MSI Press Blog

Precerpt (excerpt prior to publication from the forthcoming memoir,  In with the East: A Mary Poppins Kind of Life  by Dr. Betty Lou Leaver The Lilac Bush Across the driveway from the apple orchard and in front of the house—facing the winding rural roadway that snaked up and down the hills of Acton—stood the lilac bush. That old road wandered off in one direction toward Milton Mills, New Hampshire, and in the other toward Lebanon, Maine. In fact, the road itself divided Maine from New Hampshire as it crossed the river and passed the tanning mill. The state line was unmarked, but the family whose house straddled it knew exactly where it lay. The township boundary, they told us, was decided by the location of their master bedroom. One year, when they became fed up with Acton, they simply switched the master bedroom with another room and thereby "moved" their house to Lebanon. They have lived in Lebanon ever since. The lilac bush—lavish with purple lilacs, the state flower of Ne...

  Available now on pre-order!  Nothing So Broken  - war, memoir, more. Today we provide a precerpt (an excerpt from a book not yet published) -  -mayhem-   One of the most frustrating things about Steven was also one of the most impressive things about Steven . He was a gifted athlete. I remember an autumn afternoon, he had me pinned to the ground, sitting atop my chest, knees digging into my arms as he pounded away. The blows struck my eyes and cheeks like padded hammers while I squirmed and launched my hips upward, trying to buck him off. When enough was enough, he jumped off me and back into the mayhem of some made-up game involving a football. I stumbled toward the house, crying, certain that Steven had knocked one my eyeballs out of its socket. Kids were chasing other kids around the yard, and my eye must have been lying on the grass somewhere. I hoped nobody stepped on it because then I’d be blinded for life. I’d have to wear a patch like Snake Plissken in...

  Question: What is a precerpt? Answer: A precerpt is a brief excerpt or preview of a book (or other text), used to give readers a taste of the content before they read the full piece. It's like a sneak peek that hooks the reader's interest (or at least, we hope it will hook yours).  This Caturday, the precerpt is from  Raising Happy Cat Families  by Luna Norwood from the section on integrating new cats into a cat family.  SET UP A SAFE PLACE Before bringing a new cat home, it helps to set up a separate room or area where they can feel safe and comfortable. This space should include essentials like food, water, a litter box, toys, and a comfortable bed. The new cat needs to feel secure and have a place to retreat to if he or she feels overwhelmed. Our cat room has a cat tree with lots of cubbies and sitting ledges, along with attached swinging play toys. And, of course, food and water dishes and a litter robot or Tidy Cat Breeze Litter System. (With eight cats...