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Your Guide toSelf-Publishing
Should Indie AuthorsIncorporate?
Beating Writer’s Block
Reviews Roundup
140 New Titles Listed
April 2016
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Should Indie
Authors Incorporate?The pros and cons of becoming a business entityB A P
W ith the recent end of tax
season, many self-pub-
lished authors have
l i k e l y d o n e s o m e
thinking about whether they could be
saving more money or better protecting
themselves from IRS scrutiny. They may
have heard from their accountant or
other authors that they can do just that
by formalizing their publishing work
under a business entity.
In fact, becoming a limited liability
company (LLC) or Subchapter S corpora-
tion (S corp) can provide distinct tax
benefits, but can carry added costs and
potential inconvenience. But by consid-
ering a few key points, an indie author
can figure out the right option.
Tax AdvantagesThe main tax savings of being an S cor-
poration is the ability to minimize the
Medicare tax. In recent years, the Medicare
tax was increased by the Affordable Care
Act, which can make the S corporation a
worthwhile option in some cases.
All wage earners and self-employed
people pay Medicare tax, which is with-
held from paychecks and equates to
about 1.5% of wages. Employers matchthe Medicare tax dollar for dollar, so
those who are self-employed—including
authors—are taxed double (about 3% of
earnings). As a sole proprietor, a suc-
cessful author earning $1 million would
pay more than $30,000 in Medicare tax.
“Income from an S corp is not subject
to Medicare tax,” says Robert Pesce, a
partner in the media and entertainment
group at Marcum LLP. “Only the salary
an author is paid by the S corp is subject
to the tax. So, an author with an S cor-
poration who is earning $1 million and
pays him- or herself $200,000 (a very
reasonable salary at that earnings level)
will only pay $6,000 (3%) in Medicare
taxes, while an unin-
corporated author
(so le propr ietor )
would pay approxi-
mately $30,000. The
remaining $800,000
S corporation profit
will pass through the
corporation to the
author, but it will be
subject only to regular income taxes
(federal, state, and local), not to
Medicare tax. That’s a $24,000 tax
savings.”
Pesce adds that under the Affordable
Care Act, the Medicare tax was actually
increased for high-wage earners in 2013,
which makes forming an S corporation
even more advantageous—authors
earning in excess of $500,000 should
start to consider this. LLCs, while also
popular, do not afford the same benefit,
because their income is subject to the
Medicare tax.
“With traditional corporations, lia-
bility is also restricted to corporateassets,” says Khrystal K. Davis, a patient
advocate and the author of Hunt for a
Cure: An Unexpected Adventure to Save a
Li fe , explaining her main reason for
choosing Subchapter S status with the
entity Zebra Leaf Publishing Inc.
“However, corporate income is taxed
before disbursements are made to
employees such as the independent
author. With the Subchapter S corpora-
tion, there are no corporate-level taxes. I
wanted the traditional protection of a
corporation—and wanted to avoid
paying taxes at both the corporate and
individual level.”
Of course, most indie authors aren’t
bringing in tens of thousands—let alone
hundreds of thousands—of dollars.
Helen Sedwick, a California lawyer and
the author of Se lf -Pub lis he r’s Le ga l
Handbook, stresses that in the vast
majority of cases, it probably makes more
sense to simply conduct business as a sole
proprietorship.
“There are more than 23 million sole
proprietorships in the U.S.,” Sedwick
says. “They are simpler to operate and
subject to fewer arbitrary rules than C
corporations, S corporations, and LLCs.
Simple is better.”
Operating as an entity allows authors
to reduce their employment taxes if
they make a net
income of more
than $50,000 a
year from their
books. Because
a u t h o r s w h o
create a business
entity can allo-
cate their income
between “compensation” (which is sub-ject to employment tax) and “company
profits” (which are not), those who
make a substantial net income from
their books can reduce employment
taxes by incorporating or establishing
an LLC.
The benefits of setting up a business
are less pronounced than they once were,
however. “Years ago, there were more tax
advantages to operating as an entity,”
Sedwick says. “Today, those advantages
have disappeared.”
T H E B U S I N E S S O F W R I T I N G
Helen Sedwick
Robert Pesce
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T H E B U S I N E S S O F W R I T I N G
Greater Legitimacy For many indie authors, the advantages
of operating as a business go beyond tax
savings. Patrice Tartt, a writing coach
and self-publishedauthor of several
novels and how-to
books, set up Patrice
Tartt Publishing
LLC be c au s e i t
would it allow her to
register the ISBNs
of her books under
her own LLC, rather
than through the printer, and she
thought it gave her greater control over
her publishing decisions.
“People know that you are serious
when you are backed by a business when
self-publishing,” Tartt says. “This also
allows you to bring on other authors to
publish if you would like down the road.”
Davis says the added legitimacy of a
business entity makes for an attractive
option. “Working with a traditional
publisher provides built-in legitimacy:
you have the name of another entity
promoting your work, and recommenda-
tions always carry more weight when
they come from others,” she says. “Now,
when I promote my books or myself as
an author, I do so with Zebra Leaf
Publishing, rather than my own name.
This is important, especially when
pitching stories to editors or submitting
books for reviews.”
“Having a formal business entity and
name can help you appear more profes-
sional to the industry—like in situations
where you anticipatesel l ing direct to
bookstores or other
companies,” says
Jane Friedman, a
digital-publishing
consultant and the
author of Publishing
101: A First-Time
Author’s Guide. “It’s especially needed if
you plan to operate a small press and
publish other authors, manage and pay
royalties, and so on.”
An LLC or S corp can also allow writers
anonymity—say, an executive who writes
mystery novels in her free time and wor-
ries that it might not go over well with
the CEO of her company. “The author
sets up a corporation or LLC, then desig-nates an attorney, accountant, or someone
she trusts to sign documents,” Sedwick
says. “This structure costs money, easily
$500 to $1,000 a year. For some people,
it is money well spent.”
Setting up a business can also provide
a clear distinction in one’s finances.
“Operating as an entity helps writers
draw cleaner lines between their personal
and professional lives,” Sedwick says.
“They are more likely to maintain sepa-
rate bank accounts and to keep better
track of income and expenses.”
An S corp or LLC can also mean protec-
tion from lawsuits. A traditional pub-
lisher contracts with all necessary parties
to publish and distribute a book, so if a
problem arises, it’s the publisher that is
named as the party in any lawsuits. A
business entity serves a similar purpose
for a self-published author.
“Forming an S corporation is an effec-
tive way to limit the impact of any
resulting lawsuits from contractual
agreements,” Davis says. “A properly
formed S corporation limits any damages
to the assets of the Subchapter S corpora-
tion. This prevents parties from naming
you individually in any litigation. It also
prevents parties awarded
damages in any li tigation
from coming after your personal assets.”
One of the biggest drawbacks to
upgrading from a sole proprietorship is
that operating as an entity can presentsignificantly more paperwork, including
additional tax forms and annual state fil-
ings (along with filing fees). Sedwick
points to California’s annual fee of $800,
which makes upgrading a pricey option
for authors who aren’t earning a big
income. Considering how perplexing
many government and tax forms can be,
and the time and money required in
keeping them straight, Sedwick recom-
mends that authors avoid setting their
businesses up as entities until they are
operating at a consistent profit.
“Some states, like Virginia, have a very
easy online system, and it costs $100 to
file an application as an LLC,” says
Friedman, who established her LLC in
Virginia, where she is a resident and
where “it took literally 10 min-
utes.” Davis acknowledges that creating
a business entity isn’t for everybody, but
she says it has worked out well for her.
“The main drawback to the Subchapter S
corporation status is the filing require-
ments of corporations,” Davis says. “For
me, limiting the liability to the corporate
assets, and avoiding double taxation was
more than worth the hoops I jumped
through to attain Subchapter S status.”
There are three main types of business entities that self-published authors can consider:
Sole proprietorship: The simplest option for a self-published author, this involves nopaperwork, corporate charters, filings, or filing fees. But on the f lip side, it does not
protect an author from liability, so he or she can be sued personally, whether for
copyright infringement, a contract dispute, or anything else.
Limited liability company: As its name implies, an LLC offers protection from liability
for an author—though less protection than would be provided by full incorporation.
LLCs allow authors to set up a separate legal entity, protecting their personal assets in
the case of lawsuits. It also requires less paperwork than full incorporation.
Subchapter S corporation: Like an LLC, an S corp protects the personal assets of an
author (who is called a “stakeholder”) and provides pass-through taxation that helps
the author avoid getting taxed twice. But it also requires the appointment of a board of
directors and annual shareholder meetings.
Types of Business Entities
Jane Friedman
Patrice Tartt
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Geek Chic Kitchen Overlord’s Geek Cookbook getsthe adult coloring book treatment
B J MC
W hen I submitted my
first Doctor Who cook-
book , a f ew smal l
presses sent me very
kind rejection letters,” the indie author
Chris-Rachael Oseland says of her first
foray into publishing. The feedback from
both cookbook and science fiction editors
was that there was no market for “geek
cookbooks.” To date, her self-published
Dining with the Doctor: The Unauthorized
Whovian Cookbook has sold more than
35,000 print copies. Oseland went on to
publish a Hobbit-inspired cookbook ( An
Unexpected Cookbook) as well as one
inspired by the Settlers of Catan board
game (Wood for Sheep). Her books have
been featured by Paste Magazine, Wired ,
Ne rd is t , and the Da il y Do t . Ki tc hen
Overlord’s Illustrated Geek Cookbook and its
companion, Kitchen Overlord’s Colorable
Compendium of Geek History, are her latest
contributions to geek culture.
What makes Oseland’s
books unusual in self-pub-
lishing is that the majority
of her sales are for print
editions, with e-books
making up just 20% of
total sales. Looking at
Kitchen Overlord’s Illustrated
Geek Cookbook, it’s easy to
understand why. The full-
color hardcover—packed
with original illustrationsof popular TV, books, and
movies by artist Tom
Gordon—is a work of art.
The food allergy–sensi-
tive celebration of geek
culture has proved popular
with Oseland’s followers.
(Its publication was successfully funded
on Kickstarter to the tune of $16,760,
which covered printing and shipping the
book from China.) The title covers 120
years of geekdom in chronological order,
and includes recipes for
D eadpo o l ’ s Ch imi -
changas, Sisko’s Speedy
Gumbo from Deep Space
9 , Babylon 5 Roopoo
Balls , Spice-Stuffed
Sandworm Bread from
Dune, Captain America’s
Breakfast S.H.I.E.L.D.,
and Super Mario Bros.–inspired 1-Up
Mushroom Pizza Rolls. “Rather than
bore nerds with yet another collection of
nachos and cookies with recipe title
puns, we give you dozens of unique rec-
ipes drawn from iconic aspects of your
favorite fandoms,” Oseland says. Each
recipe is accompanied by Gordon’s orig-
inal illustrations.
“It wasn’t enough to have a string of
step-by-step pictures like other illustrated
cookbooks,” Gordon says. “There needed
to be lots of entertaining visual nods to
those stories and the characters in them.”
It was a crash course in cari-
cature as he learned how to
illustrate such characters as
Jayne Cobb (as played by
Adam Baldwin), Inigo
Montoya (Mandy Patinkin),
and Han Solo (Harrison
Ford). He also had to famil-
iarize himself with kitchen
implements and cooking
techniques before learning
how to draw them. Oselandthen published one illus-
trated recipe per week on
her website, and after a year
the duo self-published the
collection. The $24.95
cookbook has since sold
about 2,000 copies. An
adult coloring book version was a natural
next step for the Austin-based author—at
least according to her fans.
According to Nielsen BookScan, sales of
adult coloring books reached 12 million
units in 2015. More than
2,000 new titles were
published in the category
last year, up from 300 the
year before. Despite their
popularity, Oseland ini-
tially dismissed adult
coloring books as a fad.
But after posting a few
coloring pages on her Kitchen Overlord
website at the request of her fans, she
found that the pages were more popular
than her recipes. “My post on ‘Vintage
Dune Coloring Pages for Nihilistic
Children’ got over a quarter-million
views,” she says, making it her top post for
December 2015. “Readers who follow me
on Facebook asked for coloring pages from
the start,” she says. Oseland and Gordon
decided to launch the adult coloring book
version of their geek cookbook. Kitchen
Overlord’s Colorable Compendium of Geek
History, published via CreateSpace in
December, is priced at $13.99 and includes
110 coloring pages and new original art.
This summer, Oseland plans to travel
across the country to science fiction and
fantasy conventions to sell both editions of
the book and meet readers in person.
Oseland provides many recipes for free
on her website. “A lot of folks really want
to test a few recipes before committing
to a $25 hardback,” she says. “Even if
they never buy a cookbook, if they share
that recipe on their social media, thenthat helps me spread name recognition
and builds trust.”
“What’s important is that you don’t let
the gatekeepers convince you that you
dare not publish until you’ve created a
perfect glistening diamond that will be
admired for centuries to come,” she says.
“Some of your books will be duds. Others
will be short-lived artifacts of a specific
era. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Strap a harness to your inspirational nar-
whal and ride that crazy beast.”
I N D I E S U C C E S S
“
Spice-Stuffed Sandworm Bread.
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Just Do ItHow to Conquer Writer’s Block
B B K S
W hether you are an indie author struggling
to get discovered, a well-known tradition-
ally published writer, or somewhere in
between, writer’s block may sneak up on
you once in a while—maybe even more
than once in a while.
But what is writer’s block, anyway? Edmund Bergler, a well-
known disciple of Sigmund Freud, first coined the term in New
York City in 1947. He believed that writer’s block was one of
the many manifestations of “psychic masochism,“ which is “the
unconscious wish to defeat one’s conscious aims, and to enjoy
that self-constructed defeat.”
Why would a writer (or anyone else for that matter) want to
do that? Because, according to Bergler’s theory, the person’s
subconscious is furious about having been denied enough milk
and nurturing by his or her pre-Oedipal mother, so he or she,
subconsciously, wants to recreate that starved feeling—by
becoming blocked.
Bergler treated more than 40 blocked writers in the 1940s
and ’50s, and claimed a 100% success rate. He didn’t think
much of writers, though. He said that, for the most part, even
when their writing was going well, writers were often “entirely
surrounded by neuroticism in private life.” He did concede,
however, that “the megalomaniac pleasure of creation... pro-
duces a type of elation which cannot be compared with that
experienced by other mortals.”
These days, writer’s block is often blamed on depression.
Sometimes procrastination and perfectionism are considered the
culprits. Whatever the cause, writer’s block has been around for
a long time. Samuel Coleridge suffered from it, as did JosephConrad, Gustave Flaubert, Ernest Hemingway, Herman
Melville, Leo Tolstoy, and Virginia Woolf. The big question is,
regardless of where it came from, what can a writer do about it
when it strikes?
Opinions on this vary greatly. Here’s how Hemingway tried
to cope with it:
“Always stop while you are going good and don’t think about
it or worry about it until you start to write the next day. That
way your subconscious will work on it all the time. But if you
think about it consciously or worry about it you will kill it and
your brain will be tired before you start.”
Norman Mailer expressed a similar opinion in The Spooky Art:
Some Thoughts on Writing :
“Over the years, I’ve found one rule.... A simple rule. If you
tell yourself you are going to be at your desk tomorrow, you are
by that declaration asking your unconscious to prepare the
material. You are, in effect, contracting to pick up such valu-
ables at a given time. Count on me, you are saying to a few forces
below: I will be there to write.”
There are those writers in what I like to call the “Just Do It”
school. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started,” Mark
Twain wrote. “The secret of getting started is breaking your
complex, overwhelming tasks into small, manageable tasks, and
then starting on the first one.”
Barbara Kingsolver puts it this way: “I learned to produce
whether I wanted to or not. It would be easy to say, Oh, I have
writer’s block, oh, I have to wait for my muse. I don’t. Chain
that muse to your desk and get the job done.”
But my favorite way of thinking about writer’s block comes
from the bestselling British fantasy writer Phillip Pullman:
“Writer’s block... a lot of howling nonsense would be avoided
if, in every sentence containing the word writer , that word was
taken out and the word plumber substituted; and the result exam-
ined for the sense it makes. Do plumbers get plumber’s block?
What would you think of a plumber who used that as an excuse
not to do any work that day?”The fact is that writing is hard work, and sometimes you don’t
want to do it, and you can’t think of what to write next, and
you’re fed up with the whole damn business. Of course there
will be days when the words are not flowing freely. What you
do then is make it up. I like composer Dmitri Shostakovich’s
response to a student who complained that he couldn’t find a
theme for his second movement. “Never mind the theme!” he
said. “Just write the movement!”
That doesn’t seem like a bad idea to me. Why not try to adopt
the “Just Do It” attitude and see where it takes you?
O N W R I T I N G
Betty Kelly Sargent is the founder and CEO of BookWorks.
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FICTION
Account of a Mild Haunting
James I. McGovern. Wingspan Press.
$27.95 hardcover (182p), ISBN 978-1-
59594-671-3; $13.95 paper (182p),
ISBN 978-1-59594-580-8
Amazon, BN.com
A young man is disturbed
in all areas of his life by the
death of a girl he met only
once at age 15. Three other
stories touch on the haunting effects of
politics.
Bitter End Trail (Southwest Series #5)
Diane M. Cece. Xlibris. $19.99 paper
(114p), ISBN 978-1-5035-
7123-5; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-5035-7124-2
Amazon
A tale of brotherhood and
growing up that unfolds
against a backdrop of life-changingadventure.
The Blow-up Man
Nina Blakeman. Outskirts Press. $19.95
paper (427p), ISBN 978-1-4787-6662-9
Outskirts Press, Amazon, BN.com
A psychological thriller
that follows the shattered life
of Faye Brady, who exists in a
world derived from the imag-
ination of the many authors
she’s read.
Brightfire: A Tale of Sutton Hoo
P.M. Sabin Moore. AuthorHouse. $12.99
paper (238p), ISBN 978-1-4520-5609-8;
$2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4670-0498-5
Amazon
This glimpse into events
surrounding the reign of
King Raedwald of Sutton
Hoo, Suffolk, and East
Anglia charts Christianity’s
struggle to take hold on the eastern side
of Britain.
Cinnamon Diamonds: A Short Story
Mark Piper. Kavanagh Press. 99¢ e-book,
ASIN B01D52IV14
Amazon, Apple iBooks,
BN.com, Kobo
A short story based on the
amazing events of a stormy
night in 1847. Hanson
Gregory became a savior when he created
the first-ever doughnut with a hole in itduring a hurricane.
The Fishing Creek Confederacy
Byron Heller. iUniverse. $12.95 paper
(162p), ISBN 978-1-4759-
5665-8; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4759-5666-5
Amazon
A story of resistance to
the Civil War in Columbia
County, Pa., and the government’s
response.
For Love & Liberty
Stephen M. Grimble. Wasteland Press.
$19.95 paper (608p), ISBN 978-1-
60047-612-9; $6.99
e-book, ASIN B005LQ95E0
Amazon
Grimble offers a political
novel for this pivotal elec-
tion year for every American
concerned about the country’s future.
Grape Spunk—Wine Memoirs 2015
S.J. Reeves. CreateSpace. $10 paper
(110p), ISBN 978-1-5300-9963-4
Amazon
Felicity Cockstraddler
and Roderick Cameron-
Nightterror provide a cut-
ting-edge survival guide to
navigating some of the
lesser-established 2015 vintages.
How to Grow an Addict J.A. Wright. She Writes Press. $16.95
paper (300p),
ISBN 978-1-63152-991-7
Amazon, BN.com,
Fishpond
Introduced to alcohol and
drugs at a young age,
Randall Grange is a full-blown addict by
the age 23.
Is It a Sin to Eat a Chocolate Bar?
Mary Wolf. iUniverse. $13.95 paper
Booksellers, publishers, librarians, and agents are encouraged to look at the 140 self-
published 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.
New Titles
from Self-Publishers
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(268p), ISBN 978-0-595-09736-4
Amazon
Two women come to
realize that the pain that
binds them together also
results in the greatest joyeither could imagine as they
learn to love others more than themselves.
Kane Moss: A Tale of Reckoning
C.D. Tuttle. Xlibris. $15.99 paper
(250p), ISBN 978-1-5035-8378-8;
$3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-5035-8377-1
Amazon
A trail of destruction and
murder leads a small posse
of six from their burned vil-
lage in Wyoming across unsettled lands
to Mexico in a blood hunt.
Leaving Home
Duane A. Eide. iUniverse. $17.95 paper
(290p), ISBN 978-1-4917-2128-5;
$3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4917-2129-2
Amazon
When Shane decides to
leave oppressive farm life for
the big city, he discovers less
than he hoped, but everything changes
when he meets two homeless teens and an
entrepreneur.
Redemption of the Innocent
B.J. Nicol. Outskirts Press. $24.95 paper
(360p), ISBN 978-1-4787-6347-5
Outskirts Press, Amazon,
BN.com
Through personal
struggle, Eliza Davies dis-covers that no matter how
dark the circumstance, there
is hope in forgiveness and redemption for
the innocent.
The Sins of My Fathers 2: “The Trial”
C. Anthony Sherman.
AuthorHouse. $23.95 paper
(450p), ISBN 978-1-5049-
3265-3; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-5049-3264-6
Amazon
Is it too late to correct the wrongs of
the past? Explore the unscrupulous deals
of past generations that impact the desti-
nies of African-Americans.
Skyline: Tales of ManhattanWilliam Ivor Fowkes. CreateSpace.
$10.99 paper (265p),
ISBN 978-1-5177-1550-2
Amazon
Tales of New Yorkers
(gay, straight, and confused)
making startling connec-
tions and discoveries, proving that
Manhattan’s residents are just as striking
as the city’s celebrated skyline.
The Storm Within (Women of
Whitfield #1)
Darlene Deluca. CreateSpace. $13.99
paper (334p), ISBN 978-1-4903-7923-4;
$2.99 e-book, ASIN B00EOWCKZS
Amazon, Apple iBooks,
BN.com, Kobo
As the life she’s known
implodes, Claire Stapleton
finds herself traveling a
lonely, unfamiliar road. Can
loyal friends help her start again?
Strong Suspicions (Emmett Strong
Western #2)
G.P. Hutchinson. CreateSpace. $12.99
paper (300p), ISBN 978-1-5122-0022-5;
99¢ e-book, ASIN B01D24TNZ8
Amazon
When the only way out of
trouble is to head smack-
dab back into the middle of
it—beautiful woman in
tow—a cool-headed pisto-lero like Emmett Strong becomes a force
to be reckoned with.
The Tick Rider: A Story of Families,
Homelands, Drugs, Redemption, and
the Dividing Rio Grande
William Street. iUniverse.
$28.95 paper (558p),
ISBN 978-1-4917-5502-0;
$3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4917-5501-3
Amazon
A love story featuring a
Texas cowboy, two Mexican
teens, and a young pilot flying for the
cartel.
You Are My Sunshine: A Novel of theHolocaust
Roberta Kagan. KDP. $3.99 e-book,
ASIN B00J70Z8E2
Amazon
A child born in Hitler’s
home for the Lebensborn and
a young Jewish girl from a
concentration camp are
trapped in a web of danger, dependent on
each other for survival.
POETRY
Demons and Angels: A Poetic
Account of Darkness and Light
December Morgan. Dorrance Publishing.
$9 paper (38p),
ISBN 978-1-4809-2439-0
Dorrancebookstore.com
Heartfelt poems
exploring the author’s bat-
tles with anorexia,
obsessive-compulsive disorder, and abu-
sive relationships. Morgan writes to help
others achieve their own victories.
Even After That
Judith de Wilde. AuthorHouse. $29.99
paper (72p), ISBN 978-1-4520-2231-4
Amazon
A softly illustrated
collection of poetry that,
while expressing sorrow,
leads on, with God’s
help, to hope and
recovery after the loss of a loved one.
Galaxia
Alex Andor Skanavis. Trafford. $9.44
paper (96p), ISBN 978-1-4907-6215-9;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4907-6214-2
Amazon
A modern odyssey of
ecology, mycology, history,
and art on a mass-historic
scale—a poem venturing
forth from science into tran-
scendental science fiction.
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Jonestown Lullaby:
Poems and Pictures
Teri Buford O’Shea. iUniverse. $13.95
paper (124p), ISBN 978-1-4620-3737-7;
$7.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4620-3738-4
AmazonThe poems and pictures
of the last person to escape
the Peoples Temple before
the Jonestown massacre pro-
vide a vivid and moving
tribute to those who died so tragically.
Memories of No Consequence
Bhaskar Dasgupta. Xlibris. $36.60 paper
(80p), ISBN 978-1-5144-6148-8; $4.99
e-book, ISBN 978-1-5144-6147-1
Amazon
A collection of writings
that shares a tragic play set
in 19th-century India with
poems reflecting on life and
family, reliving highs and
lows of mundane yet special life events.
Poetry Unplugged
Irene Brodsky. Outskirts Press. $15.95
paper (57p), ISBN 978-1-4327-3650-7
Outskirts Press, Amazon,
BN.com
Brodsky’s poems have
something for everyone.
They are about a variety of
everyday happenings.
Reflections: Home and Abroad
Gary Miller. Outskirts Press. $8.95 paper
(114p), ISBN 978-1-4787-5458-9
Outskirts Press, Amazon,
BN.com
Miller’s new collection ofpoetry reflects his wide-
ranging travels, observa-
tions, and general musings.
Twists and Turns in the Hearts,
Minds, and Lives of Women:
Adventures in Poetry and Prose
Joan Hough Harrington. iUniverse.
$19.95 paper (254p), ISBN 978-1-4917-
8037-4; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4917-8036-7
Amazon
With exuberance and
unabashed joie de vivre, life
as viewed by women is pre-
sented here in poetry and
prose.
MYSTERY/THRILLER
Amanda’s Room
Chuck Miceli. Hitchcock Lake
Publications. $14.95 paper (303p), ISBN
978-1-4752-9197-1; $5.99
e-book, ASIN
B01BNTS5V2
Peartreepublishing.net,
Amazon, BN.com
A storm is coming, and
her name is Amanda. Two decades ago,
death came for Amanda Reynolds, but it
could not pry her from her home. Now it’s
Amanda’s turn.
Exodus (Swimming Monkeys Trilogy
#3)
Steve Hadden. Telemachus Press. $9.99
paper (223p), ISBN 978-1-942899-65-5;
$5.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-942899-64-8
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo,
Smashwords
Hunted by governments
and assassins, a champion
swimmer trades his
Olympic dreams to pursue
his deadly quest to bring
home the only near-human
primates ever discovered.
Fatal Consequences
Geoff Williams. Xlibris. $24.19 paper
(120p), ISBN 978-1-5035-0359-5;
$4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5035-0358-8
AmazonAided by his trusty side-
kick, Det. Stephen Dunn
pursues an investigation
that lays bare dark secrets
lurking inside even the
unlikeliest people. Will he
find himself facing fatal consequences?
Genesis (Swimming Monkeys Trilogy
#1)
Steve Hadden. Telemachus Press. $9.99
paper (315p), ISBN 978-1-938135-46-0;
$5.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-938135-45-3
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo,
Smashwords
Pursued by lethal reli-
gious fanatics and a family
nemesis, a championswimmer races to save a spe-
cies that can transform the
life of every human on earth.
Girl on the Run
Daryl Wood Gerber.
Chucklin. $2.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-0-9973611-0-0
Amazon, Apple iBooks,
BN.com, Kobo
When a fairy-tale fantasy night
becomes a nightmare, Chessa Paxton
must run for her life—but will the truth
set her free?
Guilt Trip, the Mystery
Donna Huston Murray. Donna Huston
Murray. $11.95 paper (288p), ISBN 978-
0-9856880-9-7; $3.99 e-book,
ASIN B017XY4IWG
Amazon
Allow the blond clinging
to the deceased’s remaining
brother to attend the
Caribbean funeral your
daughter planned? You nod
and ex-cop Lauren Beck is in. Big
mistake.
His Just Desserts
John Raymond Williams. iUniverse.
$17.95 paper (272p), ISBN 978-1-4917-
4908-1; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4917-4909-8
AmazonBurt, a casino owner,
attempts to avoid paying
taxes. When his scheme
goes awry, he is betrayed and his life takes
an unexpected turn. He turns to a higher
power for salvation, but will he still get
what’s coming to him?
In Lincoln’s Shadow
Rohn Federbush. AuthorHouse. $19.95
paper (246p), ISBN 978-1-5049-3357-5;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5049-3356-8
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Amazon
When a serial killer begins targeting grand-
mothers, Stephen Blaine must team up with an
unlikely ally in order to crack the case and heal from
the trauma.
My Nazi Nemesis
Rich DiSilvio. DV Books. $14.99 paper (234p),
ISBN 978-0-9817625-7-9; $2.99 e-book,
ASIN B01ADO2UUA
Alibris, Amazon, BN.com, Books-A-Million
CIA agent Jack Goodwin and his daughter hunt
down his longtime nemesis, who had murdered Jack’s wife
during World War II. But shocking twists arise, hijacking the
mission, as chaos prevails.
One Fateful Summer: A Travel Thriller
Vanessa Star. MBI Publishing. $2.99 e-book,
ASIN B01BR0FJ2K
Amazon
When Californian Lisa arrives on Mediterranean
Cyprus to spend her summer vacation with her
friend Elena, she gets unwillingly involved in a series of dramatic
and mysterious events.
The Pharm House: A Harding Family Story
Bill Powers. BookBaby. $16.57 paper (382p),
ISBN 978-1-68222-062-7; 99¢ e-book, ISBN
978-1-68222-063-4
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
Do you ever wonder how drugs get in those little
brown bottles? After reading this book, you may give it a second
thought.
Revelation (Swimming Monkeys Trilogy #2)
Steve Hadden. Telemachus Press. $9.99 paper (286p), ISBN 978-
1-939927-36-1; $5.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-939927-35-4
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo,
Smashwords
Trapped by the FBI, a champion swimmer battles
the U.S. government and the country’s top geneti-cist to save a near-human species of monkey that
carries an explosive secret.
Society of the Morning Star
C.W. Irwin. CreateSpace. $12.45 paper (319p),
ISBN 978-1-5028-4128-5
Amazon
An adult thriller about murder, art forgery, and a
secret society in Venice, Italy. The protagonist is a
restorer and forger who goes to Venice to avenge a
friend’s murder.
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Stone Lion: Modern
Western Suspense
B.H. Luther Luther. Outskirts Press.
$28.95 paper (614p),
ISBN 978-1-4787-5676-7
Outskirts Press, Amazon,BN.com
A novel with honorable
and evil characters, murder
and madness, and a dose of humor, com-
munity unity, and family love threaded
throughout.
This Madness of the Heart
Blair Yeatts. Blair Yeatts. $12.99 paper
(326p), ISBN 978-1-5308-2496-0;
$5.99 e-book, ASIN B01DEC2GOS
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
Appalachian professor
Miranda Lamden explores
murder and the paranormal
in a new gothic thriller as
she defies corrupt religion
and the vengeful spirit of a
long-dead voodoo mambo.
The Torch Is Passed: A Harding
Family Story
Bill Powers. BookBaby. $2.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-68222-679-7
BookBaby, Amazon, Apple
iBooks, BN.com
Andrea Harding urgently
seeks answers to why anyone
would want to kill her entire
family, grows up along the
way, and seeks her revenge.
SF/FANTASY/HORROR
The Grand Attraction: Parts I–IV
Enoch K. Enns. AuthorHouse. $19.95paper (244p), ISBN 978-1-5049-1950-0;
$3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-5049-1949-4
Amazon
Carls Locke journeys
along the corridor to reclaim
his grasp on reality and free
his mind from man’s greatest illusion.
Healing Jason Sutter (Misunderstood
Series #1)
Jay Sherfey. iUniverse. $14.95 paper
(214p), ISBN 978-1-4620-5962-1;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4620-5963-8
Amazon
A 13-year-old boy is diag-
nosed with severe mental
disabilities—and soon dis-covers that he has psychic
powers that allow him to
change the world for the better.
It’s Come to Our Attention
Juliana Rew, ed. Third Flatiron
Publishing. $3.19 e-book,
ASIN B01B12YRTA
Amazon
Fourteen speculative fic-
tion short stories about
things that could be hap-
pening under the radar but could still be
extremely significant.
The Light: It Has Arrived
James T. Crichton. James T. Crichton.
$2.99 e-book, ASIN B01BMVK15O
Amazon
The ultimate break-
through in green power tech-
nology is made. But on a dis-
tant moon something unex-
pected is discovered that will
change the destiny of the universe.
The Private Sector (2nd ed.)
Leigh M. Lane. Cerebral Writer. $12.99
paper (286p), ISBN 978-1-5302-1342-9
Amazon
The streets have become a
battleground for those who
would fight against the elite’s
corrupt system, against the
devastating impact of asociety ruled by the private sector.
Queen of Us All
Kevin O’Malley. iUniverse. $17.95 paper
(266p), ISBN 978-1-4917-3606-7;
$3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4917-3466-7
Amazon
When a special girl is
marked for death by the
laws of the kingdom, she
embarks on a quest for survival that
leads to a showdown and her ultimate
destiny.
Sands of Time: Fate of the True
Vampires Special Edition
Christine Church. CreateSpace. $8.99paper (106p), ISBN 978-1-5305-1639-1
Amazon
Written as scripts found
by archaeologists, this story
sweeps back to ancient
Egypt and the life of a
hybrid blood drinker
searching for family and a way to stop the
man who wishes to kill them.
The Verne Legacy
Tom Ford. Mill City Press.
$14.95 paper (228p),
ISBN 978-1-63413-898-7;
$5.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-63413-899-4
Thevernelegacy.com, Abebooks, Amazon,
BN.com, Ingram
Ford intends this book for people of all
ages who love science fiction, mystery,
and intrigue.
The Woman Between the Worlds
F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre. iUniverse.
$19.95 paper (324p),
ISBN 978-0-595-08884-3
Amazon
A female shape-shifter
escapes to Victorian London.
Aleister Crowley and
George Bernard Shaw cannot save her, but
the tattoo artist who loves her will try
anything.
ROMANCE/EROTICA The Eagle and the Heiress: Romantic
Suspense in Chile
Stephen Barnes.
CreateSpace. $9.99 paper
(255p),
ISBN 978-0-692-44588-4
Amazon
An American geologist
down on his luck accepts a new job in
Chile, where he is thrown into a web of
love, redemption, and trickery.
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Little Bits of Karma
Laura Simmons. Outskirts
Press. $16.95 paper (333p),
ISBN 978-1-4787-5716-0;
$7.99 e-book,
ASIN B010P27HZSAmazon, BN.com, Outskirts Press
A story of romance, reincarnation,
redemption, and forgiveness.
The Mysterious Lady of Lakeview
Judy Conlin. iUniverse. $10.95 paper
(116p), ISBN 978-1-4401-7373-8;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4401-7372-1
Amazon
As she wrestles with her
grandfather’s dying wishes,
Kristen finds herself inex-
plicably drawn to a ghost
that haunts the halls of the
mysterious Lakeview Manor.
Not Flowers, but Love
Krys Batts. The Real Ideal. $2.99 e-book,
ASIN B010OVVZEO
Amazon
Jamie Dubois enjoys a
soaring career, but her fanta-
sies of romance have ended
in bumpy landings. Now
that she’s given up on love, Ken may be
the dashing delight who restores her faith.
Once Around the Sun
G. Habig Boor. Outskirts Press. $18.95
paper (392p), ISBN 978-1-4327-7784-5
Outskirts Press, Amazon,
BN.com
This novel concerns the
mysterious murder of a
young woman, a newlyelected sheriff, and the com-
plications of newly found love.
Once Upon a (Stolen) Time
Samreen Ahsan. KDP. $2.99 e-book,
ASIN B016XI5836
Amazon, Apple iBooks,
Chapters, Kobo,
Smashwords
A romantic fantasy fairy
tale, set in both contempo-
rary and medieval England,
where past and future collide in a tale of
love, obsession, betrayal, and the hope for
redemption.
The Spicy Secrets of a Jet-Set
Temptress: Part 1: Learning the LifeLantana Bleu. Lionesse Books. $4.99
e-book, ASIN B01A7UP65G
Amazon, Apple iBooks,
BN.com
She’s a sweet, smart, and
sassy high-priced escort who
always leaves them wanting
more. And she’s sharing her
advice and success secrets.
The Vines that Bind
Deborah Arnold. Deborah Arnold. $1.99
e-book, ASIN B00PX80NBK
Amazon
Lucy McKenzie is
drawn to Nick Blackwell,
the victim of a myste-
rious attack. But helping
Nick will force Lucy to
confront old demons. Is it worth the pain
to help the man she loves?
INSPIRATIONAL
I Am Job
Effiong E. Ibok. AuthorHouse. $14.90
paper (208p), ISBN 978-1-4490-4354-4
Amazon
This collection of stories
asks the age-old question of
why the righteous suffer and
helps the sufferer survive the
experience.
Miracles of God’s Love
Catherine J.M. Hughes. AuthorHouse.$22.88 paper (40p),
ISBN 978-1-5049-8823-0
Amazon
This book contains the
testimonies of Hughes’s
experiences, which are
profound miracles of
God’s love. These and
other miracles changed her life forever.
Hughes invites the reader to join her in
this journey.
Original Design: Set Free
to Be Who God Created
Denise Buss. CloverFields Publishing.
$13.95 paper (255p),
ISBN 978-0-9903583-7-4
Denisebuss.com, AmazonGod perfectly designed
us. But Satan often conceals
our true identity. In Christ
we can be redeemed from Satan’s work.
God’s truth destroys the enemy’s lies and
heals our wounds.
NONFICTION
12 Weeks on Tinsmith: Behind the
Scenes of Edward Scissorhands
Kathy Lockwood. Kathy Lockwood.
$2.99 e-book, ASIN B019KUZITI
Amazon
Lockwood spent the
summer of 1990 dressed in
polyester and living in the
pastel-colored world of the
enchanting film.
The Art of Reading: A Photo Essay
Lawrence Schwartzwald. Lawrence
Schwartzwald. $28 paper (75p),
ISBN 978-1-941969-81-6
Dashwood Books,
McNallyjackson.com
A collection of candid
images of ordinary folks in
the act of reading books and
printed matter, mostly in New York City.
Blessed Inspirations:
The Greatest Is Love
Q.M. Herrera. Blessed Inspirations 33.
$22.95 paper (160p), ISBN 978-0-
9970359-3-3; $11.99 e-book,ASIN B01BEHFFC0
Blessed Inspirations 33,
Amazon, Apple iBooks,
BN.com
A collection of poems,
lyrics, prayers, and medita-
tions that were divinely inspired to bring
peace, light, love, and hope to all.
Broken Promises of the Conservatives
Gene P. Abel. AuthorHouse. $13.95
paper (100p), ISBN 978-1-4969-1446-0;
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$3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4969-1444-6
Amazon
Scrutinize politicized
rhetoric with history, sci-
ence, and facts. Critiqueunfounded ideological
stances. See the repercus-
sions of right-wing domestic and foreign
policies for what they are: broken prom-
ises of the conservatives.
Caskets from Costco
Kelly Wilson. Gravity. $12.99 paper
(182p), ISBN 978-1-5137-
0391-6; $4.99 e-book,
ASIN B015WOUC42
Amazon
A funny book about grief
that demonstrates the cer-
tainty of hope and healing in an uncertain
and painful world.
Celebration(s)
Pat Willene. AuthorHouse. $3.99
e-book, ISBN 978-0-7596-6090-8
Amazon
An inspirational and true
story of pain, hope, and
recovery following the sis-
terhood of Pat and Dee as
their beauty, innocence, and
purity is tarred by abusive, domineering
familial bonds.
Chronic Mental Illness: A Living
Nightmare
Eace Bee, Honey Bee, and Priscilla Bee.
AuthorHouse. $14.95 paper (84p),
ISBN 978-1-4969-6771-8; $3.99
e-book, ISBN 978-1-4969-6770-1Amazon
A compassionate plea
for better education and
funding to support those
battling mental illness.
Readers are urged to join
the movement by telling their story.
Consciousness: The Evolution of Man
Huub Klinkenberg. AuthorHouse.
$16.95 paper (198p),
ISBN 978-1-5049-5108-1; $3.99
e-book,
ISBN 978-1-5049-5106-7
Amazon
A concise overview of the
journey of the soul that
explores the powers of thesoul, life plan, reincarnation, karma,
birth, sickness, and death from a spiritual
point of view.
Controversial Commentary About
America
James W. Breedlove. Doris Taylor. $14.95
paper (246p), ISBN 978-0-9837849-2-0
Via email: [email protected]
An anthology of articles
written by Breedlove over a
period of years that deal
with race relations and
issues.
Crowning Glory: An Experiment in
Self-Discovery Through Disguise
Stacy Harshman. Andarina Publishing.
$9.99 paper (281p),
ISBN 978-0-9973688-1-9
Amazon
Harshman learns more
about who she is and what
she can find in herself as a
redhead, a raven-haired goth, a brunette,
and a blond.
The Dominican Experiment: A
Teacher and His Students Explore a
Garbage Dump, a Sweatshop, and
Vodou
Michael D’Amato and George Santos.
iUniverse. $14.95 paper
(149p), ISBN 978-1-4917-
2600-6; $3.99 e-book,ISBN 978-1-4917-2601-3
Theclassroombook.com
The authors say we need
to shift from charity to solidarity if we are
serious about fixing systemic global
issues like free primary education, state-
lessness, living wages, and gender
inequality.
Don’t Date Baptists: And Other
Warnings from My Alabama Mother
Terry Barr. Red Dirt Press. $14.99 paper
(228p), ISBN 978-0-692-64120-0
Amazon, BN.com
Barr’s essays explore his
childhood world, where he
encounters witches,
pompous mayors, andneighbors who practice love
and hate in equal measure.
Dreams of a Farmer’s Wife
Jeanette Dyess Ryan. iUniverse. $18.95
paper (236p), ISBN 978-1-4620-6649-0;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4620-6650-6
Amazon
Ryan never wanted to be a
farmer’s wife. She reflects on
her new country life and sees
how being a farmer’s wife
was what she wanted all
along.
Fact & Fake Files & Fiction of the
Paranormal
Timothy Spenard. Outskirts Press.
$24.95 paper (335p),
ISBN 978-1-4787-5438-1
Outskirts Press, Amazon,
BN.com
Half of this book recounts
chilling moments of the
author’s life, and half enchants and terri-
fies with his imagination.
Four Score and More: My Memoir,
History, and a Family Legacy
LaVera Edick. Trafford. $21.55 paper
(396p), ISBN 978-1-4669-7396-1;
$3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4669-7397-8
Amazon
A celebration of family,hard work, and farm life in a
memoir that reveals insights
about the dust bowl, the Great
Depression, and World War II.
Garbage Bag Suitcase: A Memoir
Shenandoah Chefalo.
Mission Point Press. $17.99
paper (194p),
ISBN 978-1-943995-03-5
Amazon
The inspiring and hair-
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raising story of one woman’s journey to
overcome her desolate childhood and
make changes in the foster care system.
Grace in a Wintry Season: Feeling Our
Creator’s Love in a World GrownDistant and Cold—and Loving in
Return
Edwin Steinmann. Florence Fleming.
$19.99 hardcover (154p), ISBN 978-0-
9961841-2-0; $11.99 paper (154p),
ISBN 978-0-9961841-0-6
Amazon, Ingram
Steinmann, an attorney,
moves from disenchanted
“none” to re-enchanted
“mystic.”
Healing the Wound from My
Daughter’s Suicide: Grief Translated
into Words
Lois Severson. iUniverse. $15.95 paper
(186p), ISBN 978-1-4759-
8932-8; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4759-8933-5
Amazon
Raw and emotional, a true
story of a family dealing with
the aftermath of suicide. See how they
found comfort through help from their
community, family, and faith in God.
I Am His and He Is Mine
Alisha Sheryl. Xlibris. $19.99 paper
(198p), ISBN 978-1-4931-
9049-2; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4931-9047-8
Amazon
This book encourages
anyone to embrace God and
let him heal their wounds. They will findpeace, joy, and salvation through a dear
shepherd and faithful friend, Jesus Christ.
The Java Dream: A Life’s Journey
Luke G. CreateSpace. $12.90 paper
(144p), ISBN 978-1-5186-4954-7
Amazon
An intimate and personal
look at the unusual life of a
mother and her only relative,
her son, as they listen to their
dreams and follow their hearts.
JFK: The Magnificent Journey
Alen J. Salerian. Salerian Works. $32.95
paper (168p), ISBN 978-1-5169-0916-2
Amazon
A psychiatrist and FBI
consultant mixes paintings,poetry, and evidence to
guide you through the true
story of the J.F.K.
assassination.
Kanga Stories
Phyllis Ressler and Lara Ressler Horst.
EPR Group. $19.99 paper (128p),
ISBN 978-0-692-24014-4
Amazon, Ingram
The kanga, a primarily
East African cloth, tells a
dynamic story of cultural
exchange in the Indian
Ocean region. Since the
cloth was first produced in the mid-
1800s, millions have treasured this textile
for its designs and meaning.
A License to Heal: Random Memories
of an ER Doctor
Steven Bentley. iUniverse. $11.95 paper
(142p), ISBN 978-1-4917-3007-2;
$3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4917-3008-9
Amazon
Stories from an ER doctor
bring the dynamic world of
emergency medicine to life.
Life-Ology 101: If All Else Fails, Smile
Michael Soward with Mike Valentino.
Xlibris. $24.99 hardcover (68p), ISBN
978-1-4836-9510-5; $15.99 paper (68p),
ISBN 978-1-4836-9509-9Amazon, BN.com
Soward shares an
inspiring tale depicting the
strength of the human spirit.
This book is a crash course in
life showing readers a unique way to over-
come life’s hardships.
My Life: Mysteries and Achievements
Ellias Ngugama. AuthorHouse. $14.95
paper (122p), ISBN 978-1-4817-4934-3;
$3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4817-4933-6
Amazon
Ngugama looks back to a
number of fascinating
events that shaped him into
who he is today.
My Mother Called Me Unni:
A Doctor’s Tale of Migration
Venugopal Menon. Outskirts Press.
$18.95 paper (324p),
ISBN 978-1-4787-6171-6
Outskirts Press, Amazon,
BN.com
The story of a man who
left his homeland, India, in
the late 1960s to find his
own destiny in the melting pot of the
United States.
My Survival in the Killing Fields
Mao Sim. CreateSpace. $6.99 paper (94p),
ISBN 978-1-5029-4464-1
Amazon, BN.com,
CreateSpace
Mao Sim tells how as a
young girl she emerged a
survivor of the Cambodian
genocide.
The Mysteries of Eva Miller Revealed
Eva D. Miller. iUniverse. $14.95 paper
(148p), ISBN 978-1-4502-3522-8;
$9.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4502-3523-5
Amazon
Dark, even sinister,
secrets from the past eventu-
ally make their way into the
light of truth as Miller
shares her story of abuse,
treachery, and deception.
The Other Woman’s Affair: Gambling
Your Heart and Reclaiming Your Life
When Your Partner Is Married
Paul DePompo and Misa
Butsahara. CBTI of
Southern California. $14.99
paper (201p), ISBN 978-0-
9962507-0-2Amazon,
BN.com, Kobo
The authors provide concrete tools to
make decisions about whether you should
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stay or go, giving you the
best chance for success
regardless of the outcome of this
relationship.
Pain and Purpose in the Pacific:True Reports of War
Richard Carl Bright. Trafford. $25.75
paper (558p), ISBN 978-1-4907-2152-1;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4907-2153-8
Amazon
Bright chronicles the
battles on Saipan, Tinian,
Iwo Jima, and Okinawa,
interviewing veterans and
retracing the travels of one
Marine from the farmland of Minnesota
to Japan and back.
The Pursuit of Happiness After a
Divorce
Tasha Mayes Brookman. Outskirts Press.
$2.99 e-book, ASIN B01A0CTUNA
Amazon, Baker & Taylor,
BN.com, Ingram
Brookman presents the
story about Ariella and
Kaleb’s chaotic relationship.
Every person involved in
divorce goes through pain, grief, addic-
tion, boundaries, and adjusting.
Rabbi, Tell Me...: John’s Gospel of
Belief vs. Thomas’ Gospel of
“Knowledge”
Peter Ferraro. Outskirts
Press. $12.95 paper (95p),
ISBN 978-1-4787-6849-4
Outskirts Press, Amazon,
BN.com
This work is a dialoguebetween Jesus and his disciples. First the
Jesus of the Gospel of John answers, then
the Jesus of the Gospel of Thomas.
Register Your Book: The Essential
Guide to ISBNs, Barcodes, Copyright,
and LCCNs
David Wogahn. Partner
Press. $9.99 paper (160p),
ISBN 978-1-944098-05-6
Amazon, Apple iBooks,
BN.com, Kobo
Set your book up for long-term success,
improve sales opportunities, and protect
your investment.
Rethinking Women’s Health:
A Guide to WellnessAlison E. Buehler. Sartoris Literary
Group. $19.95 paper (266p),
ISBN 978-1-941644-49-2
Amazon, BN.com,
Books-A-Million
A practical, integrative
health guide for women at
every stage of life who want
to move from treating disease to creating
a culture of wellness.
Several Points from Which to View:
While Pursuing and Perfecting Your
Purpose
Texas Jack Cowan. AuthorHouse. $13.95
paper (94p), ISBN 978-1-4969-5776-4;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4969-4241-8
Amazon
Cowan exposes thought-
provoking materials con-
densed and sharpened so as
to knock some of the
present-day trash out of
your decision-making equipment.
Sleeping Between the Rails:
A Woman’s Odyssey
Carroll Devine. Rabbit Hole Press.
$12.99 paper (267p),
ISBN 978-0-692-57647-2
Amazon
A young woman risks all
on a five-year perilous vaga-
bonding journey through 32
countries. Begun on a romantic promise,the odyssey challenges her beliefs about
the world and herself.
Steps Towards Educational
Excellence: The Role of Parents,
Students and Supplementary Schools
Gilbert Gbedawo. Xlibris. $23.28 paper
(218p), ISBN 978-1-5144-6144-0;
$4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5144-6145-7
Amazon
This book addresses the issues con-
fronting parents, students, schools, and
governments as they
struggle to cope with the
challenges of migrant stu-
dents, and how to effectively
position them toward edu-
cational excellence.
The Tail Wags the Dog:
A Psychologist Reveals Two Hundred
Life Lessons Learned from Her Patients
Amy Beth Taublieb. AuthorHouse.
$37.99 paper (130p), ISBN 978-1-5049-
5730-4; $3.99 e-book, ISBN
978-1-5049-5731-1
Amazon
Covering virtually every
aspect of living, this book
consists of relevant,
jargon-free insights
gleaned from thousands of psychotherapy
sessions during the author’s 30-year
career as a psychologist.
Tommy Wrought: A Musical
Reflection of Children with Special
Needs
Peter Felton. CreateSpace.
$19.99 paper (346p), ISBN
978-1-5197-3014-5; $9.99
e-book, ASIN B019BSOFJ8
Amazon, BN.com
Life is depicted through the eyes of
special-needs children from an intergen-
erational perspective through connections
made among conceptual elements of the
Who’s rock opera Tommy.
Too Cold for Alligators: Thirty-Three
Days on the Road
Sasha Wolfe. AuthorHouse. $16.95 paper
(236p), ISBN 978-1-4969-2338-7;$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4969-2337-0
Amazon
Wolfe narrates a personal
journey through photo-
graphs, stories, and histor-
ical facts. Courage and
vulnerability are inter-
twined as a testament to one woman’s true
strength, limitations, and discoveries.
True Success: What It Means and How
Organizations Can Achieve It
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Arnold S. Judson. iUniverse. $18.95
paper (213p), ISBN 978-0-595-40526-8;
$6 e-book, ISBN 978-0-595-84891-1
Amazon
Learn four keys that make
an organization truly suc-cessful. Discover how to
define success, identify
opportunities, generate
ideas, and recognize leverage capabilities.
Empower yourself, coworkers, and your
organization to be effective.
Uber Diet Coach
Bruce Scher. Uber Diet Coach. $5.99
e-book, ISBN 978-0-692-67939-5
Amazon
Scher, a diet expert who
lost 75 pounds in 12 weeks,
says this is the real-deal solu-
tion for weight loss. He offers
a proven scientific approach
utilizing the latest cutting edge research.
Undermining the U.S. Constitution:
How the Communist Manifesto of
1848 Blueprints the Actions of the
Democratic Party and President
Obama Today
Diane S. Vann. AuthorHouse. $13.95
paper (108p), ISBN 978-1-4772-9890-9;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4772-9919-7
Amazon
An analysis of the paral-
lelism between Marx’s
instructions in the
Communist Manifesto of
1848 and President Barack
Obama’s actions today.
The Unjust “Justice”: Getting theTruth Out
Edward Castle. iUniverse. $26.95 paper
(412p), ISBN 978-1-4620-6457-1
Amazon
An exposé of the corrup-
tion of district attorneys in
the unjust prosecution and
judicial abuse of a mentally
ill young man.
Up from Where We’ve Come
Charles Wright. Charles Wright. $24.99
paper (246p), ISBN 978-0-578-16930-9;
$5.99 e-book, ASIN B0172DGGBE
Amazon
A historical autobiog-
raphy detailing the racism
and hardship the Wrightfamily faced as sharecrop-
pers near Clarksdale, Miss.,
circa the 1940s and early ’50s.
What Tennis Pros Don’t Teach
(WTPDT): Wisdom Tennis 101
Manuel S. Cervantes. Xlibris. $23.99
paper (562p), ISBN 978-1-5144-2093-5;
$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 dif-
ferent scenarios.
Within the Child’s Core
Janiece Corevine. Outskirts Press. $19.95
paper (366p), ISBN 978-0-578-17637-6
Outskirts Press, Amazon, BN.com
To the outside world, it
was a perfect family, but
behind closed doors was
pain, suffering, and beating,
and the secrets kept
growing.
Write! Find the Truth in Your Fiction
Gerald DiPego. BookBaby. $4.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-0-9972918-0-3
Amazon, BN.com
DiPego presents his
method of emotional realism
gained from 45 years as a suc-cessful professional writer. A
personal, conversational
how-to book on creative writing for film
and prose.
You, Yes You, Can Teach Someone to
Read: A Step by Step
How-To Book
Lucille Tessier Chagnon.
AuthorHouse. $9.50 paper
(136p),
ISBN 978-1-4184-9874-0
Amazon
This practical book uses a
distinctive technique to enrich lives and
produce a community of service.
CHILDREN’S/YA Can a Princess Be a Firefighter?
Carole P. Roman, illus. by Mateya
Arkova. Chelshire. $12.99 paper (36p),
ISBN 978-1-5303-6184-7
Amazon
Two little girls pepper
their father with ques-
tions about whether or
not they can have a pro-
fession and still be a
princess.
Caroline’s Day
Tony A. Angelelli, illus. by Kendra
Atchley. AuthorHouse. $24.99 paper
(64p), ISBN 978-1-5049-5156-2; $3.99
e-book, ISBN 978-1-5049-5162-3
Amazon
Using fast-pitch soft-
ball, this book tells a
story about never giving
up. It’s about dealing
with defeat and personal
adversity, staying in the game, and
surprise.
Crystal and Breanna: The Secret of
Blackridge Farm
Dave Bettinger, illus. by Christina
Fletcher. Outskirts Press. $24.95 hard-
cover (239p), ISBN 978-1-4787-4323-1;
$17.95 paper (271p),
ISBN 978-1-4787-4250-0
Outskirts Press, Amazon,
BN.comTwo 11-year-old girls
make a life-changing dis-
covery on one girl’s farm, which leads to a
summer full of adventure, tragedy, and
reconciliation.
A Day in the Life of a
Squirrel
Alexandria J. Snowdon,
illus. by Natalia Savchyk.
CreateSpace. $11.99
paper (24p),
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ISBN 978-1-5193-9997-7
Amazon
A story about two friends, one named
Greenlee and the other named Amber.
The Devious Mr. MischieviousScott Schafer. Imaginoggin. $2.99
e-book, ASIN B01CTCM338
Amazon
The recluse of the
neighborhood
spends most of his
days cooped up in
his house, until one day he decides to
come out of hiding and paint the town
red—literally—and everything in it.
Dream Along with Me
Linda M. LaPolla, illus. by Ashley D.
Poulin. Xlibris. $15.99 paper (24p),
ISBN 978-1-5035-7514-1; $3.99
e-book, ISBN 978-1-5035-7515-8
Amazon
An illustrated bed-
time storybook fol-
lowing a girl into a
dream world of imagi-
nation packed with
twists and turns.
Dylan Peterson and the Angels of Fire
Matthew L. Edde. Matthew L. Edde.
$26.99 hardcover (228p), ISBN 978-0-
9971776-2-6; $13.99 paper (304p),
ISBN 978-0-9971776-0-2
Amazon
Dylan Peterson was born
ordinary, but now he’s an
angel sworn to protect
Earth. He must harness his
new powers as an unimaginable evilthreatens to cast the world into eternal
darkness.
The Ever Part of Always: Keely
Tucker’s First Adventure
Toby K. Davis. iUniverse. $14.95 paper
(208p), ISBN 978-1-4697-
4591-6; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4697-4593-0
Amazon
Ten-year-old Keely
Tucker inherits a talking
horse named Mariah and finds her way
into an enchanted world. She must dis-
cover secret powers to save the day before
it’s too late.
Fred’s the Star: A Tale of Friendshipand Survival in the Dales
P.W. Brisley, illus. by Fred Nacaytuna.
PartridgeSingapore. $36.86 paper
(100p), ISBN 978-1-4828-2714-9;
$4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4828-2715-6
Amazon
Fred the field
mouse is glad to
become friends with
Bertie, who is not just
a badger but a badger
of great repute. Follow the adventures of
the two friends.
Ganesha’s Temple (Temple Wars #1)
Rohit Gaur. Rohit Gaur Studios. $12.99
paper (280p), ISBN 978-0-692-66378-3
Templewars.com, Amazon
A 14-year-old boy named
Tarun befriends Ganesha,
the lord of obstacles, on an
epic adventure that will
teach him about self-
sacrifice and self-reliance.
I Can if I Think I Can: I Am I Series
Nabeesah Majeed, illus. by Yuffie
Yuliana. PartridgeSingapore. $22.35
paper (24p), ISBN 978-1-4828-3187-0;
$5.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4828-3188-7
Amazon
This story encourages
perseverance and out-of-
the-box thinking as a
little girl thinks she can,and finally does.
I Love You Already
Anna Ressler, illus. by Lara Ressler Horst.
EPR Group. $12.99 paper (36p),
ISBN 978-0-692-63726-5
Amazon, Ingram
A love poem from a
mother to her unborn baby.
The book is full of colorful
illustrations and is intended
to be read as the child grows.
If You Were Me and Lived In...
Ancient Greece
Carole P. Roman, illus. by Marteya
Arkova. CreateSpace. $14.99 paper (54p),
ISBN 978-1-5232-3429-5
AmazonTravel through time
to visit one of the most
interesting
civilizations.
If You Were Me and Lived In...
Elizabethan England
Carole P. Roman, illus. by Paula Tabor.
Chelshire. $14.99 paper (52p),
ISBN 978-1-5232-2936-9
Amazon
Travel through time to
visit one of the most inter-
esting civilizations.
Impossible Red
Toure` Greer. AuthorHouse. $8 paper
(80p), ISBN 978-1-4520-
4529-0; $7.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4520-4530-6
Amazon
Poetry and ballads ensue
during missions to retrieve a
magically stolen house and a quest for
salvation.
Journey Home, a Thank You to
American Veterans
Tori Meyer. Red Bird Journey. $19.95
hardcover (40p), ISBN 978-0-692-46673-5
Redbirdjourney.com, Amazon
Through the eyes of a finch, young Lee
takes an imaginary
journey around the
world, following anAmerican soldier. A
gentle story explaining
war, military service, and freedoms.
Junie Moon and the
Travelling Goldfish
Helen Pendleton.
AuthorHouse. $17.99
paper (24p),
ISBN 978-1-5049-
1735-3; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-5049-1736-0
N E W S E L F P U B L I S H E D L I S T I N G S
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Amazon
A story about goldfish and other
aquatic animals doing fun things.
The Legend of Hobbomock:
The Sleeping Giant Jason Marchi, illus. by Jesse J. Bonelli.
Fahrenheit Books. $16 hardcover (32p),
ISBN 978-0-9830945-1-7
Omicronworld.com, Amazon, BN.com
A young Native
American boy named
Blackbird must help his
tribe find a way to stop an
angry stone giant from
destroying his people.
Lexicon Chase and the Riddle Song
(Lexicon Chase and the Kingdom of
Everhope, Book 2) Jonathan Fore.
Obscura Publishing. $2.99 e-book,
ASIN B01D7TOKYW
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
Lexicon, a bullied teen, must learn to
stand up for herself and her
friends, and find the courage
and strength to release her
new kingdom from the ruin
of an ancient curse.
The Lost Villages:
A Journey Through Time
Norbert Paul. CreateSpace. $9.95 paper
(226p), ISBN 978-1-5300-1929-8
Dannickcreativeservices.ca,
Amazon
A young boy finds a vil-
lage lost beneath the waves
and helps a man find his way
through time.
Schism
Britt Holewinski. Delirious Pixie. $12.99
paper (264p), ISBN 978-0-9883007-5-0;
$2.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-0-9883007-6-7
Amazon, Apple iBooks,
BN.com, Smashwords
In 2017, a global viral
holocaust kills billions; only
children are immune. In the aftermath, a
tenacious group of teens struggles to sur-
vive amid the chaos.
Time Saving Art Projects for the Busy
Teacher, Book 1
Diane Robbins. Xlibris.
$15.99 paper (24p),
ISBN 978-1-4990-
7339-3; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-4990-7340-9
Amazon, Xlibris
This book contains more than 20 art
activities using the same patterns. Busyteachers can make one set of patterns to be
used for projects from September to
January.
Time Saving Art Projects for the Busy
Teacher, Book 2
Diane Robbins. Xlibris.
$15.99 paper (24p),
ISBN 978-1-4990-7783-4;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN
978-1-4990-7782-7
Amazon, Xlibris
This book contains more than 20 art
activities using the same patterns. Busy
teachers can make one set of patterns to be
used for projects from February through
May/June.
Touched—The Caress of Fate
Elisa S. Amore. CreateSpace. $13.95
paper (462p), ISBN 978-1-5236-5908-1;
$3.99 e-book, ASIN B01B4N7XK6
Amazon
A new breed of angels is
here, a deadly, inescapable
race. The Angels of Death
ensure that each person’s
destiny takes its due course.
But what happens when love intervenes?
Who
David Spangler. Xlibris. $15.99 paper
(24p), ISBN 978-1-5144-0040-1; $3.99
e-book, ISBN 978-1-5144-0041-8
Amazon
A small great horned
owl is encouraged by his
parents to be a snowbird
and migrate south to
avoid the Northwest’s
long winters.
Who Rescued Who? Veteran Rescues
Pug Who Rescues Veteran
Dawn Taylor. AuthorHouse. $17.99
paper (24p), ISBN 978-1-5049-6226-1;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5049-6227-8
Amazon
This book helps readers
understand that even a pug
can be a service dog
through the dedication of
the dog, the owner, and theright trainer.
Wonders Down Under
M.M. (Jane) Estes. AuthorHouse. $20.99
paper (40p), ISBN 978-1-4817-2686-3;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4817-2687-0
Amazon
A trip down under with
vivid details that the
author had the pleasure to
behold. A picture-filled
literary adventure.
N E W S E L F P U B L I S H E D L I S T I N G S
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Get the latest on books in Spanish in thisFREE webcast, streaming on demand at
PublishersWeekly.com/webcasts
Books in Spanish AreBlooming This Spring
ts a panel of leading industry players on
books in Spanish for the U.S. market. Follo ing a brief
o er ie of t e mar et presen e contri tor an
Spanish language book marke ing and PR specialis Leylha Ahuile,
the panel offers a glimpse of some of the hottest ne titles in
Spanish hitting the market
Moderator:
Leylha Ahuile, Presiden and F under, PromoLa ino
P neli ts:
Jaime DePablos, Director, V ntage Español
Silvia Matute, President, Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial USA
S O N S O D Y
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20/26
Bitter Sweet Love: Twisted Series, Book 1R.C. Stephens. R.C. Stephens, $2.99 e-book (355p) ASIN B00RUAX0WS
Enslaved in Shadows: Shadow Unit, Book 1
Tigris Eden. Kats Kreative Ideas, $3.99 e-book (338p) ISBN 978-1-62517-
639-4
Falling WalrusRobert J. Wolfe. CreateSpace, $15 hardcover (371p) ISBN 978-1-517092-
20-7
Love Sick Autumn J. Bright. Light Bulb, $15.99 trade paper (380p) ISBN 978-0-
9861923-1-9
MalachiteKirby Crow. Bonecamp, $4.99 e-book (344p) ASIN B019495FXE
Murder Under the Bridge: A Palestine MysteryKate Jessica Raphael. She Writes, $16.95 trade paper (400p) ISBN 978-
1-63152-960-3
The Pit: Watchmaker’s Hell, Book 1L.A. Barnes. Bookbaby, $18.37 trade paper (460p) ISBN 978-1-68222-705-3
Red Stick OneKenneth Kirkeby. Kenneth Kirkeby, $15.95 trade paper (270p) ISBN 978-
0-615-97242-8
Stolen MemoriesMary Miley. CreateSpace, $9.99 trade paper (260p) ISBN 978-151-
888370-5
Up a Tree: A Novel and Shamanic Handbook Jane Burns. Out in the Barn Press, $15.95 trade paper (342p) ISBN 978-
0-9914179-0-2
Nonfiction
The Art of Fact Investigation:Creative Thinking in the Age of Information Overload
Philip Segal. Ignaz, $22.95 hardcover (130p) ISBN 978-0-9969079-1-0
P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY A P R I L 2 5 , 2 0 1 658
Cowboys of the Waggoner Ranch Jeremy Enlow and Jan Nichols Batts. Jeremy Enlow Fine Art Photography,
$58 hardcover (140p) ISBN 978-0-9966285-0-1
Fresh Tastes from a Well-Seasoned KitchenLee Clayton Roper. Southwestern Publishing, $34.95 hardcover (272p)
ISBN 978-0-9841163-6-2
The Listening Project:Lessons of Life, Love, and Listening to GodChristine C. Williams. Wisdom House, $13.99 trade paper (133p)
ISBN 978-0-9963663-1-1
Memoirs of a Ghost: One Sheet Away Andrea Cagan. CreateSpace, $16.95 trade paper (271p) ISBN SBN 978-
1-5053-1962-0
My Journey into the Wilds of Chicago: A Celebrationof Chicago-land’s Startling Natural WondersMike MacDonald. Morning Dew, $75 hardcover (240p) ISBN 978-0-
9963119-0-8
To Belém & Back:Backroads Brazil with My Black LabBen Batchelder. Earthdog, $15.99 trade paper (264p) ISBN 978-0-
99133722-4
Walking in Grace with Grief Della Temple. Button Rock, $14.95 e-book (126p) ISBN 978-0-9963878-
0-4
The 8 × 8 Cookbook: Square Meals for WeeknightFamily Dinners, Desserts, and More—in One Perfect8 × 8 DishKathy Strahs. Burnt Cheese, $24.95 trade paper (178p) ISBN 978-0-
9969112-0-7
Children’s & YA
A Superpower for MeMariana Llanos, illus. by Daria Tarawneh. CreateSpace, $10.99 paper
(38p) ISBN 978-1-5152-7287-8
Fiction
Reviews RoundupIn the last month, we’ve reviewed 20 self-published titles submitted viaBookLife, Publishers Weekly’s website dedicated to indie authors. Among the
highlights is Ben Batchelder’s travelogue To Belém & Back: Backroads Brazil with
My Black Lab, which received a starred review.
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Fiction
Bitter Sweet Love:
Twisted Series, Book 1
R.C. Stephens. R.C. Stephens, $2.99 e-book
(355p) ASIN B00RUAX0WS
Stephens’s unengaging contemporary
debut finds Toronto law student Alexis
White in turmoil over whether to break
her personal commitment to noncommit-
ment. As a child, she was abused by heralcoholic mother and frequently turned to
neighbor and
classmate Dylan
Priestley for
comfort and
support. They
eventually fell
in love, and in
the bloom of
youthful ardor
he vowed to
always be therefor her. When
that proved impossible, he left, and Lexi
swore off serious relationships for good.
She’s happy with one-night stands that
simply scratch her sexual itches, but after
being seduced by the cousin of an
acquaintance, she has second thoughts.
Cue Dylan’s predictable return.
Uncertainty and indecisiveness plague the
implausibly hapless heroine. There fol-
lows the obvious tug and thrust with
some mildly surprising plot twists. Those
who stick it out to the last page will be
dismayed that all this melodramatic
forcemeat leads to an annoying cliffhanger
with book two waiting in the wings.
Enslaved in Shadows:
Shadow Unit, Book 1
Tigris Eden. Kats Kreative Ideas, $3.99 e-book
(338p) ISBN 978-1-62517-639-4
Excessive gore and a useless heroine
define Eden’s first Shadow Unit novel.
After passionate anonymous sex in a
Belize jungle, Jes is left devastated by her
lover’s dismissive behavior—and preg-
nant. Jes marries the first man to come
along, and his
abusive nature
soon manifests.
His involve-
ment in an evil
paranormal plot
and threats
against her half-
wolf daughter
lead her to thesecret Shadow
Unit. Assigned
to protect Jes and her daughter is none
other than Draven, alpha jerk and were-
wolf, who soon recognizes Jes as his mate
and sets about winning her heart. The
basic paranormal fight against an evil
secret organization is not new, and neither
are the purple prose and gradually
reformed hero. More novel, but in no way
appealing, are the scenes filled with
almost gleeful violence (“The worms ateaway at her,” Eden writes with relish) and
a heroine who inspires disdain for her
indecisiveness and self-pity. Eden too
often settles for shock value, and readers
who make it through the book will be dis-
mayed by its cliffhanger ending.
Falling Walrus
Robert J. Wolfe. CreateSpace, $15 hardcover
(371p) ISBN 978-1-517092-20-7
Cultural anthropologist Wolfe com-
bines an engaging look at native Alaskan
culture and a puzzling whodunit in this
series launch.
During a storm
at sea, a
“ghostly mass”
emerges out of
the mist and
engulfs
Francisco
Muñoz, an
undocumented
worker, on a
fishing boat.
Muñoz, whose corpse eventually washes
ashore, is initially believed to have
drowned, but an autopsy reveals that he
was crushed to death. Meanwhile, the
folks at the Fish and Game department
want to solve the mystery of three dead
walruses, beheaded for their ivory. Two
anthropology students, Nick John and
Mac Cleary, who have been studying the
possible impact of proposed changes to
the rules governing commercial herring
fishing near the Walrus Island Sanctuary,investigate. John and Cleary’s assignment
soon morphs into something much more
complex. Wolfe tosses an unexplained
biological phenomenon into a story line
that will appeal to Paul Doiron fans.
Love Sick
Autumn J. Bright. Light Bulb, $15.99 trade pa-
per (380p) ISBN 978-0-9861923-1-9
Early in Bright’s searing debut, set in
Charleston, S.C., Toni Jones is stabbed by
her spouse, Marvin, and taken to the hos-pital, where
family members
plead with her
to leave him.
Yet Toni slips
back into
familiar pat-
terns, honoring
her commit-
ment to the
man who was
once a loving
partner. As Toni’s career as a radio person-
ality falters, Marvin begins victimizing a
second woman. Flashbacks highlight the
good times in Toni’s marriage as well as
the early signs of Marvin’s abusive person-
ality. Frequent movement between char-
acters’ perspectives—including Marvin;
Toni’s young daughter, Justine; and a
well-conceived detective—detract some-
what from Toni’s personal development.
Bright convincingly portrays the painful
and conflicting emotions of a strong bat-
tered woman, but Marvin is reduced to a
R E V I EW S
Reviews
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8/17/2019 PW Select April 2016
22/26P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY A P R I L 2 5 , 2 0 1 658b
smarmy and predictable
antagonist, and overexposi-
tion drives home a message
about escaping abuse with a force that
flattens rather than lifts the narrative.
MalachiteKirby Crow. Bonecamp, $4.99 e-book (344p)
ASIN B019495FXE
Romance and intrigue intertwine in
this leisurely romantic fantasy series
launch. Estranged lovers Marion and Jean
both occupy positions of authority as
highwardens in the island city of
Malachite, to
which they have
been exiled
from the matri-
archic main-land. Both are
responsible for
welcoming new
exiles, and Jean
serves as a dis-
trict warden for
the dangerous
area known as the Zanzare. As Marion
prepares for his wedding to the much-
younger Tris, son of the city’s ruler, the
three men are caught up in matters of
state and affairs of both the heart andbody. A rebel is stirring up unrest among
the gangs, evoking memories of an older,
more chaotic period of Malachite’s history.
To keep the peace, Marion and Jean must
work together despite lingering emo-
tional wounds. The slow-burning plot
takes a backseat to the romantic complica-
tions facing the leads, emphasizing drama
over action and erotic interludes over
adrenaline and adventure. The setting
creaks under the weight of history and
corruption, with Crow (the Scarlet and
the White Wolf series) drawing on Italian
imagery and flavor for atmosphere and
influence. This works well as a subtle
romance, but readers looking primarily
for epic fantasy may feel a bit let down.
Murder Under the Bridge:
A Palestine Mystery
Kate Jessica Raphael. She Writes, $16.95
trade paper (400p) ISBN 978-1-63152-960-3
Rania Bakara, the principal narrator of
Raphael’s compelling mystery, is the only
female detective on the Palestinian police
force in the occupied West Bank’s Salfit
District, where her colleagues grudgingly
accept her. Called to investigate an aban-
doned car, Rania discovers the body of a
woman on the
outskirts of her
village, and it’ssoon obvious
the victim is
neither
Palestinian nor
Israeli. Because
of the de