Introducing REMINISCE
Kirk House Publishers is proud to present the Reminisce Line of dementia-friendly books. Written by REMINISCE authors, the stories are set in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s in an easy-to-read, short-story format. Large type and full-page illustrations make the stories accessible to all readers, many of whom may have their own special memories of those periods of history.
GREAT FOR ACTIVITIES DIRECTORS
GREAT FOR CAREGIVERS
Reminisce
Book
Bundle
2 of each book
included
1 of each book
included
REMINISCE MYSTERIES
Book 1
Reminisce
Book
Bundle
REMINISCE
ROMANCE
Book 2
REMINISCE
GHOST STORIES
Book 3
About the REMINISCE line
Each book is printed in large type on white stock for easy reading. The words “large print” will appear on the book but never the words Dementia or Alzheimer’s. Each of the books in the series will include nine or ten stories of 1500 to 3000 words written by some of the best authors in their genre. Line drawings are placed throughout the book along with several full-color images. These books are conversational and easy to follow, for those who love reading as much as we do.
Gloria VanDemmeltraadt
Much of her work focuses on drawing out precious memories. As a hospice volunteer, she continues to hone her gift for capturing life stories and has documented the lives of dozens of patients. She refined this gift in Memories of Lake Elmo, a collection of remembrances telling the evolving story of a charming village. She continues her passion and has caught the essence of her husband’s early life in war-torn Indonesia. In Darkness in Paradise, Onno VanDemmeltraadt’s story is touchingly told amid the horrors of WWII. This work has been praised by Tom Brokaw and has also earned the New Apple Award for Excellence in Independent Publishing for 2017 as the Solo Medalist for Historical Nonfiction.
The theme of legacy writing continues with a nonfiction booklet, a clear and concise how-to manual called Capturing Your Story: Writing a Memoir Step by Step. Gloria lives and writes in mid-Minnesota. Contact her through her website:
Leandra Logan
Mary Jane Schultz often writes under the penname Leandra Logan. She is a multi-published, bestselling author in various genres, including romance, mystery, young adult, and illustrated books for children. Mary Jane is a Romantic Times Awards winner and has received numerous nominations within the industry. Her critics praise her for her deeply emotional stories, often lightened with humor, and the red herrings she thoroughly enjoys planting to keep her readers guessing.
Mary Jane resides in the historic town of Stillwater, Minnesota.
Ann Aubitz
Ann Aubitz is the Co-owner and Publisher of Kirk House Publishers and FuzionPress, located in Burnsville, Minnesota. After years of reading everything she could get her hands on, she decided to help others achieve their dream of becoming an author. Her mission is to help authors reach their goals by seeing their books in print.
Ann is also a proud member of the Independent Book Publishers Association, a Board Member-At-Large for the Midwest Independent Publishers Association, and a group leader for Women of Words and chairs the yearly WOW writing conference.
Our Authors
Christine Kelly
Thrown by Love’s award-winning romance author C. Kelly reveled in the challenge of writing this short story and looks forward to expanding Scott and Sara’s tale into a full-length novel. When she’s not writing, she loves laughing and spending time with her family in Minnesota.
Susan Schussler
Susan Schussler writes realistic love stories full of twists and turns. Inspired by years of working directly with others in nutrition and nursing, her characters often resemble the girl next door or someone you’d swear you know from school. Her first book, Between the Raindrops, debuted in 2013, and she’s been writing novels ever since.
Schussler lives in Minnesota with her husband and children. And though she hates to admit it, when she’s not writing or on one of Minnesota’s gorgeous lakes, you may find her catching up on celebrity news.
Find her online at https://susanschussler.com
Lynn Garthwaite
Lynn Garthwaite is the author of eleven books, including the Dirkle Smat Adventure book series, three picture books for clients (Radio Flyer and Shutterfly), and an historic non-fiction for all ages titled Our States Have Crazy Shapes: Panhandles, Bootheels, Knobs and Points. She has also written a mystery/thriller: Starless Midnight and an updated nursery rhyme book titled Childhood Rhymes for Modern Times. Your Children Can be Writers: 40 Story Prompts to Spark their Creative Genius was released in 2022. Lynn is also a copyeditor for three magazines and a publisher, and a member of Sisters in Crime.
Addison Frost
Addison Frost was born in a small town in Minnesota. She studied art history and graphic design and has a master’s degree in business. She began writing her debut novel after obsessing over books her whole life. When she’s not writing, she can be found wandering through nature or journaling at a coffee shop. Addison currently lives in Minnesota with her husband, daughter, and a black cat.
Ava Florian Johns
Ava Florian Johns writes in the science fiction genre. Her characters are clever and fearless, but in real life, Ava is afraid of her basement, bees, and especially clowns. Truth be told, Ava wouldn’t last five minutes in one of her books.
Ava is best known for her Omega Team Series.
When I was young, the greatest joy for me was reading books. But, of course, this was before reading was cool like it is now. It was a time when my friends were playing their first computer games, but not me—my nose was always buried in a book. In those stories, I went to far-off places and had amazing adventures. In those stories, I could be free.
I credit my love of reading to my mom. Born in 1926 to a family with sixteen children, she never finished high school, but she had a thirst for knowledge and reading that thrived throughout the years.
I remember only a few times while growing up that my mom didn’t have a book, magazine, or word puzzle in her hands—she had an insatiable quest for knowledge.
In her Senior Living facility library, she discovered a book that she loved. It was Little Women by American novelist Louisa May Alcott. It was altered from the original book in a good way. This book contained illustrations and larger print. My mom would run her fingers over the pictures to remember a time long past. She read and reread the book.
Unfortunately for her, there were no other books like this in the library. She tried and failed to read books with more complex storylines and smaller type. She would get frustrated and distraught because reading no longer brought her joy.
This is why I started this line of books. It is for people like me and my mom that LOVE to read. These books are meant to be easy to read, have a complete storyline, and help readers remember a time long past and to reminisce.
Kirk House Publishers is proud to present the Reminisce Line of reader-friendly books. Written by several authors, the stories are set in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s in an easy-to-read, short-story format. Large type and full-colored illustrations make the stories accessible to all readers, many of whom may have their own special memories of those periods of history.
Happy Reading!
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~Ann Aubitz, Publisher
~Lori La Bey,
founder of Alzheimer’s Speaks
Alzheimer’s Speaks is a Minnesota-based advocacy group and media outlet making an international impact. Our goal is to shift dementia care from crisis to comfort by giving voice to all and raising those voices to enrich lives by sharing critical information, personal stories, resources, products, and tools from people and organizations at all levels around the world.
Website: https://alzheimersspeaks.com
Testimonial
When Ann Aubitz from Kirk House Publishers called me about the new line of books she was publishing for older readers, my ears perked up. I knew this was an underserved market. Ann explained her series would be different from the books currently available. Her books were actually inspired by an elder, her 96-year-old mother, who still enjoys reading.
I was excited to review the books myself, as so often books for our elders have small print, they are hard to hold, or have storylines that are too complicated to comprehend, or on the other side, they are overly simplified and child-like.
What I found was Ann’s books (the Reminisce book line) were designed to be dignified and intriguing. In addition, they would meet multiple needs:
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Large print for older eyes.
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The Larger-sized book makes it easier to hold as it is common for fine motor skills to decline as we age.
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Intriguing storylines for all ages. This allows flexibility to share intergenerationally, allowing grandma or grandpa to read to their grandchildren, or their grandkids can read the book to their grandparents; if they are in the mood to share.
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Along the lines of intergenerational, the books also can teach children a bit about the past and engage in conversation about the good old days that elders refer to.
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These books are ideal for a wide range of people and abilities of various ages, and for those with early cognition issues, they are IDEAL!
The stories are set in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s in an easy-to-read, short-story format in the genres we love, mystery, romance, ghost stories, and science fiction. Large type and full-colored illustrations make the stories accessible to all readers, many of whom may have their own special memories of those periods of history.
This series will meet a wide range of needs, enabling many people who love to read to continue having that pleasure.
I highly recommend the Reminisce book line for your special someone that still loves to read.
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