PW Select December 2013

December 2013
A monthly guide to whats new in self-publishing Full reviews of 29 self-published books Listings of 110 new titles
Plus:
Ron Galellas Obsession: Photos of Jacqueline Onassis How Maya Cross built an audience for erotica Betty Kelly Sargent on the importance of a editor
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TRACKING CELEBRITY AND HISTORY
A Fool for Beauty

By Ryan Joe
On October 7, 1971, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was walking along 90th Street on New Yorks Upper East Side when a taxi driver who recognized her honked his horn. She turned and gave a faint smile. And that was when paparazzo Ron Galella, hiding in the backseat of that same cab, snapped what would become one of the most famous portraits of the former first lady: Windblown Jackie.
Ron Galella
alellas relationshipto use that term generouslywith Onassis extended from the 1960s to the 1980s. It encompassed thousands of photos taken, but few words exchanged. Onassis sued Galella twice, and her second attempt, after Galella violated an injunction to stay at least 25 feet away from her, effectively ended her time as his favorite subject. The judge threatened the photographer with seven years in jail and a $125,000 fine. So I said I was going to give them up, Galella says. I gave up Jackie, John Jr., and Caroline forever. But even encounters that didnt involve Onassis somehow involved Onassis. Marlon Brando, walking with talk-show host Dick Cavett, once punched Galella in the mouth, shattering five teeth. Galella believes the assault had less to do with him asking Brando for a picture and more to do with Brandos protectiveness of Onassis. Galellas second self-published book (following 2009s Viva lItalia!), Jackie: My Obsession, is a visual journey of Galellas tenure as Onassiss nemesis and unofficial photographer. In December, hell release his third self-published book: a threevolume set called Pop, Rock & Dance. PowerHouse published your first few books. Why are you selfpublishing now? PowerHouse did Disco Years, which is a beautiful book, which sold out. Nine thousand copies. They did No Pictures also. I did Viva lItalia! a couple of years ago, when I had a big exhibit in
south Italy. I did the book for that opening. Its a great book, but I self-published because [its] hands-on and if you make a mistake, its your own fault. And you have full control. As an artist, I like that. From then on I did my own books. When did you first fixate on Jackie Kennedy Onassis? My first take of her was at the Wildenstein Gallery in May 1967. It was a small gallery and impossible to get great shots. I waited outside, and [Jackie] was escorted by the financier Andre Meyer, who I believe got her the co-op apartment at 1040 Fifth Ave. I followed her to her apartment. Thats how I found out where she lived. But I didnt really photograph her because I didnt realize she was that important at the time. When did you realize she was important? It was the same year, December 10, 1967. There was a big $500 plate benefit for the Democratic Party at the Plaza Hotel. I covered that event and there she was. I got a beautiful picture published in Newsweek, and thats when I realized she was important, when I got that picture published. That was my first picture published of Jackie. Despite the lawsuits that followed, you believe she loved your work. Why is that? She may not have loved me, but I think she loved my work because after the trial I did my first book, Jacqueline, and I gave her a copy through the doorman. I wrote something like Many thanks for making me famous. Before she died, someone delivered a painting [and] saw my book on her library shelf, so she
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M

didnt throw it out. And the pictures [submitted by Galellas attorneys to Onassis attorneys during the trials]. Theyre in the JFK library in Boston. John Jr. allowed you to photograph him when he launched his magazine, George, and you photographed him in public places during the last three years of his life. Why did he give you access? I think hes more of a normal person. Hes down to earth. For instance, my wife and I were staking out Jackie at 1040 Fifth Ave. and John came out of the park. He says: Are you waiting for my mother? I said: Yeah. He said: Shes gone, shes out of town. And Caroline? Caroline is very aloof like the mother, and they dont communicate easily. They think theyre very private with their nose in the air sort of. One time, I went to the tennis court and got Caroline playing tennis. And Secret Service agents were blocking me, and Jackie was leaning against the tree. And finally I said, She dont mind me photographing. And Caroline yelled out: I do mind! Thats the only time she spoke to me. How did you manage to find Jackie so consistently? I didnt get tips. Nobody called me up to tell me Jackie was here or there. I went to her apartment and staked her out during convenient times of the day or evening. The doorman next door would sometimes give me information. Id give him a tip, $10 or $15, and hed say, theyre playing tennis. Didnt you also seduce her maid? I never seduced her. It looked like I did, but I didnt. She was very pretty. I had another photographer with me. There were two other girls working for Jackie and we took them for coffee, treated them nice, took pictures of them, mainly for information: Jackie is going to the hair salon or a few other places. But one day, Jackie caught us talking and she fired the maid a few days after. I felt bad about that. If you werent prohibited from doing so, would you have continued shooting Jackie throughout her life? I think, yes, I would have continued. But in a way its best that I didntshe deteriorated because of her illness with cancer, and she looked bad when other photographers photographed her. Thats the thing about my books: most of my celebrities are young. My books bring back nostalgia. Im a fool for beauty. Thats what we have in common. Jackie loved beauty and I loved beauty. Was there a subject who enamored you in a similar way? Elizabeth Taylor. I have more Elizabeth Taylor than Jackie in my files. She was always nice and easy to get. Even after I sued her. What? I photographed Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton for one week on the set of Hammersmith Is Out in Cuernavaca, Mexico. The proprietor of the hotel was cooperating with me because he wanted publicity. He asked, Where do you want to hide today? because at five oclock theyd start filming. I picked this cave where there was this pump for the pool, so you couldnt hear the Nikon shutter. After filming a few minutes, one of the
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People as Q A Showing They Are

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While Ron Galella has done studio photography work, he greatly prefers shooting with what he calls the Paparazzi approach. Its a choice that he believes gives him more unique, authentic shotsthough it also creates a much more complicated process. How exactly did you get the shot for Windblown Jackie? I photographed a modelJoyce Smithin Central Park, because she lived near Jackie, and I figured maybe Id get lucky and find Jackie jogging. We didnt get Jackie coming out of the October 7, 1971: New park, but we saw Jackie coming out of York CityWindblown JackieJackie Onassis on the side door [of her apartment] ahead Madison Avenue. of us, and we followed her and she turned north on Madison Avenue. There I made a good decision: rather than running after her where shed put on her glasses and I wouldnt get a great shot, I hopped a cab and for $2 I caught up to her on 90th Street, and from the backseat I took two shots where she was walking. Why didnt she notice you? Because it was near five oclock and there was a lot of noise. When she got to the corner, the taxi driver blew his horn. I didnt tell him, but he knew it was Jackie and he was curious and he blew his horn without me asking. It was a bit of luck. Thats when she turned and I got the Mona Lisa smile: great shot. But she didnt know it was me,
crew stopped the pump, and I was caught. Im guessing that didnt end well. It was the worst day of my life. They held me captive, went to my hotel room, and took 15 rolls of my weeks shooting, which was over 500 pictures. They pulled out the cartridges and destroyed the film, exposed it all. Then three crewmen beat me up and threw me in jail. It was a nightmare. I made the front page of the newspaper down there: Life Photographer Sues Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Burton agreed to pay $1,500 if I signed a general release saying he was not responsible. I didnt sign it. But I lost the trial because the proprietor didnt want to tell the truth. The funny part at the end of that story is that Richard Burton divorced Liz and married a new bride, Sally, and his chauffeur called and said he wants wedding pictures. So he invited me down to photograph him at the Lombardy Hotel. He felt guilty

Oh, yes! I would have stopped. But she never really said, No pictures. No Pictures is celebrity reactions. Most of them put up their hands and pretend they dont want pictures. But not all celebrities want their pictures taken. Some are sincere, like Sean Penn, who spit at me and my nephew when we were photographing him with Madonna at their building. We stepped on their so-called private property in their courtyard. Thats when he started spitting and fighting with my nephew. But it was just a boxing match. Nobody got hurt. Madonna was yelling Oh, stop, stop! at the door. Finally he stopped. Then he turned around and hit one of the photographers in the nose. Hes a bad boy. You think your nephew wouldve won? Oh, yeah, yeah, he was bigger and stronger. Sean Penn is sort of puny and small. But they were just boxing. They wrestled around. Penn and the paparazzi have a notoriously bad relationship. Paparazzi today have a bad name because most just do it for the money. Its not like me. Im an artist. I studied art. Most of them have no education in that respect. They just do it for money. And theres too many of them. Gangbanging, I call them, where they swarm around celebrities looking for negative things. The whole tabloid viewpoint changed, because they look for warts and all. Cellulose on their legs, their fat. Its ugly. I look for beauty, and its terrible that the paparazzi and [the] market have turned to negative ugliness and vulgarity. If you were going to redo your career knowing what you know now, what would you do differently? Well, I think I did the right thing for the most part. The only thing Id do, and this is hard for me to say, but I combined my life with meeting a lot of beautiful girls, but I never pursued them. I never had time to take them out. I was too involved with shooting. I was always geared to shooting and I wish I was more intimate with some of them. I didnt have the time to do it. It was crazy! I could have banged many beautiful girls. But as far as photographing, I was a workaholic, I was a marathon man. I have tremendous files right now. Im 82 years old, and Im still mining gold in the files. You wouldnt have ducked when Marlon Brando took that swing at you? Oh, I would duck. Ooooh. I didnt see it coming. I was looking at [Dick] Cavett. The punch came when I was looking at Cavett. I thought Cavett would say, yes [you can take a photo], because he knew me. So it was a sucker punch? Yeah, it was a sucker punch, youre right. Too bad your assistant missed that picture. Yeah, he was too stupid to shoot. He didnt get it. But he got the picture of me [later shooting Brando] wearing the football helmet. Ryan Joe is writer living in New York.
because I had the camera to my face. She might have been looking at me or the taxi driver. We were in the same line of sight. When I got out, oh, she saw me and put on her glasses, and I got her walking up Madison. I handed one of my cameras to Joyce Smith, and she got that great picture of me running after her. And then Jackie turned around to me and said, Are you pleeeeased with yourself? and I said: Yes, thank you, and good-bye. That was my great picture of Windblown Jackie. Did you know immediately that was your big get? I didnt know it was going to be that great. I thought I got a great picture, but it turned into the bestseller throughout the world. Of course there are other great pictures I got, but thats the one. When did you realize that this photo was going to be big? You first take the picture, and then when you develop it, you see it. Thats the first psychic reward: when you see it on the negative and on the print. And then it was published in Newsweek, and the [photo] editor there, Joan Engels, said it was a great picture. And it ran all over. Life ran a big spread on me when the trial with Jackie happened in 1972. So it gives me more reward to see it published. And you get a check, which is the final reward. Why is that photo special from an aesthetic standpoint? It reveals that Jackie had no makeup. So she was beautiful. No hairdo. The wind blowing in her hair was beautiful, and the over-the-shoulder composition reveals a very beautiful layout. This picture proves to me that the paparazzi approach was the right thing. It encompasses what I call photography with the Paparazzi approach. What does that mean? Thats what I had on my letterhead at the time, which I qualify by getting the exclusive picture, which means its an original, which this was. Its unrehearsed, spontaneous, and off-guard. And you have to hidein this case the backseat of a taxito get the realistic picture. You want to get the subject being themselves. You dont want them R J to notice you or the camera.
about what happened. Whats the allure of taking photos of people who arent expecting it? I like to get celebrities being themselves. Those natural expressions when they relate to each other. I love that. Rather than getting the posed picture most photographers get. Sometimes I shoot that, too, because that sells, but I dont look for that. I dont like to yell the celebrities names because I dont like them looking at the camera in that way. Theyll pose. When they see me, I shoot their reaction. You have to get the expression. Thats the great thing about cameras. Get the expression with that shutter speed. Thats the art of photography. I like the surprise pictureyou do it fast in case they say, No pictures, youre one ahead of them. I always honor their wishes to not take any more. Would you have stopped if Jackie asked you not to take pictures?
STOKING DESIRE
Open and Shut

Self-published author Maya Cross successfully navigated blogs and reviewers to gain her fan base.
By Alex Palmer
Among self-published authors major advantages over published big-names is often a more personal connection with readers. Whether exchanging comments on Twitter, posting updates to their blog, or taking other steps, these writers tend to ingratiate themselves with readers in a more direct way than a formal marketing blitz it likely to accomplish.
hat has been But besides the assumed part of the name, Cross has tried to be reason that open and transparent with Australian her fans about her writing author Maya and the Alpha Series that Cross has seen each part they have come to love. She become a bestseller. But discussed the price of her while an unimpeded conbooks and her choice to nection with readers has release them as a trilogy. been key to Crosss success, But before Cross got to that also important has been point, it was a free-flowing maintaining a certain pri- The pen name Maya Cross is a discussion with romance layer of protection. vacy. fans and authors that first For one thing, Maya Cross is not the sparked the idea of self-publishing at all. authors actual name, but a pseudonym taken on to add allure to the Alpha With Both Feet books.It seemed like a logical choice to The idea of self-publishing came to Cross publish under a pseudonym, says Cross. when she was writing on an authors I like the idea of having a layer of proforum about having manuscripts in her tection between myself and the people drawers that she never expected to pubwho are reading my writing. lish, in part because it would be difficult Still relatively new to self-publishing to get interest from a major publisher. (her first novel, Locked, was published in The writers in the conversation urged her March of this year), Cross sees a pseudto consider self-publishing. onym as a way to maintain the freedom Self-publishing had quite a large to try on different roles as an author stigma, though that stigma is disappearexploring new genres and styles under ing enough that I gave it more than a different nameswithout alienating passing thought, says Cross. readers expecting a particular type of Thanks to savings she had accumubook from Maya Cross. lated, Cross took a break from freelance
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writing gigs and dedicated herself fulltime to self-publishing a novel. But to make the jump into professional fiction writing, Cross knew she had to balance her artistic and economic needs. Though she had dabbled in a wide range of genres, including horror and science fiction, Cross settled on erotic romance as an area that she was not only interested in writing but that also seemed more marketable, thanks to the community of fans that fuels the category. They read voraciously and they absolutely want to spread the word about their favorite books and authors, says Cross. After a lengthy period of working out the design of the story and learning the business, beginning in November of 2012 Cross set to writing. As the manuscript grew, she sensed that she might need to rethink its structure. Rather than a hefty one-volume work of about 125,000 words, she realized it might make more sense to publish in three installments. Cross opted to publish through Amazon Digital Services and charge 99 cents for the first, shortest book (making it kind of my loss leader, Cross says), and $2.99 for each of the two subsequent books. Sensitive to concerns that this might come across as a way to squeeze more money from readers, Cross posted a lengthy note on her author blog shortly after the publication of Locked, explaining the decision. I told people how long the books would be, and how expensive they would be, because I want them to understand my decisions and why I made them, says Cross. They appreciated knowing that going in to the series there would be cliffhangers. Of course, there are readers who dislike cliffhangers as a rulewho take to Amazon to denounce a book if they bought it only to realize at the end that it wasnt the complete story. On her blog, Cross urged these readers to wait until the final installment is out before picking up any of them. I dont want to be getting sales through deception, says Cross. They
STOKING DESIRE
should know what theyre buying when they buy it. the release of Locked, Cross coordinated a cover reveal across several blogs on the same day, about three weeks before the books release. Review copies then went out to bloggers, with many reviewers eager to cover the second part of the story, having positively reviewed the first. Cross promoted the book through giveaways on Goodreads and used the site Rafflecopter, which facilitates giveaways of books and other products to entrants who take specific actions, such as Liking an author on Facebook, following them on Twitter, or subscribing to an e-mail newsletter. Cross used Rafflecopter to generate Likes on Facebook, which has been her main platform for interacting with readers ever since. She confesses, [I dont] really get Twitter. Some people use it to great effect, but to me its just too quick and disposable. In combination with that, she put out Facebook ads, which she has also found enormously successful, thanks to the ease of downloading an e-book from the site. If youre doing it right, youre only putting one click between you and your reader, says Cross. And people who are likely to read e-books are slightly more tech-savvy than average. Youre kind of shooting directly to your target market when youre advertising via Facebook. Two days before the book came out, Cross ran a flash sale, posting it on Amazon for 99 cents. It helped push the book higher on the Amazon bestseller list and sold about 1,000 copies in the week. Cross knew she had to front-load her marketing effort to get fans buying the book within the first day or two of its release. In her studies of the business side of self-publishing, the author had learned that Amazons algorithms make it difficult to be very successful outside of the initial launch window, and that about six months ago the company had made some modifications in its system to favor new titles. The coordinated marketing effort paid off. Unlocked was a massive hit, rising to the top of Amazons bestseller list, hitting #24 on its first day, then rising to #1 shortly after that. The sales landed it on the New York Times and USA Today bestselling e-books lists as well. But while Cross credits her study of the business side of self-publishing with helping to generate the burst of sales, she adds that, in the long run, it is her open dialogue with readers that will sustain her as an author. Market every book and try to make it a success, but at the same time dont expect every book to take off, says Cross. For most writers, success is a slow build, but what is going to keep it going is making sure you are generating those exchanges with readers and keeping them interested. Alex Palmer is a freelance journalist and the author of Weird-o-Pedia.
Stepping Stones
By releasing the book in three parts, Cross was also able to learn from each books release. When the first one came out in March 2013, Cross had only a rudimentary marketing plan. She arranged for an eye-catching cover from a graphic designer friend, and thought her books description would entice readers. But she had done little other outreach by the time Locked was set to publish. She spent a few late nights going over blogs and compiling a list of those that might have an interest in Locked. This is me doing this the day before its scheduled to go live, and I realized that it was just far too late, she says. Id finished writing and editing, and didnt see any reason to wait, but in retrospect, I realize you should wait as part of a deliberate marketing plan. Several blogs did review the book, however, and other reviewers agreed to give it a review at some later time. The book began to gain some momentum as more readers liked it and told their communities. Readers responded to the sharp-witted heroine and handsome and wealthy leading man, and Crosss last-minute marketing efforts and low price-point paid off. For at least one day, Locked cracked the top 100 on Amazon, convincing Cross that she was on the right track. For Lockout , the second book in the series, Cross studied what other successful romance authors were doing and created a longer-term marketing plan. Cultivating the blogger and reviewer contacts she had made after
Applying the Lessons
Cross followed the same path for her third book, Unlocked, with the cover reveal, review copies, and giveaways. But this time, in addition to the usual blogs, she also reached out to Facebook fan pages for 50 Shades of Grey and other books with large fan bases whose readers were likely to overlap with those of the Alpha Series. Managers of pages such as the Christian Grey Fan Page (with more than 500,000 fans) as well as Totally Booked, Aestas Book Blog, and Natasha is a Book Junkie proved willing to promote a fellow erotic romance writer. Basically, you just need to think about where people who would want to read your book are congregating and find a way to approach them, says Cross.
TIPS FOR SELF-PUBLISHING
Why All Self-Publishers Need a Good Editor
By Betty Kelly Sargent
ust get it down on paper, and then we will see what to do with it, said Maxwell Perkins, the revered editor of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe. If this sage piece of advice worked for them, it can work for you. Perkins is credited with having convinced the powers that be at Scribner that The Great Gatsby was a masterpiece and with helping Fitzgerald make it that way. If youd like a little insight into what great editing looks like, check out the correspondence between Perkins and Fitzgerald at the Letters of Note Web site. But encouraging you to complete your first draft is just the beginning of what a good editor can do. In my 30 years as an editor in the traditional book publishing world, Ive seen skilled editors transform hundreds of manuscripts from ordinary to extraordinary. Maybe it is a question of reorganization, or maybe the bad guy just isnt convincing enough, or maybe the title is way off the mark. Incidentally, two of the titles Fitzgerald considered are Trimalchio in West Egg and The High-Bouncing Lover. See what I mean about editors and titles? There are four kinds of editors: 1. Developmental editors work with you right out of the gate, often
before you have even put word to paper. They help you refine your concept, figure out who your audience is, arrange your chapters in nonfiction, or work out how you are going to get your protagonist off the dark planet before the cyborgs arrive in your sci-fi novel. They are there with you every step of the way, helping you make your book the best it can be. Good developmental editors are like good shrinks. They dont tell you what to do; they get you to tell yourself.
How Do You Find a Good Editor?
Good is the operative word here. A good editor is likely to be a professional editor who has had lots of experience in the traditional book publishing world. Once you have located an editor you think may be right for your book, find out where she has worked and what published books she has worked on. Make sure she has had experience editing the kind of book you are writing. Where and how do you find this person?
Get a referralcheck around, ask other writers, your friends, agents at writers conferences. Look onlinego to Google and type in Freelance Editors. Also check out: The Independent Editors Group (full disclosure, Im a member of this group) The Self-Publishers Association (BookWorks) Bibliocrunch Consulting Editors Alliance Digital Book World Elance Editorial Freelancers Association Media Bistro Publishers Marketplace Chat with the editordefine your goals. Feel free to ask him for his credentials and for the titles of a few of the published books he has worked on. If he has not worked on any books that have been published by a traditional publisher, be cautious. With so many fine, professional editors available, why settle for one with less than stellar experience? Try to be clear about what you expect from an editor. Do you like him? Is he enthusiastic about your project? Make sure you feel a connection with your editor because your working relationship will become a close one. Be clear about the fee structuredoes she work by the project, the page (how much per page), the hour (and how much per hour)? When and how does she expect to be paid? Ask about the time linehow long does she expect the editing process to take? This depends on how quickly you get the first edit back to her, but make sure you both agree on what is a reasonable amount of time for this project to take. Ask if he has had experience with self-publishing. This is not essential, but sometimes an editor who knows his way around selfpublishing, or who can at least refer you to others who do, can be a big help for first-time indie publishers.
2. Substantive editors start their work once you have completed yours, or at least have a first draft you like. They help you find your voice and nurture it. They may ask you to rewrite a section or delete a character who isnt bringing much to the party. They will ask all kinds of questions, check your facts for accuracy, your prose for readability, and your plot for plausibility. They suggest where to cut, to expand, to go deeper. They make sure you keep up the momentum and point out where a characters behavior doesnt make much sense or her dialogue doesnt ring true. For example, a society matron would never say, I dont like the way that went down. Im outta here. At the end of the process you will have a tight, professional, compelling manuscript that is almost ready to go to press or to be converted into the file formats you need. 3. Copyeditors come next. They are the techies. After you and your editor have cut and polished the manuscript, they read it carefully, checking for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation. They point out inconsistencies and inaccuracies, and may even rewrite a tangled sentence or two. You can always restore anything you like, but in my experience good copyeditors are almost always right. 4. Proofreaders come last. They see the manuscript after the design is completed and the photos, captions, front matter, and back matter are all in place. They check headings, page numbers, typeface styles, and make sure that corrections suggested by the copyeditor have been inserted properly.
And remember, this is your book. You are the creator, and your name is on the cover. When you disagree with your editors suggestions, trust your instincts and go with what you feel is right. You are the boss. You know what else Maxwell Perkins said? There could be nothing so important as a book can be. Now, theres something to think about. Betty Kelly Sargent is the founder and CEO of www.BookWorks.com.
SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS
New Titles from Self-Publishers

the 110 titles submitted for our 16th 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.
ART
Jackie: My Obsession Ron Galella. Ron Galella. $400 hardcover (400p), ISBN 9780985751906 www.jackiemyobsession.com A 400-page compendium of candid images of iconic former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, including many photos never before published.
BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Reluctant Soldier... Proud Veteran: How a Cynical Vietnam Vet Learned to Take Pride in His Service to the USA Terry L. Nau. CreateSpace. $8.99 paper (188p), ISBN 9781482761498; $4.99 e-book ASIN B00E6RHOUW Amazon A Vietnam veteran who buried his feelings about the war learns to take pride in his service after meeting fellow veterans late in life.
Imperfect Circles Sarah A. Suzuki. CreateSpace. $15.93 paper (460p), ISBN 9781492289852; $8.50 e-book ASIN B00GKMMVAE Amazon As a child, Sarah disowns her biracial identity as an Asian-American, until an encounter with her estranged JapaneseAmerican relatives calls into question her understanding of the traumas the generations before her faced in pursuit of the American dream.
The Love Mindset: An Unconventional Guide to Healing and Happiness Vironika Tugaleva. Soulux Press. $19.99 paper (250p), ISBN 9780992046804; $6.99 e-book ISBN 9780992046828 (mobi) Ingram/Lightning Source; Amazon A guidebook to the power of love, the purpose of life, and the potential of people united.
BODY, MIND & SPIRIT

Dont Tell Mommy: A Book of Letters Joyce Davis. BookBaby. $9.99 paper (152p), ISBN 9781619275737; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9781483503981 Amazon; bn.com Between 1956 and 1967, Daviss mother wrote letters to an adoption agencysweet, wonderful letters. The a u t h o r s a r e n o t s o sweet, and a secret is revealed.
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

Exporting Prosperity: Why the U.S. Economy May Never Recover... James H. Boudreau. James H. Boudreau. $21.99 paper (102p), ISBN 9780989897303; $11.99 e-book ISBN 9780989897310 Amazon; bn.com An entrepreneur and small business owner breaks down some of the more complex economic statistics into digestible language to explain why so many today are struggling financially.
The Martial Art of Strategy, Russian Style: Nine Elegant Solutions Igor Grishin and Mikhail Emelyanov. Les Waller International. $12.95 paper (192p), ISBN 9780989809405 Amazon The authors present nine solutions for getting out of the most difficult situations in peoples lives and businesses. Examples are given in three spheres: business and politics, military strategy, and the game of Go. Letter to the One Percent Anthony W. Orlando. Orlando Publishing Group. $8.99 e-book ISBN 9781304642912 Amazon; bn.com; lulu. com O r l a n d o s l e t t e r to the richest 1% of American households is a call to action, a plea for compassion, and a manifesto for the future. Owning Main Street: A Beginners Guide to the Stock Market Patrick Pappano. Cardyf Publishing. $39.95 paper (646p), ISBN 9780988912700 Amazon; www.owningmainstreet.com Most people are intimidated at the thought of investing in the stock market, but Pappano says it is easy. His book shows the reader how. 9780615867830 Amazon; bn.com Sievers shares his expertise to help you entertain with delicious and elegant menus meant to impress your guests. Life Is? And Man Is No Better! Julio Anabelle. Julio Anabelle. $19.99 paper (388p), ISBN 9781291390506; $6.99 e-book ISBN 9781300954996 Amazon; lulu.com Joshua was certain of his future in Cameroon. He was bright in school and smart at home. But the reality of life after high school killed his dream and forced him to Europe. His encounter with Europe, however, was a terrible shock and disappointment. Torn Blood David J. Bain. Bo Iti Press. $17.99 paper (587p), ISBN 9780988171008; $7.99 e-book ISBN 9780988171015 Amazon; bn.com; iBookstore; Ingram Advocate Dist. Jerusalem, the heart of Israel, faces an existential threat. Who will win a 4,000-year-old battle where nothing can be accepted but final victory? Powerplay: Beware the POTUS William I. Brazley Jr. AuthorHouse. $19.95 paper (252p), ISBN 9781481766340; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9781481766333 AuthorHouse; Amazon; bn.com Newly elected president Dale Patton orders a senator to leave Washington, is threatened with impeachment, and faces an assassination attemptwhile dealing with terrorist aggression. Raver: The Horsecaller, Book One Candace Carrabus. Witting Woman Works. $17.99 paper (406p), ISBN 9780989605700; 99 e-book ASIN
FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS

Your Path to an Easier and Better Life: A How-to Guide for You and Your Family Judy Zerafa. Go For It! Partners. $15.95 paper (182p), ISBN 9780615848167; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9780615848167 Amazon Although what it takes to succeed is known, the missing link has been the how. This book will give you and your family the tools to make your lives easier and better.
FICTION
The Witches of Dark Root: Book One, The Daughters of Dark Root Series April Aasheim. Dark Root Press. $14.99 paper (363p), ISBN 9780615819327; $3.49 e-book ASIN B00D6OUDDG Amazon Maggie could care less about taking over the family business of witchery, but when a call sends her back home, she may have no choice. Rescue Me: A TREX Adventure Allie K. Adams. Allie K. Adams. $12.99 paper (286p), ISBN 9781492820246; $4.99 e-book ISBN 9781301847761 Amazon; Smashwords TREX special agent Spencer Allens job with the covert agency is to tell lies to keep the people around him safe. When a mission goes south, he has no choice but to call in a search-and-rescue group led by the only woman who can destroy his control.
COOKING
Entertaining with Love: Inspired Recipes for Everyday Entertaining Marc J. Sievers. MarcRyan Group. $30 hardcover (240p), ISBN
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B00DNR6KMY; BN ID 2940016482002 Amazon; bn.com An equestrian and her horse are taken through a portal to a strange land that will soon die if she cant return their beloved steeds. Poxland Bryan Cassiday. CreateSpace. $14.99 paper (332p), ISBN 9781492739715; $6.99 e-book ISBN 9781301544134 Amazon; bn.com A CIA agent lands in Area 51 during a zombie apocalypse and discovers an SS officers son conducting sadistic experiments in the name of a conspiracy. Darshan Amrit Chima. Amrit Chima. $14.99 paper (552p), ISBN 9780989786805; $4.99 e-book ISBN 9780989786812 Amazon; bn.com The story of a familys 100-year journey across continents to escape a crime that haunts them through generations. he & She Wayne Clark. Wayne Clark YUL/ NYC. $13.99 paper (376p), ISBN 9780992120207; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9780992120214 Amazon; bn.com A Web photo of a dominatrix sends a man on a last-ditch attempt to feel truly alive one more time, even if it kills him. A Synthetic Illusion Christian Clarke. $3.99 e-book ISBN 9780992276805 Smashwords; Amazon; bn.com A 40-year-old driver for an elite escort agency is lured into the much more lucrative side of prostitution and against all his instincts crosses forbidden boundaries. If love makes the world go round, money and drugs can spin it into a frenzy. Blessed Are the Wholly Broken Melinda Clayton. Thomas-Jacob Publishing. $12.99 paper (258p), ISBN 9780989572934; $3.99 e-book ASIN B00FYGVBNA; BN ID 2940045278867 Amazon; bn.com After the heartbreak of losing their newborn son, Philip and Anna patch their lives back together. But when Anna finds herself pregnant again at the age of 43, the marriage begins to crumble. An exploration of unresolved grief, postpartum depression, family loyalty, and friendship. Halfway to the Stars: Cable Car Tales of a Grumpy Gripman Daniel Curzon. IGNA Books. $12 paper (270p), ISBN 9780930650278; $6 e-book ASIN B00F9JAA2U Amazon; bn.com Politically incorrect stories that form a novel, as told by a snarky and very funny gripman on San Franciscos fabled cable cars. Good Americans: The Human Tragedy, Vol. 1 Te j a s D e s a i . T h e N e w We i . $ 1 7 . 9 5 paper (370p), ISBN 9780988351936; $6.99 e-book ISBN 9780988351943 Amazon; bn.com A short-story collection in which each story depicts a different aspect of contemporary American society. A New Years Tale Nancy Farmer. CreateSpace. $12.99 paper (320p), ISBN 9781482795660; 99 e-book ASIN B00BOU7648 Amazon; bn.com In a near-future dystopia, the U.S. government decides to get rid of senior citizens to avoid paying Social Security and Medicare. The Heart of Annie J.S. Foote. Canis Cuatro Media. $5.95 e-book ISBN 9780615899992 Amazon Footes debut novel tells the story of Lilly and Curtis, who, as they grow to love each other, begin to shed their disenchantment and cynicism, and find themselves worthy of a happy ending. Heirs of Eden Harold Gershowitz. CreateSpace. $19.99 paper (540p), ISBN 9781484099032; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9781630029067 Amazon; bn.com A Jewish boy and a Palestinian girl and their families are thrown together by circumstance in Washington, D.C.s inner city following the Israeli war of independence. Anvil of God: Book One of the Carolingian Chronicles J. Boyce Gleason. iUniverse. $33.95 hardcover (440p), ISBN 9781475990201; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9781475990218 iUniverse; Amazon; bn.com After his death, chaos envelops the
family of Charles the Hammer, pitting son against son, Christianity versus paganism, and forcing his young daughter to choose between love and her familys ambitions. Good to Her Enid Harlow. Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Agency. $18.50 paper (310p), ISBN 9781625163981; $7.99 e-book ISBN 9781625169235 Amazon Against the backdrop of famed New York restaurant Dinty Mooresa Broadway fixture for 50 yearsa successful businessman meets his much younger wife, who dreams of becoming an actress. This historical novel starts during Prohibition and moves forward through 1964. Cobal Thomas J. Hawkinson. Tate Publishing. $23.99 paper (388p), ISBN 9781613462669; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9781618625175 Amazon; bn.com Political thriller about a fictional country being overtaken by an outside entity. Right Talents Jay Gee Heath. Joyce G. Heath. $13.75 paper (310p), ISBN 9780989071222; $3.75 e-book ISBN 97800989071239 Amazon; bn.com Pregnant and deserted, May starts over but becomes tangled in an art theft and caught in the middle of an undercover drug investigation. The Dream Jumpers Promise: The Dream Jumper Series Kim Hornsby. Top Ten Press. $12 paper (300p), ISBN 9780615723570; $2.99 e-book ASIN B00AA4FAJC Amazon; bn.com If your new husband went missing and haunting dreams were driving you crazy, would you let someone you didnt trust into your subconscious to help? Asperger Sunset Carol Shay Hornung. CreateSpace. $14.95 paper (268p), ISBN 9781482735772; $5.99 e-book ASIN B00E897ING Amazon; bn.com After witnessing a murder, Russ Dante must put his unique Aspergers skills to work to solve the crime and stop the killer. And Then Run Eric Hublot. Roland Media Distribution. $16.99 paper (560p), ISBN 9780980144666; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9780980144659 (301) 320-3634; outreach@rmdglobal.net Hublots sociopathically pornographic, bizarrely philosophical debut novel follows the life of antihero Jerome Esterson. Jerome has everythinglooks, money, women, friends. And yet, he seems to be fighting a losing battle with reality. The Presidents Killers Karl Jacobs. Lien Press. $3.99 e-book ISBN 9780615907444 Amazon; bn.com A young former athlete responds to a cryptic Internet ad and finds himself the prime suspect in the assassination of the president of the United States. Martin Swans Diary: Black Water Crossing Kyle Keyes. CreateSpace. $11.23 paper (304p), ISBN 9781456503796 Amazon; bn.com Federal agent Martin Swans thwarts a terrorist attempt to smuggle explosives into Washington, D.C., but this secret aide to the president does not avoid falling in love. Ascension Nadine Lalonde. Xlibris. $19.99 paper (282p), ISBN 9781483653877; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9781483653891 Amazon; bn.com Adopted by a crime-fighting immortal family, Ivy must learn the ropes quickly or die. Accepting her fate, she joins the hunt for a rapist. The Chain Robin Lamont. Grayling P re ss. $12.95 paper (246p), ISBN 9780985848545; $6.99 e-book ISBN 9780985848552 Amazon; bn.com A passionate animal welfare investigator is drawn into the lives of a damaged family in a small town that depends on a meatpacking plant for its survival. European Son: A Novella Barry Stewart Levy. CreateSpace. $10 paper (160p), ISBN 9781478104988; $2.99 e-book ISBN 9781621129745 Amazon; bn.com A young man travels to the South of France to escape his troubled past in this tale of obsession, revenge, and redemption. Pastel Orphans Gemma Liviero. Florence Publishing. $14.99 paper (356p), ISBN
10 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y D E C E M B E R 1 6 , 2 0 1 3
9780646904856; $2.99 e-book ASIN B00CUZX6MC Amazon; bn.com As a small boy, Henrik watches his world crumble around him as Germany falls under Nazi control. In his own telling, Henrik confides in the reader the events of World War II as his family is plunged into fear and uncertainty. Dear Babalu: Letters to an Advice Columnist Peter J. Manos. Peter J. Manos. $9.99 paper (233p), ISBN 9780615810843; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9780989548502 Amazon; bn.com; bookstores An illustrated collection of 148 whimsical letters to an advice columnist and the columnists whimsical replies. Master Gardener: A Novel About Gardening, Magic Seeds, Eco-Terrorism, Politics, Big Business, Love and Wylie Cypher Rolf Margenau. Frogworks Publishing. $23.95 paper (302p), ISBN 9780988231108; $2.99 e-book BN ID 2940045225618 frogworks.com; Amazon; bn.com With solid science and ribald humor, Margenau takes a satirical look at environmental threats caused by Big Agriculture. A David and Goliath story in which master gardeners use magic seeds to thwart greedy villains. Excolopolis: Poles of Enforcement Jack L. Marsch. Jack L. Marsch. $4.99 e-book ISBN 9781301570393 Smashwords; bn.com Sean Steersman appeared out of nowhere and headed into unknown territory when he began to create mysterious new antigravity technology. The Jewel Box C. Michelle McCarty. CreateSpace. $12.99 paper (314p), ISBN 9781481107150; $2.99 e-book ASIN B00BTRDWTO Amazon A mouthy smalltown girl takes on big-city life assisted by her spiritual guide through sin city, who offers advice on single parenting and multiple affairs. Born of Oak and Silver Marie McKean. Marie McKean. $12.50 paper (386p), ISBN 9780991013821; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9780991013807 Amazon; bn.com In the years 1840 1915, Daine Dalton is a Druid who must surmount impossible obstacles in an effort to keep the realms of the Fae and humanity separate. An Imposition Bill Merten. C.W. Merten. $10.95 paper (255p), ISBN 9780989767613; $2.99 e-book ISBN 9780989767606 Amazon Henry Cross made a mistake; in fact, he made two. The first was to spy for the Soviet Union inside a top-secret U.S. Department of Energy nuclear weapons laboratory. The second was to get caught. Castles of the Heart Hale Meserow. Carpenters Son Publishing. $16.95 paper (416p), ISBN 9781940262024; $9.99 e-book ASIN B00FW7KCUE; BN ID 2940148815686 stl-distribution. com; Amazon; bn.com Set in the American South, 19191944, Castles tells of the courage of a young woman who faces the demon of racism. Elly in Bloom Colleen Oakes. CreateSpace. $14.99 paper (324p), ISBN 9781477514122; $3.99 e-book ASIN B009C3Z2WW Amazon; IndieBound; bn.com After leaving her cheating husband, Elly Jordan finally has her lifeand her wedding flower boutiqueback to normal, until a life-changing business contract becomes more than she bargained for. Startup Glenn Ogura. iUniverse. $25.95 paper (486p), ISBN 9781475988550; $7.99 e-book ISBN 9781475988543 Amazon; bn.com A business thriller offering a glimpse into Silicon Valleys culture. When idealistic entrepreneur Zack Penny starts his own company, he becomes the target of his former boss, who also happens to be his girlfriends father. The book raises questions about the nature of business dealings while highlighting an example of corporate corruption and greed. Manataka Ella J. Phoenix. Ella J. Phoenix. $3.99 e-book ASIN B00BH1SCQ0 Amazon The first novel in an epic paranormal series that revisits one of the worst moments in Native AmeriW W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M
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can history with fresh eyes. When Chloe finds a stone of immense powers matching the one in her nightmares, her quest to find its source leads her to millionaire Mason Greenthe stone may be the salvation Greens been waiting for. This Moonless Sky Mark Rogerson (Marrik Rajjarsen). FriesenPress. $3.99 e-book ASIN B00ELPNOL2; BN ID Amazon; bn.com A vivid, witty extraplanetary travelogue. A once-suicidal young gay man and his companions discover through love, adventure, and otherworldly philosophy how alienness completes their humanity. Blackmail in Beijing Roger B. Schagrin. Inkwater Press. $12.95 paper (208p), ISBN 9781592999767; $2.99 e-book ASIN B00FEWYKVO Amazon; bn.com When the American ambassador is shown compromising photos of himself, the dark underbelly of Chinese politics, international trade, and criminal conspiracy is exposed in this debut mystery by an international trade attorney. Blue Hydrangeas Marianne Sciucco. Bunky Press. $12.00 paper (234p), ISBN 9780989559201; $2.99 e-book ISBN 9780989559218 Amazon; bn.com What if the person who knew you best and loved you most forgot your face and couldnt remember your name? Escape from Zulaire Veronica Scott. Veronica Scott. $9.25 paper (238p), ISBN 9780989590327; $2.99 e-book ISBN 9780989590310 veronicascott.wordpress.com When hes caught in the hot zone as the planet erupts into war, can S p e c i a l Forc e s operator Tom Deverane save Andi, the woman he loves? The Many Lives of Samuel Beauchamp (A Demons Story) Michael Siemsen. Fantome Publishing. $14.95 paper (262p), ISBN 9781940757025; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9781940757018 (925) 899-7252 After Samuel Beauchamp is murdered by his stepfather in 1933, his soul lives on as a body-possessing demon in search of love and acceptance. November Echo James Houston Turner. Regis Books. $10.99 paper (298p), ISBN 9780958666435; $4.36 e-book ISBN 9780958666428 Amazon When KGB colonel Aleksandr Talanov witnesses the systematic execution of a defecting scientist and his family, his impulsive decision to save the scientists teenage daughter sets him on a deadly collision course with his own people: the KGB. In Times Like These Nathan Van Coops. Skylighter Press. $14.99 paper (382p), ISBN 9780989475501; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9780989475518 Amazon Five friends displaced in time struggle to get home, but realize that they have stumbled into a much larger universe, where finding home is anything but certain. I Wish There Were Baby Factories Julie Weinberg. Booklocker. $15.95 paper (212p), ISBN 9781626464124; $2.99 e-book ASIN B00DEQJIYQ; BN ID 2940016448190 julieweinbergbooks. com; booklocker.com A debut novel, based on the authors experiences, about a hopeful young womans trials and tribulations with infertility while working a high-pressure political job. In the Middle Zelmer Wilson. CreateSpace. $15 paper (302p), ISBN 9781482629996; 99 e-book ASIN B00EG4QILQ Amazon A modern comingof-age story set in Phoenix, Arizona. The narrator is a bright but troubled kid named Miller Hoffman, who struggles to win the approval of his stern father while fighting his physical attraction to his outgoing stepmother. Saviors Day A l a n A . Wi n t e r. iUniverse. $18.95 paper (318p), ISBN 9781491705674; $6.99 e-book ISBN 9781491705681 Amazon; bn.com; alanwinter.com A suspense thriller woven from an open case of Israels vaunted spy agency, the Mossad. Unveiling S. Woffington. Red Summit Publishers. $11.69 paper (364p), ISBN 9780615769240; $4.99 e-book ASIN
B00CIY8TRM Amazon; bn.com Sara, a young Saudi woman, unveils her artists eyes and defies tradition, which forces a perilous escape and pursuit by family, government, and a relentless suitor. Dr. Hotze reveals how commonly hypothyroidism is overlooked, misdiagnosed, and mistreated, and gives you the information you need to prepare yourself to obtain help. Maximize Your Medicare: Understanding Medicare, Protecting Your Health, and Minimizing Costs (2014 Ed.) J a e W. O h , C F P CLU ChFC. CreateSpace. $12.99 paper (162p), ISBN 9781492918677; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9781301630554 maximizeyourmedicare.com This updated 2014 edition includes real-life examples, called This Happens, written in plain English that everyone can understand. Your Vibrant Heart: Restoring Health, Strength, and Spirit from the Bodys Core Cynthia Thaik, M.D. Revitalize Press. $16.95 paper (328p), ISBN 9780989104128; $7.99 e-book ISBN 9780989104111 w w w. y o u r v i b r a n t heart.com; Amazon; bn.com A Harvard-trained cardiologist unites Eastern philosophy with Western medicine to take a whole-life approach to heart health and overall wellness. mission during the last 15 months of World War II in Europe. Messages in Handlebars: The Youngest Resistance Fighter Kendrick Kirk. Kendrick Kirk. $18 paper (322p), ISBN 9780615534602; $8.99 e-book ASIN B0054KD68Y (770) 666-7955 As a 12-year-old, Jean-Jacques Auduc made significant contributions to the French resistance network around Le Mans, France, saving downed U.S. airmen. He was the youngest Resistance fighter to be awarded the Croix de Guerre.
HEALTH & FITNESS

The Beverly Hills Anti-Aging Prescription: The Age Defying Program to Feel Better, Look Younger and Live Longer Andre Berger, M.D. Infinity Publishing. $12.95 paper (240p), ISBN 9780741497178; $9.95 e-book ISBN 9780741484826 Amazon; bn.com Dr. Bergers essential program for optimal agingincluding nutrition, exercise, sleep, environmental detox, stress management, and hormone replacement therapy. Four Quadrant Living: Making Healthy Living Your New Way of Life Dina Colman. Four Quadrant Media. $15 paper (234p), ISBN 9781939288226; $7.99 e-book ASIN B00FC1Y3FA Amazon A guide to creating your new health destiny by nourishing mind, body, relationships, and environmenthow to take responsibility for your health and make healthy living a part of your daily routine. Hypothyroidism, Health & Happiness: The Riddle of Illness Revealed Steven F. Hotze, M.D. Advantage Media Group. $26.99 hardcover (278p), ISBN 9781599323961; $9.99 e-book ASIN B00DDW5BQK; BN ID 2940016766805 www.HypothyroidismBook.com; Amazon; bn.com
HOUSE & HOME

No-Regrets Remodeling: How to Create a Comfortable, Healthy Home that Saves Energy (2nd Ed.) Editors of Home Energy magazine. Home Energy magazine. $29.95 paper (168p), ISBN 9780963944436 chelseagreen.com The original guide to energy-efficient remodeling. Completely revised and updated, it shows readers how to make their home less costly to operate and healthier for their family.
HISTORY
The Precipice Option Alexander Kaufman. Intervale Publishing. $27.99 paper (949p), ISBN 9780578117232; $9.99 e-book ASIN B00DNJCLY8 www.the-precipiceoption.com Life itself is the currency in this fast-paced tale of an unprecedented rescue
JUVENILE FICTION
Stranded in Space, Book 1: The Stellar Life of Jpeg the Robot Dog C.J. Atticus, illus. by Angelika Domechke. C.J. Atticus. $6.95 paper (112p), ISBN 9780988778023 www.cjatticus.com Jpeg, a feisty robot dog, annoys the wrong group of androids, who strand him in outer space to teach him a valuable lesson about friendship. Ages
13
68. Sassafrass Jones and the Search for a Forever Home Cathleen Smith Bresciani with Richard L. Eldredge, photography by Tomas Espinoza. Cathleen Smith Bresciani. $24.99 hardcover (58p), ISBN 9780578120843 sassafrassjones. com A whimsical tale of two plucky outsidersSassafrass Jones, a perky Pekingese, and Madeline, a lonely milliner mousewho find each other and the courage to pursue their dreams. Even for a tiny stray dog, nothing is impossible. Their world is brought to life in detailed full-color photos. Contains an audio edition narrated by B-52s front man Fred Schneider. Ages 48. Username: Bladen J . V. C a r r. We s t Bow Press. $19.95 paper (280p), ISBN 9781449782825; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9781449782818 www.westbowpress. com When Bladen is chosen to play in a reallife video game, he juggles college life while he battles demons to save Earth from deadly disaster. Ages 12 and up. The Harvest Festival J a c k G a l l o w. CreateSpace. $9.99 paper (260p), ISBN 9781492801269; $5.99 e-book Amazon; bn.com; Kobo A paranormal romance full of mystery. Mallory looks just like the missing prom queen, and the only suspect in the disappearance is after her. Ages 11 and up. E: A Tale for Everybody Paul Harvey Jr., illus. by Bryan C. Butler. Paul H. Aurandt II. $25 hardcover (48p), ISBN 9780988777408 Amazon A story to be read to children to teach them to respect and embrace those who are not just like them. Ages 58. Every Hill and Mountain Deborah Heal. CreateSpace. $12.99 paper (278p), ISBN 9781482609165; $3.99 e-book 9781301283200 Amazon; bn.com; Smashwords Abby can fast-forward and rewind the lives of people who used to live in old houses. But sometimes she finds out more than she wants to know. Ages 12 and up. Tizzy, the Christmas Shelf Elf: Santas Izzy Elves #1 Dorothea Jensen, illus. by Michelle Alfonso. CreateSpace. $9.99 paper (28p), ISBN 9781492778547; $4.99 e-book ASIN B00EO3HPIO; BN ID 2940149058945 Amazon; bn.com Two naughty boys sneak downstairs early on Christmas morning and open a big present from Santa. Inside they find Tizzy, one of Santas elves, packed by mistake. The desperate elf asks them to send him back home by using their imaginations. But how? Ages 48. Camp Secret: Junior Spies #1 Melissa Mahle and Kathryn Dennis. SpyGirls Press. $8.99 paper (259p), ISBN 9780985227340; $5.99 e-book ISBN 9780985227357 Amazon; bn.com At first glance Camp International looks normal. But four kids from different backgrounds discover their summer camp is really a training camp for young spies. Ages 812. Sky Bounce D e a n n a M i l l e r. Deanna Miller. $6.50 paper (210p), ISBN 9780972542418; 99 e-book ASIN B00DHQDPQK www.deannamiller. com; Amazon Two secret friends from enemy races find their friendship tested and intensified into love when theyre forced into opposite sides of an interdimensional and interplanetary struggle between fear and faith. Winner of the Wilbur Award for Fiction. Ages 10 and up. Spartanica Powers Molinar. Sapertys Enterprises. $11.99 paper (388p), ISBN 9781493717156; $2.99 e-book ISBN 9781311218124 Amazon; bn.com Ty and Marcus Mitchell battle to get home after being hurtled through an interdimensional gateway to a parallel world defined by its multiple moons and planetwide apocalypse. Ages 913. Gammie Nakeshia Nickerson, illus. by Steve Feldman. AuthorHouse. $21.99 paper (44p), ISBN 9781481779869; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9781481779876 Amazon; bn.com On the last day of school, Ally tells everyone of her plans to spend time with her gammie, but everything doesnt go as planned. With help from family and friends, Ally discovers that what she feels after los-
ing her grandmother is normal. Ages 710. Princess Bing Bong and the Birthday Party Blunders Va n e s s a P a n i c c i a , illus. by Susan Shorter. AuthorHouse. $18.99 paper (28p), ISBN 9781491823613; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9781491823620 Amazon; (800) 839-8640; bn.com Princess Bing Bong is a quirky princess who gets herself into some interesting situations with her wild imagination. Of course, her birthday party doesnt go quite as one might expect. Ages 58. Be-U-Tee-Full! Journi Roe, illus. by Pedro Perez. CreateSpace. $12.99 paper (34p), ISBN 9781492147022; $3.99 e-book ASIN B00G7XHM1E, BN ID 2940045370516 Amazon; bn.com Lyvia thinks her new eyeglasses make her look yucky. She does not even want to wear them, but Cali, her bestie, has a great idea. Ages 48. Dragon Fire: Book 2 of the Cael Stone Colleen Ruttan. CreateSpace. $12.99 paper (340p), ISBN 9781492831143; $4.99 e-book ASIN B00FHQWUSW; BN ID 2940045326797 Amazon; Smashwords; bn.com A young woman sets out with a friend to save a prince and learns more about the destiny it seems she was born to face. Ages 11 and up. Breakable Aimee L. Salter. Aimee L. Salter. $10.99 paper (300p), ISBN 9780990004103; $2.99 e-book ISBN 9780990004110 Amazon; bn.com Seventeen-year-old Stacy can talk to her future self through the mirror, but her future self lies. If you cant trust yourself, whom can you trust? Ages 12 and up. The Night Before Baseball at the Park by the Bay David Schnell, illus. by Macky Pamintuan. Prospect Palo Alto Publishing. $14.95 hardcover (32p), ISBN 9780989104302 www.NightBeforeBaseball.com and retail Young Ryan dreams of pitching for his beloved San Francisco Giants, and one night that dream comes true in this picture book. Ages 58. The Christmas Tree Elf Valentine DArcy Sheldon, illus. by Jeremiah Humphries & Valentine DArcy Sheldon. The Valentine Sheldon Co. $19.95 hardcover (48p), ISBN 9780991038305; $9.95 e-book ISBN 9780991038312 Amazon; iBookstore Blink, the most famous elf ever, saves Christmas and introduces Santa to his elves. Illustrated in color. Ages 48. Christmas Dream: The Adventures of Zebata Karen Barron Smith, illustrated. BFG Productions. $17.95 hardcover (36p), ISBN 9780988654327; $5.99 e-book ISBN 9780988654303 Amazon; bn.com A Christmas story set in the 1940s on a farm where a young girl struggles to buy a horse like the one in her dreams. Ages 48. Script Kiddie (Assured Destruction #2) Michael F. Stewart. Non Sequitur Press. $8.99 (212p), ISBN 9780981269962; $2.99 e-book ISBN 9780981269979 Amazon Jan Rose no longer steals data from the computers she recyclesshe doesnt need to. Shes the newest member of the police departments High Tech Crime Unit, and the laptop of a murderer has landed on her desk. Her job: to profile and expose a killer. Ages 12 and up. Stargazing from Nowhere Isabel Thomas and Marilyn Thomas. Do Art Publishing. $16.99 paper (448p), ISBN 9780988044807; $1.99 ASIN B00EW3KYE8 Amazon What if you were loved by your rock star crush but had said negative things about him online? When Kristen finally meets and falls for him, should she confess? Ages 11 and up. The Whisper Stone Kevin White, illus. by Alyssa Parsons. Chimeric Press. $10.50 hardcover (96p), ISBN 9780984712250 www.chimericpress. com; Amazon; Brodart A boy, his grandfather, and a small river stone with unmitigated power come together in a story that tugs at ones own heart and memories. Ages 58. Blue at Midnight S.D. Wile. CreateSpace. $8.99 paper (176p), ISBN 9781490936819; $4.99 e-book ASIN B00FEKP1NW
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Amazon; amazon.co.uk Human contact is forbidden with the Children of Orsa. When Christian sees Isabelle drowning, he must face the risk of saving her, only to become the enemy of his own kind. Ages 12 and up. Press. $26.95 hardcover (240p), ISBN 9781626464001 amassmag@aol.com; Booklocker.com; Amazon; bn.com A reminiscence that documents the surviving alternative/bohemian culture of Venice, Calif. You Must Live Tu a n P h a n . Vi rtual Reflections. $14.99 paper large print (318p), ISBN 9780988304611; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9780988304628 Amazon A memoir of the authors life in Vietnam during the war and his struggle and determination to succeed in the U.S. A story of human resilience from a country so many Americans died trying to protect. Transformed by Tragedy: A Rose of Redemption Carmyn Sparks. Carp e n t e r s S o n P u blishing. $15.99 paper (272p), ISBN 9781940262017 Amazon Many were envious of Carmyns seemingly privileged lifestyle, but underneath the ball gowns and jewels was a tormented little girl. An unlikely heroine and a divine revelation transforms her tragedies into triumphs.
PSYCHOLOGY
Hope into Practice: Jewish Women Choosing Justice Despite Our Fears Penny Rosenwasser. Penny Rosen wasser. $21.95 paper (417p), ISBN 9780988918702 w w w. a k p r e s s . o r g ; Amazon; bn.com Anchored in Jewish ethical tradition and community, this book is an activists call to repair the world, linking personal healing with social justice.
JUVENILE NONFICTION
Guardian Angel: Rescue on the Glacier Jesse Peterson, illus. by Manuela Soriani. Rescue Me Publishing. $22.95 hardcover (50p), ISBN 9780988595002 Amazon Written by one of the rescuers, a true story of survival and determination in Alaska. Armed with a never quit attitude, four elite Guardian Angel team members climb through a raging blizzard to save a family in distress. Ages 610.
RELIGION
A Rooster Once Crowed: A Commentary on the Greatest Story Ever Told Bryant Cornett. Carpenters Son Publishing. $12.95 paper (208p), ISBN 9781940262079; $8.99 e-book ISBN (800) 289-277; www. stl-distribution.com Cornett surveys the Gospel from Genesis to Revelation, bringing into focus the greater storya love storywith humanity as Gods great desire. Heaven Is in Your Future: The Gift You Cannot Refuse D a v i d A r t h u r D u R o c h e r. D a v i d Arthur DuRocher. $9.99 e-book ISBN 9780615873282 Amazon A book of Bible interpretation with the ideas expressed falling between mainline Christianity and New Age concepts. Creature and Creator: Intersections Between Science and Religion Terence W. Picton. Terence Picton. $25 paper (512p), ISBN 9780992081409; $8.71 e-book ISBN (416) 223-5131; AbeBooks
NONFICTION
Office in a Minute: Steps for Performing Basic Tasks in Microsoft Office 2013 (2nd Ed.) D i a n e L . M a rtin. CreateSpace. $19.95 paper (236p), ISBN 9781492340577 Amazon; bn.com A must-have tutorial for anyone interested in quickly learning Microsoft Office 2013. Readers will learn more than 60 different functions w i t h i n t h e Wo r d , Excel, OneNote, and PowerPoint applications. Venice, CA: A City State of Mind John OKane. AMASS
POETRY
The Ballad of the New Carissa and Other Poems Kari Wergeland. CreateSpace. $14.99 paper (100p), ISBN 9781470156169 Amazon; bn.com A celebration of the Oregon Coast, highlighting the pulse of the weather, shifting sands, and creatures in the sea and on the shore.
Science and religion can provide complementary rather than antagonistic ways to understand our universe. The book considers many different sciences and religions. Picton is professor emeritus of medicine and psychology at the University of Toronto. Pathways to the King: Living a Life of Spiritual Renewal and Power Rob Reimer, M.D. Carpenters Son Publishing. $14.99 paper (208p), ISBN 9780988396203; $9.99 e-book ASIN B00BIU9V4M; BN ID 2940016373188 Amazon; www.PathwaysToTheKing.com; bn.com Practical strategies to develop intimacy, authority, and power in Christ, and to expand his kingdom on earth. B00DZVM4P0 Amazon; bn.com; (949) 589-3707 A program for baby boomers to redesign their lives to escape our overwhelming problems and progress toward less stress, more balance, and a more meaningful life. Finding Jill: How I Rebuilt My Life After Losing the Five People I Loved Most Jill Kraft Thompson. Mind, Body, and Soul Productions. $14.95 paper (224p), ISBN 9780989425209; $9.95 e-book ISBN 9780989425216 Amazon A powerful story of how one woman experienced unthinkable tragedy, yet survived to discover new love, hope, and a new life and how she did it. Im a Type AHow the Heck Will I Ever Retire? Timothy McIntyre. Type A Lifestyle. $15.95 paper (232p), ISBN 9780989749206; $4.99 e-book ISBN 9780989749213 Amazon A fun and easy-to-read guidebook on how even the most energetic Type A can positively anticipate and fully enjoy retirement. The Jetstream of Success: Legends Create History Everyday Julian Pencilliah. Jetstream Publishing. $ hardcover (216p), ISBN 9780985405731; $9.80 e-book ISBN 9780985405700 (011 27 31) 5662564 This book offers a framework to awaken the dormant potential that allows you to engage yourself within a broader spectrum of your being.
SPORTS & RECREATION

Vagrant Kings: David Stern, Kevin Johnson and the NBAs Orphan Team R.E. Graswich. R.E. Graswich. $24.95 paper (256p), ISBN 9780989820936; $8.99 e-book ISBN 9780615883953 Amazon; bn.com An inside account of NBA commissioner David Sterns obsession with building a home for the Sacramento Kings, a tragically cursed, road-weary basketball team in Northern California.
TRAVEL
Elements of Magic: The Interactive Guidebook for Disneys Magic Kingdom Matthew C. Gallagher. designoMatt. $9.99 e-book ISBN 9780989778060 http://bit.ly/GAxHCA An immersive interactive guidebook showcasing the attractions in the Magic Kingdom at the Walt D i s n e y Wo r l d Resort near Orlando, Fla. A Hitchhikers Diary, 196364 Jeanne Vannoy Schramm. Schramm Studio. $15 paper (114p), ISBN 9780986023408 Amazon The author, a farmers daughter, satisfied her desire to explore the world for almost nine months, mainly by hitching rides through 18 European and Middle Eastern countries. Color photos illustrate her adventures.
SCIENCE
Gilgamesh in the 21st Century: A Personal Quest to Understand Mortality Paul Bracken. CreateSpace. $13.40 paper (288p), ISBN 9781492310907; $9.99 e-book ASIN B00FQBH4IO Amazon Must I die? asked Gilgamesh. Forty-five centuries later, were still asking the same question. Bracken embarks on a personal quest to find the answers to his childhood questions about what it means to be mortal and what our fate may be.
SELF-HELP
The Boomer Survivor Kit: An Indispensable Guide for Yourself, Your Relationships, Your Life Wi l l i a m C o u r t e r, M . D . B o o m e r Health Institute. $15.95 (576p), ISBN 9780988854208; $5.99 e-book ASIN
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Reviews
Fiction
The Alexandrite
Rick Lenz. Chromodroid, $14.95 paper (245p) ISBN 978-0-9848442-4-1
After down-on-his-luck actor Jack Cade is mysteriously given a ring with an alexandrite stone, psychophysicist Maggie Partridge contacts him and then sends him back in time from 1996 to 1956into the body of his past self: a gemologist named Richard Blake. Cade wonders whether sharing Blakes body is eroding his individuality, as he navigates the difficulties of time travel and has encounters Marilyn Monroe, while Blakes family problems lead to tragedy. Lenzs novel is a baffling exploration of reality and perception. The complexities of this time-travel saga make for an intriguing puzzle, replete with imaginative adventures and unanswered questions. Obscure encounters and enigmatic messages give the book an aura of mystery, though the banality of Cades ultimate discovery is jarring in contrast to the fantastical past and present interconnections of several of the storys characters.
of a young prostitute and a psychotic doctor who is chasing her down. Fayman has taken many different ideas and combined them in a sometimes gripping, but sometimes confusing mystery. While readers will enjoy the broadly drawn characters and the rough and tumble borderland setting, they will have trouble understanding some aspects of the plot.
The Charging Bull of Terry County

Carl Stevens. CreateSpace, $14.95 paper (225p) ISBN 978-1-4904-6174-8
Border Field Blues

Corey Lynn Fayman. CreateSpace, $11.99 paper (316p) ISBN 978-1-4776-0002-3
Rolly Water is a private investigator hired to look into the deaths of some endangered birds at Border Field Park, along the Mexican border in California. But he soon finds himself enmeshed in is a series of murders of young girls, all of whom have been marked with a Virgo tattoo. His investigation leads him to an aging rock groupie named Tangerine, and his case is confounded by the appearance
Larry Treegarden has been struggling with alcoholism his entire life. As a young man, Larry returned to his Indiana hometown after World War II and married, but his infidelity led his wife to divorce him only to remarry and divorce him twice more. To make matters worse, Larrys brother died during WWII, his younger son died in Vietnam, and now (in 1976) his elder son wants to publish his great grandfathers Civil War journal. But when Larry refuses to allow the publication of the journal it leads to startling family revelations. Stevens sets out to write a vast commentary on American war, but succeeds only in drawing together disparate themes, crafting needlessly obfuscated prose, and leaving readers confused. Additionally, the books conclusion is contrived, and none of the characters are particularly engaging.
White uses commentary by the Grim Reaper to anchor this enjoyable collection of twisted tales with equally twisted endings. The book includes evocations of classic crime themes, chance encounters with elusive salvation, and mutual empathy emerging from a hostile encounter. In the books foreword, the Grim Reaper writes, All of the following short stories have a happy ending. Someone dies. But the succession of sudden plot reversals ultimately reduces the impact of the collection to a series of repetitive jolts, though the varied situations and characters offer a broad range of encounters with mans inevitable fate. Though the episodic nature of Whites book calls to mind The Twilight Zone, his stories provide a consistent and enjoyable treatment of his theme.
The Dream Jumpers Promise

Kim Hornsby. Top Ten Press, $8 paper (300p) ISBN 978-0-615-72357-0
Deaths Twisted Tales

J.J. White. EBGB, $9.95 paper (168p) ISBN 978-0-615-86161-6
Tina Greene has spent the last few months mourning the disappearance of her husband, Hank, who is presumed dead after a surfing accident. In his absence, Tina finds that her and Hanks dive shop in Hawaii is on the verge of bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Jamey Dunn, Tinas ex-lover, who is a member of an Army unit in Afghanistan, has a special power: he can jump into peoples dreams. This allows him to spy on the enemy, but a neardeath experience sends him home from Afghanistan and back into Tinas life. Once Jamey learns of
REVIEWS
the disappearance of Tinas husbandand about the disturbing dreams shes been having ever sincehe offers to help. But their search leads them into a web of madness, supernatural phenomena, and betrayals. Hornsby skillfully presents both Tinas mourning and a vivid picture of Hawaiian culture. The relationship between Jamey and Tina and Tinas love for Hank are believable and richly portrayed. And while some improbable plot twists and underdeveloped secondary characters may take readers out of the story, Hornsby has written a fascinating and engaging paranormal romance. ily obligation and individual freedom through the saga of Charles Sanson, who, at age 14, believes himself incapable of decapitating anyone. For most 14-year-olds, this wouldnt be a problem, but Charles is descended from a family of executioners, and he is expected to adopt the family trade at a young age. As Charles reluctantly accepts his profession, Alleyn provides a backdrop of indifferent spectators to highlight the differences in sensibilities between the public and the executioners who carry out justice for their safety. Alleyn is presenting a moral treatise, but its one that challenges readers and provides an interesting historical perspective. Charless personal crisis and clashing loyalties evoke Greek tragedy, and speak to the issues that will resonate with readers. ical groups such as the Weathermen, but the struggle between self-righteous isolation and the need for community resonates throughout. Donatelli somehow melds an action-packed view of a dystopian future with reflections on the dilemma of a decaying modern-day America in this thoughtful and provocative narrative.
Hidden Doors, Secret Rooms

Jamie Eubanks. CreateSpace, $12.99 paper (337p) ISBN 978-1-4823-5618-2
Epic Sloth: Tales of the Long Crawl

Philip Gaber. Philip Gaber, $12.99 paper (177p) ISBN 978-0-615-72648-9
This confusing series of vignettes introduces readers to a narcoleptic narrator who falls asleep whenever women try to have a heated conversation with him. He also seems to be on shaky ground when it comes to employment, fancies himself a writer, and seems mired in a profound existential crisis and struggle with fate. Readers will find it difficult to get a handle on whom the characters are and the true identity of the protagonistand this will make it hard for them to remain engaged by the story or its characters. The book seems to thrive on deliberate obfuscation, which only serves to further diminish its overall cohesion. Perhaps Gaber is leaving his work open to interpretation, but, in the end, readers will come away wondering if there is something fundamental that theyre missing.
The Great Anti-American Novel

Daniel Donatelli. H.H.B., $17.76 paper (422p) ISBN 978-1-937648-15-2
The Executioners Heir: A

Novel of Eighteenth-Century France
Susanne Alleyn. Spyderwort Press, $14.99 paper (348p) ISBN 978-1-4923-0679-5
In this novel, set in 18th-century France, Alleyn examines the clash of fam-
Donatelli presents Dennis Robert Justin, a surly hermit who enjoys nothing so much as books and solitude. His bizarre death spurs Big Boy (who narrates this novel, set in the not-too-distant future, from a jail cell) and Candychildren Justin rescued from an abusive Catholic orphanageto revenge, and to attack a decayed America led by hedonistic baby boomers to self-destructive conflict. The moral choice presented here is as old as Sophocles, and Donatellis Latin headings deliberately evoke a sense of parallel between the collapse of ancient Rome and America today. Big Boys destructive, murderous quest and self-justifying logic undoubtedly parodies the consciousness of Vietnam-era rad-
In Eubankss lackluster thriller, retired musician John Mills finds a frightened child and her badly mauled mother, Jillian Braedon, outside his Arizona home during a blizzard. But Jillian harbors a powerful secret, and John is soon plunged headlong into a knotty conspiracyone that causes him to be pursued by the FBI, but that may also lead to his redemption. Although she provides all the elements of a page-turner, Eubankss novel will fail to thrill readers. At times, the science underpinning the narrative seems foggy, while the books romantic interludes are stilted and many of its characters underdeveloped. The storys conclusion strains credulity and results in a novel that doesnt live up to its potential.
The Presidents Killers

Karl Jacobs. Lien Press, $3.99 e-book (277p) ISBN 978-0-615-90744-4
This thriller centering on the assassination of an American president suffers from unoriginality and less-than-credible plottingboth of which prove to be a barrier to reader engagement. Twentythree-year-old Denis Kinney of New Jersey becomes the pawn in a conspiracy to murder President Colin Patrick when his resum catches the eye of a headhunter from RJJ Careers. After an interview, and despite misgivings about his employers, Kinney accepts a position with a unit of the National Security Council. Many
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REVIEWS
readers will wince as Kinney performs assignments obviously designed to set him up as a patsy in an assassination plot. Given the books title, no one will be surprised that Patricks days are numbered, but the lack of security at the time of the fatal shooting strains credulity. From there, the book focuses on Kinneys flight for his life, and his efforts to clear his name and identify the real conspirators. Although Jacobs offers up some thrills and intrigue, readers will find it difficult to sympathize with Kinney, despite his predicament, while many of the novels details dont ring true. and must contend with attacks by strange creatures. While fans of genre may find aspects of this story appealing, they will be less forgiving of the authors failure to make Gallaghers acceptance of her new lifeand the radically changed circumstances she finds herself inpsychologically plausible.
Terminal Rage
A.M. Khalifa. Citation, $14.99 paper (402p) ISBN 978-1-940387-00-0
Simple Simon
William Poe. CreateSpace, $19.98 paper (462p) ISBN 978-1-4776-2499-9
Raver the Horsecaller: Book One

Candace Carrabus. Witting Woman Works, $17.99 paper (406p) ISBN 978-0-9896057-0-0
The familiar framework of this epic fantasy novela person suffering a midlife crisis suddenly transported to an otherworldly realm where she finds meaningisnt enhanced by unexceptional prose, plotting, and character development. New Englander Lauren Gallagher has a quiet life caring for horses, but also a lonely one because of her painful divorce from a cheating husband. But when a stranger appears, looking to buy not just a horse, but a rider, too, Gallagher and her favorite equine, Pindar, are transported through a portal to another planet. It will surprise few readers that her transportation is part of a desperate plan to save a kingdom under attackin this case Cirq, which needs a horsecaller to help fight an evil king. The paint-by-numbers storyline unfolds like most readers would expect: Gallagher meets a hunk
Poes hopeful, accomplished follow-up novel to his darker debut, Simon Says, reunites readers with protagonist Simon Powell, a man haunted by his upbringing in 1960s Arkansas and dealing with an internal struggle caused by his burgeoning homosexuality. The first volume found Powell restless and self-destructive, seeking solace in time spent with the Rev. Sun Myung Moons Unification Church, abusing drugs and alcohol, and behaving recklessly. Here, Poe delves deeper into Powells past, when his protagonist was safely ensconced in a rehabilitation program and making great progress toward healing and recovery via writing his lifes story, a process that gives much of the narrative its drive. Powells memories of a childhood spent with his mother, his Aunt Opal, and his grandmother are touching, while scenes of complicated friendships at school and his battles with substance abuse are as difficult to read in this volume as in the authors debut. These rough patches in Powells life are made palatable by his mothers eventual and compassionate acceptance of the fact that hes gay. Although the novel is overly long and frequently expository, Poes narrative moves quickly and smoothly, and fills in the blanks left in Simon Says. These first novels by Poe will leave his readership wonderingand waiting forwhat he comes up with next.
The plot twists in Khalifas thriller are dizzying, intricate, and entertaining, though the authors characters are often so broadly drawn they resemble genre caricatures. Alexander Blackwell, a former FBI agent haunted by his past, is pressed back into service when the enigmatic leader of a terrorist group takes control of a Manhattan skyscraper. But the hostage situation in New York is just the beginning, as Blackwell and the Feds must contend with the kidnapping of a powerful senators daughter and demands for the release of two men convicted of bombing an Egyptian resort. The negotiations with the post-Mubarak generalship and the description of the Egyptian prison are among the best set pieces of the book, displaying a wry grasp of Egyptian mores and deft pacing. But Khalifas prose too often falls prey to clich and stock characterization, and the terrorists getaway is wildly unlikely. Still, the clever plot twist that turns this sprawling novel from a hostage drama to a byzantine account of theft and calculated revenge is appealing. Blackwells pursuit of the villain and quest to understand his motives plods occasionally, though the loose ends are tied up with a more assured hand.
Poetry
Misty Mirrors
Gilbert Soroqure, trans. by Kenneth and Gisle Cervisi. Lulu, $12 paper (90p) ISBN 978-1-105-17823-8
Soroqures book of poems muses over a long lifetime of memories set in far-flung corners of the world. At each place and moment in time, chaos threatens smashing up against serene order or pulling aside the veil of humanitys constructed reality to reveal the oblivion from
REVIEWS
which we came and whence well return. Negative events such as cyclones and floods create the nihilistic pulse that throbs throughout this book. However, optimism does abound; there are sparkling, uplifting moments of beautiful clarity for the reader to grasp, e.g. the way [t]he sun shines through the/ diaphanous mist, or the way [t]he hibiscus flower offers passers-by a drop of rain/ pure as a tear. While the authors verse is vivid and thought provoking, the books structure and layout is lacking. Only a handful of the poems are titled. Line breaks seem haphazard and margins squeezed. This results in an oddly clunky layout that undermines the poets words. Still, the fascinating subject matter and philosophical musings are a saving grace. much of the book is devoted to advice about how to conduct oneself when auditioning or screen-testing, what to include in a resume and cover letter, and scams to avoid. While some of the motivational languagestrive for excellence, not perfectioncould be seen as clichd, anyone interested in pursuing a career in acting could benefit from the detailed information she provides. Sharing her wealth of experience and knowledge, Leech is both encouraging and pragmatic: I cannot promise you a career, but I can show you the path towards a career worth having. offer up a complicated book that aims to be simultaneously an account of both their struggles with OCD; a primer for people who have the disorder, as well as their friends and family; and an instructional therapy handbook. It succeeds in some of these areas while failing in others. As an intimate portrait it excels, especially in the sections that Ray, who is a college student, writes. His honest descriptions of growing up with the disorder, going through therapy, and his life today are at once heartbreaking and hopeful. As a primer, the authors struggle with succinct descriptions, relying repeatedly (and perhaps rightly) on similes and metaphors. As an instructional therapy guide it falls short. But the authors tell their story with courage and without apologies; they accept their situation for what it is and recognize the fact that many of their questions dont have answers. They make it clear that trying to predict how [someone with] OCD will behave... is like predicting what the weather will be in the next few years and show that asking someone to eliminate compulsive behaviors in response to obsessive triggers is like asking a threepack-a-day smoker to quit [his or her] habit overnight. This bookimperfect as it iswill be a welcome companion for those struggling with OCD and those who have family or friends with the disorder.
Exploring Faith and Reason: The Reconciliation of Christianity and Biological Evolution
Bruce Glass. DBG, $14.99 paper (296p) ISBN 978-0-578-11047-9
Nonfiction
Actor Muscle: Craft. Grit. Wit. A Professional Guide to the Business of Acting
Beverly Leech. Actor Muscle/Voltaire Media, $19.95 paper (252p) ISBN 978-0-615-70530-9
According to TV and Broadway actor and acting instructor Leech, an actor should focus not on making it, but on being able to rise to the occasion when opportunity strikes and to remain active, professional, and positive over the long term. Perhaps the most important element of this approach involves a realistic appraisal not only of what ones professional goals might be, but also of what ones strengths and weaknesses are as an actor. Primarily intended as a guide to the West Coast marketthough certainly useful elsewhere
In this sometimes elegant, sometimes stilted work, Glass draws heavily on the efforts of theologians and scientists to provide a useful overview of evolution and Christian beliefs about the nature of God, humankind, and the Bible. Glass asserts that natural processes are fully consistent with the essential tenets of the Christian faith. Along the way, the author makes some nave generalizations, and, after his long survey of the history of evolutionary biology, comes up with the unremarkable observations that we find indications of an evolving world all around us. In the end, Glass fails to demonstrate how evolutionary biology and Christianity can be reconciled, but sings a hymn to God the Creator: We certainly need not retreat from a conviction of Gods providence and our marvel at the glory of Gods creation.
Gold Buckles Dont Lie: The Untold Tale of Fred Whitfield

Fred Whitfield, with Terri Powers. Gold Buckle Productions, $24.99 hardcover (272p) ISBN 978-0-9894047-0-9
Finding X: One Familys Solution to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Joni and Ray St. John. Vermilion, $14,95 paper (331p) ISBN 978-1-4675-6762-6
Mother and son Joni and Ray St. John
World champions of rodeo win gold buckles, and Fred Whitfieldan AfricanAmerican calf roper originally from Cypress, Texashas eight of them. While Whitfield has related the highlights of his life and career to interviewers before, he and coauthor Powers claim the great
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REVIEWS
cowboy tells all in this autobiography, which includes details about Whitfields abusive father who was jailed for murder, and his older sister who was hit by a truck at age four and later died when she rammed a truck into a tree at age 22. For Whitfield, a short dalliance with cocaine, stints living with various families, and a traumatic romantic relationship followed. Through it all, Whitfield endured redneck racism, while turning endless hours of daily practice into big pro-rodeo paydays. Whitfields story has mass appeal, but this book doesnt do the man justice. The cowboys first-person prose is laced with grammatical errorsand while this may be a part of the authors voiceit takes readers out of what amounts to an unevenly told story. signer will be disappointed. There are no juicy revelations here. Parkers account of Chanels life is also somewhat repetitive, and he places his subject on such a high pedestal that it will be difficult for readers to truly understand and relate to the fashion icon.
9889127-0-0
Letter to the One Percent

Anthony W. Orlando. Orlando Publishing Group/Lulu, $9.99 e-book (146p) ISBN 978-0578-13222-8
The Improbable Return of Coco Chanel: As Witnessed by Her Assistant, Richard Parker
Richard Parker. EBook Bakery, $14.95 paper (132p) ISBN 978-1-938517-15-0
In the early 1950s, Parker was a young Army veteran in search of a job when he began working for Tom Lee Ltd., a design company in New York City. He didnt realize, when he took the job, that he would soon become the assistant to the legendary Coco Chanel. Parker found himself working on a perfume showroom project that would ultimately help rebuild Chanels reputation in the fashion world after World War II. While Parker provides an interesting take on a turning point in Chanels life, and he clearly respects and admires her greatly, readers looking for an indepth, intimate portrait of the de-
In this vigorously argued manifesto, Orlando, an op-ed columnist and college lecturer, reinforces widespread perceptions that the richest 1% of Americans are waging class warfare on the rest of the population. Calling the difference between the 1% and the 99% the deciding issue of our time, the author provides a dizzying array of dismal statistics, supported by a substantially documented bibliography. Orlando charges that the loss of decent jobs and incomes has pitted worker against worker, even as federal tax policy further tilts the balance in favor of the wealthy. Orlando maintains that pronounced income inequality is destroying freedom and justice in the U.S. Surprisingly, his concluding recommendations do not urge workers to the barricades. He asserts that the nation has been poorly served by the reign of the 1%, but nonetheless notes that the economic elite have traditionally played a beneficent role in American history. The authors amazingly simple plea is that members of 1% should realize their elite status is due in part to the benefits of freedom and democracy in the U.S. and, because of this, demand to pay more taxes. Significantly, Orlando doesnt make any predictions about when this change might occur.
Former stockbroker and Columbia M.B.A. Pappanos disdain for the sages of finance provides a unifying theme for this massive outpouring of ideas and opinions aimed at the everyman-turned-investor. The authors conventional wisdom, often expressed in banalities, stand out among folksy and sometimes irrelevant anecdotes. Pappano suggests that beginners should avoid frequent trading and complicated financial products, but his paean to fiscal self-reliance sometimes veers into dubious logic and leaps of faith. The contradiction between Pappanos insistence upon simple investment guidelines and the complexities of the market is also problematic, and his own experience in the world of finance is seemingly at odds with his distrust of financial experts. Readers who plow through this guidebook may find merit in the authors faith in traditional investment aphorisms: buy dividend-rich blue chip stocks, invest at regular intervals, and leave your investments alone. But Pappanos frequent warnings to avoid financial professionals are unconvincing, leaving some to wonder whether his book is really required reading for aspiring investors. Neophytes may glean a few useful tips from this book, but many readers will find themselves no wiser than before.
Shaken & Stirred: The

Feminism of James Bond
Robert A. Caplen. Robert A. Caplen, $35 hardcover (464p) ISBN 978-0-9859961-1-6
Owning Main Street: A Beginners Guide to the Stock Market

Patrick Pappano, illus. by Ben Aronson. Cardyf, $39.95 paper (646p) ISBN 978-0-
In what may be the first study of super-spy James Bond to include an extensive look at Betty Friedans The Feminine Mystique, legal scholar Caplen kicks off his Shaken & Stirred series with a fascinating look at the most celebrated, often trivialized, but ultimately academically neglected Bondian subject: the Bond Girl. In this extensive but eminently readable study of Bonds many fe-
REVIEWS
male partners, Caplen analyzes in detail the Bond Girls evolutionary journey over the course of the past five decades, with specific focus on the first 11 films, from Dr. No in 1962 to The Spy Who Loved Me in 1977. The author begins with a fascinating look at how Bond creator Ian Flemings template for the Bond Girl explicitly reflects a desire to keep women within a sphere of domesticity. Caplen then details how the females of the first 11 Bond films were not liberated women, but were, in fact, beautiful, sexy, good or evil, detrimental, devious or innocent, and expendable. Caplen shows how it wasnt until the 1970s that Bond Girls became spies who reluctantly work alongside Bond but generally represent his equalsa change that, he argues, helped preserve the heros cultural relevance and became an essential part of the franchises continued success. Caplen plans to investigate this development in his next Shaken & Stirred volume, The Post-Feminism of James Bond. most sordid affairsthe death of Gig Young, the murder of Bonnie Lee Bakley, and many moreinviting readers to make up their own minds about what really happened. Di Mambro has clearly done her research, and the versions of events she pieces together are entertaining and plausible. While her prose tends to meander at times, readers who are enthusiastic true crime aficionados or Hollywood scandal fans will enjoy this book immensely. closing pitcher. Ryan takes to the mound andno surprise strikes out three batters in a row. Using Moores holiday poem for inspiration adds little (other than a readymade structure), but baseball fans who hail from the Bay Area should find it easy to forgive some rhythmic oddities and root for Ryan and the home team. Ages 36.
Childrens Books
Picture Books
The Night Before Baseball at the Park by the Bay
David Schnell, illus. by Macky Pamintuan. Prospect Palo Alto Publishing (www.nightbeforebaseball.com), $14.95 (32p) ISBN 978-09891043-0-2
Sassafrass Jones and the Search for a Forever Home

Cathleen Smith Bresciani, with Richard L. Eldredge, photos by Thomas Espinoza. Cathleen Smith Bresciani (www.sassafrassjones.com), $24.99 (54p) ISBN 978-0-57812084-3
Photographs of dioramas featuring tiny stuffed animals, toys, and miniatures from the authors collection anchor this story, which was inspired by an actual dog. Sassafrass is a Pekingese with an eye condition that requires her to wear glasses. The other creatures at the animal adoption center taunt her for her appearance, and Sassafrass is discouraged be-
True Hollywood Noir: Filmland Mysteries and Murders

Dina Di Mambro. Classichollywoodbios.com Publications, $16.95 paper (268p) ISBN 9780-615-57269-7
Published in partnership with the San Francisco Giants, this ode to baseball and to the Giants in particularmashes up Opening Day and Christmas Day as it riffs on The Night Before Christmas. Schnells verse borrows that poems cadence and rhyme scheme, introducing a
In Hollywood, murder and mystery are par for the course, and in this fascinating true crime compendium, Di Mambro explores a host of famous scandalssome as old as the movie industry itself. Sex, drugs, and money have always had incendiary consequences in Hollywood, and Di Mambro provides backstories of some of Hollywoods
young baseball fan with dreams not of sugarplums, but of Major League glory: While he falls deep asleep, Ryan cradles his glove/ and dreams of pitching a big game for the Giants, his love. Pamintuans (Down at the Dino Wash Deluxe) crisp illustrations capture the excitement of the crowd and the determination of the players as the game in Ryans dream becomes a pitchers duel, with the Giants up one run in the ninth inning when the coach taps Ryan as the
cause, year after year, no one adopts her. Her luck changes when she finds a forever home with a young mouse named Madeline. She makes Sassafrass a hat to protect her eyes from the sun and enters a gingerbread-house-making contest to win a trip to New York City and get Sassafrass reparative surgery. Superfluous minutia causes the story to drag, and between Sassafrasss adoption, Madelines millinery successes, and the gingerbread-house contest, theres enough material for several books; the text itself sometimes has to be crammed into the pages in order to fit. The real draw is in the lovingly detailed photo vignettes. A CD of B-52s musician Fred Schneider reading the story accompanies the book, some proceeds of which benefit animal-rescue charities. Ages 612.
23
REVIEWS
Fiction
The Stellar Life of Jpeg the Robot Dog
C.J. Atticus, illus. by Angelika Domschke. C.J. Atticus (www.cjatticus.com), $6.95 paper (120p) ISBN 978-0-9887780-2-3
Jpeg, a canine robot with magnetic paws and major attitude, narrates this first title in Atticuss Stranded in Space series. He lives in an expansive space station with Johnny, his human master, who attempts to ground the egocentric, unruly dog for chasing the mailbot. Instead, Jpeg leaves their apartment and unapologetically crashes into other hardworking machines, including a painterbot and a carpenterbot. Jpegs bad behavior eventually finds him being jettisoned into space, where other gadgets refuse to help him get home (No machine or bot will help you until you learn your lesson! explains a passing solarscope). Although Jpeg displays some ingenuity and loyalty late in the story, he isnt in danger of losing his edge just yetafter a space debris sweeper swallows him, he calls his fellow captors rude for laughing derisively at him: I wouldnt laugh at them. Oh, I forgot I would. Domschkes angular b&w cartoons mesh high-tech and retro elements as they amplify the storys dramatic and comic moments, but the story ends inconclusively on a cliffhanger with little resolved. Ages 612.
wiped out, are destined for life as camel jockeys, a career with a high mortality rate. An English girl named Margaret, separated from her family after a pirate attack, faces life in a harem. The four must find a way to escape the cruel Caid Ali Tamzali before its too late. As their tales unfold, they intertwine with several other story threads, casting a glimpse of a much larger picture involving a growing rebellion against the vicious warlords of the region. ONeill has an eye for detail, atmosphere, and action, but the frequent perspective shifts between the sprawling cast, and the numerous diversions to explain characters back stories tend to dilute the impact. Nevertheless, this is a rousing period piece that ends on a cliffhanger (a sequel, Wrath of the Caid, is also available). Ages 12up.
Braddock, enter the conflict against the French and Indians, Josh sees firsthand the horror of war, an experience that forever changes how he interacts with the world. Irvins story incorporates real events and historical personages to give Joshs adventures verisimilitude and atmosphere. An introduction and an endnote help to provide context, making this as much a history lesson as a work of fiction. A good way to introduce younger readers to the lesser-known events that preceded the American Revolution. Ages 12up.
TaleSpins
Michael Mullin, illus. by John Skewes. Gemiknight Studios (www.talespinsbooks. com), $12.99 (134p) ISBN 978-0-9851884-2-9 $7.99 paper ISBN 978-0-9851884-3-6
Seeds of Rebellion: The First French and Indian War

Teresa Williams Irvin. HeartChild Publishing (www.teresairvin.com), $12.95 paper (142p) ISBN 978-0-9799395-4-9
Rebels of the Kasbah

Joe ONeill. Black Ship Publishing (www.blackshippublishing.com), $12.95 paper (288p) ISBN 978-0-9851969-4-3
Set in 1912 Morocco, this story, first in the Red Hand Adventures series, sees a group of children kidnapped, sold into slavery, and forced to fight for survival and freedom. Tariq, an orphan from Tangier; Aseem, sold by his father to settle a debt; and Fez, whose entire tribe was
In this brief historical coming-of-age story, set against the First French and Indian War circa 1755 and partially inspired by a bit of family history, a teenage boy is caught up in the brutality and chaos of frontier life and battle. Believing that his family doesnt love or want him, 13-year-old Josh Bedford runs away from home, ending up in George Washingtons militia stationed at Fort Cumberland. There, he struggles with new responsibilities, with Daniel Boone and Washington himself acting as protectors and mentors. As the British redcoats, led by General
Mullin and Skewes, the duo behind the Larry Gets Lost picture books, offer a whimsical take on three fairy tales in this slim yet entertaining volume, written in rhyming verse. 8: The Previously Untold Story of the Previously Unknown 8th Dwarf tells the tragicomic story of Creepy, the dwarf overlooked because of his contrary and idiosyncratic nature, and his pivotal role in the Snow White legend. The Plight and Plot of Princess Penny produces a twist on the witch from The Frog Prince, as high school acts of cruelty and retribution get out of hand. Jackd retells Jack and the Beanstalk from multiple viewpoints, adding an urban spin and hints of irony, while taking major liberties with the source material. The verse is crisp and easy to follow, and the stories all tend toward adding dark humor and modern sensibilities to the familiar material: He watched them all kneel in their sniffling group-sob,/ By the see-through glass coffin (And they call him macabre!) Skewess playful illustrations (including a preview of a planned graphic novel adaptation of the first story) add extra depth and oddness. Ages 12up.
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