Local Authors Past and Present
Work in progress here -- the field is richer than first envisioned. We hope to incorporate past authors (Marianne Moore, Jean Craighead George, Hugh Henry Brackenridge, and so on), present authors/illustrators (Amy Bates, Megan Lloyd-Thompson, Adrienne Su, Kim van Alkemade, Sherry Knowlton, and so on), and books from authors who knew the Valley well and wrote about events here (Lois Lenski, Lois Lowry, Conrad Richter, and so on). We will organize them with category headers for better searching and annotate them with the particulars as we work on this. Keep checking!
Dogs of Ore Book 1: Falling Sky
Dogs of Ore Book 1: Falling Sky
When aliens attacked, Earth surrendered. The Belt didn’t get the memo.
In the cold void of the Belt, one man and his AI dogs stand against an empire that wants to "harmonize" humanity out of existence.
An unknown ship destroys a lone miner's rig and sends a dying warning to Mike Stone, the quiet shepherd of drill-bots. He knows the solar system just changed forever. The Thrang have arrived—rigid, insectoid conquerors who impose perfect order on chaotic worlds. Earth falls fast. Mars follows. The Belt? It's next.
Mike never wanted to lead a rebellion. He just wanted to mine ore, keep his pack safe—Wiley's steady patience, Grease's reckless speed, Cato's quiet watchfulness—and listen to Lady Susquehanna's warm, river-valley voice. But when alien beams carve through human defenses and families fracture under occupation, loyalty demands more than survival.
From Kuiper shadows to Vesta's burning skies, Mike and his unlikely family fight with improvised weapons, unbreakable bonds, and sheer mule-headed grit. The Thrang call it chaos. Mike calls it home.
In a galaxy that demands submission, one shepherd refuses to kneel.
Fall in love with the Dogs of Ore series.