Book's by Karen Branson

Sisters Get Their Kicks on Route 66, by Karen West and Susan Ford-West, chronicles the epic 2,448 mile adventure that may have set a world record. Share the wild ride of over 300 adventurous "Sisters" from the national outdoor women's group, Sisters on the Fly, as they tow their vintage trailers and tell their stories while crossing America's Mother Road from Chicago to Santa Monica. Along the way, experience Route 66's iconic tourist sites, rodeos, dances, karaoke, shopping, museums, flea markets, catered dinners, national parks, parades, dirt roads, and wrong turns.

Through over 500 color photographs and the Sisters' stories of courage and empowerment, grief and moving on, sisterhood and camaraderie, this photo journal of their spirited journey across America's legendary Route 66 will hearten readers young and old to embark upon their own bucket-list adventures.

Painting Missouri is an extraordinarily rich collection of scenes and seasons along the highways and byways of the Show-Me State. Turn these pages to find a farmer driving a combine in a Ray County cornfield or the Benedictine convent in Nodaway County or mist rising from snow at sunrise in Prairie State Park. Here are scenes both familiar and intimate: farmhouse and barns, Lover's Leap in Hannibal, and the view of St. Louis from the roof of the Cathedral Basilica. O'Donnell even captured Pierce City before a tornado destroyed the town in 2003 - and painted Canton from a vista that another twister had newly opened.

Karen Glines provides essential historical information about the counties, from interesting facts about their foundings and names to the stories behind their courthouses. Drawing on extensive research in many local historical societies, Glines shares what she learned about the early histories and present concerns of the state's diverse regions, including local anecdotes, Civil War stories, and insights into the roles of Native Americans in regional history. Additional comments by O'Donnell relate some of his experiences while creating the paintings. Paintings and essays combine to create a masterful volume that immerses the reader in the passion that both artist and writer feel for the state's beauty.

"In Missouri," observes O'Donnell, "I have found all that an artist needs, and beyond this, I have found an even deeper connection to place." For all who pick up Painting Missouri, that connection will surely resound.