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THE BOOKS

 

Terrie Biggs books are creative-non fiction.  They are based on true events and historical facts, with liberties taken for dialogue, clarity, and some speculation.  "I don't think of myself as a great writer.  I have discovered great stories."

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The Unsolved Murder

of John Mayfield is based on true events that were chronicled years ago by the late Jerry Wright regarding a murder mystery that shook the town of Imbler [Oregon] in 1927.  Terrie has picked up the trail where Jerry left off, digging for more clues to determine exactly who shot John Mayfield as he lay sleeping one late December night," reported Kathy Patten, of the Elgin Museum and Historical Society.

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The book also contains other short stories, poems, and a song that Jerry wrote that show his tender heart.

HIT THE DECK:

Memoirs of an Apprentice Boy

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These incredible memoirs began in 1899 by 15-year-old Gaither Stevens soon after he joined the Navy as an Apprentice Boy.  It was a different world and a different Navy. His extraordinary experiences were captured in a typed manuscript kept safe and unpublished until now.  In these writings, you’ll find adventures of a lifetime highlighting encounters with a grizzly bear, bar fights, a train robbery, murder, boxing, fiestas, abduction as a sex slave, turtle races, wild shipmates, an Eskimo prostitute, and other savory scenes.  Gaither’s chronicles of fellow “blue-jackets” and places he visited are wonderous, humorous, and heart-warming.  This wild rollercoaster reveals life in a nearly forgotten time that produced some of the Navy’s finest men. 

CULINARY DELIGHTS

and Words of Wisdom

 

When our boys left home, we made a binder of our favorite family recipes and included Words of Wisdom to live by.  Since then, family members and friends have asked for copies and it has served as a wonderful wedding gift.  We have added and modified the contents as needed.  Most of our recipes have stories regarding their origin.  For example, my mother  worked for a Hollywood producer and his wife taught her how to make authentic blintzes, which are still my brother’s favorite dish.

Letters From Gill

 

Gilbert Bennett enlisted in Company K of the Iowa 27th Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War.  This book contains his preserved letters written when he was a Union soldier camped in Confederate territory.  He described the struggles and hardships of camp life, skirmishes, battles, and rampant diseases that caused hospitalization and death among the soldiers.  One of the moments that defined Gill's character was when he encountered the first black regiment which is described in his writings.   Gill's letters penned to his new bride show acts of compassion, kindness, honor, and reveal one soldier's fascinating experience while serving in the Civil War.

Bali Ram: Rhythm by Nature

 

Born in Nepal and discovered by multi-talented journalist Desmond Doig, here are glimpses of the life of Bali Ram when he traveled the world performing on famous stages as a classical Indian dancer: an encounter on a street in Calcutta with a raging bull barreling toward Mother Teresa; naively refusing riches from the King of Sikkim; in Ethiopia, afraid of the leopards on leashes as Emperor Selassie greeted him; a jeep ride with Picasso ending in one of Bali’s favorite memories; a stroll on the beach with JFK after he performed on the stage at the United Nations; life at the Hitchcock estate in Millbrook, New York, with LSD guru Timothy Leary; and mesmerized as a gorgeous leg--attached to Marilyn Monroe--came through the door of his dressing room.   

 

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One of Eleven:
Based on the Life of Gary Kopperud

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At age 58, Gary began searching for his biological parents and was amazed to find that a brother was searching for him.  Before the week was over, the life-altering phone call revealed that not only did he have a brother, but he was shocked to find that he had ten siblings!  Why was he, the only ONE OF ELEVEN children, put up for adoption?  World War II had many causualties and the woman who gave birth to him was one of them.

 

ONE AMAZON REVIEW:  "Once I read the first couple of pages I was hooked, finished it in two reads! Felt like I had watched a great movie. I loved the story line...."

Some Trails Never End

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This book is a must read for anyone interested in the history of the Pacific Northwest with many trails of folklore, colorful characters, legends, and events interwoven.
At last, in one stunning and riveting novel is the full story of the Whitman Mission including the history and culture of the Cayuse; the heartbreaking story of seven orphaned children adopted by the Whitmans and their life at the mission; the events leading up to the attack on the mission; the ransom and rescue; and finally the sham of a trial of the Cayuse.
The two wives of missionaries were the first American women to go overland to the Pacific Northwest, which ultimately resulted in the formation of the Oregon Trail. Marcus and Narcissa Whitman lived a most remarkable, courageous, and often ignorant life among the Cayuse, ending in tragedy.

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