The father of Minonk resident Richard Stillwell has published his first book. Richard is passing on to us the announcement made by his sister Annette. Richard is planning on getting a couple of books and plans on donate one to the Minonk Public Library.  Below is the writeup.

It is with great pride that I announce that my father, Stephen Stillwell, is releasing his first book this Saturday, December 8. The book, entitled "Mad Molly and the Tunnels Under the Tower", follows the adventures of crime-solver Carl Hobbes. If you enjoy mysteries, it's a great read!

About the author:

My dad had been a master electrician for most of his adult life when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease about 17 years ago. Since a shaky hand wasn't recommended around live wiring, he retired. Within the month, he had decided to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a writer by signing up for a creative writing course at the local community college (where he had previously taught electronics on occasion). He loved the course and ended up taking it a total of ten times, just for the enjoyment of writing and networking with others who shared his interest. During this time, he wrote numerous poems and short stories as well as began writing his first book. He has since completed three books.

As an unknown author, he had trouble finding a publisher until fate stepped in. For my parents' 45^th wedding anniversary three years ago, my dad had surprised my mom with tickets for their first-ever cruise. Unfortunately, because she had been born at home and the doctor had forgotten to register her birth at the time, she only had a delayed record of birth. The US government officials didn't think that was good enough to issue her the passport she needed to take the cruise, so it got cancelled. Fortunately, for my dad, that meant that he could sign up for a course on getting published; a course he would have otherwise missed if he had taken the cruise. His instructor, L. Sue Eggerton, loved his books and insisted on publishing them through her company, Weaving Dreams Publishing. After working through the publishing process, my dad's first book is finally being released. The second one is under contract and the third will be shortly.

To order the first book:

Mad Molly and the Tunnels Under the Tower – by Stephen Stillwell

(ISBN: 978-1-937148-03-4; publisher's price: $15.88, including Illinois tax)

If you would like a copy of this wonderful book, here's how you can acquire it:

1.Come to the official book signing:

Saturday, December 8, 2012

1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Bourbonnais Public Library

250 W. John Casey Road

Bourbonnais, IL 60914

contact@weavingdreamspublishing.com

2.Order directly from the publisher (preferred [better royalties for my dad])

a.www.weavingdreamspublishing.com (to use a credit card or PayPal; click on the Mystery tab; this won't be available until December 8)

b.Call 815-573-5261 and talk with Sue Eggerton directly to place an order

c.By mail (make check payable to L. Sue Eggerton; add $2.50 s&h)

155 W. Mertens St. #220

Kankakee, IL 60901

3.Amazon.com

4.BarnesandNoble.com