PW Select June 2016

AUDIOBOOKS
June 2016
Your Guide to
Self-Publishing
The State of
Indie Audio
How to Pitch
Book Bloggers
Reviews Roundup
77 New Titles Listed
AUDIOBOOKS
Indie Audio on the Rise

A look at the state of self-published audiobooks
By Ryan Joe
or the second consecutive

year, sales of audiobooks
grew around 20% in 2015,
totaling about $1.77 billion, according to the
Audio Publishers Association (APA).
The boom is due to the explosion of digital audio, which has made audiobooks
more accessible.
Self-published audio has also taken off,
with the maturation of Audibles
Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX)
and the rise of institutions catering to
authors who want to self-publish their
audiobooks. For instance, the Deyan
Institute, which opened in 2014, offers
training for audiobook performers. And
A u t h o r s R e p u b l i c , o w n e d b y
Audiobooks.com, launched last
November to help self-published audiobook creators distribute their work.
In five short years, ACX has literally
turned the audiobook industry on its ear by
making audiobook production available
to those who may never have considered
it, said Audibles EVP and publisher,
Beth Anderson. Thousands of publishers and authors have introduced their
works in a new format, and thousands of
narrators and producers have accepted
gigs to make 58,000 audiobooks.
And while a lot goes into self-publishing an audiobookauthors must
handle everything from hiring narrators
and setting up distribution to production and editingsigns point to an
increase in the number of self-published
audiobook titles, and the audiobook
industry is confident that self-publishing
is taking off. Anecdotally, there are definitely more titles produced in audio, and
we know more people are doing it by
themselves, says Michele Cobb, executive director of the APA.
Certainly, one can see the growth of
Amazon, iTunes, and Audible, but not

self-published audiobooks through their
on other platforms such as Hoopla,
representation in major awards such as
OverDrive, and Bibliothecas 3M, which
the Audies. In 2016, Leah Atwoods
serve libraries. ACX also offers a nonexChristian romance Come to Me Alive was
clusive option, which allows authors to
an Audie finalist. In 2015, Joe Ciprianos
distribute their books via any platform.
memoir Living on Air, which he cowrote
The library market has always been an
with his wife, Ann Cipriano, was an
important part of the book market,
Audie finalist, as was Rosalind Jamess
Cobb says. Its where a lot of discovery
contemporary romance Just This Once.
happens, and a lot of people feel its
And 2014 saw Richard Bards thriller
important that their titles are there.
The Enemy of My Enemy represented, as
In addition to publishing for the
well as Eric Thomass autobiography, The
library market, authors can make their
Secret to Success. And, in five years, ACX
self-published audiobooks available on
authors have received 20 Audie nominaBarnes & Nobles Nook, Scribds
tions and won three times.
TuneIn, and emerging platAnd quality has improved as
forms such as Downpour and
more audiobooks are self-published. As the ability to get
Libro.fm. And, according to
into self-published audio has
Meaghan Sansom, COO at
grown, so has the knowledge of
Authors Republic, the internastandards within the industry,
tional market is burgeoning as
says Jessica Kaye, who, in 2006,
well.
This variety of audiobook
founded Big Happy Family, an Rosalind James
portals has generated a need for
audiobook distributor.
the type of distribution services
Authors are much more aware
provided by Big Happy Family
of what a clean audiobook
and Authors Republic, espeshould sound like, Kaye says.
cially as many portals wont
Its not just the contentits
work with individual authors.
the quality of production. Those
Though ACX does, its policies
two things must marry to be a
can be limiting. As Sansom points out,
good audiobook. One of the saddest
it only accepts submissions from U.S.
things is when someone sends me a
and U.K. residents, is exclusive for seven
sample and says they know its great
years, and doesnt give authors control
because they recorded it at a professional
over list prices.
studio. And they may have, but its not a
Despite these issues, Audibles influstudio that knows how to do
ence in driving authors toward self-pubaudiobooks.
lishing their audiobooks is undeniable.
Distribution Matters
Audible strongly suggested it,
Theres also more understanding about
Rosalind James says about her decision
the importance of effective audiobook
to self-publish. Theyre really pushing
distribution, especially given the prolifaudio as more of a first choice rather than
eration of digital portals that traffic in
as a boutique choice for reading.
audiobooks. Audiobooks published
To date, James has about 10 books proexclusively with ACX are distributed on
duced through ACX and six books pub-
42 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 1 6
AUDIOBOOKS
lished through Audible Studios and
Brilliance Audio. And James isnt the
only author who was persuaded by
Audible. ACX offered Leah Atwood a
stipend to entice her to do an audiobook
version of Come to Me Alive. ACX provides stipends for select titles to
encourage audiobook creators to try
its royalty-share
option, which allows
them to produce
their audiobooks
with no out-ofpocket costs and
Leah Atwood
compensates narrators with a 50%
share of the royalties, with payments
coming once the
title is completed.
The stipend gave
Atwood wider berth to choose from various narrators, especially as the going
rate for a professional narrator can be
about $300 per finished hour of audio. I
dont think youll find a high-quality
narrator below $150 per finished hour,
Atwood says, but I dont think Ive ever
paid $300 for one.
Big Happy Familys Kaye says there
are many factors that can influence the
price of narration. A narrator might
simply be interested in the project and
offer to take less, for example.
While a narrator can make or break an
audiobook, there are other expenses as
well, including hiring a director,
a sound engineer, and a producer. Costs can run well into
the thousands of dollars, yet, for
many authors, its worth it to be
able to oversee the final product.
Because I was self-published
and funding it myself, I hired all
the people who worked on it, Joe Cipriano
says voice-over actor Joe
Cipriano about Living On Air. It
didnt matter if it took three or
four or eight weeks. I was going
to take my time and do what
needed to be done so the finished
product was something I could
James at a 62% royalty rate. Under the

new contract, James says, its a flat
40%.
Still, Anderson notes that Audibles
rates can be very lucrative for authors.
Many ACX authors have revealed that
they actually make more money from
their audiobooks than they do from their
print or e-books because of the attractive
royalty and bounty rates that the service
provides. Many of them earn just as
much through ACXs generous customer
Dollars and Cents
bounties as they do through royalties.
Though creating an audiobook is
(An author receives a bounty payment
easier today than it had been in the past,
when his or her book is an Audible cusit still takes quite a bit of time and
tomers first download, if that customer
moneyeven for authors who
remains an Audible member for
write copiously and sell well.
two billing cycles.)
James says her audiobook proDespite the many challenges,
duction costs range from $4,000
Jamesand many narrators
to $6,000 per title.
sees audiobooks as a profitable
Atwood says audiobook sales
investment. In addition to the
are about 5% of her monthly
payout, having audiobooks
income. It sounds small, but
gives her a degree of credibility.
its still a nice chunk of change, Richard Bard
If your books are offered as
she says. Ive made back everye-books, paperbacks, and audiothing Ive invested in them,
books, you look like a real
even though Im not making a
author, she says.
fortune.
ACX works great if Audible
Thriller writer Richard Bard,
promotes you, James says. Last
author of the popular Brainrush
month, a buy-one-get-one-free
series, says: What ultimately
special drove about 900 unit
drives the sale of the audiobook is getsales of her books. Thats huge for audio,
ting the digital and print book at the top
and it trickles down, since people go on
of the bestseller lists. But this can be
to read the series, she says.
more difficult in some genres than
Digital channels and social media may
others. For instance, James says some
increase authors options, but many have
authors can land in the top 10
found that they need to be creative in
for a given genre by selling 100
promoting their audiobooks. ACX, for
books per day. Authors writing
instance, gives out free promo codes that
contemporary romance, howauthors can give away to reviewers, and
ever, have to sell about 1,000
Bard hopes to incorporate the giveaway
books a day to hit that list.
feature into Facebook ads targeted at
Another factor authors must
audiobook listeners with the aim of
consider when self-publishing
driving free downloads of his first book,
audiobooks with ACX is that
Brainrush.
the company changed its payout
Anderson says that this is just part of
terms two years ago. Under the
ACXs commitment to helping authors
old contract, ACX had a 50%
promote audiobooks: ACXs blog offers
royalty rate and escalator clauses
constantly updated marketing and prostating that for every 500 books
motional tips for authors, as well as sucsold, the royalty rate goes up a
cess stories that other rights holders can
percentage point. That put

learn from.
be proud of.
Cipriano wanted to stage his audiobook like a radio play. Besides telling
the story, I wanted to entertain, he adds.
James prefers the process of self-publishing audiobooks to that of releasing
them via convention audio publishers. I
got to give detailed character notes to my
narrator, chapter by chapter, James says.
If a teenage girl sounds too snotty, I can
say, Hey, back off on her.
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M
43
INDIE SUCCESS
Headed in the Right Direction

One Directions bad boy inspires a hit on Wattpad
By Jennifer McCartney
olly Night has

found early success
with her fan fiction on Wattpad.
Yes, her novel is
Twilight-inspiredbut with a savvy
twist. Dark and Dangerous Love is an ode
to the internationally beloved boy band
One Direction and has proved a hit with
the groups millions of fans. Nights
novel currently has more than 100 million reads on Wattpad and has been
crowned the sites #1 title in the fan fiction, teen fiction, paranormal, fantasy,
and vampire categories several times. It
also won a Peoples Choice Wattys Award
in 2015.
The books success comes despite two
unusual factors. Though Nights first
language is Mandarin, the Britain-based
author wrote the book in English, when
she was just 15 years old. Second, shes
never done any publicity for her novel.
Its success was driven solely by word of
mouth among other Wattpad users
many of whom are fellow Directioners.
Fan fics are produced at astonishing
rates, and the One Direction canon is no
exception. Theres something for
everyone in the categoryincluding
romantic crossovers based on The
Sopranos, Pride and Prejudice, James Bond,
Pinocchio, Frozen, and Sailor Moon.
Nights title is fan fic about Zayn
MalikOne Directions bad-boy
member (also known as the mysterious
one), who quit the group to go solo in
2015 and has since released a hit album.
Cant help but love those pretty brown
eyes, Night jokes about her subject.
Malik, as any Directioner knows, felt
constrained by the groups oneness and
has now grown a beard and dyed his hair
(both of which were forbidden while he was

part of the group) and is
dating (at press time)
the model Gigi Hadid.
But that doesnt stop his
legions of fans from
imagining him in any
number of romantic scenarios involving everything from vampires to
puppets. Much of the
work is both violent and
steamy, and Dark and
Dangerous Love accordingly comes with an
18+ rating. The dystopian novel follows protagonist Evelyn
Blackburns quest to free herself from the
influence of Malik, an evil (yet sexy)
vampire, in the year 2438.
Nights work currently resides at both
Wattpad and Radish, a South Korea
based startup that seeks to monetize
serial fiction via its iOS app. Radish
users can either pay up front for access to
a new chapter or wait a week and read it
for free. In return for giving Radish
exclusivity for the duration of the story
(plus 90 days), writers receive 12.6 net
per chapter purchase. Night has joined
other popular Wattpad authors on the
platform, including Louisse Carreon,
Rita S. Kovach, and Taran Matharu. The
Radish model is attractive, Night says,
because no one is obligated to pay for her
work as the content is eventually free for
everyone. I want [readers] to be able to
enjoy free content, and, if they want, pay
a minuscule amount to read chapters
early, she says. When she was younger,
she wasnt able to afford all the books she
wanted, so keeping her work free or
affordable for others is

important to her. She
says, though, that the
extra money from
readers who choose to
buy her work early has
certainly helped her as a
full-time student with
considerable debt.
Online success hasnt
deterred Night from
considering traditional
publishing options. In
2015 she sent out a
number queries hoping
to secure an agent, but
received just seven
replies and nothing panned out. I
mostly did it to see if it was possible to
venture beyond Wattpad in the coming
years or whether should I just be
thankful for the miracle [that] so many
people have read my stuff on Wattpad,
she says. Night also considered selfpublishing the work on a more established indie-publishing platform, but
she has some reservations about asking
readers to pay a set amount for her work.
I dont believe its fair to charge readers
[for] what has not been edited thoroughly, she says. I want my readers to
buy versions of my stories that are
written to the best of my abilities.
Shes now put the idea on the back
burner until she finishes her economics
degree.
So what does Malik think about this
literary tribute? Night isnt sure. Ive
sent quite a few tweets to the members,
as has any fangirl, but I never received a
reply from them, Im afraid, she says.
Still, theres something warming about
the possibility of an interaction.
BOOK BLOGS
How to Pitch Book Bloggers

What you need to doand not doto get a bloggers attention
By Joel Friedlander
logging, which started out as a simple way to

post online personal journals, is now all grown
up. Bloggers move opinions, appear in other
media with regularity, build huge communities
of like-minded people, and go on to become
authors, too.
In fact, according to Technoratis 2013 Digital Influence
Report, blogs are now the third-most-influential digital
resource for consumers making purchases, behind retail sites
and brand sites. Of course, thats one of the reasons we include
bloggers in our book launch and ongoing marketing plans, and
why the blog tour has become a regular part of the marketing
authors do for their new releases.
The problem is that many authors dont understand how to
approach bloggers. In fact, some authors make crucial mistakes
in pitching bloggers.
This is no abstract study for me. I run a popular blog and
receive more than 5,000 emails per month. Many of these are
misinformed, mistargeted, or pointless messages that waste my
time and dont do the senders any good at all.
Below are some tips on how to pitch bloggers and how to
avoid the mistakes that too many new authors make when
approaching bloggers.
Research the Blogs Focus
Make sure you understand what the blog is aboutand that its
a subject thats relevant to your book. Just in the last couple of
weeks, Ive been pitched books on European travel, a childrens
adventure tale, several memoirs, and a picture book of threatened African wildlife for review. The problem is that I write
about book design and publishing, so every one of these offtarget pitches is a waste of time and effort and just leaves me
shaking my head. This is the most common mistake I see.
Evaluate the Blogs Current Status
There are a number of simple ways to find out if the blog you
are pitching is still an active site with real people reading the
articles. First, check the date of the recent posts. You want blogs
that are publishing continually. Look to see if the blogger has
an email opt-in form, which will tell you that he or she is
building an email list. And have a look at the comments on some
recent articles. Are people engaged? Those are the best signs
that youve found a site that can help you spread your
message.
Send the Blogger

a Short Query
Recently I received a pitch from

an author for her new book, a
memoir. She sent it via email,
but, when I opened the mail, I
was confronted with a message
that must have been 8001,000
words in a big gray block of type.
It was such a daunting task that I
didnt read it. I knew it wasnt a
book for my readership, so why would I spend 10 minutes
reading the mail?
Its far better to work on writing a powerful, compelling,
short letter to gauge a bloggers interest. Introduce yourself as
someone who is addressing the same audience and someone with
whom the blogger shares a goal and a mission. Then tell him or
her about your book in one or two sentences and make your
pitch. Ask directly for a response and note the time frame in
which you are operating. Leave it up to the blogger to request
more information if desired.
Follow Best Practices for

Commercial Email
I can be certain that Im dealing with an author who knows

nothing about online marketing when I open an email and find
half of my screen taken up with a long list of email addresses to
which the message was sent. Thats what happens when you just
dump lots of email addresses into the To field. Instead, enter
them as blind copies so that no one will be able to see them.
Build a Site for Marketing
Another mistake I see too often is that authors dont have websites or blogs of their own. A website of some kind is essential
nowadays. It may be only one pagethats fine. Sites give
authors a place where they can send bloggers who want to know
more about them and their work. Without a site to refer to,
bloggers are much less likely to be interested in helping authors
promote their books.
Blogs play a huge role in influencing buying decisions, in
helping readers discover new books, and in building communities that can make all the difference for authors careers. So, find
the blogs that best match what you write about and pitch those
bloggers so that you, too, can get a piece of the action.
45
New Titles
from Self-Publishers
Booksellers, publishers, librarians, and agents are encouraged to look at the 77 selfpublished titles below, with descriptions provided by their authors. Some of these
writers are waiting to be discovered; others have a track record and a following and
are doing it on their own. If you are a self-published author interested in listing titles
in this section, please visit publishersweekly.com/pw-select for more information.
FICTION
The Distance to the End
Michael Casares. Serasac Press. $14.95
paper (156p), ISBN 978-0-692-66783-5
Amazon, Baker & Tayler,
BN.com, Ingram
Raoul and Nick have been
invited for a weekend trip to
Las Vegas, but Nick must
deal with Raouls newfound
love for drugs and excess while trying to
control his own attraction to vice.
Dog Gone
Diane Moat. Outskirts Press. $14.95
paper (306p), ISBN 978-1-4787-7559-1
Outskirtspress.com,
Amazon, BN.com
An animal rescuer turns
to crime in her efforts to
tackle those who harm and
abuse animals, while never
losing her focus of finding the man who
killed the dog she found.
Featherless Wings
Ray Fraser. iUniverse. $18.95 paper
(304p), ISBN 978-0-595-38571-3; $6
e-book, ISBN 978-0-595-82949-1
Amazon
Sean Thomas and his associates were tasked with finding
the murderer of a socialites
daughter. As Sean searches for
answers, the pursuit of truth
will send him careening through time.
Full Circle: A Refugees

Tale
Joe Vitovec. CreateSpace.
$19.30 paper (516p),
ISBN 978-0-692-59431-5
Amazon
The story follows the protagonist
through the labyrinth of refugee camps in
Germany, France, and Italy, until he
finally attains his dream, America, alas, at
a price.
Murphys Path
Madeleyn Questman. Questman Tales
Publishing. $14.95 paper (402p),
ISBN 978-0-9973041-9-0; $5.99
e-book, ISBN 978-0-9973041-3-8
Amazon, Abebooks, BN.com,
IndieBound
Patrick leads a safe, abstemious, dull life. He meets
Hero, a student whose
unconventional ideas lead
him down a new, emotionally charged path. Can his heart and mind
follow?
The Old Guy Goes
Keith Elkins. Outskirts Press. $16.95
paper (403p), ISBN 978-1-4787-6058-0
Outskirtspress.com,
Amazon, BN.com
An older man fights a
cognitive and physical
decline.
Remembrance of Blue Roses

Yorker Keith. BookBaby. $11.99 paper
(300p), ISBN 978-1-4835-6219-3
Amazon, BN.com
An intricate relationship
between a man and a married couple in New York
City oscillates between
friendship, love, love triangle, and even obsession.
Shattered Lies
S.J. Francis. Black Opal Books. $15.99
paper (400p), ISBN 978-1-62694-356-8;
$3.99 e-book, ASIN B016H9HAXC
Amazon, BN.com, Books-A-Million,
Kobo, Smashwords
What happens to a family
when age-old lies and secrets
are revealed? Kate Thayer
wants to know the truth
behind the lies her grandmother tells her, but some secrets are
better left alone.
Sugar Mountain and the Descendants
of a Man and a Woman Who Died
Building a Wall
Yong Hon Loon. Partridge Singapore.
$12.97 paper (92p), ISBN 978-1-48286527-1; $3.99 e-book,
ASIN B01EXLXYPY
Partridgepublishing.com,
Amazon, Google Play
A nostalgic, erotic, and
personal journey of a family
NEW SELFPUBLISHED TITLES

of an enduring people witnessing inexorable historical events and changes that
would tear it forever apart.
The Sun Gods Lover:
Atlantis Novels & Novellas, Book 1
Eliot Vale. Atlantis Literary Press. $4.99
e-book, ISBN 978-0-9950363-3-8
Atlantisliterarypress.com, Amazon,
Apple iBooks, BN.com,
Kobo
Vronique de Bytton,
underwater archaeology
phenom and glamour girl
supreme is about to unveil
Atlantis. Dr. Mendes Boness, charlatan
scholar and vendor of stolen antiquities, is
intrigued.
The Town and the Troublesome
Strangers, 18801980
M.H. Neuendorffer. Xlibris. $23.99
paper (400p), ISBN 978-1-5144-1323-4;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5144-1321-0
Amazon
A poignant tale of the
recurring interaction
between the permanent
townspeople of the beloved
small New England town of
Northfield, Massachusetts, and their
often troublesome excursionists.
The Virtuoso: Her Life Is Her Cadenza
Virginia Burges. Satin Paperbacks.
$15.99 paper (460p),
ISBN 978-0-9930777-1-5
Amazon, BN.com, Kobo,
Waterstones
A world-renowned violin
virtuoso struggles to recover
in the aftermath of a career-ending
tragedy at the hands of her jealous conductor husband.
Where the Love Light Gleams
Roberta Kennedy. Outskirts Press.
$19.95 paper (458p),
ISBN 978-1-4787-7316-0
Outskirtspress.com,
Amazon, BN.com
This story of love, faith,
loyalty, and deception fol-
lows 34-year-old divorce Rowan Grace

Brown as she takes a leap of faith and
moves to her fathers native Scotland to
begin a new life.
MYSTERY/THRILLER
Carbys Fate
Thomas J. Rice. Barrow River Press.
$9.95 paper (217p),
ISBN 978-0-9862216-1-3
Barrowriverpress.org,
Amazon
This family saga set in
1990s Kilkenny, Ireland, is a
story about a family dispute over land
ownership, with a dark secret at its core.
Cuban Exile
Sandy Mason. CreateSpace. $7.99 paper
(170p), ISBN 978-1-5330-5994-9
Amazon
When Florida sailor
Johnny Donohue is asked to
deliver a 38-ft. sailboat to
Cuba, he and his ex-cop
buddy, Lonnie Turner, run
straight into some unexpected problems.
Death on Canvas
Mary Ann Cherry. CreateSpace. $14.95
paper (418p), ISBN 978-1-5238-2911-8
Amazon, BN.com
Jessie OBourne searches
for two lost masterpieces
that connect the cold-case
murder of her aunt and the
present-day murder of a
Native American grad student.
Dog Gone Lies (Pacheco &
Chino Mysteries, Book 1)
Ted Clifton. PurpleSage
Books. $3.99 e-book,
ASIN B019IZZO6M
Amazon
Sheriff Ray Pacheco returns after his
introduction in The Bootleggers Legacy to
start a new chapter as a private investigator, along with his partners, Tyee Chino
and Big Jack.
Edwins Reflection
Ray Deeg. Amazon. $12.68 paper (352p),
ISBN 978-1-5238-1955-3
Amazon, BN.com
When a wealthy man kills himself
starting a strange machine,
a decades-old government
cover-up starts to unravel,
pushing a New York City
tech CEO into a preordained course with destiny.
Faithless Elector
James McCrone. CreateSpace. $8.99
paper (216p), ISBN 978-1-5301-1705-5
Amazon, Baker & Taylor,
Ingram
December 2016: An idealistic young researcher
uncovers a series of deaths
among Electors, and must
race against time and a secret, deadly
conspiracy.
Hunting in the Zoo:
A Detective Pete Nazareth Novel
R.H. Johnson. Hampton, Westbrook
Publishing. $17.95 paper
(264p), ISBN 978-1-53230214-5; $3.99 e-book,
ASIN B01FURPHDM
Amazon
The Republican presidential candidate finds himself in a serial
killers crosshairs. This is book 3 in the
NYPD Detective Pete Nazareth series.
Rise of the Iron Eagle:
The Iron Eagle Series, Book 1
Roy A. Teel Jr. Narroway Press. $29.95
hardcover (385p), ISBN 978-0-98870250-9; $14.95 paper (358p),
ISBN 978-0-9887025-1-6
Amazon, Apple iBooks,
BN.com, Kobo
The Iron Eagle is a surprising antihero in the form
of a vigilante killer. While
the guilty beg his mercy, the
Eagle extracts justice and himself
becomes hunted, but should he be?
Veil of Deception
Michael Byars Lewis. Satcom Publishing.
$15.99 paper (444p), ISBN 978-0W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M
47

9914764-2-8; $5.99 e-book,
ASIN B01EEW0C02
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
What if the company
building Americas most
expensive weapons program
secretly belonged to one of
our enemies?
$12.99 paper (142p),

ISBN 978-1-4808-1217-8
Archwaypublishing.com,
Amazon
Even the great names in
physics had doubts that have
ceased to trouble their successors. Some
are worth reexamining.
SF/FANTASY/HORROR
ROMANCE/EROTICA
Blood Lake
R.L. Herron. CreateSpace. $14.99 paper
(222p), ISBN 978-1-53312018-2; $2.99
e-book, ASIN B01FETUWNQ
Amazon, BN.com, Smashwords
A modern horror thriller
based on an assassinated
Cherokee prophet whose
1838 dying curse has followed one American family
for eight generations with
relentless, supernatural horror.
Feels Like Summertime

Tammy Falkner. Night Shift Publishing.
$3.99 e-book, ASIN B01BVU88IS
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Google
Play, Kobo
Jake is a cop on forced
leave when he gets a call
from his dad to come home,
where he runs into his first
true love, Katie.
Otherland
Almondie Shampine. NewAge
Publishing. $12.49 paper (364p), ISBN
978-1-5330-2016-1; $3.49 e-book,
ASIN B01D2CBGBY
Almondieshampine.com,
Amazon
Aliyahs power is love; the
Light knights is his duty.
Aliyah had crossed the
Forbidden and set their
eternal paths. Now she just wants to
escape from being Hunted.
Smartbrain
G.F. Smith. Confluential Press. $17 paper
(495p), ISBN 978-0-9833612-3-7;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9833612-1-3
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo,
Smashwords
Sarah Whiting joins a
product market analysis
team for the final evaluation
of the believed technological
breakthrough of the century.
Why Edward Morley Didnt Win the
Nobel Prize in Physics: A Fantasy
About Science
Les Hardison. Archway Publishing.
Heat
Holly S. Roberts. Four Carat Press. 99
e-book, ASIN B0165WFX2Q
BN.com, Kobo
Sometimes it takes a very
bad man to fight true evil.
Join Moons deadly world of
crime, lust, and love.
Leaving Oxford
Janet W. Ferguson. Southern Sun Press.
$13.95 paper (352p),
ISBN 978-0-9974822-0-1
Amazon, BN.com, Ingram
A year after a tragic accident flipped her world
upside down, a case of agoraphobia traps a Los Angeles advertising
guru in her charming hometown of
Oxford, Mississippi.
Midnight Quest:
A Men of Midnight Short Novel
Lisa Marie Rice. Lisa Marie Rice. $3.99
e-book, ISBN 978-0-9962554-7-9
BN.com, Kobo
Jackos relentless search
for the truth of his past will
unleash a deadly enemy hellbent on destroying every-
thing he loves most.

Song of the Blackbird:
Albatross Prison Series, Book 1
D.B. Michaels. Dream Tower Publishing.
ISBN 978-0-9972798-0-1
BN.com, Kobo
Dr. Emma Edwards takes
a job in prison to protect her
inmate brother and falls in
love with the warden in this Pride and
Prejudice meets Orange Is the New Black
tale.
INSPIRATIONAL
The Great Creator, the Creation and
His Creatures
Rony Michel Joseph.
Xlibris. $15.99 paper
(164p), ISBN 978-1-51443547-2; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-5144-3548-9
Amazon
Joseph reveals to readers their way back
to eternity through the message of
fraternity.
Life: Efficacious Thoughts in Rhyme
R.J. Russell. AuthorHouse. $14.95 paper
(116p), ISBN 978-1-4772-6291-7;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4772-6289-4
Amazon
Russell shares life experiences and testimony as he
pens lyrical pieces that discuss his relationship with
God above and the people
around him.
Lifting the Veil: A Fairie Tale
Philip J. Grimm.
AuthorHouse. $14.95 paper
(124p), ISBN 978-1-50496461-6; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-5049-6460-9
Amazon
Grimm shows how the human soul is
the forgotten piece of the puzzle about
humanity. Not for children.

The Magical Guide to Bliss:
Daily Keys to Unlock Your Dreams,
Spirit and Inner Bliss
Meg Nocero. CreateSpace.
$19.95 paper (460p),
ISBN 978-1-5061-8368-8
Amazon
A journey of discovery to
help fully realize personal
passions. Organized into 366 steps, daily
quotes and reflections are paired with
magical keys to help unlock the doors to
bliss.
My Inner Child Must Be Heard: From
Despair to Dancing on the Clouds
Corina Zalace. Xlibris. $29.99 hardcover
(178p), ISBN 978-1-4990-3929-0;
$19.99 paper (178p),
ISBN 978-1-4990-3930-6
Amazon, BN.com, Xlibris
Life has not been easy,
living with a body disabled
by polio. Yet Corina has
maintained a positive attitude through
every situation. She has chosen to become
better.
NONFICTION
Been There, Done What!
Romantic Escapades and Other
Misadventures in China, Laos,
Thailand, Vietnam, and Australia
John Cameron Smith. Publish Green.
$5.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-63505-142-1
Beenthere-donewhat.com, Amazon,
Apple iBooks, BN.com
Romance, travel, Internet
dating... One mans search
for self-fulfillment in dangerous foreign places. What
not to do and how to survive
doing it. Just!
Boomer Tales: Hula Hoops, Hippies,
Hemp, and Hijinks
LaRue Agresti. Amazon. $9.99 paper
(186p), ISBN 978-1-51708921-4; $7.99 e-book,
ASIN B017M7RK06
Amazon, BN.com
With raw honesty and
droll humor, Agresti tells of
growing up in an eccentric Italian family

with a mother with mental illness, hippie
life, single parenting, and aging parents.
Covenant Betrayed: Revelations of the
Sixties, the Best of Time; the Worst of
Time, Book 2: Despair and Dessent
Mark Dahl. AuthorHouse. $28.95 paper
(512p), ISBN 978-1-4208-0568-0;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4634-7252-8
Amazon
This book charts the lives of
different people navigating
their way through the rapidly shifting landscape of
the 1960s; offering intimate
glimpse into one of the most fascinating
U.S. eras.
relating to the
laws of universal creation, channeled
from the Elohim, ascended
masters responsible for
Earths ascension, is relevant
in todays world.
Letters from a Soldier
Susan Mowry. iUniverse.
$18.95 paper (228p),
ISBN 978-1-4917-7863-0
Amazon
Mowry shares her husband Jims touching and
honest letters of love and longing, as their
love for each other keeps them both brave.
Divorced and Scared No More!

Book 1: Emotional Support for the
Newly Divorced
Tasher. Xulon Press. $24.99 paper
(284p), ISBN 978-1-49846585-4; $9.99 e-book,
ASIN B01F4C19WQ
Divorcedandscarednomore.
com, XulonPress.com,
Amazon.com, BN.com
The first in a three-part set aimed at
helping readers in post-divorce-related
matters.
Married for Five Minutes: Hope for

Living Inside Real-Life Marriages
Shundria Riddick and Michelle
Stimpson. M.L. Stimpson Enterprises.
$9.99 print (210p),
ISBN 978-1-943563-05-0
BN.com, Ingram, Kobo
A husband who wont
work. In-laws who let a
child watch sexy movies. A wife whos
been dishonest in bed. Take a five-minute
peek into these marriages and learn how
they can still thrive.
Embracing CancerEmbracing Life:

The Guide for the Journey Beyond
Diagnosis
Larry Martel. AuthorHouse.
$19.95 paper (292p),
ISBN 978-1-5049-5578-2;
$3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-5049-5579-9
Amazon
This book provides the necessary tools
for those who are undergoing their
journey to go beyond anxiety and fear to
peace, joy, and a life well-lived.
A Matter of Survival:
The Story of Frances
Arleen Patricia Mercorella. Springtime
Press. $15 paper (370p),
ISBN 978-0-615-99360-7
Arleenmercorella.com,
Amazon, BN.com
When do lifes troubles
become too much to handle?
For Frances, it started when her father
abandoned her at age six and she had to
spend the next 10 years in an orphanage
with stern nuns.
Final Days of Judgement

Beverley Buckley. Xlibris. $24.19 paper
(232p), ISBN 978-1-5144-4292-0;
$4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5144-4291-3
Amazon
Buckley describes how information
Memoir of a Jaded
Woman: Tainted Love
Emunah La-Paz. Ingram/
HSP. $15 paper (211p),
ISBN 978-0-9665400-9-3
BN.com
49

Judie is a beautiful model
who turns to social media
after her husband has an affair with a
strange woman.
The Memoirs of I
Yolanda De Iuliis. Lumphanan Press.
$19.05 paper (388p),
ISBN 978-0-9935971-0-7
Yolandadeiuliis.com
Philosophical,
thoughtful, and soulful with
reflection on a daily basis.
De Iuliis takes the reader through many
questions and different concerns with life
and this planet in which we all share.
More Civility, Please: Make Your
Corner of the World a Better Place
Glenn Dromgoole. Texas Star Trading.
$9.95 paper (82p),
ISBN 978-0-9973706-0-7
Texasstartrading.com
This collection of short,
upbeat inspirational pieces
also applies to families,
workplaces, churches, relationships
and, yes, politics.
Moving Beyond Duality:
Enough for Us All, Vol. 3
Dorothy I. Riddle. iUniverse. $20.99
paper (292p), ISBN 978-1-4917-8274-3;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4917-8275-0
Amazon
Dr. Riddle draws on
research to expose the
embedded habits that hold
the harmful illusion of us/
them duality in place and
provides strategies for lasting change.
My Extraordinary Life
Monica Sucha Vickers. Xlibris. $19.99
paper (194p), ISBN 978-1-4797-6047-3
Myextraordinaryamputeelife.com
A congenital triple amputee shares her
ordinary, yet extraordinary,
life. Vickerss perspective is
practical, honest, and inspirational. With the right attitude, nothing is impossible.
The Naive Woman and Mother: Love,

Children, Money & the Incorporation
Tricia Rintoul. Xlibris. $15.99 paper
(88p), ISBN 978-1-4568-1854-8; $9.99
e-book, ISBN 978-1-4568-1856-2
Amazon
Rintoul, a registered
nurse, candidly tells her own
story in a grateful way and
emphasizes reality. She
reveals the importance of
trust and its effects without it.
Orchid Care: For the Beginner
Barb Schmidt. Barbara A. Schmidt.
$18.95 paper (84p),
ISBN 978-0-692-62711-2
Amazon
With more than 30
photos, this book covers
basic orchid care, including
watering, nutrient requirements, light
levels, instructions for repotting, and a
useful troubleshooting guide.
Part of the Family:
Christadelphians, the Kindertransport,
and Rescue from the Holocaust, Vol. 1
Jason Hensley. CreateSpace. $19.99 paper
(422p), ISBN 978-1-5327-4053-4
Amazon
The Holocaust decimated
families. And yet, in the
midst of this terror, some
Jewish children found safety
in Great Britain in the
homes of a small Christian group:
Christadelphians.
The Rantings of an Uneducated
Reactionary
Oscar J. Phillips. Outskirts Press. $16.95
paper (234p), ISBN 978-1-4787-6211-9
Outskirtspress.com, Amazon, BN.com
A thought-provoking
analysis of sundry topical
and philosophical issues that
is far different from most
conservative books.
Scars & Make-up
Shantay Williams. Outskirts Press.
$20.95 paper (76p),
ISBN 978-1-4787-4891-5
Outskirtspress.com,
Amazon, BN.com
For those who have gone
or are going through the
struggle, do not let anything
deter you from what you want in life and
what you have been striving for.
Sing Every Morning: An Inspirational
Guide to Take on Your Lifes Journey
Gwyneth Moss Bragdon. AuthorHouse.
ISBN 978-1-5049-7883-5
Amazon
Bragdons explorations
in words become transcendent as she expresses her
joy with life and living, her quest for spiritual balance, love for people, and hope
for the future.
Talk to Me: Changing the Narrative on
Race, Religion, & Education
Qasim Rashid. AyHa Publishing. $16.95
paper (366p),
ISBN 978-0-9893977-4-2
Amazon
A memoir on how the
power of dialogue can overcome racism, xenophobia,
misogyny, and violence.
Undiagnosed, Unscrupulous and
Unbeatable: The Paul Haber Story
Monty Nereim. BookBaby. $29.99 hardcover (198p), ISBN 978-0-9968916-0-8
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
A quick-witted Jewish
kid battles child abuse,
manic depression, and
alcohol to become one of
historys greatest and most
controversial handball
players.
Veterans Reflections:
History Preserved
William R. Graser. iUniverse. $21.95 paper (302p),
ISBN 978-1-4917-7285-0
Amazon

Prepare to walk in the combat boots of
veterans in this collection of true stories.
Step back in time to World War II, the
Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
What Tennis Pros Dont Teach
(WTPDT): Wisdom Tennis 101
Manuel S. Cervantes. Xlibris. $34.99
hardcover (562p), ISBN 978-1-51442092-8; $9.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-5144-2091-1
Amazon
This book encompasses a
world of information
threading tennis and life at
work. It talks about the forces of tennis
under all different scenarios.
Who Is Hunter Thompsons
Counselor
W. Chenault Smith, illus. by Hunter
Thompson. Cheryl Perez. $9.95 paper
(111p), ISBN 978-1-5331-4101-9
Amazon
An account of Smiths
friendship with Hunter
Thompson. Smith reached
out to Thompson with the
love, grace, and mercy of
Christ to bring a wandering sheep into
the fold. Thompson came in and took
Christ as his counselor.
(56p), ISBN 978-1-50433776-2; $3.99 e-book,

ISBN 978-1-5043-3777-9
Amazon
A one-of-a-kind, innovative, fun, and easy
method that unlocks the key to joy and
success for accelerated results to love,
health, happiness, and wealth.
CHILDRENS/YA
The Dragon Whistler:
Secrets of the Soul Treasures
Kimberly J. Smith. Lulu. $13.99 paper
(222p), ISBN 978-1-329-57986-6; 99
e-book, ASIN B0167ASOFY
BN.com, Kobo
Willow thinks dragons
exist only in fairy tales, until
she accidentally wakes one
from hibernation with a
magical pfife that may have greater
powers than simply controlling dragons.
Elf Mastery
Bryant Reil. Bryant Reil. $2.99 e-book,
ASIN B01DUVV0MM
Amazon
Kyla Nims attempt to
navigate her first year away
from home is disturbed
when she runs afoul of
Erebus, the god of darkness.
WordPress Business Success:

Interviews and Insight from Those
Whove Done It
Karen Dimmick and Steve Dimmick.
Freelancing Evolution. $8.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-0-9894757-0-9
Amazon
New clients, consistent
income, or happy customersthis book will
help you with a collection
of 14 inspiring interviews
with some of the most successful people
in the WordPress space.
Emoji Adventures, Vol. 1:

The Horse Party
P.T. Evans, illus. by Jake Tashjian.
Montage Publishing. 99 e-book,
ASIN B01C398FFM
Amazon
Obsessed with emojis?
LOL with your favorite
emojis as they come to life in
this new series. See what life
behind the screen is really like for the kids
of Emojiville.
You Are Enough:

Thirty Mini Mantras for SelfTransformation; Be Empowered,
Enlightened, and Inspired
Zoe Summer. Balboa Press. $12.95 paper
H.A.L.F.: The Makers

Natalie Wright. Boadicea Press. $17.95
paper (362p), ISBN 978-1-5238-2092-4;
$3.99 e-book, ASIN B01BLRM2HO
Amazon, BN.com
At the edge
of the galaxy,
the MUktah evolved from
wolflike creatures into an
advanced society of interstellar travelers. Theyre
sophisticated, technologically savvy, and
hungry.
Have You Ever?
Laura Spearman. Trafford. $12.68 paper
(18p), ISBN 978-1-49074687-6; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4907-4686-9
Amazon
A fearlessly imaginative
child journeys through
wild, witty, wondrous adventures in the
worlds greatest getaway spot: the
human mind.
Lets Vote!
A Fruitful Election Tale
Anita Iaco, illus. by Chiara
Civati. Mascot Books.
$14.95 hardcover (32p),
ISBN 978-1-63177-732-5
Mascotbooks.com, Amazon, BN.com
Its Election Day, and Miss Jenns students have to vote for the official class fruit.
The Lie They Told:
A Young Adult Novel
Jean S. Arbeiter. Full Court Press. $16
paper (219p), ISBN 978-1-938812-59-0
Amazon, BN.com, Ingram
In 1920s Chicago,
15-year-old Carola and her
mother are involved in a sensational murder case. Can
the shy Carola meet the
demands of her mother, the public, and
the boy she loves?
The Mouse in the House
Kathleen Ziska. Archway Publishing.
ISBN 978-1-4808-2028-9
Amazon
In this childrens poetry
book, a tiny field mouse
embraces his adventurous
51

side, scurrying to find fun,
food, and 40 winks inside a
familys warm home. With colorful handdrawn illustrations.
My Brother Came Home
with a Cone on His Head
Paul Warnke. CreateSpace.
$12.99 paper (26p),
ISBN 978-1-5307-4852-5
Amazon
A leg injury and visit to the doctor
leads to a scary time for one little dog,
who just wants to play with his brother.
Riven: My Myth Trilogy, Book 1

Jane Alvey Harris. Jane Alvey Harris.
$12.99 paper (286p),
ISBN 978-1-944244-16-3;
$9.99 e-book, ISBN
978-1-944243-71-5
Amazon, BN.com
Triggered by the return of
her childhood abuser and unable to cope
with reality, 17-year-old Emily slips into
an elaborate fantasy world.
Search (Seek, Book 1)
Candie Leigh Campbell. Amazon. $2.99
e-book, ASIN B01EKKTZT2
Amazon
As a trained Seek hunter,
17-year-old Keira thinks she
knows whats going on in
her world; the shadows
called Khayal are real and
they bite. But the truth is more
complicated.
Resthaven
Erik Therme. Kindle Press. $2.99 e-book,
ASIN B01C3FFIYC
Amazon
It was supposed to be an
innocent scavenger hunt.
They thought the building
was abandoned. They were
RADIO_HALF_H_0116.qxp_Layout
1 1/28/16 2:54 PM Page 1
wrong.
Vinyl: Book 1 of the Vinyl Trilogy

Sophia Elaine Hanson. Calida Lux
Publishing. $12.95 paper (352p),
ISBN 978-0-692-56983-2
BN.com, Books-A-Million,
Kobo, Smashwords
A gritty YA fiction of an
unlikely rebel struggling to
save her family and aid a revolution against
a tyrannical government that uses hypnosis
called the Music to repress its citizens.
When Mommy Is in Heaven
Wendy L. Hackey, illus. by Dan Drewes.
Authorhouse. $25 hardcover (28p),
ISBN 978-1-5049-8016-6
Wlhbooks.com, Amazon,
BN.com
Michas school is having a
Mothers Day tea. He believes
that because the party is for
mothers and grandmothers he can ask God
to allow his mommy to come.
PW Audio Is On Demand
Wherever You Listen
Hosted by PW
editors Rose Fox
and Mark Rotella,
PW Radio brings
you lively talk about books and
bestsellers, author interviews and more!
PublishersWeekly.com/podcasts @PubWklyRadio
Now
w on
Reviews Roundup
In the past month, weve reviewed 28 self-published titles submitted via BookLife,
PWs website dedicated to indie authors.
Fiction
The Big Lead: A Stella Reynolds Mystery
Libby Kirsch. Sunnyside, $12.99 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-0-9969350-0-5
Blue Columbine
Jennifer Rodewald. Rooted Publishing, $13.99 trade paper (412p)
ISBN 978-0-692-45111-3
Connections
Jacqueline Wein. Two Harbors, $29 hardcover (400p) ISBN 978-1-63505-017-2
Darkness Descends on Princeton:

A 1930s Murder Mystery
Nonfiction
The Art of Reading: A Photo Essay
Lawrence Schwartzwald. Lawrence Schwartzwald, $28 trade paper
(78p) ISBN 978-1-941969-81-6
How to Avoid the Cutting Room Floor:

An Editors Advice for On-Camera Actors
Jordan Goldman. CreateSpace, $14.99 trade paper (140p) ISBN 978-15123-3485-2
Make a Joyful Noise!

A Brief History of Gospel Music Ministry in America
Jeff Jacobs. CreateSpace, $8.99 trade paper (184p) ISBN 978-1-4636-5459-7
Kathryn Kemp. Joyful Noise, $19.95 trade paper (250p) ISBN 978-09833630-0-2
Deep
Marked for Death
Skye Warren. CreateSpace, $11.99 trade paper (326p) ISBN 978-1-53013068-9
The Embalmed Head of Oliver Cromwell: A Memoir

Marc Hartzman. Curious Publications, $27.95 hardcover (346p)
ISBN 978-0-9862393-0-4
Finding Out
Sheryn MacMunn. Joy Inked, $11.99 trade paper (328p) ISBN 978-14701-0809-0
Grace in the Flames

Michelle Massaro. Orange Grove, $13.99 trade paper (396p) ISBN 9780-9973273-0-4
Necessary Evil
Killarney Traynor. CreateSpace, $15 trade paper (350p) ISBN 978-15173-9033-4
No Child Left Behind
Timothy Oliver Stoen. CreateSpace, $19.95 trade paper (386p)

ISBN 978-1-5117-5743-0
Paper Hearts, Vol. 1: Some Writing Advice

Beth Revis. Scripturient, $3.99 e-book (340p) ISBN 978-0-9906626-5-5
Secrets of a Financial Aid Pro

Jodi Okun. 15th Street Publishing, $25.95 hardcover (214p) ISBN 978-09973-5272-6
Shredded: Your Past Does Not Define You

Kimberly Rae. Narrow Way, $14.99 trade paper (376p) ISBN 978-1-51470151-5
Soulinks: Pursuing Multi-Generational Significance

Joan O. Wright. JOW Publishing, $17.99 hardcover (108p) ISBN 978-09825505-4-0
Wheels of Wisdom:
Life Lessons for the Restless Spirit
Claudia Casser. CreateSpace, $14.99 trade paper (466p) ISBN 978-15239-8645-3
Tim and Debbie Bishop. Open Road, $14.99 trade paper (264p)
ISBN 978-0-9856-2486-6
The Pleasure Device
Wolf Land
Regina Kammer. Viridium, $3.99 e-book (265p) ISBN 978-0-9910166-4-8
Torture Man
Warren Adler. RosettaBooks, $14.99 trade paper (312p) ISBN 978-0795346-91-0
Toru: Wayfarer Returns

Stephanie R. Sorensen. Palantir, $16.95 trade paper (274p) ISBN 978-09969323-1-8
Valentine Bride
Shanna Hatfield. Shanna Hatfield, $2.99 e-book (136p) ASIN B01BN0N28M
With No Regrets
Julie N. Ford. White Star, $16.95 trade paper (340p) ISBN 978-1-939203-65-6
Wrong Side of Hell

Sonya Bateman. Sonya Bateman, $3.99 e-book (288p) ASIN B01B00Y741
Carter Niemeyer. Bottlefly, $18 trade paper (236p) ISBN 978-0-9848113-2-8
World to Come:
The Baltimore Uprising, Militant Racism, and History
Katherine Bankole-Medina. Liberated Scholars Association, $45 trade
paper (450p) ISBN 978-0-692-68151-0
Childrens & YA
Sound of Sirens
Jen Minkman. CreateSpace, $7.99 trade paper (170p) ISBN 978-1-50316537-3
Spinach Dip Pancakes

Kevin Kammeraad. Cooperfly Creative Arts, $18.95 hardcover (40p)
ISBN 978-0-9970476-0-8
53
Reviews
Fiction
The Big Lead:
A Stella Reynolds Mystery
Libby Kirsch. Sunnyside, $12.99 trade paper
(320p) ISBN 978-0-9969350-0-5
Novice reporter Stella Reynolds, the

endearingly human heroine of Kirschs
fiction debut, finds her first job in the TV
industry with the Fox affiliate in sleepy
Bozeman, Mont. Stellas appreciative of
the opportunity, but she cant help having
second thoughts when she learns how
small the staff and resources of her station
are. Stellas first achievement of significance is interviewing river guide Bill
James following his arrest for burglarizing a house and trying on the owners
underwear. After learning that James has
an alibi, Stella
manages to get
the sheriff to
agree to dismiss
the charges, but
that proves to
be just a temporary victory
when James
becomes the
prime suspect
in the stabbing
murders of the burglary victim and her
mother. The truth, Stella suspects, is
much more complex, and she holds
nothing back in pursuing it. The author
does a good job of eliciting sympathy for
Stella by depicting her embarrassing
stumbles on her first days.
Blue Columbine
Jennifer Rodewald. Rooted Publishing,
$13.99 trade paper (412p) ISBN 978-0-69245111-3
Childhood friends Jamie Carson and

Andy Harris have lived divergent lives,
but, now in their 30s, the two have
returned to their Colorado roots and
encounter each other in the meadow
where they once played as children. Jamie,
an earth science teacher and amateur

nature photographer, has maintained a
deep relationship with God. Meanwhile,
Andy, a defense attorney, has lost all
respect for religion. He prefers to drown
his troubles in the anesthetizing effect of
drink and the pleasures of a pretty and
willing woman. Yet, for all their differences, a strong connection remains.
Melissa, Jamies housemate, and Ryan,
who pursues a romantic relationship with
Jamie, serve as strong supporting characters, providing
friendship, a
sounding board,
and spiritual
guidance.
Rodewald
(Reclaimed)
deftly portrays
the downward
spiral of alcoholism and the
complexities of
maintaining a relationship with someone
addicted to the bottle. Jamie struggles to
be Andys friend through the tough times,
and her deeper feelings serve only to cause
her pain. A subplot involving intelligent
design versus evolution seems out of place
in the story, although it does serve to show
the way Andy has changed, both intellectually and spiritually. The characters are
all impressively multifaceted, engaging
with complex emotional strains and difficult issues of allegiance. In her second
novel of Christian romance, Rodewald
proves to be a formidable new voice.
Connections
Jacqueline Wein. Two Harbors, $29 hardcover
(400p) ISBN 978-1-63505-017-2
Wein (Roommate) creates a varied and

well-developed cast of characters in this
Manhattan-set novel with a mystery element. They include Rosa Bassetti, who
secretly buried a beloved dead pet in the
park behind Gracie Mansion; Ken Hollis,
a consultant to the mayor setting up a
task force to combat crimes against the
53a P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 1 6
elderly; and
Eileen Hargan,
another animal
lover, whos
devoted to her
Boston terrier,
Fibber McGee,
and constantly
fearful that
shell be the
victim of a violent assault.
Eileen does become the victim of another
type of crime when Fibber is dognapped
by someone demanding a ransom of
$10,000, which she cant afford. That
plot line adds suspense, but the books
strength lies in Weins portrayal of her
characters deep connections with the
animals in their lives. Readers should be
prepared for some explicit sex (Ken
plunged his tongue inside and drank the
liquid satin) and a dog accidentally
damaging a copy of Publishers Weekly (Its
only the Fall Announcement issue
anyway).
Darkness Descends on Princeton:

A 1930s Murder Mystery
Jeff Jacobs. CreateSpace, $8.99 trade paper
(184p) ISBN 978-1-4636-5459-7
Readers who like their whodunits light

and quirky will enjoy Jacobss unusual
brew, set in 1939 Princeton, N.J. Eve
Krells piano lesson at the home of her
instructor, Prof. Adolph Menjou (no relation to the actor of the same name), is cut
short when hes gunned down after
receiving a
phone call. To
Eves horror,
Menjous widow
accuses her of
the murder,
making her the
prime suspect.
Eve gets a
reprieve when
her boyfriend,
college paper
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sports reporter Gordon Radits, intervenes,
and the pair go on the lam. A number of
real-life people, including Albert
Einstein, appear as themselves. Others
turn up in alternate professions, such as
British character actors Alan Mowbray (a
butler) and Lionel Atwill (a funeral home
director). Menjous murder is followed by
another en route to a dramatic climax at
the New York Worlds Fair. Jacobs tosses
in some amusing winks at the reader, as
when a young Gloria Stuart foreshadows
her Oscar-nominated role in Titanic.
Deep
Skye Warren. CreateSpace, $11.99 trade
paper (326p) ISBN 978-1-5301-3068-9
Getting to the happy ending in

Warrens latest Chicago Underground
entry (following 2015s Sweet) will require
overlooking a dodgy setup and more than
a few mistakes. Fifteen-year-old Claire is a
rebel hanging
out at a tough
Chicago bar
when shes kidnapped. Her
father has gambling debts, and
shes kept
chained up for a
few days before
shes pimped
out to pay off
the debt. But then a woman named Shelly
intervenes, calls her Ella, and sweeps her
off to the palatial home of the incredibly
handsome underground kingpin Philip
Murphy. Suddenly, its three years later,
and Claire is a U of C student who finds a
stabbed Philip at her dorm-room doorstep. The two begin a smoldering affair
full of rough play. Theres barely enough
plot to support the sex, and readers might
be a little put off by the 15-year age difference between wealthy, powerful Philip
and barely legal Claire.
The Embalmed Head of Oliver

Cromwell: A Memoir
Marc Hartzman. Curious Publications, $27.95
hardcover (346p) ISBN 978-0-9862393-0-4
Hartzmans fictional memoir is a

curious publication. The book takes
what historical facts are known about
Cromwells embalmed head and intro-
duces Hartzmans own imagined events

to provide the structure for this unusual
tale. This work
is dubbed a
memoir
because
Hartzman
gives consciousness to
Cromwells
lifeless head,
allowing it to
learn of various
historical
events and fashions. Cromwells reactions to these and ruminations on his life
provide the bulk of the text. As
Cromwell is an inanimate head, he has
no agency and can only witness and
comment, making the entire work an
endeavor in supposing what the historical personage might have thought of
later events. Cromwells strong faith is
portrayed throughout, although at his
reburial at last, he concludes that whatever whispers I heard or impulses I felt
were notand could not beof divine
origin. Other than this fictional faith
journey there is little plot. Though
likely not for all readers, this book will
offer food for thought to those looking
for an imaginative take on the historical
figure.
Finding Out
Sheryn MacMunn. Joy Inked, $11.99 trade
paper (328p) ISBN 978-1-4701-0809-0
Secrets come to light for two very different women living in very different
times in this novel. Thirty-six-year-old
Sheila
Davenport,
senior account
manager for
Goodliving.
com in New
York, appears to
have it all until
her live-in boyfriend of seven
years dumps
her. But Sheila
has little time to recover as she juggles a
high maintenance boss and ineffective,
backstabbing coworkers. Sheila begins
spending time with her neighbor,
86-year-old Ruth Knig,

who shares stories about her
experiences during World
War II. Sheila and Ruths lives and how
they deal with discoveries and obstacles
are contrasted, though Ruth is the
stronger protagonist. Sheilas narrative
takes a comic route with flat, hackneyed
characters, whereas Ruths story is more
inspiring and intriguing, with pithy
observations and some surprising elements that show Ruths spunk. What
Sheila learns from Ruths poignant stories
is unclear until the final chapter and an
epilogue that conveniently wraps up loose
ends.
Grace in the Flames

Michelle Massaro. Orange Grove, $13.99
trade paper (396p) ISBN 978-0-9973273-0-4
After losing his wife and baby in a

house fire, John Douglas drowns his sorrows by drinking, running from his
responsibilities,
and eventually
succumbing to
the temptations
of a one-night
stand before
surrendering
himself to God.
As he begins to
find himself and
grow in his
newfound faith,
he meets Jenni, herself a strong believer.
Their friendship quickly evolves into
romance with long-term potentialuntil
April, the other half of his earlier onenight stand, shows up pregnant. The
journey of the three characters during the
coming months is a roller-coaster of pain,
grief, anger, fear, forgiveness, mercy, and
grace. With delicacy and nuance, Massaro
loads the story with heavy issues: tragic
death, survivors guilt, alcoholism,
domestic violence, self-harm, abortion,
and cancer. However, at times the narrative becomes scattered, and readers might
sense that focusing on just a few of these
difficult topics would have allowed for
more depth of emotion and strengthened
the story. But despite the barrage of
weighty issues, the message of Gods grace
and the hope available to those who love
him will connect with readers of faith.
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Necessary Evil
Killarney Traynor. CreateSpace,
$15 trade paper (350p) ISBN
978-1-5173-9033-4
Madeleine Warwick, the narrator of

Traynors skillfully plotted mystery, lives
with her aunt on their New Hampshire
horse farm, which has been in their family
for centuries. Following rumors spawned
by a reality show that treasure is buried
somewhere on the land, a steady stream of
opportunists have trespassed on the farm,
disturbing the grounds by digging holes
by dark. One such hole resulted in
Madeleines uncle falling death from his
horse, leading Madeleine to forge a document for the purpose of permanently
debunking the treasures existence. After
a pompous professor learns of the forgery,
intruders continue to invade the property.
Traynor (Summer Shadows) intersperses
19th-century letters and diary entries
from individuals associated
with the alleged
Chase family
treasure, while
her restrained
prose gracefully
unveils the
living characters true motivations.
Distinctive
prose is a plus: A hole is such a silent
thing. Its a danger unlike most others,
where the absence of matter is its greatest
weapon. I pondered that it wasnt dirt that
killed my uncle, but the lack of it.
No Child Left Behind

Claudia Casser. CreateSpace, $14.99 trade
paper (466p) ISBN 978-1-5239-8645-3
In this unconventional near-future

novel, attorney Casser brings together a
small municipalitys educational boondoggles with possible mass extinction. Geoff
Moraine is a young student struggling
with a learning disability and in desperate
need of proper educational support. He has
a vivid imagination, but even he couldnt
have envisioned aliens from a parallel universe buying a hilltop estate in
Pennsylvania to turn into a boarding
school. The school is camouflage for their
true objective of building weapons to wipe
out the snouts who are conquering their

home planet of Fulgora. Lord Kemp of the
Fulgorans unfortunately hasnt heard of
zoning laws,
which prevent
the development of a school
on that hill, and
Geoffs mom has
to step in and
use her legal
know-how to
help the
Fulgorans save
their world.
Mrs. Moraines brilliant solution solves
Geoffs problem as well as the aliens: if the
Fulgorans take on teaching the high-level
special-ed kids, that could sway the zoning
commissions approval. Now they just have
to get around the No Child Left Behind
laws. Cassers fanciful invective against the
educational systems quirks mixes weirdly
with annihilation-focused SF. The prose is
solid; the plot is bemusing.
The Pleasure Device

Regina Kammer. Viridium, $3.99 e-book
(265p) ISBN 978-0-9910166-4-8
Kammer (Hadrian and Sabina: A Love

Story) starts her Victorian-era Harwell
Heirs erotica series with a lighthearted,
medical-themed story centering on the
electric vibrator, popular as an in-office
remedy for female hysteria. Dr. Julius
Christopher, wanting to experiment in
detail with the device, takes in lusty servant Grace
Danby and hires
on young colleague Dr.
Nicholas
Ramsay, the
protg of his
former lover,
Lady FoxleyGraham.
Nicholas and
Helena Phillips
become smitten with each other during
the festivities of Londons social season.
Julius realizes hed rather experiment on a
virgin than on experienced Grace;
Helenas mother, Lady Sophia, is addicted
to him and his machine, so he manipulates her into promising to give him
53c P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 1 6
Helena. Though Kammer focuses on the

female orgasm, her story is heavily filtered
through the male gaze; the women
describe their responses only when the
men ask, and although its made clear that
the women either already know how to
masturbate or are trained by the doctors,
readers are rarely privy to interesting solo
sessions. This is cookie-cutter fluff
without enough over-the-top villainy to
carry off the humor of the setup.
Torture Man
Warren Adler. RosettaBooks, $14.99 trade
paper (312p) ISBN 978-0-795346-91-0
A chance encounter between stranded

travelers offers an interesting take on the
inherent conflict between security and
freedom in Adlers (The War of the Roses)
novel of ideas, which evolves into an
exciting thriller. Idealist Sarah Raab, the
head of the New
York office of
Rights Abuse
Watch
International, is
desperate to get
home from
Washington,
D.C. When her
flight is cancelled, she ends
up sharing a cab
to Union Station with a stranger, Carl
Helman, who generously pays for her
Amtrak ticket. During their trip together,
Sarah learns that Carl, who sees himself as
a warrior-savior engaged in the ultimate
war between powers of light and darkness, has a very different view of the
world, which Adler later reveals derives
from his experience as a counterinsurgent
devoted to battling terrorists. Carls skills
come in handy after Sarahs 11-year-old
daughter, Rachel, is abducted, making
the tension between ends and means all
too real for her. The plot takes some unexpected turns en route to a dramatic and
satisfying conclusion.
Toru: Wayfarer Returns

Stephanie R. Sorensen. Palantir, $16.95 trade
paper (274p) ISBN 978-0-9969323-1-8
The start of the Sakura Steam series

doesnt quite fire on all cylinders. Toru,
the illegitimate son of a shogun-defying
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lord, risks death
to return to
19th-century
Japan after two
years in
America. He
hopes to
advance Japan
into a futuristic
age of steam to
protect it from
Western
empires. After introducing a cool premise,
debut novelist Sorensen struggles to make
it believable. Toru gains allies as the plot
requires, right down to the shoguns top
advisor. No supplies are unavailable for his
projects. Death sentences are meaningless,
because Sorensen just wont hurt her main
characters. The irony of ruining Japans
unique culture in order to keep it safe from
cultural imperialism is barely touched on.
Its a shame, because the historical period
is meticulously researched and re-created,
and the characters are varied and
engaging, with Torus young friends Jiro
and Masuyo driving his revolution. But
when things rarely go wrong, theres just
no real reason to keep reading.
Valentine Bride
Shanna Hatfield. Shanna Hatfield, $2.99
e-book (136p) ASIN B01BN0N28M
This contemporary romance novella

tied to Hatfields Holiday Brides series is a
sweetly unsophisticated love story thats
long on details and sadly short on substance. Fynlee chose a career in medical
billing so that she could remain close to
her highly eccentric and mischievous
grandmother, Matilda, in the small
Oregon town of Holiday. Carson has
recently purchased his aunt and uncles
ranch from his widowed aunt, Ruthwho
just happens to
be Matildas
best friend.
Predictably, the
two senior citizens decide to
do whatever it
takes to get the
young folks in
their lives
together, even
though Carson
has a girlfriend (albeit one who hates the

idea of ranching life). Unfortunately, the
antics of the geriatric duo dont come close
to salvaging the substandard characterization, an overreliance on narrative as
opposed to interaction, and a skewed timeline that creates an artificial need for a
wedding to be held on a certain holiday.
There are some amusing moments, but the
poor storytelling drags them down.
With No Regrets
Julie N. Ford. White Star, $16.95 trade paper
(340p) ISBN 978-1-939203-65-6
Listing heavily toward the womens fiction side of the romance genre, Ford deftly
portrays 40-year-old Finley Harrisons
gradual recovery from the shock of
divorce. After 20 years with her philandering husband, Roy, Finnies venture
into solo life in present-day Nashville
forces this picture of Southern womanhood (antebellum accent
mandatory) to
evolve into
21st-century
personhood, but
shes fighting it
tooth and nail.
Married Finnie
was so obsessed
with appearances that the
only thing worse than catching Roy in flagrante delicto with another woman was
finding them thus engaged on her expensive sofa. Once the divorce is finalized,
Finnie is pushed by longtime friend
Cathyanne to leave her comfort zone
which means going on dates. Cathyanne
sets her up with Josh, a 31-year-old
hottie; Finnie is also drawn to next-door
neighbor Quinton. Cathyanne doesnt
care which one Finnie chooses, so long as
she sets aside her suffocating Southernbelle decorum and vows to live with no
regrets. Readers who love stories of
women finding their truths will enjoy
Fords spot-on portrayal of midlife
change, friendship, and romance.
Wrong Side of Hell

Sonya Bateman. Sonya Bateman, $3.99
e-book (288p) ASIN B01B00Y741
Bateman (Realm of Mirrors) gives this
urban fantasy novel a

familiar setup: supernatural
creatures exist, and the protagonist has the singular power to stop an
evil group thats bent on destroying them.
In this case, Gideon Black, a Manhattan
body mover who transports corpses for
criminals, is thrown into a war between
the Others (vampires, werewolves, fairies,
etc.) and the Milus Dei, a shadowy group
opposed to anything supernatural. Hes also
frequently
called on to
help NYPD
detective Abe
Strauss. Vicious
killings that
look a lot like
wild-animal
attacks have
both Abe and Gideon stumped until
Gideon uses his ability to commune with
the dead, leading Abe to dub him the
Corpse Whisperer. Soon, Gideon learns
that his talent has very unusual origins,
and he teams up with werewolf Sadie to
stop the Milus Dei before they take any
more lives. Unfortunately, Gideons constant shock and disbelief over each subsequent supernatural event are grating, and
though the writing is competent, seasoned fans of urban fantasy looking forward to something fresh and new wont
find it here.
Nonfiction
The Art of Reading:
A Photo Essay
Lawrence Schwartzwald. Lawrence
Schwartzwald, $28 trade paper (78p)
ISBN 978-1-941969-81-6
Photojournalist Schwartzwald celebrates urban bibliophiles in this slim collection of 60 candid black-and-white
photos from recent years. Inspired by photographer Andr Kertszs 1971 photo
essay On Reading, the collection
depicts readersmainly New Yorkers
in various stages of reflection. Except for a
lucky snap of the pop singer Amy
Winehouse staring down at a magazine in
New York Citys Meatpacking District in
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y . C O M 53d
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2007, Schwartzwalds subjects are anonymous people
publicly projecting their
affinity for books. Whether at a bus stop,
on a subway platform, or on a graffiti-covered stoop on
the Bowery,
Schwartzwalds
oblivious subjects share an
expression of
deep thought.
The most powerful images
depict a reader
amid and
utterly oblivious to the chaotic and distinctly urban
surrounding setting. As viewed through
Schwartzwalds lens, the core of reading
for the city dweller seems to be the ability
to lose oneself to the printed word.
How to Avoid the Cutting Room

Floor: An Editors Advice for OnCamera Actors
Jordan Goldman. CreateSpace, $14.99 trade
paper (140p) ISBN 978-1-5123-3485-2
In this informative and entertaining

book, Goldman, an Emmy-winning television editor, provides an inside look at
his trade. As the editor of shows including
The Shield and Homeland, Goldman is
responsible for taking the footage shot by
directors and piecing it together into
three successive
versions: the
directors, the
producers, and
finally the networks. Having
studied countless hours of
how actors
both stars and
background
playerssucceed or fail in front of the camera,
Goldman offers step-by-step instructions
for actors on maximizing their time on
screen in the final cut. Using photos and a
script written to demonstrate the process,
Goldman clearly explains what directors
and editors need from actors in terms of
timing, reactions, and technical skills.
Examples of good and bad acting from
films and TV shows are sprinkled

throughout the text, though more would
have been welcome. The book is written
as an instruction guide for actors on how
not to frustrate directors and editors, but
Goldman also offers general readers a close
look at how a television show is made,
with insight into the joys and frustrations
of working in a creative industry.
Make a Joyful Noise!

A Brief History of Gospel Music
Ministry in America
Kathryn Kemp. Joyful Noise, $19.95 trade
paper (250p) ISBN 978-0-9833630-0-2
Kemp, a music director and minister,

recounts the history of gospel music as a
Christian ministry in America. Kemp is a
knowledgeable and lucid guide, but the
books attempt at comprehensiveness leads
to pacing issues, as the history and context
of African-American spirituals get only 10
pages while
prominent
20th-century
figures such
James Cleveland
or Thomas
Dorsey get three
or four times
that. The book
feels undecided
on its exact purpose or audience, as it alternates rapidly between
scholarly and devotional tones, and fails to
balance expository and analytical writing;
in many places expository paragraphs are
followed by direct quotes that add little
extra insight or interest, and in other
places readers are presented with long lists
of names of gospel composers and artists
with minimal additional detail, which is
overwhelming for those new to the topic.
In general, readers looking for a broad
overview or deep analysis will be disappointed, but readers with a love for gospel
music and some grounding in the topic
will enjoy this as a detailed local history,
particularly of the Gospel Music
Workshop of America.
Marked for Death

Timothy Oliver Stoen. CreateSpace, $19.95
In the early 1970s, first-time author
53e P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 1 6
Stoen joined what he thought was a utopian movement called Peoples Temple,
led by a charismatic leader named Jim
Jones, and spent the next seven years as
Joness personal attorney. Stoens deeply
moving memoir traces his path from true
believer to horrified spectator as Jones
orchestrates the
deathsmostly
through suicideof 912
people in
Jonestown,
Guyana, an
event that
shocked the
world in 1978.
The Jones story
has been told
before, but Stoens role as an early participant in the growth of the Peoples Temple
in northern California and San Francisco,
as well as its move to its own community
in Guyana, adds much to the story. Stoen
admirably attempts to explain the concern about economic inequality that led
many to embrace Jones, as well as the slow
slide into manipulation and a desire for
power in which Jones turned himself
over to Satan. Stoen is also excellent in
his description of the post-massacre media
firestorm in which he was falsely accused
of using his long fight to regain custody of
his son to push Jones over the edge, as
well as his successful struggle to overcome
the guilt he felt over the experience and
the tragic history of the Peoples Temple.
Paper Hearts, Vol. 1:

Some Writing Advice
Beth Revis. Scripturient, $3.99 e-book (340p)
ISBN 978-0-9906626-5-5
YA author Revis (A World Without You)

offers sensible and useful advice for
writers in this empathetic and empowering manual. After providing a brief rundown of her own writing career, Revis
gives aspiring writers the advice she
wishes shed had when starting out.
Among the lessons are discussions of
showing rather than telling; building
characters, plots, and worlds; developing
protagonists and antagonists; crafting
emotional arcs and structure; receiving
critiques; dealing with writers block; and
finding an agent. Revis also takes on the
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eternal debate about whether to plot
everything in advance or fly by the seat of
ones pants. Like every writing teacher,
Revis has her writing pet peevesprologues being a star examplebut she is
absolutely correct when she opines that
every rule in writing can be successfully
broken by a skilled, experienced author.
Her frank advice on what has worked and
not worked for her will prove comforting
to writers prone
to secondguessing themselves and their
talents, and her
practical what
to do if appendices will help
many to solve
writing challenges. Reviss
book should
find its way to the keeper shelf of both
aspiring and accomplished writers.
Secrets of a Financial Aid Pro:

Master the College Funding
Process and Give Your Child
Lifelong Financial Skills Without
Losing Your Cool
Jodi Okun. 15th Street Publishing, $25.95
hardcover (214p) ISBN 978-0-9973-5272-6
Okun, a former college financial-aid

counselor and independent consultant,
offers an insiders perspective on the complex and often confusing workings of the
financial-aid system. Not surprisingly,
she states, many fear that they have too
much money to
qualify for
financial aid, or
not enough to
be able to afford
college at all.
Add to that
worry a tricky
system where
simple mistakes
can derail academic dreams,
and you have the perfect recipe for stress.
Okun seeks to demystify the process and
share her expertise. Her approach is
threefold, starting with the precollege
years, from middle school through high
school, looking at what to do and when to
do it. She then explores the application

process and different kinds of aid,
including grants and scholarships. She
also includes work-study options and
other ways to lower costs. Lastly, she
examines cost-management skills for college students and graduates. Along the
way, she shares tips and talking points,
imparting easily extractable and useful
kernels of knowledge. Offering concerned
parents an insiders expert guidance,
Okun provides an invaluable tool for navigating the treacherous financial aid
landscape.
Shredded:
Your Past Does Not Define You
Kimberly Rae. Narrow Way, $14.99 trade
paper (376p) ISBN 978-1-5147-0151-5
Brookside Baptist Church, in Oakview,

N.C., is bound by years of tradition and a
powerful deacon. But when Pastor
Stewart and his wife arrive in town,
changes begin to take hold at the dusty
church. Candy, a local prostitute, attends
Pastor Stewarts first sermon and her life is
transformed. To
some of the
elderly ladies
dismay, the
ebullient town
outcast begins
to engage
wholeheartedly
with the church
while learning
to reform her
lifeproviding
an example of the redemptive power of
Christs love to even the most devout
members. Candys bubbly spirit brightens
the church, inspiring the lonely Jean, a
longtime church member, to come to
engage with painful memories. For 15
years Jean has been holding a troubling
secret about the churchs deacon. In light
of her knowledge, over the years Jean has
made it her duty to guard the church children. Now, with the community slowly
changing, Blue Jean is able to let down
her defenses and find unexpected comfort
with the pastors handsome brother,
Grant, who helps her heal at last. Rae
brings to light difficult subject matter
with empathy and restraint, gracefully
exploring the pain of overcoming viola-
tion and trauma through the

eyes of the victims. Raes
characters are realistic and
endearing. This is an uplifting story about
the courage it takes to reform a community and care for the marginalized and
neglected.
Soulinks: Pursuing
Multi-Generational Significance
Joan O. Wright. JOW Publishing, $17.99
hardcover (108p) ISBN 978-0-9825505-4-0
Author Wright posits cross-generational relationships as an endangered

species in this slim volume, offering 10
inspiring reasons to seek and nurture
such relationships. The first cross-generational relationship she examines is between
the authors
son, Andrew,
and an elderly
neighbor,
Jennie, who
became his de
facto grandmother.
Elsewhere,
Wright writes about a young woman who
drew on years of correspondence with her
grandmother in her college application
essays. Another anecdote describes
elderly nursing home residents whose
contact with preschoolers helps them
rediscover their conversation skills.
Wright writes with such enthusiasm
about annual multiple generational
gatherings on Johns Island, Fla., that
its easy to presume at least one of the
included families is hers. Readers are
encouraged to look for their cross-generational friendtheir soulinknext
door and Wright offers tips for making
easy connections. Wright laments the
Internet replacing the older generation in
young peoples lives as a source for information and education, writing that we
must change this. Its unlikely that
Soulinks will supplant Wikipedia anytime soon, but Wright does make a persuasive argument for forging bonds across
generations and enjoying (and benefiting
from) the meaningful relationships that
can develop.
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y . C O M 53f
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Wheels of Wisdom:
Life Lessons for the
Restless Spirit
Tim and Debbie Bishop. Open Road, $14.99
Those looking for a road map for life

can get directions from the Bishops, who
navigated a cross-country bicycle trip and
recorded helpful observations gleaned on
the journey. The coauthors, who are volunteer coaches for TheHopeLine, a nonprofit that reaches out to teens and young
adults in need, share stories and insights
cleverly separated into six thematic sections: Charting the Course, Shifting
Gears, Taking Precautions, Finding
Motivation, Riding Through Storms, and
Enjoying the Ride. The lessons learned
along a bike route or from coasting
through lifes roadblocks are much the
same, they discover, and wisdom can be
found through
the smallest of
observations
and everyday
experiences. A
lost shoe, for
example,
prompts reflections on placing
too much value
on possessions,
and gripping
the handlebar for an extended period of
time results in lessons on letting go. The
book, which incorporates faith without
unnecessary preaching, includes a section
of questions for personal reflection at the
end of each lesson and is a handy tool for
small group study and discussion.
Wolf Land
Carter Niemeyer. Bottlefly, $18 trade paper
(236p) ISBN 978-0-9848113-2-8
impressionisticalthough informative
look at what followed after the wolves
were reintroduced, as each chapter
recounts a specific event during his time
working with
the government
and local
farmers in
Idaho,
Montana, and
Wyoming. A
chapter on the
Rose Creek
Wolves is a fascinating look at
the beginnings
of the wolf-trapping program in Alberta
and the daring of Wolf #9 in seeking her
mate and pups while avoiding capture.
Another chapter on the Phantom Hill
wolves is a hard look at the misconceptions that still exist about wolves and how
people seemed to be at least fifty percent
of any problem a wolf encounters.
of a work of academic scholarship, but

Bankole-Medina is able to situate Grays
death and the resultant protest movement
within a long and multifaceted history of
African-American activism, the militarization of American policing, and racebased urban unrest. Bankole-Medina is
not and does not pretend to be a neutral
observer of American racial politics, and
the world to come of her optimistic title
is one that will be free from anti-black
racism. Anyone curious about the longstanding social tensions that suffuse
Americas cities and the particular
responses of Baltimores residents, politicians, and law enforcement officials will
find much here to think long, deep, and
hard about.
World to Come:
The Baltimore Uprising, Militant
Racism, and History
Dutch writer Minkmans engrossing

first book in the Tales of Skylge trilogy
introduces
17-year-old
Enna Buwalda,
descended from
the original settlers of the isolated island of
Skylge. While
her world seems
smalllimited
to school,
fishing for food,
and taking care of her fatherits a life
she loves, especially when music is
involved. A subsequent group of settlers,
the Currents, live a very different lifestyle,
complete with electricity, cars, and seemingly magical devices that the Skylgers
are forbidden from using. While many see
the Currents as saviors, keeping the mermaids (Nixen) from luring them to their
deaths, others are working quietly to
bring the truth about the Nixen to light,
including Ennas brother, Sytse. Ennas
world expands just a bit when she meets
Royce, a Current born to one of the richest
families on the island, who shares her love
of instrument and song. Lush descriptions
of a fantasy-tinged Dutch culture, in a
Katherine Bankole-Medina. Liberated

Scholars Association, $45 trade paper (450p)
ISBN 978-0-692-68151-0
Bankole-Medina, a professor of history

at Coppin State University, uses her participation in and chronicling of the Black
Lives Matter movement to provide necessary perspective on the Baltimore uprising
in the spring of 2015 following the death
of Freddie Gray in police custody. Her
series of essays draws upon history and
political theory, and is informed by
aspects of popular culture. This dual perspective is simultaneously problematic
and fruitful: the book lacks the clear focus
and objective tone that would be expected
Niemeyer was one of the key people

involved with the reintroduction of
wolves into the Northern Rockiesmost
notably Yellowstone in the mid-1990s.
This engaging memoir of his experiences
as a head wolf manager for the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service picks up where his
first memoir, Wolfer, left off. That earlier
work was a more straightforward narrative of his development from a young
trapper and wildlife manager to a wolf
preservationist; this title is a more
53g P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y J U N E 2 7 , 2 0 1 6
Childrens & YA
Sound of Sirens
Jen Minkman. CreateSpace, $7.99 trade
paper (170p) ISBN 978-1-5031-6537-3
REVIEWS
contemporary world similar to ours, support evocative storytelling that should
easily pique readers interest in the subsequent books, Light of Lorelei and Fire of
Fryslan, which are also available. Ages
14up.
Spinach Dip Pancakes

Kevin Kammeraad. Cooperfly Creative Arts,
$18.95 hardcover (40p) ISBN 978-0-99704760-8
Kammeraad mixes photographic collages and cartoon images with poems,

comics, and stories in this visually and
verbally
eccentric collection (an
accompanying
audio album
is available).
Throughout,
he returns to
variations on
the lines
Anything is
possible,/ anything at all, moving from a
position that we cant do it all to [we]
dont have to do it all. A story about an
aardvark, inspired by three words, told in
three sentences, carries the implicit hint
that readers could do the same. An ultrabrief poem for the woodwind player
(Pickle high. Pickle low) puns on the
word piccolo, and in a comics sequence,
two human girls morph into a cartoon
bird and rabbit for a day of adventure.
Not every entry hits its mark (Mr. E, a
wooden robot of sorts, makes the bland
observation that It occurred to me that
everyone is somewhere), but a smattering
of word pairs on the facing page built
around opposites (crayon and crayoff,
island and wasland, etc.) could easily
inspire readers to come up with their own
pairings. Its a Dada-esque mix of silliness, wordplay, and outright nonsense.
Ages 412.
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y . C O M 53g

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