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Award-winning northern Wisconsin books. Great Gifts for all ages. Free Shipping & Tax Paid

BREAKING NEWS: Alias Ray Olson HAS ARRIVED!

PUBLISH YOUR BOOK! Click HERE for info

SPECIAL!  Only 8 left of the original 100 signed & numbered collector copies available in this "Limited Preview Edition."Order here or from the author.       ->  -> ->  -> ->  ->

Watch here for upcoming  book launch updates.

Join me for lunch Sunday! Sunday Lunchtime Lecture & Book Reading. Noon, July 23 at Boulder Lodge on Ghost Lake,  7296 W State Rd 77, Hayward, 715-462-3002, Author-historian James Brakken will discuss his novel, ALIAS RAY OLSON and the true story behind the 1939 Chequamegon Forest Manhunt. Come for lunch and take in a free discussion of this Hayward-Cable historical event. 715-798-3163.

You may have heard bits and pieces of the tale of murder fugitive, Ray Olson. Now it's time you learned the whole story---the story that the government didn't want folks to know. It all started with slot machines being sabotaged. Ray Olson, a guide and handyman for  several area resorts, was singled out by the police. An attempt to bring him in led to a high-speed chase through Hayward, then a stolen car, and finally a double-homicide on the Chippewa Flowage. This led to Wisconsin's largest-ever manhunt and a series of amazing close calls and at least 8 escapes as Ray Olson sought refuge in the Chequamegon Forest. His plight altered life in the north.

 

Scroll down & join James Brakken at one of the upcoming PowerPoint slide discussions and learn the truth!

Contact James at 715-798-3163 to schedule a presentation for your club or organization.

More shows coming soon!

Join me for lunch Sunday! Sunday Lunchtime Lecture & Book Reading. Noon, July 23 at Boulder Lodge on Ghost Lake, , 7296 W State Rd 77, Hayward, 715-462-3002, Author-historian James Brakken will discuss his novel, ALIAS RAY OLSON and the true story behind the 1939 Chequamegon Forest Manhunt. Come for lunch and take in a free discussion of this Hayward-Cable historical event. 715-798-3163

Thursday, June 27. Grand View. 6:30 PM. James Brakken’s Alias Ray Olson PowerPoint slide show. Open to all.

Thursday, June 29. Forest Lodge Library in Cable. James Brakken’s Alias Ray Olson PowerPoint slide show. 6:30 p.m. Open to all.

Sunday, May 14. Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center book discussion. James Brakken’s Alias Ray Olson, 2 – 3:30 p.m. PowerPoint slide show. Open to all. Refreshments. See BadgerValley.com for details.

Saturday, June 10, Spooner Book Fair. Regional authors. Downtown at Northwind Book & Fiber. No PowerPoint show.

Friday, June 16. Hayward High School for the Northwest WI Lakes Conference. 9 - 3. No admission needed if you just want to visit my table. Otherwise, cost is $45 to attend.

June 23 & 24: Hayward's MUSKY FEST. I'll set up at the Sawyer Co. Hist Society booth.

July 1: Friends of Crystal Lake Annual meeting. (Closed event. No slideshow.)

More presentations and book signings coming soon. Please check often. Contact James at 715-798-3163 to schedule a presentation for your club or organization.



NOW BOOKING TALKS TO LAKE ASSOCIATIONS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS.

CALL 715-798-3163 or EMAIL treasureofnamakagon@gmail.com

Special Lake Association price when ordering multiple copies shipped directly to you:

Reg. $15 Lakes & Streams book now sells for $9.95 each THROUGH LABOR DAY, 2017!

Saving Our Lakes & Streams: 101 Practical Things You Can Do Today. CLICK HERE TO SEE IT!

"A Handbook for all who value clean, safe, healthy waters."


CLICK HERE to see the Trilogy web page!  All 3 Chief Namakagon novels at one great price! Free Shipping! 



PUBLISH YOUR BOOK! Click HERE for info

Inexpensive, print-on-demand, high-quality books. Fast, dependable service. Order 50 or 500 for the same, low, per-book price. Contact James Brakken today at TreasureofNamakagon@gmail.com


CLICK HERE to see the Trilogy web page!  All 3 Chief Namakagon novels

at one great price! Free Shipping! (Scroll down for single book orders)

Click HERE to read reviews of James Brakken's books.

CLICK HERE to see the NEW SHORT STORY BOOK, The Moose & Wilbur P. Dilby plus 36 Fairly True Tales from Up North.


Jim Anderson's DISCOVERING AMERICA ONE MARATHON AT A TIME  CLICK HERE TO SEE THE BOOK.  This is a great behind-the-scenes look at America thru the eyes of a runner.
Secure ONLINE ordering w/ credit card or PayPal OR download an order form below.
All books from this site are top quality autographed softcovers.
More at Online Store page.
3 REASONS TO PURCHASE HERE & NOT AT AMAZON: 1, BVP ships free to lower US and pays all sales tax. 2, Every book is inspected and signed by the author. Hassel-free returns, too. 3, Amazon has undercut America's small, indy bookstores to the point where many have closed. We need our Indy bookstores. Please help.  4, Amazon takes a big cut. Although you might save a bit more than a dollar, you will also be denying the author about five. Independent authors depend on internet sales. Thanks for supporting indy authors by ordering from our websites. JB

All BVP books are made in USA and make great gifts!

MIX OR MATCH ANY 3 BOOKS! (Ships Free)

$ 49.99 USD

Save $13, (that's $6 off the reg book price, $3 sales tax, and $4 shipping cost) when you order the complet set!

ORDER WITH CREDIT CARD OR PAYPAL. BE SURE TO MENTION YOUR CHOICE OF BOOKS IN THE COMMENT WINDOW.

ANY 3 James Brakken books, signed and shipped free anywhere in the USA. (Email us for other destinations.) We pay the sales tax, too.

(AKA RAY OLSON not available yet.)
X2 sell sheet w moose and ord form.pdf X2 sell sheet w moose and ord form.pdf
Size : 310.089 Kb
Type : pdf

COLLECTOR COPY of Saving Our Lakes & Streams (Ships Free)

$ 15.99 USD

WAIT! Be sure this is the right book.

THIS IS THE "LIMITED PREVIEW EDITION." ONLY 100 SIGNED AND NUMBERED COPIES EXIST. (Final version will debut April 1, 2016) This book costs more because it is collectable. Final Edition is $1 less at http://thetreasureofnamakagon.com/saving-lakes-and-streams.php

Go to the Lakes & Streams page to order the final edition.

A "user's manual" for all who love our lakes. Many tips and tricks to improve water quality, protect the fishery and other recreational uses, and even protect property values. A "must-have" for cabins, resorts, short-term rentals, and campsites. Sales tax & shippng paid by BVP!

For LAKE ASSN & CONSERVATION CLUB DISCOUNTS, contact the author at treasureofnamakagon@gmail.com. (Bulk orders of 20 or more are $9.99 per book.)

DARK: A Campfire Companion (Ships Free!)

$ 17.99 USD

A must-have for all who enjoy a spooky tale or macabre poem! Contains DARK, DARKER, & DARKEST (17 very short but very scary stories plus 52 delightfully frightening poems. See some samples on our DARK page on this website.)

Contains 53 macabre illustratons by long-deceased artists! With DARK'S title changed and new stories added, it's perfect reading for dark and strormy nights or under the covers with a flashlight.
Signed and shipped free anywhere in the lower 48 states. (Email us for other destinations.) We pay the sales tax, too.

Moose & W P Dilby +36 - Ships FREE

$ 17.99 USD

The Moose and Wilbur P. Dilby
Plus Thirty-six Fairly True Tales from Up North


Stories from the good old days, straight from the heart and the heart of the north. Some are sad, some are shocking. Some are simply hilarious, but they’re all fairly true, more or less.
Signed and shipped free anywhere in the USA. (Email us for other destinations.) We pay the WI sales tax, too.

 

The Secret Life of Chief Namakagon (SHIPS FREE!)

$ 17.99 USD

Who was Namakagon BEFORE he came

to remote NW Wisconsin in 1846? Was

he a fugitve wanted for murder? The

answer and his early life will amaze

you!    Signed and shipped free anywhere in the USA. (Email us for other destinations.) We pay the WI sales tax, too.
Click Here for LARGE PRINT versions.
16 point font. Easier on the eyes. Illustrated.
TOR LOKEN AND THE DEATH OF NAMAKAGON. A fact-based, thrilling, 1886 murder mystery. Book 2 in the trilogy. Info below.



LIMITED TIME OFFER: FREE SHIPPING OF ALL STANDARD SIZE AND LARGE PRINT EDITIONS.  DARK ALSO SHIPS FREE!

Tor Loken & the Death of Chief Namakagon

$ 17.99 USD

FREE SHIPPING

A fast-paced, fact-based 1886 murder mystery. Illustrated. 236 pages. Includes maps to the Marengo silver diggings. Signed.

Learn the facts behind Chief Namakagon's suspicious death as, with Tor Loken, you solve the mystery. Join Tor and Rosie as they save the tribal silver.

(For LARGE PRINT EDITIONS see the "ONLINE STORE" page in this website. Signed and shipped free anywhere in the USA. (Email us for other destinations.) We pay the sales tax, too.

 FOR ALL BVP BOOKS, DISCOUNTS, MORE, see the "ONLINE STORE" page.

Click on the images to see the DARK or the BVP pages

DARK, DARKER, & DARKEST now available!

THE TREASURE OF NAMAKAGON

$ 17.99 USD

This is the 2013 ABNA 2nd PLACE WINNER OUT OF 10,000 ENTRIES.   $17.99. Shipping & Tax included. Signed by the author. 247 pages, 62 illustrations, 43 exciting chapters.

Find the LARGE PRINT EDITION in our ONLINE STORE page. Signed and shipped free anywhere in the USA. (Email us for other destinations.) We pay the WI sales tax, too.

UPDATE: THE SECRET LIFE OF CHIEF NAMAKAGON, the 3rd in the trilogy, is now available at Redbery Books and the Loon Saloon in Cable, Marketplace Foods and Ben Franklin in Hayward  and, in Spooner, North Wind Books. In Bayfield, find the trilogy at the Old Rittenhouse Inn and Apostle Island Books. Chequamegon Books in Washburn carries it as do many "up north" historical museums. Spirt Bay in Canal Park is the only place you'll find it in Duluth.

Watch for the SUMMER 2017 official ALIAS RAY OLSON book launch details at this website and on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jim.brakken


THE TREASURE OF NAMAKAGON:

An 1883 lost treasure and lumberjack adventure. 26 stories woven into a great lumberjack tale. Set in Bayfield and Sawyer Counties in northern Wisconsin and in Chicago. Fiction based on fact. Text and 63 illustrations by James A. Brakken.


ENDORSED BY MIKE PERRY, LARRY MEILLER, LAMOINE MACLAUGHLIN, ERIC OLSON, ANNE STRATTON, WALDO ASP, JEFF REVERA, Others ...

"Weaving mystery into history, "The Treasure of Namakagon" vivifies the tumultuous nature of 19th-century life in the legendary northwoods." Michael Perry, bestselling Wisconsin author.

"Great story. I liked it!."  Larry Meiller, Wisconsin Public Radio host.

... a very talented writer. Consider me fan!" Jeff Rivera, Media personality, bestselling author.

"Open with caution. You won't want to put this one down."  LaMoine MacLaughlin, Author, President, Wisconsin Writers Association.

Brakken’s new book animates the long history of conflicts over Wisconsin’s water and mineral resources. Eric Olson, UWEX-Lakes Director.

"A twisting, thrilling mix of mystery, adventure and legendary treasure, still waiting to be found. .... ...a great fund raising idea for our lake associations. ... Wisconsin history buffs will find this book a treasure in itself. ...an exciting adventure for all ages. Waldo Asp, Northwest Waters President and AARP County Chairman

"Like a live history lesson, Brakken takes his readers on a ride down Northern Wisconsin’s untamed Namakagon River, back when giant virgin forests lured heroic lumberjacks to seek their fortune. In scene after scene, the reader is surrounded by the beauty of pristine woods and lakes, rooting for the good guys to beat out the greedy ones, even learning step by step how to place the giant saw so the magnificent tree falls in just the right place." A. Y. Stratton, author of Buried Heart


The Treasure of Namakagon FACTORY BLEM

$ 14.99 USD

SAVE $3 OVER REGULAR ONLINE PRICE!

Tax included. Ships Free.

A twisting, turning adventure, 43 chapters, 63 illustrations and glossary.

AUTOGRAPHED Factory blem. Has very slight problem with images. Otherwise identical to regular softcover. Some of these may have slight cover damage such as slight scuffing or a crease on the cover.

If you are not pleasd with your copy, We will exchange for another, though you'll have to pay shipping.

BVP has sold many of our blems without a single complaint. Books we feel are too damaged to reflect well on BVP are never sold. They are donated to the Salvation Army or other venues.

Signed and shipped free anywhere in the USA. (Email us for other destinations.) We pay the sales tax, too.

 

Namakagon stood to meet them. He was broad-shouldered and a half-foot taller than anyone in the room. He had black hair and a full beard. His buckskin clothes were clean and neat. A diamond-shaped silver medallion was neatly stitched onto his shirt. A dark belt around his waist supported a sheathed knife and two buckskin pouches. 

Free Sample: DISCUSSION AND STUDY GUIDE AND MAPS. See Index  

 I want to see a FREE SAMPLE of this ebook on: (Click one)

My Kindle / My Nook reader / My IPad/ My Desktop PC / My Laptop PC / My Notebook PC / My Cell Phone / My I-Pad / My Blackberry /  / Kindle for PC / Kindle for Mac / Adobe Digital Reader / .PDF / Barnes & Noble / HTML / Amazon Reader / Sony LRF / Palm / .RTF / EPUB / .TXT / JavaScript /  Other

Or . . . READ SAMPLES FREE RIGHT NOW ON THIS WEBSITE. JUST CLICK ON "clips from the book", ABOVE.

BEST DEAL: ORDER IT NOW AT SMASHWORDS.COM for $.99 for the entire book, all illustrations, maps, and all future additions are automatically yours free. The SmashWords price is a steal! LIMITED TIME OFFER.




NOW AVAILABLE AT https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/51102 For a limited time, the first 18 of the 43 chapters are yours to read free. I urge you and your contacts to take advantage of this offer NOW, as it is likely to change SOON.

 Above: "One pouch held tobacco. In the other was a map and an old pocketknife with one broken blade, a battered silver pocket watch, an old gold medal, and a very old tintype photograph.  Scratched into the back of the photo was ‘1868'."                                                          

Below: Charlie Martin on a star load of twenty-footers.

This is a thrilling north woods adventure, based very closely on historical facts from the 1880s logging days near Cable and Hayward, Wisconsin.


Join with 16 year-old Tor Loken as he and his mentor, Chief Namakagon, work to outwit the big timber tycoons and protect the secret of the silver mine. (This mine truly existed and has not been found since the chief's death in 1886.)


Entire book available NOW for Kindle and all other readers! See the first 10% free before deciding to purchase. [Purchase price is just $.99 for a limited time]

Click on this link:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/51102

Chapters available here & now. (Go to 'CLIPS' page at top.)

 Kindle software for your PC is FREE!

Kindle for personal computers is free at 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_pc_mkt_lnd?docId=1000426311


   



See free excerpts and chapters  on 'CLIPS from the book' page now. [see top of page]. 


The novel:

This north woods adventure is written and illustrated by Wisconsin conservationist James A. Brakken.  See more on the 'About Us' page, above.

This is historical fiction based closely on many facts surrounding the Great Lakes states' timber boom of the 1880s and the legendary lost silver mine near Lake Namakagon in northwestern Wisconsin.

 Themes and concepts in this story are rich and varied. See the 'Themes and Concepts' page for more. 

Author readings available at your community club, library or school. Contact the author today.


The ebook is now available at SmashWords.com, Amazon and B&N. They can be read on your personal computer, Nook, smart phone, blackberry, I-pad, or on any of a number of other e-readers, including the Kindle. Click on the box link at top of page.


Questions??? Contact James Brakken: 715 798 3163 or BayfieldCountyLakes@Yahoo.com

The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Omaha and Northwestern train was known by most as the 'Omaha'. 

See free excerpts and chapters RIGHT NOW! Just go to the top of this page and click on

'CLIPS from the book'


See 18 FREE SAMPLE CHAPTERS prior to purchasing. No obligation.

Click Here:

 https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/51102



 

Imagine . . . you find a box containing items from years past, including a decaying map and a journal written about one year in an 1880s lumber camp. The journal tells the story:

After a daring 1883 rescue, Ingman Loken frees his 16 year old nephew, Tor, from a child labor scheme in a Chicago coal plant. Ingman brings him to the Loken' s lumber camp in far northwestern Wisconsin. There, Tor meets Namakagon, an Ojibwe Chief who knows of a secret silver mine. They soon learn that a sinister lumber baron intends to stop the Lokens from driving their timber down the river. Only a confrontation between the lumberjacks from the two lumber camps will decide who rules the river . . . the industrialists or the people. 

More information can be found on this website and by e-mailing TreasureofNamakagon@gmail.com


This book will give you a glimpse into Wisconsin’s single greatest economic event: The harvest of the largest stand of white pine in the world, a timber cache that was estimated to take 1,000 years to cut but was gone in just fifty. Tens of thousands of lumberjacks descended on the north hoping to harvest the ‘green gold’. Many northern Wisconsin towns sprang up and then boomed into bustling cities, full of life, fast money, loose women, ne'r-do-wells, businessmen and lumberjacks. Most of those boom towns failed soon after the pine was cut, shrinking to impoverished settlements and, in some cases, vacant ghost towns. Wasteful practices, poor management and outright greed prevailed. The great Wisconsin pinery, as it was called then, will never return. What remains today are the descendants of the lumberjacks and others who followed them along with the rich, rich history they contributed. 

 .  the legendary lost silver mine .

What also remains is the quest to find the Namakagon mine. 1880s newspaper accounts prove it existed. It's location is still a mystery and many still search for the Treasure of Namakagon today. Your search for the treasure begins with the map below and the above links to other pages in this website. Good luck!

Below: "There, on the back, was what looked like a map."

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