Books by Madelyn
Tiggy Tiggy Touch Wood
Published 2014
Third Edition Published 2020
Paperback
Kindle
Tiggy Tiggy Touch Wood is a collection of ten short stories, initially told from the stage by author and storyteller Madelyn Rohrer, and converted to written form in 2014. The title story is about an ages-old Celtic children’s game that evolved into several of today’s more familiar games. The characters are fictional but the basis for the modern-day games is factual. The rest of the collection includes stories of fiction, history, historically correct fiction, and family. Whatever the genre, however, each story is imbued with Christian faith, good moral values, and strength of character. Suitable for all ages. AN AUDIO VERSION OF THIS BOOK IS IN PROGRESS AND WILL BE AVAILABLE SOON.
November 2017
The Virginia Writers Club chose two stories from Tiggy Tiggy Touch Wood for inclusion in their November 2017 "The Best of the Virginia Writers Club Centennial Anthology 1918-2018": Bess and Roy is a true story of a Navy seaman’s young bride living on a hill overlooking Pearl Harbor on the day it was bombed December 7, 1941. Her husband was on the battleship USS Pennsylvania.
A Well-Kept Secret is also a World War II story. While the characters are fictional, the story of a unique way of bringing our prisoners of war home is historically accurate and will surprise you. The anthology book is available at Amazon.com.
June 2017
Two stories from Tiggy Tiggy Touch Wood were chosen for inclusion in the June 2017 anthology of the Appalachian Authors Guild: Mountain Mist. It is available on their web site (appalachianauthors.com) or through Amazon.com. They chose Grandma was a Democrat (a true story of author Madelyn Rohrer’s family) and Ah, Chocolate (a story that is sure to resonate with all chocolate lovers!).
April/May 2016
Tiggy Tiggy Touch Wood was recognized with an Honors Award in the 2016 Storytelling World Resource Awards program, established by Dr. Flora Joy, founder of the East Tennessee State University’s Masters Program in Storytelling. The award winners are listed annually in Storytelling Magazine, a publication of the National Storytelling Network.
June 2015
(Red City Review of Tiggy, Tiggy Touch Wood
“This collection of ten short stories and folktales features scenes and characters that meld Celtic mythology, Christian spirituality, and Irish history to create truly contemplative and animated fiction. In the title story, a young brother and sister breathe new life into their town by spreading the game of Tiggy Tiggy Touch Wood (upon which football, tag, and hide-and-seek are based). In ‘Bess and Roy,’ two newlyweds are separated from each other in the wake of the Japanese bombings at Pearl Harbor – but serendipity brings them back together. The story ‘Ah, Chocolate!” offers a humorous look at the many wonders and miracles heaven holds in store for us, which thankfully includes chocolate! In ‘A Different World,’ a young father finds his prayers for a miraculous display of God’s glory have been answered, though now he wishes they hadn’t. A POW of WWII is able to escape captivity thanks to a Monopoly set that holds the key to his freedom in ‘A Well-Kept Secret.’
Jumping between the past and present-day, these stories bridge both time and culture, producing a well-balanced blend of entirely fictional tales and stories that are based on true historical facts and the lives of Rohrer’s close friends. Likewise, the inclusion of both traditional-style folktales and modern short fiction keeps this collection exciting and innovative through to the end. Heavily influenced by Christianity, many of the stories feature a strong religious element and positive messages that will undoubtedly be a source of comfort to troubled or saddened readers. Rohrer’s stories signify a departure from contemporary narration and a return to the classic storytelling methods of past generations, the result of which is an astonishing anthology that resonates with a life force of its own.” ----Red City Review (5 Stars)
Soft cover: ISBN 9781733869447
ebook (Amazon):
Audio book (ACX):
Order through Amazon or your favorite bookstore.
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Shoes in the River The Story of "Feather"
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Published 2015
Third Edition published 2020
Step into the lives of Cheng and Su-Li Ming, a fictional but historically viable couple in rural China. Share their young plans, shattered dreams, and the sometimes brutal realities of adjusting to changing governments and policies…things over which they had no control. China’s one-child-per-family edict of 1980, meant to reverse its problem of over-population, had a devastating effect on China, its families, and the rest of the world. Its rippling effects are still being felt today. Shoes in the River brings you into the real-life emotions of that tumultuous thirty-two-year period in China’s history.
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Note: Children of the Edict, the sequel to Shoes in the River is scheduled to be released on July 18, 2023 by publisher Koehler Books. It will be available in soft cover, hard cover, and ebook.
December 2019
(Writers Digest Review of Shoes in the River)
Shoes in the River: The Story of Feather by Madelyn Rohrer offers readers a glimpse into Chinese culture with some of the details most westerners would never know about. Rohrer is a skilled writer who carries this story with confidence and finesse."
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November 2015
(Red City Review of Shoes in the River)
“With Shoes in the River: The Story of ‘Feather,’ Madelyn Rohrer examines life in China from the early 1970s through 2004, through the lives of the fictional Ming family. Their existence in a small village changes drastically over the course of 32 years, as they navigate personal trials against the backdrop of a country that is negotiating between its ancient heritage and the dawning of a modern era. The book’s title is based on the ancient Chinese practice of dispensing with one’s shoes once a great emotional burden has been lifted from the wearer. Shoes are thrown into the river to acknowledge the difficulty that has passed and greet the future with optimism and happiness.
“As the reader follows the Ming family into the 21st century, they experience the most human of struggles. The old Chinese regime is forced to make way for more modern practices, and the Mings struggle with the transition. Should they embrace new technological advances as they become available in their rural environment? Will the economic and political structure of their nation hold fast, or crumble as the future comes knocking? And when, if ever, will their personal heartbreaks and triumphs finally allow them to throw their shoes in the river and welcome what is to come with open arms? With sharp and emotionally poignant writing, Rohrer creates a fascinating combination of personal journey and political examination, as the Mings come into their own while China emerges as the world power it remains to this day.’ ---Red City Review (4 Stars)
Soft cover: ISBN 9781733869454
ebook (Amazon):
Order through Amazon of your favorite bookstore.
Touched by Tennessee
Published 2016
Second Edition published 2020
Touched by Tennessee is a collection of eight short stories that share a common thread – the State of Tennessee. Sometimes it weaves its way through an event in history, a song, or around the lives of people who have, in some way, made a difference. Follow a wagon train heading west from Philadelphia, a Spanish exploration expedition from Tampa Bay to California, a Civil War doctor from New York to Georgia, infestations of plants and animals from border to border and coast to coast, a songwriter and a preacher in Iowa, and a moving van into “The Secret City.” Read about a female automobile aficionado and a family who accidentally finds the true meaning of love.
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May 2021
Two of the stories in Touched by Tennessee were chosen for inclusion in Mountain Voices, The 2021 Anthology from the Appalachian Authors Guild: A Story With No Beginning and No End," and "Nineteen Minutes."
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Listen to video clips of some of the stories.
A Story with No Beginning and No End
Nineteen Minutes
The Automobile and Lillian
Eliza and the Not-So-Peaceful River
Still Transfer
Hog Wild
Daring to be Different
April/May 2018
One of the stories in Touched by Tennessee won a first-place award in the 2018 Storytelling World Resource Awards program, an internationally-acclaimed story review, established by Dr. Flora Joy, founder of the East Tennessee State University’s Masters Program in Storytelling. Nineteen Minutes was recognized as a winning story as listed in Storytelling Magazine, a publication of the National Storytelling Network.
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Soft cover: ISBN 9781733869416
ebook (Amazon):
Audio book (ACX):
The Ugly Popcorn Tree
Published 2018
Second edition published 2020
From the post-Civil War era through the 1920’s, “orphan trains” relocated displaced and parentless children from the streets of New York City and orphanages along the East Coast to new homes and new parents throughout the U.S. and parts of Canada. The Ugly Popcorn Tree is a novella (half-novel) that transports you in time to a 1950's orphanage and includes flashbacks to the orphan train era. Although the characters are fictional, the story creates a real-life insight into the of hearts and minds of older orphans and how they cope with the circumstances that caused them to be living outside of “normal” family situations.
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Soft Cover: ISBN 9780692083536
ebook (Amazon):
Johnny Come Back Eighty-four Days of Miracles
Published 2018
Personal note from Madelyn Rohrer: I am pleased to have been a part of putting this true story together for Claudia and Johnny Randolph. It tells of the tumult and emotion they experienced in four different medical facilities on a continuous basis for almost 3 months. The book also brings to the foreground the importance of having and/or being an advocate for someone you love, as well as the importance of family and support groups. Claudia's story is one of incredible perseverance and strength that could only come from one source - standing on her strong Christian foundation and holding onto an unwavering trust in God's plans and His timing.
The description on the back cover reads:
"Miracles are defined as extraordinary events, manifesting divine intervention in human affairs. They happen every day. Sometimes we call them blessings, marvels, unusual happenings, or strange phenomena. They can be large and easily recognizable or small enough that they could just as easily be missed, but a single 'miracle' can alter one’s life in an instant. That unexpected change can be brought about by an event, a person, or something we often refer to as 'perfect timing.' Believing in miracles is to acknowledge divine intervention.
Walk with Johnny Randolph in this true story of his struggle to survive eighty-four days of life-threatening situations and recuperation. Join Claudia, his wife, seasoned Emergency Department Registered Nurse, caregiver, and advocate as she remains steadfastly by his side while dealing with her own struggle between medical knowledge and a deeper faith in spiritual healing. It is their story – what they saw, what they heard, what they felt. Experience their eighty-four days of trials and miracles.
The book is for sale through Amazon.com or can be purchased locally in Northeast Tennessee.
Soft Cover ISBN: 9780578408101
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