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Join us for a presentation and book signing by Jerry Potocnik, author of The Crow's Omen.The Crow’s Omen is a work of historical fiction set in the late 1800s in the far corner of southeastern Kansas in the bustling town of Weir City.
Synopsis:
For years after their father’s death, brothers Ian and Sawyer Pendleton have been separated by many miles and, at least seemingly, an even greater emotional divide, but now find themselves living in their hometown once more just as a contentious coal workers’ strike is about to get underway. Ian, a fearless man of heroic action who toils in a dangerous world underground, is besieged by a difficult secret he can no longer keep to himself. If he does not reconcile the scars of his past, not only will he lose any chance to reconcile with Sawyer, but he will lose the chance at true love as well.
Sawyer is a bright young lawyer with extraordinary talent. He represents the families of miners killed in a terrible explosion, but the case, and indeed his very life, are soon threatened by a sinister and callous force that will stop at nothing to prevent the case from moving forward.
Lucius Schofield is an old ruffian who runs the Crystal Ball Saloon in Weir City, and he is the godfather of Ian and Sawyer. He watches over the boys in his own special way, fulfilling a promise he made long ago to their father. When a dark and ominous threat arrives in town with murderous intent, he must summon a dangerous beast from his sordid past to save his godson’s life.
The Crows’ Omen explores the rich local history of the area’s coal mining heyday, and it pays homage to the miners and their families who sacrificed so much to make better lives for themselves. It is a story firmly rooted in timeless concepts of love and loss, deception and betrayal, and suspense and intrigue. It is anchored by a cast of truly unforgettable characters, some that you come to love, and some that you will love to hate.
Author's Bio:
Jerry Potocnik is a lawyer, real estate broker and first-time novelist in the Kansas City area where he lives with his family. He has been a licensed attorney since 1998, and he has worked as a sole practitioner in Blue Springs, Missouri since 2001. He has worked as a real estate broker since 2017. The Crows’ Omen is his debut novel.
Jerry was born in Pittsburg and raised on a farm near Cherokee. He attended elementary school and middle school in Cherokee, and he graduated from Southeast High School in 1989. Thereafter, he began his college career at Pittsburg State before transferring to Kansas University where he obtained bachelor’s degrees in History and Art History in 1995. Later that same year, he enrolled in the University of Kansas School of Law and graduated with a juris doctorate degree in 1998. He is licensed to practice law in Missouri and Kansas. He is licensed to practice real estate in Missouri only.
Jerry’s family is firmly rooted in southeastern Kansas. His mother was raised on a farm near Columbus, and his father was raised on a farm near West Mineral. His father’s side of the family immigrated to the United States in the early years of the 1900s from Slovenia, settling first in West Mineral to work in the coal mines. Eventually, his great grandfather found employment in the mines at Stone City, just a couple of miles away. The family farm today contains one of the former deep shaft mines of Stone City as well as many acres of strip pits.
Jerry was raised in a household filled with stories of the past, in particular about the coal mining heyday of Cherokee and Crawford Counties. Those stories, along with the diverse cultural heritage found in this region, have remained with him long after moving away. The Crows’ Omen is a fictional story that explores the coal mining heritage of southeastern Kansas, and pays tribute to all the miners and their families who worked to make better lives for themselves.
Miners Hall Museum, 701 S. Broadway, Franklin, KS 66735
Phone: 620-347-4220
Free admission to museum and programs
Open Monday-Saturday 10am-4pm
Located along the historic Jefferson Highway
Adjacent to the National and State Historic Site “Franklin/Arma Sidewalk”
Miners Hall Museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing Southeast Kansas coal mining history and its diverse immigrant culture.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
701 S Broadway St, Franklin, KS, United States, Kansas 66735
