“Amelia’s Garden,” a new book by West Newfield, Maine author C.J. Pike, illustrated by Virginia Souza, has been released by RoseDog Books. Pike especially enjoys recapturing stories of her youth and writing nostalgic story books for young readers.

Pike’s first published short story was “Old Shoes,” a story about her grandfather. As a young girl growing up in Maine, the thrill of a morning sleigh ride with her grandfather was an exciting event.

For the past 10 years, Pike has been writing a weekly column in a local newspaper, on her home town news. Weekly columns include news of local events, recipes and occasionally feature stories on historical buildings, people or events in Newfield.

Maine illustrator Virginia Souza has had a career as a graphic designer since graduating from the Massachusetts College of Art. She makes her home around the Maine coast, where she operates a graphic and art studio. Her accomplishments include book illustrations, magazine covers, art shows and more.

“Amelia’s Garden” is a 36-page paperback with a retail price of $16. The ISBN is 978-1-4349-3217-4 and is available through online bookstores. For more information, visit www.dorrancepressroom.com or www.rosedogbookstore.com.