December 21, 2013 · 12:36 pm

Making a List. . .

. . . of Susan J. Kroupa’s acclaimed Christmas stories,  available at all the major ebook outlets. First up is Gabriel & Mr. Death, a haunting,  lyrical story about life, love, and miracles, narrated in the Appalachian voice of Gabriel, a black and tan coonhound. Here are what some readers have written about Gabriel:

GAMD 800“I sighed. I smiled. I wanted Gabriel the Hound to come live with me. A wonderful story at any time of year, but so perfect for Christmas time.”—Falcon Ridge Publishing

“It gave me goosebumps and a lump in the throat all at the same time.” –Mary Ann Whitley

“It made me laugh, cry, and once again realize what a great gift a pet can be.”–Elaine Farley

“Grab a tissue before the last few pages, because Susan Kroupa is skilled at touching emotions with her words.”—Virginia Smith

Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, itunes, & Smashwords.

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August 22, 2013 · 1:40 pm

Lazy, Hazy Days

Or, Catching Up

We haven’t posted much lately for a variety of reasons: a slight restructuring of the company, staff vacations, and a touch of general sloth. But we’ve been busy as beavers–or should we say retrievers?–behind the scenes, getting ready for the October release of Dog-Nabbed, the third book in the Doodlebugged Mystery series by Susan J. Kroupa.  Here’s a sneak preview of one of the rough-draft images taken by Joseph Kroupa, a photographer and  frequent consultant here at LFP.  This, or one very much like it, will probably end up on the cover.  Yep, that’s right. Poor Doodle ends up behind bars.Bed-bugged 3 - proof of concept

And, speaking of Susan Kroupa, we’d be remiss if we didn’t congratulate her on her book signing in May at North by Northwest Books & Antiques in Lincoln City, Oregon.

Sheldon McArthur North by Northwest Books & Antiques

Sheldon McArthur, owner of North by Northwest Books & Antiques

By all accounts, she had a wonderful time signing books and eating Shelly’s to-die-for cookies. Or should we say eating Shelly’s cookies and also signing books? 🙂

Either way,  we’re always happy to get the Doodlebugged Mysteries into the hands of new readers.

Susan Kroupa signing books at North by Northwest Books

Susan Kroupa signing books at North by Northwest Books

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February 2, 2013 · 4:33 pm

GroundDOG Day Celebration!

OS FInal2 1600We’re particularly fond of Groundhog Day here at LFP because we have offices on Groundhog Mountain Road. And what better way to celebrate than with the paperback publication of Out-Sniffed, the further adventures of Molly and Doodle?

In addition, we’re offering 50% off of the ebook version of Bed-Bugged,  the first book in the Doodlebugged series. Go to Smashwords and use the coupon XQ87Y to get the book on Kindle, Nook, or in a wide variety of formats.Bed-Bugged

So, Groundhog Day goes to the dogs, or at least to Doodle, our favorite labradoodle.  Which sort of makes it GroundDOG day, doesn’t it?

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December 8, 2012 · 12:45 pm

Bed-Bugged Goes to Paper!

Here at LFP, although we specialize in ebooks, we love books in every shape and format. That’s why we’re pleased to announce the trade paperback version of Bed-Bugged, the first of the “Doodlebugged” mysteries. For those of you who don’t know what “trade paperback” means (in other words, everyone except librarians and book publishers),  a trade paperback has the size and quality of a hardback, but with a soft cover.

You can order your copy of Bed-Bugged from Amazon.
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Bed-BuggedAsk Doodle why he flunked out of service-dog school and he’ll tell you: smart and obedient don’t always go hand in hand. Now he has a new job finding bed bugs for Josh Hunter Bed Bug Detection. But when Molly, the boss’s ten-year old daughter, enlists Doodle to help find her mother, Doodle’s nose and Molly’s camera lead them straight to danger.

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December 1, 2012 · 11:58 am

Molly and Doodle Return!

LFP proudly announces the ebook publication of Out-Sniffed, the sequel to Bed-Bugged, featuring the further adventures of Molly and Doodle.Bed-Bugged

A Nose for Trouble

A Nose for Trouble

In his second outing, Doodle, that incorrigible but good-hearted labradoodle, still works as a bed bug dog for the boss, Josh Hunter of Hunter Bed Bug Detection.

Doodle likes to keep his relations with humans on a business basis. Do the job, get paid—in his case, with treats. So far so good, except when it comes to Molly, the boss’s ten year-old daughter. Somehow, Doodle wants to please her even when she doesn’t have treats. He can’t explain it, but that’s how it is.

His nose gets put to the test when Molly starts training him to find something very different from bed bugs in order to clear her best friend’s brother from drug charges. But then, during a practice for an important certification trial—one which will get the boss more “big time” jobs—Doodle fails to find two vials containing bed bugs. The boss worries that Molly’s training has ruined Doodle’s ability to do his job. Or that maybe he’s losing his sense of smell.

 It takes all of Molly’s ingenuity and Doodle’s keen intelligence to sniff out the real villains and set things right again.

Available on Kindle and coming soon on Nook and Smashwords.

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November 11, 2012 · 11:17 am

The Hopi Stories

LFP is proud to announce the publication of Scapegoat, the first of several award-winning stories by Susan J. Kroupa set in Hopi Indian culture.

Kroupa lived and taught on the Hopi and Navajo reservations and studied Hopi language and history. During that time, she wrote freelance features for the Arizona Republic, High Country News, and American Forests on Hopi and environmental issues. In addition, she taped interviews with Hopi elders recounting some of the history and traditions of the people. Praised for their lyrical description of Hopi culture, compelling characters, and poignant storylines,  these works offer a moving tribute to the enduring power of the human spirit.

Scapegoat. FINAL1600A boy. A quest. A terrible sacrifice

Nine-year old Tiyo, the last member of the rainmaker clan in his village, has no memory of the great war, but he sees the aftermath in thirsty, drought-stricken land. Just as he used to see it etched on the face of his mother, before her strength slipped away like water soaking into sand. Devastated by her death, Tiyo now tends his uncle’s goat herd. When a doe gives birth to pure white kid, Tiyo cares for her and names her Nuva—Snow. Soon, Tiyo and Nuva are inseparable. But the drought worsens and the village chief tells Tiyo only one hope remains. A member of the rainmaker clan must fill a gourd from the sipapuni, the sacred pool where the world began, and beg Paloloqang, the water serpent to send rain. A dangerous quest in the best of times, but Tiyo can’t refuse to go when his people face starvation. And so, Tiyo and Nuva cross the great desert to the sacred pool, only to find it leads them into greater danger, to a valley of death, where Renegades, who prey on human flesh, guard the water. With the burden of his villagers’ fate resting upon him, Tiyo must find a way to fill the gourd. But will the cost be more than he can bear?

Originally published  in Realms of Fantasy, Scapegoat tells a powerful coming of age story in a post-apocalyptic setting rich with insight into Hopi Indian culture and mythology.

Available on Kindle, Nook, and in all formats on Smashwords.

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September 22, 2012 · 12:01 pm

Hands of the Master

Just in time for National Piano Month, our newest publication features a dark story about obsession.

When Celia first hears a recording of pianist Jiri Mrazek, a world-renown pianist who died the year she was born, his powerful, passionate playing changes her life. Drawn to his music, she soon discovers parallels between his life and hers. And when she makes the final round of the prestigious Horowitz competition at age twenty-one, the exact age that Mrazek won the same competition, she realizes her destiny is to be Mrazek’s musical heir. But her endless practice injures her hands, her small, weak, useless woman’s hands. And so, against the advice of her mother and doctor, she undergoes a cutting-edge procedure, a duel hand transplant. With hands like Mrazek’s, nothing can stop her from following in his footsteps. But surgeries carry risks, and dreams nurture the seeds of obsession. Mrazek died at a tragically young age. Celia must discover just where the parallels between her life and Mrazek’s end.

Available on Kindle, Nook, and in a wide variety of formats on Smashwords.

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August 30, 2012 · 11:43 am

Harden Times

Read the “story behind the story” about our newest ebook , a reprint of Susan J. Kroupa’s award-winning story, “Harden Times.”

One horse. Two strangers who each desperately need it.

Rachel sits alone in her house and watches the city around her slowly disintegrates, depopulated from a deadly plague. Like most good Mormons, she has a year’s supply of food and clothing in her basement, saved for “hard times.” She had prepared to survive a disaster, never imaging the worst disaster of all might be to survive—alone. And then a horse, a bay mare, trots into her yard and into her heart.

But someone else needs the horse as well, a ten-year old Navajo boy. Johnny Calico, his adopted family now all dead, lives by his wits, eating the food left in empty houses, and hiding from the Church officials who want to consolidate the population into a smaller area. He sees the horse as a lifeline, a means to return to his relatives on the reservation in Northern Arizona. Even as Rachel feeds and brushes the horse, finding purpose in her life for the first time since the Death, Johnny plots to steal it.

First published in Realms of Fantasy (2001), “Harden Times” was later reprinted in Irreantum. It also won an award in the 1999 Utah Arts Council Contest, where the judge, author Ron Carlson, praised the story for its “clear and forceful” writing, and for the characters, “both close to the end of their ropes, tentative, fearful, yet both refusing to let go of hope.”

Now available on Kindle, Nook, and in a wide variety of formats on Smashwords.

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July 30, 2012 · 9:20 pm

Tricky Coyote

Changing Shapes Changes Nothing

Nobody wants a coyote for an animal guide, least of all Jimmy Shupla. Coyotes are the trickiest of the animals, always getting themselves in trouble. But at every turn in his life—most of them bad—Jimmy sees a coyote lurking nearby. Then his mother makes him move from his grandparents’ home on the Hopi reservation to go live in Apache Junction. Lonely, sweltering in the desert heat, and bullied at school, Jimmy discovers he has more in common with coyotes than he could ever imagine. But will the discovery save or destroy him?

Written by award-winning author Susan J. Kroupa, who has lived and worked on both the Navajo and Hopi reservations, this poignant story of a boy caught in the crossfire of change reverberates with choices we all must make as to what forces will guide our lives.

Available on Kindle, Nook, and in all formats on Smashwords.

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July 15, 2012 · 7:09 pm

Counting Calories

Can a weight loss program be too effective?

Some hungers can never be filled. Now that Jenny knows this—knows it in the worst possible way—she worries about getting enough of a settlement out of Robert to survive. And then he chooses to meet at Mike’s restaurant, El Hombre Gordo. Does he even remember that’s where Jenny spent so much time with Mike, before Robert’s charm and good looks stole her away? Before hungers for love and beauty convinced her to make the two biggest mistakes of her life? She harbors no illusions about starting over again, not with food prices skyrocketing, not with her looking the way she does now, but sometimes, just when you think you know the menu, life serves up surprises.

Susan J. Kroupa offers a provocative look at our national obsession with weight loss and body image. Available now on Kindle, Nook, and in all formats on Smashwords.

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