Claire Mountcastle

The quaint little town of Pendleton, IN is known for its industrialism and its famous Fall's Park. But, what you might not know is that there is tons of heart in the center of downtown. Pendleton is the home of many local businesses such as Falls Perk, The Stable, The Mercantile in Pendleton - just to name a few. In October of 2025, Pendleton opened it's doors to its very first independent bookstore, Monarch Books. The store has been operating behind an art gallery for almost a year since it...

When you’re born and raised in Indiana, you have to make your own fun. As you might expect, there aren't a lot of exciting things to do around here. Whether it was using playground equipment to make an imaginary film set, going to Walmart at midnight or even creating fictitious worlds with words, I had to get creative when it came to having fun. I have always loved to write. It always came naturally to me and it’s been quite a constant in my life. When I was 10, I started a neighborhood...