Ten Years

By this time ten years ago, Raven Publishing, a small commercial press, had two books in print. They are the middle-grade novels, Miranda and Starlight, and its sequel, Starlight's Courage, by author and Raven's cofounder, Janet Muirhead Hill. The next two years produced four more books in the Miranda and Starlight series and a second large printing of Miranda and Starlight—all of this with help from a marketer and friend, Angie Kelly, and our editor and mentor, Florence Ore. Florence has remained an integral part of Raven Publishing through thick and thin since the very beginning.

The fourth year, 2005 brought us other authors. After careful consideration of a manuscript and query from author Dan Peterson for a delightful children's book, Fergus, the Soccer-Playing Colt, the decision was made to expand our vision to help other authors see their books in print. Joan Bochmann's novel for adults, Absaroka, Where the Anguish of a Soldier Meets the Land of the Crow, was published in  December, 2005, and won an IPPY award from Independent Publisher Book Awards in 2006.

Next came An Inmate's Daughter, by Jan Walker and Danny's Dragon by Janet Muirhead Hill, both middle-grade novels that deal with critical issues in a helpful and compassionate way. Then we published A Horse to Remember, by teenage author Juliana Hutchings, and The Orange Slipknot, by Jan Young in 2007. It was about this time that Janet developed a workshop on "Writing True Fiction." something that helped Raven Publishing weather the worst of the economic downturn.

Since then, Hill has written and published her trilogy of twins, three middle grade novels. It began with Kyleah's Tree in 2008, a finalist for two prestigious awards. It confronts the issue of self-esteem and the beauty myth, abandonment, foster care, and the dangers involved in running away from home. It wasn't until late 2011 that its companion novel, Kendall's Storm, a Moonbeam Award winner was released in print.  In 2012 Raven published the final book of the series, Kendall and Kyleah in which the twins, separated at a young age, finally meet and confront more challenges together.
 
2011 and 2012 saw many exciting advances. Absaroka, From War and Wyoming, the audio edition of Joan Bochmann's novel, was published. Florence Ore's poignant and beautifully written  memoir, The Road Between, was published as were two books, Ride the Jawbone and Election Day by retired rancher, lawyer, and state senator, Jim Moore. Raven also published Marcia Melton's The Boarding House, in 2012.All of these excellent authors are a great and much appreciated gift to Raven Publishing.

in 2010 we created "Nesting Tree Books" an imprint to accomodate the writing of two juvenile authors, Sasha Thomas and Kaden Weber.

Raven continues to increase in books, authors, and staff. It is exciting to see that 2013 promises to be another year of "giving wings to great books".