1087 ratings | 21 reviews | avg rating:3.33

CK’s Year In Books

CK’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at CK’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

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CK Van Dam’s Followers (20)

CK’s Bookshelves

to-read (55)
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read (1132)
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anthology (3)
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CK’s Friends (51)

Sherri

1,240 books | 71 friends

Nathan

3,436 books | 144 friends

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55 books | 168 friends

Liz Moss

76 books | 172 friends

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56 books | 35 friends

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297 books | 8 friends

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105 books | 66 friends

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2026 Reading Challenge

2026

READING

CHALLENGE

CK Van Dam has read 28 of 75 books.

37%

CK Van Dam

Goodreads Author

Born

in Sioux Falls, The United States

Website

https://www.ckvandam.com/

Genre

Historical Fiction, Romance

Member Since

May 2013

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Amazon best-selling author CK Van Dam is a daughter of the Dakota prairies who creates stories about the strong women who have built our nation and our world.

Van Dam’s first novel, Proving Her Claim, received two Spur Awards from Western Writers of America. Lone Tree Claim, the second in the On the Dakota Frontier series, was named a Distinguished Favorite in Western Fiction by Independent Press Awards. Medicine Creek Claim received First Place in Women’s Historical Fiction by Best Book Awards. Iron Horse Claim is the fourth in her series of historical novels.

When the Chokecherries Bloom, written for Middle Grade readers, is the story of Shining Water who first appears in Proving Her Claim.

Visit her website at www.ckvandam.com
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Combine Editions
CK Van Dam’s books

Average rating: 4.35 · 2,392 ratings · 115 reviews · 7 distinct works • Similar authors

	Proving Her Claim (On the Dakota Frontier, #1) 4.33 avg rating — 1,035 ratings — published 2022 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Lone Tree Claim (On the Dakota Frontier, #2) 4.33 avg rating — 663 ratings — published 2023 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Medicine Creek Claim (On the Dakota Frontier, #3) 4.37 avg rating — 449 ratings — published 2024 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Iron Horse Claim: On the Dakota Frontier 4.57 avg rating — 187 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	When the Chokecherries Bloom 4.17 avg rating — 58 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Every Dog Needs A Kid by CK Van Dam (Goodreads Author), Mike Dowling (Illustrator) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Every Dog Needs A Kid 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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CK Van Dam's Blog

Every Dog Needs a Kid

During the Covid quarantine a few years ago, I enrolled in an online course about writing children’s books. It was a step-by-step course on developing an idea, a theme, and a rhythm for the book.

Having just adopted a rescue dog, it was a theme that was very “top of mind” for me. Zinc was a dog without a family, a home, or a name – until we adopted her.

After writing a couple of full-length novels,

Series by CK Van Dam

On the Dakota Frontier (3 books)
by

CK Van Dam (Goodreads Author)

4.34 avg rating — 2,147 ratings

CK is Currently Reading

CK Van Dam is currently reading

Time Chain

by Steven Decker (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading, fiction

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Apr 16, 2026 05:37PM

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CK Van Dam rated a book really liked it How to Kill a Witch: The Patriarchy's Guide to Silencing Women by Zoe Venditozzi	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 16, 2026 05:37PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of How to Kill a Witch by Zoe Venditozzi. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — How to Kill a Witch by Zoe Venditozzi <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
CK Van Dam is currently reading Time Chain by Steven Decker (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 16, 2026 05:37PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Time Chain by Steven Decker. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Time Chain by Steven Decker <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
CK Van Dam rated a book really liked it How to Kill a Witch: The Patriarchy's Guide to Silencing Women by Zoe Venditozzi	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 16, 2026 05:37PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of How to Kill a Witch by Zoe Venditozzi. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — How to Kill a Witch by Zoe Venditozzi <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
CK Van Dam rated a book it was amazing Twelve Months (The Dresden Files, #18) by Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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CK Van Dam rated a book it was ok Nation of the Sun (The Ancient Souls #1) by H.R. Moore (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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CK Van Dam rated a book really liked it Daughters of Dakota: Stories of Friendship Between Settlers and the Dakota Indians (South Dakota Pioneer Daughters Collection ; Vol. III) by Sally Roesch Wagner	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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CK Van Dam is currently reading Nation of the Sun (The Ancient Souls #1) by H.R. Moore (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 29, 2026 03:36PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Nation of the Sun by H.R. Moore. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Nation of the Sun by H.R. Moore <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
CK Van Dam rated a book it was amazing The Book Woman's Daughter (The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, #2) by Kim Michele Richardson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 29, 2026 03:32PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
CK Van Dam rated a book really liked it The Beginning Comes After the End: Notes on a World of Change by Rebecca Solnit	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 29, 2026 05:23AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Beginning Comes After the End by Rebecca Solnit. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Beginning Comes After the End by Rebecca Solnit <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
CK Van Dam is currently reading The Book Woman's Daughter (The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, #2) by Kim Michele Richardson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 24, 2026 07:39AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">