M AY 2018

Your guide to self-publishing

Ask the Editor • Book Cover Redesign •
First Lines from BookLife Authors • Indie Scouting Report •
100 New Titles Listed

Reaching
Readers,
No Matter
The Means
An innovative
author-illustrator turns
to self-publishing
BY MATIA BURNETT

T
he children’s book author and
illustrator Michelle Nelson-
Schmidt studied physics in college
before deciding to pursue her first
love, art and design. “I’ve always been
a bit insecure about my credentials as
a ‘writer,’ ” she says. “I’m a storyteller,
though, and in order to tell my stories
in book form, I spent a lot of time self-
educating before I pursued publishing.”
Growing up, Nelson-Schmidt was a
voracious reader; she credits Shel
Silverstein with inspiring her lifelong
love of rhyme. She also counts Tomie
dePaola, Judy Blume, and the Nancy
Drew books as formative childhood
inf luences. Nelson-Schmidt’s
 ® INDIE SUCCESS
a single mom who was painting
pet portraits to supplement her
income as a freelance graphic
designer. “I painted over 800 paint-
ings for people in that time,” she
says. “Not only did that really
hone my painting style but it gave
me the confidence to think that
if people would buy my art, they
might also buy my books.”
Nelson-Schmidt put some feel-
ers out into children’s publishing
and was offered a deal with Kane
Miller for Dogs, Dogs! and Cats,
Cats!, rhyming books that feature
Michelle Nelson-Schmidt
adjectives about dogs and cats
publishing story is one that dem- (both released in 2011). Though
onstrates the power of innovation she started out being traditionally
and direct marketing, as well as published, circumstances led her
the benefits of being adaptable to become a trailblazer.
at each step of an evolving career. Right around the time that
Nelson-Schmidt began writing Nelson-Schmidt signed her con-
and illustrating picture books as tract, Kane Miller was acquired
“The wisdom of the author shines through this entire work. This book will hug on the heart as Mr. Lassiter describes
raising magnificent human beings whose lives are shaped by theory, laws that they have no say so in, and the
determination of their parents. This book leaves readers changed, if not socially aware as the ending
surprises you with heroes that show themselves in the nick of time.
This book left me cheering for society as a whole while keeping in mind
the very important role I will play as myself.”
-Kr Shawn Terrell
-Kri’
“I have worked with At-Risk youth for over 13 years, ‘How To Change The World In 20 Mins?’, is a MUST READ for
youth who are in transition to changing their life’s trajectory…”
- Dr. H. Sam Coy, JD
Available now at
www.Lassiterandco.net
44 B O O K L I F E , M AY 2 8 , 2 0 1 8
by a direct-sales company, Usborne
Books & More; as a result of this
acquisition, she learned, her titles
would not be sold in major retail
outlets. Rather than panic, Nelson-
Schmidt adjusted her approach.
“I basically shifted gears and
instead of promoting myself to
the public, I promoted myself to
the ever-growing team of direct
sellers who sold my books at home
shows, at Facebook parties, booth
events, and, most importantly,
directly to schools and libraries,”
she says.
B y b e i n g f l e x i b l e , Ne l s o n -
Schmidt also developed a sense
of ownership over the marketing
of her books, using her contacts
to develop creative outreach to
schools and libraries. “I’ve done
school visits in 38 states, been to
over 800 schools, and talked to
hundreds of thousands of chil-
dren,” she notes.
In addition to her school visits,
Nelson-Schmidt is very active on
social media; for example, she
reads her books and shares art
for her weekly online ser ies,
Storytime Live. “Storytime is a
pretty joyful half hour I look for-
ward to every week,” she says.
Nelson-Schmidt’s other picture
books published with Kane Miller
include Bob Is a Unicorn, Cordelia,
Dog and Mouse, and Jonathan
James and the Whatif Monster.
She also has a line of plush toys
to accompany the books, which
she sells independently on her
website. “I had made sure to main-
tain all my licensing and mer-
chandising rights when I pub-
lished, because I knew I wanted
to create multiple income streams
with my art and the characters I
had created,” she says.
In the process of promoting her
books and networking with direct
ASIN 0692961917
INDIE SUCCESS
sales consultants, Nelson-
Schmidt has developed a broad
fan base. Having name recogni-
tion and a robust audience already
familiar with her books came in
handy when she decided to self-
publish her first middle grade
novel. “I originally offered it to
my publisher, but they declined
to buy it,” she says. “It’s a story
I really need to tell, and self-
publishing made a lot of sense.”
Nelson-Schmidt will publish
Cordelia the Whale this fall. The
novel arose from her previous
picture book project, Cordelia,
which she was inspired to write
while taking walks on Martha’s
Vineyard to ease her anxiety
during a writing retreat. The
child character in that stor y
asserted herself in a way that
Nelson-Schmidt says she couldn’t
ignore: “Cordelia whispered, ‘My
name is Cordelia, and I can fly.’
I ended up making a picture book
from that one sentence.”
About a year later, a second
character spoke to Nelson-
Schmidt—a blue whale named
Beatrice, who informed her that
she was the one who taught
Cordelia to fly. “Ironically, that
turned into my first novel—all
from walks I took to deal with the
anxiety and doubt from not being
a real ‘writer’ like my retreat
companions,” she says.
Readers will likely not share
Nelson-Schmidt’s doubt as she
continues to take her personable
and authentic approach to pro-
moting her stories. “I have found
the best promotion is just being
me and doing what I love to do:
encouraging people and trying
to make both children and adults
feel good about themselves, even
on the hard, messy days of life,”
she says.  ■ For the complete interview, visit booklife.com/roman
Q&A SPONSORED
BookLife Talks with
Carole P. Roman
Roman, author of the award-winning
Captain No Beard books, discusses her
instructional series about life in other
countries
How did you come up with the idea for
the If You Were Me and Lived In... series?
I was in Las Vegas on a family vacation and
my four-year-old grandson noticed the Eiffel
Tower on the strip. He wanted to know what
it was and why it was important. I couldn’t find a book that was suitable
for him. That night, I wrote the first of five books.
I was working with illustrator Kelsea Wierenga, and I wanted the
series to be respectful, not stereotyped. In addition to filling the books
with fun facts to familiarize readers with life in another country, I chose
to write from the perspective of a child in that nation.
I then expanded the series and wrote ten more books for older chil-
dren about different eras in history. These start with ancient Greece
and include ancient Mali, Elizabethan England, the Mayans, and the
Vikings. The last one travels into the future to explore life in a colony
on Mars.
How did you do research for this series?
I did most of my research in my own neighborhood. My dry cleaner was
thrilled to offer details about his life in Egypt. The women in the nail
salon told me stories about South Korea. My doctor was happy to share
the food of his native Scotland. And the man at the car wash told me
about his native Peru.
Can you say a bit about how you hope these books will help children
understand life in other countries?
We live in a global village. If children can appreciate the similarities and
differences of our diverse world, then society is enriched.
What do you think is the role of a children’s author?
Writing a book is intimate; it’s a direct line to someone’s heart. Sometimes
a book can reach a child when a parent’s words can’t. Convincing a child
that a book can change their life, or stay with them forever, is the best
gift of all.
Who is your ideal reader?
As an author, you can impact someone’s life. When you share a story, you
may end up taking someone on the journey of their lifetime. Perhaps your
story will ignite the imagination of someone who will change the world.
B O O K L I F E .C O M 45
 ® COVER ART

Cover Redesign
This month, Michelle Argyle at Melissa Williams Design
reimagines the cover of Vanished by N.V. Baker, who
praised the new cover, calling it “captivating.”
To submit a book for a free cover redesign, email us at booklifeeditor@booklife.com.

Original Cover

Many covers use

Enlarging the both serif and
author’s name sans serif fonts.
helps push this I used only serif
cover into the fonts to convey
thriller genre. a sense of
traditionalism
for this
suspenseful,
literary thriller.

Including the
image of a
Middle Eastern
city is not only
true to the story
but also works The novel takes
to set the tone place over the
of the book for course of many
readers. years, so I went
with an aged
look to convey
the passage of
time.

46 B O O K L I F E , M AY 2 8 , 2 0 1 8
 NETWORKING ®

BOOKWOKS_HALF_V_0715_Layout 1 7/24/15 10:10 AM Page 1

How to Sell Better

By Saying Less
Knowing what to say and when
to say it can help writers make
professional
Calling allconnections
Indie Authors
BY JANE FRIEDMAN
What can BookWorks do Jane Friedman
for you:

W
hen I was growing up, my mother often remove all doubt.” It’s rare that you hear that advice
repeated the adage “Better to remain silent today (we live in very different times), but, for bet-
● Helpand
YoubeFind Youra Reader
thought fool than to speak and ter or worse, I took it to heart and soon uncovered
● Post Excerpts from Your Book
for Peer Review Q&A SPONSORED

● Get a Featured Author Cover BookLife Talks with

Medallion for Your Book Stephen M. Gray
China’s Spring and Autumn period
● Chat With Our Experts come to life in Gray’s the Mark of
Wu series, Book One: Hidden Paths
● Showcase and Sell Your Books With
can BookWorks do
What Direct-to-Retailer for you:
Links How did you become interested in Chinese history?
Growing up in Wichita Falls, Tex., I listened to my
● Find
• Help you the
FindBest
Your Editors,
Reader Designers, father tell stories about WWII. China was very mys-
Illustrators, Marketers,
• Post Excerpts from Your Book for andPeer Review terious to me. A trip to Hong Kong years later gave
Publicists in the Business me an up close experience, but my curiosity took a
• Get a Featured Author Cover Medallion for new direction when I read Sun Tzu’s The Art of War
Your Book during law school.
• Chat
And that’s just for starters
With Our Experts Can you say a bit about the mix of fact and fiction
Let us help you Prepare, Publish and Promote in Hidden Paths?
• Showcase and Sell
your books. Your Books
We show you how With
to make The Mark of Wu series closely tracks the historical
Direct-to-Retailer
indie publishingLinks
easier and, yes it’s true — record, to the extent that details exist. Gaps in the
• Find the Best how
Editors, Designers,
to make it fun. Illustrators, historical facts provided fertile ground for artistic
Marketers, and Publicists in the Business license, which I exercised at will.
What lessons do you hope your book will offer
present-day readers?
No matter the time or the place, human behavior
JOIN NOW! doesn’t change.

bookworks.com For the complete interview, visit booklife.com/gray

 ® NETWORKING
Q&A SPONSORED
BookLife Talks with
C.W. Irwin
Irwin, author of Society of the Morning Star, returns
with The Waters of Eden, another compelling, imag-
inative novel grounded in deep research, this time
set in the Amazon
What is the story behind The Waters of Eden?
I find it fascinating that even today some indigenous
people in the Amazon have had little or no contact with
the outside world. During the early 20th century, the
time frame of the novel, this was spectacularly true.
Why or how do you think this book is particularly
relevant now?
The history of the rubber industry in the Amazon is
an instructive cautionary tale. Today, commercial in-
terests continue tearing down millions of acres of
pristine forest.
Place figures prominently in this book, as well as
in your first novel. Tell us how place inspires you
and why.
We all are profoundly influenced by place. In Society
of the Morning Star, I picked Venice because his-
torically the city was a bridge between East and
West. I chose the Amazon Rainforest for the ancient
legends that allude to that part of the world.
What one thing do you want people to know
about your work?
All my books are available on Amazon.
For the complete interview, visit booklife.com/irwin
48 B O O K L I F E , M AY 2 8 , 2 0 1 8
the strange power of silence. Far from preventing
people from passing judgment on me, it did the
opposite. By remaining quiet in a room full of people
talking, and then offering a sharp observation, it
increased my presence and influence. Sometimes
people listen more carefully when you do finally
speak, or they attribute meaning that isn’t there to
acts of silence.
Silence—or, in fact, just saying less—is an art that
can be strategically practiced by authors trying to
garner attention for their work. It is an especially
critical strategy when trying to influence people
who hear about new books all day, every day—such
as editors, agents, book sellers and retailers,
mainstream media, and reviewers. Such people,
approached constantly by authors who want to
talk about their books, feel immense relief when
engaging with someone who knows how to give just
enough information that allows for a conversation
and a natural connection. None of them want a
protracted speech that boils down to, “Please pay
attention to me and my book.”
Recently I attended an educational session by the
publishing industry vet Amy Collins of New Shelves
Books on how authors can effectively pitch their
work to retail outlets. She asked an author in the
audience to stand up and try pitching her published
book as if she had met a bookseller at a party. The
writer’s response wasn’t bad: it was essentially the
meaty hook that would be appropriate in a query
letter to an agent or editor. But, for a networking
context, or even for a brief sales conversation, it
was too detailed.
Collins emphasized that first the author should
have stated that her work is a novel and then
mentioned a couple of details that help relate the
novel to something that the bookseller likely already
knows. For example, let’s say an author has written
a novel based on historical events about a submarine
that sinks off the coast of England during World
War II. It appeals to men who love Michener. End
there. The bookseller doesn’t need any more to
understand the readership and whether it’s the sort
of thing for her store. Maybe she’ll say, “Oh, I sell
tons of Michener—tell me more about the historical
events you’re writing about.” Or maybe she’ll respond,
“Oh, my bookstore is focused on women’s fiction,
but you should talk to so-and-so librarian who’s
looking for that kind of thing.”
What kind of details the author shares with
someone is, of course, dependent on context. If
NETWORKING ®

speaking with someone who specializes in World Q&A SPONSORED

War II historical novels, the author may be more
specific about the historical events or the name of
the submarine in the book. If the author is talking BookLife Talks with
Davina Marie Liberty
to someone who may not understand the appeal or
readership of Michener, a different comparison
would be better—something like, “The guys who love
to watch the History Channel have been my most
devoted readers.”
Part of being a good salesperson for your work
is developing a rapport with others and understand-
ing their interests and needs. The conversation
can’t be focused on you. You’re not sitting down
with Terry Gross and divulging your origin story
as a writer, how you were inspired to write the
book, the twists and turns the story takes, and the
research surprises along the way. Instead, you’re
focused on how your product (book) might fill a
need for someone else or on looking for points of
commonality. You have to put aside any impulse to
digress about the content of the book, and instead
be curious about and interested in exploring a
Equine healer Liberty launches her fantasy series,
business connection.
the Dolphin Code Trilogy, with The Keeper of Fire
There may not be a match, but it’s okay. There
may still be a wonderful relationship to develop,
What inspired you to write The Keeper of Fire?
and you won’t become a person to be avoided later The Keeper of Fire, which is about a young woman
on, along the lines of, “Oh, there’s that author who who leaves her abusive aunt, risks the unknown, and
cornered me for 15 minutes and wouldn’t stop heads out into the world for the first time, is inspired
talking about his book.” by my own experience of abuse.
You’ve probably been at a reading or author event
where people in the audience stand up to ask How does your writing and your life as a writer
questions, but their questions are really a way for relate to your work with horses?
them to talk about their own work. You can feel Most people ask me when I’m going to write a book
people shifting in their seats, giving each other about my career in horses. I promise I have long-term
sidelong glances. The scenario often ends with plans for one!
the moderator awkwardly interrupting, “Sorry,
but what’s the question?”—that is, what do we have Who are some of your influences? How does your
in common that we can talk about? book fit into the current sci-fi/fantasy landscape?
That urge to divulge detail, though, can be The Harry Potter series was my biggest influence.
irresistible. When you feel that urge, identify it Many readers are seeking the next big series in the
and ask yourself, can I gain more by saying less? genre. The Keeper of Fire might fit that bill!
What can I ask or share that will spark a connection
with this person rather than a desire to escape? What do you hope contemporary readers will
As an author, you don’t want to follow my mother’s take away from this book?
advice and be entirely silent, but you can allow No matter how rough things get, if you’re willing to
take risks and move beyond the current situation,
silence to spark a more useful and engaging
hope is always on the horizon.
conversation.  ■

For the complete interview, visit booklife.com/

Jane Friedman is the former publisher of Writer’s
liberty
Digest; her newest book is The Business of Being
a Writer from the University of Chicago Press.

B O O K L I F E .C O M 49
 ® BOOKS TO WATCH

Scouting Report
In this month’s roundup of the best-reviewed BookLife titles,
we highlight a posthumous memoir about an author’s battle
with cancer, a disturbing thriller, a novel set during the Harlem
Renaissance, and more.

★ Track 9 ★ Cancer Looks

SUE ROVENS Good on You
JILL JOHNSON AND
Synopsis: Two Americans
honeymooning in BARCLAY FRYERY
Germany find themselves Synopsis: Filled with
trapped in an abandoned charm and optimism,
railway station, the site of this inspiriting post-
a mysterious train crash humous memoir from
with shocking aftereffects. interior decorator Fryery
PW’s Takeaway: Highly gives tips on living with
disturbing. Readers who cancer graciously.
don’t need everything spelled out for them will PW’s Takeaway: This book is an uplifting cele-
welcome this simple but effective hair-raiser. bration of life and gratitude.
Comparable Title: Stephen King’s “The Comparable Title: Kate Bowler’s Everything
Langoliers” Happens for a Reason
Sample Line: “The shell-shocked wanderers Sample Line: “The gift and the curse of cancer
that were ambulatory had begun ravaging the is that you often know when the end is coming.
dead for their limbs, tearing off hunks of flesh You can say good-bye to friends. You can wrap
and eating them.” up loose ends.”
Read the Review: Read the Review:
publishersweekly.com/9781544012292 publishersweekly.com/9780999068014

Clear Seeing Harlem Little Flower

Place Mosaics TED OSWALD
BRIAN RUTENBERG WHIT FRAZIER Synopsis: The
Synopsis: Synopsis: Frazier’s story of a unique
Rutenberg reveals witty, fresh fiction- bond between an
his passion and alization of the elderly nun and a
artistic vision in a Harlem Renaissance young prostitute
series of thoughtful vignettes. is a delight. with dreams of a different life.
PW’s Takeaway: This author’s PW’s Takeaway: This informa- PW’s Takeaway: A lovely take
coming-of-age-story will appeal tive, thoughtful novel is page- on faith, understanding, forgive-
to young artists looking to make turning tour of a singular piece ness, and love.
careers of their passions. of America’s past. Comparable Title: Orhan
Comparable Title: Sally Mann’s Comparable Title: Joe Okonkwo’s Pamuk’s A Strangeness in My
Hold Still Jazz Moon Mind
Read the Review: publishers- Read the Review: publishers- Read the Review: publishers-
weekly.com/9780997442304 weekly.com/9781479213023 weekly.com/9780988600553

50 B O O K L I F E , M AY 2 8 , 2 0 1 8
FIRST LINES ®

First Lines
Angel City Singles
RALPH CISSNE
“David Bishop discovered it was unwise
to date the ex-wife.”
Our monthly look at some of the best
first lines from BookLife authors All the Ways You Can
This month brings people who ruin everything Face the Sky
and the perils of dating ex-wives. To submit a FARLO BEN TRUMAN
first line, email booklifeeditor@booklife.com. “People ruin everything....”

The Pas de Deux

Sustaining Ecstasy ERIN BOMBOY
DIAN PARKER “It felt as if the world was consuming
“The silence is a strong drink and I am itself.”
drunk with the night.”

Dragon’s Awakening
Matter of Discretion SEAN FLETCHER
DONNA LEE DAVIS “The last thing Kaylee Richards
“He had always loved the sea.” wanted to do on her final day of
summer vacation was be charged
with attempted manslaughter.”

Listen, Watch & Love

TV
Uncover the inspiration for your favorite books directly from the authors who wrote them
in PW’s amazing author interviews, discussions and more!
Discover More: PublishersWeekly.com

PublishersWeekly.com

PublishersWeekly pubweekly PublishersWeekly @PublishersWkly

B O O K L I F E .C O M 51
 ® WRITING ADVICE

Ask But first, ask yourself how impor-

tant it is for you to become a writer.
Remember, discipline is not a
bad word. It is a tool, your best

the
Are you passionate about it? Do friend and ally. It’s what enables
you read a lot and have a clear idea you to become the writer you want
about why some stories are better to be.

Editer than others? Are you willing to

devote a certain number of hours
every day to perfecting your craft?
A veteran editor answers If your answer to each question is
yes, then go for it. Create a regular
your writing questions writing schedule and stick to it.
BY BETTY KELLY SARGENT Jeffrey Archer writes every day
from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. (with two-
“You need three things to become
a novelist: talent, luck, and disci-
pline,” Michael Chabon famously
said. “Discipline is the one element
of those three things that you can
control.”
So control it. Take charge. Make
the commitment to your writing

H ow important is discipline
for a writer? —Harry R.
hour breaks) when he’s working
on a new novel.
Salmon Rushdie told the New
and, soon, inspiration will follow.

D iscipline is as essential to a
writer as training is to an ath-
lete. A plaque in Danielle Steel’s
office reads, “There are no miracles.
There is only discipline.”
“It’s all about discipline,” Steel
says. “If you don’t have it, you
can’t write.” I agree.
York Times, “A novel is a mara-
thon.... Do it like a job.”
John Searles, author of Help for
the Haunted, tells me, “It is essen-
tial to carve out a regular, quiet
time to clear your mind and get
words down on paper every day.”
That’s the key.
Betty Kelly Sargent is the
founder and CEO of BookWorks.
If you have a question for the
editor, please email Betty Sargent
at booklifeeditor@booklife.com.

Joab, an outcast half-Jewish refugee from

Germany and Lila, fourth-graders who are
being bullied for different reasons, learn how to
deal with bullies and prejudice together.

“a leisurely paced narrative filled

with World War II-era nostalgia that
delivers strong characters…”
- Kirkus Reviews

ISBN-13: 978-1- 68181-241- 0 | Pages: 399 | Publisher: Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Co.

52 B O O K L I F E , M AY 2 8 , 2 0 1 8
If you believe life created itself from non-living matter,
Cosmic War will trigger serious second thoughts.

Available now.
347 pages with 105
full-color, photo
illustrations.

Exploring our origin, purpose and destiny

in an eternity of time and an infinity of space.
 PAID LISTINGS

® PW SELECT LISTINGS

New Titles from

Self-Publishers
Booksellers, publishers, librarians, and agents are encouraged to look at the 100
self-published titles below. Each appears with a list of retailers that are selling the
book and a description provided by its author. Some of these writers are waiting to be
discovered; others have track records and followings and are doing it on their own. If
you are a self-published author interested in listing titles in this section, please visit
publishersweekly.com/pw-select for more information.
Fiction possibly go wrong? Filled with passion American girl, daughter of a sharecrop-
2017: A Novel of Political Intrigue and humor, this is a life-affirming story per, grows into womanhood during a
E.A. Stillwell. iUniverse. of friendship and redemption. time of change.
$22.95 paper (416p),
ISBN 978-1-5320- Conflux: Threat from the Troika Four Months in Brighton Park:
1640-0; $3.99 e-book, William Brazzel. Balboa Growing Up in the Sixties
ISBN 978-1-5320- Press. $21.99 paper Larry Ehrhorn. Madijean
1639-4 (344p), ISBN 978-1- Press. $12.99 paper
Amazon 5043-9176-4 (252p), ISBN 978-0-
Several leaders are Amazon, BN.com 692-92846-2
surrounded by conspiracy as they attempt Bolstered by the over- Amazon
to save their country from political upheaval whelming support In 1965 Chicago, an
and resurrect the American dream. provided by two for- awkward teen
eign governments, Dietrich believes his matures with help
After They Go forces to be invincible and his future rise from a bully, a tired stripper, a legless
J. Mercer. Bare Ink. to power inevitable. store owner, a single mother and her
$10.99 paper (340p), violent suitor, and a gentle girl.
ISBN 978-1-73213- Dog Tags & Wedding Bands
321-1; $3.99 e-book, Joe Rosato. Dorrance How to Make a Baby
ASIN B07BKWHZH4 Publishing. $15 paper Sadie Sumner. Mother
Amazon (176p), ISBN 978-1- Media. $5.75 e-book,
A large family saga set 4809-5135-8 ASIN B076JS4GWD
in a coastal tourist town—one sister DorranceBookstore.com Amazon
chained by family tradition, the second Chet is proud and As Monica nears 40,
stunted by her sister’s shadow, and the haunted by his service baby fever hits her like
youngest propelled by desperation. in Vietnam. Returning the flu. She turns to deception, buys an
to the country, he unravels the mystery of egg, and hires a reluctant surrogate in
Angel City Singles two nurses missing during the war. Filled India.
Ralph Cissne. Morgan Road. $26.95 hard- with historical detail.
cover (274p), ISBN 978- Malayan Enigma:
0-9998537-1-9; $15.95 The Fall of Summer An Andrew Bond
paper (274p), ISBN 978- Roz Louis. Toplink WWII Adventure
0-9998537-0-2 Publishing. $11.99 paper Nicholas Snow.
Amazon, IndieBound (156p), ISBN 978-1- AuthorHouse. $19.76
A couple meet in a 948262-81-1 paper (240p), ISBN 978-
stand-up comedy Amazon, BN.com 1-5246-6283-7;
workshop. What can Summer, an African- $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-

54 B O O K L I F E , M AY 2 8 , 2 0 1 8
 PAID LISTINGS

PW SELECT LISTINGS ®

1-5246-6282-0 (294p), ISBN 978-1- River of Angels

Amazon 983822-52-0 (Generations of
Sent to Singapore toward the end of Amazon, BN.com Secrets, Vol. 1)
1941 to evaluate the Japanese empire, The stunning revela- Abbe Rolnick. Sedro
Lieutenant Bond finds himself in a race tion that his father Publishing. $14.95 paper
against time. He must retrieve a device became none other (297p), ISBN 978-0-
that will change the war’s course. than the infamous 9845119-8-3
Captain Nemo shakes Amazon, Ingram
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ous hospital politics, and, surprisingly, a collection explains how the law protects Paul S. Bradley. Paul
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Poetry Vihang A. Naik. Authors Amazon, BN.com
All I Know of Myself: Press. $16.95 paper When marriage, love,
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College student PI Natalie McMasters goes undercover as a

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Alan M. Blank. Alan Blank.
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The Victim of the System
Steve Hadden. Telemachus Press. $3.99
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Haunted by his past, a
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After her drug lord
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Don Harvey. AuthorHouse. $28.99 paper
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Joshua is ready to defend humanity. The
58 B O O K L I F E , M AY 2 8 , 2 0 1 8
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Sooul were being A novel 30 years in the
harvested and were making is a futuristic
about to become story of mankind’s
extinct. Joshua has his previous sojourns
mission; the Sooul will through this and
survive if he has his countless worlds as
say. experienced by the
author.
Endsong
Roslyn Renwick. The One and Only
Draft2Digital. $3.20 (The ELI Chronicles,
e-book, ISBN 978-1- Vol. 1)
386-30411-1 Julia Ash. Julia Ash.
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upon a plot to genetically modify the threatens humanity after a war game
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But heroism often comes at a cost.
From Earth to Umbria
Patricia Howell. Xlibris. Phantom Pact:
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ISBN 978-1-5434- Chad Queen. Encoded
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ISBN 978-1-5434- ASIN B07C1J8QDL
2771-4 Amazon
Amazon A war veteran’s family
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planet, Umbria, to form a new civilization. ing the same fate.
The Gold Feather River’s Child
Dani Pasquini. Dani Mark Daniel Seiler. Owl
Pasquini. $9.99 paper House Books. $18.95
(305p), ISBN 978-1- paper (312p), ISBN 978-
976875-45-8; $2.99 1-947003-39-2
e-book, ASIN Amazon, BN.com
B077V7XCR1 Trapped underground
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discovering they have superhuman
abilities. The Wanderer and the New West
Adam Bender. CreateSpace. $15.99 paper
Legacy: Episode I: The Search for Love (424p), ISBN 978-0-9924629-5-6; $4.99
Robert Maxxim. Toplink Publishing. $17.99 e-book, ASIN B077XKDGK9
paper (423p), ISBN 978-1-948556-12-5 Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
Amazon, BN.com A rogue vigilante seeks redemption in a
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lawless near-future paper (304p), ISBN 978- love life needs a little jump start.
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stand their ground Who can we count on? Steven Rosner. Outskirts Press. $9.95 paper
against mass shooters The family we’re born (204p), ISBN 978-1-4767-6799-2
and motorcycle gangs. into or the one we cre- Amazon, BN.com
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A wizard on a flying ISBN 978-1-983517-
ship seeks to destroy a lord of the under- 43-3 Nonfiction
world, knowing that if he fails, entire worlds Amazon, Apple iBooks, An Angel’s Feather:
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overwhelmed by demons forever. Meet the Millers of Medium
Juniper Court. He’s a Astrid Brown. CreateSpace.
Romance/Erotica successful attorney, and she’s a flour- $7.50 paper (138p),
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The author tells of her experiences as a This book makes our egos visible. It pro- (56p), ISBN 978-1-
medium. The route is never easy. vides methods for stepping out of our 5043-8229-8; $4.99
egos’ constricting grip and stepping into e-book, ISBN 978-1-
Appraisal of the Growth of the Christian the source of trustworthy inner guid- 5043-8228-1
Faith in Igboland: A Psychological and ance, our TruthPlace. Amazon
Pastoral Perspective The Therapy Twins
Bartholomew N. Okere. From Beaton’s to Beach Haven address a host of
Toplink Publishing. William Fortenbaugh. Window Press Club. issues related to your
$15.99 paper (286p), $19.99 paper (196p), well-being. Learn how to rewire some of
ISBN 978-1-947938- ISBN 978-1-948346- your worst experiences, get along with
96-0 25-2 family, and much more.
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The Igbo people in This book tells of a The Gift of Mystical Insight: The Secret
Nigeria continue to make some move- wooden catboat Unlocked. The Logic Revealed
ments toward Christianity, but many fail called Ghost (a sail- Emmanuel J. Karavousanos.
to practice the faith properly. boat built by crafts- AuthorHouse. $15.99
men), its success on the race course, paper (256p), ISBN 978-
Bipolar Wellness: An Entertaining and the crew who devoted themselves 1-4343-0426-1
Memoir with Simple Action Strategies to sailing fast. Amazon
for Every Step of Recovery The author provides
Michael Rose. Being Well From Siberia readers the basis, the
Press. $19.95 paper to St. Kitts: evidence, and the logic
(307p), ISBN 978-0- A Teacher’s Journey of why mystical experiences occur.
9991112-0-8 Ira Sumner Simmonds.
Amazon, Ingram ISS Publishing. $19.95 God and Man:
People who suffer paper (345p), ISBN 978- Love on the Rocks
with bipolar disorder 0-9998724-0-6 Steven Rosner. Outskirts
and their families can Amazon Press. 14.95 paper
now find hope for recovery in this mem- This biography of Zenaida Katzen, (328p), ISBN 978-1-
oir that morphs into a complete 20-step teacher extraordinaire, weaves disparate 4787-9632-9
self-help system. threads from Russia, China, Chile, France, Amazon, BN.com
and St. Kitts, revealing a surprising and Rosner discusses the
Digital Spine: A Study in Business exceptional woman. evil of mankind, why God is estranged
Strategy from us because of it, and what we can
Vikram Kalkat & Reto From the Shadows: A Journey of Self- do about it.
Gruenenfelder. Notion Discovery and Renewal
Press. $10 paper (100p), Elizabeth Onyeabor. Sojourn Publishing. God, Do You Know What You Are
ISBN 978-1-64249- $14.95 paper (197p), Doing? P.S. You’ve Made a Mistake!
159-3 ISBN 978-1-62747- Maria Erwin Duncan, with
Amazon 232-6; $3.99 e-book, Kasandra Erwin. Toplink
This is a business ASIN B01MTKFS9U Publishing. $21.99 paper
strategy for the digital era. It’s all about Amazon, BN.com (140p), ISBN 978-1-
identifying the business drivers of the Offering hope and 948779-27-2
digital revolution that’s happening all healing, the author Amazon, BN.com
around us. retraces her transfor- Born into poverty,
mation from suicidal despair to habitual Duncan has overcome
Ego: The Ghost in happiness, sprinkling each step with some of the hardest trials in life.
Your Machinery poetry and journal excerpts.
Louis D. Cox. Epigraph Granny’s Stories
Books. $18.75 paper From Under the Hood: Therapy Twins’ Margaret Henderson. Book Venture
(312p), ISBN 978-1- Guide to a Smoother Ride; Narrated by Publishing. $10.99 paper (160p), ISBN 978-
948796-00-2 Change, Navigated by Jane and Joan 1-64166-272-7
Amazon Therapy Twins. BalboaPress. $8.99 paper Amazon, BookVenture

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From her childhood in Healing Happens: The Housewife Loved

a Scottish village dur-
ing WWII to traveling
across Siberia,
Mongolia, and China,
Henderson relates
tales of people, some
notable, that she met
and unusual journeys that she made.
A Guide to the Psalms of David
Steven Rosner. Outskirts Press. $13.95 paper
(372p), ISBN 978-1-
4787-5339-1
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All 150 psalms are
indexed by purpose/
theme/mood, so one
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benefit from their wis-
dom. The translation in modern English
engages the reader emotionally.
Stories of Healing a Bandit: Hey Ma,
Against All Odds What Were You
Avital Miller. APG Thinking?
Publishing. $24.95 paper Larry Baran. Larry Baran.
(240p), ISBN 978-0- $9.99 paper (234p),
9996785-2-7 ISBN 978-0-9992719-
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from health and healing experts who Sarasota’s top crime story for 1955. The
cured themselves and others despite dire author’s mother is the only woman to
medical prognoses from over 20 illnesses. escape from the Sarasota County Jail.
Her coast-to-coast crime spree is a true
Home Life Around the World story of love, adventure, and betrayal.
Anita Martinez Beijer. Nest Publishing. $16
e-book, ASIN B079VDPBVF In Search of Lost Lives: Desire, Sanskaras,
Amazon, Apple iBooks, and the Evolution of a
Kobo Mind & Soul
This book is about the Michael Goddart. Clear
relationship we have Path Press. $26.95
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In his spiritual memoir,

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A Fish Name Fred is a magical tale about a fish who was

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Goddart recovers 88 past lives and e-book, ISBN 978-1-5434-4262-5 Mississippi and the
depicts spiritual experiences that ulti- Amazon Great Depression
mately prepared him to follow a path of This book can help parents who want to Richelle Putnam. The
soul liberation from the mind. support a healthy relationship with a History Press. $21.99
new stepparent. paper (160p), ISBN 978-
In Service of His Master 1-4671-1876-7
Balbir Singh Ragi. Memories of a Scarred Black Man Amazon, BN.com, Books-
Warwick Group Roablas Lumpkins. a-Million
International. $14.99 CreateSpace. $10.99 During the worst economic downturn in
paper (330p), ISBN 978- paper (74p), ISBN 978- U.S. history, from the nation’s poorest
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Amazon, BN.com e-book, ASIN preneurial, artistic, cultural, and civil
Against the backdrop B07BGSXJSJ rights giants of all time.
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man dreams to unite and build a place of This book discusses Nature Photography
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erty-stricken neighborhoods. See how a paper (92p), ISBN 978-
Loglines: man who was once a young child makes 1-4907-7895-2
A Workbook of Story it out of severe abuse and damaging Amazon, BN.com
Ideas for Writers guidance. Explore nature and
Carlos Perez. know some fun facts
AuthorHouse. $17.99 Mental Illness Mi Doesn’t Look Like Me: accompanied with
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1-5246-7540-0; $3.99 Confront Mental Health Illness
e-book, ISBN 978-1- Face-to-Face Nigerian Politics and Corruption:
5246-7539-4 Susie L. Landown-Clarke. The Challenges Before the Nigerian
Amazon AuthorHouse. $13.99 Church as a Socio-moral Actor
This book includes writing exercises to paper (230p), ISBN 978- Kyrian Chukwuemeka
stimulate the creative juices, along with 1-5462-0205-9; $3.99 Echekwu. iUniverse.
25 ideas for writing projects. e-book, ISBN 978-1- $28.99 paper (490p),
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Loopey to Beau: A Troubled Author’s Amazon 2420-7; $3.99 e-book,
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James W. Bennett. Page ural spiritual healing that caused her to be 2421-4
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(288p), ISBN 978-1- to initiate inclusive dialogues with mental Find out how corruption is ruining Nigeria,
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Young adult novelist Bennett’s autobio- Mark Lipse. AuthorHouse. Quickstart Guide
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Collopy. Xlibris. larly in poor countries, is a legacy of A step-by-step introduction in writing
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Socialism: Origins, Expansion, Decline,
and the Attempted Revival in the
United States
Phillip J. Bryson. Xlibris.
$23.99 paper (948p),
ISBN 978-1-5144-
1459-0; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-5144-
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Amazon
Bryson addresses the economic aspects
of socialism: concepts, theories, the his-
torical attempts to implement socialist
economic systems, and endeavors to
establish socialism in the U.S.
Steering Through It: Navigating Life-
Threatening Illness... Acceptance,
Survival and Healing
Lynn McLaughlin. Lynn
McLaughlin. $7.99
e-book, ASIN
B077BNKNRG
Amazon
The author shares
her most personal
thoughts, fears, and triumphs over the
most challenging year of her life as
well as the voices of friends and family
members.
Struth the Bloody Truth
Iarn Pernell. Xlibris. $24.19 paper (110p),
ISBN 978-1-5245-
6160-4; $4.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-5245-
6159-8
Amazon
This book explains
how the church has
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The real reason for fate/destiny is astro-
logical. It is written in the stars.
Transformation: Living a Christian Life
Anthony L. Walker.
Toplink Publishing.
$15.99 paper (308p),
ISBN 978-1-948779-
03-6
Amazon, BN.com
Transformation is
defined as a marked
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change of something or someone. Middle East in the waning years of the
British raj. As a battle rages in the des-
Tuskegee Airmen WWII Fighter Pilots: ert, a chance meeting in Cairo is fateful.
The Story of an Original Tuskegee Pilot,
Lt. Col. Hiram E. Mann World Peace: World Peace Celebration
Patrick Coggins. Toplink Salomon Mpouma. Toplink Publishing.
Publishing. $12.99 paper $11.99 paper (238p),
(294p), ISBN 978-1- ISBN 978-1-948556-
948262-74-3 57-6
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This book honors the The author surrounds
Tuskegee Airmen— personal tales with
African-American pilots reflections on finding
known as the Red Tails, who never lost happiness within one-
escorted bombers during World War II. self, including truisms from thinkers like
Woodsworth and Gandhi.
Waipi’o Valley: A Polynesian Journey
from Eden to Eden You Are. Liberation.: The End of
Jeffrey L. Gross. Xlibris. Spiritual Seeking
$18.99 paper (626p), Ray. CreateSpace.
ISBN 978-1-4797-9844- $12.90 paper (73p),
5; $5.99 e-book, ISBN ISBN 978-1-981520-
978-1-4797-9846-9 45-9; $6.95 e-book,
Amazon ASIN B07BJ8KPPW
This book recounts Amazon, BN.com, Kobo
the remarkable migra- This book deals with
tions of the Polynesians across a third of the essential traps of spiritual seeking. It
the circumference of the earth. is a guide for the spiritual seeker to over-
come the illusory search for truth.
The Way Home: Discovering the Path to
Your Truth, Nature, and Inner Treasures Children’s/YA
Vlada Zapesotsky. CreateSpace. $21.25 A Yorkie’s Tale: Lessons from a Life
paper (276p), ISBN 978- Well-Lived
1-986792-85-1 David L. Heaney, illus. by
Amazon Alexandra Tatu.
This book describes a CreateSpace. $19.99
healing journey of a paper (143p), ISBN 978-
self-discovery, com- 1-975991-32-6
bining an original fairy Amazon
tale, self-guided cre- An aging Yorkie, a fruit
ative and practical tools, life examples, rat, and a parrot go in search of a well-
and a personal story. lived life after witnessing the backyard
burial of a neighbor’s cat and discover-
Where Destiny Commands: ing they will not live forever.
1939–1945 A Time of Love & War
Leila Sen. CreateSpace. The Ancient Sacred
$15 paper (567p), ISBN Tree: Birthing a Hero
978-1-980364-17-7 Dawnette Brenner. Page
Amazon Publishing. $14.95
Based on true events e-book, ISBN 978-1-
and discovered mem- 64027-290-3
oirs, this WWII love story Amazon, Apple iBooks,
is set in India and the BN.com, Google Play,
B O O K L I F E .C O M 63

® PW SELECT LISTINGS
Kobo
A boy finds himself involved in a fateful
and dangerous adventure.
A Ball’s Game
Stefan Mathis.
IngramSpark. $5 paper
(65p), ISBN 978-0-692-
89659-4
Amazon
A baseball comes to
life at a major league
stadium and narrates a baseball game
from his point of view.
The Counterclock Prophecy
Marc Mattson. Marley-
Goeste. $14.99 paper
(322p), ISBN 978-1-
73203-060-2
Amazon, BN.com,
Indiebound
This book is an adven-
ture where time travel
doesn’t quite work the way you think and
saving your family may come at the
expense of the entire world.
The Covenant
Armanis Ar-feinial. Xlibris.
$19.99 paper (358p),
ISBN 978-1-5245-
6539-8; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-5245-
6538-1
Amazon
Kac is ordained to fulfill the Covenant.
He takes his companions into the heart
of the forest to speak with the prophet,
Cornelius, only to find he has other plans.
Fuffles the Ferret
Ronald Schneider. Ronald
Schneider. $15.99 paper
(208p), ISBN 978-0-
9993377-0-7; $9.99
e-book, B07C71HHH8
Amazon
A novel about a seven-
year-old boy in 1935 who gets a ferret
as a pet.
64 B O O K L I F E , M AY 2 8 , 2 0 1 8
PAID LISTINGS
Gym Class Hero The Sage Challenger
Martin Parks Kalmbach. Chad Rasmussen.
Martin P. Kalmbach. Chad Rasmussen.
$14.99 paper (274p), $2.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-0-9993597- ASIN B075DF7PYJ
0-9 Amazon, Google Play,
Amazon Kobo
Stevie Kalkannes The day Arian Coles
must decide to remain a gym class hero stepped into the Cubus, his life would be
or again play basketball, the game he changed forever. He will compete to
loves and starred in but quit to defy his become one of 10 world leaders—a Sage.
overbearing father.
Skipper and Friends Build a Nest
Labors of an Epic Punk Shiela L. Sowards, illus.
Mark and Sheri Dursin. by Daniel Majan. Xlibris.
Twin Wizards Press. $21.99 paper (32p),
$14.99 paper (306p), ISBN 978-1-5434-
ISBN 978-0-9988336- 5184-9; $3.99 e-book,
0-6 ISBN 978-1-5434-
Amazon, Books-a-Million 5183-2
A 16-year-old rebel- Amazon
lious teen, How do you make a bird’s nest? It’s easy
Telemachus, son of the famous Greek if you are a bird, not so easy if you’re a
hero Odysseus, must undertake a series poodle. How can Skipper and his three
of missions to keep from getting friends help?
expelled from school.
Toni the Superhero
Lake Girl R.D. Base, illus. by
Cynthia Kumanchik. Debbie Hefke.
CreateSpace. $9.99 CreateSpace. $9.99
paper (181p), ISBN 978- paper (30p), ISBN
1-983407-88-8 978-1-986914-22-2
Amazon Amazon
Lily Lane died at the Toni is a little boy with extraordinary pow-
lake, but it’s not where ers, but he likes to do ordinary things too.
she’s bound to stay. To move on, she Readers will find out what Toni likes to do
must solve her own murder and save when he’s not busy saving the world.
others from a similar fate.
Turn Right at the End of the World
The Possum in the Pool Robert Watkins, illus. by
Joy Liebl, illus. by Jeff Powers, Julien Loison,
D’Lynn Roll. Xlibris. Ron Oden. Sullivan
$17.49 paper (28p), Maclaurin. $14.99
ISBN 978-1-5434- e-book, ISBN 978-0-
1268-0; $3.99 9961838-1-9
e-book, ISBN 978- Apple iBooks
1-5434-1267-3 Where will Lux and
Amazon Max’s adventure take them? Far from
All of Mother Opossum’s children listen everyone the two teenagers know and
to her about being careful around the love. If they’re not careful, straight into
cement pool—except for Robby. He falls the hands of a dangerous man from
in and finds out water is more than just Lux’s past. ■
wet.
REVIEWS
Fiction
Asphodel
Jane Lindskold. Obsidian Tiger, $4.99 e-book
(174p) ASIN B07958ZLBN
Longtime fantasist Lindskold’s
beguiling puzzle throws an inventive,
amnesiac heroine into a magical world with
undercurrents of forgotten trauma. An
unnamed narrator awakens in a tower
without any sense of her identity. Seven
windows looking out on a distinct land-
scapes provide her only entertainment. She
crafts companions by tying a pillow into
the shape of a rabbit and drawing a sen-
sible, living paper doll named Muriel.
With these two friends, she projects herself
in disguise into the scenes outside the
tower. The trio stops thieves in an urban
setting, hunts for a unicorn, rides giant sea
horses, and engages in a dangerous battle
with nightmarish, winged cherub heads.
The narrator’s lack of hunger, thirst, and
fatigue allows for endless exploration and
the slow discovery of the rules of her
powers. The companions’ excursions
increase in daring until a visit to an Egypt
full of gods and magic sparks the narrator’s
desire to recollect her own identity.
Searching for her past, however, exposes the
bleak truth of her existence in the tower.
This curious blend of fanciful vignettes,
real danger, and existential mystery wends
a twisting, pleasurable way through the
powers of imagination.
Bow Street Society: The Case of
the Curious Client
T.G. Campbell. CreateSpace, $7.22 trade
paper (290p) ISBN 978-1-976343-45-2
At the start of Campbell’s intriguing
late-Victorian mystery featuring the Bow
Street Society, invalid Thaddeus Dorsey
phones the London society to report a
missing friend. When the angry voice of a
second person interrupts the call, Dorsey
hangs up after cryptically commenting,
“I’m not unsafe.” Three society operatives,
including artist Georgina Dexter, go over
to Dorsey’s house, where they find their
prospective client—who turns out to be
severely visually impaired—tied to a bed,
supposedly to keep him safe at night.
Dorsey is alarmed that his friend Palmer,
who used to visit him regularly at night
when his attendant was out, has stopped
doing so. After Dexter produces a clay bust
that Dorsey is able to mold into an image of
Palmer, the detectives spread out to track
the man down. Their inquiry turns more
serious when a body with its throat slit is
discovered in the Dorsey home. While the
plot is more memorable than the characters,
fans of period mysteries will look forward
to the society’s next case.
Confessions of a Virgin
Sex Columnist!
Kay Marie. Kay Marie, $13.99 trade paper
(304p) ISBN 978-1-5119-3174-8
Marie, the pseudonym of young adult
fantasy author Kaitlyn Davis (the Midnight
Fire series), launches her Confessions con-
temporary romance series with this funny
and insightful fish-out-of-water tale.
Twenty-two-year-old Skylar Quinn is a shy,
clumsy Pennsylvanian trying to make it in
New York City as a journalist. When she’s
offered a job as a sex columnist at a news-
paper, she jumps at the chance. There’s only
one problem: she’s a virgin. With help from
her ride-or-die best friend, Bridget
McDonough, and Bridget’s prankster
brother (and Skylar’s crush), Oliver, Skylar
throws herself into the dating scene. She
soon falls for Patrick Keaton, the brother of
a coworker, even though Oliver is never far
from her mind. Hijinks ensue as Skylar
attempts to juggle both a job and a relation-
ship with varying degrees of success. Skylar
and Bridget’s friendship is a highlight, and
Marie is adept at frankly conveying the
often messy situations that couples end up
in. Readers will look forward to the next
book in the series.
Dog Sitters:
A Man, a Woman and a Schnoodle
Rozsa Gaston. Renaissance Editions, $2.99
e-book (288p) ISBN 978-1-4792-2145-5
Gaston’s endearing contemporary gets
off to a slow start, but readers who stick
with it will be rewarded. Hint Daniels, a
children’s book illustrator, has been dog-
sitting her friends’ dog, Percy, for five days.
She has an important appointment with a
big publisher, so she’s supposed to turn
Percy over to clueless but well-meaning
Jack Whitby—who immediately loses the
®
dog due to a leash malfunction. As Percy
appears to intentionally elude them in
hopes of kindling romance between them,
the ensuing search takes them from New
York’s suburbs to the city and back again,
unfolding with just the right balance of
human friction, mental anguish, danger to
life and limb, and, of course, romantic ten-
sion. Hint and Jack blossom into fully relat-
able individuals who may be in search of a
lost dog but find a whole lot more. This is
a charming story that dog lovers and
romance fans will enjoy.
Harlem Mosaics
Whit Frazier. CreateSpace, $8.99 trade paper
(210p) ISBN 978-1-4792-1302-3
Frazier’s witty, fresh fictionalization of
the Harlem Renaissance, told from the
points of view of Langston Hughes and Zora
Neale Hurston, is a delight. Readers follow
Hughes and Hurston in New York and
across the U.S. as they work on a folktale-
based African-American opera together.
The opera eventually becomes their contro-
versial play, Mule Bone, and the process of
writing it ruins their friendship. The con-
versations between the two—and among
all characters—are superbly imagined (“A
lie’s a story, silly. Of course my lie’ll be true.
Listen.”) Frazier (Robert Johnson’s Freewheeling
Jazz Funeral) brings to life important fig-
ures from the era—Bessie Smith, Thurgood
Marshall, and Wallace Thurman—convinc-
ingly capturing their mannerisms and
points of view, particularly on race-related
issues. Minor irritations do arise, mostly in
the form of awkward phrasings, but the
missteps all but disappear in light of fre-
quently superlative prose that can be sweet,
piquant, gritty, and poetic (“Slim’s voice
was lazy, a round plum, a sound so ripe you
could taste it”). This informative,
thoughtful novel is page-turning tour of a
singular piece of America’s past.
The Hollow
Nicole Barrell. CreateSpace, $11.95 trade
paper (270p) ISBN 978-1-543248-58-6
In April 2009, Ellie Frites, the forlorn
24-year-old narrator of Barrell’s suspenseful
thriller, makes one of her rare trips from
Boston, where she has an unsatisfying cus-
tomer service job for a tech company and
drinks too much, to her hometown of
B O O K L I F E .C O M 64a
 ® REVIEWS
Marshside on Cape Cod. There she has a
vision of her former middle school classmate
Maxine Lang covered in blood and standing
in the “creepy woods in the center of town”
known as the Hollow. Following that vision
comes a “boatload of other weird stuff” as
Ellie begins to remember more about what
happened when she was 11 years old in
1996, shortly after her father’s death from
cancer. Back in Boston, with the aid of a
therapist and hypnosis, Ellie struggles to
separate out what, if anything, from her
dreams is based on reality. These dreams,
which include images of Ellie herself
chasing someone through the Hollow, focus
on something bad happening to Maxine.
Barrell delays the truth about the events of
1996 effectively. Readers will look forward
to seeing more of the plausibly flawed Ellie.
Love of Finished Years
Gregory Erich Phillips. Sillan Pace Brown
Publishing, $18.95 trade paper (312p)
ISBN 978-1-64058-011-4
Phillips’s beguiling novel follows a young
German immigrant woman weathering the
dangers of factory work in pre-WWI
America. Elsa Schuller lives with her mother
and sister in New York’s Lower East Side and
works in a shirtwaist factory to help support
her family. After a horrific fire results in the
death of many factory workers and forces the
factory to close, Elsa finds employment as a
maid and German translator in the Long
Island home of the Graham family. Elsa is
also a companion to the Grahams’ spoiled
daughter, Dafne, their friendship crossing
a social divide. When Dafne becomes
engaged to handsome neighbor Glenn
Streppy, she moves to New York City with
Elsa so that she can be closer to Glenn,
who has joined the Army and trains in
Brooklyn. Yet Glenn’s devotion to Army
life and Dafne’s desire to immerse herself in
New York’s social scene causes a deep frac-
ture in their romance, eventually causing
Elsa to find new employment. Phillips’s
portrayal of the gritty reality of early-20th-
century immigrant life has impressive
scope, eventually weaving in the devas-
tating effects of World War I on the char-
acters. Readers will be satisfied by this
novel’s fast-paced plotting and its memo-
rable characters.
64b B O O K L I F E , M AY 2 8 , 2 0 1 8
Magnolia Storms:
A Coastal Hearts Novel
Janet W. Ferguson. Southern Sun, $4.99
e-book (281p) ASIN B074JJ76VT
Ferguson (Leaving Oxford) sets her
pleasant new series along the gulf shores of
Mississippi. Meteorologist Magnolia
“Maggie” Marovich left her hometown of
Ocean Springs after the devastation of
Hurricane Katrina. She moved inland to
Jackson, but failed to convince her younger
sister, Cammie, and the rest of the family to
come too. When Cammie is seriously
injured in an accident, Maggie has no choice
but to return to the coastal town she’s
worked so hard to avoid. Maggie ended
things with Josh Bergeron years ago when
he became the captain of a commercial
barge, choosing the same career that proved
fatal to her father. Now, he’s her sister’s
next-door neighbor, and, unbeknownst to
Maggie, the two have cemented a mutual
friendship, supporting each other as single
parents. Both Maggie and Josh still harbor
feelings for each other but much has trans-
pired in the past decade and their stubborn-
ness hinders a meaningful relationship.
Ferguson often slows the pace considerably
with unnecessary detail about the setting.
However, this solid first installment of her
new series introduces a complex cast of char-
acters struggling with real-life problems of
family and faith. Readers interested in win-
some family dramas will enjoy Ferguson’s
hopeful book.
Sammie and Budgie
Scott Semegran. Mutt Press, $15.99 trade
paper (292p) ISBN 978-0-9997173-3-2
Semegran’s third book in the Simon
Adventures series is a meandering, stream-
of-consciousness critique of the relent-
lessly confusing world narrated by a har-
ried single father of two small children.
Newly divorced and living in Austin, Tex.,
Simon Burchwood is raising Sammie, his
third-grader son who is on the autism
spectrum, and Jessie, his athletic first-
grader daughter. Simon is an unsuccessful
novelist who works as a network adminis-
trator, and to get out his frustrations, he
denigrates everything from the pediatri-
cian’s wardrobe to roadside attractions and
punctuates every revelation with the patho-
logical repetition of “It’s true” to reassure
the reader. Sammie has an imaginary para-
keet friend, Budgie, and, whether real or
a figment of his doting father’s pride, can
foresee the future. The plot eventually
extrudes out of the babble when Sammie
prognosticates that his Alzheimer’s-
stricken grandpa in San Antonio is dying.
Although Simon and his cantankerous
Army colonel father are estranged, Simon,
the kids, and nanny Natalie decide to visit
him in his nursing home, where complica-
tions ensue. Simon’s paranoia, pessimism,
narcissism, and misogyny may irritate
readers, but the saving grace is Simon’s
genuine devotion to his children and
stable role as protector and provider. This
novel will primarily appeal to those
looking for stories focused on family
dynamics.
Seven Kinds of Rain:
River Saga, Book 1
K. Lyn Wurth. True to Story Publishing, $8.99
e-book (294p) ISBN 978-1-945217-01-2
Wurth (The Darkwater Liar’s Account)
combines skillful prose with down-to-
earth characters in this story of the harsh
realities faced by three children in early-
1900s Nebraska. Abandoned by her par-
ents at age four, Margaret Rose Grady
spends her childhood in a dreary
orphanage in Darkwater Creek, Nebr.,
until, at age 12, she is taken in by a quiet
man who wants her to care for his children
and his sick wife. Margaret Rose befriends
Kuruk, a Pawnee boy who has run away
from the white man’s attempts to “civi-
lize” him and strip him of his heritage at
the Genoa school, and Jack, son of the
rich, unscrupulous widower Albert
Hollingwood. Together, the three survive
deadly storms and an influenza outbreak,
and witness the ruthless machinations of
Jack’s father, a railroad magnate who will
do anything to get what he wants. Despite
these challenges, the three children work
to maintain their connection with one
another and struggle through adolescence
together. Wurth writes in an appealing
prose (“I... step into the freshly fallen
night, so deep violet the lilacs dissolve
into it”), and her fully realized characters
are unique and distinct. This series launch
is an auspicious beginning.
REVIEWS
Shopping Cart Annie
Cordy Fitzgerald. Cordy Fitzgerald, $12.99
trade paper (323p) ISBN 978-0-692932-07-0
Early in Fitzgerald’s suspenseful thriller,
amateur sleuth Inez Buchanan, who has
retired after 40 years of teaching in the
Denver public school system, is visited by
Dolly David, the godmother of her former
neighbor, Ted Wabely. Ted has referred
Dolly to Inez because six months earlier
Inez managed to expose “China’s attempt
to outsource its espionage against the
United States.” Dolly now hopes that Inez
will help her find her missing grand-
daughter, Kadija Campbell, who she
believes is in Afghanistan, married to a
Taliban soldier. Inez agrees to reach out to
a friend at the FBI who can help. Later,
Dolly’s lawyer informs Inez that his client,
who he believes fantasized her story about
Kadija’s whereabouts, has killed herself and
left Inez as the executor of her estate. Inez
plunges into life-threatening situations as
she commits herself to finding the truth
about Kadija. While Inez is an unlikely
action heroine, solid prose and an intriguing
plot help the reader suspend disbelief.
Stealing the Light
Lisa Hofmann. Elisabeth Hofmann, $14.99
trade paper (416p) ISBN 978-3-946618-01-0
This middling series opener by Hoffman
focuses on the lives of three young people
with magical ability in a world where
“unnaturals” are killed by the church.
Catherine Salt is a descendant of the Tierney
family with the blood of the magical cine
in her veins. She lives a hardscrabble life in
a nameless village near the ruins of the
Tierney castle. Dean Greenleaf and his
father, Master Sorcerer Ortus, are also
descendants of the Tierneys but are unaware
of Catherine’s existence. Lorcan Aurum is
the son of a ne’er-do-well but shows
immense magical promise and is taken
under Ortus’s wing at the Fair, a roving
carnival that hides and protects cine from
unwanted scrutiny. There is no distinct
antagonist here to move the story, just the
nebulous threat from the church. Instead,
Hoffman concentrates on her characters as
they mature, Catherine with no one to rely
on but herself and Dean and Lorcan thriving
with guidance from Ortus. Hoffman’s
world bears similarities to our own—there’s
a pope and a Milky Way—but includes
fairies and shape-shifters. The story is a
little vague, but fans of well-drawn charac-
ters will want to see where this series leads.
Soul Search: A Zackie Story
Reyna Favis. CreateSpace, $15.25 trade
paper (438p) ISBN 978-1-5303-8071-8
A chance encounter teaches a lonely
young woman that there’s more to life and
the afterlife than she imagined in the enjoy-
able debut novel from Favis, first in the
Zackie series. Fia Saunders has become
something of a recluse in order to hide from
the ghosts who harass and attack her. Then,
one day, after she witnesses Cam Ramsay
and his rescue dog, Zackie, escort a soul to
the next world, she realizes she’s not alone,
and that others can see ghosts, too. While
Fia’s normal response to provocations by
ghosts has been to hit them back, Cam and
Zackie, who is actually an immortal entity
who acts as a guide to the afterlife, begin to
teach her how to counsel ghosts and help
them cross into the afterlife. When a malev-
olent spirit derails Fia’s training by trap-
ping souls in a farm house, Fia, Cam, and
Zackie team up with a television ghost
hunter to give the wayward souls peace.
Favis handles the paranormal aspects with
aplomb and keeps the story moving quickly
without pausing for lengthy explanation,
though the rushed climax is a bit disap-
pointing. Readers will look forward to the
soul-saving trio’s further adventures.
★ Track 9
Sue Rovens. CreateSpace, $12 trade paper
(220p) ISBN 978-1-5440-1229-2
At the outset of Rovens’s highly disturbing
thriller, a faulty brake system causes a
speeding commuter train to derail and plow
into the Rain Bahnhof in Bavaria, killing 99
people. In the immediate aftermath, some
survivors inexplicably begin eating the flesh
of the dead. Six months later, Gary and Grace
Wolf, an American couple on a honeymoon
in Germany, accidentally end up in the aban-
doned station en route to the airport, unaware
of its grim history and the imminent plans to
demolish the site. Having entered through a
partially opened side door, the Wolfs are
unsettled to realize that they’re the station’s
only occupants. They start to panic when they
can’t find a way out. Meanwhile, in
®
Bloomington, Ill., Gary’s closest friend, Mike
Waverly, who’s to pick them up after their
flight lands, becomes increasingly upset
when he’s unable to confirm that they’ve
made their plane. Rovens gradually fills in
the backstories of her leads, building up to a
grimly satisfying climax. Readers who don’t
need everything spelled out for them will
welcome this simple but effective
hair-raiser.
100 Demon Dialogues
Lucy Bellwood. Toonhound, $14.99 paper
(144p) ISBN 978-0-9882202-4-9
This collection of peppy motivational car-
toons for artists began as a project for a 100-
day online challenge. Each day, Bellwood
posted a one-panel cartoon of herself strug-
gling with an “inner imp” representing her
creative anxieties. The cutely sneering little
black shape criticizes her artwork and her life,
offers poor advice (“If you never turn it in,
they can never tell you it’s bad”), and gives
impossible, conflicting instructions. In
response, Bellwood’s cartoon avatar learns to
grow more confident and optimistic to
counter the imp’s predictions of doom. Some
installments show the duo going through the
typical life of an indie cartoonist—drawing,
traveling to conventions, fretting over social
media, taking a few precious days off—while
others are fanciful cartoon representations of
problems like juggling too many projects or
balancing work and life. It’s a light volume,
as might be expected from a comic that
started as a casual online challenge; more a
series of illustrated aphorisms and off-the-
cuff daily thoughts than a fully fleshed-out
narrative. And, appropriately enough, the art
improves as the book progresses. Bellwood
captures emotions and anxieties familiar to
anyone who does creative work, providing
striving readers motivation and daily
affirmations.
Nonfiction
Breaking the Fourth Wall:
An Uncertain Journey on
Turkey’s Lycian Way
Michelle Sevigny. MontLuce Publishing,
$15.95 trade paper (240p) ISBN 978-0-
9881175-3-2
A retired Vancouver police officer goes
B O O K L I F E .C O M 64c
 ® REVIEWS
on a voyage of self-discovery in this cumber-
some yet captivating memoir of hiking
Turkey’s Lycian Way trail. After the deaths
of her stepmother and her beloved
Rottweiler, 45-year-old Sevigny decides to
recharge her life by hiking a 316-mile foot-
path that runs along the Mediterranean
coast of Turkey. Along the walk, she meets
locals and other hikers, spends a couple days
in the company of a friendly restaurant
worker, fights off a few aggressive sexual
advances, and spends her nights writing,
either in her tent or in small guesthouses.
Sevigny’s prose can be lovely (“songs have
impact, one or two lines—an answer to a
question, the spark to a future epiphany”),
but also perplexing (“Impostor syndrome
explodes and my eyes hide as we bounce
along”), and her habit of repeatedly
bringing up her difficulty with the Turkish
language is more a hindrance than an
enhancement to her tale. Sevigny’s transfor-
mation, however, from being burned out to
at peace with herself, is undoubtedly
inspiring. It’s not quite Wild, but it defi-
nitely follows in that bestseller’s
footsteps.
★ Cancer Looks Good on You
Jill Johnson and Barclay Fryery. Paris Lion,
$18.95 trade paper (158p) ISBN 978-0-99906-
801-4
Filled with charm and optimism, this
inspiriting posthumous memoir from inte-
rior decorator Fryery (1960–2017) gives
tips on living with cancer graciously.
Johnson, former editor of Tear Sheet maga-
zine, bases this svelte biography cum guide
to living better with cancer on a lengthy
interview with Fryery after his 2016 cancer
diagnosis. Born Timothy Mark Fryery in
Meridian, Miss., Fryery endured an evan-
gelical household with a sadistic father who
struck him in the head with a garbage can
lid to beat the “sissy” out of him. Instead of
listening to his father, Fryery believed he
could “dream big, and then grow into it.”
Fryery explains how he did just that during
a distinguished modeling career, working
for Diana Ross and Lara Spencer as an inte-
rior decorator, serving under design icon
Albert Hadley, and eventually being named
to House Beautiful’s Top 100 Designers.
Diagnosed with aggressive lymph node
cancer in 2016, Fryery wrote Facebook
64d B O O K L I F E , M AY 2 8 , 2 0 1 8
posts about coping strategies and main-
tained a cheerful disposition, determined
to “take the ugly out of sickly.” With
empathy and humility, he encourages
cancer patients to beautify their surround-
ings, get up and plan the day, keep a sense
of humor, and make someone else feel good.
Surrounded by a cadre of loyal friends who
cared for him in his last days, Fryery was
even able to design his own funeral’s after-
party. This book is an uplifting celebration
of life and gratitude. Photos.
Clear Seeing Place: Studio Visits
Brian Rutenberg. Permanent Green, $16.95
trade paper (312p) ISBN 978-0-9974423-0-4
Abstract painter Rutenberg reveals his
passion, authenticity, and artistic vision in
a series of thoughtful vignettes about his life
and work. Expanding on his YouTube series
Studio Visits, the author invites readers into
his New York City studio to learn about the
messy act of creation, sharing his journey of
self-discovery through short essays on his
creative process and the people who have
influenced his work, including the painter
Gregory Amendoff and art dealer John
Raimondi, who supported Rutenberg early
in his career. Rutenberg tracks his artistic
growth from his childhood in South Carolina
in the 1970s experimenting with mud and
stencils, to his days as an art student living
in Queens, N.Y., and later in his career as an
internationally exhibited landscape painter
living in Manhattan. He frequently refers to
musicians who influenced him; for example,
he practices Duke Ellington’s dictum­, “The
wise musicians are those who play what they
can master,” by painting in his studio every
day. This dedicated training has freed his
imagination and originality, he writes, cre-
ating what he calls a “clear seeing place” into
his art and revealing “a deeper truth that
relies less on visual accuracy than on per-
sonal and cultural experience.” This well-
written artist’s coming-of-age-story will
appeal to young artists looking to make a
career of their passion.
Faith and World: Contemporary
Ismaili Political and Social Thought
Mohammad N. Miraly. iUniverse, $19.95
trade paper (253p) ISBN 978-1491-78973-5
Miraly’s lucid book surveys the current
intellectual landscape of Ismaili Muslims
(a branch of Shi’a Islam) and serves as a
worthwhile introduction to the faith.
Going beyond headlines about the Aga
Khan—the leader, or imam, of Ismaili
Muslims worldwide—and his reported
resplendence, Miraly provides a new
reading of Ismaili perspectives on justice,
democracy, and pluralism. By looking at
Ismaili institutions and intellectuals in
various locations—including Central Asia,
Europe, Kenya, and Canada—Miraly illus-
trates how Ismailis are trying to connect
their historical approach to mystical and
esoteric knowledge with modern commit-
ments to social justice, liberal democracy,
and devotion to the imamate (their under-
standing of Islamic leadership as residing
in the line of imams stretching back to the
prophet Muhammad). This book serves as a
quasi-apologetic for Ismaili Islam and posi-
tions Ismailis as Muslims in tune with ideals
of democracy and liberal pluralism. Although
it could do with a bit more critical nuance,
the work still serves as a substantial overview
to Ismaili principles, prominent thought
leaders, history, and contemporary practice.
Miraly’s survey helpfully contributes to an
ever more complex picture of the global
Muslim community beyond Sunni and Sufi
sects that are widely known in the Western
world.
The Heart to Start: Win the Inner
War and Let Your Art Shine
David Kadavy. Kadavy, $10.84 trade paper
(138p) ISBN 978-0-692-99569-3
In this encouraging guide, Kadavy
(Design for Hackers), shows how to jump-
start one’s creativity. Kadavy uses material
from his podcast, Love Your Work; enter-
taining metaphors; and vignettes from his
life and those of a myriad of others such as
a behavioral scientist, a board game creator,
a singer-songwriter, and a chef to highlight
the obstacles that prevent people from
starting their creative projects. Original
terms, such as “the Fortress Fallacy” (imag-
ining one’s project in its most ambitious
possible form before even starting) and
“Inflating the Investment” (overestimating
how much time and energy projects will
take) clearly illustrate the thinking that leads
to procrastination. The practical advice and
techniques that Kadavy provides for circum-
venting distorted thinking and ego-driven
REVIEWS ®

insecurities, such as “motivational judo,” in
which “you use the force of your own ego to
kickstart your project,” make it sound rela-
tively easy to start creating, but Kadavy is
careful to keep expectations realistic.
Reassuring reminders not to be defeated by
discomfort, perfectionism, and the fear of
others’ judgments, and to follow one’s curi-
osity and passion, round out this lively, moti-
vating entry into the self-help genre.
Meals from the Mitten: Celebrating
the Seasons in Michigan
Gina Ferwerda. Story Farm, $35 (208p)
ISBN 978-0-9969441-7-5
In this hit-or-miss collection, Michigan
native Ferwerda celebrates her home state’s
bounty of produce. The recipes are certainly
intriguing, but many only fleetingly take
“to educate and entertain.” The book both
outlines individual actions readers can
take—subscribing to a credit monitoring
service, updating passwords regularly—
and briefly mentions systemic changes
that could protect privacy: he calls for
individuals to be paid license fees in
exchange for their data being used to
develop products and marketing strate-
gies, and suggests that concerned citizens
focus on local and state regulations, rather
than relying on the federal government to
protect consumers. For readers who
haven’t engaged with the issue before and
aren’t aware of how their online data is
being used by private companies for
profit, Mendelson’s book will be an
eye-opener.
Miscast Spells:
The Styx Trilogy, Book 1
Rose Corcoran. Rose Corcoran, $10.99 paper
(242p) ISBN 978-1-943798-06-3
Corcoran’s fantasy debut is equal parts
thrilling and ridiculous. In a world popu-
lated by old-school magicians, Princess
Emmaline Camellia encounters her first
goblin and is immediately turned into a
rabbit. Pessimistic court magician
Bostwick von Dogsbody volunteers to
travel the land with her to help find a cure.
Their search leads them to Castle Styx,
home of Queen Delilah Glossolalia, who’s
rumored to possess the Domino of
Nonpareil, a mask that allows wearers to
become anything they wish. After getting
caught trying to steal the mask, the eccen-
tric Delilah forces Bostwick to become her

advantage of local ingredients. A Michigan
Manhattan cocktails features only the juice
from Michigan cherries, but asparagus, an
ingredient commonly grown in the state, is
shoehorned into a plethora of recipes
including guacamole, pizza crust, and
chicken satay with soba noodles (Ferwerda
works closely with the Asparagus Advisory
Board). That said, she includes recipes for
the popular Detroit pizza, which is baked
in a loaf pan in order to yield crispy cheesy
borders, and an olive burger loved by locals.
Surprisingly, there are no pasties, a classic
meat and vegetable pie popular in
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. There are
imaginative dishes, such as a burger-based
riff on a reuben, a cherry salad with maple-
cayenne candied walnut and cherry-bal-
samic vinaigrette; apple fritter dip; and
muffler meatballs, which can be cooked via
an appliance affixed to a snowmobile muf-
fler. Locals and tourists will likely find
Ferwerda’s cookbook to be a welcome sou-
venir though probably not a kitchen
workhorse
Privacy, and How to Get It Back
B.J. Mendelson. Curious Reads, $9.95 paper
(178p) ISBN 978-1-912475-01-8
In this collection of essays first published
between 2015 and 2017, Mendelson (Social
Media Is Bullshit) provides a casual intro-
duction to the challenge of maintaining
privacy in the digital age. He holds forth in
what he terms “an intentionally exagger-
ated and aggressive” writing style chosen
Children’s/YA
butler under threat of a curse if he tries to
leave. Though the story lacks greater world-
building, what it does offer is imaginative:
Gryphon’s Eye a wide array of magician’s tricks, a knockoff-
Kevin Weston. Wave Train, $10.95 trade paper antiques shop whose magical items don’t
(448p) ISBN 978-1-5499-7145-7 quite work the same way as the originals,
Jessalyn Suntold may be the heir to the and clever puns. Readers will look forward
kingdom of Fyngree, but she’s also a to the sequel. Ages 8–12.
Threadbare, someone who has not paired
with a familiar and thus cannot perform
magic. Her father loves her and worries
that she will not be able to hold the throne
agai nst the ir northe rn ne ighbor,
Rojenhold. When Jessalyn is attacked
after hearing a message that warns of a
conspiracy close to the crown, she sets off
to discover more information by meeting
with the sender. Along the way, she joins
up with Traejon Frost, the guard of her
father’s familiar, and together they trek
across the kingdom as Rojenhold prepares
to invade Fyngree. Weston’s world-
building is imaginative, with such details
as dragon oaks—trees that burst into
flame as part of their life cycle—and
snowy, treacherous mountain landscapes
where one false step means death, giving
depth to the world. The characters are all
crafted with subtlety. Jess realistically
vacillates between determination to do
her best, despite being a Threadbare, and
fear that she won’t be strong enough to
protect her people. Fans of fantasy will
enjoy Weston’s first book in the Casting
Shadows trilogy. Ages 12–up.

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