Local publisher celebrates 20th anniversary

Blue Creek Press, an independent publishing house dedicated to promoting literature and empowering Northwestern authors, is proud to announce its 20th anniversary. Since its inception in 2003, Blue Creek Press (BCP) has supported authors, promoted creativity, and provided readers with an exceptionally diverse catalog featuring genres that include fiction, poetry, non-fiction and more.

Readers have consistently engaged with BCP's lineup of authors, which includes the founder, Sandy Compton – who has penned 13 books himself - and features both emerging voices and established authors, allowing fresh talent to flourish while nurturing the careers of seasoned writers.

"Blue Creek Press books include a big variety of experiences and thought," said Compton. One of his favorites is Hunting Tigers and Other Adventures on Christ's Mission in Old

India, a memoir about being missionaries in 1930s India. BCP also helped Garth Fisher put together Five Years On The Inside, the story of his time as a recreation therapist in a

maximum-security prison.

"Poet Sam Olson's book, Any River, is the first of what I suspect will be many for him, and Whipsawed, which we just published for Idaho author Dick Sonnichsen, is a page-turner

crime novel," he added. Compton also is proud to have helped Montana author Pat Seiler recently publish an illustrated children's book entitled, My Grandma Has a Boyfriend, a

fun and helpful guide to a modern phenomenon.

As a small independent publisher, BCP has grown to establish a strong Northwestern audience, with 40-plus books and multiple other publications reaching readers throughout

the U.S. and abroad. This expansive reach is a testament to the BCP's dedication to bringing thought-provoking and captivating stories to a broader audience. Marking this anniversary and National Book Month, BCP announces the October 1 release of Compton's 13th book, Her Name is Lillian. This poignant tale is the third of a trilogy featuring Dr. Mary Magdalene Miller, a no-nonsense, incredibly human psychiatrist. In this latest riveting and sometimes heart-wrenching edition, Miller finds herself falling in love with two people at a time. One is "the smart dog," an architect who may or may not be wooing her. It's hard to tell sometimes. The other is Lillian a beautiful 15-year-old anorexic girl intent on "becoming invisible" by starving herself.

Lillian's parents have charged Miller with saving Lillian's life, and the doctor has concluded that maybe the only way that can be done is to get Lillian away from her them.

Miller isn't sure psychiatrists are supposed to pray, but she sometimes finds herself doing so – for a miracle. With characteristically lyrical prose and deep empathy, this authentic Northwestern author delves deeply into the human condition through the eyes and ears of Miller, as he deftly did in this book's precursors, "The Friction of Desire," and "Scars on Top of Scars." Each of these books reveal powerful insights into the human psyche and Dr. Millers relationships with patients and others.

"I like books with happy endings so that's what I write," Compton said. "Sometimes they don't turn out exactly like a reader might think they will or even wish them to, but they still

are satisfying in the way I believe stories should be."

"Our 20th anniversary is actually sort of a surprise to me. Time flies when you're having fun, they say. But, from day one, our mission has been to provide a platform for people to share stories and thoughts with the world. And writers keep coming back. Dick Sonnichsen has published six books with us, with number seven in the works. We're grateful for the

journey so far and look forward to the times ahead."

To celebrate 20 years of publishing, the release of Her Name Is Lillian, and National Book Month, Vanderford's Books in Sandpoint, ID, will host Compton for a reading and signing

on October 7 from 1-3 p.m. Her Name is Lillian and other BCP offerings are available on Amazon and online via http://www.bluecreekpress.com/books.