Books

Host

My name is Fred Stemme and I am happy to host this website.

Writing a book had been on my mind for a very long time, but a European Seminar post-graduate class taken at Drake University finally turned fantasy into reality.

"Left Bank Cafes" is one of the papers I wrote for the class. It described the eccentric lifestyles of the Lost Generation Crowd who hung around in the "Latin Quarter" of Paris in the 1920's.

That paper, along with my poem "Montparnasse," was later published in The Lost Generation Journal. But, all the leftover research begged for a book. I asked myself what kind of a book it should be? The answer that came back surprised me: fiction.

Thus my journey began. While attending numerous writing classes and starting an insurance agency, I hammered out Beguiling Dreams, the first book in the planned trilogy. It was released as an eBook by RFI West in 2002 and Amber Quill Press released it in both paperback and eBook formats two years later.

After wading through mounds of research and undergoing two eye operations, my second book, The Lieutenant's Whistle, was released in February 2012. Amber Quill Press also published this book. Several other novels are planned.

I am a widower and live alone in my home in Overland Park, Kansas. It is two blocks from the old Santa Fe Trail. On my walks past the sign commemorating the trail, I try to envision the Prairie Schooners, the oxen and the families, all heading west. My three children, four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter are scattered across the United States.

Contact Me

I would love to hear your comments and/or answer your questions. My email address is hourglasshistoricals@runbox.com.