Books & Publications...

Ryan's Secret Balloon Ride: A Child's Story      Book Reviews

"Ryan's Secret Balloon Ride" is a downloadable PDF storybook for children, ages 5 to 11. It takes readers on a colorful and fanciful trip around the world, featuring Ryan, his fever, and imagination. "Ryan's Secret Balloon Ride" informs, comforts, challenges, and entertains the reader about sickness & healing, fantasy & communication, love & family, travel & home, and about having someone nearby who cares for us through the times we don’t feel well; through things we don’t understand.

        

This item includes a Personal Use License only. Click here for details.
Excerpts are not full size. Downloaded file is fully adjustable to each customer’s screen.

Written and published by Craig M. Szwed. Filled with 33, full-color, hand-painted illustrations by Skylar P. Shumway.

“For me, as a grandfather (and as an author), the joy of this story is that, though facing difficulty, a child need not be worried about what they are experiencing. It eases a child’s stress if they have someone who can help them understand and accept the trials of life. This was a blessed experience for me, as much as it was a help for my sick grandson.” – Craig M. Szwed, Author

To purchase "Ryan's Secret Balloon Ride: A Child's Story", simply click the "Buy it now" link and follow the prompts. You will be directed to Paypal, where you can puchase the book using your credit/debit card, or Paypal. Please note that a Paypal account is not required if you are using your credit/debit card. Following payment, you will receive an email containing a link to view and download the PDF file. BEFORE DOWNLOADING this file, BE SURE that you are using an Internet Service Provider (ISP) with a HIGH SPEED INTERNET CONNECTION: DSL, T1, Cable, or the equivalent, are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for downloading this PDF. Do NOT use dial-up internet service for this download. We are not responsible for the manner or type of service/s that any ISP provides to their customers. If you elect to print this PDF, please select the best photo quality paper and color settings on your printer in order to enhance your printing and reading experience.

ATTENTION PUBLISHERS! With Ryan's Secret Balloon Ride: A Child's Story finally on the market in PDF format, now I am looking for a good hardcopy publisher of children's books, that can do an excellent job producing and marketing this story as a hardcopy book.
Publishers please contact author by email: info@CraigSzwed.net.

Click here for readers comments about my books.

Poetry Books

Click on the links below to preview my poetry books, including sample poems from each book, and the cover art!

Pining From The Heat (and other poems about relationship and intimacy)	Three Crows Hunting (and other poems about conflict)

Yes!  My books are published using the print-on-demand process. Here are some benefits of using print-on-demand books!

1. My print-on-demand books get printed when YOU want them and order them!
2. Printing on demand yields less paper waste: only the books that are wanted get published.
3. When you order my books you get YOUR OWN FRESHLY PRINTED BOOKS! Your new books really ARE new!  They even smell freshly printed! (Yes, old books are still special!)
4. From the time you place your order until your books are delivered to you, print-on-demand is a fast and high quality process with my publisher.
5. My books are always first quality books, NOT leftovers or seconds!
6. Because my books are freshly printed for YOU, they have NOT been sitting in some damp or dusty storeroom.
7. Print-on-demand requires no significant storage space or time. The greater publication efficiency gives you greater value for your reading dollar!
8. Given that greater efficiency, the publisher is always flexible, ready,  and able to print as many copies as YOU want,  whether you need one copy of each book or a thousand copies of one book.

Do your need more than one copy of my books for gifts, for your classroom, for your book or social club?
If so, please contact Authorhouse to ask if they currently offer a volume discount.

By ordering these two of my poetry books directly through www.authorhouse.com, the publisher, you may pay significantly less per book, than if you order these two through other book sellers.

How Did I Lose My Innocence?

This might also be euphemistically titled “The Seventh Arena: Life as an Action Figure.”
Anyone engaged in life’s activities has to admit that there is a battle that every person faces
between their flesh and spirit; between nature and conscience; between our own desires and the
walk to which the LORD God calls each of us. The verses contained in this collection were compiled as I pondered and wrestled with these issues.

        

This item includes a Personal Use License only. Click here for details.

To purchase "How Did I Lose My Innocence", simply click the "Buy it now" link and follow the prompts. You will be directed to Paypal, where you can puchase the book using your credit/debit card, or Paypal. Please note that a Paypal account is not required if you are using your credit/debit card. Following payment, you will receive an email containing a link to view and download the PDF file.

american haiku, volume one

This project has been great fun and a real challenge for me. It is a collection of verses, in haiku form, that are set against the backdrop of original photographs, in much the same way as a the lyrics of a song are paired with an appealing melody.

        

This item includes a Personal Use License only. Click here for details.
Excerpts are not full size. Downloaded file is fully adjustable to each customer’s screen.

This has been an extremely personal voyage for me. I wrote, photographed, compiled, edited and published all items contained in this work. And although I have been writing for many years, this is the first collection that I have ever published on my own. Welcome to literary freedom in the 21st century!

While this work was originally built as a CD-based presentation, it has been converted to PDF format for presentation and sale on the web.

To purchase "american haiku, volume one", simply click the "Buy it now" link and follow the prompts. You will be directed to Paypal, where you can puchase the book using your credit/debit card, or Paypal. Please note that a Paypal account is not required if you are using your credit/debit card. Following payment, you will be directed to a page that contains a link to view and download the PDF file. BEFORE DOWNLOADING this file, BE SURE that you are using an Internet Service Provider (ISP) with a HIGH SPEED INTERNET CONNECTION: DSL, T1, Cable, or the equivalent, are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for downloading this PDF. Do NOT use dial-up internet service for this download. We are not responsible for the manner or type of service/s that any ISP provides to their customers. If you elect to print this PDF, please select the best photo quality paper and color settings on your printer in order to enhance your printing and reading experience.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH to ALL of you who buy my books !
-Craig Szwed

Here are other publications containing works by Craig M. Szwed

I feel very strongly that writing is a gift from God to me, to help me explore life, to understand, reflect on, and share what I learn along the way.  I bless God for each of my works that has been published to date.

In the 1970’s, I contributed some photographic and other work for the college textbook Families by M. S. Smart and L. S. Smart.  However, the writing, editing, and publication of poetry and other non-academic works has held my attention far more snugly than more academic endeavors.

In the Spring of 2001, “At Bonfire’s Heart”was my first poem ever published in any kind of book.  Later that Spring, my “Box”poem was also published.

A third success followed in November of 2001, as“Mobius Generation”was published by Emily Alward (Publisher-Editor of a small but interesting sci-fi magazine.) 

Not that I am impatient (wink-wink), but I grew tired of waiting for editors and publishers.  As I started to take matters into my own hands, I launched a project on CD, entitled american haiku: volume one. This project was originally recorded on CD, and contains about half of my original haiku poems.  The haiku poems are collated with accompanying original photos that I shot in Connecticut.  I have convertedamerican haiku: volume oneinto a PDF file that you can now easily view and download from my photo and book store.

In the Spring of 2003, I received an author’s copy of  Meridian Anthology of Contemporary Poetry, Vol I, Issue I.  I was VERY gratified when they accepted FOUR of my very short poems to use in that anthology.  Bless God!

In March 2004, my FIRST book, Pining From The Heat (and other poems about relationship and intimacy), was released to the market.   That was swiftly followed by a second release in the same month, Three Crows Hunting (and other poems about conflict).

Borrowing from my book Three Crows Hunting, the poems “Enrichment” and “No fussing. No fighting.” were published in May of 2004 in Columbia Crossroads, Volume 9, Issue 4.

Here are samples of some of my other poems and photos used together:

• “Wings”
• “Rails”

Other poetry and literary related links:

• Academy of American Poets
• Authorhouse - A fast growing print-on-demand publisher.
• Chocolate Waters - Yes, this is the real name of a real person!  Check out her poetry, writing services and performances.
• Danielle Legros George - An inspiring poet.

May the Good Lord bless you as you seek Him!!!