PW Select December 2014

December 2014
Your Guide to Self-Publishing

All Our Stars of 2014
Review Success for
Indie Authors
68 New Titles Listed
Indie Reviews Roundup
I N D I E STA R R E D R EV I EW S 2014
The Self-Published
Stars of 2014
Welcome to PWs first-ever Indie Starred Reviews Annual. Over the last 12
months, weve reviewed hundreds of self-published titles in a wide variety
of genres. In this issue of PW Select, youll find all the books that received
starred reviews in 2014, as well as interviews with some of the indie authors
whose books earned high praise from our reviewers.
Fiction
13:24:
A Story of Faith and Obsession
M. Dolon Hickmon. Rehoboam, $16.99
paper (376p) ISBN 978-0-9911066-0-8
Hickmon unleashes a shocking blitzkrieg of murder, conspiracy, and child

abuse in this disturbing, breathlessly
plotted murder mystery. When 14-yearold Chris Pesner murders his mother and
her boyfriend, Andrew, the media blames
heavy metal band Rehoboams violent,
blasphemous lyrics. But homicide detective William Hursels investigation
unearths a dark
web of child abuse
and black market
pornography.
Merging biblical
tales, psychology,
and social criticism, Hickmon
stares into the distressing abyss of child
exploitation with daring honesty. Designed to provoke, scenes of underage
abuse avoid the pornographic by focusing on psychological damagethus
rousing pity and disgust, not titillation.
Eschewing easy answers for moral complexity, this thriller is unsettling entertainment that offers catharsis.
A Journal of the Crazy Year

Forrest Carr. CreateSpace, $13.99 paper
(276p) ISBN 978-1-5003-0095-1
Fresh thinking and feeling animate

this heartfelt postapocalyptic novel. John
Cruzs awakening after four years in a
catatonic stupor is part of a worldwide
healing of the insane. On the other hand,
mentally healthy people are losing their
minds, falling into comas, succumbing
to vicious madness, or engaging in bestial cannibalism. The cause might be the
recurrence of a global pandemic from the
early 1900s, or a huge comet passing
through our solar system. All John cares
about is saving as much of his newly
recovered home life as he can, and hes
willing to gun down any number of crazies to that end. When his beloved wife
becomes a zombielike flesh-craving
f i e n d , h o w e v e r,
John faces new practical problems and
moral dilemmas.
The book is stuffed
with untrimmable
character-driven dialogue, and Carrs
sincere investment in the concept of
people groping their way through hell on
Earth makes his story a fascinating read
28 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y D E C E M B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 4
all the way to its chilly, barely hopeful

conclusion.
The Ambitious Madame

Bonaparte
Ruth Hull Chatlien. Amika Press, $17.95
paper (484p) ISBN 978-1-937484-16-3
When young Betsy Patterson marries

dashing but irresponsible Jerome
Bonapartethe brother of Napoleon
she dreams of an exciting new life at the
French court. Instead, her brother-inlaws hostility leads to her bitter struggle to legitimize herself as a Bonaparte.
Meticulously researched, engrossing in
detail, and full of the customs, values,
and prejudices of
the era, Chatliens
novel brings to life
crucial moments
in history alongside Betsys quest
for recognition.
The chaos of Napoleons reign and
maritime hostilities engross without overshadowing
Madame Bonapartes heartaches and
small triumphs. Chatlien doesnt flinch
from exposing our hunger for wealth
and power, and confronts difficult
themes such as slavery and domestic
inequality. A solid example of its genre,
this account of one womans stubborn
determination will appeal to romance
aficionados and historical devotees
alike.
Anvil of God:
Book One of the
Carolingian Chronicles
J. Boyce Gleason. iUniverse, $33.95 (440p)
ISBN 978-1-4759-9020-1
Gleasons gripping historical novel

the first volume in his Carolingian
Chroniclesoffers readers a vivid mix of
bloody battles, intriguing characters,
and plenty of pagan sex rites. The year is
741, and Charles The Hammer Martel,
the Frankish general and mayor of the
palace who held off the Saracens and preserved Christianity in Western Europe,
is on his deathbed. In the palace at Quierzy (located in modern-day France), the
politicking around succession is laden
with intrigue, which Gleason makes
lively and entertaining, while
giving considerable space and full
character development to the women who walk the
corridors of power.
Trudi, Charless
daughter, embraces
paganism, while her brothers grapple
with the role of the church in a reconstituted kingdom. As the saga unfolds,
Trudi takes flight to avoid a forced marriage of political convenience, while her
brothers battle each other in the skillfully described siege of the city of Laon.
As both stories move toward their exciting conclusions, the mix of history,
action, drama, and vigorous doses of sex
makes this debut historical novel a pageturner.
Belated and Other Stories

Elisabeth Russell Taylor. Kimblewood
Press, $14.95 paper (266p) ISBN 978-14912-8531-2
The transforming power of love cripples hearts and minds in this dark, enig-
matic collection from Taylor (Pillion Riders, Mother Country). In these 16 shorts,
the author pierces the facade of everyday
life to reveal isolation and helplessness.
Les Amantes is a farewell to fidelity
and sacred memory
after a lovers death.
In Charlotte a
Jewish woman
struggles against
ghosts of conscience,
need, and loyalty in
postwar England.
The dark fable
Take Carein
which guests overrun a homeis reminiscent of the work of August Strindberg. A counselors security is shattered
by a patient in Supporting Roles.
What is not revealed in these tales is as
dramatic as what is, with Taylor hinting
at different and tantalizing narrative possibilities. These tales of longing, jealousy, and loss reveal the discomfiting effects
of love on the mind, soul, and body.
Chiral Mad 2
Edited by Michael Bailey.
Written Backwards, $20
paper (424p) ISBN 978-1-4942-3997-8
Bailey (Palindrome Hannah) builds on

the success of his previous anthology, Chiral Madwhich, like the sequel, was
compiled to raise money for Down syndrome charitiesby providing a diverse
collection of 28 horror stories from seasoned writers and
novices. The central theme of chiralityin chemistry, the term chiral refers to a
molecule that is
not symmetricalseems particularly apropos
to a volume on psychological horror, as it
hints at a fundamental incoherence or irresoluble conflict of perception and reality, of personality and the external. In
Mason Ian Bundschuhs Another Mans
Bones, for example, the past and present
Q&A M. Dolon Hickmon
Why did you choose to self-publish 13:24?

I chose nontraditional publishing because my book fell
outside of the forms that presses were buying. I think
my success proves that modern audiences can deal with
these issues more directly. Ultimately, I would like to see
other writers using pop fiction to add depth to the public
understanding of trauma.
Can you talk a bit about how the noveland your decision to write itgrew out of your work as an activist?
Before writing 13:24, I spent much of my free time campaigning for childrens
rights. I corresponded with government officials, and my opinions appeared in
newspapers in the U.S. and Europe. I published a study that continues to be
cited by activist organizations, including Human Rights Watch and the ACLU, in
a joint letter to a committee of the U.S. Congress.
In 2007, I read a Prevent Child Abuse America study called Making the
Public Case for Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention. The authors concluded
that although Americans were aware of child abuse and saw it as a significant
problem, they were exhausted by statistics and felt there was little they could
personally do about it.
After reading this, I had the inspiration to create a crime thriller that would
convey real-life facts about childhood trauma. In 2008, I set aside my other
activism to write 13:24.
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M
29
collide. Max Booth III, in
Flowers Blooming in the
S e a s o n o f A t r o p h y,
probes the aftermath of and clashing perspectives about a school massacre, to suggest that the effects of tragedy can be redemptive. In Indian Summer, Philip C.
Perron unveils the malignant impact of a
womans social isolation on two adolescents. The devastating effect of devotion
to warped artistic genius is violently depicted by David Morrell in Orange Is for
Anguish, Blue Is for Insanity. Appropriately for a horror anthology, in his introduction, Bailey employs the imagery of
teeth seizing the reader. Given the caliber
of this winning collection, readers wont
mind being bitten.
The Donation of Constantine

Simon LeVay. CreateSpace/Lambourn
Books, $16.95 paper (425p) ISBN 978-14701-3215-6
LeVay (When Science Goes Wrong)

provides an intriguing look at eighthcentury Rome and
a critique of the
complexities of historical truth in this
fictional account
of the creation of
one of the seminal
documents in European history: the
Donation of Constantine. With Aistulf, King of the
Lombards, poised to overrun Rome, Paul,
the brother of Pope Stephen II, and Leoba,
a nun, missionary, and scribe, concoct a
desperate scheme to forge a letter from
Emperor Constantine I giving the Pope
temporal power over the West. LeVay
presents an intriguing view of the clash
between social necessity and individual
faith that successfully evokes a world with
concerns familiar to modern-day readers.
Additionally, the author offers a coherent,
fact-based picture of the ambiguities of
historical truth and the shakiness of the
foundations of society. The inclusion of
historical background information weighs
down the narrative at times, but the complexity of the novels issues provides room
Q&A Elisabeth Russell Taylor
Your books have been published by major houses in the

U.K., including Virago Modern Classics. Why did you
decide to self-publish this collection?
I reacted to the fact that the major publishing houses are
now being led by their sales representatives rather than
educated literary editors. Books are not being published
because they are good but because they will sell in large
numbers. Authors are not being supported, only books.
In the old days, publishers were faithful to their authors
and if, after a couple of very good items, the third book
was not up to standard, they published it all the same because what was
important was an authors oeuvre. I was constantly being told by the major
houses short stories dont sell.
for reflection on the perversion of fact and

dogma in the face of necessity.
Ghost of the Gods

Kevin Bohacz. Mazel & Sechel, $14.95
paper (389p) ISBN 978-0-9791815-3-5
In this sequel to Bohaczs Immortality,

two years after the devastation of mass
human extinctions in kill zones, mankind is still grasping for survival. An
oppressive union of government and big
business controls an exhausted America,
which is divided between walled-in
Protectorates and the unpoliced Outlands. Against this chaotic backdrop,
paleobiologist and genetic researcher
Mark Freedman and policewoman Sarah
Mayfair continue their evolution into
transhumansnanotech hybrids with
a connection to the god machine, the
artificial intelligence that caused
the recent massacres, in an effort to
derail the destruction of the Earths
biosphere. Bohacz
provides mindbending portrayals
of factions vying
for power and reflections on the essence
and fragility of humanity. But philosophical concerns never obtrude on the
fast-paced plot, as authorities investigate
communes of hybrids, and Freedman and
Mayfair must choose between absorption

into a collective mind or fidelity to their
remaining humanity. The question of
who can be trusted impels the reader to
keep turning the pages of this highly satisfying and dynamic techno-thriller.
The Gondola Maker

Laura Morelli. Laura Morelli, $12.49 paper
(335p) ISBN 978-0-9893671-0-3
Sixteenth-century Venice is the star of

Morellis well-crafted historical novel
about teenage Luca Vianello, the eldest
son and heir of the citys most renowned
gondola builder. After his beloved
mother dies during
childbirth at the age
of 44, Luca argues
with his father and
blames him for the
tragedy. In a rage,
Luca accidently sets
fire to his fathers
workshop and leaves home. Luca works a
succession of menial jobs under an alias,
until he becomes the personal gondolier
of a noted artist named Trevisan and
finds himself smitten with a stunning
young woman whom Trevisan is painting. While a wealth of period lore and
beautifully rendered settingthe citys
unique sounds, smells, and heritage
dominate her novel, Morelli creates poignantly convincing characters in this
handsome coming-of-age novel about
adoration, pain, and destiny.
ST OF
BE
The Great Liars
Jerry Jay Carroll. Jerry Jay

Carroll, $14 paper (362p) ISBN
978-0-9898269-0-7
This meticulously constructed thriller

from Carroll delivers healthy doses of
political conspiracy, paranoia, and pulsepounding suspense. Oral historian
Harriet Gallatin gets more than she
bargained for when
she begins recording the recollections of former
Navy Lt. Lowell
Brady, who now resides in an old-age
home, but who,
during WWII, uncovered a terrible
secret about Pearl Harbor. And when
Gallatin is ordered to report what Brady
shares, what began as a routine assignment becomes a race against time and a
battle for survival. Military absurdity
and governmental betrayal are depicted
with wit and humor in this provocative
portrait of outsiders whose honor transforms them from respectable citizens to
demonized agitators. Cantankerous,
lewd, vulgar, and skillfully rendered by
the author, Brady is as warm as he is
infuriating. Carroll has crafted a crowdpleasing page-turner, replete with cultural criticism and refreshing honesty.
The Honeymoon Trap

Kelly Hunter. Tule, $2.99 e-book (104p) ISBN
978-1-940296-59-3
Hunter tells
this tiny jewel of a
tale with an unabashed gusto that
matches her heroines sparkling panache. One of Eli
J a c k s o n s b e s t
friends is Fuzzy, a
fellow gamer he hangs out with online on
Friday afternoons for an hour of roleplaying games and light chatter. When
Fuzzy, also known as Zoey Daniels, shows

up in the irrepressible flesh (and a delectable purple gown) at a gamers convention on Australias Gold Coast, Eli is
shocked by their instantaneous sexual
connection. But the obstacles to romance
are significant: Eli still isnt over the
death of his previous girlfriend, and Zoey
has a few issues about which shes being
uncharacteristically discreet. The emphasis is on startlingly direct communication and the headlong rush of impulse,
leading to a marvelous, funny whirlwind
of a romance.
How to Be a Man
Tamara Linse. Willow Words, $14.95 paper
(238p) ISBN 978-0-9913867-0-3
In this winning debut collection of

short stories, Linse presents a vivid portrait of life in the American West. The
author weaves together tales of a young
tomboy who struggles with expectations
of femininity, a young girl trying to understand sexuality, and pregnant women
and the bonds they share. Linse deftly
evokes contemporary rural Wyoming, the
collections settingas
well as the unique characters that populate it. The
stories are brief vignettes, and readers
will find themselves
curious about what
happens after each
tale draws to a close.
While it may be
difficult to distinguish between a few
of the characters,
readers will be drawn in to the collections world and will find themselves
wanting to read more of Linses intimate
tales.
The Husband Games

Jamie Farrell. Jamie Farrell, $4.99 e-book
(300p) ISBN 978-1-940517-05-6
Farrell (Mr. Good Enough) marries

warmth with tongue-in-cheek wit in this
marvelous romantic comedy, first in the
Misfit Brides of Bliss contemporary series. Natalie Castellano, who just took
over the Bliss Bridal boutique after her
Q&A Jerry Jay Carroll

Youve released traditionally published books in the past, but The Great Liars
is your first self-published title. How has the experience been different?
It was a lot easier in days of yore. You wrote a book, hopefully a good one, and
gained the interest of an agent, who saw to the rest. When I returned to books
after a long lay off (life and work having eased up on me), it seemed one in 10
Americans was writing a book, and many had a brother or sister considering a
stab at it themselves. My agent had retired in the meantime; others I approached
never failed to mention how many queries they got. It wasnt Carl Sagans billions and billions and billions, but it sounded close. World War II is now as
remote to most people as the Crusades, another strike against it. So I went the
self-publishing route and learned the back-office stuff, including how to count
beans. It is actually way more fun than writing.
What inspired you to write the novel as an oral history?
I had read a lot of oral histories of WWII veterans, and felt I needed a narrative
that compressed the vast information I had into a manageable form. That meant
coming at it indirectly, making Lowell Brady a naval officer with political pull who
blunders into a conspiracy, and Harriet Gallatin a skilled interviewer who pulls
out the behind-the-scene details of great events. I love a chase, so I threw that
in to give the story a thriller dimension. My other books were sci-fi/fantasy that
addressed that timeless theme, good and evil. There was a lot of that in WWII.
31
mothers death, is a divorcea cardinal sin in
the love-obsessed town of
Bliss, Ill., the Most Married-est Town
on Earth. The all-powerful chair of the
Knot Festival shuns Natalie, and her
business is suffering. C.J. Blue, still
shaken four years after his wifes death in
combat, reluctantly returns to Bliss for
his sisters wedding, desperately trying
not to get talked into competing in the
towns Husband Games. Yet all of his
good intentions fly out the window
when he meets
Natalie in a darkened confessional.
Natalie and C.J.s
journey toward
love, filled with
scenes of high hilarity and vivid
emotion, resonates
with warmth and
realism. A cast of quirky characters adds
just the perfect touch to a heartwarming
comedy of errors.
The Junior Arsonists Club

Craig Tollifson. Ozgood Books, 99 e-book
(67p) ISBN 9781310723056
Zhanna wanted to burn the couch. I

watched the TV. She watched the couch.
It was like that every night. So begins
Tollifsons (Mother) hilarious dark comedy
about a 12-year-old girl hell-bent on setting the living
room seating
aflame and the
woman whos become her unwilling sentinel.
Zhanna, adopted
at age nine from a
Russian orphanage, has never bonded with Marilyn, and
with a glibly unconcerned father/husband away from home more often than
not, the two have established an uneasy
dtente, aided by night vision cameras,
motion sensor alarms, and a wholly inept
and inappropriate therapist who cant
seem to grasp the gravity of Marilyns
situation: I felt heat coming from the
door and worried if the window in Dr.
Q&A Laura Morelli

Where was the learning curve steepest for you as a new
indie author?
Learning the distribution channels. Working with a traditional publisher, that part of the business of bringing a
book to market is not within the writers purview. Learning
how to establish relationships with a wholesaler and the
various online channels: that was new and very interesting
to learn. What Ive found is that working with the bookstores and wholesalers and distributors, many have an
established process for working with certain publishers. It just takes time and
effort to dig through and figure out what their process is and follow it.
What were the biggest lessons you learned after your first foray into
self-publishing?
In order to self-publish a book, you have to budget smartly. And Id budget much
more smartly next time. I spent in some places I didnt need to spend, or spent
more than I might have, had I been experienced. Youve got lots of places competing for your dollars, whether its cover design, interior page design. Do you
hire a publicist? Do you pay for promotions? There are a lot of new businesses
out there taking advantage of this new wave of self-publishing, offering new services. With experience comes a better way to sort through those opportunities
and decide whats worth it and whats not.
Garys office would open, and if we could

safely get out, Marilyn narrates. We
were two floors up and I had no memory
of whether or not the building had a fire
escape.... My throat was closing. These
could be the last few moments of my
life. An arresting narrative from beginning to end, Tollifsons short novel introduces a cast of characters youll remember for some time.
The Last Light of Dusk

Joanne Lockyer. Lion Heart, $3.99 e-book
(352p) ISBN 978-0-9925362-2-0
Australian author Lockyers refreshing

debut historical abandons the fainting
flowers of Londons ballrooms in favor of
Rachel Cavanagh, a privateers granddaughter determined to make her own
way in repressive 1816 England. The ship
Castalia sinks in the English Channel,
and the only survivors are Rachel and the
blind, dashing Marquess of Rossum.
Both are pulled aboard another ship by a
mysterious man named Jonathon Lecky.
Rachel is hit hard by the deaths of her
aunt and maid, but
she lifts her chin
and plans to continue to live an unconventional life.
The London papers, shared grief,
and Rachels titlehungry mother all
push her toward a
romance with her new friend Rossum, but
when fate drops Lecky back in her path,
Rachel has a risky opportunity to abandon
a life of duty and explore the world. Two
great love interests and excellent characterization are supported by Lockyers
smooth style, and love-triangle skeptics
will appreciate that Rachels choice never
feels forced, contrived, or arbitrary.
Noddy in Wonderland
Paddy Bostock. Wings ePress, $4.99
e-book (346p) ASIN B00N842F76
Bostocks idiosyncratic, high-energy

romp follows the escapades of young exsoldier Noddy, who dreams of staging a
Liverpudlian revolution and being
crowned King of Liverpool. After committing the shocking crime of shooting a
government minister in the bottom, Noddy is hounded across England by the press.
Meanwhile, Noddys brother Knobby
searches for Noddy, accompanied by a
strange elf, Mordecai, who seems to know
all about Noddys exploits. Bostock (Hand
in Glove) deconstructs common
fantasy tropes and
pokes fun at the
state of British politics with brisk,
pointed satire. Liverpudlian culture
provides an entertaining backdrop.
Noddy and his girlfriend, Meryl, are believable and unique characters; their
chemistry is delightful, and the rest of the
idiosyncratic cast rounds out the story
well. This refreshing novel disregards
genre clichs, and is all the better for its
insistence on self-definition.
Out There: A Novel

Sarah Stark. Leaf Storm Press, $17.95
paper (238p) ISBN 978-0-9914105-0-7
In this lyrical, evocative novel, Stark

summons the possibility of salvation in
tragedy. Iraq war veteran Jefferson Long
Soldier returns home with a wounded
soul and a copy of Gabriel Garca
Mrquezs novel One Hundred Years of
Solitude, which he carried with him
through combat and credits for saving his
life. But when neither family nor a psychologist can help ease his transition to
civilian life, Jefferson journeys by motorbike across Mexico
in search of salvation and the reclusive Garca
Mrquez. A tribute
to magical realism
and the transforming power of fiction, Starks novel
juxtaposes violence
and gentleness and merges logic with
sensuous atmosphere to question the
boundaries of reality. Jeffersons struggle
for peace reveals an existence as fluid and

magical as a dreambut with consequences.
Second Hand Stops

Katie St. Claire. CreateSpace, $12.99 paper
(346p) ISBN 978-1-4949-9669-7
In this winning novel from St. Claire,

six 18-year-oldsall raised together in a
manor house in Englandare forced to
drink a life-prolonging elixir to receive
multimillion-dollar inheritances and internships in New York City courtesy of
an anonymous benefactor. This promising premise kicks off St. Claires Black
Moon series, and finds Julia Malone abandoning her sheltered upbringing in England to become vice president of the product research and development firm Van
Buren Industries in the Big Apple. Julias
telepathic abilities help her sustain her
lifetime bond with confidante and former
housemate Nic amid luxurious Manhattan penthouses,
but feed her concerns about possibly duplicitous
company staff.
The unclear motives of Claude
Van Buren, the
inscrutable benefactor, in promoting a skin cream that
includes traces of the untested elixir,
which had ambiguous effects on the
teens, leave Julia wondering about its
safety and her future. St. Claires novel is
well plotted and the characters skillfully
developed. Her convincing portrayal of
Julias angst and Nics loyalty help make
this a lively paranormal fantasy adventure. Julias insistence that she is a normal
teen, albeit with unusual abilities, makes
her a character with which readersboth
young and oldcan empathize.
ST OF
BE
The Strange Birth,

Short Life, and Sudden
Death of Justice Girl
Julian David Stone. For the Duration Press,

$14.95 paper (408p) ISBN 978-0-9898315-0-5
The golden age of television comes to

life in this scathingly critical and im-
mensely entertaining
novel from Stone. Set in
1950s New York, TV
writer Jonny Dirby loses his job for refusing to sign a loyalty oath to the United
States during the Red Scare. But when he
seeks revenge by altering the dialogue of
sketch parodying Superman before its
broadcast, he inadvertently creates Justice Girl, a character that quickly grabs
viewers hearts. Jonny is quickly re-hired
to create an entire show around Justice
girl. The catch? Justice Girl is played by
Felicity, a communist hunting fanatic
determined to blacklist Johnny. Stone
draws upon his career in entertainment
to drive this lurid depiction of mass medias power in shaping our fantasies, values, ideals, and fears. The author ably
captures the tension and excitement of
live television, focusing on how
quickly this medium made and destroyed both careers and lives.
This modern fable
of fame and failure
emphasizes the political and economic agendas that molded the entertainment industry and a generation. This
fast-paced and emotionally vibrant satire
is a treat for television buffs and general
readers alike.
ST OF
BE
Tehran Moonlight
Azin Sametipour. CreateSpace,

$14.99 paper (278p) ISBN 978-14912-6519-2
Personal choice, gender, and traditional Middle Eastern morals collide in this
provocative romantic drama. Twentythree-year-old
Mahtab is a believably flawed heroine whose struggle
for independence
is a microcosm of
Iranian society.
Shes a violinist
seeking to escape
her morally rigid
33
father, Rasool, and violent brother, Pasha.
Mahtabs life is further
complicated when she reluctantly falls in
love with Ashkan, an Iranian-American.
Discovering that her family wishes her to
marry Emad, she must choose between
Ashkan and tradition amid harshly depicted escalating domestic abuse. A robust, confident style and probing characterizations highlight this startling novel
that celebrates love without blinking at
the pain of its protagonist. Sametipour
juxtaposes violence and passion, tenderness and cruelty to startling effect. Its
not your typical boy-meets-girl fantasy;
here actions have consequences, and
while love occasionally triumphs, it
comes with a price.
To Ride a White Horse

Pamela Ford. Aine Press, $3.99 e-book
(316p) ASIN B00OT271O8
Contemporary romance novelist Ford

(Her Best Bet) steps back in time with a
sweeping historical love story that hits all
the marks. In 1846, Ireland withers under
a devastating potato famine while its indifferent English masters stand by. Kathleen Deacey reluctantly sails to Canada to find work to
support her family
and search for her
missing fianc. But
when shes tossed
overboard by a
storm, its an Englishman, Capt. Jack
Montgomery, who rescues her and provides safe passage as his whaling ship heads
home to Boston. Alone and terrified by her
familys plight, Kathleen must accept help
from a man who symbolizes everything she
despisesand with whom shes reluctantly falling in love. Pacing the plot for maximum tension, Ford skillfully conveys the
anguish and fury of her heroine and all the
struggling Irish, both at home and abroad.
She delivers genuine heat by teasing out
the passion between her protagonists. Ford
has made a deeply satisfying foray into new
territory.
Q&A Azin Sametipour
Tell us a little about how you came to self-publish

Tehran Moonlight.
Tehran Moonlight was born around six years ago. I had
just been back to Iran and was struck at the changes
gripping the country. Alongside the mosques and large
painted murals of martyrs of war, there were now cell
phones and name brands everywhere, even in the
bazaars of south Tehran. The old dour mood of religious
puritanism that I had grown up with had given way to
hope and materialism. Most of all, it was the transformation of the youth of
Iran, particularly girls now in their 20s, fighting for a better life for themselves,
not martyrdom as before. Yet, change can be scary, and for the establishment
and older generations of Iran this was definitely so. And the reality was that the
law was still Sharia, heavily stacked against women, and parents still had enormous control of their children, especially their daughters. Against this backdrop
came the idea about an Iranian girl who finds love in the Tehran of today. I saw
her as a rebel, someone who believed in herself when no one else did. After
the novel was finished, I hunted around for agents. Unfortunately, in spite of
some initial interest, I was rebuffed. It felt as though agents had a fixed formula as to what would be commercially successful and my novel, particularly
with its roots in Iran, did not fit their mold. It was disappointing to say the least.
But I took faith in the fact that whoever among my friends read my draft genuinely liked it and encouraged me to go on. Simply put, people who read books
seemed to like my characters and the plot, and took something away about
how people in Tehran live today. So, I decided to self-publish because writing
was my dream and I didnt want the establishment to kill it and my characters.
Nonfiction
Capital Offenses:
ST OF
The Artwork of Stephen
BE
Barnwell
Stephen Barnwell. Antarctica
Arts, $75 (140p) ISBN 978-0-9913216-0-5
Through a series of reimagined

banknotes, coupons, and stamps, Barnwell, in the manner of much
activist art, appropriates the
aesthetic of the establishment in order to comment
on and critique it. His is an
art of juxtapositions and
provocation: Indebted
States of America, reads a
$1 trillion Oriental Reserve Note bearing the signature of
erstwhile U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and featuring a presidential portrait of Chairman Dowwho
looks very much like Mao Zedong.
More controversial perhaps is the

United States of Islam series: U.S.
currency depicting scenes of historical
Islamic military victories, such as the
fall of Jerusalem in 638 C.E. But Barnwells criticism is not limited to foreign
policy and finance. With American
Excess, a coupon similar to an antiquated bearer bond that depicts Uncle Sam tied to an
oil rig, he ably criticizes the
extent to which energy and
other corporate interests influence American government and imperil the nations future. Barnwells
work exposes the contradictions and hypocrisy of various power
structures and even underscores the
intricate elegance of currency as an aesthetic experience.
ST OF
BE
Hair of the Corn Dog
A.K. Turner. Fever Streak Press,

$12 paper (220p) ISBN 978-09913759-2-9
The third book in the Tales of Imperfection series from Turner (This Little
Piggy Went to the Liquor Store, Mommy Had
a Little Flask), a mother of two from Idaho, provides another hilarious account of
parenthood. A self-admitted neat freak,
the author details the important distinctions between paper towels and dishcloths, and wishes she could conduct a
class highlighting
these differences and
then create a test with
various scenarios.
Also a lover of travel,
she signs up for
HomeExchange.com
a house-swapping
servicein hopes of a
family holiday to an exotic locale, while
pondering the headline Idaho: Just Like
New York, Only Different. With her
characteristic good-spirited, self-deprecating humor, Turner describes taking
her kids to a childrens art camp on the
Jersey Shore and surviving a back-toschool night ice cream unsocial. Well
paced, entertaining, and full of endearing
stories on parenting, this new addition to
Turners popular series will leave readers
looking forward to the next installment.
My Soul Is Among Lions: Pages

from the Breast Cancer Archives
Ellen Leopold. Valley Green Press, $9,
paper (192p) ISBN 978-0-9898737-0-3
In this important collection of articles

and essays, righteous outrage, education,
and the redeeming power of love inform
powerful narratives of women battling
breast cancer. Leopolds book documents
not only the fear and
pain of the disease but
also the economic,
political, and gender
conflicts women have
faced seeking proper
treatment. Among
the many highlights
is Katharine Lee
Batess poignant account of the death of

her life partner, Katharine Coman. In
Shopping For The Cure, profit-induced charities are exposed, while the
public cheerfully buys into corporate interests in The Tyranny of Cheerfulness,
exchanging activism for cause marketing. Urging readers to be advocates of
change, this collection exposes a culture
almost as destructive as the disease that
it unwittingly accommodates.
Parents in Highschooland:
Helping Students Succeed
in the Critical Years
Karyn Rashoff. BarkingDogBooks, $12.95
paper (162p) ISBN 978-0-9897606-1-4
Rashoff uses her considerable experience (33 years as a high school counselor)
to provide practical advice in this nononsense guidebook for parents and students. Rashoffs tone
is compassionate but
firm, and she uses
snappy, memorable
comparisons to get
her points across,
while employing advice from families
who have successfully navigated high school. Each chapter
concludes with an enthusiastic directive
or question, and readers will find help on
a broad variety of topics, such as how to
talk to your child and how to improve
study habits. Rashoff also has suggestions for success from teachers of various
subjects. The author is also attentive to
issues surrounding ethnic diversity in
schools, and includes a chapter on Wisdom from Other Cultures. Rashoff has
compiled such a helpful bookwell researched, on topic, with plenty of good
examplesthat its hard to give her anything but an A.
Rens War: Memoirs of French

Resistance in WWII
Michel Mockers. New Dawn Services,
$19.95 paper (228p) ISBN 978-1-4993-4288-8
Mockers provides a riveting firsthand

account of his role fighting the Nazi occupation of France from 1941 to 1944,
in this story of courage,

love, and coming of age in
the midst of war. In the
course of the book, he grows from an idle
young 19-year-old student artist (who
used the alias Ren)
to a hardened senior
leader of the Resistance at the age of
23. He leads the
reader from one dangerous encounter
with Nazis to another, and the book,
with its excellent pacing, reads like a
great spy thriller. Aside from the author,
the most intriguing figures are three
women who play key roles: Marika, a
zealous German spy attempting to trap
members of the resistance; Mary, a British Commando team leader coordinating
Resistance activity; and Michelle, a
French messenger who travels over German-controlled roads on her bike to coordinate the activities of different resistance bands. Michelle in particular is a
heroine the reader will never forget.
Mockerss narrative holds the potential to
become a classic antiwar war memoir,
and it is a must-read for anyone inspired
by the courage and determination of
young people who take a stand against
aggression in a dangerous and chaotic
world.
Slowspoke:
A Unicyclists Guide to America
Mark Schimmoeller. Synandra Press/Alice
Peck Editorial, $14.95 paper (311p) ISBN
978-0-9860587-0-7
Sumptuous language and a disarming

gentleness propel this profoundly simple, funny, and sincere memoir. Growing
up as the child of idealistic homesteaders
in Kentucky imbued Schimmoeller
with a deep appreciation for nature
and off-the-grid living, while leaving
him feeling disconnected from the
modern world. AfW W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M
35
ter graduating from college and finishing an unsatisfying internship at
the Nation, Schimmoeller embarked on
a solo journey across America on a unicycle. The authors story of finding a way
to live in the world on his own terms is
told simultaneously with that of his attempts to save old-growth forest adjacent
to his homestead in Kentucky. It doesnt
make a difference one way or the other if
I take a break, he tells a stranger who
questions the intensely slow pace of his
mode of transportan explanation that
speaks to the authors quest to find respite in a troubled world.
To the Survivors
Robert Uttaro. CreateSpace, $12.95 paper
(268p) ISBN 978-1-4909-3166-1
Rape counselor Uttaro draws upon his

years of experience to warn that sexual
abuse is far more prevalent than most
people suspect, and provides a moving
series of survivor stories. Uttaro persuasively argues that each survivors story is
uniqueand this
militates one-sizefits-all advice. The
surprising revelations of the survivors
Uttaro interviews
corroborate his claim
that justice is an individual concept that
depends on what redress survivors seek. Uttaros assurances
that survivors are not defined by sexual
abuse offer the possibility of a positive
resolution. This book is both informative
for the general public and supportive for
those who have suffered sexual abuse. It
is hard to imagine that members of either
group will not gain from reading it.
The Travellers Guide to Hell

Michael Pauls and Dana Facaros. Tinselhouse, $8.11 e-book (202p) ISBN 978-186011-910-1
A witty and (appropriately) irreverent

spoof on tourist guides, this Beelzebubian
Baedeker tells intrepid vacationers everything they need to know about the hot-
test of all travel spots. It features chapters

on how to research your trip (Think of
satanist groups as cultural embassies),
the best way to get there (indulge in the
seven deadly sins), what to eat there
(dont! remember Persephone?), and
tips on day trips to Limbo (a real must,
has that neither-here-nor-thereish atmosphere) and Purgatory (a hot-and-bothered boot camp for the soul). The
tongue-in-cheekiness of their humor
aside, Pauls and Facaros pack an impressive amount of data into their breezy
commentary. Their
conception of Hells
topography, accommodations, and personnel is synthesized
from Scripture; centuries of literature,
m y t h o l o g y, a n d
folklore; and the
writings of popes, theologians, mystics,
and visionaries. Funny, oddly informative, and illustrated with modified artistic renderings of Hell and its denizens,
this book provides insights into our cultures enduring fascination with a place
where no one really wants to go.
Childrens/YA
The Casquette Girls
Alys Arden. For the Art of It Publishing,
$3.99 e-book (522p) ISBN 978-0-9897577-2-0
In this Southern Gothic love letter to

the spookier side of New Orleanss storied past, Arden spins out a moody tale
of magic and mystery, set against the
backdrop of a city recovering from disaster. Two months after a massive hurricane
nearly destroys New Orleans, 16-yearold Adele Le Moyne and her artist father
return to a half-underwater home, where
rebuilding goes hand in hand with curfews and scavenging. As Adele tries to
return to normal, shes swept up in inexplicable events, with strange people
drifting in and out of her life and bodies
turning up like clockwork. Adele finally
discovers that the French Quarter is
home to a clan of vampires and that only
she, as a descendant of the coven that
originally cursed
them, can break the
centuries-old spell
that holds them
there. The sense of
place and weight of
history are strong in
this slow-burning
dark fantasy, filled
with colorful characters and growing
tension. While the cast occasionally
grows unwieldy and the story can get
convoluted, its still a thoroughly satisfying page-turner and a strong debut for
Arden. Ages 12up.
Shattered Veil
Tracy E. Banghart. CreateSpace, $15.99
paper (372p) ISBN 978-1-4936-1320-5
Banghart (By Blood) offers a fast-paced,

action-packed SF adventure, first in the
Diatous Wars series, in which a young
woman sacrifices her identity to fight for
her homeland and the man she loves.
When 18-year-old Aris Haans boyfriend, Calix, is selected to serve in the
military of Atalanta, shes left behind,
since long-held tradition forbids women
to fight. However, because of Ariss ace
piloting skills, shes chosen to enter a secret program to become part of an elite
search-and-rescue
unit, technologically disguised as a
male named Aristos. As the ongoing
war against the dominion of Safara
continues, Aris undergoes a trial by
fire that threatens
to change her beyond recognition. What
starts as a tale of star-crossed romance
quickly evolves into a gripping pageturner, with gender roles and identity
explored and questioned at every turn.
Aris overcomes societal disapproval and
her own physical weakness to meet every
challenge head-on, never faltering in the
face of pain and danger. While theres
room for Banghart to further develop the
futuristic setting, this is a very strong
starting point. Ages 12up.
INDIE SUCCESS
Taking Her Place on the Shelf

How an indie author went from fan fiction to a deal with a
traditional publishing house
By Jennifer McCartney
hen A Pound of
Flesh, Sophie
Jacksons prison
romance, went
online in 2010,
it had no publisher, no cover design, no
editor, and no publicityand, at
517,000 words, the tale of a literature
tutor who falls in love with an inmate
was almost as long as War and Peace.
Yet, earlier this year, traditional publishers entered a bidding war for the
right to publish it and her next two
books. Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster in the U.S., and Hodder
Publishing in the U.K. emerged as the
winners in what Jacksons agent calls a
significant deal. Rights to the trilogy
have now sold in eight countries and the
first book in the series will appear in the
U.S. in spring 2016.
The interest from publishers is understandableJacksons A Pound of Flesh has
been viewed more than four million
times on FanFiction.net and it has over
21,000 user reviews (including a rave
from a Quebecois grandmother who read
the book in French using Google Translate). Not bad for a schoolteacher who
says she had no literary ambitions growing up.
A Twilight Fan
As a teacher in the northwest of England,

Jackson says she enjoyed reading but had
never thought of becoming a writer. All
that changed when some students loaned
her a copy of Stephenie Meyers novel
Twilight. They begged me to read it,
which I did, from cover to cover in a day,
says Jackson. After reading (and reread-
ing) the trilogy she says she was hooked.

And she wanted to know more.
Thats when she discovered FanFiction.netan online repository for stories
inspired by everything from the Bible,
Les Misrables, Anne of Green Gables, and
Watership Down to Hasbros My Little
Pony characters and the television show
Family Guy.
I read tons of fics, she recalls. Some
were good, some were insanely good, and
I decided that I wanted to write something, too. Jackson eventually posted a
chapter from her very first fanfic and got
11 reviewswhich gave her the courage
to continue. From then, I wrote whenever I had a free minute. Six years later
she had published numerous fanfics including more than 500,000 words from
what would become A Pound of Flesh
and amassed a following any traditionally published author would envy.
Twilight Fanfic Fandom

Though authors like George R.R. Martin
and Anne Rice have called fan fiction an
infringement of copyright, others, including J.K. Rowling and Stephenie
Meyer, have embraced the genre as a kind
of flattery. To those unfamiliar with FanFiction.net and the genre it specializes
in, it may seem incredible that Jacksons
prison romance has been read more than
four million times without ever being
available in bookstores or reviewed by
any mainstream media outlets, but the
book is just one of millions of titles in
dozens of languages on the site.
FF.net was the first site I came across,
Jackson says of her decision to publish
her stories there. It was easy to use.... I
Sophie Jackson
knew that the majority of Twilight lovers

would be on there, so my work would be
seen by people who shared my love for
the characters.
A few popular fic authors recommended A Pound of Flesh, which brought in
more readers, she says, and the book was
eventually featured on various blogs devoted to the genre. It also won a number
of fandom awards, including a few for
the steamier scenes, and the Potential
Bestseller prizewhich Jackson admits
she hopes is prescient. She credits the
Twilight fanfic fandom as one of the
reasons for her success and notes shes
grateful to those readers especially for
supporting her work.
When I was posting it online, I never
for one moment thought that it would
37
INDIE SUCCESS
get that much attention,
says Jackson. But once
word started getting
around the fandom, it really started picking up.
Getting an Agent
As A Pound of Flesh became more popular

with readers, Jackson says she was approached about publishing it in early
2013. She solicited advice from other
fanfic authors whod been published traditionally. Their main concern was that
I get an agent to help navigate me
through any deals I was to make, she
says. It was the best advice I could have
asked for.
After researching U.K. literary agents
she sent a cover email to about 20 agents
specializing in womens fiction. She
heard back from 11 of them, including
Lorella Belli of the Lorella Belli Agency
in London, whom she signed with the
following week.
In order to send the manuscript out to
publishers, Jackson first needed to edit
the work to a manageable length. After
a year, she had whittled the book down
from over 500,000 words to a still-im-
Within 12 days of the manuscript going out, Jackson says they had four major
publishers interested, with Gallery
Books at Simon & Schuster winning the
rights at auction. I knew that Simon &
Schuster have published fics before with
amazing success, so I was understandably
thrilled, Jackson says about the deal.
An Editor Weighs In
Micki Nuding, Jacksons editor at Gallery Books, says the book hits the commercial trifecta: a forbidden romance
with an irresistible bad boy, hes secretly
a multimillionaire, and the setting taps
into the popularity of Orange Is the New
Black. Nuding notes that the four million prepublication reads also helped
make A Pound of Flesh an especially appealing acquisition.
A Pound of Flesh features literature tutor Kat, who has taken a job at a Staten
Island prison to overcome her prejudice
and fear of criminalsa fear she developed after seeing her father murdered
when she was a young girl. At the prison,
she meets an inmate named Carter and
the illicit relationship develops from
there. Jackson had originally set the story
in a high school,
but quickly realized that she was
limited in how she
could develop the
plot. I aged the
characters 10 years
and put them in a
A screenshot from FanFiction.net, where Jacksons A Pound of Flesh has been prison, she exviewed more than four million times.
plains.
pressive 130,000something she adJackson and Nuding are currently
mits was a massive undertaking. She
working on another round of edits which
notes at its original length it was imposshe says is more of a final polish rather
sible to publish as one book, and there
than a series of major changes. [We]
was no clear place to chop it into two,
have very similar ideas about what we
which I really didnt want to do. By
like and what we think works for the
February 2014, however, Belli, along
plot, characters, and themes of the
with her subagent, Louise Fury of the
book, says Jackson about working with
Bent Agency in the U.S., were ready to
her editor. Its definitely a little oversend A Pound of Flesh to publishers.
whelming when you receive your first
Fury says the reaction to the book was
round of edits, with red all over the
immediate: As soon as I went out on
manuscript. But it was made much eassubmission, I knew something magical
ier by the revisions letter, which Micki
was happening. Editors were loving it.
wrote, detailing the positives of the
book and where she thought I needed to

tweak.
Jackson feels the book is cleaner now
and the pacing has improved over her
online version, but maintains that the
essence of the fic is still very much a part
of this version. Its been very exciting
seeing it take on the form of an actual
book.
The second and third books in the trilogy will feature characters introduced in
A Pound of Flesh. Even the secondary
characters stay with you long after you
finish, says Nuding, who adds that shes
looking forward to reading more about
them in the next two books.
Advice and Inspiration
Jackson says publishing online allowed

her to get a feel for what her readers
wanted. I think the feedback you get
from a site like FF.net is invaluable for
new writers, she says. The reviews you
get are instant and readers definitely
dont hold back with what they think of
your worksomething that required
her to grow a thick skin. I look back at
my first fics and cringe, she says.
Jackson is getting a lot of practice,
however. I can sit down and write
1,000-plus [words] in an hour, if the inspiration hits. As a teacher, I have very
little downtime, so I write when I can.
For inspiration, Jackson looks to other
fanfic writers who have had their works
publishedboth through traditional
houses and independentlylike J.M.
Darhower, Tara Sue Me, Christina Lauren, Mary Whitney, and Alice Clayton.
She also enjoys reading John Green, Colleen Hoover, Jennifer Armentrout, and
Tahereh Mafi. Thankfully, she notes,
over the six years Ive been writing
fanfic, there is definite progression in my
writing and I have FF.net and the readers
to thank for that.
When asked what comes next, Jackson
says, Im not at the blogging/promotion
stage yet, but Im excited for when that
happens.
Jennifer McCartney is a freelance writer and

editor, and author of the novel Afloat.
BOOKWORKS COLUMN
Review Success
for Indie Authors
By Betty Kelly Sargent
ouve finished your manuscript, had it edited,

copyedited, and designed. You have a smashing
cover, and you are preparing to launch your book
into the world. What can you do to help ensure
that the publication of your well-written, professionally prepared manuscript gets loads of attention and sells
right out of the gate?
Get reviews. Sure, you saybut how do I do that? Heres a
quick guide to the three major sources of book reviews for indie
authors.
Free Reviews
To find writers willing to review your self-published book for

free, consult online reviewer directories such as IndieView and
Book Blogger List. Also approach relevant bloggers and book
reviewers, send them a free copy of your e-book, and ask nicely
if they will review it. Two blogs that often review books by
indie authors are Dear Author and Maryses Book Blog. Finally,
dont forget to consider traditional media, e.g. Publishers Weekly,
which reviews self-published titles through BookLife, its site
dedicated to indie authorsand dont overlook your local newspapers and magazines.
Paid Reviews
Paid reviews can be an effective marketing tool, too. Lots of sites

offer paid review services. Here are a few examples: Kirkus
Indie, IndieReader, Self-Publishing Review, BlueInk Review.
Customer Reviews
Customer reviews on sites like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and

Goodreads are important because they result in the overall star
rating of your book that potential readers see when browsing.
Indie authors should try approaching the appropriate top
reviewers at Amazon to see if theyre willing to write reviews.
Additionally, some bloggers listed on IndieView will post their
reviews as customer reviews on Amazon, B&N, and Goodreads.
Reviewers for BlueInk Review and Self-Publishing Review
sometimes post their reviews to these sites as editorial reviews,
though editorial reviews do not impact a books star rating.
Once you are comfortable with the kinds of reviews available
to indie authors, its time to get busy. Follow these guidelines

and you may be amazed by the results.
Book Review Plan
Start planning your strategy earlyat least six weeks before

the launch date of your book.
Create a master list of everyone you can think ofbloggers,
reviewers, experts in your fieldwho might be interested in
your subject and in helping you with your book. The most
important part of soliciting reviews is to match your book to
the appropriate reviewers, says Joel Friedlander of The Book
Designer blog. So, spend some time to determine who has
been reviewing other books in your category. And, its always
a good idea to create a spreadsheet of everyone on your list and
update it frequently to indicate who has responded and who
hasnt.
Be ready to send MOBI, ePub, and/or PDF files to reviewers
who request e-books.
Write a friendly, personalized email to everyone on your list,
attach a copy of your book, and askvery politelyif he or
she would consider writing a review. Be as specific as possible
about why you feel the reviewer is right for the book.
Order a batch of print copies to have on hand for reviewers
who want physical books. Mail print books to reviewers as soon
as you receive their addresses.
A week before launch, send a reminder to those who havent
responded. You know who those folks are because you kept a
spreadsheet indicating who hasnt responded.
Say thank you: send a personal email to every single person
on your list who has taken the time to review your book. They
are your supporterspart of your community, your fan base.
Do stay in touch with them whenever its appropriate and
always let them know how appreciated they are.
There you have it. Its not difficult, it can even be fun, and youll
probably be surprised by how many people want to help you
and may even be grateful that youve included them in your
creative adventure.
Betty Kelly Sargent is the founder and CEO of BookWorks.

39
RUNNING HEAD
New Titles
from Self-Publishers
Booksellers, publishers, and agents are encouraged to take a look at the listings of 68 self-published books below. Some of these authors are waiting to be
discovered; others have a track record and a following and are doing it on their
own.
Fiction
All the Rest of Her Days
Jane McCarthy. CreateSpace. $16 paper

(260p), ISBN 978-1-4952-8766-4;
$4.99 e-book ASIN B00P1NMOH8
Amazon
This novel contains
layers of loss, love, and
guilt that affect two
families and three generations from the 1950s to
the 1990s from Ireland to
Massachusetts. In 1957
a young girl is forced to give up her child
for adoption; 30 years later he contacts her.
Stunned, she must decide to see him or continue on with her life without him.
Bare with Me
Siafu. Dorrance Publishing. $16 paper
(174p), ISBN 978-1-4809-0923-6; $11
e-book ISBN 978-1-4809-0785-0
Dorrance.stores.yahoo.net
A sweet and sour
adventure of marriage
when a proctologist surprises his plastic surgery
connoisseur wife with an
eco-tripclothes
optional.
The Belief in Angels
J. Dylan Yates. She Writes Press. $16.95
paper (314p), ISBN 978-1-938314-64-3;
$9.95 e-book ISBN 978-1-938314-65-0
Amazon; BN.com
A family saga that explores the darkest
side of human natureand the incontro-
vertible, uplifting power

of hope. Jules Finn and
Samuel Trautman know
that sorrow can sink
deeply, so deeply it can
drown the spirit. These
two wounded soulsone
struggling to survive her childhood with her
sanity intact, the other haunted by memories from his pastmust decide: surrender
to the grief that threatens to destroy them,
or find the strength to swim for the surface.
Black Is Not a Color
Rozsa Gaston. CreateSpace. $12.95 paper
(330p), ISBN 978-1-4903-4073-9; $2.99
e-book ASIN B00JAP1T56
Amazon; BN.com
How do you look after a parent who
didnt look after you when you were a
child? Ava Fodor struggles to take care of
her father, Zsolt, a refugee from Hungarys
1956 failed uprising. Not only does Ava
not know how to cook, she has a full-time
job, a French boyfriend,
and limited patience. Yet
Zsolt Fodors conversation is filled with
paprika-spiced tidbits of
w h i c h Av a a n d h e r
friends cant get enough.
Anna Magnani versus
Sophia Loren? Elizabeth Taylor versus
Jackie Kennedy Onassis? The tango as one
of the most important social phenomena of
the 20th century? Zsolt Fodor fascinates
Ava when hes not annoying her. When
readers see how truly bad Ava is at looking
after her father, they may feel better about

their own caregiving for an aging parent.
Laughing or crying, they may find themselves on their feet with Ava and Zsolt,
dancing the csrds and drinking Bulls
Blood wine.
Blausteins Kiss:
Stories by Judith Felsenfeld
Judith Felsenfeld. Epigraph Publishing.
$14.95 paper (144p), ISBN 978-1936940-64-6; $5.95 e-book ASIN
B00JRJAV4A
Amazon; BN.com; IndieBound
In 11 bold and tender
stories, Felsenfeld grapples with the complexities of multigenerational
family life. The impulse
to connect is a major
theme: a mother who has
lost her rightful place in
the family, parents ambitious for a child
beyond reasonableness, a nursing home
runaway and the woman who shields him,
the ongoing pull of the immigrant experience as a family faces challenges to their
lifelong myths and assumptions. This collection is linked occasionally by character
but always by Felsenfelds voice.
Blood Blossom
Daryl Hajek.
CreateSpace. $9.99
paper (242p), ISBN
978-1-4997-9627-8;
$2.99 e-book ASIN
B00MLBQ7BM
SELFPUBLISHED LISTINGS
Amazon; BN.com; Smashwords
Two long-separated sisters and their
mysterious mother engage in a battle of
wits over an estate.
Click Date Repeat
K.J. Farnham. CreateSpace. $11.95 paper
(294p), ISBN 978-1-4996-5657-2; $3.99
e-book ASIN B00MXSLAJC
Amazon; BN.com
Chloe Thompson
journeys into a world of
matches, icebreakers,
and awkward first kisses.
Will she find herself and
the one online, or will
the ever-growing pile of
humorous and downright disastrous dates
leave her wishing shed never embarked on
the journey in the first place? Theres only
one way to find out: Click. Date. Repeat.
Delicate: The Alchemy of Emily Greyson
Debi Cimo. TouchNot Studio. $16.99

paper (484p), ISBN 978-0-9884918-0-9;
$2.99 e-book ASIN
B009XUVFUM; BN
ID 2940015918342
Amazon; BN.com
Born out of blood and
bitterness, a broken legend mires everything in
secrets and mysticism.
An epic fairy tale of love, sacrifice, revenge,
and the power to endure.
Falling on the Bright Side
Michael Gray. ABQ Press. $16.95 paper
(330p), ISBN 978-0-9916046-3-0
ABQ; Amazon; Baker & Taylor; BN.com;
Books-A-Million; Ingram; Powells
A novel that draws
upon the authors experience with nursing
homes, the courage of
the disabled, and the
power of forgiveness.
L a r r y s r e d e m p t i o n
comes when he learns to
help others.
Life Over Death
Grant Fletcher. CreateSpace. $12.99
paper (308p), ISBN 978-1-4996-7493-4;

$8.99 e-book ASIN B00KMKSYJC
Amazon; BN.com
Tom Roddin mysteriously receives the gift of
Hopethe ability to
create 10 miracles in
exchange for 10 deaths of
people of his own choosing. Dealing with the
power of the gift and the consequences of
his choices takes Tom on a soul-baring
journey that tests his moral foundation and
redefines the boundaries of situational ethics. Seemingly confident toward the end of
his journey as a gifter, Tom finds his world
quickly unraveling with a series of events
that forces him to dig deep into his pure
heart before he makes his final two choices.
The Mural: A Novel
Jeffry R. Halverson.
Grand Strand Press.
$10.10 paper (266p),
ISBN 978-0-69222586-8; 99 e-book
ASIN B00MGPYS7S
Amazon; BN.com
A routine story sends a young reporter
on the search of a lifetime.
Pegasus to Paradise
Michael Tappenden. Acorn/Palace Park
Press. $15 paper (364p), ISBN 978-1909121-83-6; $4.99 e-book ASIN
B00CS94RBO
Amazon
Based on a true story.
In the early hours of June
6, 1944, Cpl. Ted Tappenden lands as part of a
glider-borne force to
secure vital bridges in
Normandy, the first Allied action of D-day.
He returns from the war somehow
unscathed and a hero, but as he tries to
resume normal life with his young wife and
family, he is haunted by the terrors of battle. A salute to the extraordinary efforts of
ordinary men and women in World War II,
and a commentary on the lives of real people in postwar England.
The Plateau
of Remembrance
Michael Moon. Balboa Press. $11.99
paper (118p), ISBN 978-1-45251-395-9;
$3.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-45251-396-6
Balboa Press
The pilgrimage of the
Great Wanderer Zearben
into the uncharted
dreamtime mirage lands.
A new hero has arrived,
this time from the Australian desert. This book
examines aspects and qualities of the
human condition in relation to natures
sublime paradoxes.
Pretender at the Gate
(Markinch Series, Book 2)
S.J. Garland. Maple Kakapo. $9.50 paper
(244p), ISBN 978-0-473-29437-3; $2.99
e-book ISBN 978-0-473-29438-0
Amazon; BN.com; Kobo
Captain Esmond
Clyde-Dalton is charged
with finding a document
linking leading Scottish
nobles to James Stuarts
1708 invasion attempt.
He must search through
the increasingly dangerous streets of Edinburgh to find the traitors
threatening his kingdom. Clyde-Dalton
must also find and rescue the woman he
loves before its too late.
Rootless: An Academic Excursion
Jeanne Farewell. Puddingdale Press.
$15.95 paper (339p), ISBN 978-09778509-4-5
Puddingdale Press
The discovery of a Victorian novel by Henry
Radcliff is big news in
academia, providing
much material for scholars, biographers, and pundits. When Professor Sarah Bolton arrives in
Dublin for a tour that will take her and fellow members of the Henry Radcliff Society
on a journey to retrace the authors footsteps,
she little knows that the experience will
prompt her to question her own steps as well.
41
Sex, Drugs, and
Schizophrenia
Jonathan Harnisch. CreateSpace. $29.99
paper (824p), ISBN 978-1-5029-2552-7;
$9.99 e-book ASIN B00P041UX2; BN
ID 2940150607842
Amazon; BN.com
The collected writings
of Jonathan Harnisch
contribute to the public
understanding of mental
illness through a work of
transgressive fiction
with a heart.
The Swastika Tattoo
Geraldine Birch. CreateSpace. $13.99
paper (314p), ISBN 978-1-5002-5714-9;
$6.99 e-book ASIN B008EXSA2U; BN
ID 2940045083164
Amazon
A captured German is
sent to an Arizona POW
camp, where he picks
cotton for a Jewish
farmer and comes faceto-face with the bigotry
he learned in the Hitler Youth.
Swift River
R.C. Binstock, illus. by Katarzyna
Maciak. R.C. Binstock Books. $12.99
paper (366p), ISBN 978-1-5010-9724-9;
$5.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-31134638-4
Amazon; BN.com; iBooks; Kobo
A rural Massachusetts
girl survives profound
loss and grows into
womanhood and wisdom
as her home, community,
and way of life are sacrificed to Bostons new reservoir.
The Thing I Didnt
Know I Didnt Know
Brent Hartinger. BK
Books. $13.99 paper
(254p), ISBN 978-09846794-8-5; $5.99
e-book ISBN 978-09846794-7-8
Amazon; Baker & Taylor; BN.com;
IndieBound; Ingram; iTunes; Kobo; Scribd

Twenty-three-year-old Russel Middlebrook searches for the secret to gay life and
love in trendy Seattle. A new adult novel
by the author of the acclaimed teen novel
Geography Club.
Walking Up a Slide:
A Rom-Com for Anyone Who Has Ever
Pined Over The One That Got Away
Daley James Francis. BookBaby. $10.99
paper (266p), ISBN 978-1-5008-7837-5;
$3.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-4835-3892-1
Amazon; BN.com; CreateSpace; iTunes;
Kobo
Jason Chapmans love
life is as stale as the bread
in his kitchen. Forced to
confront his failures,
Jason has to rebuild his
life from the bottom. It
just so happens that the
bottom is watching the
girl of his dreams marry somebody else. A
potty-mouthed rom-com.
The Weeping Willow Sings
Billie Grable. Billie Jean Grable. $14.95
paper (266p), ISBN 978-1-940598-22-2;
$1.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9886862-1-2
Amazon; BN; Kobo
John OBriens suicide by drowning
throws him into an afterlife he never expected.
His 15-year-old daughter, Maggie, almost dies
trying to save him, and
her distorted memory of
the traumatic event
leaves Maggie believing
that John is still alive. Maggie sets off to
find her father and the mythical weeping
willow he often told her about, a journey
that takes her to the world betweenand
beyond. When Maggie meets imminent
danger, John is her only hope for survival.
Is it possible for him to cross the boundary
between life and death to save his daughter? This novel provides a glimpse into the
theory of life after death and the possibility
for the dead to make amends with those
still living, and reminds us that love never
dies.
POETRY
Goddess in the Silence
Robert Ahanes. Robert Ahanes. $9.99
paper (54p), ISBN 978-0-692-22955-2;
$3.99 e-book ASIN B00ODC8IDM; BN
ID 2940150550315
Amazon; BN.com
Mythical-inspired
observations of love and
its effect on human
psyche, these poems
make the case for the
feelings evoked by the
powers of internal passions.
MYSTERY/THRILLER
The Aura
Carrie Bedford. BooksBnimble Publishing. $9.95 paper (248p), ISBN 978-0692-28230-4; $2.99 e-book ASIN
B00MV3HQL0
Amazon; BN.com
London architect Kate
Benedict starts seeing
auras that seem to signal
imminent death. When
her warnings go
unheeded, shes forced to
turn detective in an attempt to save lives.
Damnatio Memoriae
Laura Giebfried. CreateSpace. $15.95
paper (552p), ISBN 978-1-5010-9985-4;
$2.99 e-book ASIN B00N08XL9G
Amazon
Trapped at a boarding
school on the coast of
Maine, Enim Lund finds
himself entwined in a
series of murders while
trying to escape the horrors of his past.
Everlast: A Jake Bronson Thriller
(Everlast Duology, Book One)
Richard Bard. Richard
Bard. $13.69 paper
(300p) ISBN 978-0692-32136-2; 99
e-book ASIN B00PPH8VRM
Amazon; BN.com
A gifted child forced
to grow up too fast... A father who will do
anything to protect him... A cyberterrorist
bent on destroying them both.
A False Start
Kris Allis. TSW Wordsmith. $15.95
paper (367p), ISBN 978-0-692-23232-3;
99 e-book ASIN B00I9JMEXK; BN ID
2940149533145TSW
Wordsmith
One womans escape
from domestic abuse,
using the chaos of 9/11
to disappear, goes awry
when an anonymous
phone caller alerts her
abuser that she is alive. Thus begins a race
for her life.
The Feathers
Cynthia Lott. RiverRun Select. $15 paper
(210p), ISBN 978-1-939739-30-8; $4.99
e-book ASIN B00MG1F0RE; BN ID
2940150608689
Piscataqua Press; Amazon; BN.com; Book
Depository; Books-A-Million; IndieBound
New Orleans novice detective Brenda
Shapira investigates murders committed
by a vengeful killer, only to discover that
the killer has been dead
for 100 years. As she
unravels this long-ago
mystery steeped in New
Orleans history and the
yellow fever epidemic,
Brenda realizes that she
may be the next victim.
The Ice Cap and the Rift
Marshall Chamberlain. Grace Publishing
Group. $21.95 paper (374p), ISBN 9781-5005-1199-9; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9781-31196640-7
Amazon; Biblio; BN.com; iBooks; Kobo;
Smashwords
A comboquake rakes
across the 2,500-mile
ribbon of the Atlantic
Ridge, threatening disaster on three continents. A
15-mile-long rift tears
into Icelands largest ice
cap, spewing a curtain of steam 500 feet in
the air. Advanced satellite imagery reveals

the dissection of a large cavern down the rift
face containing items that shouldnt be
there. Revised second edition.
The Last Election: A Novel of Politics
Gary H. Collins. 21st Century Publishing. $14 paper (334p), ISBN 978-09905683-7-7; $2.99 e-book ASIN
B00NJ5CRCC
Amazon; BN.com
An election saved his
life. Will a campaign
now destroy it?
Losing David
Cheryl B. Dale. J&H
Press. $14.49 paper (334p), ISBN 978-09853910-6-5; $5.99 e-book ISBN 978-09853910-5-8
Amazon; BN.com
The year 1946: a millionaire dies and his heir
vanishes at sea. The year
1962: the estate is about
to be disbursed, but a
lawyer hires an unsavory
actor to impersonate the heir.
The Maghreb Conspiracy: The Third
Spy Story in Crofts Mideast Trilogy
Roger Croft. CreateSpace. $10.99 paper
(257p), ISBN 978-1-5008-2332-0; $5.99
e-book ASIN B00P9T93MS
Amazon; BN.com
Ex-journalist and occasional MI6 agent Michael
Vaux is happily housesitting in Tangier when
the British Secret Intelligence Service persuade
him to come in from the
cold. A high-ranking operative of al-Qaeda
in the Muslim Maghreb wishes to defect,
promising information that could prevent a
series of terrorist bombings and kidnappings. But after the only contact with the
would-be defector is assassinated, Vaux finds
himself combing the dusty, winding streets
of old Tangier while butting heads with an
idealistic CIA officer. Meanwhile, the young
MI6 agent sent to aid Vaux is kidnapped on
Tangiers hot and sultry corniche. Vauxs
quest to find both his colleague

and the al-Qaeda operative
pulls him to exotic Melilla, a small Spanish
enclave in North Africa, and to storied Casablanca. Vaux finds himself inexorably lured
into a labyrinth of deceit where double and
triple agents pursue their own shadowy goals
and the loyalty of even the most committed
MI6 and CIA agents isnt guaranteed.
Winter Kill
Josh Lanyon. JustJoshin Publishing.
$4.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-937909-27-7
Amazon; BN.com; iBooks; Kobo;
Smashwords
Gay FBI agent Adam
Darling has a new partner, a new case, and a
new chance to resurrect
his career, hunting a legendary serial killer in a
remote mountain resort
in Oregon.
Zero Anaphora
Luke Brimblecombe. Luke Brimblecombe. $2.99 e-book ASIN B00OMLU9UO
Amazon
A young woman gives
up her career in order to
conduct a mysterious
social experiment on an
unsuspecting lover. This
psychological thriller
explores such themes as anonymity, materialism, and gender.
SF/FANTASY/HORROR
Beyond Cloud Nine
Greg Spry. Greg Spry. $13.95 paper
(334p), ISBN 978-0-9908224-0-0; $4.99
e-book ISBN 978-0-9908224-1-7
Beyondcloudnine.com;
Amazon; BN.com
Star fighter pilot Lieutenant Brooke Davis
dreams of becoming the
first human to fly faster
than light. When she
stumbles on a conspiracy
involving terrorists, aliens, and the highest
levels of government, she finds their goals
43
seductive but their methods
abhorrent. With the moral core
of human civilization hanging in the balance, Davis must risk her shot at history to
stop the schemers from forcing their nefarious brand of salvation on the solar system.
Bounds of Redemption, Book 1
M.D. Ireman. Amazon. $2.99 e-book
ASIN B00OKZIEGI
Amazon
A realistic fantasy in
which factions from the
North and South collide
with brutal consequences
for the families both
responsible and disinterested.
Jessicas Footprints
J.R. Evangelisti. CreateSpace. $12 paper
(152p), ISBN 978-1-5001-5686-2; 99
e-book ASIN B00NMOMHK2
Amazon; BN.com
A true mystery for
teens and adults of all ages
that touches on uplifting
messages during the
Christmas season. Childrens footprints from
20,000 BC become the
discovery of the century.
Marking Time
April White. Corazon Entertainment.
$15.99 paper (440p), ISBN 978-09885368-1-4; free e-book ISBN
978-0-9885368-2-1
Amazon; BN.com; iTunes; Kobo
Seventeen-year-old
tagger Saira Elian can
handle a mother who
mysteriously disappears, a
stranger who stalks her
around London, and even
the noble English grandmother who kicked Saira
and her mother out of the family. But when
an old graffiti tag in a tube station transports
Saira to the 19th century, she realizes she
needs help. Archer, a charming student who
helps her blend in as much as a modern
American teen can in Victorian England,
reveals the existence of the Immortals: Time,

Nature, Fate, War, and Death, and explains
that it is possible to move between centuries
if you are a Descendant of Time. Saira finds
unexpected friendships at a boarding school
for Immortal Descendants and a complicated
love with a young man from the past. But
time is running out for her mother, and Saira
must embrace her new identity as she hides
from Archer a devastating secret about his
future that may cost him his life.
Mostly Dead Melvin
Foinah Jameson. Smoking Simian Scribbles.
B00NZQBJJW
Amazon; BN.com;
iTunes; Smashwords
Melvin dreams of
becoming a vampire, but
when he accidentally
gets his wish, undeath
just isnt what Mostly
Dead Melvin expects. Life dies and then
you suck. Kind of.
Something in the House:
California Gothic
D.L. Lewis. D.L. Lewis. $8.85 paper
(246p), ISBN 978-1-5006-5870-0; $2.99
e-book ASIN B00NS7WED8; BN ID
2940150759572
Amazon; BN.com
Inspired by true
events. The storms of
1998s El Nio, old
money, and an ancient
evil force produce deadly
results when an artist
goes to spend a pleasant weekend with her
friends at a remote estate near the ocean in
Northern California.
Truth Insurrected:
The Saint Mary Project
Daniel P. Douglas.
Geminid Press. $19.95
paper (468p), ISBN
978-0-9907371-0-0;
$5.99 e-book
ISBN 978-0-9907371-1-7
Amazon; Google Play; BN.com
As former FBI agent William Harrison

investigates a decades-old extraterrestrial
cover-up, hired guns and an alien-human
hybrid stand in his way of finding and
revealing the truth.
The Wanderers Children:
The Angelorum Twelve Chronicles #2
L.G. OConnor. Collins-Young Publishing. $19.95 paper (410p), ISBN 978-09907381-0-7; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-09907381-1-4
Amazon; Baker & Taylor; BN.com;
IndieBound; iTunes; Kobo; OverDrive
Caras second chance encounter with rocker
Brett King is no coincidence. One of the Wanderers Children, he and the
blood of his secret siblings
are the key to gathering the
rest of the Twelveif
betrayal and Lucifer dont
rip them apart first.
ROMANCE/EROTICA
Tempted (Playing the Edge, Book 1)
Susan Arden. Silver Sprocket Publishing.
$2.99 e-book ASIN B00P3IHTP8
Amazon
A chance encounter
between an unyielding
businessman and an
innocent yoga teacher
leads to a provocative
contract and a hedonistic
relationship.
INSPIRATIONAL
Pearls of Wisdom in the Queens Tea Cup
Darlene Pearce. Outskirts Press. $29.95

hardcover (218p), ISBN 978-1-47873746-9; $19.95 paper (218p), ISBN
978-1-4787-3663-9
Outskirtspress.com; Amazon; BN.com
This volume is from a tea series collection of books Pearce has
written to bring inspiration and healing, and to
let women know that
they are appreciated and
valued as a Cherished
Pearl heirloom treasure
to be passed on.
NONFICTION
Cover Up
Damien Comerford. CreateSpace. $23.99
paper (230p), ISBN 978-1-5003-1402-6;
$5.49 e-book ASIN B00NN856C8; BN
ID 2940046405408
Amazon; Book Depository; BN.com
Comerford reopens the
investigations of five
major crime news
eventsincluding the
death of Princess Diana
to reveal questions the media should have
asked to get the truth.
The Key to Hidden
Messages in Shakespeares Works:
The Backward Voice of the Monster
with Four Legs and Two Voices
Patrick Jennings. CreateSpace. $16.95
paper (244p), ISBN 978-1-5003-8447-0;
$6.95 e-book ASIN B00OG0VYOG
Amazon; BN.com
Jennings identifies the various encipherment methods used to
conceal messages in
Shakespeares First Folio
and provides proofs of
how these methods were,
and can be, applied to
extrapolate hidden messages and their meaning.
Easy to read and sure to spark controversy,
this book is intended to appeal to both novice Shakespeare students and established
scholars alike.
The Practice of Practice:
Get Better Faster
Jonathan Harnum. Sol Ut Press. $19.95
hardcover (277p), ISBN 978-0-97075121-8; $14.95 paper (274p), ISBN 978-14564-0797-1; $9.99 e-book ASIN
B00KVP372M
Sol-ut.com; Amazon;
BN.com
By discussing the six
aspects of practice, this
book will help you get
better faster. Clear and
concise, its written for
musicians of any genre,
as well as parents and teachers. Dont practice longerpractice smarter.
ART/PHOTOGRAPHY
Critical Focus: The Black and White
Photographs of Harvey Wilson Richards
Paul Richards. Estuary Press. $6.99

e-book ISBN 978-0-9618725-6-4
Estuarypress.com
A presentation of Harvey Richardss
1960s black-and-white
photographs of California farm workers, the
peace and civil rights
movements, and the
environmental movements on the West
Coast. It also includes photos from Richardss trip to the Soviet Union in 1961 with
his wife, Alice, and his son, Paul.
The Glow of Paris:
The Bridges of Paris at Night
Gary Zuercher. Marcorp. $49.95 hardcover
(195p), ISBN 978-0-9906309-0-6
Amazon; AtlasBooks; BN.com
A collection of evocative nighttime
images in gelatin silver
photographs of the 35
bridges that span the
Seine. No crowds of
people or heavy traffic
obscure the beauty and
strength of the structures, or their romance and symbolism. In
black and white, the details shine: the architectural elements, artwork, nearby buildings, trees on the riverbanks, and starry
lamps casting paths of light across the
water. Accompanied by a historical portrayal.
Time-Lapse Photography:
A Complete Introduction to Shooting,
Processing and Rendering Time-Lapse
Movies with a DSLR Camera
Ryan Chylinski. Stay Curious Co. $29.95
paper (150p), ISBN 978-0-9853757-1-3;
$14.99 enhanced e-book ISBN 978-09853757-2-0
Amazon; BN.com
A technical and practical time-lapse
tutorial guidebook for all skill levels
designed to get photographers

out the door and shooting
right away. Learn timelapse with over 350
easy-to-understand
examples, workflows,
walkthroughs, and diagrams covering basic
and advanced topics.
BIOGRAPHY/
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
A Jewish Teen in Brooklyn:
Memoirs of Freida R. Ginsberg
Stern As Given to the Author
Arnold I. (Lee) Stern Sr. Dorrance
Publishing. $21 paper (252p), ISBN
978-1-4809-0893-2; $16 e-book ISBN
978-1-4809-0755-3
Dorrance.stores.yahoo.
net
This series of vignettes
shares the vividly
described memories of
Freida Stern as she came
of age in Brooklyn during the turn of the 20th century.
Fire the Pretty Girl:
Awkward Adventures in Business
John Morton. Baby Pachyderm Publishing. $17 paper (236p), ISBN 978-15004-5743-3; $8.99 e-book ASIN
B00PCMVMX0
Amazon; BN.com
The authors stumbling, tragicomic romp
from the bar business to
business school to eventual success as speechwriter for and adviser to
the elites of the business world.
On the Okey Dokey Trail:
A Smart-Aleck Perspective
on the Give and Take of Life
I. Leigh Private. BIF Press. $8.99 paper
(234p), ISBN 978-0-692-28880-1; $4.99
e-book ASIN B00N9NSMUA; BN ID
2940150373693
Amazon; BN.com; iBooks
A collection of humorous stories about
relationships, work, parenthood, plastic
45
surgery, bad
car karma,
photography, weed, golf
lessons, serendipity, popular culture, and its connection to tarot cards
plus much more.
BUSINESS/
PERSONAL FINANCE
The Essential Guide for
the New Age of Retirement:
Why the Rules Have Changed
L. David Overson. CreateSpace. $12.95
paper (174p), ISBN 978-1-5002-2117-1;
$6.99 e-book ASIN B00MFVXZJA
Amazon; BN.com
Roughly 10,000 Americans will turn
age 65 every day for the next 10 years.
This massive demographic shift is reshaping not only the economy but the way these
Americans will enjoy
retirement. Many standard financial theories
and practices that have
worked in the past will
not work as well, if at
all, in this new age of retirement. This
book identifies the main cause of this shift
and presents strategies to help individuals
navigate the maze of investment, tax, and
income options for a more predictable and
comfortable retirement.
Pilots on Food Stamps: An Inside Look
at Why Your Flight Was Cancelled
Ben Mandell. BN Publishing House.
B00NTPSSO8; BN ID 2940046186147
Amazon; BN.com
This book is a true-to-life account of the
current pilot crisis facing the nation, its
origin, the current status, and what needs to be
done to fix this problem.
There is a 35% chance
that your airline flight
could be canceled
because of the pilot
shortage.
HEALTH/DIET/
PARENTING
No Pasta? Are You Kidding Me?!?
A True Beginners Guide to Healthy
Cooking with Less Wheat, Sugar and
Junk
Diana Marshall. Buy the Book Publishers.
$12.99 paper (142p), ISBN 978-0-69223712-0; $7.99 e-book ASIN B00MP38408
Amazon; BN.com
One womans journey through the confusing, sometimes intimidating world of
healthy cooking and diet
advice from the multitude of experts. Written in lighthearted, personal memoir style, its
the authors personal
account of how she got
healthy and lost weight.
Packed with easy-to-follow tips and simple
recipes.
SELFHELP
The Joy of Me: Uncover Your Loving
Self Through the Art of Being Selfish
Shaelyn T. Pham. CreateSpace. $18.99
paper (192p), ISBN 978-1-5001-4443-2;
$4.95 e-book ASIN B00P2V636W; BN
ID 2940150613560
Amazon; BN.com
Youve bought into the idea that youre
supposed to be generous and that giving is
better than receiving, so
youre a giver. But it
doesnt make you feel
any better. In fact, it
makes you feel worse
because you have been
taught to give but not
how to give. Dr. Pham
sheds light on the false
beliefs that lead to suffering within yourself, feelings of brokenness, and resentment
in your relationships. Using psychology
and spirituality, with insightful stories,
this book discusses how to let go of guilt
and shame, the expectations and obligations you have put on yourself, the false
identity you have taken on, the true measure of your worth, the unconditional love
you can give and receive, and how to have
a resentment-free life. It will reveal how
you can be happier with yourself and be

more satisfied in your relationships. You
can be more selfish and have people love
you for it.
CHILDRENS FICTION
Isabel
E.L. Schoeman. iUniverse. $22.95 paper
(406p), ISBN 978-1-4917-1512-3; $5
e-book ISBN 978-1-4917-1515-4
Amazon; BN.com; Chapters
A medieval tragedy
unfolds as a young
woman willing to risk
everything for true love
becomes embroiled in a
vicious battle between
good and evil where her
destiny is finally revealed.
Mookies Trip to the Zoo
Connie Zakowski, illus. by Connie
Zakowski. RoseDog Books. $8 paper
(28p), ISBN 978-1-4809-1664-7; $5
e-book ISBN 978-1-4809-1642-5
Rosedogbookstore.com
Young Mikey visits
the zoo with his monkey,
Mookie. They have a
fun-filled day watching
and learning about the
animals. This is the
fourth book in the
Mookie series.
Stunnos Surf Adventure
Mark Reside, illus. by Tina Jacobson.
Protech Printing. $15 paper,
ISBN 978-0-9925476-0-8
Stunno.com.au
Stunno is a young surfer
who went to the beach,
boards on the roof and
wetsuit in reach. Join
Stunno the surfing echidna
on his adventure chasing
that elusive barrel.
CHILDRENS POETRY
The Dark Lord and the Seamstress:
An Unconventional Love Story in Verse
J.M. Frey, illus. by Jennifer Vendrig.

CreateSpace. $9.95 paper (58p), ISBN
978-1-5024-7845-0;
$4.99 e-book ASIN
B00O3GWWBW
Amazon; Smashwords
An illustrated love
story in verse about
the importance of
looking beyond someones (poorly dressed)
exterior and into their heart. Features trickery, romance, and a little bit of sartorial fun.
CHILDRENS
MYSTERY/THRILLER
Seasons Christmas Quest:
The Dogs Story
Tara Pollard. iUniverse. $21.95 hardcover
(151p), ISBN 978-1-4759-4008-4;
$11.95 paper (151p), ISBN 978-1-47594009-1; $3.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-47594007-7
Amazon; BN.com
Days before Christmas, something is very
wrong. Darkness cover
the skies, ash mixes with
the snowy ground, and
young Melissa lies dying
in a hospital bed. Season,
a young golden dog desperate to save her, embarks on a dangerous
journey through dark forests and fiery
mountains to reveal a mystery beyond his
comprehension. Battling vicious animals
and dark magic, can he survive in order to
reveal the strange mystery in the words of
his own master? In this inspirational story,
even the animals can discover the Christmas miracle.
CHILDRENS
SF/FANTASY/HORROR
Decay (Tesla Evolution, Book 2)
Mark Lingane. Insync Holdings. $15.99
paper (304p), ISBN 978-0-992377-98-4;
$3.99 e-book ISBN
978-0-9923779-9-1
Amazon; BN.com;
iBooks; Kobo;
Smashwords
When friends fail and
cities fall, when enemies
grow stronger by taking
everything that is treasured by the inhabitants of the Steam Academy, what is left for
them to do? Strike back.
The Labyrinth of Time
T.W. Fendley. Silent Partner Publishing.
$12.99 paper (226p), ISBN 978-09907562-2-4; $3.99 e-book ISBN 978-09907562-1-7
Amazon; BN.com; iBooks, Ingram;
Smashwords
When 16-year-old
Jade discovers only she
and a Peruvian boy can
access messages left on
engraved stones by an
ancient race, she embarks
on a quest to save humanity.
Tesla (Tesla Evolution, Book 1)
Mark Lingane. Insync Holdings. $15.99
paper (282p), ISBN 978-0-9923779-5-3;
$2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9923779-4-6
Amazon; BN.com; iBooks; Kobo;
Smashwords
A millennium in the
future, nuclear war has
wiped out much of civilization in the northern
hemisphere. The planet
has slowly been getting
hotter, water is becoming
a rare resource, and a new
breed of people has arisen with the power to
control magnetism. Seb, an orphan boy
from a quiet rural town, is being hunted by
strange part-machine, part-human people.
His only hope is Melanie, an angry, dying
teenage girl who sets out to deliver him to
the Steam Academy, even if its just to stop
him talking. Seb must confront an unknown
past and fight against everything he
believed in. And occasionally wash his hair.
CHILDRENS
INSPIRATIONAL
Catholic Churches Big and Small
Stefan Salinas, illus. by Stefan Salinas.
Camelopardalis. $16.99 hardcover (48p),
ISBN 978-0-692-20088-9
Amazon; BN.com; Books Inc.
Join a boy, a girl, their father, and a nun
as they explore the Catholic

churches within a single city.
Its a celebration of religious art and architecturefrom the historic to the modern
to the simple to the
ornate. Readers
will encounter special furniture, statues, shapes, colors,
stained-glass windows, murals, tapestries, and various cultures. They will
learn why people attend church and much
more.
CHILDRENS
COMICS/GRAPHIC
NOVELS
Halfway Home:
Drawing My Way Through Japan
Christine Mari Inzer. Naruhodo Press.
B00PMG5JV2
Amazon; BN.com
At age 15, the author
travels solo to Tokyo to
get reacquainted with her
birthplace. Through
illustrations, photos, and
musings, she takes the
reader on a journey
through modern Japan. She explores the
fashion hub of Harajuku, she hunts down
geisha in Kyoto, she eats the best sushi of her
life in Tsukiji, and she meets many interesting characters along the way.
CHILDRENS
NONFICTION
How to Build a Computer (for Beginners), 7th Edition: Teachers Version
John Gower III. CreateSpace. $29.99
paper (134p), ISBN 978-1-46992002-3
Amazon; BN.com
This is the teachers
version of How to
Build a Computer (for
Beginners), 6th Edition:
Student Version. It provides the answers to
the questions in the
student version.
47
Reviews Roundup
Fiction
In the past month, PW has reviewed 33 self-published books submitted via

BookLife, our website dedicated to indie authors. Among the recent highlights
are two starred reviews: Pamela Fords historical romance To Ride a White Horse
and Rens War: Memories of French Resistance in WWII, Michel Mockerss firsthand account of his role fighting the Nazi occupation of France.
After the Sucker Punch

Lorraine Devon Wilke. CreateSpace, $13.95 paper (340p) ISBN 978-14975-9630-6
Black Moon Draw

Lizzy Ford. Kettlecorn, $2.99 e-book (320p) ISBN 978-1-62378-159-0
Carpe Diem, Illinois

Kristin A. Oakley. Little Creek Press, $16.95 paper (284p) ISBN 978-09899780-3-3
Cornered
Alan Brenham. Black Opal, $11.24 (316p) ISBN 978-1-626941-38-0
Detours
Emma Gates. Wells Street, $15.95 paper (310p) ISBN 978-09888906-6-4
Grand Theft Death: A Salty Sister Mystery

Ann Philipp. Salty Sister, $12.99 paper (260p) ISBN 978-0-98956540-0
Kronos Rising
Max Hawthorne. Far from the Tree, $19.99 paper (562p) ISBN 978-0615-96495-9
Must Love Breeches

Angela Quarles. Angela Quarles, $4.99 e-book (306p) ISBN 978-09905400-0-7

Pamela Ford. Aine Press, $3.99 e-book (316p)
ASIN B00OT271O8
ontemporary romance novelist Ford (Her Best Bet) steps

back in time with a sweeping historical love story that
hits all the marks. In 1846, Ireland withers under a devastating
potato famine while its indifferent
English masters stand by. Kathleen Deacey reluctantly sails to
Canada to find work to support
her family and search for her missing fianc. But when
shes tossed overboard by a storm, its an Englishman,
Capt. Jack Montgomery, who rescues her and provides safe
passage as his whaling ship heads home to Boston. Alone
and terrified by her familys plight, Kathleen must accept
help from a man who symbolizes everything she despises
and with whom shes reluctantly falling in love. Pacing
the plot for maximum tension, Ford skillfully conveys the
anguish and fury of her heroine and all the struggling
Irish, both at home and abroad. She delivers genuine heat
by teasing out the passion between her protagonists. Ford
has made a deeply satisfying foray into new territory.
Proclivity: The Lamiaceae ChroniclesThe First Clue

Kris Kaiser. Birchback, $16.95 (393p) ISBN 978-0-692-21899-0
The Record of the Saints Caliber
The Terminals: Spark
M. David White. Antipodal, $17.99 ISBN 978-0-692-22674-2
Michael F. Stewart. Non Sequitur, $2.99 e-book (270p) ASIN

B00JPGDDWM
Shattered Trust
To Free a Spy
Lynda Bailey. CreateSpace, $9.99 paper (280p) ISBN 978-1-50057655-4
Nick Ganaway. Greyhart, $13 paper (348p) ISBN 978-1-4848-8573-4
Swift River
Adam Wilson. Read Furiously, $1.99 e-book (81p) ASIN B00N63NCN0
R.C. Binstock. CreateSpace, $13.99 ISBN 978-1-5010-9724-9

What About Tuesday
REVIEWS
ROUNDUP
Nonfiction
A Man and a Motorcycle:
How Hamid Karzai Came to Power
Bette Dam. Ipso Facto, $15.30 paper (246p) ISBN 978-90-77386-13-2
Behind the Lines:

WWIs Little-Known Story of German Occupation,
Belgian Resistance, and the Band of Yanks Who
Helped Save Millions from Starvation
Jeffrey B. Miller. Millbrown Press, $16.95 paper (480p) ISBN 978-09906893-0-0
Cobblestones and Heels

Kathryn Martone. Kathryn Martone, $21 paper (88p) ISBN 978-0-69221890-7
Dark Spell: Surviving the Sentence

Mara Leveritt, with Jason Baldwin. Bird Call Press, $20 paper (290p)
ISBN 978-1-4991-7575-2
The Odyssey of Falling

Paige Crutcher. Paige Crutcher, $3.99 e-book (260p) ISBN 978-09909205-0-2
Panther in the Hive

Olivia A. Cole. Fletchero Publishing, $18 paper (472p) ISBN 978-09916155-0-6
Untalented
Katrina Archer. Ganache Media, $3.99 e-book (288p) ISBN 978-09880512-6-3
Wish You Werent

Sherrie Petersen. Sherrie Petersen, $7.99 paper (150p) ISBN 978-1
4947-6682-5
Joe Barry Carroll. Joe Barry Carroll Publishing, $50 (262p) ISBN 978-09898373-2-3
Rens War:
Memoirs of French
Resistance in WWII
Success Is a Side Effect:

Leadership, Relationships, and Selective Amnesia
Michel Mockers. New Dawn Services, $19.95 trade paper

(228p) ISBN 978-1-4993-4288-8
Monica F. Anderson. Tymac, $10.99 (192p) ISBN 978-0-9786378-3-5
Growing Up in Words and Images
Tweeting da Vinci
Ann C. Pizzorusso. Da Vinci Press, $45 (244p) ISBN 978-1-940613-00-0
Childrens/YA
Beautiful Rainbow World
Suzee Ramirez and Lynne Raspet. Two Poppies, $12.99 paper (80p)
ISBN 978-0-9915340-0-5
Halfway Home: Drawing My Way Through Japan

Christine Mari Inzer. Naruhodo Press, $11.95 paper (102p) ISBN 9780-9907014-0-8
The Incredible Charlotte Sycamore and the Secret Traps

Kate Maddison. CreateSpace, $3.99 e-book (292p) ISBN 978-1-47560453-5
The Kingdom of the Sun and Moon

Lowell H. Press. Parkers Mill Publishing, $11.99 paper (316p) ISBN
978-0-9905130-0-1
Manifest Destiny
Jewelle Francis. Berhane Publications, $2.99 e-book (277p) ASIN
B0095W7I3G
ockers provides a riveting

firsthand account of his
role fighting the Nazi
occupation of France from
1941 to 1944, in this story of
courage, love, and coming of age
in the midst of war. In the course
of the book, he grows from an idle
young 19-year-old student artist
(who used the alias Ren) to a
hardened senior leader of the Resistance at the age of 23.
He leads the reader from one dangerous encounter with
Nazis to another, and the book, with its excellent pacing,
reads like a great spy thriller. Aside from the author, the
most intriguing figures are three women who play key
roles: Marika, a zealous German spy attempting to trap
members of the resistance; Mary, a British Commando
team leader coordinating Resistance activity; and Michelle,
a French messenger who travels over German-controlled
roads on her bike to coordinate the activities of different
resistance bands. Michelle in particular is a heroine the
reader will never forget. Mockerss narrative holds the
potential to become a classic antiwar war memoir, and it is
a must-read for anyone inspired by the courage and determination of young people who take a stand against aggression in a dangerous and chaotic world.
49
Reviews
Fiction
After the Sucker Punch
Lorraine Devon Wilke. CreateSpace, $13.95
paper (340p) ISBN 978-1-4975-9630-6
When Tess, on the day of the funeral

for her father, Leo, reads a portion of the
journals he kept over the years, she discovers a devastating blowhe thought
that she was an immeasurable disappointment. His hurtful words send Tess into a
tailspin, framing the next year of her life.
Returning to her
home in California, Tess falls
into depressionduring
which her seemingly solid relationship with her
longtime boyfriend, David,
falls apart. But
out of this grief,
Tess begins to piece herself back together.
Though Wilke creates a realistic and profound journey of realization and forgiveness for her protagonist, the secondary
characters are weak. They feel like caricatures, including Tesss overly forgiving
and charitable Aunt Joanne, who helps
Tess frame her fathers words in new context; Haden Pierce, the late-coming love
interest who is extremely understanding;
and especially Leo, whose long and boring
tirades fill far too much of the text. Despite these issues, this proves to be a solid
novel that admirably explores the fragile,
fraught relationship between parent and
child.
Black Moon Draw

Lizzy Ford. Kettlecorn, $2.99 e-book (320p)
ISBN 978-1-62378-159-0
Dumped and heartbroken, Naia loses

herself in wine and falls asleep reading an
online romance novel, which features the
Shadow Knight of Black Moon Draw.
Upon awakening, she finds herself in the
world of Black Moon Draw itselfand

shes the Shadow Knights new battlewitch, according to a nearby pantherheaded minion. Apparently battle-witches tend to get killed off quickly in these
parts, despite
their ability to
regrow severed
limbs. In quick
succession, she
falls in with the
Red Knight of
White Tree
Sound, rescues a
kidnapping victim, and is captured by the dread but good-smelling
Shadow Knight, who promptly chops off
her hand to prove that she is a witch. The
Shadow Knight is clearly villainous, as
well as engaged to be married, but Naia
decides nonetheless to save him and his
kingdom from a thousand-year curse, no
matter whether she ends up in his world
for good. Ford gives herself a cameo role
as LF, author of the novel that Nina was
readinga ridiculous cherry atop an endearingly silly sundae. This is a fine light
read for a rainy afternoon.
Carpe Diem, Illinois

Kristin A. Oakley. Little Creek Press, $16.95
paper (284p) ISBN 978-0-9899780-3-3
In Oakleys novel, Leo Townsend is a

Pulitzer Prizenominated reporter battling a series of personal demons that
have put him on
probation at his
newspaper. Hes
given an assignment that seems
innocuous at
first glance: investigate the
town of Carpe
Diem, an enclave
in Illinois with
no schools (the families all unschool
their children). As Townsend begins his
research, he stumbles upon a conspiracy
to destroy Carpe Diem and its education
system, or lack thereof. Oakleys concept
is interesting, but the residents of Carpe
49a P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y D E C E M B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 4
Diem tend to be one-dimensional. The

teenagers come off as Stepford children,
perfectly well-behaved, intelligent, and
educated in everything from auto mechanics to nursing. The adults, meanwhile, are mired in alcohol, adultery,
blackmail, corruption, and murder. Oakleys heavy promotion of unschooling
tends to slow the pace at times. Still, the
amateur sleuthing and clever deceptions
should delight fans of cozy mysteries.
Cornered
Alan Brenham. Black Opal, $11.24 (316p)
ISBN 978-1-626941-38-0
In Brenhams titillating crime novel,

Temple, Tex., police detective Matt
Brady is stymied in his investigation of
the disappearance of five young women
in less than three months, without either
ransom demands
being made or
corpses discovered. Early on,
the author reveals that members of a sophisticated ring target women based
on the particulars of their appearance for abduction and sale to buyers
who will use them as sex slaves. The remainder of the book amounts to a catand-mouse game between Brady and the
kidnappers. The victims, as well as the
main characters, are little more than ciphers, and the details are not realistic.
For example, readers may find it unlikely
that those behind the kidnappings would
put the lucrative operation at risk by
paying the actual kidnappers only $200
per woman. Inappropriate responses to
the actual horror of the womens fate are
also a drawback.
Detours
Emma Gates. Wells Street, $15.95 paper
(310p) ISBN 978-0-9888906-6-4
This sensuous story about the one that

got away deals with first love, regret, and
introspection. Gatess (Walking to Israel)
novel is set during the waning days of
REVIEWS
Americas counterculture era, evoking the

social and political upheaval of the Vietnam War, campus antiwar activism, and
the Iran-Iraq War. On a Midwestern college campus in 1972, linguistics student
Clare Meredith and diplomat-in-training
Lowell Goodenow have a passionate twomonth affair that ends abruptly. Clare, a
freshman, and Lowell, a grad student, are
from different worlds, though both are
highly intelligent and ambitious. Lowell
leaves for a State
Department
posting in the
Middle East,
where he dabbles
in espionage
with disastrous
results. Clare
studies abroad in Mexico, becoming involved with a revolutionary artist who
suddenly disappears. Years pass and they
settle into careers: Lowell is a business attach in Kuwait, and Clare is a Chicago
telecommunications executive; 11 years
after their affair, work reunites them in
Kuwait. Clare and Lowell reconnect romantically, but suspicion, sabotage, and a
bombing complicate their reunion
though the end reflects wisdom gained
from over a decade of soul-searching.
While the colorful 70s and 80s provide a
vibrant backdrop, the heart of this nostalgic romance is the enduring intensity of a
first love.
Grand Theft Death:

A Salty Sister Mystery
Ann Philipp. Salty Sister, $12.99 paper
(260p) ISBN 978-0-9895654-0-0
Philipps tongue is firmly in cheek in

this goofy, entertaining series debut.
Graphic artist Patricia Schuster, who has
hit a professional dead end, gets a chance
to start over when she inherits her grandmothers house and antique business in
Lakeville, a short distance north of San
Francisco. But when Patricia drives a
drunken friend home without knowing
her friends car has been reported stolen,
she gets arrested for stealing it. This hu-
miliation turns
into something
more complex
when her friend
drowns in a
swimming pool.
Aided by some of
her late grandmothers close
friends, including the widow of
a mobster, Patricia plays gumshoe while
falling for the hunky son of the officer
who arrested her. The ending is a bit over
the top, but Philipps light touch and the
endearing romantic subplot bode well for
the sequel.
Kronos Rising
Max Hawthorne. Far from the Tree, $19.99
paper (562p) ISBN 978-0-615-96495-9
Hawthorne (Memoirs of a Gym Rat) inflates stereotypes past readers patience in

this supercharged but ponderous story
straight out of a 1950s sci-fi monster
flick. The little Florida town of Paradise
Cove is protected by strapping but emotionally damaged sheriff Jake Braddock.
When something
out in the ocean
begins devouring
sharks, whales,
and an occasional
human for dessert, marine biologist Amara Takagi, also physically stunning
but personally
troubled, shows
up to announce that the monster is a pliosaur, a huge marine reptile thought to be
extinct for millions of years. This one is
very hungry and very irritable. When it
attacks the coast, the creature becomes
the obsession of a senator who hires a biggame hunter to bag the beast. With fewer
clots of purple prose, cardboard characters, and stretches of berserk hyper-action,
this adventure could have been a major
guilty pleasure; instead, its just a monstrous chore.
Must Love Breeches

Angela Quarles. Angela Quarles, $4.99 ebook (306p) ISBN 978-0-9905400-0-7
Time travel and romance taste great

together in Quarless Must Love series
launch. Isabelle Rochon is an American
historian working at Londons British
Museum, desperately hoping
to land the job
that will allow
her to remain in
London permanently. Fate,
however, has
other plans.
During a re-enactment ball, a
stray thought and a magical card case
send Isabelle back to a ball in 1834 and
straight into the arms of the Vicious Viscount, Phineas Montagu. Montagus
carefully crafted nefarious reputation
once served a vital purpose, but now he
needs to acquire an air of benevolence,
and he hopes to do so with the strange
Isabelles assistance. The pressing question becomes whether shell still be there
when he needs her the most. Filled with
historical tidbits and larger-than-life
characters, the sweet story is a delight,
though sometimes it meanders.
Proclivity:
The Lamiaceae Chronicles;
The First Clue
Kris Kaiser. Birchback, $16.95 (393p) ISBN
978-0-692-21899-0
Matt Sizemore, the hero of Kaisers

overblown thriller, poses a serious
threat to the social structures underpinning global civilization, at least according to his enemies. Sizemore
is on the run
from evil forces
looking to exploit the side effects of Cecilimate, an antidepressant hes
been taking. The
drug enables usW W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y . C O M 49b
REVIEWS
ers to foresee the future, though it drives
most of them to suicide. A predictable
series of chase sequences all over the U.S.
leads Sizemore to Swisher, Iowa, where
he winds up protecting a waitress from a
brutish former boyfriend. The dogged
FDA investigator probing Cecilimate,
Kevin Sharpe, happens to have a colorful
past. Sharpes career as an FBI agent, for
example, ended when his girlfriend
turned out to be an Israeli spy. These
side-plot elements distract in a story
thats already disorienting with its frequent toggles between present and past
that do little to increase interest. Despite
the subtitle, its not clear in what way
this book kicks off a series.
The Record of the Saints Caliber

M. David White. Antipodal, $17.99 ISBN 978-0692-22674-2
Whites rough debut opens a deeply

grim epic fantasy series. White has a
knack for imagery, which he uses with
some skill to establish a world dominated
not just by angelic and demonic magic
but by the grey-shaded political squabbling of mortals.
A young boys
faith in the goddess Aeoria is
shaken when his
parents die of
starvation under
a corrupt king,
and he turns to a
demon for help.
Meanwhile, Saint
Nuriel of the titular order of magical
knights realizes that her fellows have long
been corrupted into child-killers and
sellswords. Whites biggest stumbling
block is finding the right tone for this
tale of betrayal, madness, and despair. The
sparse comic relief comes only in the form
of wildly inconsistent dialogue, which
vacillates between casual modern vernacular and traditional fantasy prose. The
machinations of the Saints world might
still hold intrigue, but readers will struggle to slog past the constant and horrific
depictions of sexual violence toward
women and children.
Shattered Trust
Lynda Bailey. CreateSpace, $9.99 paper
(280p) ISBN 978-1-5005-7655-4
Baileys trend-chasing erotic romance

places a BDSM overlay over the classic romance story of the attractive drifter
charmed into settling down by a smalltown woman with a tough exterior and a
wounded heart. Bluebird Saloon owner
Kathryn Landry returns to Trustworthy,
Tex., from vacation, and is displeased to discover that her
daughter has
hired charismatic
Liam St. James as
the new bartender. When Liams
teasing of his uptight new boss
leads to a revelation about her unhappy
past, he hopes to show her what healthy
domination looks like. Bailey meticulously contrasts the behavior of Kathryns
abusive ex, Ramon, with Liams fancy
cooking, consent talk, and careful caretaking, but she still falls into the problematic model of top as savior, explicitly
framing BDSM play as a cheap, effective
substitute for psychotherapy. Bailey (Battle-Tested Love) is solid on the basics of safe
words and checking in, but she lacks an
intuitive sense of where the excitement of
a scene lies, creating character interactions that are both emotionally shallow
and wildly inconsistent.
Swift River
R.C. Binstock. CreateSpace, $13.99 ISBN 9781-5010-9724-9
In Binstocks novel, Polly McPhee is a

girl approaching adolescence in the Swift
River Valley in 1927. In this quiet valley,
decades pass with little change to the rural way of life, until now. Nearby Boston
is pushing for a municipal water project
that would dam Swift River and turn the
valley into a reservoir to quench the
thirsty city. Pollys tale is mostly told in
the form of diary entries, skipping forward through time as we alight briefly on
events of importance, both to the region,
49c P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y D E C E M B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 4
and to Pollys
personal life. The
historical detail
proves illuminating and Binstocks cast of
characters feel
developed and
real, but Polly
herself is a poor
narrator, her tone
inconsistent and sometimes strangely dispassionate. Her diary entries are also
sprinkled with sections of brief, untagged
dialogue, streams of consciousness, and
small sections from other peoples points
of view, changing the tone without warning and disrupting the illusion of reading
a historic diary.
The Terminals: Spark

Michael F. Stewart. Non Sequitur, $2.99 ebook (270p) ASIN B00JPGDDWM
Absorbing action and well developed

characters go a long way to compensate
for an over-cluttered premise in this supernatural series launch. Stewart (Assured
Destruction) establishes Lt. Col. Christine
Kurzow as brittle, exhausted, and suicidal, after a moments hesitation cost the
lives of 11 soldiers under her command.
She is easily recruited by the alternately
loathsome and overprotective General
Aaron to work with the Terminals, a secret branch of military intelligence that
euthanizes terminally ill recruits to seek
information in the
afterlife. A darkly
quirky cast is well
fleshed out, but
Christines first
case as a handler
rambles into repetitive incoherence. Despite vivid rendering, the
Gnostic afterlife
into which Christine sends Charlie Harkman in pursuit of serial killer Hillar McCallum is described in a long-winded
manner that distracts from the tension of
the case, and grotesquely detailed descriptions of child torture and murder are disturbing but lacking in real emotional
REVIEWS
weight. Elements of a larger conspiracy
suggest a sequel, which will hopefully
combine the supernatural elements more
effectively with the suspense.
To Free a Spy
Nick Ganaway. Greyhart, $13 paper (348p)
ISBN 978-1-4848-8573-4
Fans of high-octane Tom Clancyesque

thrillers will most enjoy Ganaways fastpaced first novel. Cam Warfield left the
army to establish his own counterintelligence center, but hes called back into service by President Garrison Cross, who
served as CIA director before his election
to the Oval Office. Warfield
agrees to handle
debriefing Harvey Joplan, a
mole detected in
the agency, in an
effort to track
down nuclear
material stolen
from a Russian
facility. Immediately after the tickingbomb setup, Ganaway introduces a whole
separate cast of characters, including Karly Amarson, a high-priced escort whose
clients include members of the Washington elite, and whose efforts to blackmail
one of them ends in violence. Later, the
focus shifts to Fumio Yoshida, a Japanese
transportation minister, in what appears
to be another subplot unrelated to the
main one. The action sequences compensate for characters drawn with little
depth.

Pamela Ford. Aine Press, $3.99 e-book
(316p) ASIN B00OT271O8
Contemporary romance novelist Ford

(Her Best Bet) steps back in time with a
sweeping historical love story that hits all
the marks. In 1846, Ireland withers under
a devastating potato famine while its indifferent English masters stand by. Kathleen Deacey reluctantly sails to Canada to
find work to support her family and
search for her missing fianc. But when
shes tossed overboard by a storm, its an
Englishman, Capt. Jack Montgomery,
who rescues her and provides safe passage

as his whaling ship heads home to Boston. Alone and terrified by her familys
plight, Kathleen must accept help from a
man who symbolizes everything
she despises
and with whom
shes reluctantly
falling in love.
Pacing the plot
for maximum tension, Ford skillfully conveys the
anguish and fury
of her heroine and
all the struggling Irish, both at home and
abroad. She delivers genuine heat by teasing out the passion between her protagonists. Ford has made a deeply satisfying
foray into new territory.
What About Tuesday

Adam Wilson. Read Furiously, $1.99 e-book
(81p) ASIN B00N63NCN0
Independent comics creator Wilson (In

the Fallout) steps outside of his graphic
comfort zone in his first novella. An unnamed protagonist wakes up on Wednesday to realize Tuesday never happened.
Nobody else seems to miss the absent
time, but the narrator obsesses over it,
eventually enlisting the help of Chet, a
private investigator, and Dari, a college
professor, to explain the strange phenomenon. Dari explains the entire mystery
immediately, saying that its a
natural part of
the order of the
universe. Chet,
however, believes
that there is a
larger conspiracy
to hide the truth.
The rest of Wilsons novella is an
account of the narrator and Chet attempting to rationalize realitys peculiarities.
Unfortunately, theres never anything truly at stake, for the characters or the reader; Wilson gives no compelling reason to
care about what happened to Tuesday or
what will befall the barely-defined heroes.
Action doesnt rise or fall so much as it

limps, supported by smirking pop culture
references. The book serves well enough
as a character study, but as a science fiction story, it fails to say anything of substance.
Nonfiction
A Man and a Motorcycle: How
Hamid Karzai Came to Power
Bette Dam. Ipso Facto, $15.30 paper (246p)
ISBN 978-90-77386-13-2
Reporter Dam meticulously recounts

Hamid Karzais rise to power, drawing on
the experiences shes had living in Afghanistan for the past eight years, including multiple meetings with the president.
In fact, she recalls being surprised, as a
woman, by the level of access she had to
him, and to Afghan politicians in general.
Armed with this first-hand knowledge,
Dam begins by laying out the system of
tribal nepotism and patronage that keeps
the country running but hinders it from
advancing into a functioning democracy.
She goes on to show how those systems
were disrupted by the arrival of the Taliban and restored under Karzai, despite
American efforts to paint the new regime
as a paragon of
democratic government. Dam
also outlines how
American military might was
co-opted by regional warlords
in power struggles neither U.S.
policy makers
nor troops fully
understood. Military history enthusiasts
and students of comparative culture will
be grateful the author has decided to
share her unique perspective on Karzai
and Afghanistan. The books focus on the
minutiae of the Afghan presidents life
and career can be overwhelming, but it
quickly becomes clear that only this level
of detail will allow Americans to understand a very different culture.
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y . C O M 49d
REVIEWS
Behind the Lines:

WWIs Little-Known Story of
German Occupation, Belgian
Resistance, and the Band of
Yanks Who Helped Save Millions
from Starvation
Jeffrey B. Miller. Millbrown Press, $16.95
paper (480p) ISBN 978-0-9906893-0-0
Part one of a three-part examination of

the conditions in Belgium during WWI
under the German occupation, Millers
book covers only the first five months:
August to December 1914. His primary
focus is the origin of the Commission for
Relief in Belgium (CRB), led by American businessmanand future president
Herbert Hoover. Miller also examines the
beginnings of the Belgian resistance and
the experiences of the Bunge family, who
were participants
in both the resistance and the activities of the
Belgian relief.
Millers excellent
research is extensive and strongly
supports his thesis that Hoover
and the CRB
were instrumental in saving the lives of
untold numbers of Belgian civilians. The
works major shortcoming is obvious: it
ends abruptly in December 1914.
Though its an intriguing read, Millers
well-written and thorough study will be
of greatest interest to specialists in WWI
and European history.
Cobblestones and Heels

Kathryn Martone. Kathryn Martone, $21
paper (88p) ISBN 978-0-692-21890-7
Corporate flight attendant Martones

goal in this brief, informative guide is to
dispel the outdated mystique of the sky
angel, replacing it with the intense
training, long hours, and hard work of
modern private cabin attendants. Chatty
and uncomplicated, Martones writing has
the tone of a diary even when giving practical advice for aspiring flight attendants,
such as what to have on a resume (professional safety training, culinary skills, and
a customer-service background). She acquaints the reader with the best the job
has to offer (international travel and culture), as well as the worst (high-altitude
work when youre sick), and recounts one
memorable episode of mid-air peril, during a bad trip
with novice pilots. Although
she tends to repeat herself,
Martone is most
cogent when recalling her favorite travel memories: an unexpected African
safari, a one-month tour with a rock band,
and a trip to her ancestral home in Russia.
She concedes that looks might get the
interview, but debunks their importance
in doing the job: Your face will not accomplish creating and serving five-star
meals. It will not help you meet the needs
of your passengers and supply them with
the outstanding customer service they are
expecting. Her writing suffers from numerous errors (such as typos and grammatical inconsistencies), but Martone
skillfully shows that an easygoing temperament and discreet nature are necessary to succeed in private aviation.
Dark Spell:
Surviving the Sentence
Mara Leveritt, with Jason Baldwin. Bird Call
Press, $20 paper (290p) ISBN 978-1-49917575-2
Investigative reporter Leveritt follows

up her 2002 work about the West Memphis Three, Devils Knot, with the second
in her Justice Knot Trilogy. This time she
focuses on Jason Baldwin, one of the three
young men accused of murdering three boys in
Alabama in
1993. Leveritt
uses interviews,
public records,
and Baldwins
own recollections
to recreate his
life leading up to
49e P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y D E C E M B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 4
the arrest and trial as well as his extended

stint in prison. Its clear Leveritt believes
that Baldwin was wrongfully accused, and
she emphasizes the many irregularities in
the trial and subsequent legal wranglings,
while portraying Baldwin as an essentially decent person caught up in events far
beyond his control. Between Baldwins
first-hand experiences and Leveritts own
pointed interpretation of the events, readers will be outraged by what seems to be a
grievous failure of the justice system.
Some of the material becomes repetitive,
as Baldwin is transferred from one prison
to another for nearly two decades. Meanwhile, support in the outside world grows
to a fever pitch, leading to a reexamination of the evidence. A powerful look at
how the wrong agenda can thoroughly
undermine the justice system, this book
is bound to be of interest to true-crime
readers.
Growing Up in Words and Images

Joe Barry Carroll. Joe Barry Carroll Publishing,
$50 (262p) ISBN 978-0-9898373-2-3
In this memoir in paintings and narration, former NBA star Carroll lets readers
into an intimate view of his family and his
experiences, set against paintings he has
created. Carroll was born 1958, the 10th of
13 children, and grew up poor in Pine
Bluff, Ark. His mother worked hard to put
food on the table and support all of her
children. Joe grew taller and taller, finally
reaching seven feet and becoming a basketball player. As he went to Purdue University and joined
the NBA in
1980, playing
for the Golden
State Warriors,
he carefully
kept his attention on the important things
in life: family and perspective. After his retirement, he went into wealth management and painting. Readers familiar only
with Carrolls basketball career will be surprised to see his artistic side and introspective aspects. While some of the stories and
maxims get repetitive, Carroll is thoughtful and earnest, showing sincere gratitude
REVIEWS
for the life he has. This is a careful retrospective of a whole man, not just an athlete.
Rens War:
Memoirs of French
Resistance in WWII
Michel Mockers. New Dawn Services, $19.95

paper (228p) ISBN 978-1-4993-4288-8
Mockers provides a riveting firsthand

account of his role fighting the Nazi occupation of France from 1941 to 1944, in
this story of courage, love, and coming of
age in the midst of war. In the course of
the book, he grows from an idle young
19-year-old student artist (who used the
alias Ren) to a hardened senior leader of
the Resistance at the age of 23. He leads
the reader from one dangerous encounter
with Nazis to another, and the book,
with its excellent pacing, reads like a
great spy thriller. Aside from the author,
the most intriguing figures are three
women who play key roles: Marika, a
zealous German spy attempting to trap
members of the resistance; Mary, a British Commando team leader coordinating
Resistance activity; and Michelle, a
French messenger who travels over German-controlled
roads on her bike
to coordinate the
activities of different resistance
bands. Michelle
in particular is a
heroine the reader will never forget. Mockerss
narrative holds
the potential to become a classic antiwar
war memoir, and it is a must-read for
anyone inspired by the courage and determination of young people who take a
stand against aggression in a dangerous
and chaotic world.
Success Is a Side Effect:

Leadership, Relationships,
and Selective Amnesia
Monica F. Anderson. Tymac, $10.99 (192p)
ISBN 978-0-9786378-3-5
High-energy positivity comes right off

the page in this guide, which is intended
to help women of all ages with their personal and professional lives. Anderson
(When a Sistahs Fed Up) provides 10 strategies, encouraging readers to self-assess
two times a year where you are experiencing challenges. These arent the usual
strategies; they range from the girl-power
admonition Be fierce to the tamer Eat
lunch with strangers and a warning to
Be leery of non-readers. While Anderson throws a number of self-help phrases
out thereFake it til you make it and
Dont make excuses; make
changesthey
dont sound
shopworn coming from her.
Anderson doesnt
just say, for example, Take the
scenic way
home; she tells
you why. She employs a wide range of role
models, from Angelina Jolie to Stephen
R. Covey, the author of The Seven Habits
of Highly Effective People, and covers
varied topics like sex (Dont expect it to
happen like magic. Make a plan and take
action) and personal finance. Even her
intimate disclosures about battling cancer
cant dampen the books contagiously enthusiastic tone. This is a book for anybody looking for an upbeat approach to a
happier life.
Tweeting da Vinci
Ann C. Pizzorusso. Da Vinci Press, $45 (244p)
ISBN 978-1-940613-00-0
In this oddly titled work, geologist

Pizzorusso offers novel ways to explore
the ancient civilizations, literature, and
art of Italy. She studies ancient Etruscan
culture through the volcanic soil that
produced abundant crops and grapes for
fine wine, concluding that their religion
may have been inspired by magnetic
stones created by unusually frequent
lightning strikes. Pizzorusso examines to
what extent Virgils visions of hell in the
Aeneid were actual landscapes, and she
mines Dantes The Divine Comedy for references to gems (both the scientific and
the symbolic kinds). Her section on
Leonardo da Vinci contrasts two versions

of his Virgin of the Rocks, noting the accuracy of the one at the Louvre over the
version in Londons National Gallery.
The book is peppered with exquisite
photos of art
and nature, and
there are many
diversions on
such topics as
the composition and medicinal use of
amber and other pigments
taken from the
earth. The book presents readers new
ways of looking at history, and Pizzorusso
delivers compelling information about
the elements of the earth as found
throughout Italy. Readers should note
that there is nothing about Twitter and
only one chapter concerns da Vinci, but
otherwise this is a delightful journey.
Childrens/YA
Wish You Werent
Sherrie Petersen. Sherrie Petersen, $7.99 paper (150p) ISBN 978-1-4947-6682-5
In this diverting blend of science and

magic, 11-year-old Marten grumps when
his mother, an aspiring astronaut, urges
him to wish on a shooting star during a
meteor shower. Its never worked before,
but Marten gives it a go, wishing away
his annoying six-year-old brother, Aldrin.
At a science museum the following day,
Aldrin suddenly fades away, and Martens
parents and other museum patrons become frozen, statuelike, in time. A pale
man with a glowing stopwatch (who
turns out to be a
wish-granting
star spirit) approaches Marten
and his friend
Paul, whisks
them back in
time to meet a
younger Marten,
and brings them
to a limbo where
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y . C O M 49f
REVIEWS
Aldrin awaits a decision on his future.
Though first-time author Petersens story
flits through time and space, its easy to
follow, and the pieces snap together neatly. Martens remorse at wishing Aldrin
gone, his determination to save his family, and his banter-rich friendship with
Paul all combine to ground the novel.
Petersen supplements her passing references to constellations, supernovas, and
NASA telescopes by including links to
websites for readers to explore. Ages 8
up.
The Kingdom of the Sun and Moon

Lowell H. Press. Parkers Mill Publishing,
$11.99 paper (316p) ISBN 978-0-9905130-0-1
First-time author Press creates a complex and absorbing world of mouse kingdoms set against the grounds of Viennas
Schnbrunn Palace. After a small,
strong-willed mouse named Nesbit
speaks out against the kingdoms tyrannical ruler, the Knig, he is cast away to
the treacherous Forest of Lost Life (one of
the distant regions of the palace complex). Meanwhile, Nesbits
more even-tempered brother,
Sommer, is
forced to join the
Eagle Guard to
defend the palace against a
powerful army of
approaching
field mice. Murine, feline, and human
characters commingle in an adventure
filled with rich descriptions of a world
lived within palace walls, beside corridors, and along labyrinthine garden
paths. While abundant details about the
mices mythology and lore can slow the
pace, Press keeps the story scampering
along with humor and persistent threats
to Nesbit and Sommer in the form of
owls, cats, and rival rodents. The author
takes full advantage of the expansive
backdrop and his diminutive protagonists as the brothers and their allies work
to overthrow a brutal adversary and protect their homeland. Ages 10up.
Halfway Home:
Drawing My Way Through Japan
Christine Mari Inzer. Naruhodo Press, $11.95
paper (102p) ISBN 978-0-9907014-0-8
Inzer, a high school senior, channels the

work of Lucy Knisley and Raina Telgemeier in her journal-like travelogue comic. In
2013, she traveled alone to Japan, her
birthplace, to stay with her grandparents
outside Tokyo.
Accompanied by
occasional photos
from her travels,
Inzers gestural
b&w cartoons
trace her simultaneous excitement
and nervousness
over exploring
Tokyos Harajuku
neighborhood by herself, moments of cultural confusion (such as the trials of mastering Japanese toilets), and failed attempts to get boys to notice her (Why
dont you ever look up from your phones?
she moans on a page titled The Problem
with Japanese Boys). The mostly singlepage anecdotes are often amusing, and
Inzer isnt afraid to play with form (while
feeding deer in Nara, outside Kyoto, hungry animals descend on her from outside
the frame of the final panel on the page).
While readers may not feel like they have
fully witnessed the growth that Inzer
claims at books end, her skills of observation and talent for visual humor bode well
for future efforts. Ages 12up.
The Incredible Charlotte

Sycamore and the Secret Traps
Kate Maddison. CreateSpace, $3.99 e-book
(292p) ISBN 978-1-4756-0453-5
Maddisons self-published sequel to The

Incredible Charlotte Sycamore (Holiday House,
2013) finds the intrepid 16-year-old inventor exiled from Buckingham Palace and
brooding over her fathers expressed desire
to kill her. The poor doctor is unaware that
the thief he wants hanged is his own
daughter, but Charlotte is certain hell pursue his vow regardless of whether she is revealed as the culprit. Against this backdrop, Charlotte continues to steal his medical supplies, practice illicit healing, and
49g P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y D E C E M B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 4
spend every moment she can

working on mechanical novelties
that annoy, unnerve, and awe
her circle of less
socially exalted
friendsespecially Peter, the boy
she is not supposed to love. There is mystery, adventure,
and steampunk, but though these elements
are familiar from the first installment,
Maddison is less adept at blending them.
This is in part because the characters inhabit more firmly circumscribed worlds than
in the previous book. The dichotomies of
Charlottes rigid society create gaps that the
narrative traverses with distinct lurches in
tone. The thrills carry the day, but its an
uneven effort. Ages 12up.
The Odyssey of Falling

Paige Crutcher. Paige Crutcher, $3.99 e-book
(260p) ISBN 978-0-9909205-0-2
After Audreys friend Meredith is killed

in a car crash, Audrey struggles with grief,
her feelings for Merediths boyfriend, and
her guilt over texting Meredith just moments before the wreck. Accidentally discovering Merediths journal and a to-do list
designed to make her senior year memorable, Audrey attempts to pays tribute to the
future Meredith wont have by completing
the tasks herself, which include getting
noticed, making
out with a guy at
a party, and falling in love. Debut author (and
PW contributor)
Crutcher offers an
honest take on a
dark theme. In
life, Meredith
seemed perfect, but her journal reveals her
flaws and unease, which serve as a foil for
Audreys muddled attempts to figure out
her own desires. Audreys self-doubts
should make her relatable to wallflowers
aching to be noticed and confused teens
trying to fit in. Although Audreys homage to her friend descends into a haze of
REVIEWS
parties, drug experimentation, and school
suspension, this departure from routine
helps her realize that shes stuck in a spiral
of self-sabotage and allows her to stop
blaming herself for Merediths death. Ages
12up.
Panther in the Hive

Olivia A. Cole. Fletchero Publishing, $18 paper (472p) ISBN 978-0-9916155-0-6
Cole debuts with a tense and intelligent

post-apocalyptic story. In a not-distant future, America is divided along sharp socioeconomic lines. Tasha Lockett, an orphaned African-American young woman,
works at a designer pet shop catering to
wealthy Chicagoans, while her sister has
moved to the now-seceded Nation of California. A token of
upward social
mobility is the
Chip, a bodily
implant provided
to those who can
afford the MINK
health policy. But
that was before
the Change,
when those with
the Chip transformed into flesh-eating
predators. Tasha leaves the refuge of her
apartment, armed with a kitchen knife, in
hopes of finding explanations, other unchanged survivors, andpotentiallya
cure. Coles gritty novel incorporates
themes of class warfare, racism, and the
tolls of rampant consumerism, amid
splashes of dark humor (as when Tasha casually takes out a man who changed while
dressed as a hot dog). Throughout, Tashas
humanity is poignantly conveyed in moments in which she steals away to a bathroom to apply makeup or clings to her
Prada backpack as a last vestige of normalcy. A sequel is planned. Ages 12up.
Untalented
Katrina Archer. Ganache Media, $3.99 e-book
(288p) ISBN 978-0-9880512-6-3
When the Tests reveal that the orphaned

Saroya is one of the Untalentedthose
without the aptitude to succeed in any
fieldshes shunned and cast aside, good
for nothing but hard labor. Her problems
are compounded when she discovers that

she may actually be the lost daughter of
the current king, but no one will accept
the word of an Untalented, and an imposter claims the role
of princess instead.
Now Saroya must
find a way to prove
her identity, little
realizing that shes
a pawn in a dangerous political
game. When
plague strikes the
city, Saroya may
have a chance to rewrite the rules. Archers
YA debut starts strong, with plenty of potential in its unusual premise. However,
the plot suffers from a lack of focus: Saroya
careens around the city from one problem
to the next, going from Untalented orphan
to castle drudge to would-be guild apprentice, all while ill-defined figures scheme in
the background. Additionally, the worldbuilding isnt entirely substantial; readers
never get a clear picture of Saroyas surroundings or how the system is supposed
to work. Ages 12up.
Manifest Destiny
Jewelle Francis. Berhane Publications, $2.99
e-book (277p) ASIN B0095W7I3G
In counselor and social worker Franciss

debut novel, 15-year old Destiny is a juvenile delinquent and party girl, embroiled
in a world of drinking, sex, and drugs, trying to cope with the psychological burdens
of an absentee mother jailed for drug-related crimes and the abusive grandmother
with whom she lives. When her mother,
Valerie, returns home after prison, Destinys life turns upside down. The
two immediately
clash as Valerie
tries to put discipline back into
her daughters
life. Franciss
writing does not
capture the
harshness of her
characters lives; the tone seems artificial
and the dialogue doesnt ring true. Desti-
nys tone and diction make her sound older

(Smokey Robinson croons seductively in
the background, urging some woman to go
cruising with him; sounding like liquid
soul), and she oscillates between knowing
too much (Im intrigued with structural
design because with it, you can create your
own reality) and being wide-eyed and innocent (As we danced, I felt like Cinderella at the ball). While Franciss background clearly informs her subject matter,
this gritty storys drawbacks detract from
its impact. Ages 14up.
Beautiful Rainbow World

Suzee Ramirez and Lynne Raspet. Two
Poppies, $12.99 paper (80p) ISBN 978-09915340-0-5
Originally funded via Kickstarter, this

small-format tribute to global diversity
(Red, black, yellow... brown and white/ A
beautiful rainbow world/ Dancing together
in the light/ A beautiful rainbow world)
features photographs of children from the
U.S., France, India, Japan, Russia, Taiwan,
and other nations. The photos, both fulland half-spread images, include intimate
portraits as well as more active shots of
children interacting with each other and
the world around them. In one image taken by Raspet, a
girl with a
baby squirrel
resting atop her
head looks intently at the
viewer; in another, two Libyan boys joyfully run in the
sand. The subjects styles of dress offer
glimpses of their individual cultures, yet
the sibling collaborators emphasize similarities alongside difference: Languages
and customs all delight/ A beautiful rainbow world/ Were all so different, yet so
alike/ A beautiful rainbow world. A welcoming celebration of childhood that may
inspire some children to learn more about
the nations and cultures depicted. The
song from which the book is derived, written and performed by folk singer Daria
Marmaluk-Hajioannou, is available for
download online. All ages.

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December 2014

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