...

Dan and Mary Nance of Oskaloosa are celebrating the release of their first children’s book, Greubie and the Cats, which was published by the Write Place this fall. Enlivened by illustrations from local artist Victoria Peterson-Laird, this heartwarming tale of the...

Author Shannon Basinger-Kotz and her 11-year-old son and illustrator, Vinny M.R. Kotz, are flying high after the release of their latest children’s book, Hero of the Black Hills. It’s the third book they’ve published with the Write Place since the summer of 2017, and...