New Projects

Books

Haunted Lake Erie - This is a continuation in theme of the Haunted Lakes series. Haunted Lake Michigan was released in October 2006 and Haunted Lake Huron in June 2007. The release date for Haunted Lake Erie is undetermined but will likely be in 2009.

Lost on Lake Superior - Over 500 ships wrecked on the big lake.  Some like the EDMUND FITZGERALD are well known. Others, the S.R. KIRBY, BON VOYAGE, WILLIAM C. MORELAND, TIOGA, COMRADE, Barge No. 129 among others, are far less famous but in their own way, just as fascinating. Lost on Superior takes a good look at these less notorious shipwrecks. It will be published by Avery Color Studios and available in the spring of 2009.

Gold Medal Rescues, True Tales of Heroic Rescues by the U.S. Life-Saving Service - Throughout the 44-year history of the old U.S. Life-Saving Service, 16 crews were awarded the Gold Life-Saving medal for heroic rescues against overwhelming odds. The medal is extremely rare. From 1874 to 1971, 566 Gold Medals were awarded compared to 3,408 Medals of Honor during the same period. Gold Medal Rescues  tells the dramatic story of the Storm Warrior's courage and guts.  It is the ultimate sea rescue adventure book. The Life-Saving Service lived by the motto, "Regulations say we have to go out. They say nothing about coming back." I am deep in research and  writing. My commitment to the old Life-Saving Service is profound. Of all the writing and research I do, that relating to the USLSS is easily the most personally rewarding (although the least financially remunerative). No release date or publisher has been determined. 

The Civil War on the Great Lakes – While the Union and Confederate armies bludgeoned each other on the battlefields what was happening on the Great Lakes? How did the lakes contribute to the ultimate Union victory? What Confederate plots were hatched to attack the unprotected Great Lakes? This program looks at this fascinating and largely ignored part of Civil War history. This is certainly a great topic and I have already accumulated a large amount of research material. Whether I finally tie it all together into a book or not is still undecided but I am giving it serious thought.

Articles

Last Trip: The  Fall 2007 issue of Northern Michigan University's magazine Horizons is dedicated to the success of NMU history graduates. As part of the issue a portion of my book The Wreck of the EDMUND FITZGERALD was excerpted. 

Ghosts Walk at  Whitefish Point?: This article appears in the October-November 2007 issue of Lake Superior Magazine.  Is Whitefish Point populated by a hoard of haunts?  Read the story and find out!