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The Lost Lineup
Book 2 of the Myths & Tales of the Winasook Iron Horses.
Charles “Shoeshine” Henry travels to Iowa to search for the truth about a historical, mysterious baseball league. As he enters Davenport, he hits a man with his rental car. The man smashes his hood with a baseball bat. That man turns out to be Canadian author W.P. Kinsella. This sets off a series of bizarre encounters between Kinsella and Henry as Charles tries to discover a lost lineup of forgotten ballplayers and Kinsella tries to save the game from those who would destroy it. While Kinsella and Charles are locked in their struggle for the truth, Raymond Blythe mysteriously returns to Iowa with the gods of baseball, tasked with creating the perfect game prescribed by Aristotle in the Pythagorean Society’s List of Opposites. To prove that baseball is that game, Raymond tells forgotten stories of his beloved former team, the Winasook Iron Horses. If Blythe and the gods can create the game in time, and if Kinsella and Charles can discover their way to the field, perhaps a grand homecoming can occur, which will inaugurate baseball’s first pitch.
Book Two of the Myths & Tales of the Winasook Iron Horses returns with all the wonderful and quirky characters from book 1, A Diamond for Her. But this time, the stakes are higher. Part historical fiction, part thriller, part adventure, part magical realism, part fantasy, The Lost Lineup is an adventure cobbled together like no other, brimming with unique historical characters and poignant stories. It is a baseball lover’s dream as it delves into the creation story of the world’s greatest game.
Charles “Shoeshine” Henry travels to Iowa to search for the truth about a historical, mysterious baseball league. As he enters Davenport, he hits a man with his rental car. The man smashes his hood with a baseball bat. That man turns out to be Canadian author W.P. Kinsella. This sets off a series of bizarre encounters between Kinsella and Henry as Charles tries to discover a lost lineup of forgotten ballplayers and Kinsella tries to save the game from those who would destroy it. While Kinsella and Charles are locked in their struggle for the truth, Raymond Blythe mysteriously returns to Iowa with the gods of baseball, tasked with creating the perfect game prescribed by Aristotle in the Pythagorean Society’s List of Opposites. To prove that baseball is that game, Raymond tells forgotten stories of his beloved former team, the Winasook Iron Horses. If Blythe and the gods can create the game in time, and if Kinsella and Charles can discover their way to the field, perhaps a grand homecoming can occur, which will inaugurate baseball’s first pitch.
Book Two of the Myths & Tales of the Winasook Iron Horses returns with all the wonderful and quirky characters from book 1, A Diamond for Her. But this time, the stakes are higher. Part historical fiction, part thriller, part adventure, part magical realism, part fantasy, The Lost Lineup is an adventure cobbled together like no other, brimming with unique historical characters and poignant stories. It is a baseball lover’s dream as it delves into the creation story of the world’s greatest game.
312 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2022
6 people are currently reading
354 people want to read
About the author
Mark W. Sasse
27 books96 followershttps://www.mwsasse.com
https://www.facebook.com/markwsasse
Mark is a proud Western PA native but has lived most of the last twenty years in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia. His overseas experiences have redefined everything including his palate, his outlook on life, and naturally his writing.
He has written ten novels, including his brand new Forgotten Child Trilogy.
His interests cast a wide net - from politics to literature - to culture and language - to history and religion - making his writing infused with the unexpected as he seeks to tell authentic and engaging stories about people from all walks of life. His writing is straightforward and accessible to all, especially those who enjoy writing injected with doses of culture, history, adventure, and delightful humor. You never know what you might get when you pick up a Sasse novel.
Besides novel-writing, Sasse is a prolific dramatist, having written and produced more than a dozen full-length dramatic productions. He especially is fond of the short play format and has twice won the Best Script award at the Short & Sweet Theatre Festival Penang. His plays and short musicals have also been produced in New York City, Kuala Lumpur and Sydney. His play "The Last Bastion" was awarded the Greywood Arts Winter Residency 2018 in Ireland. Performances of his scripts also won Gold and Bronze medals at the Southeast Asian Forensics Competition 2014.
His professional background is as diverse as his writing. He holds Master's degrees from California State University Dominquez Hills and Azusa Pacific University in Humanities and TESOL respectively. His undergraduate degree was in English, which helped him develop his passion for creative writing. He has extensive experience in teaching English, history, and drama.
On top of all of this, he loves to cook everything from gourmet pizzas, to Mexican, to various Asian dishes. Flavor is the key of both his cooking and his writing. He very much hopes you enjoy the taste.
Published Novels and Short Stories of Mark W. Sasse
2021 A Diamond for Her: Myths and Tales of the Winasook Iron Horses
2020 Moses the Singer
2019 The Forgotten Child (Book 3)
2018 The African Connection (Forgotten Child Trilogy Book 2)
2017 A Man too Old for a Place too Far (Forgotten Child Trilogy Book 1)
2016 Which Half David: A Modern-day King David Story
2015 A Love Story for a Nation (coming in July) - Kindle & Paperback
2014 If Love is a Crime: A Christmas Story - Kindle only
2014 The Reach of the Banyan Tree - Kindle & Paperback
2013 The Recluse Storyteller - Kindle & Paperback
2012 Beauty Rising - Kindle & Paperback
https://www.facebook.com/markwsasse
Mark is a proud Western PA native but has lived most of the last twenty years in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia. His overseas experiences have redefined everything including his palate, his outlook on life, and naturally his writing.
He has written ten novels, including his brand new Forgotten Child Trilogy.
His interests cast a wide net - from politics to literature - to culture and language - to history and religion - making his writing infused with the unexpected as he seeks to tell authentic and engaging stories about people from all walks of life. His writing is straightforward and accessible to all, especially those who enjoy writing injected with doses of culture, history, adventure, and delightful humor. You never know what you might get when you pick up a Sasse novel.
Besides novel-writing, Sasse is a prolific dramatist, having written and produced more than a dozen full-length dramatic productions. He especially is fond of the short play format and has twice won the Best Script award at the Short & Sweet Theatre Festival Penang. His plays and short musicals have also been produced in New York City, Kuala Lumpur and Sydney. His play "The Last Bastion" was awarded the Greywood Arts Winter Residency 2018 in Ireland. Performances of his scripts also won Gold and Bronze medals at the Southeast Asian Forensics Competition 2014.
His professional background is as diverse as his writing. He holds Master's degrees from California State University Dominquez Hills and Azusa Pacific University in Humanities and TESOL respectively. His undergraduate degree was in English, which helped him develop his passion for creative writing. He has extensive experience in teaching English, history, and drama.
On top of all of this, he loves to cook everything from gourmet pizzas, to Mexican, to various Asian dishes. Flavor is the key of both his cooking and his writing. He very much hopes you enjoy the taste.
Published Novels and Short Stories of Mark W. Sasse
2021 A Diamond for Her: Myths and Tales of the Winasook Iron Horses
2020 Moses the Singer
2019 The Forgotten Child (Book 3)
2018 The African Connection (Forgotten Child Trilogy Book 2)
2017 A Man too Old for a Place too Far (Forgotten Child Trilogy Book 1)
2016 Which Half David: A Modern-day King David Story
2015 A Love Story for a Nation (coming in July) - Kindle & Paperback
2014 If Love is a Crime: A Christmas Story - Kindle only
2014 The Reach of the Banyan Tree - Kindle & Paperback
2013 The Recluse Storyteller - Kindle & Paperback
2012 Beauty Rising - Kindle & Paperback
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 18, 2022
The plot of “The Lost Lineup” was rich. It was a genuine surprise throughout. A topped with a strong ending.
The action gets more dramatic As we get more into the influence of Greek gods. No, I am not much into Greek mythology but at a simplistic level this seems to work.
On a very positive note, the characters were done very well. As a character-driven story, the personalities held depth. A fast, easy read.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily
The action gets more dramatic As we get more into the influence of Greek gods. No, I am not much into Greek mythology but at a simplistic level this seems to work.
On a very positive note, the characters were done very well. As a character-driven story, the personalities held depth. A fast, easy read.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily
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May 18, 2022The plot of “The Lost Lineup” was rich. It was a genuine surprise throughout. A topped with a strong ending.
The action gets more dramatic As we get more into the influence of Greek gods. No, I am not much into Greek mythology but at a simplistic level this seems to work.
On a very positive note, the characters were done very well. As a character-driven story, the personalities held depth. A fast, easy read.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily
The action gets more dramatic As we get more into the influence of Greek gods. No, I am not much into Greek mythology but at a simplistic level this seems to work.
On a very positive note, the characters were done very well. As a character-driven story, the personalities held depth. A fast, easy read.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily
June 8, 2022
The Last Line-up is Book 2 in the Myths and Tales of the Winasook Iron Horses by Mark W Sasse. This is a baseball book, but, since I love baseball, I enjoyed this tale. The characters are historical people, but this is a book of fiction. Dr Charles Shoeshine Henry goes to Iowa to help Ray Chapman, or at least his ghost! This baseball journey is good stuff for the fans of ball. Pop some popcorn and grab a soda and take this journey with Shoeshine. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.
August 1, 2022
Fun and intriguing read. Enjoyed this read about finding the truth of baseball that Shoeshine/C Henry and W P Kinsella are searching for after they 'bump into each other'. Along comes Raymond Blythe who is bringing the mythical gods and ballpark to this beloved game; baseball. Very enjoyable read and enjoyed the mythical characters and park.
November 18, 2022
Easy-to-read baseball fiction
I enjoyed reading the first book and was glad that I continued with this one.
The author provides an Appendix with a brief description of key characters. At the beginning of the book, he tells us who were actual people IRL.
I enjoyed reading the first book and was glad that I continued with this one.
The author provides an Appendix with a brief description of key characters. At the beginning of the book, he tells us who were actual people IRL.
May 3, 2022
I am a sucker for a good baseball story and this one fit the bill. I mean who doesn't like the Field of Dreams and this book is on that level with a whole new twist. A must read book.
November 24, 2022
Love baseball, love a quest story and loved Field of Dreams.
This is a unique story about creating the perfect game. Naturally it would need Aristotle and ancient gods and the Pythagorean Society’s List of Opposites. Thought DaVinci would have been a great addition to the group.
The yen-yang, odd-even, team-individual elementals in the game are thing I never thought of before. Now I notice it in every game I watched this year.
This is a unique story about creating the perfect game. Naturally it would need Aristotle and ancient gods and the Pythagorean Society’s List of Opposites. Thought DaVinci would have been a great addition to the group.
The yen-yang, odd-even, team-individual elementals in the game are thing I never thought of before. Now I notice it in every game I watched this year.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews