https://pineandprairiepress.com/journalNotes from author Zach Jerry and Pine & Prairie Press about books, storytelling, history, place, and the outdoors.en-usWed, 07 Oct 2026 16:30:00 +0000 https://pineandprairiepress.com/camp-707-german-pow-camp-minnesotahttps://pineandprairiepress.com/camp-707-german-pow-camp-minnesotaWed, 07 Oct 2026 16:30:00 +0000Zach JerryThe history behind the real German POW branch camp near Deer River, Minnesota, and how it connects to the novel Between Life and Death at Camp 707. https://pineandprairiepress.com/why-northern-minnesota-makes-a-powerful-setting-for-fictionhttps://pineandprairiepress.com/why-northern-minnesota-makes-a-powerful-setting-for-fictionWed, 07 Oct 2026 16:30:00 +0000Zach JerryWhy lakes, woods, winter, isolation, memory, and small communities make northern Minnesota such a powerful setting for fiction. https://pineandprairiepress.com/stories-of-service-homecoming-and-the-burdens-people-carryhttps://pineandprairiepress.com/stories-of-service-homecoming-and-the-burdens-people-carryWed, 07 Oct 2026 16:30:00 +0000Zach JerryA reflection on service, family, homecoming, and the themes behind The Ghosts That Follow Us Home. https://pineandprairiepress.com/family-traditions-hunting-fishing-and-the-stories-we-keephttps://pineandprairiepress.com/family-traditions-hunting-fishing-and-the-stories-we-keepWed, 07 Oct 2026 16:30:00 +0000Zach JerryWhy outdoor traditions and family hunting and fishing memories become stories worth preserving across generations. https://pineandprairiepress.com/how-to-make-a-fantasy-world-feel-lived-inhttps://pineandprairiepress.com/how-to-make-a-fantasy-world-feel-lived-inWed, 07 Oct 2026 16:30:00 +0000Zach JerryA practical look at how ordinary systems, travel, work, weather, and daily life can make fantasy settings feel believable. https://pineandprairiepress.com/why-comic-fantasy-works-when-the-world-takes-itself-seriouslyhttps://pineandprairiepress.com/why-comic-fantasy-works-when-the-world-takes-itself-seriouslyWed, 07 Oct 2026 16:30:00 +0000Zach JerryWhy comic fantasy becomes funnier when the world has real rules, consequences, jobs, and money problems. https://pineandprairiepress.com/why-lake-houses-and-old-estates-make-good-mystery-settingshttps://pineandprairiepress.com/why-lake-houses-and-old-estates-make-good-mystery-settingsWed, 07 Oct 2026 16:30:00 +0000Zach JerryWhy inherited property, old estates, isolated shorelines, and layered histories naturally support mystery fiction.