I have another Legacy Press book release to tell you about today.

And about another author who has become a dear friend.

The Immigrant and the Outlaw by Joy Neal Kidney is out and available today!

Joy and I first connected when I had the privilege of helping her shape Leora’s Letters, the story of her grandmother and a remarkable collection of family letters during WWII. Since then, she has invited me to walk alongside her through several books, each one weaving together family history, Iowa history, WWII, and the ordinary people whose lives quietly shaped our nation.

Working with Joy always feels a little like sitting at the table with my mother or grandmother, listening to stories. Her writings carry that same warmth. She has a gift for rescuing stories that might otherwise get lost, and reminding us that history is not just found in textbooks, but in letters, memories, and family lore.

In the introduction to this new collection, Joy describes how she began writing in midlife after discovering wartime letters left behind by her grandmother. She taught herself how to write so that others would know the sacrifices her family had made. What followed was a second calling as a freelance writer, publishing essays and stories across Iowa and the nation—one self-addressed stamped envelope at a time.

The result is The Immigrant and the Outlaw, A Collection of Stories from America’s Heartland. It’s a gathering of stories about immigrants and outlaws, farmers and families, soldiers and storytellers—rooted in America’s heartland.

It’s also the story of one woman who, in midlife, learned to tell the stories of her own family.

Join me in celebrating Joy and the release of her new book!

Robin was my coauthor on Leora’s Letters. With the second book (and all the rest) she became not only my editor (she molds my words to make me sound smarter), but she shepherds books through their covers and interior design (both by Nelly Murariu of PixBeeDesign.com). When she and I are okay that everything is in order, Robin does the actual upload to KDP, then waits for their okay.

(By the way, I didn’t plan to write more than Leora’s Letters. With those three sons lost during the war, that story cried out to be shared! Then COVID showed up, with plenty of stuck-at-home time and notebooks full of clippings and stories. I’ve been so blessed to be able to share those stories as well! )

Robin and I both live in Iowa, only 150 miles apart, but we’ve both dealt with debilitating health issues, so we’d never met until a year ago. Robin had already lost her mother, who was about my age. She lost her grandmother not long before I became acquainted with her through an online writing group. She’d helped her grandmother collect her memoirs into a single volume, which gave Robin such a heart to help others in the same way. What a blessing she is!

Please check out her website.  And her Amazon Author Page.