Location: United States
Member Since: Aug. 26, 2010
17 users have added this author as a favorite.


Joan H. Young


Biography

Joan Young has enjoyed the out-of-doors her entire life. Highlights of her outdoor adventures include Girl Scouting, which provided yearly training in camp skills, the opportunity to engage in a 10-day canoe trip, and numerous short backpacking excursions. She was selected to attend the 1965 Senior Scout Roundup in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, an international event to which 10,000 girls were invited. She has ridden a bicycle from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean in 1986, and on August 3, 2010 became the first woman to complete the North Country National Scenic Trail on foot. Her mileage totaled 4395 miles.

She has recently begun writing more fiction, including short stories and cozy mysteries.

Where to find Joan H. Young online

Website: http://www.booksleavingfootprints.com
Twitter: sharkbytes
Facebook: Facebook profile
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/joanhyoung
Blog: http://myqualityday.blogspot.com

Where to buy in print

http://www.booksleavingfootprints.com

Books

Fall Off the Couch Laughing    by Joan H. Young
Price: $1.89 USD. 6410 words. Published on July 13, 2012. Nonfiction.
Ten humorous essays, most of which were previously published as newspaper columns. Themes have to do with outdoor recreation and are illustrated with photos by the author. (txt version not recommended, as the photos are a big part of the experience)
Paddy Plays in Dead Mule Swamp    by Joan H. Young
Price: $2.99 USD. 56260 words. Published on May 31, 2012. Fiction.
(5.00 from 3 reviews)
When Anastasia Raven agrees to keep Paddy, an Irish Setter, for the summer, she didn't understand the mischievous nature of a large puppy. As a volunteer, she meets Corliss Leonard, and his granddaughters Star and Sunny, whose mother disappeared seven years ago. The girls fall in love with Paddy, but can the dog solve their problems? (Anastasia Raven Mysteries #3, full-length novel)
The Hollow Tree at Dead Mule Swamp    by Joan H. Young
Price: Free! 15210 words. Published on April 22, 2012. Fiction.
0.5 star(4.50 from 6 reviews)
Anastasia Raven finds a secret hidden in a hollow tree near Dead Mule Swamp. She thinks she's seeing things, as the discovery appears to have come straight from a Nancy Drew story. With some simple sleuthing, Ana catches Jimmie Mosher, whose grandfather used to own the house she has recently purchased, hiding money in the tree. But what else does Jimmie have to hide? (Anastasia Raven Mysteries #2)
Toby & Harry    by Joan H. Young
Price: $0.99 USD. 2650 words. Published by Twin Trinity Media (TTM)  on January 1, 2012. Fiction.
0.75 star(4.67 from 3 reviews)
There are things that go bump in the night, and then there are kids who wake up with bumps from the night. Toby, a devious and disturbed little boy, only seems to love his teddy bear, Harry, even though Harry's worse for wear because of it. It's too bad Harry can't love him back.
News from Dead Mule Swamp    by Joan H. Young
Price: $0.99 USD. 37580 words. Published on November 30, 2011. Fiction.
0.75 star(4.78 from 9 reviews)
News from Dead Mule Swamp is a cozy mystery set in the upper Midwest. Anastasia Raven is running from the pain of a failed marriage, and hopes to hide from the world in an old farmhouse she has purchased at the edge of Dead Mule Swamp. When she finds a hundred-year-old newspaper inside a wall, why is it stolen before she can even read it? (Anastasia Raven Mysteries #1)
Get Off the Couch with Joan    by Joan H. Young
Price: $1.89 USD. 6300 words. Published on August 28, 2010. Nonfiction.
(5.00 from 2 reviews)
Ten essays, most were previously published as newspaper columns, chronicling two years of hikes on the North Country Trail by the author. "Young has an easy, breezy way of writing that makes reading both pleasurable and informative." - Big Rapids (MI) Pioneer (txt version not recommended, as the photos are a big part of the experience)
Devotions for Hikers    by Joan H. Young
Price: $0.99 USD. 3580 words. Published on August 27, 2010. Nonfiction.
(5.00 from 2 reviews)
Ten short Christian devotions for hikers. Topics are tied to concepts which relate to walking, trail finding, camping, etc.

Joan H. Young’s tag cloud

adventures    amateur detective    amateur detectives    anastasia raven    bible lessons    camping    children    cozy mystery    devotions    fantasy    hikes    hiking    horror    humor    humorous essays    kayaking    midwest    mystery    mystery amateur    north country trail    outdoor recreation    regional    short story    small town    small towns    snowshoeing    teddy bear    women in the outdoors    women sleuth    women sleuths   

Joan H. Young's favorite authors on Smashwords


Smashwords book reviews by Joan H. Young

  • A Hiker's Journal on March 16, 2012
    star star
    I'm always interested in reading about hikes, but I can hardly tolerate books that are nothing more than a journal. Of course, that is exactly what the title claims this book to be. Since I was not familiar with the Dolly Sods, The occasional descriptions of the area and the etymology of the name were interesting. Finally, near the end, the author begins to share more of his thoughts and reactions and less of what time he got up, what the temperature was, and what he ate for breakfast. However, in the end, I was glad this was a short hike, and thus a short book. But it's only 99 cents... if you are going to hike the Dolly Sods, by all means read it.
  • FM For Murder on April 24, 2012
    star star star
    I think this is the weakest of the Audio series mysteries, to date. The format is interesting, with the action switching between what professor Pamela Barnes knows, and what is happening with Dan Bridgewater. There are a couple of days of time disjoint between the alternated scenes so that readers don't know what's happening too soon. Eventually the two timelines come together. This took a bit of getting used to, but I liked it. However, Dan doesn't seem like a real person, and I thought there were some obvious problems with the crime scene that forensics would have uncovered.
  • Sounds of Murder on April 24, 2012
    star star star star
    This is the first in the Pamela Barnes Audio mystery series. Barnes is a small-college professor, and Rockwell nails the character and the atmosphere. You can tell she's lived this scene. The plot is clever, and the story held my interest. There was perhaps, a bit too much mental reviewing of the clues by Barnes, but not so much that I was put off from the series. I was hoping for a bit more of the technical aspects of the audio analysis. With Rockwell's background in this field I'm sure she could describe the process in more detail (but I like techno-forensic stuff). I liked this book enough to continue reading the series.
  • THE LEPRECHAUN CHRONICLES:Mavis and the Leprechaun on May 01, 2012
    star star star star
    Mavis and the Leprechaun is a light fun read that will make you smile. It's perfect for a lunchtime read or a longish coffee break. Berry is not your average leprechaun.. is he really helpful, or overbearing? You'll have to read the story to find out. The writer uses good grammar and you won't be stumbling over the words in an effort to get to the story. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
  • Travels With Tinkerbelle - 6,000 Miles Around France In A Mechanical Wreck on June 17, 2012
    star star star star star
    Travels With Tinkerbelle - 6,000 Miles Around France In A Mechanical Wreck Susie Kelly is at it again: she was gripped with the itching wanderlust that had to be scratched. She and her husband, Terry, decide to buy a small motorhome and circumnavigate France. The fact that their budget is minuscule is immaterial. The fact that they also have a dog that will go with them isn’t crazy enough, they decide to get another puppy to keep the dog company. She describes the first dog as small. Several chapters later she reveals that the dog is a Vizsla! I own a small Vizsla– she weighs 50 pounds! The puppy-mutt they add to the crew grows to the size of a small pony, and chews everything in sight, nailed down or not. The motorhome somehow makes the entire trip, although it’s unclear why. Important parts fall off or break regularly. Terry drives on, over mountains, and around hairpin curves, mostly unperturbed. We should all have such oblivious, patient partners. It may have helped that Terry doesn’t speak much French. Only once does Susie hint that they occasionally disagreed over travel arrangements. Anyone who has taken a road trip will also identify with the problems associated with finding a place to stay each night. Motor camps range from first rate to mud pits. Meanwhile, Susie and Terry visit small and large towns hunting for both publicized tourist attractions and those wonderful local secrets one can stumble upon when willing to talk to local folks. Her descriptions of these places will always give you a fresh look, even if you are familiar with the locale. And it’s all told with a great sense of humor. One of my favorite passages relates how a tradeswoman tells Susie that the local snakes were dropped from a helicopter. Susie thinks she must have mis-heard. Several pages later, she hears the rest of the story. I’m always a sucker for funny stories where you have to wait for the other shoe to drop. If you like travel stories, you’ll never regret the reasonable $2.99 to buy this book!
  • A Graphic Guide for the Self-Published Author on Sep. 06, 2012
    star star star star star
    Farah Evers is the kind of graphic designer we writers wish for daily. Her work is excellent and affordable, but she is concerned that your book has a good cover, even if you can't afford her, or have enough art training to be dangerous, or even are just bull-headed. So, she's covered the basics of graphic design, spacing, fonts, colors, getting your message across, and written it all in words ordinary people can understand. Every point is illustrated with examples. Following the principles in this book will help you get back the money you spent to purchase it in a flash. Let's face it, if two books have equally interesting descriptions, people will buy the one with the good cover. They might buy a book with a good cover without even reading the blurb. She also covers designing business cards, bookmarks and more. Best choice- hire Farah to design your cover. Second choice- buy this book and follow the guidelines.