"Publishing for People with Passion"
Charles Dickens
Nearly 150 years after his death, Charles Dickens remains one of the most popular English-language authors. Perhaps the reason for his undiminished popularity can be found in his unforgettable, quirky, eccentric characters who leave an indelible mark on their reader, and his ability to make the reader empathize with them. In a life that spanned fifty-eight years, Dickens wrote fourteen major novels, articles for journals, and commentaries. He was also popular on lecture circuits, where he gave readings of his books and acted out some of his characters. Christmas Stories is From the Prairie Publication, Inc.'s, first collection of Dickens pieces.
photo by Jeremiah Gurney
Anne O. Duff
photo courtesy of Linda Bell
Illustrator Anne O. Duff grew up in Scotland. She graduated from Edinburgh College of Art, before coming to
the United States. She taught in the Fine Arts Department at Culver Academies from 1980 to 2002. JT Owl Learns to Share is the first book on which she has collaborated with From the Prairie Publications, Inc. She lives in Culver, Indiana.
Ian Grabinski
Ian Grabinski is an illustrator and graphic novel artist currently residing in Oakland, California. A native of Washington, Mr. Grabinski studied illustration at the Academy of Arts University in San Francisco. A Boy's Boat is his first book in collaboration with From the Prairie Publications, Inc. Other examples of his work can be viewed by going to www.iegrabinski.com.
Laura Hammonds
photo by Jamie Robinson
Laura Hammonds was born in Indianapolis and raised in South Bend, Indiana. She began writing and drawing when she was a child. Her first published work was a short story she wrote for her elementary school creative writing class. During high school and throughout college, she won both writing and drawing awards. After completing an Associate's Degree in Fine Arts and a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing, she received a Master of Science in Education during which she studied in the Siberian Region of Russia and in the United States. In 2010, Miss Hammonds began to devote all of her time to painting and writing, then, in 2014, she began to focus primarily on writing. FINISHED CANVASES: A COLLECTION OF POETRY is her first book.
Bruce Holaday
Bruce Holaday has worked in education as a teacher, fundraiser, and director of nonprofits. His lifelong interest in sailing and boats began at an early age when his father built a small dinghy for the family. He earned a B.A. in English and Education from the University of Illinois and a Master's Degree in Education from Indiana University. A Boy's Boat is his first book with From the Prairie Publications, Inc. For more information about A Boy's Boat, please go to the author's website at aboysboat.com.
James Houghton
photo by Celeste Houghton
Mishawaka native Jim Houghton earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in the History of Art at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Michigan. He also studied at the University of Chicago. He has been an independent critic and reviewer, and worked in the Education Department at the Cincinnati Art Museum and as the Curator of Collections at the Muskegon Museum of Art. He has taught at Ivy Tech North Central and Indiana University South Bend. He is married and has three children and four grandchildren. Belief and Modernism: The Paintings of Father Peter Prokop at Our Lady of Hungary Parish is Mr. Houghton's first book with From the Prairie Publications, Inc.
Janet Johnson
Illustrator Janet Johnson grew up in a very small town in Indiana. She began sketching and painting at an early age. Over the years, she has learned to work in a broad range of mediums, including pen and ink, watercolors, oil, and many others. She has found great joy in breathing life into Melvin and Beezley. Janet is at work on artwork for another FTPP children's picture book, Cat Baby, by Félix Márquez-Snyder (available in 2021).
photo by Whitney Girton Photography
Aaram Kamali
A native of northern Indiana, Henry Goes Fishing illustrator Aaram Kamali graduated from Ball State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communications degree. He is fascinated with illustration and design, and finds that his interests in a variety of styles supply him with a myriad of new challenges. The greatest reward he gains from his work in the visual arts is the knowledge that it brings about a greater understanding among people.
photo by Clint Kearney
Felix Márquez-Snyder
Michael Márquez-Snyder
Bokeh Media LLC
A published author since 1999, Michael Márquez-Snyder's articles have appeared in Aspire; HSMAI Marketing Review; HSMAI's Sourcebook for Meeting Planners; Union City! News from the Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO; and the South Bend Tribune. His short stories have appeared in the journals New Views on Gender and Confluence: The Journal of Graduate Liberal Studies. He has presented his own commentaries on WVPE 88.1 FM, the local NPR-affiliated station. His book Watching Over Rwandans, cowritten with Dr. Ilene Sheffer, was published in 2017 by Indiana University South Bend's Wolfson Press. His first book of short stories, Voices from the Prairie, will be available through From the Prairie Publications, Inc., in 2021. A lyric tenor, Michael performs in concerts and other productions and teaches singing at The Music Village, in downtown South Bend. He is a proud member of the National Writers Union.
Dana S. Neer
Dana S. Neer has served in the health and wellness industry for more than thirty years in corporate, academic, church, and business settings. An avid outdoor enthusiast, he enjoys running and racing, kayaking, biking, and hiking. He holds a Ph.D. in Human Rights Law and is active in a number of humanitarian, civic, and nonprofit organizations. Dana lives in Culver, Indiana, with his wife Joni. His children Waverly, Landrum, and Graysen are his inspiration for JT Owl Learns to Share.
photo courtesy of Culver Academies
Kathy Smart
Kathy Smart has just completed her third children's picture book for From the Prairie Publications, Inc., Beezley. Her first two children's books for FTPP were Melvin and Henry Goes Fishing. Kathy's books explore themes that are central to children's lives and development such as tolerance, perseverance, and kindness. An avid runner, her writing is often inspired by the many points of interest she sees along the way. Kathy works full time in a large summer camp program for children and writes part time from her home in Plymouth, Indiana. She is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
photo by Jim Smart