From his self-built cabin in the southern Rockies and throughout the wilderness West, Petersen has spent the past twenty years observing, studying, praising, and defending the grand wild beasts that animate his daily world. Especially so the elk, a miraculous come-back that, through the 112,000-member Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, enjoys a larger and more dedicated fan club than even the grizzly bear or wolf.In this tightly linked collection of essays, Petersen takes us deep into the mountain forests to watch, smell, and talk with wapiti (a Shawnee word meaning white rump) and their wild neighbors, reflecting with wisdom, authority, and humility on their evolution, their behavior, their daily lives, and the impacts of the continued suburbanization of the West. Our guide looks as well at the various creatures who prey on elk -- from insects, to bears, to people with guns. In the latter instance, Petersen steps boldly beyond conventional side-taking to selectively praise the good and damn the bad, his only loyalty being truth, culminating with an exuberant condemnation of elk ranching and other forms of wildlife profiteering.

Some 200 years ago, when the Potawatomi Indians were still among the region's primary inhabitants, there was a winding river that was christened "Coeur de Cerf"-the heart of a stag. Legend has it that the earliest settlers were captivated by a small island that resembled an elk's heart. By 1832, Havilah Beardsley began to lay the foundation for what would soon be known as the village of Elkhart. The little island which inspired the Elkhart name would later be called "Island Park." There were only a few dozen lots in that first plat, but by 1858, Elkhart was incorporated as a growing and bustling new city. Today, Elkhart is recognized as being one of northern Indiana's most enterprising communities, as well as one of the most culturally diverse. Throughout its long and illustrious history, Elkhart has been blessed with a celebration of successes, in fields ranging from musical instruments to pharmaceuticals to recreational vehicles. The images in this book offer a glimpse into the events that helped shape Elkhart into the marvelous city it has become, truly, the "city with a heart" in both name and spirit.

Travers Corners, if visited by a dedicated urbanite, would be seen as nothing more than a windblown gas station of a town that would make the middle of nowhere look like Metropolis. It’s a town of 329 beloved residents, from Dolores, who runs the beauty parlor, to Junior McCracken, the worst fisherman to never give up the sport, to Judson C. Clark, boatbuilder and Carrie Creek’s occasional guide. But Travers Corners is more than just a gas station of a town. It’s a destination for fly fishing—a paradise made of the finest trout waters ever seen, with rivers and creeks sweeping past cattle ranches, tall grasses, and off into the timbered mountains. In Scott Waldie’s Return to Travers Corners are stories of small town friendships and fights, of famous fishermen and unlucky anglers, of trout so big they’re practically mythical, and of the ones that got away—in love and on the water. The tales of Travers Corners hearken to a simpler, more enticing world of wild places, good deeds, and the friends made along the way. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction—novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Indiana folklorist Wanda Lou Willis is back with all-new ghostly tales in this hair-raising companion to Haunted Hoosier Trails. Wanda explores Indiana's hidden history in spooky locations around the state. Local history buffs will relish the informative county histories that begin each chapter, while thrill-seekers will eagerly search out these frightening spots. More Haunted Hoosier Trails is perfect year-round for raising goose-bumps around the campfire or reading under the covers with a flashlight.

Slocum’s left high and dry… Dehydration, Wyoming, lives up to its name. Slocum sees water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink—since a local magnate built a dam, hoarding all the agua for himself. Desperate, the local law offers five grand to anyone who can bring in water. When a buxom señorita shows up with her divining rod, Slocum wets his whistle with what she’s offering, while giving the local water-hog an ultimatum: share the liquid—or swallow lead…