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BOOK STRUCTURE 101

Anatomy of a Book: What

Indie Authors Need to Know
By Betty Kelly Sargent

FRONT MATTER: This is the first part of the book, and it

gives the reader technical information about the book. Front
matter pages are numbered in lowercase roman numerals. All
the pages count, but no page number is placed on display pag-

36 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 2 4 , 2 0 1 4

es such as title and copyright pages, or on blank pages. Front

matter typically includes some or all of the following elements.
half title pageonly includes the title
title pageincludes the title, subtitle (if there is one), authors name,
and name of publisher
copyright page
copyright acknowledgmentsfor material reprinted or with
permission
colophonproduction notes about typefaces, and name and
address of the printer; alternatively this can go in the back matter
dedication
table of contents
forewordusually written by someone other than the author
prefaceusually the story of how the book came about; written
by the author
epigrapha poem, quotation, or phrase
prologueopens the story, establishes the setting; written by the
narrator or a character in the story in fiction
acknowledgmentsalternatively, can go in the back matter
introductionby the author; describes the purpose and goals of
the book

BODY MATTER: This is the core text or content of the book.

It can (but doesnt have to) include:
partssections that are closely related
sectionsa set of closely related chapters
chapterswhich can have titles or numbers

BACK MATTER: The end matter is optional and may include:

epilogueby the narrator or a character to bring closure to the story
afterwordusually by the author about the development of the book
appendixby the author to update or elaborate on the information in
the text
glossaryan alphabetized list of definitions of words important to
the text
bibliographyusually for nonfiction; cites works consulted by
the author
Indexlist of terms or names of people or places used in the text
with page numbers where they can be found

There you have it, a short history of the evolution of the printed
book. Weve come a long way from papyrus, and now with the
proliferation of e-books, who knows what will become possible
for indie authors in the next decades?

ooks got their start as strips cut from papyrus

plants growing on the banks of the Nile that
were pasted together and rolled into scrolls
called volumes. This format did not make for
easy reading. The scrolls had no page numbers to
help you return to a particular spot, and they had to be rolled
up after each use.
Then around the second century B.C.E., the Greeks came up
with a new kind of book material called parchment. It was usually made from the skin of goats or sheep. When calfskin was
used, they called it vellum. Because parchment was less brittle
than papyrus, pages could now be folded, stacked, and sewn
together, allowing for the invention of the codex.
There were lots of advantages to this new codex format. It was
sturdy and compact; it allowed random access unlike the scroll;
and both sides of the page (recto, the right side, and verso, the
left side) could be written on. Technically, our contemporary
books are codices, though now the term refers only to handwritten manuscripts produced from late antiquity through the
Middle Ages.
Meanwhile, paper was invented in China in 105 C.E., but
didnt make its way to Europe for another 500 years. It cost more
than vellum, it was more fragile than parchment, and the
Church in Western Europe initially banned the use of paper,
calling it pagan art, believing that only animal parchment was
holy enough to carry the Sacred Word. In fact, paper did not
become popular until the middle of the 15th century when the
printing press arrived.
The first book with consecutive printed page numbers appeared in 1499, but this practice didnt catch on at first. It took
another 100 years or so before page numbers, indexes, and tables
of contents began to appear in most printed books. Nowadays
we have well-established traditions about what the form and the
order of the content of a book should be. There are always exceptions, but in general here are the industry standards for the order
of the content in professional books and textbooks.

Betty Kelly Sargent is the founder and CEO of www.BookWorks.com.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Creating a Genre of Her Own

Ann Charles writes books with an even balance of
mystery, romance, and dark humor

By Alex Palmer

way Charles combined these story lines when she began pitching
them seven years ago. As she sent out early manuscripts, agents
urged her to write more clearly in one genreeither mystery or
romancerather than an even mix of the two.
They would say, Youve got about a 50/50 blend here, and
you have to have like 70/30, says Charles. But I said, This is
what keeps coming out.
For one of her early bookswhich eventually became the first
title in the Jackrabbit Junction seriesCharles got an agent,
who said that although she loved the story, it would be a difficult
project to sell. When the book failed to find a publisher, Charles
remained undeterred, feeling confident that the audience was
there if her work could find the right outlet. She then wrote the
first Deadwood bookagain the agent loved it, but felt it had
the same genre problems as Charless previous book.
They had a little more luck with this one, finding an editor
who immediately connected with the story and setting, worked
with her on refining it, and sent it up the chain, only to have the
marketing department pass on it at the final acquisition meeting.
They thought I didnt have enough audience potential with
it, says Charles. But it taught me to learn marketing, and that
I would have to do it myself.

nn Charless books dont sell very well during

the holidays. My covers have bloody weapons
on them, and shriveled-up hands, doll eyeballs,
and weird thingsI tank at Christmas, says
the self-published author of the two mysteryromance series Deadwood and Jackrabbit Junction, which showcase the macabre and dark humor that their gory illustrated
covers suggest.
Fortunately, most other times of the year, Charless books have
been selling like gangbusters. The Great Jackalope Stampede, the
third Jackrabbit Junction mystery and Charless most recent
novel, landed at the #5 spot on Amazons bestselling self-published list after its release in late January.
The book continues Charless impressive track record dating
back to January 2011, when she published Nearly Departed in
Deadwood, the first in that series. Audiences have so enthusiastically embraced the unusual way she blends her genres that
Charles is now jump-starting a third series using a similar mix.
Theres always a mystery, theres humor, and a romance subplot, says Charles.
But agents and publishers were much less excited about the

Self-Publishing Success

Charles stuck to her style and did find an audiencea large and
active one that has grown with each book. Jackalope had the
strongest opening of all the Jackrabbit Junction books. Charles
attributes this in part to the timing of its releasejust after the
New Year, thus avoiding her fallow holiday sales period.
Properly timing publication has been an important consideration for Charles, who has experimented to see which period
drives the strongest sales. The first Jackrabbit book, Dance of the
Winnebagos, came out in fall 2011, and Jackrabbit Junction Jitters
in summer of 2012. She followed a similar pattern for the Deadwood series, releasing the first in January, the second in February,
the third in March, and the fourth in April, in different years to
determine which month saw the biggest bump in sales. Charles
found that the beginning of the year seemed to be the strongest
time for her books.
Of course, blood and intrigue go over well during the Halloween season as well, and Charles says of October, Thats my month.
Price promotions have been a valuable tool for Charles. She
will generally list the book at $3.99not the big $5.99 and
not the cheap $2.99and for at least six months after release
she will not drop the price, so that loyal readers who buy the
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M

37

AUTHOR PROFILE

Tapping into Fans

Charles cites her fans as the greatest source of her success, much
more so than promotions or release dates. She does not just ask
fans to buy the latest book, but makes them part of her sales and
marketing team. Every day for the first week or two after a books
release, Charles posts how the Amazon sales have been.
I consider all my fans on Facebook my team, and were all
doing this together, and it takes all of us to make the book successful, says Charles. Its not just meI just write the books.
She urges followers to help in whatever ways they are comfortable. This may include posting a review on Goodreads, asking a
local librarian to stock the books, or emailing friends to go out
and buy it.
38 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 2 4 , 2 0 1 4

I say, You dont even have to give the book five stars, but if
you can just help me in whatever ways you are comfortable, I owe
you everything, says Charles.
Her Facebook page becomes a platform for what she calls
teamwork and all this goodwill as fans cheer on the books
success, share on their own pages, and urge friends to order copies. Charles constantly thanks her fans for their help in an effort
to keep the connection strong and make sure her gratitude is felt.
This understanding of marketing came to Charles early. When
she determined that self-publishing was likely to bring more
success than continuing to try to convince publishers her books
could sell, she not only dove into writing, but studied up on
marketing. On maternity leave with her first daughter, Charles
spent her time at home taking marketing courses online.
I looked and said, Who is really successful as an author? and
a lot of times it was people with a marketing background, who
understood how to promote a book, how to talk to fans, and
interact, she says. I had a lot of role models, not for their writing or their storytelling but for their marketing.
Charles has her strongest following on Facebook, where she
has a personal and professional page, as well as a page titled
Purple Door Saloon, which is meant to be a place for fans to
interact with one another and share personal stories. But she also
keeps an active website and email list that is constantly updated.
She occasionally uses Twitter, but admits, I really suck at it,
because I like to talk too much.

Developing a World

Part of the Deadwood series early success came from the fact that
its set in a real city in South Dakotaa popular tourist attraction
and the setting of the acclaimed HBO series of the same title.
Charles, who spent a number of summers in the town while growing up (though she now lives and writes in the Pacific Northwest), thought it would make a great setting for the mystery
series she wanted to writeand would have a built-in audience.
Just as she sees fans as central to her writing, her first priority
in composing Nearly Departed in Deadwood was making sure the
locals liked it. She reached out to a dentist, a family friend who
worked at the bank, and others with advance reading copies. This
was not only to see if they liked it but to make sure the geographical details and history were right, even within the fictional world. They loved the books, and the town itself proved a
major booster of her work.
The region continues to support her, and Charles visits the city
at least once a year to see friends, hang out with the locals, and
hold signings at local businesses that support the books.
They promote me like crazy, says Charles. There are a lot
of gift shops that carry the books, and sometimes I will go in and
see [that] there is a little handwritten note recommending it,
like, This is a semi-local author and her stories are great!
Alex Palmer is a freelance journalist and the author of Weird-o-pedia.


latest installment immediately will not feel they

should have waited for a better deal.
After six months, I will start doing sales here
and there, says Charles.
BookBub is her preferred platform for promoting sales, where
she lowers the usual $3.99 price down to 99 cents for a week. These
promotions typically generate sales of around 3,000 copies the
first day of the sale. But some books have seen bigger numbers,
as was the case for Better Off Dead in Deadwood, which sold more
than 4,000 copies and got up to #4 on Amazons e-book bestsellers.
There are so many websites and blogs out there that have their
eyes on book deals that if you drop price, all at once they pick it
up and say, Look: Anns got this book at 99 cents, and Ill start
getting traffic, says Charles. Then BookBub comes out with
their amazing email list and its just boom.
Charles has also used book giveaways as a major marketing
tool. She estimates having given away more than 250,000 e-book
copies during her self-publishing career.
I would do 40,000 e-books in one day, she says, most often
giving away the first in the Deadwood or Jackrabbit series to
interested readers as an incentive for them to buy the subsequent
installments. But she admits that recently, as book giveaways
have become more commonplace, she has moved away from them,
saying, Unfortunately, now free is associated with junk.
In marketing workshops, Charles urges attendees to not just
follow what she or another successful author has done but understand that the market is constantly changing. She says her success
came in part because she tapped into an e-book market as it was
on the rise and was not yet overcrowded.
Times change, so you have to take a different path to do what
works now or a year from now, she says.
She follows this advice herself, sitting down every December
to review her successes and shortcomings from the past year, assessing what might work better in the year to come. For example,
last year she determined that it was time to start aiming for
foreign markets and expanding into audiobooks.
Im always asking Facebook fans for their two centsWhat
would make you want to buy this?and they help me understand
what readers are thinking and what they want, says Charles.

SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS

New Titles
from Self-Publishers
the 89 titles submitted for our 19th PW select

Booksellers, publishers, and agents are encouraged

to take a look at the following listings of self-published books from authors either
waiting to be discovered or with a track record and a following who are doing it
on their own.

BIOGRAPHY &
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Mud Creek Medicine: The Life of Eula
Hall and the Fight for Appalachia
Kiran Bhatraju. Butler Books. $25 hardcover (304p), ISBN 9781935497738
Amazon; bn.com
From Greasy Creek,
Kentucky, to the steps
of Capitol Hill, Eula
Hall was a foot soldier
in the War on Poverty.
That sparked her determination to build and
manage a clinic for her people, following
her own brand of tough-love compassion.
8-page photo insert.
A Terrific Beginning
Teresa Williams Irvin. HeartChild. $22.95
paper (422p), ISBN 9780979939532
Amazon; teresairvin.com
From her engaging family history
through her search for
lifes deepest meaning,
Irvins story encompasses a broad range of
experiences.

Hatched in Newtown:
The Family Story that
Led to a Wild Generation X Childhood with
World War II Parents
K e l l e y T. J a n s s o n .
Center Chimney Publishing. $17.95 paper (320p), ISBN
9780991053001
Amazon; bn.com
Humorous tales from a Gen X girl that
involve pets, chores, relatives, school,
travels, and a soccer team from Newtown,
Conn., with the backstory of her parents
from the Great Depression and World War
II era.

access to the countrys top schools for himself and then for his sons.

Zulu Dreams: From Apartheid to the

Ivy League
Richman Mahlangu. CreateSpace. $20
paper (272p), ISBN
9781494716240; $9.99
e-book
Zuludreams.com
During apartheid,
young Richmans life
takes a dramatic turn
when he discovers tennis, a white mans
game. Through hard work, determination, and a bit of luck, he seeks a quality
education in America, using tennis to gain

Drinking to Distraction
Jenna Hollenstein. Lulu. $9.99 paper
(96p), ISBN 9781483405117; $3.99
e-book ISBN 9781483405100
Amazon; bn.com; iBooks; Lulu.com
Though her drinking fell in a gray area
between alcoholic and social drinker, Hollenstein saw that alcohol
detracted from her life
in subtle but important
ways. Without alcohol
(and with a meditation
practice), she learns the
nature of her real life.

A Bigger World: The Life and Times of

Wm. Edwy Ryerson
Thomas A. Ryerson with Phyllis A.
Ryerse. Isis Press. $5.97 e-book ISBN
9780981378190
Amazon
Farmer, soldier, father,
and Titanic survivor: Ed
Ryerson was all of these
and more. A semifictional
biography set in the early
20th century.

BODY, MIND & SPIRIT

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

39

SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS
the unexpected, and confront challenges.
An Upraised Chalice:
Adventures and NearDeath Encounters in My
Search for the Brotherhood of Light and What
It Can Mean for You
Gene ONeil. ASEMC
Press. $15.95 paper (260p), ISBN
9780991263509; $9.95 e-book ISBN
9780991263530
www.UpraisedChalice.com
A chronicle of the remarkable adventures in a lifetimes quest for the ancient
wisdom. It recounts the repeated and, on
occasion, miraculous intercessions of the
Great Ones.

BUSINESS &
ECONOMICS

EDUCATION
Financial Happine$$: Discover What a
Pink Wig, and a Crazy Way of Thinking Can Do to Change the Course of
Your Life, FOREVER!
Mike Finley. CreateSpace. $19.99
paper (231p), ISBN
9781489558978;
$9.99 e-book ISBN
9781483515205
Amazon; bn.com
Discover how to bridge
the gap between the world
of money and the ultimate prize, true and
long-lasting happiness. The book shows
a path to a journey of enlightenment and
personal fulfillment.

The Character of a Leader: A Handbook

for the Young Leader
D o n a l d A l e x a n d e r.
CreateSpace. $14.95
paper (138p), ISBN
9781492177975;
$4.99 e-book ASIN
B00HYND72Y
Amazon
Alexander, a senior executive in the U.S.
intelligence community, offers leadership
lessons from 40 years service, chief among
them that character and integrity are the
bedrock of good leadership.

Purposeful Design: Understanding the

Creation
Jay Schabacker. Jay Schabacker. $18.95
hardcover (96p), ISBN 9780989619004
www.Jayschabacker.com
Within the framework of the seven days
of Gods hand in
creation, Schabacker explains
the concepts and
principles of science that operate
our world.

The Missing Semester: Your Financial

Choices Have Consequences. Will You
Choose Wisely?
Gene Kabala and Gene Natali Jr. CreateSpace. $16.99 paper (102p), ISBN
9780985531591; $7.99 e-book ASIN
B00ESV14R0; BN ID 2940045716970
Amazon; www.themissingsemester.com;
bn.com
A guide for young
adults to making wise
financial decisions and
gaining financial freedom. Although designed
with the recent college
graduate in mind, the
book shows a wider audience how to build
a strong financial foundation, prepare for

Womens Work
Kari Aguila. Coley Press. $15 paper
(290p), ISBN 9780991165001; $3.99
e-book ISBN 9780991165018
Amazon; bn.com
If women ruled a postapocalyptic world, how
would things change?
And what would they be
forced to do to stay in
charge?

FICTION

Thump
Avraham Azrieli. CreateSpace. $12 paper
(272p), ISBN 9781494281755; $2.99
e-book ASIN B00I13CBFA; BN ID
2940045604710
(410) 531-5487

T.M. Jefferson (Thump),

an African-American man,
joins a venerable investment firm in Baltimore. Henrietta Kingman, a white partner in
her fifties, takes him on
as her lover and protg,
rewarding him with promotions and bonuses. But
when Thump tries to end
the relationship, Kingman viciously fights
back.
Monster
Ben Burgess Jr. Wasteland Press. $12.02
paper (283p), ISBN 9780988374508; 99
e-book ISBN 9780988374515
(516) 557-3612
A mans struggle with
a difficult childhood and
how his early experiences
with love transform him
into a heartless human
being. Once sensible,
he turns into a playboy who uses sex to
appease his ego and shuns attachments.
Myths of a Merciful God
Cynthia Ceilan. Little Feather Books. $16
paper (268p), ISBN 9780991332915;
$5.99 e-book ISBN 9780991332922
www.littlefeatherbooks.
com; Amazon; bn.com
Full of rage and beauty,
this novel takes the reader
on one womans journey to
overcome unimaginable
loss.
Unwell
Ma rie Chow. Ca re e r Student Pr oductions. $8.99 paper (177p), ISBN
9781494941208; $2.99 e-book ASIN
B00HQSO5SW
(408) 418-6758
A woman finds herself
at an impasse few around
her seem to understand.
She is pregnant, married,
and has been told that she
has everything ahead of
her. In a letter to her unborn daughter, she
tells her life storyall of it.
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M

41

SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS
In the Shape of a Man
Paul Clayton. CreateSpace. $12.99
(326p), ISBN 9781490409429; $3.99
e-book ASIN B00DTVFMAU; BN ID
2940045330152
Amazon; bn.com
A horror novel of alienation and betrayal set on
the border of the necropolis of Colma, home to two
million dead souls, and
a gritty industrial working-class town. If evil exists, how would it
manifest itself in modern life?
After Dad: A Novel
Ralph Cohen. Tattersall Press. $16.95
paper (310p), ISBN 9780615942384;
$9.99 e-book ASIN B00HEVCN1W; BN
ID 2940148357315
Amazon; bn.com
After his untimely passing, a charismatic husband and father remains
the dominant influence on
his survivors. How each
family member responds
to his lingering presence leads to results
that are comic, tragic, and transformative.
Mr. Darcys Promise
Jeanna Ellsworth. Hey Lady Publications. $13.99 paper (358p), ISBN
9780988720008; $7.25 e-book ASIN
B00DZGU6SW
Amazon; bn.com
Unhappily, Elizabeth
Bennet finds herself
placed in the care of the
Darcy family at Pemberley. Assuming he knows
the cause of her distress, Mr. Darcy makes
a promise on his gentlemans honor that
becomes impossible to keep and vexing to
Elizabeth.
GetFisk: Midnight in Juarez
Fisk. Potboiler. $1.99 e-book ISBN
9781629213019
www.getfisk.com; Amazon; bn.com;
iBookstore
Fisks operations in Mexico are threat-

ened by drug cartel warfare. He sends Carlos and

Tarita to find a mysterious cartel boss, who may
be Carloss half-brother.
International espionage
and intrigue at the highest levels; sexually and politically provocative.
The Last Commission
Eytan Halaban. Inkwater Press. $15.95
paper (322p), ISBN 9781629010373;
$2.99 e-book ISBN 9781629010380
Amazon; bn.com
When Maury Green
meets Israeli general Yaacov Ronen, he sees the
taunting smile that has
haunted his nightmares
for decades. Ronen needs
someone to do a bit of
dirty work and promises an impressive
commissionbut Maury will collect only
if he lives, so he launches a daring gambit
to outwit the great tactician.
In the Time of Peacocks
Lynne Handy. iUniverse. $35.95 hardcover
(486p), ISBN 9781491704783; $3.99
e-book ISBN 9781491704806
Amazon; www.iuniverse.com; bn.com
Cate Miller searches
for her identity against
a backdrop of religion,
culture, family dynamics, and social unrest.
Her guide: the poetry of
Federico Garca Lorca.
From Feast to Famine
Butros Hanna. Amazon. $4.49 e-book
ASIN B00408AQXY
Amazon
The saga of a wealthy Egyptian landowning family from the end
of the First World War
through the 1952 revolution (an era of great plenty
and opulence in Egypt) to
the 50s and 60s, ending
with the death of Nasser.

42 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 2 4 , 2 0 1 4

The Demon of Stonewood: Book II of

the Stonewood Trilogy
Jeremy Hayes. Northlord Publishing. $13.99 paper (321p), ISBN
9780991864225; $4.99 e-book ISBN
9780991864232
Amazon; bn.com
Six months have passed
since the events of The
Thieves of Stonewood, and
the Demon-Worshipping
Cult draws closer to summoning their Demon Lord
to Stonewood.
The Box Circle
Pat Ivey. Pat Ivey. $15
paper (195p), ISBN
9781483653426;
$3.99 e-book ISBN
9781483653440
(540) 845-9792
Set in 1963, this story is told primarily
through the voice of 11-year-old Coralee
as she comes to terms with the events of
Birmingham, the March on Washington,
and the assassination of JFK, while trying
to keep her family safe with a bomb shelter
she builds.
The Savant of Chelsea
Suzanne Jenkins. Suzanne Jenkins. $10.99
paper (214p), ISBN 9781492386940;
$2.99 e-book ASIN
B00D94QVSO
Amazon; bn.com
A disturbed brain surgeon in New York waits
for just the right time to
redeem her past.
Blackness Takes Over
Norma Jeanne Karlsson. Its Publishing. $10.99 paper (300p), ISBN
9780991187317; $2.99 e-book ISBN
9780991187300
Amazon; bn.com
After enduring vicious
trauma, Shannon Kelly
builds a new life in a tale
filled with family, love,
danger, laughter, sex,
scars, healing, and trust.

SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS
The Rule of Ranging, Book 2: Into the
Valley of Quietus
Timothy M. Kestrel. Timothy Kestrel
Arts & Media. $33.95 hardcover (332p),
ISBN 9780988666023;
$9.95 e-book BN ID
2940148320661
Amazon; bn.com
A historical drama set
in the frontier wilderness
of North America in the
late 1750s.
The Tournament
K e n n e t h K i r k e b y. B l a c k R i v e r
Books. $11.95 paper (192p), ISBN
9780965141000; $3.99 e-book ASIN
B00GUTRKS0; BN ID 2940148892137
Amazon; bn.com
Jim Nielson travels to
the Bahamas for a marlin
tournament and runs into
a married woman he once
had an affair withand
still loves.
Something to Lose
Tamra Lassiter. Tamra Lassiter. $12.95
paper (302p), ISBN 9780989943659;
$3.99 e-book ISBN
9780989943642
Release date 5/7/2014
Camden meets Seth and
her world is turned upside
down. Can she trust him
and make him realize that
even he has something to
lose?
Tribulation: A Novel of the Near Future
Thomas A. Lewis. CreateSpace. $9.95
paper (p), ISBN
9781494768454
Amazon
A troubled American
family tries to negotiate
the collapse of the industrial age.
How to Be a Man
Tamara Linse. Willow Words. $14.95
paper (238p), ISBN 9780991386703;

$4.99 e-book ISBN

9780991386710
Amazon; bn.com
Self-reliant Westerners struggle to break out
of the emotional havoc
of families to build a life
despite the odds.
Urbino, Unexpectedly: A Story of Love
and Self-Discovery
Maria Chiara Marsciani. Maria Chiara Marsciani. $16 paper (326p), ISBN
9780991362110; $3.99 e-book ISBN
9780991362103
Amazon; bn.com
When Clara, a law
student in Milan, meets
Leonardo, a young doctor in Rome, she sees a
way to break free of her
upper-class Italian familys expectations. But this will lead to
a journey of self-discovery through love,
sickness, death, jealousy, and passion.
The Last Weapon
M a t t h e w M c C l u s k e y.
Confocal Media. $15.63
paper (450p), ISBN
9780615823225; $2.99
e-book ASIN B00GSWSRZE
Amazon; bn.com
A physics professor goes on the run after
a lab disaster kills his ex-fiance, and hes
the main suspect. Now he must learn the
true aim of the experiment that led to the
disaster.
The Brightness of Shadows: First Tale
of the Fearchar Legacy
Nikki Nye. CreateSpace. $15 paper (410p),
ISBN 9781493775354; $9.50 e-book
ASIN B00GYYVGN6
Amazon; bn.com
The Fearchar brothers
find themselves suddenly
alone in a darkening
world. Love, magic, jealousy, deception, power,
and the approaching end
of all humanity will test

their bond of blood.

Uba and Rush
Shane OBrien. Amazon. $2.99 e-book
ISBN 9780987511614
Amazon
When a gifted student
is charged with the willful
homicide of a suspected
sex offender, his meager
finances require him to
build an unusual defense.
Murphys Troubles
Rex Owens. Rex Owens. $14.95
paper (345p), ISBN
9780615895048
(608) 513-1951
Historical fiction of the
Troubles in Ireland with
the themes of love, family,
and betrayal.
Looking Toward Eden
Terry Pellman. Terry Pellman. $10 paper
(416p), ISBN 9781491055960; $3.99
e-book ASIN B00BPB9YHS; BN ID
2940016322933
Amazon; bn.com
In 2017, fifteen states
attempt to leave the
nation. Can the political divide and economic
crisis be resolved in time
to preserve the United States?
Well Met in Cyprus
Javaid Qazi. Niyogi Books. $8.34 hardcover (364p), ISBN 9788189738747;
$4.99 e-book ASIN B00850XGPI; BN
ID 2940014746076
www.niyogibooksindia.
com
An American invites
the Kazakh girl he loves
to live with him in north
Cyprus with disastrous
consequences.
True Blue Confederate
Staten M. Rall. ABC Book Publishers. $18.99 paper (432p), ISBN
9780989379601; $3.99 e-book ISBN
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M

43

SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS
9780989379618
Amazon; bn.com
The battle in middle
Tennessee has begun,
and Confederate sergeant
Jon Lyhton is lost amid
scattered skirmishers.
Obtaining a Union overcoat to survive a freezing
night, he desperately attempts to survive
backfire in a horrid twist that only war can
deliver.
Redshifted: Martian Stories
Edited by Juliana Rew.
Third Flatiron Publishing. $8.99 paper (134p),
ISBN 9780615926186;
$2.99 e-book ISBN
9781311741530
Amazon; bn.com
Thirteen new stories with the theme of
Mars from rising and established speculative fiction writers.
Burp Gun Bandit: The Dudley Files
Cary Robinson. Golden Hound Press. $20
hardcover (240p), ISBN 9780989060035
www.dudleyfiles.com
Dudley, the golden-colored SPCA-rescued hound
dog, returns to solve more
mysteries with his life
partner, Careless, and an
eclectic group of oddball
characters.
South Beach Cartel
Nisa Santiago. Melodrama Publishing. $14.99 paper (252p), ISBN
9781620780268; $9.99 e-book ASIN
B00HZD4WQ8; BN ID 2940148281870
Walmart; bn.com; Amazon; Books-AMillion
At the heart of this
story is revenge. The trappings of greed, murder,
and betrayal are cloaked in
a sisterly bond, girl power,
and true love.
The Legend of Juan Miguel: The Tale of
an Unlikely Texas Hero

Anna K. Sargent. Kathryn Sargent. $11.99

paper (380p), ISBN 9781938749063;
$2.99 e-book ISBN 9781938749070
Amazon
The Hispanic hero uses
a mix of guises and cunning to recapture his good
name, fortune, and lost
love after powerful Anglo
ranchers swindle him.
Drowning Mermaids
Nadia Scrieva. ThunderWords Press. $12.99
paper (314p), ISBN 9781469932736; $0
e-book ISBN 9781476181967
(416) 823-9431
To escape the war in
her underwater kingdom,
a princess flees to Alaska.
There she encounters a
kindhearted fisherman
who is facing a deadly
enemy.
Dying for a Living
Kory M. Shrum. Timberlane Press. $12.99
paper (400p), ISBN 9780991215805;
$3.99 e-book ISBN
9780991215812
Amazon
A young woman with
the ability to cheat death
gives her life repeatedly in
order to save others.
Death Never Sleeps
E.J. Simon. Simon/Zef Publishing. $15.50
paper (385p), ISBN 9780991256402;
$3.99 e-book ISBN 9781475986228
Amazon; bn.com
A secret breakthrough
in artificial intelligence
allows Michael Nicholas, a powerful CEO, and
his brother, Alex, head
of a gambling and loansharking operation, to
work togetherafter Alex is murdered.
Choices
M.A. Smith. M.A. Smith. $19.95 paper
(287p), ISBN 9781490368139; $4.99
e-book ASIN B00CXAB3FG

44 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 2 4 , 2 0 1 4

Amazon
After a horrific accident, a famed L.A. lawyers career derails, causing him to take a pro
bono case that becomes
more complicated than
he expected.
Spell on Me
Serge Smith. Serge Smith. 99 e-book
ISBN 9781310631962
Amazon; bn.com
From a series of allusions, dream sequences,
visions, and experiences,
and from the conversations with the people
around him, the author, in
the impressionistic form
of a daily journal, takes
the reader with him on his quest for a new
meaning to his life.
Sustenance Through Starvation: Scales
Dropping
Mabel Blair Steering. Duxbury &
Gloucester. $17.95 paper (576p), ISBN
9780988824256; $3.99 e-book ISBN
9780988824218
www.duxburyandgloucester.com; Amazon; bn.com
An idealistic young
student is driven to help
people in need. Her eyeopening encounters with
large charity organizations
accelerate her maturing process. A satirical
take on the world of the privileged.
Sebastians Way: The Pathfinder
George Steger. iUniverse. $20.95 paper
(355p), ISBN 9781491708965; $4 e-book
ISBN 9781491708941
Amazon; bn.com; iUniverse
A brawny plunge
into the world of Charlemagne; a tale of nonstop
adventure and romance in
a time of superstition and
bitter religious war.

SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS
The Many Loves of Mila
Inna Swinton. Matchgirl Press. $12.99
paper (258p), ISBN
9780989993029; $9.99
e-book ASIN B00GQIKMRQ
Amazon
Mila Simon is having a meltdown.
Newly separated from her investment
banker husband, she chain-smokes in her
Jewish immigrant parents backyard in
a New Jersey suburb while she plots her
return to the Manhattan social scene.
Guarded Secrets
Erika M. Szabo.
Golden Box Books.
$21.95 (596p), ISBN
9781494456429;
$4.95 e-book ISBN
9780991211630
Amazon; bn.com
Falling in love while coming to terms
with life-changing abilities, visiting the
past, and glimpsing the future provides
more than a challenge for Ilona.
Strong Roads: Blues and Greens and
Blood
Gem Thomas. Gem Thomas. $17.96 paper
(264p), ISBN 9781490395357
Gemthomas.com
A foreigner with consistent luck attempts
to control the wealth,
power, and religion of
an exotic and magical
land.
The Society
William Wilde. Amazon. $2.99 e-book
ISBN 9780615946573
Amazon
The secretive Society of Medea practices
deadly occult mysticism against its enemies. A murder prosecution of the societys
leader becomes a modern-day witchcraft trial.

The Worship of Walker Judson

Janice Strubbe Wittenberg. Spiral Publishing. $16.95 paper (432p), ISBN
9780989562300; $9.95 e-book ISBN
978098756317
Amazon; bn.com
Is Walker Judson a
healer-gone-bad or a
saintly soul whose paranormal gifts are misunderstood? Abuse of power
and loss of discernment
are explored.
Dark Lord Rising: The Dark Passage
Chronicles
Raven R. Worthington. Raven R.
Worthington. $14.55
paper (676p), ISBN
9781493531738; $6.88
e-book
Amazon
A dark fantasy novel of
19th-century knights in
conflict with vampires and other mythical
creatures.

HEALTH & FITNESS

Diets Suck! A Remarkably Inspiring
Story of Physical & Emotional Transformation
Stephen Adel with Sue Mosebar. Iron
Warrior Media. $24.97 hardcover (234p),
ISBN 9780986069802
Dietssuckbook.com
Adel offers seven lessons to make lasting
changes in your body,
your health, and your
life, told through real
and inspiring weight-loss
transformation stories.

HISTORY
The Miracle of America: The Influence
of the Bible on the Founding History
and Principles of
the United States of
America for a People
of Every Belief
Angela E. Kamrath.
Xulon Press. $34.99
paper (382p), ISBN

9781628711400
www.miracleofamerica.net
A new study on how the Bible connects
to Americas founding origins and philosophy. It reveals how American political
principles relate to Judeo-Christian ideas.

JUVENILE FICTION
Shattered Veil
Tracy E. Banghart. Tracy E. Banghart. $15.99 paper (378p), ISBN
9781493613205; $2.99 e-book ISBN
9781311751829
Smashwords; Amazon; bn.com
For one young, talented
wingjet pilot, war means
sacrificing everything:
her home, her name, her
faceand the one promise she swore shed never
break. Ages 12 and up.
Locksmiths Closet: Locksmith Trilogy,
Book 1
Paul Briggs. $2.99 e-book ASIN B00EUDOPF4
Amazon
Lachlan Smith discovers a portal to the future.
When he goes through,
he finds no one there.
What is happening? And
can he prevent it? Ages
1114.
Wake
Dana Faletti. Createspace.
$12.99 paper (290p),
ISBN 9780985470418
Amazon; bn.com
Callie Evans, new
Arc angel from heaven,
embraces her abilities
and teams up with the
most powerful angel of all time to stop the
Darks. Ages 12 and up.
Quincy and Buck
Camille Matthews, illus. by Michelle Black.
Pathfinder Equine Publications. $15.95
hardcover (40p), ISBN 9780981924045;
$9.99 e-book ISBN 9780981924052
Dist. by SPU/IPG; Amazon; bn.com; quinW W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M

45

SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS
cythehorse.com
Quincy
the horse goes trail riding in the desert to get
over his fear of wild
animals. Then he finds
out that the horse he
has for a trail buddy is
a bully. Ages 57.
The Runaway Daughter
Juliet Philip. SparkPress. $15 paper
(147p), ISBN 9780989315999; $9.99
e-book ISBN 9780989315982
Amazon; bn.com
Kamada lives in a
world of magic that
shields her from a society
where men act as if they
own the women. She
knows she doesnt belong
here and is on a mission
to escape the gritty streets of Bombay. Ages
12 and up.
The Bed Head of Ned
Steve Platto, illus. by
Tom Helland. Kramden & Norton. $16.99
hardcover (38p), ISBN
9780991237630;
$2.99 e-book ISBN
9780991237609
Amazon; iTunes; IngramSpark
A kids crazy-looking bed head lands
him in an art museum, where he becomes
a worldwide sensation. But does Ned have
a head for fame? Ages 37.
Fireflies and Shooting Stars: The Tale
of Enzo
Ed Raarup, illus. by Lindsay D. Nery.
MoonWatch Productions. $29.95 hardcover (156p), ISBN 9780985973940;
$12.99 e-book ISBN 9780985973957
www.firefliesandshootingstars.com
Enzo, a firefly without a taillight,
searches for
his light and
discovers his
strengths and
the importance
of accept-

ing the differences in oneself and others.

Includes CD with 12 songs. Ages 36.
DareBones Big Break
Gleeson Rebello, M.D. and Jamie Harisiades, illus. by Randy Jennings. SDP Publishing Solutions. $16.95 paper (38p), ISBN
9780982925676; $4.99 e-book ASIN
B00E458GP8; BN ID
2940148652373
Amazon; bn.com
A technically accurate but fun picture
book in rhyme about
a little boy who breaks
his elbow and all that he goes through to
get it fixed by a surgeon. Ages 58.
The Sword of Demelza
J.E. Rogers. CreateSpace. $12.95 paper
(338p), ISBN 9780615709949; $3.99
e-book ASIN B00D6H9OXS
Amazon
A fast-paced adventure
where endangered animal
heroes roam the pages.
In the shadow of Fortress
Demelza, they forge an
unlikely friendship to end
the reign of the evil king.
Ages 812.
King Pachuco and Princess Mirasol
The Sequel
Bonnie K. Rucobo. Wildflower Press.
$11 paper (232p),
ISBN 9780977993376;
$5.99 e-book ASIN
B00B4F90F6
Bookworks (505) 3448139
When the king and
princess learn that a large
asteroid threatens their planet, they must
travel to Earth via space glider. Their quest
takes them into the realms of science at
Los Alamos and Navajo spirituality. Ages
812.
Ethics of the Undead
Loren Schechter. Merrimack Media. $17.95
paper (444p), ISBN 9781939166265;
$6.99 e-book ISBN 9781939166272

46 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 2 4 , 2 0 1 4

www.lorenschechterbooks.com
Four normal teens are
conned into scholarships
to a school for vampires.
When the teens are
accused of murdering a
fellow student, they face a huge choice:
join the undead or die trying to escape.
Ages 1116.
Baxters Backyard
Ted Simonin. Cre ateSpace. $9.99
paper (32p), ISBN
9781492333197
Amazon
Baxter is inside his
doghouse when a bird
tells him how amazing
the world is beyond his backyard. Will
Baxter find a way over the fence? Will the
grass be greener on the other side? Ages
36.

JUVENILE
NONFICTION
Mr. Bull and the Amazing Grape
Deborah Locke. Deborah Locke. $21.99
hardcover (34p), ISBN 9780985984304
w w w. d e b o rahlocke.com
The illustrated story
of Ephraim
Wales Bull of
Concord, Mass., and his determination to
produce a perfect eating grape, which he
named the Concord. Three grape-loving
children and a little black dog join the
adventure. Ages 39.
The Piano Tuners Daughter: My Best
Friend
Ingrid Silvian. Xlibris. $15.99 paper (24p),
ISBN 9781483661810; $3.99 e-book
ISBN 9781483661834
Amazon; bn.com; Xlibris
The story of the
friendship of two
young girls who lived
in the 1930s in Nazi

SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS
Germany and how their lives changed as
the war unfolded before their eyes. Ages
811.

NONCLASSIFIABLE
Miriams Words: The Personal Price of
a Public Life
Edited by Mary Lou Judd Carpenter. Miriams Legacy Publishing. $17.99 paper
(355p), ISBN 9780989048903; $7.99
e-book
www.miriamswords.
com
Letters of the wife
of Congressman Walter H. Judd detail her
struggles to mark her
place in serving the
worlds needs while
also managing a home and raising three
daughters. An in-depth, real-time account
of a woman who set out to right wrongs,
make a difference, and lead the way for generations to come.

NONFICTION
6 More Dead
Raymond Berke. CreateSpace. $14.99
paper (348p), ISBN 9781494330521;
$4.99 e-book ASIN B00GG2OS5Y
Amazon; bn.com
What a detective saw
in his 20-year career in
the NYPDthe tragic,
the sad, the funny, and
the frightening. Berkes
cases take him as far away
as England for investigations involving possible ties to the royal
family, and culminate in one of the largest
mass murders in New York history.
Trawling Twenty Centuries: Morphing the Virtual into
RealityA Case
History of the Making of a Museum
Alexander Kaufman.
Alexander Kaufman
Consultants. $42.95
paper (328p), ISBN
9780578117621; $9.99 e-book ISBN
9781630018948

www.trawlinghistory.com; Amazon;
bn.com
A behind-the-scenes look at how a
museum is conceived and created. From
the conference table to the opening day, the
reader participates in the tempo of creativity. With 150 photos.
To Dance in the Rain: A
Mother and Daughters
Journey of Hope and
Healing
Clare A. Keating. Ceitinn Press. $10.99
paper (208p), ISBN
9780989465236; $2.99
e-book ISBN 9780989465212
www.todanceintherain.com
An inspirational memoir of Alicia, who
fought first for her life and then to get her
life back following a catastrophic brain
injury, at age 16.
Reconnected to the Vine: A Single
Moms Journey of
Recovery from an
O u t - o f - We d l o c k
Pregnancy
Maria C. Kingston. Wellness pH.
$3.99 e-book ISBN
9781933559032
Amazon
An inspirational memoir of Kingstons
journey of forgiveness, acceptance, and
recovery.

POLITICAL SCIENCE
In the Land of Silver: 200 Years of
Argentine Political and Economic
Development
Walter Molano. CreateSpace. $34.99
paper (195p), ISBN
9781490552224; $9.99
e-book ASIN B00FXWLLBM
Amazon; bn.com
An innovative look at the dysfunctionality of Argentinas economic development.
By looking at the countrys unique geography, Dr. Molano provides insights into
one of the mysteries of the emerging world.

Morality and Politics

Gurdip Sidhu. Dorrance Publishing.
$10 paper (90p), ISBN
9781480901667;
$5 e-book ISBN
9781480904361
Dorrance.stores.yahoo.
net/
A naturalized citizen
reviews the American
political scene and analyzes political trends
with a focus on morality, individual rights,
and fulfilling Americas promise.
From Three Feet Off the Ground: The
Year My Children Taught Me How to
See the World and Myself
Christie Havey Smith. Emerald Shores
Publishing. $14.99
paper (161p), ISBN
9780989686600; $5.99
e-book ASIN B00IIXTYV2
Amazon; bn.com
A woman sets out to
see the world from her
young childrens point of view, wanting
to remember what it means to be amazed,
free, attentive, present, and to love without
limits. What she experiences is the spiritual discovery of herself.

RELIGION
Passover Parodies: Short Plays for the
Seder Table
Shoshana Hantman. Sidney Books. $15
paper (229p), ISBN
9780991351220
Amazon; bn.com
Fourteen parody
scripts by a rabbi of
favorite cultural staples,
inc luding the M ar x
Brothers, Sherlock
Holmes, Doctor Who, major league baseball, and Harry Potter, tell the Exodus
story. The perfect companion for any Haggadah.
Tragic Wonders: Stories, Poems, and
Essays to Ponder
Edited by Ninja and Adolphus Writer.
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M

47

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JOBP
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SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS
Mandated Memoranda
Publishing. 99 e-book
ISBN 9780985532710
Amazon
Pseudonymous
authors present faith
in Christ as a plausible
alternative through brief
narratives of realism, thriller, and science
fiction.

SELF-HELP
Daily Keys to Success: Essentials for a
Thriving Career and Life
Randy Kay. UpWord Media. $16.95
paper (422p), ISBN
9780985458928;
$7.99 e-book ISBN
9780985458942
Amazon; bn.com
Everything you need
to know about being
successfulday by
daywhether youre trying to further your
career or improve your life. With real-life
stories and principles that offer practical
applications.
Funerals of the Mind
Katherine S. Meddaugh. CreateSpace. $11.99 paper (136p), ISBN
9781482050318;
$2.99 e-book ISBN
978988795006
Amazon
A recovering alcoholic
watches as her father and
hero dies of cancer. She
buries him on her oneyear-sober anniversary. Will she remain
sober?
He Did You a Favor: A Smart Girls
Guide to Breaking Up, Waking Up, and
Discovering the Gift of YOU
Debra Rogers. Did
You a Favor. $14.99
paper (248p), ISBN
9780991063505;
$7.99 e-book ISBN
9780991063512
Amazon; bn.com
A witty, empower-

48 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 2 4 , 2 0 1 4

2/21/13 1:27 PM
Your business is only as strong as
your talent.
JOBZONE1/3v.indd 1

ing guide to help you break away from Mr.

Wrong and break through to the life you
desire.

SPORTS &
RECREATION
Teachn Beginning Offensive Volleyball
Drills, Plays, and Games Handbook
Bob Swope. Jacobob Press. $16.95
paper (174p), ISBN
9780991406623;
$3.95 e-book ISBN
9780986036125
(314) 843-4829
A practical handbook
for beginning youth volleyball coaches and parents. All the skill
activities and drills are numbered for easy
reference. With photos and diagrams.

TRAVEL
A Million Steps
Kurt Koontz. Kurt Koontz. $15.95 paper
(212p), ISBN 9780615852928; $8.99
e-book ASIN B00ERE7TS6; BN ID
2940148659921
(208) 345-6421
Part diary, part travelogue, this book
chronicles Koontzs journey within a
journey as he walks the
Camino de Santiago
pilgrimage route and
navigates his history of
addiction, recovery, and
love until he reaches the
cathedral in Santiago de
Compostela.
Easter Island Sketchbook: An Artists Journey to the Mysterious Land of
Giant Stone Statues
Susan A. Sternau. Sausalito Press. $29.95
hardcover (96p), ISBN 9780989845588
Amazon; susansternau.com
More than 65
watercolor paintings bring to life
a remote, magical place of moai,
volcanoes, and
sacred ruins in a
visual narrative
that is both personal and universal.

Reviews

Fiction
The Holy Mark: The Tragedy of a
Fallen Priest
Gregory Alexander. Mill City Press, $14.99 paper (283p) ISBN 978-1-62652-499-6

In this disturbingly memorable novel

about a wayward priest set in late 20thcentury New Orleans, Alexander explores
familial revenge, rails against the hypocrisy of the Roman Catholic
Church, and
creates a likable narrator
guilty of heinous acts. Father Tony endears himself
to readers with
charm and candor from the
opening pages. He is born with a red
birthmark on his head, which his grandmother claims is a sign that he is to become a priesta prophecy he fulfills,
eventually finding his calling working
with disadvantaged young boys. Though
he fancies himself a modern-day Saint
John Bosco, Father Tonys relationship
with some boys becomes sexual, and he
endeavors to outwit his family and the
Church to save himself. Alexander ably
captures the essence of parochial education in the 1970s and 80s, having himself taught in Catholic schools. His depictions of the Churchs inner workings
from hierarchical power struggles to
young seminarians sexual improprietiesmay alarm some readers, but most
shocking is Father Tonys own admission
that his behavior in the company of boys
is not a mortal sin but rather an opportunity to walk in Christs footsteps. The
authors superb use of foreshadowing
keeps readers engaged throughout, even
as they cringe at Father Tonys actions.

Chiral Mad 2
Edited by Michael Bailey. Written Backwards,
$20 paper (424p) ISBN 978-1-4942-3997-8

Bailey (Palindrome Hannah) builds on

the success of his previous anthology, Chiral Madwhich, like the sequel, was
compiled to raise money for Down syn-

drome charitiesby providing a diverse

collection of 28 horror stories from seasoned writers and novices. The central
theme of chiralityin chemistry, the term
chiral refers to a molecule that is not
symmetricalseems particularly apropos
to a volume on psychological horror, as it
hints at a fundamental incoherence or irresoluble conflict of perception and reality,
of personality and the external. In Mason
Ian Bundschuhs Another Mans Bones,
for example, the past and present collide.
Max Booth III, in Flowers Blooming in
the Season of Atrophy, probes the aftermath of and clashing perspectives about a
school massacre, to suggest that the effects
of tragedy can be redemptive. In Indian
Summer, Philip C. Perron unveils the
malignant impact of a womans social isolation on two adolescents. The devastating
effect of devotion to warped artistic genius
is violently depicted by David Morrell in
Orange Is for
Anguish, Blue
Is for Insanity.
Appropriately
for a horror anthology, in his
introduction,
Bailey employs
the imagery of
teeth seizing
the reader. Given the caliber of
this winning collection, readers wont
mind being bitten.

The Only Witness

Pamela Beason. WildWing Press, $13.95 paper (312p) ISBN 978-0-9798768-6-8

Convincingly rendered human and animal characters fill this fast-paced novel of
greed, pathos, and tenderness. When naive
17-year-old Brittanys baby, Ivy, is kidnapped, embittered but empathetic detective Finn investigates. He begins to lose
hope for Ivy, but a witness finally steps
forth. The problem? The witness is
Neema, a trained gorilla whose repeated
testimonydelivered in sign language
causes a significant media stir and impels
Grace McKenna, a scientist working with
the ape, to help Finn unravel the mystery.

Beason has written a

taut and fascinating
novel. She weaves intelligence and compassion into this dark descent into emotional bankruptcy and betrayal. Complex
psychological
histories make
Finn and Mckenna fully developed characters
with valid motivations. Wading
into controversial
themes, this rollicking thriller
touches on human trafficking, teen pregnancy, and the
role of animals in the lives of people.

Crystal Blue
John H. Cunningham. Greene Street LLC,
$15.95 paper (286p) ISBN 978-0-9854422-4-8

In this third installment in Cunninghams Buck Reilly Adventure series,

Buckthe former head of a successful
treasure-hunting companyfinds himself
flying charter planes to the Florida Keys
and Virgin Islands. When he accepts a gig
ferrying around celebrities for a benefit
concert, he thinks it will be easy money
and a chance to
meet famous
people. But
then one of the
shows promoters disappears
and one of the
performers is
kidnapped, and
Reilly finds
himself investigating the
crimes and going head to head with
black marketeers and Russian mobsters.
Although fans of the series will enjoy this
latest adventure and readers will find the
happy-go-lucky world of the keys and islands entertaining, aspects of Cunninghams narrative are difficult to follow and
needlessly complicated, preventing readers from engaging with Buck and the
other characters.
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reviews
Orange Peels and Cobblestones
Rose Marie Dunphy. Rose Marie
Dunphy, $14.95 paper (260p) ISBN 978-0-61569671-3

When Marietta is 10 years old, her

mother sends her from Italy to New York
to be adopted by her aunt and uncle. As
Marietta grows
up, she is
haunted by her
mothers decision and feels
cast aside.
Years later,
Mariettas husband, John,
encourages her
to reconnect
with her estranged mother and sister in order to discover the truth
about her family and her past. Dunphy
skillfully captures the books dual settings
of Italy and New York, but the narratives
pace is very slow, and the author fails to
create characters that readers will connect
with. Marietta is a weak protagonist, timid and unwilling to take actionqualities that readers will quickly find frustrating.

The Root of Heaven and Earth

E.A. Grace. Ethosphere Press, $19.99 paper
(888p) ISBN 978-1-938960-68-0

Graces weighty but fascinating tome

boasts sympathetic characters that humanize its abundant philosophical and
scientific ideas. In the year 2136, physicist Paul Rockwell is accidentally transported to an
alternative
world that
unlike his
ownis uncorrupted by a
domineering
corporate government.
There, Paul
stumbles upon
Memories & Reflections, a book
by anthropologist Indira Kumar, whose
marriage of holistic belief and science
saved her world from a future full of igno-

rance and greed. Embarking on a pilgrimage to the Kumaric Retreat, Paul struggles to redeem his worlds grim future
from the past. This New Age speculative
thriller squeezes lifetimes of thought into
a gripping narrative. Paul is a thinking
mans John Carter, battling quantum theories instead of monsters. Full of heady
discussions of physics, relativity, and sentient energy, Graces novel will appeal to
fans of the genre.

The Equation
Judith I. Hill. CreateSpace, $16.95 paper
(457p) ISBN 978-1-4903-1325-2

In Hills novel, set in 1962, 16-year-old

Sarah Thompson prefers the emotional intensity of English to the cold calculations
of math, while algebra teacher Travis Hall
discovers passion in his captivating yet
inexperienced student. After she challenges Travis to
imbue algebra
with feeling,
Sarahs grudging admiration
blossoms into
secret and forbidden love
that smolders
against a backdrop of societal
taboo. Will devotion unite two hearts or is loves equation unsolvable? This sentimental and
unsubtle homage to romantic love suffers
from choppy, unrealistic dialogue and stiff
plotting. Hills attempt to marry math
and heartache is admirable, as is her emphasis on emotional commitment at the
expense of fleshly desire. Unfortunately,
her novel fails in its exploration of these
grand themes and frequently reads like a
melodramatic tearjerker.

A Cheap Shofar: Un-Orthodox

Short Fictions
Paul Ilie, Goya Press, $9.95 paper (215p)
ISBN 978-0-615-85850-0

Ilies short stories focus on the inner

turmoil and external strife that exist
across a vast spectrum of Jewish lives. The
author has a perspicacious style filled
with rich exposition. The collections
most daring story tells of a synagogue
gabbais uncomfortable peek behind the

50 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 2 4 , 2 0 1 4

curtain of Zionist extremism. While a

few of the stories draw their
fodder from
Jewish and Israeli politics,
others deal
with the everyday differences
within the
Jewish faith. In The Righteous Path,
two friends life paths diverge, only to
cross again later in a moment of unexpected rage. These stories arent merely
moralistic musings on Judaism, nor are
they a coarse satire of it; rather, they are a
compassionate exploration of what it
means to be born into a deeply rooted
cultural identity.

How to Be a Man
Tamara Linse. Willow Words, $14.95 paper
(238p) ISBN 978-0-9913867-0-3

In this winning debut collection of

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

Hunting Old Sammie

John Lauricella. Irving Place Editions, $14 paper (296p) ISBN 978-0-615-77990-4

Three years after 9/11, festering anger

reviews
between already-hostile neighbors escalates to a horrific resolution in this tragicomic saga of isolation and betrayal. Lauricellas novel pits Armand Terranova, a
former petroleum industry analyst,
against reclusive neighbor Luke Robideau, who tends to his elderly mother and
ekes out a living as a night janitor. The
misbehavior of the Robideaus pets provokes Terranova, whose anger is exacerbated by his general discontentment and
suspicions that his wife, Leah, is unfaithful. As the U.S. hunts for Osama bin Laden, Terranovas son, Alessandro, plays a
video game called Hunting Old Sammie.
While the comparison of the international and neighborly conflicts is simplistic,
Lauricella provides some insight into a society in turmoil, as the neighbors mutual
ignorance reinforces their increasing dislike of each
other. A brief
sexual liaison
between Leah
and a professor
named Max
Obermann
provides an
outside perspective on the
mounting
paranoia of
Terranova and
the Robideaus. While Lauricellas parallels between the 9/11 attacks and the uneasy tensions of modern America are suggestive (if heavy-handed), their domination of the narrative provides scant external perspective on the lives of the feuding
families. The extended descriptions of
Alessandros video-game playing evokes a
Strangelovian sense of a web of disaster
that enmeshes all the characters and extends throughout U.S. society; Lauricellas dark musings, though, are more witty
than convincing.

The Mysterious World of Men and

Women Looking
Al Sundel, illus. by David Sundel. Lulu Press,
$15.99 paper (214p) ISBN 978-1-4834-0238-3

Sundels novel mixes a murder with a

look at the rituals of dating. Fresh from
divorce, 34-year-old Sharon Kaminsky is
sharing a room with 29-year-old Judy
Furmin at a Fire Island, N.Y., beach

house called
Kismet. The
more restrained
Sharon and the
less inhibited
Judy both bemoan the
meat-market
aspects of singles life, while
hard-nosed detective Mullens
provides a grim view of the dangers of the
dating scene as well. But when danger
impinges on their sunny summer world as
a result of the murder, the denizens of
Fire Island have more than romance to
worry about. Sharons search for romance
and her ramblings about the plight of
single women evoke a sitcom, while Mullenss Brooklyn-ese makes him seem like a
stock character. Sharons endless soliloquizing about the travails of dating is unlikely to engage readers.

Nonfiction
Mud Creek Medicine: The Life of
Eula Hall and the Fight for Appalachia
Kiran Bhatraju, Butler Books, $25 hardcover
(304p) ISBN 978-1-935497-73-8

Bhatraju provides an inspiring look at

the life of Eula Hall, an Appalachian-born
woman who overcame many obstacles as
she fought to bring healthcare to her poverty-stricken corner of eastern Kentucky.
Hall was born in 1927, in a small holler
town so poor that basic access to doctors
and medicine
was very limited. Poverty was
a challenge
that would
motivate Hall
all her life, particularly when
she made access to healthcare her mission. That mission would
eventually lead Hall to establish the Mud
Creek Clinic, aimed at helping those with
no other options. Woven into the story of

Halls work as an activist are

tales about her family life,
with a focus on her abusive
husband. In a lesser book, this focus on
Halls personal life might feel extraneous.
But here its crucial to the story; it was
the authors personal experience with domestic violence that prompted her to help
so many others. Hall also fought for miners with black lung disease. Much of Bhatrajus well-crafted book reads like a
swashbuckling adventure in Appalachia.

Beating Arthritis: Alternative

Cooking
Baker Dan, illus. by Mira Blushtein. Baker Dan
LLC, $25 paper (130p) ISBN 978-0-9894380-1-8

Arthritis is one of many chronic diseases that prompts its victims to drastically
change their diet. In this cookbook, Dan
offers up recipes that are free of gluten,
dairy, sugar, and/or fat. Complete with
detailed nutritional information and recommended
pairings, the
book covers everything from
salads and
soups to entrees and desserts, and includes recipes
such as seared
yellowfin tuna
with zucchini
and carrots,
kabocha and wild sardines quiche, avocado-cucumber salad, and fruit compote.
Danwho has been diagnosed with palindromic rheumatoid arthritisprovides
recipes that are clearly presented with
easy-to-follow instructions and tips.
These healthy and delicious dishes will
appeal to anyone with a restricted diet,
while also providing hope and help to
readers living with chronic disease.

Dyslexia: Time for TalentThe

Ultimate Guide for Parents and
Children
Carolina Frhlich. Frhlich Publishing, $23.99
paper (438p) ISBN 978-0-9566435-2-0

Education consultant Frhlich made it

her goal to learn all she could about dyslexia after she and her two children were
diagnosed with the condition. The result
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reviews
of her work is this comprehensive text on dyslexia and
related disorderswhen to
look for them, how to recognize them,
how to ask for support in school, and
how to identify
resources. The
target audience
is parents, but
the book will
also be useful
for educators
and children.
While Frhlich
is clearly an expert on the topic, her book is
sometimes redundant and slightly disorganized. Still, the information she provides is useful, and parents with children
with dyslexia will find this a valuable resource.

The Driven Organization: And

What We Need to Be Happy and
Productive at Work
Omar Garcia. Future Approved Works, $27.95
hardcover (296p) ISBN 978-0-9896096-0-9

Garcias innovative, if simplistic, thesis is that a business should strive primarily to create a harmony of corporate
and personal interests and meet the
needs of its workers and community. Engaging with workers in a way that creates job satisfaction both boosts the bottom line and
makes the
workplace more
comfortable.
Garcia believes
the unprecedented commitment of Generation X and
Generation Y to
creative, meaningful work
makes his ideas timely. His practical
steps mix the mundane and the visionary, and his enthusiasm sweeps aside
skepticism with breezy aphorisms. Although the author may have pointed the
way, much trial-and-error experimentation awaits anyone working to make
Garcias vision a reality.

Skeleton in the Closet: Eating

Disordered Lives
Fritz Liedtke. CreateSpace, $25 paper (102p)
ISBN 978-1-4910-2078-4

By turns heart-wrenching and redemptive, photographer Liedtkes book features

portraits of people who have struggled
with eating disorders, paired with their
personal statements. As Liedtke, who
struggled with anorexia himself, points
out: Anorexia and bulimia are not about
numbers or statistics, they are about specific people. His photographsin vibrant, full
colorare
artful and
humanizing,
treating each
subject in a
unique and
sensitive
fashion. The
accompanying text is often harrowing in its honest
portrayal of a complex psychological condition: Being able to see my issues,
writes Danielle, pictured gazing out at
the River Thames, doesnt make them go
away. Liedtkes book makes it clear that
living with anorexia or bulimia is a daily
struggle. Amanda, posing in a cemetery
and pictured from a low angle that gives
her a look of defiance and monumentality,
muses: A hospital gown is a symbol for
sickness, but to me its a symbol of restored life...that gown saved me from the
grave.

From Three Feet Off the Ground:

The Year My Children Taught
Me How to See the World... and
Myself
Christie Havey Smith. Emerald Shores
Publishing, $14.99 paper (161p) ISBN 978-09896866-0-0

Author, teacher, and mother Smith explores her life as a parent and the pieces of
herself that she scarified along the way, in
this uneven but inspirational collection of
memories and meditations on parenthood
and spirituality. And when Smith begins
trying to see the world from the perspective of her toddlersfrom a place of
peace, amazement, and forgivenessshe
discovers herself. Smiths book will likely
appeal to young mothersparticularly

52 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y M A R C H 2 4 , 2 0 1 4

those who, like

the author, love
their children
but fear they
have put their
lives on hold for
their families.
While some of
Smiths musings
may seem platitudinous, her
message is a positive one. Moms looking for a meditative
companion to help them through the ups
and downs of parenthood will take much
from Smiths story.

Easter Island Sketchbook: An Artists Journey to the Mysterious

Land of Giant Stone Statues
Susan A. Sternau. Sausalito Press, $29.95
hardcover (96p) ISBN 978-0-9898455-8-8

Through a series of finely wrought watercolor and ink paintings, Sternau provides a glimpse of her time on Easter Island. The island, located in the South Pacific, is mostly known for its moailarge
stone statues that are relics of the ancient
Rapa Nui civilizationand an air of mystery and isolation seems to linger over the
artists illustrations of them. In Sunset
Moai (Tahai), the statue seems regal, as it
stands in silhouette, jutting into a vivid
yellow and
orange sky
and seascape.
There are also
some striking, if tragic,
renderings of
statues that
were toppled
or never completed, indicative of the chaotic nature of the indigenous civilizations decline. Sternau also
captures some of the islands other vistas:
the wild horses of the interior, craggy cliff
sides crashing into the water, idyllic
beaches, and a church decorated with traditional tablets and images of the Madonna. Sternaus work seems to be the product of keen observation and reflectiona
record of travels through a vibrant, mystifying landscape.

reviews

Childrens
Books
Picture Books
The Bed Head of Ned
Steve Platto, illus. by Tom Helland. Kramden
and Norton, Inc., $8.99 paper (38p) ISBN 9780-9912376-2-3

This good-humored story introduces a

boy with a case of bed head like no other.
Each morning, Neds wild tangle of red
hair assumes the shape of an object, including a submarine, a bowl of fruit, and
Mt. Rushmore.
Eventually, his
mother takes him
to a doctor, who
says, After examining your son,
and consulting
this chart,/ Ive determined unequivocally this is some
sort of art! A museum curator puts
Ned, his bed, and his ever-changing hair
on display, and The bed head of Ned became a coast-to-coast hit,/ They even
made shampoo with his picture on it!
Readers may grow to share Neds boredom as he lies in his bed day after day in
the museum, until, after years of lounging around, he goes bald and is no longer
an attraction. Though theres plenty of
humor in the premise and some fun turns
of phrase, a rocky cadence and lack of action undermine Plattos verse. Hellands
cartoons portray Neds tresses with hyperbolic flair, and the enormous, footballshaped head he gives the boy provides a
large canvas for Neds magical, hair-based
sculptures. Ages 612.

Fiction
Shattered Veil
Tracy E. Banghart. CreateSpace, $15.99 paper (372p) ISBN 978-1-4936-1320-5

Banghart (By Blood) offers a fast-paced,

action-packed SF adventure, first in the
Diatous Wars series, in which a young
woman sacrifices her identity to fight for

her homeland and the man she loves.

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

Freaking Green
Laura F. Sanchez. CreateSpace, $11.99 paper
(294p) ISBN 978-1-4827-1400-5

Sanchez (Adobe Houses for Today) channels

a passion for energy efficiency and other
environmental concerns into this thoughtful look at a family forced to change the
way it approaches the world. It all starts
when 16-year-old aspiring actress Jasmine
Haywards eccentric great-aunt Olivia dies,
leaving the bulk of her estate to Jasmines
family. However,
to collect the first
half of the $5 million, the Haywards
are required to reduce their carbon
footprint by 80%
in a year. To do so,
they rethink every
aspect of their
lives, from automobile use to eating habits, appliances,
and recycling. As the Haywards drastically
altered lifestyle plays merry havoc with
Jasmines plans, she tries to find a way to

pursue her acting dream

without jeopardizing everything her family has worked
for. While the narrative voice
is engaging and there are some entertaining moments along the way, Sanchez hammers hard at the green aspects of the
plotthe family keeps a running tally of
their progress (A single home-cooked
vegetarian meal saves about 1.5 pounds of
carbon)delivering a continuous message that sometimes overpowers the rest of
the story. Ages 12up.

Trapped in Oblivion
Ifeoma Theodore Jr. , E. Kachifo Ltd./Prestige
(www.kachifo.com), $4 paper (248p) ISBN
978-978-52058-1-7

In this message-heavy novel, sexuality

awareness advocate Theodore (My Daughters and I) chronicles the turbulent adolescence of Nigerian teenager Nnenna Ifediora, who is muddling her way to adulthood in a confusing world. As 13-year-old
Nnenna grows up, her curiosity about
boys, relationships, and sex is repeatedly
thwarted by her
mothers unyielding refusal
to discuss any of
it, simply ordering her daughter
to avoid all boys.
Along the way,
Nnenna also
learns, from secondhand stories
and experiences, about the evils of child
molestation, social media, suicide, rape,
domestic abuse, and more. Eventually, she
experiences teen pregnancy firsthand, as
well as the terror of testing positive for
HIV. While the messages conveyed in
this book are vitalfrom the need for
honest parental communication regarding
sex education and HIV awareness, to peer
pressure and self-confidencetheyre delivered in a lecturing manner. The author
captures Nnennas internal confusion and
turmoil of the teenager, set against the
rich backdrop of her native Nigeria, but
the voice is often stilted and focused on
conveying information rather than letting
the story flow. Readers may learn a lot,
yet come away feeling overwhelmed by
the experience. Ages 12up.

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