ALUMNI INK:

Selected books written by Valpo alumni.

Remarks are from publishers’ notes or reviews.

‘The Dark Backward’

Midnight Ink • By Julia (Rohaly ’87) Buckley • Oak Park, Ill.

Julia Buckley teaches English at Trinity High School in River Forest, Ill. In her first novel, “The Dark Backward,” Lily Caldwell, a 30-year-old police officer, is convinced that Gov. “Nob” Stevens is a killer. Kicked off the police force and separated from her husband because of her convictions, Lily investigates the governor on her own. Shocking family secrets, blind ambition, betrayal, love, and forgiveness propel captivating characters toward a startling revelation that also brings healing.

‘Political Season’

iUniverse Inc. • By Lance E. Ryskamp ’83, ’86 J.D.
Highland, Ind.

Lance Ryskamp is an attorney with a private practice in Lake County, Ind. In “Political Season” the ultimate prize is the Presidency of the United States. The book tells of secret deals, scandal and betrayal intertwined in American politics, as a war for power begins by a ruthless political consultant. The fight revolves around three men: the incumbent president; his political ally; and a disloyal vice president and political enemy.

‘The Silver Spoon’

RuneStone Publishing • By Stacey (Barnes ’97) Klemstein • Round Lwake, Ill. Stacey (Barnes) Klemstein lives in Round Lake, Ill., and works in the insurance business. In Klemstein’s science fiction novel,

“The Silver Spoon,” Zara Mitchell’s nightmares begin when the “Observers” land. When one of the eerily beautiful beings shows up at her diner with the local sheriff, her world changes forever. The Observer insists that she come with him because her life is in danger. But can he be trusted? Zara struggles through one life-threatening encounter after another in “The Silver Spoon.”