November 25, 2013
If you lived in Johnstown, Pennsylvania any time before 1989, you probably know about the Glosser Bros. Department Store. It was a real downtown landmark, an old style department store on the corner of Franklin and Locust Streets. Here’s an illustration that ought to bring back some memories of the place:
If you’re like me, you often think about Glosser’s at this time of year, as it was the focus of holiday shopping for so very many years. You probably remember the big light-up Christmas tree decoration on the front corner of the building, the holiday decorations in the windows…and the smell of roasting nuts that wafted throughout the ground floor from the candy counter. It was a magical place for so many Johnstowners; it closed in ’89 but will never be forgotten.
Well, guess what? The magic is back! Now you can be a part of it again in the pages of my new book, Christmas at Glosser’s. Here’s the beautiful cover by the one and only blazin’ Ben Baldwin his own bad self:
Just to make this book even more special, it’s my 100th e-book from Pie Press Publishing! And to make it even cooler, the guy on the cover is none other than my actual grandfather, Ben Heinrich! Artist extraordinaire Ben Baldwin really did a sensational job capturing his likeness. (Thanks, Ben!)
So far, e-book and paperback editions of Christmas at Glosser’s are available. You can find the e-book here for the Kindle and Kindle apps, here for the Nook and Nook apps, here for the Kobo device and app, and here on Smashwords for other devices and formats. You can also search for it by name on your favorite device and will soon be able to find it in your local library using the Overdrive and 3M Cloud Library systems.
The paperback edition is available right here on the CreateSpace e-store and right here on Amazon.
Now here’s a bit about the story, to whet your appetite: Step back in time to Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1975. Shoppers fill the downtown streets, bustling between the Glosser Bros. and Penn Traffic department stores…and one little boy runs through the crowd on a mission. Eleven-year-old Jack wants one thing for Christmas: to find out where his grandfather, Bub, runs off to every Christmas Eve. The trail leads him on a journey through Glosser Bros. at its most magical, but the magic takes an unexpected turn when he discovers Bub’s secret. Before the night is over, Jack must take a stand in the name of Johnstown, a stand that could cost him everything…or bring him the greatest gift he can imagine.
