Gary P. West

Shopping Your Way Across Kentucky . . . 101 Must Places to Shop - $21.95 plus shipping and handling

There are two things people like to do when they travel and that’s to eat and shop.  Come to think of it you don’t have to be traveling to enjoy this.

After writing Eating Your Way Across Kentucky, it only made sense to write Shopping Your Way Across Kentucky . . .  101 Must Places to Shop.

Shopping Your Way Across Kentucky identifies unique, and in some cases, unusual stores that offer merchandise not found anywhere else.  The book is broken down into five geographical regions of the state.  The significance here is that you don’t always have to go to a big city to shop.  It is surprising sometime to find the high quality of goods offered by merchants from one end of Kentucky to the other.

Shopping Your Way Across Kentucky is one of those books you don’t want to leave home without.

The book will be released October 18, 2008.  Click here to read more about Shopping Your Way Across Kentucky . . . 101 Must Places to Shop.

Eating Your Way Across Kentucky. . .The Recipes - $24.95 plus shipping
Eating Your Way Across Kentucky . . . The Recipes is a natural follow-up to the very successful, and still popular, Eating Your Way Across Kentucky . . . 101 Must Places To Eat.

It just made sense to assemble recipes from all of these places, of which a few are on the beaten path, but most off of it. And then by adding a handful of recipes from family and friends, really add to the enjoyment of preparing special dishes from special people.

This is a first quality hard-back recipe book made even more user friendly with its spiral binding.

It looks good in any home, but especially the kitchen. One for yourself and a few as gifts to friends will be a welcome addition when presented.

The book was released in November 2007. Click Here to read more about Eating Your Way Across Kentucky - The Recipes

An annual online poll conducted by the Daily News, Bowling Green’s daily newspaper, has recognized Gary P. West as “The Best Local Writer.”
“It came as a very pleasant surprise,” Gary says. “There are lots of talented writers in the area,” so to be recognized this way is an honor. I’m glad to be able to write about things people enjoy reading.”

Few people know Kentucky like Gary P. West. Growing up in Elizabethtown, and living in Bowling Green since 1971, his sports and tourism background have allowed him to travel to every corner of the Commonwealth, making friends at every stop.

Along the way he picked up stories, stories he would file away along with the names of many of the people he met. He figured someday he would put them to use.

“It’s all about people,” Gary says. “We hear this so much, but it really is. It’s the people you nod to walking down the street, it’s the people you say “thank you” to, it’s the people that say “come back” and really mean it, and it’s those who become your friends.”

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As he researched this book over two years, Gary’s visits to small gyms throughout the mountains of eastern Kentucky brought him a better understanding of what youngsters had to overcome in order to achieve success on the basketball court.

One person, King Kelly Coleman, did it while playing in a wooden structure that seated some 350 fans. The year was 1956, the town was Wayland, a small coal camp far removed from big city lights, freshly laundered uniforms, paved parking lots, and gyms with glass backboards.

Click Here for more information about King Kelly Coleman

“Eating Your Way Across Kentucky” is not a book about gourmet or fancy food, although there is a touch of both in it. It deals with restaurants in small, medium and big towns in Kentucky that, because of their attention to the little things and a labor of love for serving good food, have distinguished themselves as worthy enough for inclusion.

Gary has taken all of the guess work out of where to eat. His two years of traveling the state personally eating in all 101 restaurants earned him the right to publish this book.

Click Here to read more about Eating Your Way Across Kentucky

In the works is “101 Must Places To Visit In Kentucky Before You Die”. The book will identify an assortment of interesting places, events and people throughout the state.

“Some for sure are probably on your radar screen,” says Gary.  “But you can be sure there are many that you wouldn’t even know of or think about.”

“I have found that as a writer I need to always have a certain amount of flexibility in what I write about,” said Gary.  “There is no one certain way to describe a Kentuckian.  Our interest are so varied.  I do know, however, that we like to eat and shop.  And, yes, we enjoy basketball whether we want to or not.  That’s a given.”

Gary goes on to point out that it’s a Kentuckian’s right to be able to travel.

“I know there are some factors beyond our control like fuel cost and perceived safety issues that on the surface might cause us to stay put.  But that’s not who or what we are.  We need to travel and should.  That’s why Kentucky is such a natural.  We can do it all right here in our state.  There are thousands of interesting places to visit, and I’ve tried to identify 101 of them.”