Northern Light Media Authors

One of the most valuable resources in researching my books is the Library of Congress, but it is also one of the most valuable assets in the publishing of my books, as the Library’s Cataloging in Publication is a bibliographic record prepared by the Library of Congress for a book which facilitates book processing for libraries and book dealers. There are parameters, and not every book gets accepted for CIP data. From the Library of Congress website:

• Only U.S. publishers who publish titles that are likely to be widely acquired by U.S. libraries are eligible to participate in the CIP Program. Every publisher/imprint must have already published a minimum of three titles by three different authors. All three titles must have been acquired by at least 1,000 U.S. libraries, either in print or e-book format. CIP Program staff search in WorldCat to determine how many libraries hold a copy of the titles.

In accordance with this, I was delighted when my most recent book, The Iditarod Trail, From Resurrection Bay to Norton Sound, was accepted for inclusion by the Library of Congress:

But Northern Light Media has been publishing books since 2007, featuring titles by several different authors, beginning with Dr. Gary C. Stein’s 412-page book about the ship surgeon, Dr. James Taylor White, aboard the U.S. Revenue Cutters from 1889 to 1901:

“I Wish You Could Come Too,” The Alaska Diaries of Dr. James Taylor White, by Gary C. Stein, Ph.D.. The ships of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Revenue-Cutter Service patrolled the waters of the Bering Sea, the coast of Alaska, and the Yukon River, and for several of those voyages a bright and engaging young physician, Dr. James Taylor White, served aboard and recorded his adventurous work in personal correspondence and journals, providing a first-hand look at life aboard a revenue cutter during Alaska’s formative early years.

At the 2022 Alaska Historical Society’s annual awards recognizing accomplishments in history, the late professor Gary C. Stein was recognized for work as an Alaska historian in the 1970s and 80s and service as AHS president. He published numerous articles and book reviews in the Society’s journal and published his seminal work on Dr. James Taylor White of the U.S. Revenue Marine Service in Alaska with Northern Light Media in 2021.

Denali: The Park and the Peak, by Lew Freedman. A fresh and creative look at Denali National Park and Preserve and the tallest mountain in North America. The author takes his readers on an exciting exploration of what is perhaps the most beloved natural feature of Alaska, from the adventures and experiences of those who live near the great mountain—including the stories of many who have scaled its heights—to the history of the area and the simple joys of watching wildlife and just being in this unique and wondrous natural area.

Award-winning author Lew Freedman has published many books with Northern Light Media, including 50 Years of Iditarod Adventures, Northern Journey, Adventures on the Iditarod Trail, Alaska Hunting Tales, and Alaska Fishing Tales.

The Tender Life: 20 Years of Commercial Fish Tendering in Alaska, by Anne Winters, illustrations and maps by Jon Van Zyle. Anne tells stories from her 20 years of working and living aboard two classic wooden boats with her husband Ron as they worked the Alaska fisheries from south of Ketchikan to way north of Nome. They filled their holds with seine fish and gillnet fish, salmon, halibut, black cod and even abalone. They visited big towns and native villages. They suffered a fire and a near total loss of everything they owned. But they worked together, lived a dream, re-built after tragedy and made life long friends.

The Hope ’91 Sled Dog Race: From Nome, Alaska to Anadyr, Chukotka, Russia. By Helen Hegener, with Sandra Medearis, Jon Van Zyle and Frank Flavin. Tthe story of this historic race from Nome, Alaska to Anadyr, Chukotka, Russia is a testament to the courage and vision of a handful of Alaskans. Along with their counterparts across the Bering Strait, they saw the value in building a bridge between their countries via a month-long 1,200-mile sled dog race across some of the wildest lands on Earth, and they brought together mushers from Alaska, Canada, Norway, Switzerland, Japan and Chukotka, in an effort to share the skills and knowledge of long distance sled dog racing. Along the way they shared friendships, faced unimaginable perils, and inspired a renewed interest in the ancient sled dog breeding traditions which continues to this day. Written by Alaskan author Helen Hegener and the Hope ’91 Race media coordinator Sandra Medearis, with illustrations by Alaskan artist and Hope ’91 race judge Jon Van Zyle—who was also a co-organizer of the race—and photographs by the race photographer Frank Flavin.

In Gentler Valleys Roaming: A Memoir of Sled Dogs, by Julie Verrette. Summer Place Kennel provided a safe haven for retired sled dogs from some of the premier racers in the world, such as four-time Iditarod Champion Susan Butcher and Yukon Quest Champion Aliy Zirkle. They entrusted their beloved teammates to the care of Julie Verrette, the owner and founder of Summer Place Kennel in Florence, Wisconsin.

True to the Trail: A Great-Granddaughter’s Alaskan Quest a Century On, by Anne Verdonk with the Journals of Arthur Dallimore. This book is a compilation of the journals and photographs of Englishman Arthur Dallimore, who joined the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898, tried his hand at a claim near Dawson City, then traveled down the Yukon River to Alaska when he heard of a new strike. Dallimore prospected in the Birch Creek District northeast of Fairbanks, spent several winters cutting firewood for the steamships which plied the Tanana River in the summer months, and eventually built a popular roadhouse on a new trail northwest of Fairbanks.

Sled Dogs in America: The Art of Veryl Goodnight, by Veryl Goodnight and Helen Hegener. This book is an in-depth look at the incredible paintings done by the award-winning Colorado artist who has elevated the history of sled dogs to an exhibit at the prestigious Western Spirit Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona. Pairing the history in photographs and text with the incomparable beauty and historically accurate detail of her paintings, Veryl Goodnight brings a long overdue honor to the brave sled dogs whose role in our history cannot be forgotten.

These books, and the almost two dozen books I’ve written alone, comprise an excellent library of northern history, and they lend credence to the honor bestowed by Anchorage Daily News and Alaska Magazine book reviewer David A. James when he profiled me in January, 2024 and wrote, “With her publishing company, Helen Hegener brings Alaska history (and more) to readers.”

Thanks for reading,

Helen