A historical novel by Charles Van Doren and one of a series on harvesting rainwater for sustainable living; fiction about a novelist who becomes a bestseller with a fake self-help book; and a memoir about searching for lost treasure in a boat that sank in 1909 are among the titles booksellers, publishers, and agents are encouraged to take a look at in the following listings of self-published books.

Art

Beauty Everyday: A Year of Southern Beauty
Rinne Allen, Kristen Bach, and Rebecca Wood. Rinne Allen, Kristen Bach, and Rebecca Wood. $98 hardcover (420p), ISBN 9780988370609
www.beautyeveryday.com/book
A photographic document of a year of Southern beauty found in and around Athens, Ga., the 365 images, one for each day of the year, follow the cycle of the four seasons and show the beauty of everyday moments.

Biography & Autobiography

Lucky George: The Unforgettable Adventures of a Free-lance Photographer
George Kufrin. American Studio Press. $15.95 paper (244p), ISBN 978-1482764963
Amazon
Packed with history and rare photographs, Kufrin’s autobiography chronicles the 50-year adventure that took him across America, photographing presidents, movie stars, tycoons, and artists.

May the Spirit Be Unbroken: Search for the Mother Root
Maxine Louise Michel De Felice. Authorhouse.com. $19.95 paper (291p), ISBN 9781477210789; $ e-book ISBN 9781472210796
Amazon; AuthorHouse; bn.com
This is about the resilience of the human spirit, following three generations of activist families in the context of radical movements in the 20th century.

Marlon Brando: A Memoir
Nancy K. Peardon. The Falcon Press. $17.95 paper (320p), ISBN 978-0-9884557-1-9; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9780988455702
www.marlonbrando-amemoir.com
Nancy Peardon lovingly humanizes the Hollywood legend with anecdotes from their 28-year relationship, casting light on Brando’s notoriously private face.

Unquenchable Fire, Unequivocal Call: By Design and Determination: A Story of Uncommon Devotion to Country
Flora Trebi-Ollennu. Amerley Treb Books. $49.95 hardcover (424p), ISBN 9781894718103
Amazon; bn.com
Trebi Kuma Oliennu gave national development a local voice in Ghana. A man of faith and tenacity, augmented by a prodigious skill, he overcame amazing odds to leave behind an enduring legacy, earning the sobriquet Patriot of Community Development in Ghana. This biography is by his daughter, director of the La Mansaamo Kpee International development organization.

Wild Plum Cafe
Gretchen Butler. Gretchen Butler. $22 (146p), ISBN 9781450790604
www.booksbygretchenbutler.com
After losing their home to a major wildfire, a retired couple pioneers a new life in the forest without shelter. Butler offers whimsical and humorous stories, poems, letters, and artwork in her encounters with living off the land, with wild pigs and rattlers part of the mix.

Serenade: A Memoir of Music and Love from Vienna and Prague to Los Angeles
Carol Jean Delmar. Willow Lane Press. $27.99 hardcover (516p), ISBN 9780986035906; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9780986035920
SerenadetheMemoir.com; Amazon; bn.com; Ingram
Delmar relates her parents’ story—from their roots in Vienna to their escape from the impending Holocaust to the U.S. via Panama and Cuba, and their eventual arrival in Hollywood and a new life, where her opera singer father, Franz Jung, became Hollywood costumer Frank Delmar—alongside her own account of retracing her parents’ steps.

A Long Swim Upstream
Mike Feder. Federfiles. $15 paper (294p), ISBN 9780989415408; $7.99 e-book
Amazon
A series of autobiographical stories, from childhood through age 40, tell of a troubled childhood, strange jobs, marriage, parenting, and show business.

Me and Murder, She Wrote
Peter S. Fischer. Grove Point Press. $12.95 paper (248p), ISBN 9780988657137
thegrovepointpress.com
Fischer, a screenwriter and co-creator of Murder, She Wrote, relates his adventures in television on series both successful and less so, including his friendships with Angela Lansbury, Peter Falk, Jerry Orbach, and others.

Long Journey Home: A Young Girl’s Memoir of Surviving the Holocaust
Lucy Lipiner. iUniverse. $17.95 paper (210p), ISBN 9781475934939; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9781475934946
Amazon; bn.com
As WWII broke out, six-year-old Lipiner and her family escaped from the Nazi army invading Poland by traveling into the U.S.S.R., where they were sent first to a camp in Siberia, then allowed to go to Tajikistan, where the small Jewish community helped them survive. This memoir from a child’s perspective tells a little known story.

The Motor City and Me: Our Story
Mary Anne McMahon. CreateSpace. $16.95 paper (337p), ISBN 978140053182; $9.99 e-book
Amazon; bn.com
McMahon’s ancestors came to Detroit from Ireland, Germany, and France, and she charts four generations of her family along with the rise of the city they called home, and the lasting impact it had on her and her family.

Tasting Home: Coming of Age in the Kitchen
Judith Newton. She Writes Press. $16.95 paper (311p), ISBN 9781938314032; $5.95 e-book
Amazon; Books Inc.; AvidReaderBooks.com
The history of a woman’s emotional education, a romantic tale of a marriage between a straight woman and a gay man, and an exploration of the ways in which cooking can lay the groundwork not only for personal relations but for political community.

The Autobiography of a Granada Cat: As Told to Harley White
Harley White. CreateSpace. $39.99 paper (178p), ISBN 9781491025123; $4.07 e-book ISBN 9781304204196
www.lulu.com
Mama cat was born in Andalusia, Granada, Spain, and relays her story and that of her city in this picaresque tale; photos and illustrations.

Body, Mind & Spirit

The Power of Vow: Everyday Tools for Healing
Darren Littlejohn. Rainbow Light Media. $14.99 paper (308p), ISBN 9780989526005; $3.99 e-book ASIN B00DP7FFKA
Amazon
Using tools from 12-step programs and Buddhism, Littlejohn offers everyone the ability to alleviate suffering and live a full life with tranquility.

Business & Economics

The Insider’s Guide to Publishing Success
Eric Kampmann and Margot Atwell. Beaufort Books. $12.95 paper (158p), ISBN 9780825306877; $3.96 e-book ISBN 9780825306235
The publishing industry is changing rapidly, and there are more options for authors than ever before. Should you find an agent and search for a traditional publishing deal or consider self-publishing? Should you print hardcover copies or opt only for an e-book? Should you hire a publicist? This easy-to-read, nuts-and-bolts guide covers everything from what to look for in a contract to how many copies to print.

Get a Clue: 10 Steps to an Executive IQ
Temeko Richardson. The RLC Group. $14.99 (204p), ISBN 9780988339415; $9.99 e-book ASIN B00B8XQ9QM
Amazon
For business leaders, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit organizers, this guide presents the factors that can make or break a successful career or business.

Arousing the Buy Curious: Real Estate Pillow Talk for Patrons and Professionals
Becki Saltzman. Oomau Media. $18.95 paper (299p), ISBN 9780989093507
www.ArousingTheBuyCurious.com
This instructional romp of a real estate book is story filled, humorous, provocative, and entertaining; useful to both clients and professionals, it reveals industry secrets and best practices.

Education

A Parent’s Playbook for Learning: Jen Lilienstein
Jen Lilienstein. $14.95 paper (266p), ISBN 9780988475793; $3.99 e-book
Amazon
Strategies that help parents and teachers understand how different personality types learn best were amassed from nearly 100 education and psychology reference texts.

Family & Relationships

A Journey Through Emotional Abuse: From Bondage to Freedom
Caroline Abbott with Debbie Stafford. Carpenter’s Son Publishing. $13.99 paper (228p), ISBN 9780988593138
Amazon
Many think abuse doesn’t happen in Christian homes. It does. The authors provide emotionally abused wives a practical, biblical guide for women in crisis.

Elderwriters: Celebrate Your Life!: A Guide for Creating Your Own Personal Legacy Document
Sue Barocas. CreateSpace. $14.99 paper (178p), ISBN 9781484825648
Amazon; bn.com
Even nonprofessional writers will learn how to preserve their life stories through personal legacy writing, using a variety of forms—anecdotes, epiphanies, paragraphs and poems, lessons learned, one-liners, lists, essays, letters, and more—in this easy-to-follow approach..

Raising Parents, Raising Kids: Hands-on Wisdom for the Next Generation
Dawn Menken. Belly Song Press. $18.95 paper (264p), ISBN 9780985266745; $14.99 e-book ISBN 9780985266776
www.dawnmenken.com; 503-287-3969
Going beyond the conventional “how-to” parenting book, Menken applies her experience as a psychotherapist and conflict-resolution facilitator to presenting the ultimate guide to nurturing the emotional, spiritual, and social lives of children.

Mommy Had a Little Flask
A.K. Turner. Fever Streak Press. $12 paper (p), ISBN 9780985583989
Amazon; bn.com
In the hilarious sequel to the bestselling “momoir” This Little Piggy Went to the Liquor Store, A.K. Turner returns with the mayhem of motherhood.

Fiction

The Russian Embassy Party
Cliff Adelman. Archway. $24 paper (385p), ISBN 9781480800052; $9 e-book ISBN 9781480800045
Amazon; Barnes & Noble
A rollicking ride on the edges of history, with all its unanticipated connections, from Washington in the summer of 1963 to the 1993 chaos of Yeltsin’s Russia.

Osric’s Wand: The WandMaker’s Debate: Book One
Jack D. Albrecht Jr. & Ashley Delay. CreateSpace. $8.99 (204p), ISBN
Amazon; bn.com
In a world of inherent magic, why wouldn’t animals speak? When tragedy strikes at a peace-treaty signing, the young leader Osric is thrust into the chaos and, with unlikely allies, strives to avert a world war.

Under Fire
Rachel Amphlett. Rachel Amphlett. $15.99 paper (410p), ISBN 9780992268503; $1.99 e-book ISBN 9780992268510
online shopping sites
Explosives expert Dan Taylor must prevent a terrorist attack on the U.K.’s gas supplies during the worst winter on record.

The Assassin and the Disciple
Virginia Austin. Melting Salvation Press. $8.99 paper (186p), ISBN 9780979408533
Amazon]
An apocalyptic tale rides like a roller-coaster through hell. Pitting brother against sister, God against Man, the death march begins.

Fathers House
C. Edward Baldwin. C. Edward Baldwin. $4.99 e-book ASIN B00DPUXZDG
Amazon
Ben Lovison discovers that citywide corruption is linked to his childhood, and that his story of perseverance and overcoming was really one of deceit and deception.

Senlin Ascends: Book 1 of the Books of Babel
Josiah Bancroft. CreateSpace. $13.99 paper (370p), ISBN 9781482590951; 99¢ e-book ISBN 9781482590951
Amazon
While honeymooning in the Tower of Babel, Thomas Senlin loses his wife, Marya, in the throng. To find her again, he must first discover himself.

Graffiti Grandma
Jo Barney. Encore Press. $13.95 paper (334p), ISBN 9780615726458; $2.99 e-book ASIN B007124QPO
Amazon
An old woman and a goth girl cleaning a graffiti-covered mailbox discover a body under the leaves and start their search for a serial killer.

Source*Forged Armor
Paul J. Bartusiak. CreateSpace. $8.97 paper (304p), ISBN 9780985916237; $2.99 e-book ASIN B00CM1N8XQ
Amazon
A CIA operative adjusts to a new life, and an unexpected mission may bring him redemption.

On the Death Beat
JS Bateman. CreateSpace. $15.99 paper (228p), ISBN 9781491043172; $9.99 e-book
Amazon
What happens when a smalltown obituary writer “breaks bad”? Young Jason Blair writes classic stories of local lives well lived, but he can’t wait for nature to take its course. As he cranks out obits and bodies, will Det. Holly Huff catch him?

Twenty-One Steps of Courage: A Soldier’s Mission to Honor His Father
Sarah Bates. Booklocker. $16.95 paper (262p), ISBN 9781614349570; $9.99 e-book
Amazon; bn.com; Booklocker.com
Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery is all Rod Strong wants until a devastating deployment to Afghanistan derails his plans.

Thoreau in Love
John Schuyler Bishop. CreateSpace. $14 paper (288p), ISBN 9781482059656; $4.99 e-book
Amazon
In 1843, Henry David Thoreau, 25, leaves Concord, Mass., with no thought of returning. His destination is New York, where the new America is bursting into life. But before he gets there, he falls in love with a young man.

Immortality
Kevin Bohacz. C Prompt. $14.95 paper (516p), ISBN 9780979181511; 99¢ e-book
Amazon
An apocalyptic techno-thriller about the near extinction of the human race pits science against humanity and humanity against machine and against religion.

The Encounter
Kirk Bonner. Infinity Publishing. $16.95 paper (296p), ISBN 9780741483577; $4.95 e-book
www.theunknownbeyond.com
Kat Thorsen has a sexual encounter with a mysterious stranger and begins having bizarre dreams. Soon an ex-cop and a criminal gang are after the jewel she was given in one of those dreams.

Slow
Digonta Bordoloi. Digonta Bordoloi. $3 e-book (241p), ISBN 9780992285906
Amazon
Baba is born in a remote corner of the world, sheltered from modern development. His father’s job takes the family to many towns, and Baba spends an idyllic childhood doing things at his own pace. But everything else is geared to running, and Baba, too, may have to change.

The Reflecting Man: Vol. 1
D.K.R. Boyd. Wonderdog Press. $33.25 paper (772p), ISBN 9780992017477; $16.89 e-book ISBN 9780991935727
Amazon; bn.com
The antic, ribald journey of a loquacious and unreliable narrator, Kurtis De’ath, whose unusual talents lead him into the innermost circles of Hitler’s Third Reich and Churchill’s government. Based on voluminous research, this historical novel observes the months leading up to WWII.

The Adorations: A Novel in Double Time
Roger Boylan. Olympiad Press. $3.99 e-book (463p) ASIN B008N361I6; BN ID 2940014978392
Amazon; bn.com
In alternating chapters, we learn the contemporary story of Gustave Termi, an atheistic history professor recruited by the Archangel Michael into his legions of divine warriors, and a biography Termi reads of an early 20th-century Austrian aristocrat, teacher, and mystic, Stefanie von Rothenberg, who not only had steady visits from heaven and hell but was also pursued by Adolf Hitler.

Recalled to Life
Dan Burns. Eckhartz Press. $15.95 paper (255p), ISBN 9780989402903; $5.49 e-book ISBN 9780989402934
eckhartzpress.com
After a extraordinary family incident, a successful Chicago architect is pushed to his limits and forced to re-evaluate everything he thought was important.

The Mountain Place of Knowledge
Marshall Chamberlain. The Grace Publishing Group. $21.99 paper (414p), ISBN 9780974098265; $9.99 e-book
Amazon
A U.N. official is killed while searching for an entrance into a mountain in Belize. Ancient technology discovered inside forces cooperation among Belize, the U.S., the U.N., and NATO, but one country decides the mountain poses a threat to world order and attempts to neutralize the danger.

Professor Brown Shoes Teaches the Blues
David Mutti Clark. David Mutti Clark. $3.99 e-book ISBN 9780615810553
www.professorbrownshoes.com
Professor Brown Shoes‚ a mystical and mythical bluesman‚ helps his piano students listen for their melody, their tune, way deep inside.

Shadows of Doubt
Mell Corcoran. Mill City Press. $16.95 (442p), ISBN 9781935204787; $6.99 e-book
bn.com
A serial killer is hunting women, torturing and killing them, and leaving the same mysterious clue. Det. Lou Donovan is removed from the case, yet she can’t let it go..

Black Sheep
Robert Covelli. Luna Court. $14.50 (356p), ISBN 9780984888207; $9 e-book
Amazon; bn.com
While idealists begin manufacturing hybrid cars in Buffalo, N.Y., a crime family interested in this new money in town is challenged by a young crew fresh out of prison. The protagonist is the first member of his crime family to give up that life as the city struggles for self-determination.

The Last Good Halloween
Giano Cromley. Tortoise Books. $11.99 paper (217p), ISBN 9780615872759
312-953-4674
A humorous coming-of-age novel set in Ronald Reagan’s America travels an epic road trip as the foul-mouthed narrator searches for his stepfather.

Cried for No One
Hubert Crouch. CreateSpace. $16.95 paper (388p), ISBN 9781481239479; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9780615622231
Amazon; bn.com, iBook
Flamboyant Fort Worth trial lawyer Cal Connors is hired by distraught parents after their daughter’s body is found on the altar of a rural church. Journalist Leah Rosen is closing in on the truth and willing to put her career on the line for justice. Defense attorney Jace Forman won’t rest until he finds out who could have committed this macabre crime and why.

Touched with Fire
Christopher Datta. CreateSpace. $13.02 paper (384p), ISBN 9781490498836; $2.99 e-book
Amazon; bn.com
Light-skinned Ellen Craft escapes slavery in the South disguised as a gentleman; to rescue her still-enslaved husband, she joins the Union Army as Elijah Craft. Based on a true story.

Brain: The Man Who Wrote the Book That Changed the World
Dermot Davis. Expression Unleashed Publishing. $9.59 paper (217p), ISBN 9780984418138; $2.99 e-book ASIN B00DF3ZFJA
Amazon
While trying to write the Great American Novel, Daniel takes a break and writes a self-help parody—which becomes a bestseller and turns his life upside down.

Comrade Anna: A Novel of Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto
Gary L. Dorion. CreateSpace. $11.99 paper (284p), ISBN 9781467923361; $2.99 e-book
917-374-2544
A fighter during the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, Anna is protected by a Treblinka death camp guard who, after the war, becomes marked for torture and execution by an Auschwitz survivor; includes archival photos from Yad Vashem.

He Calls Me Harp
Heather White Driscoll. Dog Ear Publishing. $19.95 paper (56p), ISBN 9781457520860; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9781457522529
dogearpublishing.net; Amazon
Harper Whitmore starts high school sure she can take on the world, but her encounter with senior Scott Pierce leads her into a relationship that could be self-destructive; a coming-of-age story.

Inked: The Novel
Everly Drummond. CreateSpace. $11.67 (246p), ISBN 978-1492244219; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9781301020294
Amazon; Barnes & Noble; Kobo; iTunes
A chance encounter brings Avery and Brody back together after the one and only steamy night they spent together almost five years ago.

Transylvania Flying Squad of Detectives
M.L. Dunn. CreateSpace. $11.99 paper (254p), ISBN 9781482639131; $3.99 e-book
Amazon; bn.com
A new detective races against time to stop one of history’s most notorious villains from returning from the grave by escaping Purgatory.

Thirteen Days in Milan
Jack Erickson. Jack Erickson. $3.99 e-book ISBN 9781301336371
Smashwords
Sylvia de Matteo, an American photographer, is taken hostage by terrorists during a political assassination at Stazione Centrale, Milan’s train station. When her captors discover her father is a wealthy Wall Street investment banker, they demand a ransom for her release.

Run Down the Wind
Laurence Eubank. Wild Dog Press. $19.95 paper (563p), ISBN 9780989422307
www.laurenceeubank.com
Two young men from families in Maine and Alabama work together on clipper ships in the decade before the Civil War breaks out. Their families are splintered by the war, yet not one of these four will surrender.

Secret for a Song
S.K. Falls. CreateSpace. $10.93 paper (206p), ISBN 9781490346014; $2.99 e-book
Amazon; bn.com
Saylor Grayson literally makes herself sick. The shrinks call it Munchausen Syndrome. When a group of terminally ill young people befriend her, Saylor can’t bring herself to tell them the truth, but secrets have a way of revealing themselves.

The Friday Edition: A Samantha Church Mystery
Betta Ferrendelli. CreateSpace. $10.99 paper (308p), ISBN 978-1480263185; $2.99 e-book ASIN B008IIFWYK
Amazon; bn.com
Samantha Church, a struggling newspaper reporter in Denver, maneuvers her way through a corrupt police department to discover that her assistant DA sister’s suicide was really murder.

Pray for Us Sinners: The Hollywood Murder Mysteries Book 7
Peter S. Fischer. The Grove Point Press. $12.95 paper (250p), ISBN 9780988657144
Amazon; bn.com
Publicist Joe Bernardi is in Quebec, where Alfred Hitchcock is shooting a thriller with Montgomery Clift. The two are feuding, which makes the papers, and the scandal threatens to shut down the filming. Add murder to the latest in this series.

Has Anybody Here Seen Wyckham?: The Hollywood Murder Mysteries, Book 8
Peter S. Fischer. The Grove Point Press. $12.95 paper (222p), ISBN 9780984681976
909-496-9338
The latest installment in the Hollywood Murder Mysteries series, winner of IBPA’s Ben Franklin Award.

The North Building
Jefferson Flanders. Munroe Hill Press. $15.50 paper (430p), ISBN 9780988784086; $5.99 e-book ISBN 9780988784093
Amazon; bn.com
In 1951, New York newspaperman Dennis Collins investigates a shadowy Washington spy ring leaking American military secrets to the Soviets, and quickly runs into danger.

Prime Directive: Book One of the Ptolemaios Saga
Alexander Geiger. Ptolemaios Publishing & Entertainment. $15.99 (430p), ISBN 9780989258401; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9780989258418
Amazon
A time-traveler with an interest in antiquity becomes tutor to the boy who will become Alexander the Great and witnesses the epic battles between Greeks and Persians in the fourth century B.C.E.

The Time Keepers: A Vatican Novel
Ronald Bruce Gies. CreateSpace. $12.99 paper (392p), ISBN 9781482587401; $5.99 e-book ISBN 9781301706440
www.giesbooks.com
Literary fiction that asks challenging questions about why the Catholic Church faces the issues that it currently does.

Eternidad: Cimmerian Rising
B. Thomas Harwood. Herschel-Floyd Publications. $12.99 paper (250p), ISBN 9780989375009; $5.99 e-book
www.facebook.com/WorldOfEternidad
In the Caribbean 100 years after Columbus arrived, a terrifying creature of unknown origin is set loose to hunt for a Dutch settler’s infant son.

The Thieves of Stonewood: Book I of the Stonewood Trilogy
Jeremy Hayes. Northlord Publishing. $12.99 paper (312p), ISBN 9780991864201; $4.99 e-book ISBN 9780991864218
Amazon
A fantasy tale follows Harcourt, a down-on-his-luck thief desperately trying to join the Thieves Guild so he can commit crimes in the dangerous streets of Stonewood.

The Sixth
Avery Hays. Diadema Press. $26.99 hardcover (384p), ISBN 9780985418243; $12.84 paper
Ingram; Amazon; bn.com
Paris 1910: the young and willful painter Florbela Sarmentos runs in the same wild, Left Bank circle as Diego Rivera, Amadeo Modigliani, and Marc Chagall. But when she falls under the shadow of her father, she becomes a target for assassination.

In Spite of All
JP Ishaq. Havoc Factory Publishing. $12.99 paper (354p), ISBN 9780615745329; $7.99 e-book
www.jpishaq.com
Follow exile Leon Victor and his crew of skilled, ruthless mercenaries on missions between warring galactic empires as Victor tries to make amends for his past.

The Billionaire’s Gift: A Spiritual Business Parable
Edward Iwata. CreateSpace. $4.99 paper (145p), ISBN 9781490916545; $2.99 e-book
Amazon; bn.com
A modern-day Scrooge finds that ill health challenges him to search for a higher purpose in life as he learns that corporate power and worldly goods will not bring him peace.

Lily’s War, a Novel
Kathi Jackson. CreateSpace. $12.15 paper (318p), ISBN 9781463773151; 99¢ e-book ASIN B005EM90XW
Amazon; bn.com
Inspired by the folksong “The Lily of the West,” this historical fiction tells the story of Lily, a prostitute, and David, a military officer—two people completely wrong for each other, yet whose love, and war, keep bringing them together.

Prospice: A Novel
Karen Kelly. Legitur Books. $28.95 hardcover (388p), ISBN 9780989320009
Amazon; bn.com
Young people on the brink of adulthood face the stark realities of family life, including harrowing grief and the consequences of long-buried secrets.

Take the Pilgrim Road
Frank T. Klus. CreateSpace. $14.99 paper (394p), ISBN 9781489511553; $2.99 e-book
Amazon; bn.com
At a time when a quarter of the American population is unemployed and corporatists have a death grip over the government, Redd Piper turns to a new business model based on the old concept of cooperatives. The poor, the hungry, and the unemployed make a pilgrimage to Piper’s cooperatives, shaking the foundation of the corporatist society, and prompting a struggle for the future of the American dream.


Hearts of Strangers
Jorja Lewis. CreateSpace. $15 paper (290p), ISBN 9781481136044
Amazon; bn.com
In the Colorado Territory, the Bologna family take in two misfits, TJ and Peaches, who’ve run away from Louisiana and Peaches’s depraved brothers.

Leather to the Corinthians
Tom Lucas. Room 1331 Publishing and Media. $12.99 paper (284p), ISBN 9780988526105; 99¢ e-book
Amazon; bn.com
This dystopian satire features a young soldier fighting to keep his humanity while deep in the trenches of an insane war.

Dialogues of a Crime
John K. Manos. Amika Press. $15.95 paper (300p), ISBN 9781937484132; $4.95 e-book ASIN B00E63HDCK
www.amikapress.com
In 1994 CPD detective Larry Klinger becomes obsessed with a 22-year-old cold case, when the Chicago mob was unchallenged. Circling back to 1972 and forward to 2003, this novel relies on dialogue to examine questions of guilt, innocence, and justice, and the ramifications of crime and punishment.

Through Their Strange Hours
Kent McDaniel. Kent McDaniel. 99¢ e-book (62p) ISBN 9781301879304
Amazon; bn.com; Smashwords; Kobo
Four stories set between 1958 and 1970 involve cats, famous monsters, Elvis, the Beatles, Mickey Mantle, and love. They also involve the Prophet of Doom, blight, brawls, drugs, Vietnam, busts, betrayal, and death.

Buried Threads
Kaylin McFarren. Creative Edge Publishing. $14.95 paper (330p), ISBN 9781492120469
www.kaylinmcfarren.com
Rachel Lyons and her partner, Chase Cohen, accept a contract to recover a lost, priceless treasure in the Sea of Japan. Upon arriving in Tokyo, they discover their mission is more complicated and dangerous than they originally thought.

A Life, Redefined
Tracy Hewitt Meyer. Zummo Books. $9.95 paper (200p), ISBN 9780615837963; $4.99 e-book
Amazon;
For seven years her family has blamed Rowan Slone for the death of her baby brother. Now a senior in high school, she is aiming to graduate, go to college, and escape her loveless home. Then she discovers her mother’s long-held secret.

Rich Boy Cries for Momma
Ethan H. Minsker. Minsker & Lee Productions. $18.99 paper (336p), ISBN 9780615721200; $1.99 e-book ISBN 9781938008511
Amazon
A dyslexic teenager in 1980s Washington, D.C., faces bullying from the offspring of the city’s elite and finds acceptance in the punk rock scene.

For the Love of Honey
C.G. Morgan. Outskirts Press. $29.95 paper (658p), ISBN 9781478706403; $3.99 e-book
Amazon; bn.com
Honey Giles grows up on the Mountain, shunned by townsfolk because of her mother’s choices. This coming-of-age Southern saga traces one girl’s struggle to find her place in family and community.

A Farewell in Paris
Paul A. Myers. Paul A. Myers Books. $10.99 paper (236p), ISBN 9781481100465; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978098259029
Amazon; bn.com
On the Left Bank of Paris in 1928 an American veteran writes a novel about a brave war and a doomed romance in post-WWI Berlin.

Gangsters of Shanghai: An International Mystery Thriller
Gerry O’Sullivan. Rosetta No. 3 A/C Pty. Ltd. $2.99 e-book (331p), ISBN 9780987451712
Amazon
The son of a rural Irish cop, Gallagher joins the Shanghai Police in 1927 to trace the aristocratic woman whose memory still haunts him. In a city of spies, refugees, gangsters, and revolutionaries, even an innocent Irish cop could be corrupted.

It Doesn’t Stay in Vegas: The Saga of the Unorthodox Gentleman
Joe Osborne. CreateSpace. $9.99 paper (222p), ISBN 9781480117068; $3.33 e-book ASIN: B00AARBUXY
Amazon; bn.com
Four degenerate friends travel to Vegas on a quest for booze- and drug-fueled sexual encounters. The delusional Unorthodox Gentleman narrates this full-throttle four-day adventure.

Evangeline’s Ghost
C.A. Pack. Artiqua Press. $7.99 paper (253p), ISBN 9780983572367; $7.99 e-book
www.artiquapress.com
A WWII spy doesn’t let death get in the way of avenging her own murder.

Dreamers and Their Shadows
Douglas J. Penick. Mountain Treasury Press. $15.95 paper (219p), ISBN 9780974597447; $5.95 e-book ISBN 9780974597454
Amazon; bn.com
Two 15th-century scrolls, attributed to a Japanese spiritual leader, are unmasked in the 1950s as forgeries, yet a retired professor and his student become obsessed with the world and culture they describe.

Cooley & Rose
Terry Perrel. A.V. Griffin Books of Virginia. $14.95 paper (264p), ISBN 9780989107716; $7.99 e-book ISBN 9780989107709
www.terryperrel.com
In 1948, Rose leaves her husband, Cooley, of 19 years and heads west to Hollywood, leaving Cooley free to spend time with his aspiring singer girlfriend. That’s when the real trouble begins in this comic novel, as Cooley and Rose, both keepers of secrets, reluctantly confront their own shortcomings and foolish expectations of love.

Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate
Alexis Rankin Popik. Aucoot Press. $14 paper (190p), ISBN 9780985839505; $2.99 e-book
Amazon; bn.com
A literary mystery set in Los Angeles at the time of the O.J. Simpson murder trial, this novel examines the devastating effects of manic-depressive illness on family and friendships.

Roxana’s Revolution
Farin Powell. iUniverse. $24.95 paper (443p), ISBN 9781475980639; $1.99 e-book ISBN 9781475980646
Amazon; bn.com
An Iranian woman faces personal and professional struggles as a lawyer in the U.S. at the time of the 1979 hostage crisis. Returning to Iran, she must deal with unexpected difficulties following the Iranian revolution.

The Mothership
Stephen Renneberg. Stephen Peter Renneberg. $21.95 paper (568p), ISBN 9780987434739; $8.99 e-book ISBN 9780987434746
Amazon
A Special Forces team from Area 51 investigates the crash of an alien mothership in remote northern Australia.

Poison Ivy Murder: A Martha’s Vineyard Mystery
Cynthia Riggs. Cleaveland House Books. $16.95 paper (248p), ISBN 9780984444625
www.cynthiariggs.com; www.bunchofgrapes.com
Adjunct professor Victoria Trumbull, 92, and Brownie, a cadaver-sniffing mongrel, team up to trap a serial killer.

Reno Nevada Rides to Hell
Flash Rivers. Richard D Garrison. $7.99 paper (210p), ISBN 9780989721813; $1.99 e-book ISBN 9780989721806
Amazon
In this supernatural thriller, an unconventional gunfighter joins forces with a preacher and his daughter to travel to the netherworld and close the Gates of Hell.

The Thousand Natural Shocks
Michael Sáenz. TPC Pages. $7.99 paper (204p), ISBN 9781482577402; $5.99 e-book
Amazon; bn.com
Charles Siskin is not like other boys. At St. Ignatius Loyola High School his odd disposition leads him to a humiliating catastrophe.

Fishing for Light
Nathaniel Sewell. Bobby’s Socks Publishing. $2.99 e-book (347p), ISBN 9780615860497
Amazon
When Professor Quan realized the government used his genetic starter to create Ms. Prosperina, he devoted his life to eradicating her by spreading the universal bond within humanity’s genetic code, pure love.

Who Killed John F. Kennedy?: Lose Your Own Adventure #1
Justin Sewell. Despair, Inc. $18 paper (178p), ISBN 9781892503022
www.despair.com
A brilliant kid detective attempts to solve the murder of JFK in this parody of Choose Your Own Adventure books and Encyclopedia Brown.

Primordial
David Shawn. CreateSpace. $17.96 paper (514p), ISBN 9781466445529; $1.99 e-book
Amazon; bn.com
No handsome, agonized, Victorian psychosexual dysfunction here, just lots of gun battles, harsh language, and breathless action.

The Hobbyists
Darryl Shelly. Bexley Press. $13.99 paper (281p), ISBN 9780615746524; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9780615719290
Amazon; bn.com; iBooks
A young sex addict invites readers into his private world of decadence in New York City; based upon true events.

The Santa Claus Killer: FBI Serial Killer Task Force, Vol. 1
RJ Smith. Storyteller Entertainment. $14.99 paper (398p), ISBN 9780989675321; $7.99 e-book ISBN 9780989675314
Amazon; bn.com
When Manhattan South Homicide Detectives Murphy and Rico come across a string of Santa Claus murders, it doesn’t take long for the FBI Serial Killer Task Force to figure out they’re hunting the same diabolical madman.

Run Away on the Heavenly Express
Stephen Spicehandler. Zeno. $14 paper (320p), ISBN 9780615849140; $7.99 e-book ISBN 9780615849812
Amazon; bn.com
Jane Cantore, a onetime teenage runaway, is now dying of ovarian cancer. Hungering for yet another escape, she recalls the journey that led her to this point.

Vámonos!: A Humorous Adventure Novel
Bill Stephens. Franklin Scribes Publishers. $15.95 paper (333p), ISBN 9780988643307; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9781301058297
Amazon; bn.com
Two offbeat country and western musicians flee Austin, Tex., on their Harleys and find themselves in the Mexican desert on a comical and perilous journey of redemption.

Deep into Dusk: A Gabriel McRay Novel
Laurie Stevens. Follow Your Dreams Publishing. $13.99 paper (348p), ISBN 9780989163408; $3.99 e-book ASIN B00E8RWIFG
Amazon
In his search for a serial killer, Det. Gabriel McRay mistakenly thinks a beautiful female witness to murder is a fragile victim like himself; second in a series

Dogs Aren’t Men
Billi Tiner. CreateSpace. $10.50 paper (266p), ISBN 9781490412450; $2.99 e-book
Amazon
Veterinarian Rebecca Miller is happy with her life surrounded by dogs. Things change the day she literally runs into Derrick Peterson, a handsome ER doctor.

Deadly Syndrome: A Medical/Political Thriller
Arline Todd. CreateSpace. $14.99 paper (300p), ISBN 9781484044872; $3.99 e-book
Amazon
Powerful politicians use cancer research as a political tool, and a deadly syndrome is unleashed worldwide, resulting in chaos. But key scientists fight to salvage civilization.

A Child’s Tear
Leo Tracy. John Crawford. $16.72 paper (555p), ISBN 9780615819198; $9.99 e-book
Amazon
An educated schizophrenic courts his nurse through his journal while he describes past and present high-anxiety episodes along with writing about his beloved Uncle Bill, the victim of a hate crime.

The Lion of Cortona: Exiles: A Novel of the Middle Ages
Charles Van Doren. CreateSpace. $14 (262p), ISBN 9781484989647; $3 e-book
www.charlesvandoren.net; Amazon; bn.com
In the first volume of a trilogy, the 13th-century Italian city of Cortona is invaded, and members of the exiled Torreoni family uncover secrets as they attempt to survive in that dangerous, stratified world. Van Doren was editor of the Encyclopaedia Britannica and the author of the scholarly work A History of Knowledge and, with Mortimer Adler, How to Read a Book.

On the Way to Pomona
Charles Van Eman. Mud Puddle Dance. $12.95 paper (320p), ISBN 9780985645823; $4.99 e-book ISBN 9780985645830
Amazon
Profoundly disillusioned by his relationship with his family and what he sees happening in America, Tom McInnes heads off on a quest to make sense of his life.

The Mourning After
Rochelle B. Weinstein. CreateSpace. $14.99 paper (294p), ISBN 9781484015582; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9780615831596
www.rochelleweinstein.com
In Miami Beach, 15-year-old Levon is blamed for the accident that kills his golden boy older brother. Meanwhile, his family must contend with his younger sister’s rare genetic disorder, glycogen storage disease; 50% of the proceeds from sale of this book will be donated to GSD research.

Red Is for Rage
Connie Corcoran Wilson. Quad Cities’ Press. $10.95 paper (254p), ISBN 9780982444818; $2.99 e-book ASIN B00B8W2G3S
Amazon
High school senior Tad McGreevy is threatened by a serial killer, and uses his ability to interpret auras and “see” the crimes of evildoers in his nightmares to save his own life and protect those he loves. The second in the Color of Evil series.

The Hissing Tree
A.M Winter. CreateSpace. $11.04 paper (348p), ISBN 9781463727970; $9.99 e-book ASIN B00DUEJS8I
Amazon
An 11-year-old girl witnesses the brutal beating of a bicycle thief by the local police and her life begins to unravel.

The Count of Monte Cristo: As Retold by Sherlock Holmes
Holy Ghost Writer. Illuminated Publications. $21.11 paper (566p), ISBN 9781490927305; $0.99 e-book ISBN B00DSUR8H2
www.mysteriousauthor.com
The identity of the author is part of an international contest, and the first person to correctly name the Holy Ghost Writer from the clues found in the Count of Monte Cristo sequels will receive a reward of $2,500.

Strum
Nancy Young. Inkwater Press. $18.95 paper (380p), ISBN 9781592999378; $7.99 e-book ISBN 9781592999385
www.inkwaterbooks.com/strum
Bernard, a deaf young woodworker of Iroquois and European descent, is drawn into an old-growth forest in rural Québec by mysterious and compelling music. In fashioning two classical guitars imbued with the spirits of his ancestors, he sets in motion a tale reaching across two centuries and four continents.

D’mok Revival: Awakening
Michael Zummo. Zummo Books. $8.50 paper (507p), ISBN 9780989004404; $2.99 e-book ISBN 9780989004411
dmokrevival.com
Rhysus Mencari, sole survivor of a vicious Nukari attack, struggles with survivor’s guilt while mastering superhuman D’mok powers, seeking others like him, and hunting Nukari.

Gardening

Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands: Guiding Principles to Welcome Rain into Your Life and Landscape, Vol. 1
Brad Lancaster. RainSource Press. $29.95 paper (304p), ISBN 9780977246434
www.ChelseaGreen.com
Lancaster (www.harvestingrainwater.com) harvests 100,000 gallons of rainwater a year in a dry climate and offers his landscape design expertise in this second edition of an accessible guide to harvesting and enhancing the abundant potential of rainwater, graywater, sun, wind, shade, soils, community, and more for sustainable living.

History

The Tsar’s Treasure: The Sunken White Star Liner with a Billion Dollar Secret
Capt. Martin Bayerle and G.S. Payne. Barnburner Books. $28.95 hardcover (274p), ISBN 9780988876002
thetsarstreasure.com
The RMS Republic, a sister ship of the Titanic, sank in 1909, rumored to have a cargo of gold and other valuables. Capt. Martin Bayerle reports on his quest to find the fabled treasure, discovering the wreck in 1981; while salvage is only just beginning.

Shaken & Stirred: The Feminism of James Bond
Robert A. Caplen. Robert A. Caplen. $35 hardcover (464p), ISBN 9780985996116
www.bondgirlbook.com
Historian Caplen traces the evolution of the “Bond girl” in Ian Fleming’s novels and the James Bond films against the backdrop of the women’s liberation movement and second-wave feminism.

The Men of the USS Arizona (BB-39)
T.J. Cooper. CreateSpace. $29.95 paper (586p), ISBN 9781490964119
Amazon; bn.com
This book memorializes the men who were on board the Arizona when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, telling the story of the deadly attack and what they experienced.

America’s Greatest Blunder: The Fateful Decision to Enter World War One
Burton Yale Pines. RSD Press. $15.50 paper (440p), ISBN 9780989148702; $8.99 e-book ISBN 139780989148726
Amazon
America’s entrance into WWI was a massive blunder, that set the 20th century on its course of horrendous violence, explains Pines.

Degrees of Courage
Shari Vester. Mill City Press. $19.95 paper (566p), ISBN 9781938223235; $5.99 e-book ISBN 9781938223235
Amazon; bn.com; www.sharivester.com
A Hungarian family fights for survival during the war-torn decades of the 20th century, followed by life under Soviet oppression that led to a bloody revolt.

Juvenile Fiction

The Saeshell Book of Time, Part 1: The Death of Innocents
Rusty Biesele, illus. by Matt Curtis. CreateSpace. $14.99 paper (299p), ISBN 978-1463726379
Amazon
Magic is science you don’t understand. Stefan and Tova believe they are human, yet are immortals whose ages will be frozen on their 19th birthday. A Tibetan-American science wizard must teach them how to use their magic ethically. First of a four-part series. Ages 12–18.

Mary Baker and the Eye of the Tiger
D.M. Cherubim. CreateSpace. $12.99 paper (230p), ISBN 978-1482659696; $5.99 e-book
Amazon
A girl, a cockatoo, and a magical stone that is stolen by an evil wizard, who could be her Dad. Ages 6–12.

The Silver Sphere: The Kin Chronicles
Michael Dadich. Evolved Publishing. $29.95 hardcover (274p), ISBN 9781622536023; $3.99 e-book ASIN B00AAJUSWQ
thesilversphere.org
Teleported to Azimuth, a sister planet to Earth, Shelby Pardow finds she is Kin to one of the six Aulic Assembly members whom Malefic Cacoethes has drugged and imprisoned on his way to becoming dictator. Winner of the Mom’s Choice Gold Award and the Wise Bear Books Gold Award. Ages 12–18.

Shine
Justine Edward. Balboa Press. $13.95 paper (28p), ISBN 9781452575315; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9781452575308
Balboa Press; Amazon; bn.com
A series of empowering affirmations written specifically for children is inspired and illustrated by seven-year-old Karl Gabriel, who has been diagnosed with the autism spectrum disorder, with such messages as: You can overcome whatever is going on around you if you believe in the light that lives within. Ages 3–6.

Bubblegum Princess
Julie Gribble, illus. by Lori Hanson. NY Media Works. $16.99 hardcover (32p), ISBN 9780989091404
Amazon
Katy delights in blowing bubblegum bubbles, a decidedly unladylike habit. Despite opposition, she teaches the kingdom to love bubblegum bubbles as much as she does. Ages 3–6.

Destiny Gardens
John Harrison. House Beanboy. $7.50 paper (350p), ISBN 9780615829715; $3.99 e-book
Amazon
A disparate group of abandoned kids in late ’50s Pittsburgh band together for survival in a vacant and derelict public meeting hall, crossing paths in their Dickensian world with Mafia godfathers and a New Orleans “Sportin’ Life,” who comes to claim what’s his. Ages 12–18.

The Befana Drama
Gianna Hartwright. Gianna Della Luna Publishing. $14 paper (346p), ISBN 9780957569768; $11 e-book ISBN 9780957569775
www.giannadellaluna.com
A global adventure by broomstick through the world of Very Important Present Bringers (VIPBs), full of magic, mirth, and mayhem, and festive fun and fantasy. Ages 6–12.

The Hollow Weens
Carole King and E. Gregory King. Dog Ear Publishing. $16.95 hardcover (26p), ISBN 9781457512247; $10.56 paper ISBN 9781457514487
Amazon; bn.com; Ingram
Halloween gremlins called Weens slink about on that scary night to snatch candy. Safety tips for trick-or-treaters are included in the prickly fun of its verse and illustrations. Ages 6–12.

Zera and the Green Man
Sandra Knauf. Greenwoman Publishing. $19.95 paper (373p), ISBN 9780989705608; $4.95 e-book ISBN 9780989705615
Amazon
Zera Green’s mystical connection with the plant world becomes key in battling a corporate entity that is creating genetic monstrosities and endangering all of Nature. Ages 12–18.

Lindsey: Love & Intrigue
Kimberly Kolb. iUniverse. $32.95 hardcover (410p), ISBN 9781475987911; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9781475987928
Amazon; bn.com
High school junior Lindsey, insecure and self-doubting, is still the new girl in Emit, Mich., facing pressure from school, gymnastics, and parents. While she’s stealing glances at her secret crush, who is watching her? Ages 12–18.

Finding Favor
Lana Long. CreateSpace. $10.99 paper (308p), ISBN 9781490367279; $2.99 e-book
Amazon
Seventeen-year-old Favor’s been waiting years to escape the guardianship of the Browns. When Mr. Brown offers college funding, but only if Favor gives up her friendship with his son Ethan, will she find the courage to make the right decision? Ages 12–18.

Pegasus and the Purple Zippy GS: Book 1 of Rüya
S.C. Maxwell. Second Star. $8.99 paper (242p), ISBN 9781484935552; $4.99 e-book
Amazon
This middle-grade novel features a disabled female protagonist. From her wheelchair, 13-year-old Maxine Wynnifer battles enemies to try and take over the kingdom of Rüya.

Willow Wood
Laurie Melrose. BookLocker. $15.95 paper (238p), ISBN 9781626463752; $7.99 e-book ISBN 9781626462182
www.lauriemelrose.com
When 12-year-old Caitlin O’Toole learns that she’s part Fairy and royalty to boot, will she jump for joy or hide in bed for the rest of the summer? Ages 6–12.

Rebels of the Kasbah
Joe O’Neill. Black Ship Publishing. $12.95 paper (288p), ISBN 9780985196943; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9780985196950
www.redhandadventures.com
In 1912 Morocco, an orphan, Tariq, is captured and sold into slavery. He must rely on his wits and newfound friendships to survive. Winner of the Mom’s Choice Award. Ages 12–18.

Gold in the Days of Summer: A Novella
Susan Pogorzelski. Brown Beagle Books. $9.99 paper (176p), ISBN 9780988875104; $6.99 e-book ISBN 9780988875128
www.goldinthedaysofsummer.com
As her 13th birthday approaches, Annie struggles to navigate 1979’s summer days with the help of a reclusive young veteran at war with his own past. Ages 12–18.

Season’s Christmas Quest: The Dog’s Story
Tara Pollard. iUniverse. $21.95 hardcover (131p), ISBN 9781475940084; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9781475940077
Amazon; bn.com; iUniverse
In this inspirational tale, Season, a bright-eyed, golden dog of mixed breed, must uncover the mystery of a strange darkness that has settled upon the land in order to save his master’s little girl, while encountering the ultimate battle of good and evil. Ages 12–18.

I Cannot Sleep
Ann Louise Ramsey. Crown Peak Publishing. $19.95 hardcover (40p), ISBN 9780964566378
www.crownpeakpublishing.com
Celebrate the joy of life’s simple pleasures through the heart of a dog. Ages 3–6.

Keeper of Reign, Book 1
Emma Right. Telemachus Press. $16.99 paper (340p), ISBN 9781939337696; $2.99 e-book ISBN 9780989267205
Amazon; bn.com
Jules Blaze, 16-year-old heir of a Keeper, suspects his family hides a forgotten secret. It’s bad enough that his people, the Elfies of Reign, triggered a curse because of one Keeper who failed his purpose. Jules hunts for the truth that could reverse the age-old curse. Ages 12–18.

Chris Christmas Tree
Ronald Skowronek, illus. by Kenn Yapsangco. Xlibris. $21.99 paper (31p), ISBN 9781483601786; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9781483601793
www.xlibris.com
The story of a North Carolina Christmas tree begins on a tree farm and takes Chris to his final resting place on a North Carolina beach. Ages 6–12.

The Department of Cautionary Tales
Katy Stauber. Metasagas. $14.99 paper (388p), ISBN 9781939120021; $4.99 e-book
Amazon; bn.com; Kobo; iBooks;
A young adult science fiction novel about Juniper, a teenage mad scientist trapped in a secret government military laboratory prison. Ages 12–18.

The Dreamcatcher Adventures: Greedy Jack Wallace
Adam C. Veile, illus. by Sean Long. East Circle Publishing. $8.99 paper (180p), ISBN 9780988387409; $2.99 e-book ISBN 9781301834464
www.thedreamcatcheradventures.com
Seventh-grader Blake Monroe and the ghost of his Wild West ancestor battle the deadly outlaw Jack Wallace in the search for a hidden treasure. Ages 6–12.

Juvenile Nonfiction

My Favorite Hugs:
Debby Guddee & Melissa Rodrigues, illus. by Su Mon. Balboa. $13.95 paper (24p), ISBN 9781452510651; $3.49 e-book ISBN 9781452510668
Amazon; bn.com
Hugging is a universal language and says so much to a child. These 12 fun action hugs will last a lifetime and make everyone smile. Ages 3–6.

Law

Every1’s Guide to Electronic Contracts: Contract Law on How to Create Electronic Signatures and Contracts
Charles H. Martin. Every1’s Guide Press. $9.99 e-book (458p), ISBN 9780989648813
Amazon
Up-to-date information for consumers, businesses, professionals, and students about U.S. and international contract law rules, including electronic signatures and contracts.

NonClassifiable

Maybe We Need a Letter from God: The Star Trek Stamp
Bill Kraft. Bill Kraft. $18.95 paper (256p), ISBN 9780615806884
Amazon
More than 80 endorsement letters from scientists, science fiction authors, and government officials chronicle the 13-year campaign to honor Star Trek on a U.S. postage stamp.

Nonfiction

With the Stroke of a Pen: Claim Your life
Jane Blaufus. The Blaufus Group. $24.95 paper (150p), ISBN 978-0-9878689-2-3
www.theblaufusgroup.com
What would you do if a police officer walked up your driveway one sunny Sunday and, with tears in his eyes, delivered news that your husband had been killed?

Saving Baby: How One Woman’s Love for a Racehorse Led to Her Redemption
Jo Anne Normile and Lawrence Lindner. Powder Point Publishing. $15 paper (272p), ISBN 9780988878006; $7.99 e-book ISBN 9780988878013
Amazon
Normile entered Thoroughbred horse racing, then pulled out and started the country’s most successful horse rescue when she learned of race horses’ true plight.

Mission to Teach: The Life and Legacy of a Revolutionary Educator
Dipak Basu. JBF Books. $19.95 paper (439p), ISBN 9780988838567; $6.99 e-book
missiontoteach.org
The author’s memoir of his daughter, Jhumki, a revolutionary educator who took on American science education reform while battling cancer.

A Cry in the Night: The City of Lights’ Dark Side
Mary Sue Brown Durr. Outskirts Press. $15.95 paper (96p), ISBN 9781478712275; $20 e-book
Amazon; bn.com
Based on the murder of a 17-year-old civil rights activist, this account provides a general background on the life of blacks in Canton, Miss., during the Jim Crow era.

Survival: A Moral Response to Global Warming
Grace D. Cumming. Grace D. Cumming. $9.99 paper (160p), ISBN 9781490540139; $2.99 e-book
Amazon
A clear and concise look at the facts and a positive view of our abilities to deal with threatening changes to our warming global home.

Evil Shadows
Rick Hallock. Barringer Publishing. $14.95 paper (296p), ISBN 9780988203426; $9.95 e-book
www.evilshadowsbook.com
A terrifying true story of identity theft, cyber crimes, a botched U.S. Customs investigation, and destruction of the author’s publishing company, along with chapters on prevention, detection, and recovery from identity theft.

The Joke’s on You: How to Write Comedy
Stephen Hoover. Stephen Hoover. $11.17 paper (216p), ISBN 9780989746502; $5.99 e-book
Amazon
Along with a history of comedy and theories about what makes us laugh, this comprehensive guide covers comedy writing in all forms: sketches, jokes, sitcoms, and feature films.

From Exile to Eden: A Family Journal
Jadwiga Szelazek Morrison. Turning Stone Press. $23.95 paper (292p), ISBN 9781618520401; $10.34 e-book ISBN 9781618520418
1-800-423-7087, ext. 2
In February 1940, the Szelazek family was deported as prisoners of war from Poland to a Soviet labor camp in Siberia, beginning a 12-year journey that spanned continents.

Hidden in Plain Sight: The Other People in Norman Rockwell’s America
Jane Allen Petrick. Informed Decisions Publishing. $18.95 (158p), ISBN 9780989260114; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9780989260107
Amazon; bn.com; Ingram
Read the until now “hidden” story of Norman Rockwell’s multicultural America and the legendary artist’s clandestine portrayals of that America in his art.

Are They Bad Girls or Brilliant? The Truths about the Fight for Independent Prostitutes’ Rights
Aphrodite Phoenix. CreateSpace. $24.95 paper (743p), ISBN 9781480085343
Amazon
Phoenix, who has worked as an escort, brings together a memoir and a collection of iconoclastic essays that detail the victories and challenges of the American sex workers’ rights movement, and highlight a “Holy Feminine Trinity: Nurturing, Healing, Erotic.”

Behind the Smile: Sex, Humor, and Terror During the Glamour Years of Aviation
Bobbi Phelps Wolverton. Village Concepts. $14.95 paper (234p), ISBN 9780615827643
865-657-9560
A former international flight attendant relates her adventures in the 1960s and ’70s: harrowing landings, unruly passengers, sexual escapades, babies being born, and terrifying episodes in such war zones as Vietnam and Egypt.

Performing Arts

Naked on the Bench: My Adventures in Pianoland
Robin Spielberg. Spobs Music. $18.99 paper (358p), ISBN 9780970563354; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9780970563378
www.robinspielberg.com
A memoir of one woman’s quest to become a successful concert pianist, and the setbacks and triumphs she meets along the way.

Philosophy

Reflections on Fundamental Matters: Not for the Satisfied Mind
John H.T. Francis. Lulu Publishing. $34.50 paper (470p), ISBN 9781483402352; $14.50 e-book ISBN 9781483402345
www.johnhtfrancis.com
For minds unsatisfied with the prevailing understanding of things, Francis draws on a wide range of fields—science, epistemology, sociology, economics, politics, anthropology, and psychology—to approach many of humanity’s most important and difficult questions.

Poetry

The Light Changes
Amy Billone. Hope Street Press. 99¢ e-book (64p), ISBN 9780989074018
www.amybillone.com; Amazon; bn.com
This collection traces a journey from death to rebirth, guided by the spirits of Virginia Woolf and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, with a bit of Emily Dickinson thrown in. The author teaches English at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Journey On: Beauty and Grit Along the Way
Anna Blake Godbout. Mountain Tapestry Press. $12.95 paper (p), ISBN 9781938859007
719-481-4352; Amazon
A poetic dialogue, inspired by the mountains and seacoast, between writer and reader.

Poetic Expressions, Vol. III:
Carl McKever. Bowker Book Publishing Services. $9.99 hardcover (60p), ISBN 9780578109121; $9.99 e-book
www.carlmckever.com
The third volume of McKever’s poems has a foreword and afterword by Anna Maria Clark.

Songs of Enlightened Society: Poems Expressive of Living in Enlightened Society
Preston McWhorter. Outskirts Press. $13.95 paper (77p), ISBN 9781478705901
Amazon
These poems tell of a humane society informed by the virtues of love, generosity, kindness , friendliness, decency, self-discipline, courage, and humor.

Celestial Inferno: Poems of Another Realm
Aaron Ozee. Lulu Publishing. $12 e-book (109p), ISBN 9781304103871
www.lulu.com/aaronozee
Enter a world where Heaven and Hell are combined with love and greed into works of art.

A Mental Meal of Magical Rhymes and Poems: The Very Best of Arthur Weil, Vol. I
Arthur Weil. United Graphics. $14.95 paper (360p), ISBN 9780978845681
www.poetrypearls.com
A compilation of rhymes, poems, and short sayings that reflect the sounds of nature, ghosts of the past, the infinite universe, dreams, visions, and humanity.

Political Science

Apocalypse Averted: Why There Was No Need to Fret
Peter Calvet. CreateSpace. $10.50 paper (286p), ISBN 9781475189162
Amazon; bn.com
Based on Calvet’s blog “Corporations Are People?,” this is a varied collection of essays chronicling the 2012 presidential election, addressing such topics as the fears of many that Obama’s re-election would result in the collapse of civilization, and the fears of others that massive amounts of corporate campaign spending would result in the collapse of democracy.

Essays for My Father: A Legacy of Passion, Politics, and Patriotism in Smalltown America
Richard Muti. Richard Muti. $17.95 paper (216p), ISBN 9780989148207
www.richardmuti.com
Essays about Chris Christie and Jersey-style politics, unnecessary wars, wrongheaded government, rare displays of political courage, and an Italian-American heritage shared by 17 million Americans.

The Predicament: How Did It Happen? How Bad Is It? The Case for Radical Change Now!
David L. Smith. Sic Itur Ad Astra Publishers. $9.95 paper (184p), ISBN 9780988872806; $4.95 e-book ISBN 9780988872813
Amazon
Reveals the causes of America’s economic and political dysfunction and offers a revolutionary proposal to reorient government to the service of the people.

Religion

Many Many Many Gods of Hinduism: Turning Believers into Nonbelievers and Nonbelievers into Believers
Swami Achuthananda. CreateSpace. $11.85 paper (218p), ISBN 9781481825528; $3.99 e-book ISBN 9780975788325
Amazon
An introductory book on Hinduism touches the basics and plunges headlong into unpublished controversies, like the Aryan invasion theory and RISA scholarship.

Examine Your Faith! Finding Truth in a World of Lies
Pamela Christian. West Bow Press. $16.99 paper (212p), ISBN 9781449799199
bookstore.westbowpress.com
Exploring popular claims about truth and religion, the author provides a rational, deductive path that helps readers possess a confident faith conviction now into eternity.

Heaven’s Better: A Jolly Look at Miracles and Entrepreneurship
Henry S. Walter. CreateSpace. $9.99 paper (237p), ISBN 9781477498231
Amazon
A memoir recounting the miracles experienced from childhood to becoming a newspaper publisher. Giving thanks to God took the author to a creative business life.

The Missing Ingredient in Our Prayer Life
Jeremy G. Woods. CreateSpace. $7.88 paper (48p), ISBN 9781467980487; $3.99 e-book
Amazon
How many Christians can truly say that they have prayed this week? And how many of those can say that they sought after God while praying? It is sobering to think that something so important is missing in Christians’ lives.

Science

In Search of Unity: The Greatest Puzzle of Science
Spencer Scoular, Ph.D. CreateSpace. $15.95 paper (327p), ISBN 9781490548340;$9.99 e-book ISBN 9780987662224
www.insearchofunity.com/order
Introduces a new paradigm of science, a new unifying symmetry, and a new theory of biological evolution.

Car Models That Zoom: Creativity in Motion
Ed Sobey, Ph.D. Northwest Invention Center. $12.95 paper (110p), ISBN 9781491064092
Amazon; bn.com
Using this guide to making models that zoom, kids can create models from common materials and learn science. Intended for teachers, homeschool parents, and kids.

Self-Help

How to Get a Job While in High School and Beyond
Bob Striegel. Carpenter’s Son Publisher. $9.95 paper (96p), ISBN 9780989372213; $5.95 e-book
Amazon
Novice job seekers receive an inside track to landing a job through preparation, presentation, and perseverance.

Addicted to Dysfunction: Released to Live Life Out Loud
Benita Tyler. Beloved Daffodils Inspiration . $14.95 paper (215p), ISBN 9780985696412; $14.95 e-book ISBN 9780985696429
www.beloveddaffodilsinspirations.com
Tyler analyzes her own life through five character sections—disappointment, the importance of relational choices, forgiveness, awareness, and our acceptance of others—to challenge readers to “let go and let God.”

True Crime

Shadow on the Hill: The True Story of a 1925 Kansas Murder
Diana Staresinic-Deane. Aventine Books. $19.50 paper (340p), ISBN 9781593308155; $9.99 e-book ISBN 9781456614515
Amazon; bn.com; Ingram; iTunes
A farmer’s wife is murdered and after several arrests, her husband is tried twice before being acquitted, leaving a Kansas community to struggle with the lack of justice.