r 2016

Septembe

Your Guide to
Self-Publishing
The Indie E-books Evolution
Perfecting Your
Online Presence
Reviews Roundup
86 New Titles Listed

D I G I TA L P U BL I S H I N G

The Indie E-Books Evolution

By Alex Daniel

New services and a growing market make it

a good time for authors to go digital

ndie authors are finding that

for any specific reader, he says.
now is a good time to dive into
For examples, the book discovery app
e-books. As readers continue to
eBook Search has just been made availembrace the format, e-book platable on Android, and Kobo recently
forms expand their offerings,
launched its new water-resistant Aura
and indie authors get savvier with the
One reader. On the other side, there are
technology, authors and publishers are
just as many startups offering services to
seeing more opportunitiesbut also a
e-book authors, from grammar checkers
fair number of challengesin the selfto sales trackers, Friedlander says.
published e-book market.
Though he emphasizes that obviously,
At the beginning of September, Pew
many of these ventures will
Research Center reported that 28% of
not survive, the major
U.S. adults had read an e-book in the past
players in the space, notably
yeara five-point increase from four
800-pound gorilla Amazon
years ago. Additionally, earlier this year
Kindle Direct Publishing,
Technavio predicted that the e-book
have continued to try to stay
market in the U.S. would grow by almost
ahead of the competition.
14% between now and 2020surNothing has even
passing $13 billion.
remotely approached the
BookWorks founder and CEO Betty
importance or impact of
Kelly Sargent says members of her selfAmazon KDP when it comes
publishing association are embracing the
to e-book sales and distribu- Ellen Reid
format in ever-greater numbers. E-book
tion, says indie publishing
technology is the magic bullet for indie
expert Jane Friedman. But, beyond that,
authors, she says. She adds that members
she sees growing potential in the distribuse the format to make their books
utor Draft2Digital, which serves indie
accessibleto a worldwide audience [and]
authors and competes with the wellgive their out-of-print books a new life by
established Smashwords. Im also really
making them available again as e-books
interested in the direction and growth of
when the original rights have
Tapas Media, which is
reverted to the author.
now working with tradiAnd new e-book innovational publishers to turn
tions are inspiring more
full-length books into
authors to adopt the format.
mobile-friendly serialized
According to Joel Friedlander,
forms, Friedman says.
who runs the Book Designer
Another startup that
blog, new developments are
Friedman is keeping an
happening primarily in two
eye on is Reedsy, a service
areas. On one side, there are
that connects authors
more and more entries for sites
with publishing profesand apps specifically for readers Joel Friedlander
sionals, and that has been
of e-books, from storefronts to
expanding its efforts in
genre-specific collections, to algorithms
the e-book and digital book sectors. Its
that are supposed to find the best books
still early days, but I like their intuitive
48 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y S E P T E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 6

interface that doesnt require you to take

a course just to learn how to use it, says
Friedman.

Growing Distribution

Indie e-book authors are finding that they

have more choices than KDP. Friedman
points out that Kobo has stopped penalizing authors on royalty rates when they
price their e-books highwhich means
that authors selling large
bundles of e-books can go
with a higher price. Apple
has followed a similar
approach, with a flat royalty rate no matter how
high the price an author
charges.
New tools have also
given indie authors more
access to a place that has
often been difficult for
them to reach: libraries.
Sargent points to BiblioBoard, made by
BiblioLabs, and similar services.
OverDrive, which allows libraries to lend
e-books to people, is also a service that
indie authors might want to consider.
This is new for most indie authors,
and they dont know enough about it,
Ellen Reid, an indie author who runs the
website Indie Book Expert, says of
libraries as an e-book distribution platform for indie authors.
Indie authors are also seeking ways to
break into international markets with
their e-books. But, Friedman warns, it
still requires significant resources and
investment in translation, not to mention marketing know-how in other countries or languages.
The improvements in technology and
e-book services have made the process of
converting and formatting e-books easier

D I G I TA L P U BL I S H I N G
than ever. The growing services are also allowing
e-books to evolve in style and
appearance.
I sense theres a general
desire to see e-books improve
typographically, to become
more like the print books we
know and love, says
Friedlander. He adds that,
though genre fiction looks
pretty steady on the e-book Keith Ogorek
platform, he advises authors
to match the formats of their books with
the preferences of readers of that genre or
segment. He recommends that they
dont dilute the market for their own
products.
E-books have largely leveled off in
sales, although they still represent a significant number, says Keith Ogorek,
senior vice president of marketing for the
indie author service Author Solutions.
Certain genres, such as romance and
erotica, sell more in e-books than print,
but every once in a while we may see sales
from a title in a different genre spike.
Marketing and discoverability remain
the biggest difficulties for indie authors
who are jumping into digital publishing.
There are so many competing titles out
there, Ogorek says. The key is to get
key people reading the book and talking
about it to others in person or through
social media. Lots has been written about
this, as well, but metadata and keyword
selection is more important than ever.
Peggy DeKay, host of the Business of
Writing Today podcast and author of
Self-Publishing for Virgins, offers this
advice to her clients: Your biggest competitor is not overcoming another author
and/or another book inyour genreit is
overcomingobscurity. She adds that
for indie authors especially, this is a key
impediment, although traditional
e-book authors with smaller platforms
have the same problem. DeKay says
KDP Select is still a viable and cheap
medium for building awareness, but
Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Ingram
Spark, and Kobo have also made it much
easier for indie authors to get

distribution.
Friedman says many of
the difficulties in marketing
are rooted in authors stillrudimentary understanding
of how to optimize metadata
and retail descriptions,
which can make the difference between a book garnering recommendations
and disappearing like a
needle into a haystack. She
predicts that in the near
future well see more powerful tools and
resources that help authors better figure
out how to reach just the right reader,
whether thats through specific retailers
or throughout the online reading community. Related to this, Friedman
expects to see e-book formatting and production tools become far simpler and
more intuitive, at least for text-based
work.
What is working well for e-book
authors when it comes to marketing is
focusing on preorders.Friedman says this
is particularly true for authors with established series or readerships, pointing to
Smashwordss annual report, which consistently shows that books with preorders
perform better over time. Although,
that may be a self-fulfilling prophecy,
since its the established and professional
authors who are more likely to run a preorder in the first place, she adds.

Best Practices

One promotional strategy that has

proved effective is offering email discount deals through services such as
BookBub, which Friedman calls a key
way for authors to push up their visibility
and bump up sales. But theres no consensus on just how far to take discounting
and giveaways.
Im seeing disagreement among professional indies right now about how and
when to make e-books available for free,
says Friedman. Though the traditional
approach had been to make the first book
in a series free in order to hook readers
and get them buying subsequent volumes, some authors are not automati-

cally doing that any

moretheyre making
somethingelseavailable
for free rather than the first book in a
series.
Pricing is also an important consideration. Sargent recommends keeping
e-book prices between $2.99 and $4.99
in order to attract buyers without
charging as much as they might expect
to pay for a print book. [Authors can]
make a nice profit when their e-book is
priced right, says Sargent.
Whatever the advancements in technology, the best way for authors to raise
the likelihood that their e-books will
catch on is to write good ones to begin
with. Technology and platforms cannot
make up for a poorly written book, so we
have not seen any new developments
impact sales, Ogorek says. A good story
or helpful book gains readers no matter

what technology is in the market.

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D I G I TA L M E D I A

Mastering Your Online Presence

How authors can prepare a solid foundation for growth and sales
By Jane Friedman

s an increasing percentage of book sales

move onlinewhether
for print, e-book, or
audio editionsmarketing can involve and rely upon authors
executing todays best practices for websites and digital media. This is true for
traditional authors as much as it is for
independent authors. As authors careers
grow across multiple books, the online
accounts and sites tied to their names
inevitably become more influential, visible, and meaningful.
Online presence ought to be under the
control and ownership of authors rather
than publishers. However, this raises
immediate concerns for author and publisher alike: authors may not be in a position to know best practices for websites
and digital media, and publishers may
not have the time or resource to invest in
every authors online presence. (And if
publishers do make this author investment, theyre investing in something
they likely cant own.) So theres something of a catch-22 here, and the importance of figuring this out has been discussed by longtime industry consultants
as a key challenge facing publishers.
I wont be solving that conundrum in
this column, but Id like to put forward
a few principles for authors to follow
regardless of how and where they publish
to ensure a solid foundation for growth
and sales.
First, authors need to identify the
names theyre publishing underat
least for a particular genre or target
audienceand stick with them.
Unfortunately, Ive met writers who publish under several variations of their
name, e.g., sometimes using middle initials or not, or sometimes using their
maiden names or not. Its much easier to

build brand recognition

if you keep all your publishing activity under
the same name and the
same expression of that
name; usually the only
exception is if youre
writing for very different
audiences. Emerging or
unpublished writers
should give preference to
author names that are
most easily distinguished in the marketplace. Try to build on territory where
youre not directly competing against
someone else, and where youre unlikely
to be confused for someone else.
Once you know what author name
youll be using, be relentlessly consistent in the expression of that name
throughout your websites and social
media accounts. The domain name of
your author website will ideally be the
name you publish under, but this isnt
always possible to acquire. Sometimes
its necessary to add the word author or
books to the end of the domain name
(e.g., janefriedmanauthor.com), but even
if the domain name isnt perfect, its okay.
You can set the title of your website as
the name you publish under (so that
search results clearly state your official
author name), and your website
homepage or header image can reinforce
your branding by clearly stating your
official author name as well.
For social media accounts, you
want the same consistency and discipline. Unfortunately, this is where
things can start to fall apart because we
may have created these accounts at different times, for different reasons, and
before a publishing career is underway.
To the best of your ability, depending on
what the social media network allows,

50 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y S E P T E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 6

change your social media

handle or URL to the
name you publish under,
or, at the very least,
change your display name
to the name you publish
under. Also take special
care to set your official
author name for your
Amazon Author Page
(you can access it through
Amazon Author Central)
and at Goodreads, where you can create
an official author profile.
If youve ever searched for your name
through Google, youve probably noticed
that accounts on social media can often
appear on the first page of search
resultssites such as Twitter, Facebook,
and LinkedIn. (The same is true of your
books or author profile at Amazon and
Goodreads.) By establishing accounts at
these networks with your official author
name (and linking back to your author
website from these accounts), you can
reinforce your author brand and message
when people search online for you or your
work.
Finally, consistency is also important when you publish at sites or
blogs other than your own. This
includes any interviews or media coverage. Make sure that your author name
is expressed in a way that matches your
name everywhere else, and, whenever
possible, have a bio link back to your
author website. Again, the point is to
reinforce the digital breadcrumb trail
that points to the website ofSuzy Q.
Authorand helps suzyqauthor.com be
among the top places that people go to
find out more about Suzynot to mention that it allows you to sign readers up
for your email newsletter and further
engage with a growing readership.

New Titles
from Self-Publishers
Booksellers, publishers, librarians, and agents are encouraged to look at the 86 selfpublished titles below, with descriptions provided by their authors. Some of these
writers are waiting to be discovered; others have a track record and a following and
are doing it on their own. If you are a self-published author interested in listing titles
in this section, please visit publishersweekly.com/pw-select for more information.
FICTION
An Affair with Beauty:
The Mystique of Howard Chandler
Christy; The Magic of Youth
James Philip Head. North Loop Books.
$23 hardcover (292p), ISBN 978-163413-882-6; $5.99 e-book,
ASIN B01GW71V48
Amazon, Apple iBooks,
BN.com
Art, fashion, and scandal
collide in this biographical
novel about Howard
Chandler Christy, a popular painter of the
Jazz Age.
Alone and on My Knees
John DeCoste. AuthorHouse. $28.99
paper (456p), ISBN 978-1-5049-7504-9;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5049-7471-4
Amazon
A story of growth in relationships, in love, hope,
trust, and faith, and the
great need for a deep, loving
presence in ones life.
Flower God Ogre Wolf
Marshall Street. Alan Wilson. $2.99
e-book, ISBN 978-0-646-94981-9
Amazon, Kobo
Deep within something stirred.
Something primal. A wolfs
hunger bayed, ever and
always. Not for bloodit
was for money he hungered.
But he was a wolf. And for
wolves, blood is currency.

For King and Country

(Battle Scars, Vol. 2)
Charlene Newcomb. CreateSpace. $14.99
paper (578p), ISBN 978-1-5306-7436-7;
$5.99 e-book, ASIN B01EX5VB78
Amazon
England, 1193: Civil war
threatens as battle-scarred
knight Henry de Grey
returns from serving King
Richard the Lionheart in the
Crusades.
A Giant Squid in Nylon
Siafu. Dorrance Publishing. $25 paper
(440p), ISBN 978-1-4809-2657-8
Dorrancebookstore.com
A spicy adventure of
marriage and revenge. An
indomitable socialite, a
proctology convention, rich
neighbors, a rescued child:
what could possibly go right?

ASIN B01G0JL314
Amazon, IngramSpark,
Kobo
A darkly comic twin tale
of Londons Shoreditch
neighborhood today, with
its bearded hipsters from high-tech companies, and in the 1950s, when mobs
ruled the streets.
The Lost Codex of the Christian
Heretics
Kyla Merwin. KMC Media. $19.95 paper
(462p), ISBN 978-0-9910689-2-0;
$9.95 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9910689-3-7
Amazon, Lightning Source
Three daring friends
search the mysterious landscapes of 1947 Egypt
unveiling the most controversial archeological discovery in 2,000 years.

Im Just the Keyboard Guy

JoAnn L. Hill. Wheatmark. $13.95 paper
(282p), ISBN 978-1-62787-202-7;
$5.99 e-book, ASIN B00TU47C5S
Amazon
As a boy growing up in
Montana, Reg Mathews is
thought to inherit the
family ranch when he comes
of age, but he falls in love
with his piano instead.

Memory Lane:
Living in East New York
Rasheem Youmans. Xlibris. $19.99 paper
(174p), ISBN 978-1-5144-5442-8;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5144-5441-1
Amazon
This novel lays bare the
harsh reality of a little boy
lured by the power of
money, sex, and drugs into
the belly of the beast of East
New York.

The Last Director of Shoreditch

Huw Jones. Huw Jones. $3.99 e-book,

Nanjing Never Cries

Hong Zheng. Killian Press. $29.95 hard-

52 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y S E P T E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 6

D
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NEW SELFPUBLISHED TITLES

cover (376p), ISBN 978-1944347-00-0
Amazon, BN.com, MIT
Press
Four friends are caught in
the invasion of the city of
Nanjing during the Sino-Japanese War
(19371945). The novel captures the
emotions that are at the heart of war.
Otorongo
JimLinsa. iUniverse. $18.99 paper
(344p), ISBN 978-1-4917-9538-5;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4917-9539-2
Amazon
The erotic tale of a writers journey of sexual discovery, guided by his nubile
muse, through a hallucinatory universe populated by
other libidinous spirits, both beautiful
and terrifying.
Poet of the Wrong Generation:
A Fable of Stardoms Rewards
Lonnie Ostrow. Harmony River Press.
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9974042-1-0
Amazon
A lovable underdog and
his meteoric rise to
stardom, his humiliating
downfall, and his unprecedented attempt to reclaim
his place as the unlikely musical
spokesman for his generation.

9971010-6-5
Amazon
Lizzie Baby Doe Tabor
was a woman ahead of her
time who bucked social
expectations, lived under
extremes of both poverty and wealth, and
followed a unique spiritual path.

$6.99 e-book, ASIN B007W4NUBI

Amazon
In 1874, tiny Emily
makes her appearance in the
world. She is the foundation
of the Roberts family and
often the breadwinner.

Unrest: A Coming-of-Age Story

Beneath the Alborz Mountains
Sandra Ann Heath. Sandra Ann Heath.
$9.99 e-book, ASIN B01AZHVBJG
Amazon
American 17-year-old
Annie Patterson is traveling
to join her lieutenant colonel father in Tehran. Its
the late 1970s, and Iran is
on the verge of phenomenal and unprecedented change.

Youth in the City:

Various Small Fictions
Chris Jalufka, illus. by Thomas
Danthony. Evil Tender. $20 paper (60p),
ISBN 978-1-5323-1353-0
Eviltender.com, Amazon
A series of narrators wanders the city, in part imagined future, part internal
monologue. A voyeuristic
look inside the lives of
lonely drifters trying to make the city
their home.

The Whispering of the Willows

Tonya Jewel Blessing. Capture Books.
$18.99 paper (396p), ISBN 978-09971625-4-7; $7.99 e-book,
ASIN B01C6HMDUE
Amazon, Baker & Taylor,
Ingram
In West Virginia in the
late 1920s, Emerald Ashby
learns hard lessons when a
deeply disturbed man is thrust into her
life by uncaring parents.

The Apology
Eric Haggman. CreateSpace. $14.99
paper (313p), ISBN 978-0-9973137-0-3
Amazon
An ex-marine returns to
modern-day Vietnam to
shoot tourism videos of the
now prosperous country
when he falls for a beautiful
woman with a dark secret that could
destroy the country.

Sense of Touch: Love and Duty at

Anne of Brittanys Court
Rozsa Gaston. Renaissance Editions.
$11.95 paper (324p), ISBN 978-09847906-2-3; $2.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-0-9847906-3-0
Amazon
In the court of Anne of
Brittany, two young lovers
meet, only to be parted by
duty and honor. A queens
promise offers their only hope of
happiness.

World War A:
Book 1Chinese Trojan
Clarence Xon. Faith Publishing. $14.95
paper (417p), ISBN 978-981-09-9775-5;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-981-09-9537-9
Amazon, Apple iBooks,
BookBaby, Kobo
In 2030, the U.S.
economy is about to collapse, and China is ready to
step in and take over. Kaden
becomes entangled in a political conspiracy that will force him to embrace his
destiny.

The Silver Barons Wife

Donna Baier Stein. Serving House Books.
$14.95 paper (224p), ISBN 978-0-

Yet Another Fallen Star

JoAnn L. Hill. Wheatmark. $17.95 paper
(372p), ISBN 978-1-60494-754-0;

54 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y S E P T E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 6

MYSTERY/THRILLER

Back Door Down

John Rester Zodrow. Solstice Publishing.
$3.99 e-book, ASIN B01JGQHW2W
Solsticepublishing.com,
Amazon
When gangsters brutally
murder her husband, Sally
Bolt must rescue her young
daughter as a terrorists
weapon of mass destruction sails to wipe
out an American city.
The Devils Analyst
Dennis Frahmann. Loon
Town Books. $16 paper
(329p), ISBN 978-0-69271057-9
Amazon, BN.com

NEW SELFPUBLISHED TITLES

Danny Lahti thinks he has it all. But
then a hacker attacks his company, a
prowler attempts to break in, and a friend
goes missing. Are these the first feints by
a crazed admirer?
Dropped Dead in Kona:
A Margies Murder Mystery
Gerry Stimmler. Eleanor Avenue Press.
$16.99 paper (313p),
ISBN 978-1-4563-4796-3
Amazon
What happens when a
bunch of amateurs try to
solve a murder? They could
get killed. Its a cozymystery, that is.
Who says murder cant be fun?
Jerichos Trumpet
Robert Gallant. iUniverse. $14.95 paper
(200p), ISBN 978-0-595-40880-1
Amazon
The leader of a clandestine government team kills a
former Russian KGB officer
smuggling two nuclear
bombs into the United
States. But one bomb has already been
delivered. Where is it?
Limboland
Leigh Goodison. Sheffield Publications.
$13.99 paper (238p),
ISBN 978-0-69274600-4
Amazon, BN.com, Kobo
Psychiatrist Rand
Morrissey, still haunted by
his sisters death, must overcome his childhood demons to save the
lives of half sisters, inextricably tethered
between life and death.
Love Has No Ending
M. RShor. Different Shades of Writers.
$9.50 paper (242p), ISBN 978-0-69224767-9
Amazon, BN.com, Books-A-Million
After leaving a special ops
career, Troy Norton returns
home, devoted to his family.
But an unimaginable obsession creates a web of deceit,
betrayal, and murder.

Mosh Pit (The Rose Garden Arena

Incident, Book 1)
Michael Hiebert. Dangerbooks. $1.99
e-book, ISBN 978-1-927600-09-2
Amazon, Apple iBooks,
Kobo, Nook, Smashwords
Six shots ring out as
country/pop superstar
Dakota Shane takes the
stage. People run. People
die. But ultimately, this seven-part serial
thriller is about courage, love, and
redemption.
A Reservation for Murder:
A Lieutenant Morales Mystery
A.J. Basinski. CreateSpace. $2.99 e-book,
ASIN B01IYGQNWK
Amazon, BN.com
Lieutenant Mario Morales
is looking for love on a beautiful Florida island. Instead
he finds himself caught up
in two murder investigations and almost loses the love of his life.
Satans Stronghold
Robert Gallant. iUniverse. $14.95 paper
(210p), ISBN 978-0-595-40467-4
Amazon
Chesney Barrett, a environmental graduate student,
helps a clandestine government team search for an
illicit drug operation in the
Louisiana swamps.
Sunset & Vine: Loose Lips
Per Hampton. Global Press. $9.95 paper
(260p), ISBN 978-0-9972725-0-5
Amazon
Love + lust+ glamour +
greed+ money+ power =
Hollywood. The face you
step on while clawing your
way out of an ordinary life
may be the last one you see in the end.
Triple Six: The Lightkeepers #2
Erica Spindler. Double Shot Press. $7.99
e-book, ISBN 978-1-944323-04-2
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
A string of home invasions rock New

Orleans. Detectives Micki

Dare and Zach Harris race to
unearth the crimes connection
to the Lightkeepers and to stop
the dark forces responsible.
Wolf: A Jessica James Mystery
Kelly Oliver. Kaos Press. $15.99 paper
(316p), ISBN 978-0-69268535-8
Amazon, BN.com
Three kickass girls, two
dead men, and one killer
story.

SF/FANTASY/HORROR
Awaken Online: Catharsis
Travis Bagwell. Travis Bagwell. $5.99
e-book, ASIN B01J0E8Z8A
Amazon
Frustrated with his life,
Jason begins playing a firstof-its-kind virtual reality
game and quickly finds
himself on the path to
becoming the games villain.
Jack of Thorns (Inheritance, Book 1)
Amelia Faulkner. LoveLight Press. $4.99
e-book, ASIN B01FG70NCQ
Amazon
Two inexperienced psychics with underdeveloped
talents must work together
to master their own skills if
they are to survive the anger
of a Celtic god.
Mind vs. Matter:
The World Is Running Out of Time
Konrad Koenigsmann. Outskirts Press.
$14.95 paper (213p), ISBN 978-1-47876598-1; $6.99 e-book,
ASIN B01DWRZ2RS
Amazon, BN.com, Books-A-Million,
IndieBound
The year is 2067. When a mysterious
man named Karl von
Liebnitz makes plans to take
over the planet, there is
nothing the empires can do
to stop himuntil a new
force emerges.
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M

55

NEW SELFPUBLISHED TITLES

Redfall: Fight for Survival
Jay J. Falconer. BookBreeze. $3.99
e-book, ASIN B01A951JCI
Amazon
Red storm clouds appear
and begin to spread their
potentially toxic rain across
the planet, grounding all
travelers, knocking out
communications, and threatening to take
down the grid.

ROMANCE/EROTICA
Enchanted: Dotties Story
Linda Heavner Gerald. Lime Pie
Publishers. $14.13 paper (399p),
ISBN 978-1-5334-4790-6
Amazon, BN.com
The young woman waited
alone by a marble column
inside the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. Fearfully,
she realized that she did not possess a
memory.
Her Man in Ireland
Ann M. Streetman. Ann M. Streetman.
$1.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-370-48323-5
Apple iBooks, BN.com, Smashwords
Ellen, an American engineer, wanders into the
Dublin pub where Tomas is
playing. He is an engineer
by day, a musician some
nights, and an officer in the
Irish Army Defense Reserve.
Pretty Broken Girl:
An Unconventional Love Story
Jeana E. Mann. Ishkadiddle Publishing.
Free e-book, ASIN B014UDQ72W
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Google
Play
Ten years ago, Dakota and
Sam divorced for all the
wrong reasons. Now hes
back in her life, hes still
angry, and hes her new boss.
Ties That Bind
Elizabeth Blair. VPK Publishing. $14.99
paper (336p), ISBN 978-0-692-66861-0
Amazon

Decades of straddling the

line between working
undercover and remaining
loyal to the families of his
birth have destroyed Mitchs
allegiance to either side.
When the two worlds begin to collide, he
is forced to choose between his past and
his future.

The Early Years

Rachel G. Carrington. iUniverse. $18.95
paper (240p), ISBN 978-1-4917-6567-8;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4917-6568-5
Amazon
A young girl forgoes college when she falls in love
with a WWII veteran. This
memoir details the couples
struggles and triumphs.

NONFICTION
Be Not Weary in Well-Doing
Sarah Bell. Xlibris. $15.99 paper (156p),
ISBN 978-1-5144-1920-5; $3.99
e-book, ISBN 978-1-5144-1919-9
Amazon
Raising children alone is
no easy task. For Bell, it
meant her whole life and all
her love. She shares her parenting experiences.
Breathing Poison:
Smoking, Pollution and the Haze
Anthony Rebuck. Partridge Singapore.
$17.95 paper (168p), ISBN 978-1-48289807-1; $4.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4828-9809-5
Amazon
There is a triple threat in
the Asian air to human
health and well-being. This
book shows how there will be an increase
in tobacco-attributable deaths as more
and more people smoke.
Conquistador Voices, Vol. 1: The
Spanish Conquest of the Americas as
Recounted Largely by the Participants
Kevin H. Siepel. Spruce Tree Press.
$23.95 paper (340p), ISBN 978-09786466-2-2; $8.99 e-book, ISBN
978-0-9786466-6-0
Spruce-tree-press.com,
Amazon, BN.com, Kobo
The first volume of a twovolume set that makes heavy
use of eyewitness and participant accounts, set into narrative, presents the four voyages of Christopher
Columbus and the conquest of Mexico by
Hernn Corts.

56 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y S E P T E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 6

The Grand Gypsy

Ottavio Canestrelli, with Ottavio
Gesmundo. Lulu. $22.98 paper (238p),
ISBN 978-1-4834-4894-7
Amazon, Apple iBooks,
BN.com, Lulu
A memoir that weaves
together historical events
through the extraordinary
life of decorated WWI veteran and circus superstar Ottavio
Canestrelli. With 170 vintage
photographs.
Letters from the Pacific:
49 Days on a Cargo Ship
Sandra Shaw Homer. CreateSpace. $9.99
paper (144p), ISBN 978-1-4944-7531-4
Amazon, BN.com
Forty-nine days is a long
time, but in this journal
about the ship, people,
ports, and endless sea, the
interior journey begins. An
exploration of why we go, and come home.
Long Road to Hard Truth:
The 100-Year Mission to Create
the National Museum of African
American History and Culture
Robert L. Wilkins. Proud Legacy
Publishing. $26.99 hardcover (144p),
ISBN 978-0-9979104-0-7
Amazon
Wilkinss curiosity about why there
wasnt a national museum dedicated to
African American history
became an obsession, eventually leading him to quit
his job and make it his mission to help the museum
become a reality.

NEW SELFPUBLISHED TITLES

Mister B.: Living with a 98-Year-Old
Rocket Scientist
A. Lynn Byk. Capture Books. $34.99
hardcover (420p), ISBN 978-0-99716256-1; $22.99 paper (352p), ISBN 978-09971625-0-9
Capturemebooks.com,
Baker & Taylor, Ingram
An instructive and
comedic memoir. When a
chauffeur-cook on the verge
of financial ruin decides to help a 98-yearold rocket scientist, she is taught a few
lessons by him.
MoneyRx:
Your Prescription for Financial Success
Joseph C. Newtz. CreateSpace. $19.95
paper (160p), ISBN 978-1-5346-3164-9
Amazon
Apply the strategies that
an accomplished financial
adviser uses with his multimillion-dollar clients.
My Corner of the Sky: Though I Never
Expected Life to Be Quite Like This!
Kerri Dyer-Keen. iUniverse. $25.95
paper (408p), ISBN 978-1-4502-2664-6;
$9.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4502-2665-3
Amazon
Dyer-Keen reveals the
grief she felt at losing the
ability to sing, as she learns
to deal with her new, chaotic
life.
The Pokconomy: Over 50 Ways to
Make Money from Pokmon Go
Aaron Mosley. Levels.
99 e-book,
ASIN B01JAW1CG4
Amazon
Mosley presents more
than 50 ways to make
money from Pokmon Go.
The Priest and the Cardinal: Race and
Rebellion in 1960s Los Angeles
William H. DuBay. CreateSpace. $12.45
paper (330p), ISBN 978-1-5192-5871-7;
$3.99 e-book, ASIN B01LZTTF8J
Amazon

A young Catholic priest

asks Pope Paul VI to oust
James Francis McIntyre
from office as archbishop of
Los Angeles because of the
cardinals opposition to the
civil rights movement.
A Return to Chelm: My Journey to
Uncover the Destruction of Two
Jewish Families in the Holocaust
Arlene Blaier Burrows. iUniverse. $13.99
paper (146p), ISBN 978-1-4917-9279-7;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4917-9280-3
Amazon
Burrows discovers her
Jewish familys 18th-century roots, learns of their
fates in the Holocaust, finds
survivors, and reunites with
descendants around the world.
Sabbatical of the Mind:
The Journey from Anxiety to Peace
David L. Winters. Daviwin. $15 paper
(212p), ISBN 978-0-9977747-0-2
Amazon, BN.com
The author humorously
explores the pressures of
modern life, decides to take
a sabbatical, and eventually
conquers his anxiety issues.
Ride along for this uplifting take on life.
The Sea Is Quiet Tonight: A Memoir
Michael H. Ward. Querelle Press. $19.99
paper (189p), ISBN 978-0-9967103-3-6
Amazon, BN.com, Indiebound
Ward returns to the early years of the
AIDS epidemic, chronicling
in candid detail his partner
Marks decline and eventual
death, and opening a vital
window onto the past.
Snowballed
Kent Madsen. Xlibris. $19.99 paper
(204p), ISBN 978-1-52450031-3; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-5245-0030-6
Amazon
Based on a 2004 USA
Today article, this book fol-

lows one family as they seek 220,000

shares of Oracle stock.
Talking Back to the Bible:
A Historians Approach to Bible Study
Edward G. Simmons. Dorrance
Publishing. $19 paper (294p),
ISBN 978-1-4809-2709-4
Amazon, BN.com
A collection of conversations with the Bible from
the perspective of a historian
and Christian. They are a
new twist to Bible study that are
insightful, inspirational, and
confessional.
Teachings on Being:
The Holy Book of Religious Leaders,
Followers, and Non-Believers
Codrin Stefan Tapu. Lulu. 99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-304-05194-3
Amazon
In this original modern
sacred text styled like a
blog, Tapu proposes a view
of deity that even encompasses atheism, and offers a
provocative lifestyle view for people of all
beliefs.
Though I Walk Through the Valley of
the Shadow of Death
Ericka Harris. Alephshin. $7.99 paper
(73p), ISBN 978-0-578-07239-5
Alephshin
A memoir about Harriss
personal relationship with
God and how he showed her
that she must learn how to
trust him when she is out of
her comfort zone.
Two Sons Too Many:
To Live, Love & Lose
Aidan McNally. CreateSpace. $21.15
paper (496p), ISBN 978-1-5334-5058-6
Amazon, BN.com, Biblio.
com, Bookdepository.com
A life that is emotionally
addictive while causing the
deepest of thought. Lifes
harshest lessons continue
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M

57

NEW SELFPUBLISHED TITLES

and bring the most raw reality imaginable or perhaps the most feared.
Ugly Is Only Skin-Deep: The Story of
the Ads That Changed the World
Dominik Imseng. Matador. $18 paper
(144p), ISBN 978-1-78589-317-9
Amazon
Created in 1959, the ad
campaign for the
Volkswagen Beetle didnt
only fundamentally change
the ethos of advertising, it
also helped trigger the cultural revolution
of the 1960s.
Vibes from the Screen: Getting
Greater Enjoyment from Films
Bob Moss. MCP Books. $22.95 paper
(281p), ISBN 978-1-63505-065-3
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com
An introduction to elements of film, filmmakers
techniques, and finding the
meanings portrayed. Moss
provides an understanding
of how filmmakers think
about craft. The result is
greater film enjoyment.
The Way Is Love: How to Walk in
Love and Forgiveness
Errington D. Cumberbatch. iUniverse.
$13.99 paper (204p),
ISBN 978-1-4917-8885-1
Amazon, iUniverse.com
Gods word and his creative power are the answers
to healing and transforming
your life. By faith, you can change your
circumstances and health.
Women and Heart Disease:
The Real Story
Jacqueline A. Eubany. CreateSpace. $17
paper (194p), ISBN 978-1-5349-0984-7
Womenandheartdisease.com, Amazon
Heart disease is the number
one killer of women in the
U.S. Learn how to reduce the
risk of heart attack by up to
80% by following simple
rules outlined in this book.

CHILDRENS/YA
The Adventures of Kate the Cat
Nicole Nageli. N3 Cartoons. $9.99 paper
(60p), ISBN 978-1-5353-7934-2; $3.99
e-book, ASIN B01IJK1HHW
Amazon
In this graphic novel, Kate
and her friend Sam are kidnapped from their home.
Kate finds herself trapped,
with Sam nowhere to be seen.
She meets Buck, a dog with a plan. They
try to find their way home but are instead
confronted with the most unlikely challenge any animal could face.
Adventures of the Precious Knights
Valerie Crowe. Archway Publishing.
$12.45 paper (18p), ISBN 978-1-48082958-9; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4808-2957-2
Amazon
A trio of knights, sworn
to protect their mystical
land from scary creatures,
adopt a baby dragon who helps educate
them about his reptilian traits.
Affective Needs
Rebecca Taylor. Ophelia House. $14.99
paper (380p), ISBN 978-0-9797353-3-2
Amazon, Apple iBooks,
BN.com, Kobo
An 18-year-old valedictorian hopeful has her life
knocked off course when she
falls in love for the first time
with a guy from the other side of the tracks.
The Alienation of Courtney Hoffman:
A Novel
Brady Stefani. Sparkpress. $9.95 paper
(334p), ISBN 978-1-940716-34-3;
$8.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-940716-35-0
Amazon, BN.com, Indiebound
Something frightening is
happening to Courtney:
shes being visited at night
by aliens. And imaginary or
not, theyre not only out to
recruit her, theyre taking
over her mind.

58 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y S E P T E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 6

Angel and Adam

David G. Bickler. Outskirts Press. $13.95
paper (76p), ISBN 978-1-4787-7453-2
Outskirtspress.com,
Amazon, BN.com
A story and a spiritual
guide showing how love and
peace can reign on Earth, if
we are willing to be transformed by the light of Gods grace in his
eternal plan.
Biome
Ryan Galloway. Ryan Galloway. $10
e-book, ISBN 978-0-9978558-0-7
Readbiome.com, Wattpad
When cadet Lizzy
Engram of Mars Colony One
wakes with a head full of
stolen memories, she has six
days to uncover what the
doctors are hidingor be
erased from existence.
The Cats Who Crossed
Over from Paris
R.F. Kristi. BookBaby.
$2.99 e-book,
ASIN B01ISAITA6
Amazon
The adventures of Inca, a Siberian puss,
and her furry family.
Flicker: The Flicker Effect, Book 1
Melanie Hooyenga. Left-Handed Mitten
Publications. $13.99 paper (391p),
ISBN 978-1-4802-0084-5
Amazon, BN.com, Ingram
Spark, Kobo
Biz is a perfectly normal
teenager except for one
minor detail: she uses sunlight to jump back to yesterday. But will
she learn to use her ability to help more
than just herself?
Francis Goes to Europe
Sonia B. McNulty. Zeus Publications.
$24.15 paper (222p), ISBN 978-1922229-61-8
Zeuspublications.com, Amazon,
Booktopia, Dymocks
The sequel to Francis The Horse That Is.

NEW SELFPUBLISHED TITLES

Francis and his friends travel
to Europe for more fun and
frolic, causing mayhem
again.
Francis Goes to South America
Sonia B. McNulty. Zeus Publications.
$20.90 paper (250p),
ISBN 978-1-922229-80-9
Zeuspublications.com,
Amazon, Booktopia,
Dymocks
The sequel to Francis Goes
to Europe. Francis and his annoying,
humorous friends travel through South
America, causing more mayhem.
Francis the Horse That Is
Sonia B. McNulty. Zeus Publications.
$22.75 paper (188p),
ISBN 978-1-922229-12-0
Zeuspublications.com,
Amazon, Booktopia,
Dymocks
Francis is a horse born
with a serious abnormality and sadly
abandoneduntil he meets some wacky,
annoying, humorous Australian creatures
along the way.
The Girl Who Stole a Planet
(Amy Armstrong, Book 1)
Stephen Colegrove. Amazon. $11.99
paper (306p), ISBN 978-1-5354-2226-0;
$2.99 e-book, ASIN B01JML6IM6
Amazon
A teenage thief is flung
across the galaxy into a massive robbery that crosses
space and time.
Grandpa Larrys Not-So-Ordinary
Dairy
Lacey Lexvold, illus. by Shelly MullaniBales. Tru Publishing. $9.99 paper (24p),
ISBN 978-1-941420-21-8; $4.99
e-book, ASIN B01I93VPPI
Amazon
Grandpa Larrys dairy is no
ordinary farm. Once their
chores are done, his cows slip
through a magical portal where
they have fun all day. For kids ages 2 to 8.

The Ice Crystal Palace

Willy Paul. Dorrance Publishing. $38
hardcover (104p),
ISBN 978-1-4809-2626-4
Dorrancebookstore.com
The Ice Crystal Palace in
the North Pole is in the most
beautiful kingdom in the
whole wide world. An adventure to bring
snowy magic into every day of the year.
Its Just So...
Brenda Faatz and Peter Trimarco.
Notable Kids Publishing. $16.95 hardcover (40p), ISBN 978-0-9970851-0-5
Amazon, BN.com, Books-A-Million,
Indiebound
For children in transitional phases. Its the first
day of school. At first,
things feel just so scary
and just so hard, but in
the end, theyre just so fantastical.
Months from Now:
Our Imminent Future
Tom Schneider. CreateSpace. $9.95 paper
(150p), ASIN B01GKJDATW
Amazon
After an event takes down
the power grid, a teen and
his sisters struggle to stay
alive, stay together, and discover the truth.
Oh! Mighty Tree! The Unknown Epic
of Unk! The House of Ivy
Rebecca Ann Ivy. CreateSpace. $14.99
paper (56p), ISBN 978-1-5370-7928-8
Amazon, BN.com,
Books-A-Million
A little sprout,
swept away by a storm,
grows up on the wrong
side of the fence, made
fun of and nicknamed Unk. Follow his
destiny to become Oh! Mighty Tree!
Opaque (revised edition)
Calix Leigh-Reign. Nnylluc Book Group.
$14.99 paper (256p), ISBN 978-0-99792398-8
Amazon, BN.com, Books-A-Million, Kobo

A SF novel involving
mutated limbal rings,
mental dysfunction, perplexing Russian ancestry,
and a romance that revolves
around 16-year-old misanthropic Adam Caspian.
Pinky Promise
Lacole Butler, illus. by Dwain Esper.
AuthorHouse. $13.99 paper (18p),
ISBN 978-1-5049-7889-7; $3.99
e-book, ISBN 978-1-5049-7886-6
Amazon
A story that captures the
heartfelt love between child
and parent, issues families
commonly face, and the
importance of familial values.
Sometimes, Dreams Come True
Patricia Imbelloni. RoseDog Books. $17
paper (162p), ISBN 978-0-8059-8777-5
Rosedogbookstore.com
A young womans
coming-of-age story.
Sometimes dreams dont
come true, but sometimes,
with faith and love, they do.
SuperNova: Heroes of Arcania
Liz Long. Blue Fire Media. 99 e-book,
ASIN B01FKR0FPM
Amazon
The Heroes of Arcania
series is intended to appeal
to comic book readers and
romance fans. Its gifted teen
superheroes attempt to save their city
from impending demise.
Winter Flames:
Knights of the Dragon;
Champions of Arcana, Book 1
H.S Harper. Hong Soon Goh. $12 e-book,
ASIN B01G5XNCF0
Amazon
The first novel of the
Knights of the Dragon:
Champions of Arcana
series. A sword-and-sorcery
epic of magic, warfare,
love, and heroism.

W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M

59

Reviews Roundup
This month, we reviewed more than 40 self-published titles submitted via
BookLife, Publishers Weeklys website dedicated to indie authors. Among the
standouts were three books that got starred reviews: The Wrath of Con by Daniel
Younger, PlayDHD: Permission to Play by Kirsten Milliken, and Simple Rules:
What the Oldtime Builders Knew by Shannon Taylor Scarlett.

Fiction
Auckland Allies

The Interview

Mike Reeves-McMillan. C-Side Media, $2.99 e-book (171p)

ASIN B01694XVP6

Damian Bruce. Lulu, $13.20 trade paper (284p) ISBN 978-1-326-43370-3

Beyond the Mist

Kim Iverson Headlee. Lucky Bat, $29.95 hardover (320p) ISBN 978-1939051-71-4

Ben Zwycky. Sci Phi Productions, $2.99 e-book (188p) ISBN 978-09945163-0-5

Broken Down
Amanda K. Byrne. Radiodemon, $2.99 e-book (208p) ISBN 978-09860990-4-5

King Arthurs Sister in Washingtons Court

The Kingmaker: A Powerplay Novel

Selena Laurence. CP Writes, $3.99 e-book (249p) ASIN B01BXUKUMS

The Korean Word for Butterfly

Burned

James Zerndt. CreateSpace, $10.95 trade paper (276p) ISBN 978-14839-9747-6

J. Nichole Parkins. J. Nichole Parkins, $2.99 trade paper (316p)

ISBN 978-1-5089-6156-7

The Land Uncharted

The Christmas Tree Keeper

Keely Brooke Keith. Edenbrooke Press, $12.99 trade paper (310p)

ISBN 978-0-692-26751-6

Tamara Passey. Winter Street, $12.99 trade paper (168p) ISBN 978-09909840-6-1

Latency Paradox of Barret Trufflehard

Consequence
Steve Masover. Salted Rose, $15 trade paper (344p) ISBN 978-09864263-0-8

Destiny Lingers
Rolanda Watts. iUniverse, $27.95 hardcover (266p) ISBN 978-1-49176864-8

Double Blind: A Kate Benedict Paranormal Mystery

Carrie Bedford. CreateSpace, $12.99 trade paper (266p) ISBN 978-15151-6188-2

Dream Job: Wacky Adventures of an HR Manager

Janet Garber. Lulu, $14.99 trade paper (178p) ISBN 978-1-4834-4747-6

Gaslight and Fog

Deanna Madden. Flying Dutchman, $11.95 trade paper (302p)
ISBN 978-0-692665-04-6

Hands on the Wheel:

A Sinfully Erotic Trucker Romance
Margaret Harlowe. Margaret Harlowe, $13.95 trade paper (152p)
ISBN 978-1-5236-9406-8
60 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y S E P T E M B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 6

Ultra Kwon. CreateSpace, $15.99 trade paper (276p) ISBN 978-1-51502940-3

The Longest Road:

The Whinburg Township Amish
Adina Senft. Moonshell Books, $4.99 e-book (360p) ISBN 978-1-93908749-2

Love in B Minor
Elodie Nowodazkij. Elodie Nowodazkij, $3.99 e-book (231p)
ASIN B019HWIKX0

The Martyrs Blade:

Chronicles of the Martyr, Vol. 1
Joel Manners. Colquhoun, $14.99 trade paper (594p) ISBN 978-09972594-0-7

The Outreach Committee

C.L. Woodhams. Woodhams, $14.95 trade paper (480p) ISBN 978-09908924-0-3

Over My Dead Body

James R. Callan. Pennant, $11.95 trade paper (316p) ISBN 978-09646850-8-6

REVIEWS ROUNDUP
Red Phoenix Burning
Larry Bond and Chris Carlson. CreateSpace, $11.11 trade paper (510p)
ISBN 978-1-519-63538-9

The Renegade Queen

Eva Flynn. Omega Press, $11.95 trade paper (328p) ISBN 978-09969832-0-4

Saving Babe Ruth: A Novel Based on a True Story

Tom Swyers. Hillcrest House, $16.95 trade paper (348p) ISBN 978-1941440-00-1

Shattered Image

PlayDHD: Permission to Play;

A Prescription for Adults with ADHD

Kirsten Milliken. Bookbaby, $5.99 trade paper (146p) ISBN 978-09970045-0-2

Saving Jake: When Addiction Hits Home

DAnne Burwell. FocusUp Books, $14.99 trade paper (314p) ISBN 978-09962-5430-4

Scratchings of a Madwoman
Rhonda Nass. Ampersand Studios, $45 trade paper (64p) ISBN 978-0692-44907-3

Stacy Monson. His Image, $12.99 trade paper (325p) ISBN 978-0-98612451-8

The Self-Care Solution: A Modern Mothers

Must-Have Guide to Health and Well-Being

Sleeping Brides

Julie Burton. She Writes Press, $16.95 trade paper (224p) ISBN 978-163152-068-6

A.E. Scholer. Fallen Sea, $16.95 trade paper (370p) ISBN 978-09930993-6-6

Souls of Darkness
Louise Hunt, Damon Rathe, and Kenneth Frank, edited by Martin
Rothery. Fishcakes, $4.25 e-book (230p) ISBN 978-1-909015-08-1

Transference
R.D. Overby. Overbybooks, $2.99 e-book (238p) ASIN B01GDB3ZIS

Wolf Code: A Sheltering Wilderness

Simple Rules: What the Oldtime Builders Knew

Shannon Taylor Scarlett. CreateSpace, $21.49 trade paper (126p)
ISBN 978-1-4841-5207-2

Vagabonding with Kids:

How One Couple Embraced an Unconventional Life to
Work Remotely and Show Their Kids the World
A.K. Turner. Brown Books, $16.95 trade paper (232p) ISBN 978-1-61254914-9

Chandler Brett. Dire Wolf, $4.99 e-book (292p) ISBN 978-1-943934-02-7

Wheres the Mother? Stories from a Transgender Dad

The Wrath of Con

Trevor MacDonald. Trans Canada Press, $18.99 trade paper (280p)

ISBN 978-0-9919645-0-5

Daniel Younger. Mutant Panda, $13.99 trade paper (325p) ISBN 978-15334-8836-7

Nonfiction
Capturing the Magic: A Photographic Journey
Through the Walt Disney World Parks
Holly Wiencek, photos by Bill Sferrazza and Eric Weber. Story Farm,
$39.95 hardcover (256p) ISBN 978-0-9966038-1-2

The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, and

Change the Way You Lead Forever
Michael Bungay Stanier. Box of Crayons, $14.95 trade paper (232p)
ISBN 978-0-9784407-4-9

15 Years of War:
How the Longest War in U.S. History Affected a
Military Family in Love, Loss, and the Cost of Service
Kristine Schellhaas. Life Publishing, $16.95 trade paper (384p)
ISBN 978-0-9970908-0-2

Childrens/YA
Fieldhouse
Scott Novosel, illus. by Sam Sharpe. Fieldhouse, $24.99 hardcover
(64p) ISBN 978-0-9768353-8-7

How I Sent My Hug Around the World

Difficult Conversations Just for Women:

Kill the Anxiety, Get What You Want

Donna Ellen Conrad, illus. by Monez Gusmang. Hummingbird Book,

$17.99 hardcover (52p) ISBN 978-0-9852457-1-9

Sofia Santiago and Susan Harrison. CreateSpace, $8.50 trade paper

(212p) ISBN 978-1-5335-4698-2

Joachims Magic

The Fight That Started the Movies:

The World Heavyweight Championship, the Birth of
Cinema, and the First Feature Film
Samuel Hawley. Conquistador, $17.95 trade paper (371p) ISBN 978-09920786-8-3

Gems of a Lifetime: Mining Light from Every Place

Barbara Patton Unger. Infinity, $11.95 trade paper (171p) ISBN 978-14958-0462-5

M.L. Stainer, illus. by James Melvin. Outskirts, $16.95 paper (234p)

ISBN 978-1-4787-5497-8

The League and the Lantern

Brian Wells. Republic Ink, $17.99 hardcover (282p) ISBN 978-0-99722700-0

Sela Blue and the First Day of School

Alisia Dale, illus. by Sheree Evelina. Huckleberry Sweet Pie, $24.99
hardcover (68p) ISBN 978-1-942537-01-4

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Fiction
Auckland Allies
Mike Reeves-McMillan. C-Side Media, $2.99
e-book (171p) ASIN B01694XVP6

The first installment in seasoned fantasy author Reeves-McMillans new series

is a fun romp through a supernatural
Auckland, New Zealand. Tara, a maker of
magical items, and Sparx, her nerdy
magic practitioner compatriot, have tried
to live their lives out of the public eye, but
when one of Taras customers, Sally,
begins to use Taras devices and her own
psychic powers to win big at gambling,
she raises the ire of the wrong people.
Soon, the trio are enmeshed in a plot concocted by demonologists to summon an
unstoppable demon force. Tara, Sparx,
and Sally are as entertaining as they are
flawed, and they continue to grow as the
tale progresses.
An exorbitant
amount of exposition brings the
reader up to
speed but slows
down the plot.
The popular culture references
are heavyhanded and take
color away from
the adventure rather than adding to it.
Reeves-McMillan does attempt to refresh
the urban fantasy genre by moving it to
the Antipodes, but the novel still feels
like a familiar retread of well-established
territory.

Beyond the Mist

Ben Zwycky. Sci Phi Productions, $2.99
e-book (188p) ISBN 978-0-9945163-0-5

The setting of a colonized planet in the

far future doesnt quite fit this story centered on Christian values, free will,
redemption, forgiveness, and repressive
roles for women. Zephyr Walker had his
memory wiped. He falls through a mist

yearning to learn the truth of his past, and

trusts a white-suited man covered in light
to show him
the way out.
He is told that
the choices he
makes from
now on are
what matter.
His first trial
is avoiding
lustful temptation in a
savage tribal
wilderness. He then must choose between
safety in a peaceful village or following a
tunnel into a city where he will be reeducated in the ways of civilized life. All the
while he is puzzled by the memory wipe,
asking how he can learn from his mistakes
if he doesnt remember what they are, but
when someone offers him a memory
refresh, he questions whether the past
should remain hidden. The fascinating
premise eventually lags as Zwycky
(Nobility Among Us) exacerbates uneven
plotting with long-winded descriptions;
one-dimensional characters; women
whose only goals involve cooking, marriage, and babies; and a detour into a
whodunit.

Broken Down
Amanda K. Byrne. Radiodemon, $2.99 e-book
(208p) ISBN 978-0-9860990-4-5

The predictable but tender second

entry in Byrnes Hidden Scars contemporary series treats difficult situations, particularly caring
for a person
with an addiction, with
empathy and
without judgment. After
drummer Eric
Jones dies of an
overdose, his
brother, Shane,
lead singer of

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their band, the Thieves, decides he needs a

break from the rock-star life. He evades
the Los Angeles paparazzi and flees to
Portland, Ore., and his ex-girlfriend
Krista Conner. Krista has her own struggles: shes trying to get her freelance
graphic design business off the ground
and is also taking care of her brother,
Riley, whos fresh out of his third stint in
rehab. As Shane and Krista develop a
newer, better romance, Krista must
decide when and how to tell Shane about
the abortion she had after their first
breakup. A handful of supporting characters, including Sara and Taylor from
Hidden Scars, provide background and
emotional context for Krista and Shane,
but the story is a mostly closed environment where the only people who matter,
and the only people readers really learn
about, are the central couple.

Burned
J. Nichole Parkins. J. Nichole Parkins, $2.99
trade paper (316p) ISBN 978-1-5089-6156-7

Parkinss breezy urban fantasy romance,

the first in a series, centers on strong, confident Kyra Richards, a polyamorous private investigator who can
change shape
into a jaguar.
When not
intimidating
cheating husbands in
Tampa, Fla.,
Kyra parties at
the Phoenix, a
nightclub for
preternaturals. Kyra works alone, keeping
her distance from humans to protect them
from her barely controllable power of
pyrokinesis. But after six human bodies
are discovered with all their bones
missing, Kyra reluctantly joins an investigation led by agent Spencer Reeves of the
FBIs preternatural unit. To infiltrate the
local vampire House, Kyra seduces
Daniel, the human walking snack of its

REVIEWS
centuries-old leader, Alejandro. As
Alejandro temps Kyra with knowledge of
what she truly is, he forces her to use her
pyrokinesis for unspeakable acts.
Emotionally conflicted, Kyra enjoys the
power but struggles to keep her inner
beast on a leash. Parkins (Ancient
Enemies) all but abandons the murder
mystery after the first third of the book,
focusing more on the romance as the
appearance of Kyras ex-fianc from
Wyoming creates a steamy love triangle.
The supernatural crime is unsatisfying,
but the romantic story line is appealing.

The Christmas Tree Keeper

Tamara Passey. Winter Street, $12.99 trade
paper (168p) ISBN 978-0-9909840-6-1

Angela Donovan, the heroine of

Passeys innocuous debut contemporary, is
a single mother, down on her luck but
anxious to make Christmas memorable for
her eight-year-old daughter, Caroline.
When Angela and her daughter visit a
local Christmas
tree farm, they
meet the elderly
owner, who
promises that
each of his trees
comes with a
miracle; this
delights
Caroline but
annoys her
skeptical
mother. Angela is mortified when
someone pays for her tree and suspects
Mark Shafer, the heir to the tree farm. But
Mark has problems of his own: he is interested in a music career, and he and his
lovely girlfriend do not want the burden
of inheriting the farm, but negotiating
with a developer distresses his family and
makes him feel guilty. When things get
worse for both Angela and Mark, their
unexpected friendship helps them find
their faith and weather some challenging
times. Readers can do better in the annual
pilgrimage for holiday stories: the family
tree farm provides a piquant setting, but
the main characters come across as selfcentered and one dimensional, and even a
Christmas miracle doesnt render them
very appealing.

Consequence
Steve Masover. Salted Rose, $15 trade paper
(344p) ISBN 978-0-9864263-0-8

Masovers engaging, timely debut

novel is about the line between activism
and extremism. A member of a politically
engaged collective living in San Francisco,
Christopher Kalman is approached online
by a mysterious figure he calls Chagall to
write a manifesto to be released following
an unknown ecosabotage action
against genetically modified
foods. Eager to
contribute more
to the cause but
suspicious, Chris
begins work
while helping
the collective
with a local civil
disobedience stunt protesting GMOs. He
also juggles a love interest as well as his
father and brother, who disapprove of
Chriss political stances. Meanwhile,
Chagall, with the assistance of another
radical, begins work on his planned
assault, which will have major repercussions for Chris and his group. The novel
captures the world of radical protestors,
with details on encryption, computer
hacking, and infiltrating targets, as well
as the more mundane tasks of traditional
activism, such as working out logistics
and managing the media; descriptions of
both feel authentic. Chris and his friends
thoughtfully consider their work, discussing the philosophy of protest movements, even as they wonder if they make a
difference. Several absorbing subplots
revolve around the struggles of other
group members, including one released
from a Mexican prison. This is a fastpaced and well-plotted literary thriller,
examining the unforeseen ramifications of
well-intentioned actions.

Destiny Lingers
Rolanda Watts. iUniverse, $27.95 hardcover
(266p) ISBN 978-1-4917-6864-8

When Destiny Newell Nelson finds

strands of red hair on her husbands
pillow, she immediately suspects that he
is having an affair with their friend Eve.
Before she can confront him, the stresses

of her job as a television journalist send her from Harlem

to her childhood summer
home on Topsail Island, N.C., where her
aunt Joy is waiting with comfort and her
parents with criticism. Amid the
wreckage of her marriage and the strains
of dealing with family, Destiny reconnects
with Chase McKenzie, her childhood
crush, whos
now the towns
chief of police,
and does her
best to decide
what she wants
out of life. Her
parents, who
were two of
Topsail Islands
first black residents, think
Destiny should steer clear of Chase, whos
white; she retorts that its not his fault he
grew up the poor boy of racist parents.
The narrative is one of self-discovery more
than romance; Destinys emotional connections are the basis of the plot, but her
relationship with her parents is given as
much weight as her relationships with her
husband and Chase. Occasionally inconsistent characterizations and oddly stilted
dialogue are forgivable in Wattss debut,
since it so powerfully depicts racism and
classism, as well as love lost and regained.

Double Blind: A Kate Benedict

Paranormal Mystery
Carrie Bedford. CreateSpace, $12.99 trade
paper (266p) ISBN 978-1-5151-6188-2

At the outset of Bedfords suspenseful

second Kate Benedict mystery (after
2014s The Aura), Kate, an architect with
a psychic gift, is jogging in Londons
Hyde Park with her best friend, Dr. Anita
Banerjee, when
she spots two
older men running in the
opposite direction and notices
that both have
the auras over
their heads of
people who are
at risk of dying
in the near
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future. To Kates dismay,
Anita tells her that one of the
men is Simon Scott, the
leader of the Labour Party, who could
become the next prime minister in the
election less than a month away. (I dont
do politics, Kate says by way of
explaining why she didnt recognize
Scott.) Determined to save Scotts life,
Kate turns sleuth to try to identify possible assassins, while she strives to protect
Anita after spotting an aura over her
friends head. In the face of understandable skepticism, Kate gets some unlikely
support from pathologist Grace Trillo,
who claims that she was an Egyptian
embalmer in a former life, a past profession that led to Graces current one.
Bedford successfully juggles the multiple
plot lines.

Dream Job: Wacky Adventures of

an HR Manager
Janet Garber. Lulu, $14.99 trade paper
(178p) ISBN 978-1-4834-4747-6

A disillusioned 40-plus woman does

her best to manage conflict and disillusionment at work and in her personal life
in this campy office-life journey. Melanie
Melie Kohl has a prestigious job at a
medical center in New York City. As the
employee-relations manager, she handles
the numerous
depressed, disgruntled, and
delusional
workers that
come to her
looking for resolution. This
short novel has
a promising
premise with
its flawed,
endearing, and comical protagonist and
her zany work environment. The mix of
plot elements such as sexual harassment,
overbearing bosses, grudges, affairs, and a
mysterious death, as well as Melies
struggle to remedy her dreary life revealed
in her journal writing, is intriguing.
Unfortunately, the pieces are underdeveloped. Melies love interest, Ted, has
moments of sweet charm, but his voice is
inconsistent. Other characters are portrayed through their often over-the-top

workplace antics and come across as caricatures. Editing some long and unnatural
dialogue segments and jumps in time
wouldve helped the narrative, and further
plot and character development would
enhance the insight in Melies search for
love and meaning in her life.

Gaslight and Fog

Deanna Madden. Flying Dutchman, $11.95
trade paper (302p) ISBN 978-0-692665-04-6

Madden, who put an intriguing new

spin on Dickenss The Mystery of Edwin
Drood in her first novel, Helena Landless, is
similarly creative in this
thriller set in a
Whitechapel
terrorized by
Jack the
Ripper. Her
unnamed heroine is on a
tour of the
area in the
present when shes knocked unconscious.
Awakening in 1888, she witnesses the
Rippers slaughter of prostitute Polly
Nichols, though she doesnt realize at the
time what shes seeing and doesnt
glimpse the serial killers face. It takes her
a while to realize that shes actually
trapped in the past, not the victim of a
hoax. Shes also hampered by amnesia. She
recalls that her 19-year-old daughter,
Courtney, was with her, but doesnt
remember her own name. Meanwhile, she
fears that the kind family that offers her a
place to stay will learn the truth about her
and that Inspector Abberline, whos in
charge of the Ripper hunt, suspects her of
being involved in the killings. Maddens
careful adherence to the facts of the case
helps the suspension of disbelief.

Hands on the Wheel:

A Sinfully Erotic Trucker Romance
Margaret Harlowe. Margaret Harlowe, $13.95
trade paper (152p) ISBN 978-1-5236-9406-8

The pseudonymous Harlowe can be forgiven for stereotyping her characters for
the sake of erotic thrills in this short and
sweet contemporary. But her clunky,
unsophisticated, and superficial use of
heavy plot elementsincluding cancer,
dead spouses, body dysmorphia, and

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stalking
dampens the
fun of a
romance whose
heart is in short
skirts and sexy
shenanigans,
and never adds
any emotional
depth. Gently
dominant
trucker Hank
Werner gives waitress Sara Cooke an
escape from Cheyenne, Wyo., and her
abusive ex by offering to teach her to drive
a big rig in exchange for letting him have
his way with her luscious body. The lessons mostly consist of Hank fondling Sara
while she sits in his lap in the drivers seat,
but for readers who want their kink delivered by an essentially nice person to a nervous but enthusiastic partner, theres definite heat in Harlowes on-the-road
encounters.

The Interview
Damian Bruce. Lulu, $13.20 trade paper
(284p) ISBN 978-1-326-43370-3

Set in 2098, Bruces dystopian thriller

is an interesting variant on Agatha
Christies And Then There Were None,
though it would have packed more of a
punch if the characters were more fleshed
out. An everyman figure, Edgar Mason
has received a
muchsought-for
invitation for
an interview
at Frontline,
which, in a
grim city of
the future, is
everything
employer,
provider, governor, ruler. Oppressor? A
job with Frontline offers Edgar the hope
for a better life, but when he reaches the
waiting room, he finds 11 other prospects,
all with similar aspirations. After they
wait impatiently for an hour, they are
informed that the waiting time was itself
part of the process, and that anyone
leaving the room, as an impatient member
of their group already has done, would be

REVIEWS
eliminated. The last of the remaining 10
in the room will get the position, setting
up a desperate physical and mental
struggle among the interviewees. Bruce
tosses in surprises throughout, but the
moral questions Edgar and the others confront arent explored with any depth.

King Arthurs Sister in

Washingtons Court
Kim Iverson Headlee. Lucky Bat, $29.95
hardcover (320p) ISBN 978-1-939051-71-4

In this offbeat sequel to Mark Twains

classic A Connecticut Yankee in King
Arthurs Court, written in a credible pastiche of Twains style, Queen Morgan le
Fay travels forward in time in an effort to
prevent the events of Connecticut Yankee
from occurring.
Having overshot her mark
and landed in
2079 America,
Morgan settles
into her new
life, promptly
getting
involved in
American politics as a reelection consultant for President Malory
Beckham Hinton. Morgan also busies herself with baseball, quickly purchasing the
London Knights and taking them to victory against rival teams such as the
Connecticut Yankees. As she pursues her
goal of making Hinton president for life
and addressing the inadequacies of
Congress, she enjoys an on-again, offagain romance with Sandy Carter, her
baseball teams general manager, but she
never loses sight of her intention to return
home to Arthurs court. Headlee evokes
the spirit of the original book, but the
plot meanders through its obsessions with
baseball and politics, spending too much
time on minutiae while hand-waving
away larger details. Its a solidly entertaining tale, but it lacks Twains spark.

The Kingmaker:
A Powerplay Novel
Selena Laurence. CP Writes, $3.99 e-book
(249p) ASIN B01BXUKUMS

Finely tuned political intrigue meets

intense sexual chemistry when

Washington, D.C., power broker Derek

Ambrose catches presidential candidate
Jason Melville, one of his clients, having
too good a time with London Sharpe, a
high-priced
escort. Derek is
willing to pay a
bundle to convince London
to stay out of
Jasons life, but
soon Derek is
obsessing over
her himself.
Shes happy to
take the money
and run, since a scandal could ruin her
own carefully constructed double life. No
one in Londons social circle knows where
her money comes from, and in order to
stay in business she needs to keep it that
way. So when a reporter learns that
London spent an afternoon in Jasons hotel
suite, everybody has a lot to lose, and
there is only one way to save the day.
Laurences tightly woven story is a superb
mix of sexual and political tension thats
certain to please fans of both.

The Korean Word for Butterfly

James Zerndt. CreateSpace, $10.95 trade
paper (276p) ISBN 978-1-4839-9747-6

Zerndts latest is a moving novel about

consequences and redemption, and the
unusual crossing of four lives, set in an
foreign country. Billie and her boyfriend,
Joe, try to
escape their
pasts in the
States and
refresh their
relationship by
moving to
South Korea to
teach English.
In addition to
the usual culture shock, particularly the different educational style,
Billie must navigate the South Korean
medical system after an unforeseen event,
which drastically affects her feelings for
Joe. Meanwhile, Moon, a school
employee, attempts to repair his relationship with his wife and son after a terrible
choice causes him to reevaluate his life.

He begins to bond with Joe

over their shared love of
music; however, he must
make a difficult choice when he discovers
something about Billie and Joe that
threatens their positions. Yun-ji is a
school employee grappling with an alcoholic father who hates the Americans
living in his country. An encounter with
an American soldier causes her to question
her own feelings. Tensions rise after two
Korean girls are accidentally run over by
an American tank; this event leads to all
the main characters gathering at once in
an climactic encounter. Each chapter
alternates between the main characters,
fleshing out eachs story. A solid read with
a well-constructed plot, Zerndts novel
deftly captures many personal difficulties
of its characters.

The Land Uncharted

Keely Brooke Keith. Edenbrooke Press,
$12.99 trade paper (310p) ISBN 978-0-69226751-6

The simple life of physician Lydia

Colburn expands with the introduction of
an enigmatic stranger in Keiths (Aboard
Providence) chaste Christian romance that
insufficiently blends science fiction with
Amish-style culture. In 2025, a world war
rages over natural resources. Navy pilot
Lt. Connor
Bradshaw ejects
and parachutes
into the Land,
an isolated, preindustrial
island in the
South Atlantic
Ocean. The settlers are descendants of pioneers who left
America in 1861 and maintained a society
of horse and buggy and prairie dresses.
Unfortunately, its also a society in which
Lydia fears that her reputation will be
destroyed because of deranged stalker
Frank Roberts. Meanwhile, Connor
embraces his peaceful new life and virtuous courtship of Lydia. He also encourages local inventors to stop experimenting
with electricity, so the outside world
wont discover the Land and its abundant
fresh water. Science fiction elements
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intrude on the idyllic life of
the villagers adding little to
the story of a peaceful people
and their homespun troubles. An inadequate background for Connor leaves his
character and his quick adoption of the
Land incomplete.

Latency Paradox of Barret

Trufflehard
Ultra Kwon. CreateSpace, $15.99 trade paper
(276p) ISBN 978-1-515-02940-3

When Inspector Amelia Pillowspoon

tells Eldridge Kane, Lord Chief Executive
Officer of the Ekonomy, Were all feeling
the Latency Paradox of Milton Grainjar,
Eldridge is as baffled as the reader. Still,
Kwons debut is wonderfully imaginative,
clever, and funny in a madcap, just-gowith-it sort of way. Protagonist Milton
Grainjar, a disgruntled employee of the
XYZ government agency, lives to track
down members of the secretive and illegal
Jade Association, who (mercifully offscreen) eat
babies and sacrifice virgins.
But its not
clear who are
the true
Jadeitesor
who Grainjar is.
Kwons knack
for giggleworthy names
and inventive
gizmos (a plutonizer, the Zwylx Q-Ten
gurgle machine) work well with mild
romance and themes that include totalitarianism, rival dystopias, and the true
purpose of Grainjars blighted life. The
plot doesnt entirely make sense, but the
book is a fun read, and comic fantasy fans
will look forward to more adventures in
this world.

The Longest Road:

The Whinburg Township Amish
Adina Senft. Moonshell Books, $4.99 e-book
(360p) ISBN 978-1-939087-49-2

Senfts (Balm of Gilead) novel begins on

a late November day 13 years ago, with
two little Amish girls and their older
brother Samuel going walnut picking.
When Samuel runs into friends and
becomes distracted, the young girls disap-

pear, never to be seen again. Samuel

cannot recover from his guilt and abandons his home and the Amish community,
leaving their mother, Rebecca Riehl, with
three empty place settings at her dinner
table until
God in his
wisdom and
mercy did
bring them
back.
Meanwhile
Megan and
Ashley Pearson
grow up
thinking they
have no connection to the missing girls, but Megan is
plagued by nightmares that indicate a
mystery in her past. While Ashley is eager
to enter college, Megan spends her days
gaming and working at a coffee bar. The
girls identity is divulged early in the
book, with their mother, Janet, revealing
where they were found in the woods; faced
with this newfound truth, Megan is eager
to hit the road to discover their true
family while Ashley reluctantly comes
along. In this first book of a new series,
Senft, a prolific author of 36 books, has
crafted an appealing tale of searching for
ones true identity. There is also an interesting study of the two mothers and how
they have copedone with her loss, the
other with her guilt, and the role of faith
in that process.

Love in B Minor
Elodie Nowodazkij. Elodie Nowodazkij, $3.99
e-book (231p) ASIN B019HWIKX0

Nowodazkijs G-rated contemporary

romance riffs on the idea of love in a world
where a person can turn (in)famous overnight. The last thing American dance student Jen
Harrison is
looking for is
romance. Shes
worked her
whole life for the
chance to study
dance at a prestigious school in
Paris and isnt
about to get distracted by love.

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So when a handsome stranger rescues her

from a mugger, she tells him her name is
Laura. And because he doesnt want
involvement either, the strangerwhos
really Lucas Wills, lead singer of rock
group Dire Bluelies about his identity
too. The two begin spending time
together, and its all very cute and fun
until somebody begins leaking careerending secrets about the duo and the
Internet explodes with predictable
venom. That predictability works against
Nowodazkijs rather charming love story;
there is zero suspense and little conflict as
these two flimsy characters tough out a
digital explosion of bad news. The writing
and dialogue are well done, but
Nowodazkij takes too few risks.

The Martyrs Blade:

Chronicles of the Martyr, Vol. 1
Joel Manners. Colquhoun, $14.99 trade paper (594p) ISBN 978-0-9972594-0-7

Mixing the usual ingredients (dungeon

crawls, sword of destiny, good corrupted
by evil, betrayal by trusted colleague)
with an unusual amount of fellowship,
debut novelist
Manners fashions a tasty if
roughly mixed
fantasy.
Centuries after
the defeat of
the evil
Nameless
King, malefactors begin performing blood
sacrifices to raise his undead servants.
Trying to stop them, a band of temple
guardians, rangers, thieves, and adepts,
including the queens sister, Danielle, ride
into the snow-swept northern marches of
this fantasy world, hoping to rediscover a
path to Highward Tor, the lost legendary
stronghold. While the party chases
increasingly horrific foes, crown and
temple clash over Danielles control of the
Martyrs Blade, the sword that dispelled
the Nameless King. Manners injects a
considerable amount of positive emotions
and camaraderie into a narrative that mercilessly does away with a number of its
heroes. He also addresses hot-button
topics such as rape and taboos around

REVIEWS
same-sex relationships in ways that bolster the oppressed rather than blaming the
victims. Fans of heroic adventures will be
gratified.

The Outreach Committee

C.L. Woodhams. Woodhams, $14.95 trade
paper (480p) ISBN 978-0-9908924-0-3

Woodhams (Sweet Justice) capably crafts

a tale of vengeance with a clever central
concept. Since Mora Reys abusive husband died years
ago in a skiing
accident, shes
gone from
being a belittled and controlled wife to
doing empowering work at
Los Angeless
Battered
Womens
Escape Foundation, which assists women
fleeing from their dangerous husbands
and rebuilding their lives. Yet Mora
knows from experience that sometimes a
more final solution is in order. She
launches the Outreach Committee,
helping victims like her colleague and
friend Carol Ewald to escape their husbands by staging accidents like the one
that took her own. As Mora and Carol
gain confidence in their services, logistical and psychological complications
arise. Unfortunately, Woodhamss heavyhanded focus on the ubiquity of marital
violence begins to overshadow the more
subtle features of the story, such as the
tender interactions between domestic
abuse survivors. Male characters come
across as cartoonish villains, lessening the
impact of the violence.

Over My Dead Body

James R. Callan. Pennant, $11.95 trade paper (316p) ISBN 978-0-9646850-8-6

When a friendly, inquisitive parish

priest starts exploring the details of a
parishioners unusual death in a small
town in east Texas, tensions rise and accidents begin to happen. Father Frank cant
quite believe that crotchety old Syd
Cranzler would actually commit suicide,
no matter what the medical examiner and
police say. Syd was too busy fighting

recent corporate attempts to buy him out

of his property. Frank and Syds mutual
friend Georgia agrees, much to the chagrin of her boyfriend, police
detective Mike
Oakley.
Despite Mikes
opposition,
Frank and
Georgia team
up to sleuth
out the peculiar
circumstances
of Syds death,
not realizing the danger they face. Callan
(Cleansed by Fire), after using a weak plot
device to kick-start the investigation,
rebounds to keep the pace lively and the
dialogue interesting. Easygoing,
insightful Frank anchors a colorful cast of
characters who are the highlight of the
book. Even though a priest is at the center
of the story, matters of faith are touched
on lightly, but with a positive spin. This
is a solid, entertaining whodunit with
believable characters, twists, and
complications.

Red Phoenix Burning

Larry Bond and Chris Carlson. CreateSpace,
$11.11 trade paper (510p) ISBN 978-1-51963538-9

Bond and Carlsons sequel to Red

Phoenix offers a fascinating and plausible
scenario of North Korean regime change.
After North Koreas hated Kim dynasty
collapses in a military coup, Col. Rhee
Han-gil leads his Special Forces Ghost
Brigade across
the DMZ to
secure the
Norths fearsome WMD
stockpiles,
accompanied
by American
Col. Kevin
Little. A stalemate battle
with North
Koreas Gen. Tae Seok-won for control of
the capital, Pyongyang, leads to an alliance against hostile Kim loyalists and
advancing Chinese forces. Meanwhile,
Cho Ho-jin, a North Korean spy for the

Russians, abandons his surveillance mission to aid

American relief worker Kary
Fowler. Cho subsequently assists Rhee
and Little in a thrilling climactic battle
against a potential last-minute nuclear
strike by DPRK holdouts. Too-quick victories and forgettable enemies diminish
the rousing battle scenesthough the
naval skirmishes and aerial dogfights are
standoutsbut the emphasis on Korean
factions rather than American players distinguishes this from the typical 38th-parallel thriller.

The Renegade Queen

Eva Flynn. Omega Press, $11.95 trade paper
(328p) ISBN 978-0-9969832-0-4

Flynns fictional portrait of womensrights champion Victoria Woodhull, the

first woman to run for president of the
United States, is
a striking and
sobering depiction of a progressive and controversial figure
nearly lost in
history. After a
childhood corrupted by incest,
Victoria marries
Dr. Canning
Woodhull in 1853 Ohio, at age 14.
Canning provides his child bride with an
escape from her father, until his addictions destroy their marriage and his
career. A practicing psychic, Victoria
becomes the breadwinner, and they settle
in New York with their children. There,
in the late 1860s, Victoria falls in love
with Colonel James Blood, but the specifics of her divorce and remarriage are
unclear. She campaigns for womens suffrage and legal protections in marriage,
divorce, and business, and she later
embraces Marxism; she becomes rich as
the first female stockbroker, advocating
for women with noted suffragette Susan
B. Anthony. Victorias life as a free lover
is tinder for her enemies, who brand her
Mrs. Satan, and she lands in New Yorks
worst prison on trumped-up obscenity
charges. Flynn does not consider Victoria
innocent and convincingly suggests that
Victorias stubborn defiance harms her
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children and destroys her
relationship with James.
Flynns Victoria is exciting
and ahead of her time, and the novel sheds
light on her remarkable life.

Saving Babe Ruth:

A Novel Based on a True Story
Tom Swyers. Hillcrest House, $16.95 trade
paper (348p) ISBN 978-1-941440-00-1

Set in 2009, Swyerss polemical tale of

corporate greed and civic apathy pits
David Thompson, an Indigo Valley, N.Y.,
lawyer, Civil War buff, and commissioner
of the towns Babe Ruth baseball program, against Rob Barkus, the promoter
of the rival Elite Travel Baseball League.
Barkuss program has
siphoned
players from
the Babe Ruth
league to the
point that
Indigo Valley
could lose the
charter it has
held since
1957.
Thompsons hole card is the leagues gem
of a ball field, which he oversees and
which Barkus wants for his players, who
use two other inferior fields. Thompson
must contend with thinly veiled threats
and an email campaign waged by Barkus,
as well as pressure from school officials,
parents, and his own board members.
Thompsons allies include his wife and
son, whos an eighth-grade ballplayer.
Readers should be prepared for frequent,
often labored, Civil War analogiesand
characters who are either really bad or
really good.

Shattered Image
Stacy Monson. His Image, $12.99 trade paper
(325p) ISBN 978-0-98612-451-8

Monsons self-publishing debut is a

sweet romance that shines light on the
nonglamorous side of modeling and
details the challenges Christians face in
the entertainment industry. Kiera
Simmonss modeling career comes to an
abrupt end when she loses her job due to
poor relationship choices; her ex-boyfriend humiliated her, cost her a job, and

almost landed her in jail. No longer sure

of herself as a model, Kiera decides to
leave Manhattan and return home to
Minnesota in
order to care for
her ailing
father as she
figures out her
next career
move.
Concurrently,
Peter Theisens
music career is
set to take off
after a chance
meeting with producer Mark Simmons on
a cruise ship. On a trip to Minnesota to
record his album, Peter meets Kiera at
Marks studio and, despite warnings from
his manager, decides he must pursue her.
Kiera, in addition to working at her
cousin Marks studio, has plans to develop
a program for teens to help overcome
social pressures so they can view themselves through Gods eyes. As her fathers
health declines and Peters career soars,
Kiera finds herself struggling to find her
identity and value. To keep her facade of
perfection intact, she begins to keep
secrets from everyoneeven her father
and best friend. Monson crafts an
inspiring, grace-filled tome with complex, authentic characters. Real conflicts
with no simple answers will keep readers
thinking about Monsons book long after
the last page.

Sleeping Brides
A.E. Scholer. Fallen Sea, $16.95 trade paper
(370p) ISBN 978-0-9930993-6-6

In this ambitious, uneven, and terribly

florid literary romance, four deceased
brides tell their stories in the afterlife to
determine which of them will be granted
a second chance
at romantic
happiness. As
their tales
unfold, each
woman reveals
episodes of
heartbreak,
hardship, hope,
and love.
Ronnie, an
American

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working at a womens shelter, struggles

with her fear of marriage, only to die just
when shes found true joy with a man;
Storme, from Amsterdam, raises her
daughter alone, always unlucky in love
until much later in life; Canadian Hayley
refuses to stop working, even as cancer
eats away at her, but she encounters
romance when least expected; Busana, a
19-year-old from the Kyrgyz Republic,
runs afoul of ancient customs and social
pressure. Scholers propensity for overwrought language unfortunately undermines the strength of her characters narratives. Furthermore, she tries to cram too
much into a single book; its like reading
four romance novels on fast-forward, with
much of the crucial development glossed
over. The finale, in which the winner is
determined, is rushed and underexplored.
This interesting concept never reaches its
full potential.

Souls of Darkness
Louise Hunt, Damon Rathe, and Kenneth
Frank, edited by Martin Rothery. Fishcakes,
$4.25 e-book (230p) ISBN 978-1-909015-08-1

Rothery (Cows!) expertly blends 15

short and crisp thriller, fantasy, horror,
and science fiction stories by three authors
whose work disturbs and unnerves. Vivid
descriptions,
melancholy
atmosphere,
and creepy
characters
propel fresh
stories spanning Colonial
days to alien
invasion.
Hunts
devious escapades of manipulative psychopaths feature
in Geoff, a story of an estate manager
who goes too far protecting the mistress of
the house, and Miss Hate, about a cantankerous nursing home resident due for a
comeuppance. Rathe (the pseudonymous
Rothery) explores fantasy with a ghoul
who feeds off misery meeting its match in
a clever school teacher in Shadow of
January Gloom; a blackjack player succumbing to personified playing cards in
Lady Luck; and ghosts from a preindustrial society clashing with modern prog-

REVIEWS
ress in the standout Community Spirits.
Kenneth Frank excels with The Beast,
whose title character vows vengeance on
the interplanetary invaders who destroyed
his kind. The office drone in
Redundancy systematically removes his
competition. Eyes in the Dark is an
extraterrestrial angle on the classic
Dracula story. Unfortunately, the promising Sensation Seekers, in which
immortal aliens inhabit human bodies,
ends much too quickly.

Transference
R.D. Overby. Overbybooks, $2.99 e-book
(238p) ASIN B01GDB3ZIS

Clones, consciousness transfers, and

conflicted consciences collide in this taut
near-future medical thriller. Enthusiastic
and careerdriven scientist
Eric and his sensitive, highly
moral colleague
Marcel are
attempting to
find out what
happens when
you transfer the
consciousness of
one body to
another. Their personality differences are
just part of the problem, as they learn
when their boss makes some ethically
questionable changes to the project. The
scientific jargon is credible, and Overby
doesnt fuss too much with the nittygritty technical details. Instead, the focus
is on the edginess caused by personality
differences and mistrust among the characters as the story rushes from one twist to
another. Although the manuscript could
use another edit to tighten sentence structure and some small inconsistencies, the
plot, including the sparks of a romance
with project member Grace, keeps the
reader hooked. Touching on themes of science, nature, and ethics, this is a fun
roller-coaster ride set in a very recognizable world.

Wolf Code:
A Sheltering Wilderness
Chandler Brett. Dire Wolf, $4.99 e-book
(292p) ISBN 978-1-943934-02-7

Bretts debut intersperses the human

world of game
design, postgraduate university relationships, and
virtual reality
with the much
more fascinating
lives of gray
wolves. During
Donovan
Williamss first
semester as a teaching assistant, he is challenged by, and attracted to, student Tsula
Watie, an activist whos passionate about
wolves. As Don and Tsula get closer, he
finds it necessary to hide his passion:
working on the virtual reality game
Transylvania Nights, in which players kill
werewolves to survive. Woven through
the narrative of Don and Tsulas relationship is the compelling journey of Kan and
Lana, the new alpha pair of a wolf pack
thats being driven from its hunting
grounds by tigers. The ethical questions
that Don must deal with, including
animal rights and the benefits of virtual
and immersive reality, are important, but
a fluid timeline confuses the reader and
doesnt allow Don and Tsula much depth.
Bretts writing is much more natural in
the portrayal of the wolf pack, showing
their social structures and environmental
pressures without overly anthropomorphizing. Ideally in future volumes Brett
will develop the humans as much as the
wolves.

band of thieves and cons he

assembles as they attempt to
rob the newest casino going
up on the Strip. Its impossible to plan for
the interference of the imprisoned goddess who works for their mark, but the
team comes together like a dysfunctional
family to pull the job off, more or less.
Younger (Zen and the Art of Cannibalism)
is an experienced comedy writer who
understands the art of the heist novel, providing just enough information to keep
readers intrigued without giving the
game away too early. The characters are
entertaining with distinct voices, carrying
a plot that, for all its lightheartedness, has
a substantial amount of meat on the bone.

Nonfiction
Capturing the Magic:
A Photographic Journey Through
the Walt Disney World Parks
Holly Wiencek, photos by Bill Sferrazza and
Eric Weber. Story Farm, $39.95 hardcover
(256p) ISBN 978-0-9966038-1-2

Wiencek, who has made more than 300

visits to the Walt Disney World Resort in
Orlando, Fla., makes a convincing (if onesided) case for a stroll down memory lane

The Wrath of Con

Daniel Younger. Mutant Panda, $13.99 trade
paper (325p) ISBN 978-1-5334-8836-7

If Terry Pratchett had written a Vegas

heist novel, it might have looked something like this impressive comic fantasy,
which finds the
pathos at the
heart of humor.
Packed with
bizarre
moments,
deadpan reactions, and hilarious non sequiturs, the novel
follows Josh
Harlan and the

in this coffee-table album with lush color

photos by Sferrazza and Weber. The book
is divided into four sections, replete with
double-page spreads that depict each of
the four theme parks at the resort in the
order they were built. Opening with photographs of Magic Kingdom Park, the
first of four theme parks that became
Disney World, in Orlando, Fla., Wiencek
serves as the guide for this photographic
tour, providing slices of pop culture history and other commentary alongside the
photographs. When discussing the
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Haunted Mansion attraction, she explains that the
bust inside the crystal ball is
modeled after the late Leota Toombs, a
longtime employee of the park who
worked in model building and costuming. Likewise, the sections on Epcot,
Disneys Hollywood Studios, and Disneys
Animal Kingdom include details that
guests might otherwise miss. The magnitude of Disneys achievement comes
through loud and clear in the pages of this
book, as do the spirit and excitement of
the theme parks. Color photos.

The Coaching Habit:

Say Less, Ask More, and Change
the Way You Lead Forever
Michael Bungay Stanier. Box of Crayons,
$14.95 trade paper (232p) ISBN 978-09784407-4-9

Coaching is an essential leadership skill

in business and learning how to do it well
is a matter of habit, says Do More Great
Work author
Bungay
Stanier in this
slim guide.
This pocketsize book, full
of eyecatching
graphics and
pithy phrases
in large text,
guides readers
through seven questions that Bungay
Stanier asserts will lead them to great
coaching. His suggestions for would-be
coaches are focused on helping them
understand the needs of the coachee and
addressing these needs clearly and
directly. Since many or most leaders have
tried to coach and failed, according to a
study Bungay Stanier cites, these questions are aimed at making coaching simpler and more effective, and building it
into a habit. The advice is backed up with
references to other studies and includes
worksheets. The book is intended to be
customized for branded corporate use; its
hard to imagine who the trade audience
would be for the generic advice provided,
unless its amended with organizationspecific information.

Difficult Conversations Just for

Women: Kill the Anxiety, Get
What You Want
Sofia Santiago and Susan Harrison.
CreateSpace, $8.50 trade paper (212p)
ISBN 978-1-5335-4698-2

Bringing over 30 years of combined

experience in the field of motivating and
teaching women to excel in business,
coauthors Santiago and Harrison craft a
smart and necessary message for female
readers who lack confidence. The authors
advice is clear
and succinct:
Speak up for
yourself. If
someone does
something to
offend you, say
so, regardless of
how much you
would rather
just avoid the
topic. From the
very first chapter, readers will know that
they have stumbled onto something valuable, beginning with the authors advice
about the importance of not avoiding difficult conversations aimed at changing
another persons behavior. The majority of
the book is devoted to explaining how
best to have these unpleasant talks. The
straightforward book delivers an effective
message that will benefit many. Most
notable is the section in which Santiago
and Harrison speak candidly about their
experiences with the silent treatment and
make an excellent argument about why
this passive-aggressive tactic almost
always backfires. Any woman who picks
up this book will feel inspired, upon
reaching its end, to courageously speak
her mind.

The Fight That Started the

Movies: The World Heavyweight
Championship, the Birth of
Cinema, and the First Feature Film
Samuel Hawley. Conquistador, $17.95 trade
paper (371p) ISBN 978-0-9920786-8-3

Movie buffs and boxing buffs alike will

relish this scrupulous account of what
Hawley (Speed Duel) identifies as the first
feature film, the 1897 The CorbettFitzsimmons Fight, featuring two of the
periods biggest prizefighters. Hawley

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creates a gritty, authentic picture of the

late 19th century, a time when the trek
from St. Louis to San Francisco by stagecoach was described as 24 days of hell.
This lengthy book could have benefitted
from more judicious editing, but its
copious detail
pays off in
adding color to
the period and
its characters:
he introduces
prizefighter
Bob
Fitzsimmonss
pet lion Nero,
and describes
Jim Corbetts
autobiographical stage play, Gentleman
Jim. Hawley also conveys the painstaking
process of inventing motion picture technology, one marked with an occasional
eureka moment. The fighters possessed
remarkable taunting skills outside of the
ring, and Hawley precisely captures the
formal language of the time. Beyond the
rise of the feature film format, Hawley
also notes The Corbett-Fitzsimmons
Fight as a precursor to both subsequent
blockbuster movies and todays ubiquitous sports instant replay. An extensive
bibliography, index, and selection of notes
underscore the authors devotion to
research. 32 pages of illus.

Gems of a Lifetime:
Mining Light from Every Place
Barbara Patton Unger. Infinity, $11.95 trade
paper (171p) ISBN 978-1-4958-0462-5

This charming memoir brings

humility, compassion, and cleverness to
the study of many of American cultures
most prominent spiritual and religious
traditions. Unger was born and raised in
Joplin, Mo., a
small mining
town where
people learned
to find meaning
in the everyday
pleasures and
challenges of
life. Educated at
the Worldwide
Church of Gods
Ambassador

REVIEWS
College, she was immersed in biblical
studies. Her life experiences taught her
that the Bible contained many hidden
gems that systematic scripture study
would not unearth: one had to consider
ones present condition, and find reflections in the text that inform and inspire
the reader. Her later journeys led her
through the writings of Mormonism,
Eastern mysticism, and other sacred texts.
In each, she found insightful lessons and
ways to think about her own condition.
The last pages of this book explore
Ungers fascination with sacred stones,
and her successful integration of new-age
ideas with the teachings of the Bible.
Readers who enjoy an exciting spiritual
journey will celebrate this story.

PlayDHD: Permission to Play; A

Prescription for Adults with ADHD

Kirsten Milliken. Bookbaby, $5.99 trade paper

(146p) ISBN 978-0-9970045-0-2

When psychologist Milliken realized

that she had ADHD, she set out to
improve her personal and professional life
by observing how play affected her attention. She incorporated what she learned
into her work with ADHD clients and
now shares these discoveries in this entertaining guide. She examines studies that
indicate symptoms of ADHD may result
from low, premature, or inefficient dopamine transmission in the brain, resulting
in lower engagement in unrewarding
activities.
While
acknowledging that
multiple
approaches
to alleviating
ADHDs
symptoms
exist, she
favors
increasing the space for play in ones life,
on the basis that it activates reward pathways in the brain, enabling people with
ADHD to pay attention for longer periods
of time. Milliken begins by comprehensively addressing what ADHD is, giving
detailed explanations of its possible causes
and known symptoms, before delving
deep into the origins of play and why it is

beneficial. She then breaks down the

remaining chapters into stages of
approaching play: cultivating a playful
mindset, looking back at key fun memories from childhood and beyond, understanding what play personality type you
are, and generating a prolific and sustainable playlist for all realms of life. This
book is a must for those with ADHD and
their loved ones.

Saving Jake:
When Addiction Hits Home
DAnne Burwell. FocusUp Books, $14.99
trade paper (314p) ISBN 978-0-9962-5430-4

Without cleverness or false pride,

Burwell, a suburban mother of a struggling son, writes the brutal truth about
addiction, once a topic on the national
backburner but now in the news as it went
from blighted urban areas to plush suburbs. She explains how her bright, athletic
son, Jake,
experimented
with weed and
alcohol, then
graduated to
OxyContin and
leaving college
abruptly. When
Burwell sees
how thin her
19-year-old boy
has become as
he spirals out of control in the grip of the
drug, she realizes their parenting has
failed. She knows the terror and shame
that every besieged family feels when Jake
admits to her and his counselor: Drugs
instead of food, thought I could control it.
I hate my life. Addiction, Burwell notes,
takes a toll on the addict and his family,
with her husbands economic consultant
salary supporting a series of rehab facilities, each ending with the son slipping
back to his old life. His mothers writing
is sincere and heartfelt, detailing how
their sons addiction almost unraveled
their marriage and financial future, while
he remains adamant he can defeat his
problem alone. Setbacks and relapses
cannot dampen our cheering for this
mother and family in this potent personal
tale of devotion and commitment and an
impassioned plea for a national dialogue
on a pressing health crisis

Scratchings of a
Madwoman
Rhonda Nass. Ampersand
Studios, $45 trade paper (64p) ISBN 978-0692-44907-3

Nass has a good idea: combine coloredpencil drawings with spiritual stories.
Her goals are to invite readers to do the
same, to wipe
out the myth
that God prefers to be aloof,
and to please
God, who
nudged her into
the project. Nass
marries her 18
drawings to 18
spiritual expressions, such as
prayer, Spiritfilled, and
Gods will. For
faith, she
draws old hands in prayer; for creation,
she shows the life cycle of haircap moss.
Her story for love spins off reduction (as
in cooking); hope involves colored pencils, a disabled cleaning woman, and a
Psalm. Each of her stories includes a closeness she experienced with God (always
masculine and anthropomorphic), Bible
verses, and her intricate, intimate drawings. Nasss work in words and art displays well, but when she offers drawing
lessons to encourage others to do the
same, her efforts flag. Her instructions are
chipper, but, despite their clarity and a
glossary, they simply cannot do on paper
what surely Nass does in her hands-on
workshops.

The Self-Care Solution:

A Modern Mothers Must-Have
Guide to Health and Well-Being
Julie Burton. She Writes Press, $16.95 trade
paper (224p) ISBN 978-1-63152-068-6

Burtons instructional guide to self-care

for mothers is full of tips and techniques,
and long on understanding and empathy.
A mother of four, she realized that she
couldnt handle everything on my plate,
and acknowledged her inability to ask for
help. She also realized she wasnt alone in
her struggle. The result: this book.
Clearly, Burton has done her research, as
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shown by the anonymous
quotes from moms sprinkled
throughout. The quotes provide reinforcement that moms everywhere
face challenges and have their own fears
and frustrations. The book starts well,
offering
straightforward
advice about the
benefits of exercise or sleep.
Occasionally,
Burtons suggestions are
light on substance, if wellintentioned
(Laugh. A
lot). Other sections are more substantive,
such as one on sex and intimacy. The book
also addresses the tension between
working moms and SAHMS (stay at home
moms), a point that comes across as a distracting digression from the main subject
since Burton shows both groups are in
equal need of a well-stocked self-care
toolbox. She ends on a simple but strong
note, reminding mothers that its important to fulfill your childrens needs, not
their wants.

within current construction practices. In

this, she succeeds terrifically. Most of this
attractively illustrated book consists of
quotations taken from original sources
published from the 16th to early 20th centuries. These sources are building manuals
such as Palladios Four Books of
Architecture (1570), which inspired many
of Americas greatest public and private
buildings, as well as lesser-known volumes
such as T.F. Hamlins The Enjoyment of
Architecture (1921). The rules are broken
down by chapter and include Genius of
the Place, Asymmetry, and
Proportion. Each includes quotations to
explain the concept and several wellchosen illustrations to graphically demonstrate the idea. The annotated bibliography at the end is a bonus and provides
direction for those who seek further elaboration. Anyone interested in architectureprofessionals, students, homeimprovers, renovators, home flippers, or
anyone who regards suburbia with a critical eyewill enjoy this useful and wellwritten compilation. B&w illus.

Simple Rules:

A.K. Turner. Brown Books, $16.95 trade paper

(232p) ISBN 978-1-61254-914-9

What the Oldtime Builders Knew

Shannon Taylor Scarlett. CreateSpace,

$21.49 trade paper (126p) ISBN 978-1-48415207-2

This thoughtful and thought-provoking little gem outlines 25 crucial

design principles that the author believes
have been jeopardized as domestic architecture has become dominated by developers. Scarlett, who runs an architecture
firm in Wellesley, Mass., aims to remind
those in the building community that
simple beauty
and meaning...
is still reproducible in new
homes, and
that many traditional
building techniques are still
applicable in
todays
economy, and

Vagabonding with Kids: How One

Couple Embraced an Unconventional Life to Work Remotely and
Show Their Kids the World
Armchair travel and parenting guides
find unusual symbiosis in this work from
Turner (Hair of the Corn Dog), in which the
mother of two uses her own lively experiences traveling
abroad with
children to persuade readers
that longterm, nomadic
travel with
little ones fosters compassion, adaptability,
perspective,
gratitude, and a sense of wonder. Parents
will be easily swayed by the prospect of
exposing their young brood to life abroad,
as Turner recounts her tales of trips to
Australia and Brazil for months at a time.
The real challenge is convincing little Ivy
that fried piranha is a viable snack or

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helping Emilia leave all her books at

home. Turner also advises intrepid parents
to remember the Imodium and think
carefully about traveling by camper in a
foreign country. Awkward diaper changes
aside, Turner argues firmly in favor of the
benefits extended travel had for her children. Turners charming tales evoke an
odd mix of envy and schadenfreude;
readers may simply want to stay home and
keep reading.

Wheres the Mother?

Stories from a Transgender Dad
Trevor MacDonald. Trans Canada Press,
$18.99 trade paper (280p) ISBN 978-09919645-0-5

MacDonalds debut memoir tells a tale

noticeably absent from the plethora of parenting and breastfeeding books available:
that of a transgender man in a gay marriage
to a cisgender man who was himself
adopted, both desperately trying to feed
their biological child nothing but human
milk. MacDonalds story is in some ways a
best-case scenario: his husband is a considerate, unquestioningly accepting lover; his
job is never in danger; he is able to afford
top surgery, to which he responds well
physically and mentally; and his access to
Facebook allows him a wealth of opportunities to obtain
donor milk
from generous
sources. Only in
the books final
third does the
author
encounter circumstances that
could be considered truly dangerous and challenge his privilege. But MacDonald owns
his identity, using his elevated platform to
call attention to issues faced by transwomen
and transmen, people of color, and those
living in poverty. Most importantly, his
story of transitioning is frank, clever, and
easy to process, providing plenty of parallels
to his later struggles with nursing for
curious cis readers. Despite a puzzlingly
tone-deaf foreword from Fiona Giles (Fresh
Milk), MacDonalds book serves as a
refreshing and insightful narrative.

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15 Years of War: How the Longest
War in U.S. History Affected a
Military Family in Love, Loss, and
the Cost of Service
Kristine Schellhaas. Life Publishing, $16.95
trade paper (384p) ISBN 978-0-9970908-0-2

First-time author Schellhaas presents a

moving memoir of her life with her husband, Ross, whom she met while he was
in the Marine Reserves; they married after
he became an active-duty Marine in 2001.
This detailed glimpse into military
family life starts after Ross is deployed to
Iraq after the events of 9/11. She not only
captures the struggles of a military
spouseI had
to get used to
eating alone,
sleeping alone,
and managing
pretty much
everything
without
himbut also
the shared
troubles of her
extended military family: There was nothing worse for
us than seeing on television the hardships
our husbands were dealing with, knowing
we couldnt do a single thing about any of
it. The couple experience the joy of
childbirth as well as the accidental death
of one of their young sons, about which
Schellhaas is brutally honest: Going forward, I would have to choose either forgiveness or resentment and anger. It
would be a decision Id need to make
every single day. The success of their
marriage over timeas well as her
founding of the USMC Life website to
inspire, connect, and educate other military familiesgives this heartfelt
memoir a happy ending.

Childrens/YA
Sela Blue and the First Day of
School
Alisia Dale, illus. by Sheree Evelina.
Huckleberry Sweet Pie, $24.99 hardcover
(68p) ISBN 978-1-942537-01-4

In the first book in a planned series,

Dale and Evelina introduce Sela Blue, an
optimistic and inquisitive brown-skinned

girl who lives in the fictional town of

Chateauguay, where the streets are named
after famous composers. Sela is looking
forward to attending school for the first
time, but
she has
many questions about
it, so she
bends the
ear of
everyone
she meets
in town,
including a
gardener,
inventor, and bank teller (She asked Mrs.
Karela,/ As she counted fives and tens,/
Do you think this cash will cover/ All my
paper, books, and pens? ). Evelinas illustrations are charmers, mixing pencil
detailing with delicate washes of color to
create scenes with a dainty wholesomeness
reminiscent of Precious Moments figurines (with a fondness for frilly dresses and
hair bows, Sela changes outfits with
nearly every page turn). Dales story offers
little dramatic tensionafter a night of
frightening dreams, Sela fears she has
missed the bus, a worry thats quickly set
straightbut children looking forward to
school with eagerness rather than trepidation should find it easy to relate to this
cheerful heroine. Ages 4up.

How I Sent My Hug Around the

World
Donna Ellen Conrad, illus. by Monez
Gusmang. Hummingbird Book, $17.99 hardcover (52p) ISBN 978-0-9852457-1-9

Tippi, a girl with cherry red braids and

matching glasses, describes how her
mothers bad mood creates a chain reaction of epic proportions. When Mama is
grouchy with Tippis brother, he pesters
Tippi, who grrrrouch[es] at her father,
and so on, leading a pair of skunk-sprayed
songbirds to spread ewwey-stewweycranky-with-youuey bad moods around
the world, even affecting extraterrestrials
and giant dragons from the sea. Giving
the matter some thought, Tippi reverses
the looming global catastrophe by giving
her mother a hug. Even when the characters are at their grumpiest, Balinese artist
Gusmangs bright, smudgy-textured

illustrations suggest that

better days arent far away;
eventually, the hug spreads
happiness among smiling citizens of
Argentina, Tanzania, and Indonesia,
fairy tale characters, and even a god in saffron robes giving a thumbs-up sign from
his mountaintop perch. Tippis narration

tends to be drawn-out and cloying (Soon,

I think, all living things in the whole universe will be so happy, you will see them
hopping, and twirling, and leaping for
stars!), but Conrads story could spark
conversations about how one individual
can make an impact. Ages 48.

The League and the Lantern

Brian Wells. Republic Ink, $17.99 hardcover
(282p) ISBN 978-0-9972270-0-0

A sleepover at the museum turns into a

no-holds-barred adventure when
incoming seventh grader Jake Herndon
winds up in the middle of a bizarre assault
upon
Chicagos
Museum of
Science and
Industry
during a
school
sleepover. He
and his new
friends, geeky
TJ McDonald
and know-itall Lucy Garcia, quickly find themselves
on the run from a ruthless organization
determined to capture them for unknown
reasons. Their only hope is to track down
Jakes uncle Gabe, who has secrets of his
own. Jake learns that they are caught
between two secret groups whose origins
date back to the Civil War, one seeking to
preserve the Union, the other to destroy
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it, and he somehow holds the
key to success. In this strong
debut, Wells offers up a fastpaced, adrenaline-pumping thriller, skillfully blending action, humor, and historical trivia. The three heroes have good
chemistry, even if their dynamic is somewhat familiar. While some aspects of the
story, such as the level of technology
involved, push into SF territory, the
overall sense of wonder and excitement
makes this an entertaining read. Ages
812.

Fieldhouse
Scott Novosel, illus. by Sam Sharpe.
Fieldhouse, $24.99 hardcover (64p) ISBN 9780-9768353-8-7

Scott Novosel may not be the best

player and may never be a star, but he
works ceaselessly year after year to earn a
spot on the basketball team that he has
idolized since childhood: the Kansas
University Jayhawks. Along the way, he
battles injuries, others disbelief, and his
own doubts and mistakes. Novosels autobiographical narrative of self-determination inspires and delights, in large part
because it isnt a lofty tale of grandiose
achievement but a humble one; he merely
wants, and earns, a chance to show what
hes got. Sharpes skillful cartooning
subtly evokes mood changes and facial
expressions, though with little exposition
to ground readers, it can be difficult to
keep some characters straight. Rendered
in a bright palette featuring plenty of KU
crimson and blue, the art is consistently
attentiongrabbing,
especially in
fast-moving
action
sequences
during basketball games
and training
sessions. The
depiction of
Scott himselfwho looks like a 12-year-old boy
throughout, even though he is in his early
20s by storys endis somewhat jarring,
but readers nursing their own athletic
dreams should find Novosels hard-won
victory more than satisfying. Ages 8up.

Joachims Magic
M.L. Stainer, illus. by James Melvin. Outskirts,
$16.95 paper (234p) ISBN 978-1-4787-5497-8

In a prequel to Stainers Lyon Saga, originally published by Chicken Soup Press

and based on the lost colony of Roanoke,
13-year-old Reis Courtney becomes an
apprentice to (real-life) Jewish metallurgist Dougham Gaunse (aka Joachim
Gans) in 1585, traveling with him and a
team of miners
to the New
World in search
of precious
metals. Reis
learns the perilous work of
mining alongside the adult
members of the
exhibition,
while navigating survival in the wilderness and
attempting to decipher the behaviors of
his master, which include speaking in
Hebrew and refusing to eat meat. Threats
come in the form of chief Pemisapan and
his tribe, as well as German miners who
resent Joachim. Its a tightly woven story
fully anchored in its historical era. Reis
lives in active fear of witches and other
supernatural beings lurking in the New
World. His terror of the unknown provides a layer of psychological intrigue,
hinting at the enormity of all that lay
beyond colonists early understanding and
the birth of superstitions that would continue to permeate settlers worldview.
Ages 12up

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