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.

Series

Anastasia Raven Mysteries
Anastasia Raven flees the suburbs after a painful divorce. She finds solace in working on an old fixer-upper farmhouse far to the north in Dead Mule Swamp. She is quickly drawn in to the local crime scene, but she has things to learn about how small towns work. Over the course of the series, Ana becomes known for her ability to help solve murders. Her friends are often involved in the sleuthing and shenanigans. Adele, proprietor of Vogel's Grocery, and Cora, the local historian are her closest confidants. Jimmie, a boy with a sad story, enters in book two, and takes an increasingly stronger role as the series progresses. Jerry, owner of the newspaper, Charlie the pharmacist, Police Chief Tracy Jarvi, and many other characters round out the small-town atmosphere. If you live in the rural Northwoods, you will find the settings wonderfully familiar.
Dubois Files
A children's mystery series, set in the 1950s. The Dubois Files combine adventure and mystery without being violent or dark. They are set in the mid twentieth century when moral standards were generally expected to be upheld, and the children I've invented will sometimes be presented with opportunities to choose between right and wrong. It is my desire to promote diversity and inclusiveness, and yet, I do not believe that re-writing history is honest. Every decade or century is tarnished in various ways. Some of these societal flaws will appear in the stories. The primary characters in these books include Jimmie Mosher, of English descent; Cora Dubois with a Finnish mother and French father; Laszlo Szep, the son of a Hungarian tenant farmer; and George and Ruby Harris, a brother and sister of African-American ancestry. These ethnicities fit into the time and place without straining credulity. Of course, the extended families, and associated problems, will come into the plots.
The Secret Cellar
Price: $2.99 USD.
The Hitchhiker
Price: $2.99 USD.
The ABZ Affair
Price: $2.99 USD.
The Bigg Boss
Price: $2.99 USD.
The Lonely Donkey
Price: $2.99 USD.

Books

Dead Mule Swamp Singer
Series: Anastasia Raven Mysteries. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 65,670. Language: English. Published: September 26, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Amateur sleuth, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths
Anastasia Raven is focused on revealing the identity of a mysterious baritone who sings at dusk along the river. But her friend Adele’s heart is a-flutter with the reappearance of an old flame whom Ana believes is a con man. Then Ana’s kayak is stolen. A man is shot. The singer? The suitor? Who is guilty and who is a victim of the deadly derringer?
The Lonely Donkey
Series: Dubois Files. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 23,800. Language: English. Published: October 5, 2020 . Categories: Fiction » Children’s books » Fiction, Fiction » Children’s books » Readers / Chapter Books
I'm Cora Dubois. It was almost Halloween of 1953. My friends and I had been so busy that we hadn’t even thought about costumes. Ruby heard a scream one night. She thought it might be a ghost, but her brother George laughed at that idea. OK, we all laughed. But Ruby insisted she’d heard something. Then George heard it too! What did we find? What did we decide to be for Halloween?
Accidentally Yours
Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 55,690. Language: English. Published: December 11, 2019 . Categories: Fiction » Anthologies » General, Fiction » Anthologies » Poetry - single author
Accidentally Yours is a chaotic collection of short stories, essays, and poems by Joan H. Young. This collection includes a wide variety of genres and styles of writing. Most any entry will be different in tone from the previous one. If you have just had a warm fuzzy moment, prepare to be disturbed. If you were creeped out by a poem, the next story may be more hopeful.
Dead Mule Swamp Mistletoe
Series: Anastasia Raven Mysteries. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 67,260. Language: English. Published: December 24, 2018 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Amateur sleuth
Anastasia Raven accepts an invitation to accompany her friends Cora and Jerry on a Christmas ski holiday at the historic Janes Mill Bed and Breakfast. The rambling Victorian house, deep within Thousand Lakes State Forest, is being restored by the new owners, who want to show off the beautiful home and location. A winter storm isolates the party. What could possibly go wrong?
Midland to Mackinac Trail Guide
Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 14,630. Language: English. Published: October 18, 2018 . Categories: Nonfiction » Travel » Hikes & walks, Nonfiction » Sports & outdoor recreation » Hiking
(5.00 from 1 review)
This guide to the Midland to Mackinac Trail was written in 2018 from a once-through hike. The guide includes approximate mileages at landmarks/turns, water access points, potable water (usually seasonal), both formal and suggested camping spots, and certain other facilities.
The Bigg Boss
Series: Dubois Files. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 22,130. Language: English. Published: July 21, 2018 . Categories: Fiction » Children’s books » Fiction, Fiction » Children’s books » Readers / Chapter Books
(Dubois Files book #4) It was September of 1953. Jimmie, George and Cora were moving into the upper level classroom of their two-room schoolhouse, leaving their friends Laszlo, and George's sister Ruby, in the other room. But on the very first day of school, someone began yelling at Ruby! And then there was Mr. Bigg. Why did he act so mean?
The ABZ Affair
Series: Dubois Files, Book 3. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 19,970. Language: English. Published: March 31, 2018 . Categories: Fiction » Children’s books » Fiction, Fiction » Children’s books » Readers / Chapter Books
(Dubois Files book #3) George Harris liked writing messages in secret code. In August of 1953, he learned one that was tough to crack, and taught it to his sister Ruby, and then to his friends Jimmie Mosher and Cora Dubois. But someone listened in on their conversation and stole a coder. The children were playing games, but what were the adults up to?
The Hitchhiker
Series: Dubois Files, Book 2. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 19,520. Language: English. Published: March 31, 2018 . Categories: Fiction » Children’s books » Fiction, Fiction » Children’s books » Readers / Chapter Books
In The Hitchhiker (Dubois Files book #2), Cora's family gives a hitchhiker a ride. He didn't seem to speak English, and Cora's mother thought he was ill. Then Jimmie went exploring and found more than he expected. The hitchhiker was not only sick, but he wanted the children to help him. It took four of them to solve his problem.
The Secret Cellar
Series: Dubois Files, Book 1. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 13,630. Language: English. Published: March 31, 2018 . Categories: Fiction » Children’s books » Fiction, Fiction » Children’s books » Readers / Chapter Books
Set in the 1950s, Cora Dubois, Jimmie Mosher and their friends, Laszlo, George, and Ruby, discover they have a talent for getting to the bottom of local mysteries. In The Secret Cellar (Dubois Files book #1), Jimmie's family is in danger of losing their farm to the bank. Old Granny May seems to be trying to tell them something, but maybe she's just losing her mind.
Dead Mule Swamp Druggist
Series: Anastasia Raven Mysteries. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 78,640. Language: English. Published: December 26, 2017 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Cozy, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths
Anastasia Raven has settled comfortably into life in Forest County. As in any community, obituaries are published each week. Suddenly, it appears that four deaths were not so ordinary and may be linked by overdoses of Oxycontin. Charlie Dixon, druggist, is in the spotlight. Was it just coincidence that all filled prescriptions days before they died? (Anastasia Raven Mysteries #5)
Bury the Hatchet in Dead Mule Swamp
Series: Anastasia Raven Mysteries, Book 4. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 77,080. Language: English. Published: February 23, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths, Fiction » Mystery & detective » General
(4.00 from 1 review)
Anastasia Raven opens a box containing a bloody hatchet, sent as some sort of warning to her friend Cora. When a hacked-up body is discovered in the river, everyone is stunned at the victim’s identity. Continued puzzling discoveries just don’t add up. Ana discovers herself agreeing to participate in a zany conspiracy with a tall and handsome man. (Anastasia Raven Mysteries, #4)
Fall Off the Couch Laughing
Series: Get Off the Couch, Book 2. Price: $1.89 USD. Words: 6,410. Language: English. Published: July 13, 2012 . Categories: Nonfiction » Sports & outdoor recreation » Essays, Nonfiction » Entertainment » Humor & satire » Form / essays
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
Series: Anastasia Raven Mysteries, Book 3. Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 59,470. Language: English. Published: May 31, 2012 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » General, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths
(5.00 from 2 reviews)
When Anastasia Raven agrees to keep Paddy, an Irish Setter, for the summer, she doesn't yet 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
Series: Anastasia Raven Mysteries, Book 2. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 17,760. Language: English. Published: April 22, 2012 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » General, Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths
(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
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 2,650. Language: English. Published: January 1, 2012 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Short stories
(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
Series: Anastasia Raven Mysteries, Book 1. Price: $1.99 USD. Words: 38,700. Language: English. Published: November 30, 2011 . Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Women Sleuths, Fiction » Mystery & detective » General
(4.70 from 10 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
Series: Get Off the Couch, Book 1. Price: $1.89 USD. Words: 6,290. Language: English. Published: August 28, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Sports & outdoor recreation » Hiking
(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
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 3,570. Language: English. Published: August 27, 2010 . Categories: Nonfiction » Religion & Spirituality » Christianity
(5.00 from 3 reviews)
Ten short Christian devotions for hikers. Topics are tied to concepts which relate to walking, trail finding, camping, etc.