Booksellers, publishers, and agents are encouraged to take a look at the 85 listings of self-published books below. Some of their authors are waiting to be discovered; others have a track record and a following and are doing it on their own.

Fiction

Anthony
Harold J. Fischel. Harold J. Fischel. $11.60 paper (315p), ISBN 978-1-4948-5121-7; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4835-2556-3
Amazon; BN.com
Life has never been easy for Anthony, the secret love child of a well-known U.S. general and his mistress. After his father dies in a plane crash, Anthony and his cancer-stricken mother, Yuni, are forced to move to a tiny New York City apartment. There, he’s flagged as an easy target for neighborhood bullies. But after a brutal attack prompts him to fight back, things start to turn around. He joins the school swim and wrestling teams, and begins to grow into the tall body he inherited from his father. When tragedy strikes again, it’s the girl Anthony least expects to have the power to heal him who helps him shed his image as the illegitimate son through the magic of love and leave his tragic childhood behind.

The Ballad of Desiree
Susan Carr. Susan Carr. $10 paper (236p), ISBN 978-0-615-91254-7; $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-69202430-0
Amazon; BN.com; Ingram
In the early 1970s, Desiree, a 22-year-old free spirit, travels the logging roads of Idaho and Washington, where she meets a Gypsy man named Ruby. He awakens her sexuality but disappears, leaving Desiree to return to her log cabin in the Huckleberry Mountains. On the way, she meets Big Paul Skinny, an LA songwriter, who discovers Desiree’s beautiful singing voice. Despite her talent, Desiree’s heart and mind stay with Ruby. When he reappears, she has, briefly, the passion she’s dreamed of. But soon Ruby leaves, and Desiree, now pregnant, is forced to decide what she wants from life. When Big Paul Skinny proposes a singing career in Los Angeles, Desiree leaves for California and the adventure of the rest of her life. From the mysteries of a Native American smoke lodge to the idylls of a mountain homestead to the bohemian lights of a burgeoning Seattle music scene, the novel takes readers through a turbulent decade that changed everything for those, like Desiree, lucky enough to come of age within it.

City of Whores
Mark B. Perry. Starboard Home Press. $14.99 paper (419p), ISBN 978-0-9914193-0-2; $4.99 e-book, ASIN B00NO9I0DI; BN ID 2940150315396
Amazon; Book Soup; Skylight Books; Vroman’s
New Year’s Eve, 1951, Hollywood. A young man’s dream of stardom devolves into a lurid nightmare when he becomes dangerously entangled with one of Tinseltown’s most powerful couples. The author worked as an office temp before writing the script that landed him a job on the hit TV series The Wonder Years. He went on to become a writer and producer of such TV shows as Northern Exposure, Ghost Whisperer, Party of Five, One Tree Hill, and most recently, Revenge. He has received an Emmy, a Writers Guild of America award, and a Golden Globe award.

Davide
Roger Pepper. TrekkerPress. $15.49 paper (300p), ISBN 978-0-9860776-4-7; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9860776-5-4
Amazon; BN.com; Baker & Taylor
David Bruno, an atheist philosopher who offended modern Muslims by comparing them to medieval Christians, gets a mind-blowing shock from a bolt of lightning on Mount Subasio when he comes to Italy, hoping to escape the media spotlight. Rescued by a mischievous angel who gives him the St. Francis–like power of communing with nature, David struggles to cope with a new and unusual way of life.

Evel Knievel Jumps the Snake River Canyon... and Other Stories Close to Home
Kelly Jones. Ninth Avenue Press. $12 paper (202p), ISBN 978-0-9914468-0-3; $5.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9914468-1-0
Amazon; BN.com
When 10-year-old Pick Patterson finds himself stuck with bossy Grandma Grace and unemployed, easygoing Uncle Buddy in Twin Falls, he thinks he’s in for a boring summer in a hick town in the middle of the Idaho desert. But when Evel Knievel announces he’ll jump the Snake River Canyon just north of town, everything changes. In this novella and short story collection, Jones departs from the settings of her earlier novels and writes of ordinary people in towns much like where she grew up. Written for grown-ups, often with a touch of nostalgia and a child’s point of view, the settings range from a launderette in Boise, a Catholic grade school in the 1960s, a public library, a riverbank with a couple of septuagenarians, to the open road with an unlikely duo of runaways.

Everyday Mercies: A Novel
Evie Yoder Miller. CreateSpace. $15 paper (354p), ISBN 978-1-49615271-8; $8 e-book, ASIN B00MBPCNFC
Amazon; BN.com
During a Thanksgiving holiday on her parental dairy farm, Carrie Lehman, a young adult, upsets family expectations and voices her desire to be an organic vegetable farmer.

Exit: A Novel About Dying
Jo Kline Cebuhar. Murphy Publishing. $14.99 paper (400p), ISBN 978-0-615-92290-4; $4.99 e-book, ASIN B00HNYB4Y2
Amazon; BN.com
Margaret agrees to try volunteering at Rockaway House, a hospice, four months after her husband’s death. It would be grand to find a real purpose for her life, but she’d be glad just to have a reason to get up in the morning. The hospice becomes a blessing greater than Margaret ever wished for as the folks of Rockaway House share their wisdom on the meaning of a good death—and a good life. Cebuhar is an attorney, the author of books on end-of-life legal and health care issues, and the former chair of Iowa’s largest hospice. She has merged characters with her personal experiences and legal expertise to demystify the bittersweet privilege of bearing witness to death and to reveal the grace that can come from being left behind.

The French Orphan
Michael Stolle. CreateSpace. $10.99 paper (388p), ISBN 978-1-47823227-8; $4.70 e-book, ASIN B008AK8WDY
Amazon
In 1640, Louis XIII is on the French throne. Teenage orphan Pierre lives in a monastery school in Reims, where he has to dodge the unpleasant advances of unsavory monks and can look forward to a life of penniless and celibate servitude in a religious order. Plagued by a constant longing to know who he really is, Pierre has no idea that his questions are about to be answered. But who Pierre really is affects not only him and his friends, but has ramifications for the French nobility, the English crown, and most dangerous of all, Cardinal Richelieu with his machinations and fierce ambition for the Church and for himself. The adventures continue in a sequel, The Secrets of Montrésor.

Frisbee Ball Rules
William Bahlke. Dog Ear Publishing. $28.99 hardcover (204p), ISBN 978-1-4575-3093-7; $12.99 paper (204p), ISBN 978-1-4575-2973-3; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4575-3156-9
Williampbahlke.com
This story is set in a small college town in 1973. The country had just endured the humiliating conclusion of an unpopular war and the scandalous resignation of a once-powerful president. Born through the embarrassment of the lost war, and empowered by the student riots that facilitated its conclusion, came an emboldened generation like none before it. It was a time of rebirth and newfound freedoms. It was a time for growing up.

Grace and Baby
Peggy Leon. CreateSpace. $9.95 paper (208p), ISBN 978-1-4961-7120-7; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00L4B633C
Amazon; BN.com
The lives of two aging sisters, one mentally challenged and the other her caretaker, are unexpectedly upended by the arrival of their quirky niece and her young son.

Growing Pains: Sex, Lies, and Deception
Paris Love. iUniverse. $16.95 paper (254p), ISBN 978-1-4917-2205-3; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4917-2206-0
Amazon; BN.com; Books-A-Million; Page & Palette
Though they are older and wiser, best friends to the end Darren, Kiki, and Myra still have some lessons to learn. In this second book in the Growing Pains series, the group struggles with betrayal, loss, and most importantly, commitment. Through ups and downs, heartache and breakups, the three find themselves in a quest for self-assurance, confidence, and good old-fashioned love. But will history repeat itself? Darren has been known to have a wandering eye, and he may cheat again. Will Kiki finally realize the world doesn’t revolve around her? Myra has found the true love of her life, but is she happy? Will their children repeat their mistakes?

Ithaca
Susan Fish. Storywell. $13.72 paper (244p), ISBN 978-0-9938903-0-7; $3.65 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9938903-1-4
Amazon; BN.com; Ingram
After her husband drops dead, Daisy is swept into the local controversy about fracking. How do you rebuild after your life is suddenly turned upside down—or is fracked?

Jonathan Harnisch: An Alibiography
Jonathan Harnisch. Jonathan Harnisch. $29.99 paper (804p), ISBN 978-1-4993-5072-2; $9.99 e-book, ASIN B00KAFWED6; BN ID 2940149215119
Amazon; BN.com
Benjamin Schreiber has Tourette’s syndrome, which causes him to display uncontrollable tics and hops, and to stutter and swear inappropriately. Bullied through his school years, he can never form firm friendships, especially with women. In his late 20s, he plunges into a downward spiral of drug and alcohol abuse, which culminates in an attempted bank robbery. After he is arrested, his psychiatrist, Dr C, quickly sees Ben’s affliction as more than just Tourette’s. Inside Ben’s head lives Georgie Gust, Ben’s alter ego. Georgie is obsessed with his manipulative but extremely sexual next-door neighbor, Claudia Nesbitt. Ben is desperately searching for the unconditional love he never received as a boy. He finds it easier to retreat into his mind to share Georgie’s sick obsession with cruel and abusive Claudia than to deal with his real issues. It is up to Dr C to help Ben face the buried terrors of his childhood so that he can finally let go of Georgie and reduce him to the literary character that the writer Ben wants him to be.

Liar’s Paradise (Book 1 of the Handled series)
Steven Hartman and Eddrick Bedford. Sparkony Entertainment. $14.95 paper (204p), ISBN 978-0-98022381-1; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-098022382-8
Amazon; BN.com
Reformed criminal Lex Tennessee lived a quiet, law-abiding life—until a reckless “superhero” killed his wife. Drunk with vengeance, Lex vowed to end the Cadet’s career and avenge his wife’s death.

One Hundred Miles from Manhattan
Chris Orcutt. Have Pen, Will Travel. $12.95 paper (254), ISBN 978-0-615-99983-8; $5.99 e-book, ASIN B00JD49E3I
Amazon; BN.com; Merritt Bookstore
A modern pastoral novel about an upscale rural New York community where the hills and the seemingly quaint village conceal lives of love, lust, adultery, tragedy, and small wars.

Reel Sharpe
Jenna Baker. Baker Books. $7.99 paper (288p), ISBN 978-0-615-98173-4; $1.99 e-book, ASIN B00K3V6G40
Amazon
Reality TV producer Victoria Sharpe knows how important it is to get the shot. When she teams up with two unwilling detectives on a real-life series called Murder Live!, her in-your-face approach throws the cops for a loop. Sharpe asks a grieving mother to redo a camera take to show stronger emotion and nearly gets kicked off the project when she goes undercover to try to solve the case on her own. Things get even more dicey when a romance heats up between Sharpe and one of the detectives under the disapproving eye of Sharpe’s hunky cameraman and former fling. The team must band together to solve what seems like a simple hit-and-run but turns into a case that takes them all the way to the Mexican border.

Trespassers
Andrea Miles. She Writes Press. $16.95 paper (252p), ISBN 978-1-63152-903-0; $9.95 e-book, ISBN 978-1-63152-904-7
Amazon; BN.com
Sexual abuse survivor Melanie must make a decision: choose forgiveness and begin to heal from her emotional wounds, or exact revenge for the crimes committed against her—even if it destroys her family.

Poetry

Boredom, Vice, and Poverty: Apprenticed to Such Calm
Michael Odom. CreateSpace. $13.95 paper (78p), ISBN 978-1-4953-0722-5; $6.99 e-book, ASIN B00KO52E7I
Amazon; BN.com
From prose poems to sonnets and beyond, Odom offers an experience of American culture built on momentary stimulation. Unexpected yet familiar and strange, these are not the standard fare, but lovers of poems will find favorites.

Help for Hysterical Humans Who Hope to Be Happy in Heaven or Here
James Sterngram. Allen W. Ellion. $4.75 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9906271-3-5
Jamessterngram.com; Amazon; BN.com; Kobo
A volume of verse densely packed with music, magic, meditation, and humor—as well as recipes for making merry in one minute or many.

Mystery/Thriller

An Accidental Abduction: A Katy Byrd Novel
Roderick Cyr. CreateSpace. $14.99 paper (386p), ISBN 978-1-4996-2879-1; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00LI30DEQ
Amazon; BN.com
Katy Byrd enjoys her small-town life in Minnesota but yearns to make a difference. When she joins her church on a mission trip to Morocco, Katy hopes God uses the experience to transform her ordinary life. But when local terrorists kidnap her, Katy is thrust into a harrowing scenario that’s far from routine. Now she must confront circumstances far more challenging and severe than anything she faced back home. Worse, her survival appears to rest entirely on the intervention of a man she barely knows—the man assigned to guard her and prevent her escape.

Blu Swag
Liam Lachance. BookBaby. $9.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4835-2820-5
Amazon; BN.com; Chapters
A chemical spill in a small town brings international attention as a forest turns blue. Students, bored with the news, try to regain control of gossip, all as an affair looms between parents and a student is found in the forest.

Come to Me
JDAN. Outskirts Press. $12.95 paper (188p), ISBN 978-0-57812740-8; $9.95 e-book, ASIN B00E6GHHBE
Amazon; BN.com
A psychopath sets out to murder his mother while she remains in hiding. Being the club owner, Serena Queen, Jack’s mother, observed within the compound she isn’t alone there. She walks to the back of the bar and gun fires. Jack holds the rifle at his mother while she laid on broken shot glasses of now amputated leg.

The Devil Walks Beside Her
Gus Leodas. CreateSpace. $18.50 (331p), ISBN 978-1-4818-9780-8; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00CHOISU6; BN ID 2940045466011
Amazon; BN.com
Deanna Layne, a Suffolk County, N.Y., legislator pregnant with twins, flees to beachy Fire Island, terrified of being murdered before becoming a mother. She needs to survive a killer in an environment sated with unusual alliances, lethal relationships, and solutions.

Escape
Megan Lisa Jones. Laernn. $17.45 paper (464p), ISBN 978-0-692-02334-1
Amazon; BN.com; Baker & Taylor
Two years ago George held Khalil captive, trying to induce him to disclose a terrorist plot and expose his organization. Khalil escaped, shooting George in the process. Now the chase continues, but have the tables turned? Beginning in the midst of Cairo’s revolution, then heading to a plot at the Aswan Dam, the men finally face off over a potential political assassination in Manhattan. Who will escape?

Fatal Reaction
Belinda Frisch. Belinda Frisch. $12.99 paper (324p), ISBN 978-1-49376918-6; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B00GO4P8EY; BN ID 2940148979999
Amazon; BN.com; iBooks; Kobo; Smashwords
Those trained to save lives might be the most skilled at taking them. Paramedic Anneliese Ashmore’s routine shift takes a startling turn when she answers the call she was never meant to hear—a call to a crime scene where her sister, Sydney, is an overdose suicide. The evidence says otherwise, and motive implicates Sydney’s soon-to-be ex-husband. While the police focus on him, Ana’s discovery of a chain of e-mails between Sydney and her surgeon’s office sets Ana on a search for answers about her sister’s recent diagnosis and the life-altering treatment that saved her. The body count rises as Ana closes in on the truth and on the man of her dreams. With the help of Dr. Jared Monroe, Ana uncovers a ring of greed and corruption and exposes that Sydney’s medical treatment may have been the catalyst for her murder. Unfortunately for Ana, she may be next.

Gatekeeper (Max Thatcher Series, Vol. 1)
Mike Smart. CreateSpace. $12 paper (268p), ISBN 978-1-4929-0586-8; $4 e-book, ASIN B00GAV36W2
Amazon; BN.com
Planes inexplicably colliding, economies in disarray—a psychotic businessman has brought the world to its knees. Can a former Special Forces operative with the help of a damaged Cambridge professor save a bride-to-be and avoid worldwide anarchy? They have 24 hours to try.

Imogene’s Message: A Thriller of Extreme Prejudice
Christine Sherborne. Colourstory. $15 paper (220p), ISBN 978-1-921501-22-7; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00K91UC2Q
Amazon; BN.com
When extreme religious fundamentalists known as the Phineas Priesthood target Xantara Pembroke because they believe she is a witch, they launch a major conflict between unworldly disciples of good and evil. Imogene is the daughter of Xantara, a Guardian of Avebury Circle, an ancient monument near Stonehenge. For over 3,000 years, wives of eight village families have performed ceremonies to heal local people, with power handed down from first daughter to first daughter. The Pembroke family encounter extreme prejudice from the Priesthood. Braedon, the village doctor, is drawn into a world he didn’t know existed to protect his daughter. His wife, Xantara, keeps her secrets and causes conflict in the marriage. All that is forgotten when Imogene levitates in Avebury Circle. Will the world believe Imogene’s incredible message?

The Little Suicides
Mike Guest. CreateSpace. $9.75 paper (254p), ISBN 978-1-49741996-4; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00JD3QAQ8
Amazon; BN.com
In a search across two continents for a missing longtime friend, Canadian photographer Mitch Nevin has to come to terms with both Japan and the Philippines to solve the disappearance.

Pawns in the Dark
Tyler Morgan. CreateSpace. $10.99 paper (178p), ISBN 978-1-4750-9188-5; $5.99 e-book, ASIN B007IVN8TY
Amazon
The world’s most notorious gangster-turned-music-mogul, two assassins, a reclusive billionaire, a few less-than-lily-white senators, a crooked policeman, a rising music star, and an ex-FBI agent hell-bent on finding his wife’s killer: all are pawns in someone else’s game. Project Guardian, once a highly polarizing national security measure, is awaiting final regulatory approval. The delicate balance between personal freedoms and national security after the latest terrorist attacks seems to have tipped public opinion wildly in favor of national security. This has unleashed a fury of criticism and fear from many factions within the U.S., ranging from civil liberties advocates to underground criminal syndicates. It is a time of political unrest, overcrowding, resource scarcity, and unprecedented high unemployment. After the assassination of a very powerful senator and presidential front-runner, the FBI is left scrambling to figure out who perpetrated such a heinous crime against the homeland.

Summer’s Winter
Robin Johns Grant. Story Merchant Books. $12.99 paper (292p), ISBN 978-0-98971543-0; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B00HZ06GE2
Amazon; BN.com
At age 10, preacher’s daughter Jeanine fell in love with film star Jamie Newkirk and the character he played, Danny Summer. Jeanine believed God himself promised Jamie would be part of her life—that he would rescue her from boring rural Georgia. But 11 years later, she’s graduating from college and about to settle into the dreary nine-to-five life with no word from Jamie or God. Then Jamie bursts into her life. There are plans to resurrect the Summer series of books and movies, and Jeanine is right in the middle of it all. Jamie seems to be falling for her, just as she’d dreamed, but Jamie is hiding out in Georgia following the suspicious death of his former girlfriend. And he found his mother dead of a supposed suicide in that same house. The media and the public have declared Jamie guilty, and Jeanine longs to prove his innocence. Unless she can, Jamie’s dark secrets may shatter her dreams, her faith—and her life.

The Undersea Shell Game
John L. Shea. John L. Shea. $9.99 paper (254p), ISBN 978-0-9915280-1-1; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B00KAJ4FKW
Amazon; BN.com
In the clandestine U.S. Navy submarine operations of the post-cold war era, more than a few secrets were meant to remain submerged forever. But some refuse to idle in murky depths. One man will stop at nothing to release the truth, in the name of his family and his country. When submarine officer Jay Brown confronts the suicide of his admiral father, his world is turned upside down. And when the deed is somehow entwined with a Russian syndicate smuggling nuclear material to Iraq, Brown is forced to take his training to the limit. A seasoned naval officer, the author incorporates authentic details of submarine life into the story.

When Ice Ran Red
Roger Pepper. TrekkerPress. $14.99 paper (286p), ISBN 978-0-9860776-2-3; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9860776-3-0
Amazon; BN.com; Baker & Taylor
Carmela DeMitri’s struggle to survive brings 1917 and the world war in the Italian Alps to life. In search of her great love, she sails to Italy from New York but discovers that the Alpini have shanghaied him. Close to exhaustion, Carmela finds Ben sitting in the rubble of a avalanche on an icy 10,000-foot mountain. She vows never to touch another gun after killing several men, but she has to when they’re attacked by an Alpini soldier who intends to rape her and murder Ben.

Wish Me from the Water
R.E. Swirsky. CreateSpace. $14.99 paper (400p), ISBN 978-1-48209597-5; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00B6SSBHO
Amazon; BN.com; Kobo; Smashwords
A young boy commits suicide. The townsfolk believe it was another result of bullying, but two brothers discover the truth, and they decide to take matters into their own hands. (This novel contains material about sexual abuse of children and domestic physical abuse. Although there is no graphic content, some may find the content disturbing).

SF/Fantasy/Horror

Crilen and the War of False Prophets
Donald I. Templeman. iUniverse. $30.95 hardcover (362p), ISBN 978-1-4917-3417-9; $20.95 paper (362p), ISBN 978-1-4917-3416-2; $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4917-3415-5
Amazon; BN.com; iUniverse
In the name of God, 200,000 Avarican civilians are savagely massacred, and the neighboring Gzadin homeworld is overrun by Avarican forces in the name of God. When the Gzadin enlist the aid of Crilen, the fiery interstellar champion of the living Lord, to liberate their planet in God’s name, he quickly discerns that the faiths of both worlds have been subverted. The sincerest soul Crilen encounters is Captain Vicara Riks, an intrepid field officer whose thirst for righteousness is concurrent with her struggle to trust Heaven. Her fearless leadership symbolizes the conundrum of the soldier who finds her sworn allegiance to duty opposed by the abandoned virtues of honor and truth. Crilen desperately wishes to save her, but what price for the atonement of two lost worlds shall ultimately be paid?

Exodus 2022
Kenneth G. Bennett. Booktrope. $19.95 paper (420p), ISBN 978-1-62015-212-6; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-62015-308-6
Amazon; BN.com; iBooks
Joe Stanton is out of his mind over the death of his young daughter and loses control in public, screaming her name and causing a huge scene at a hotel on San Juan Island in Washington State. Thing is, Joe doesn’t have a daughter. Never did. The authorities blame the 28-year-old’s outburst on drugs. What they don’t yet know is that others up and down the Pacific coast are suffering identical, always fatal mental breakdowns. With the help of his girlfriend, Joe struggles to unravel the meaning of the hallucination destroying his mind. As the couple begins to perceive its significance—and Joe’s role in a looming global calamity—they must also outwit a billionaire weapons contractor bent on exploiting Joe’s newfound understanding of the cosmos and outlast the time bomb ticking in Joe’s brain.

Gemini
Randy Eberle. Randy Eberle. $24.95 hardcover (340p), ISBN 978-0-692-26988-6; $14.95 paper (340p), ISBN 978-1-49955530-1; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00MF186BW
Amazon; BN.com
Sometimes your past can come back to haunt you. In the spring of 1987, Justine Knox watched as a madman brutally murdered her fiancé before turning his rage on her by savagely raping her. The attack left her wounded and broken—and pregnant. With the support of her family, Justine makes the difficult decision to have an abortion. Unbeknownst to her, she would have given birth to twins. Nearly 20 years later, with a new name and a family of her own, Justine is afraid that she may be losing her mind: a chance encounter in the local grocery store has left her shaken and disturbed. The man was a complete stranger, yet she ouldn’t help feeling she should know him. When she sees him again, he comes with a warning—that he is not alone.

A Limitless Policy: A Samuel the Vampire Novel
James T. Carpenter. CreateSpace. $8.99 paper (221p), ISBN 978-1-4959-7674-2; 99¢ e-book, ASIN B00L5Q7Q00
Amazon; BN.com
My name is Samuel Johnson, and I’m a vampire. This is my journal recounting the events that led to this written form of punishment—or rehabilitation, as some call it. I’m a member of an organization called Vampires Against the Evil (VATE), which identifies aliens disguised as humans—and kills them. We’re supposed to avoid killing humans who aren’t aliens, but it’s usually okay if a few die. Truthfully, we can do just about anything to accomplish our mission. It’s a limitless policy. Or so I thought. My last mission was to infiltrate AGI, a property-casualty insurance company, and kill the alien placed there. According to some, my investigation went awry. This therapeutic journal tells that story, in hopes that I learn from my mistakes.

The Shaker of Worlds
Karl A.D. Brown. Karl A.D. Brown. $10.50 paper (226p), ISBN 978-1-50072281-4; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B00MAYAGL2
Amazon; BN.com
Margret Stewart’s family has been ripped apart by a secret government experiment that gave them telekinetic powers. The experiment’s success has drawn the attention not only of powerful government forces who want to use them for their own purposes, but also supernatural powers that see the family as a vital link in the war between good and evil. It is written that they will have a child who will be the Shaker of Worlds. As the story moves between Earth and Purgatory, the family is hunted by a secret government agency called the Gray Department, as well as dangerous supernatural forces sent to kill or seduce them. The fugitives find themselves at the center of the ultimate struggle between the forces of good and evil.

Something Greater than Artifice
Mike Speegle. &yet. $9.95 e-book, ISBN 978-0-692-26050-0
Amazon; 0s-1s.com
Ros lost everything when the faceless agents of SILOS destroyed her homeland. Her music school, in flames. Her friends and classmates, killed or driven insane. Her mentor Ivan, murdered while trying to defend her from something far worse than death. Now alone, Ros travels the badlands with her cello on her back, seeking help from any that might give it. In the fabled Tech Republic, which might hold the key to salvation, she will meet Gregor the Artificer, Rhonda the Exile, Mikhail the Sage, and Moses the Hammer. Each will provide help or hindrance in turn, but only one harbors a plan to strike at Ros when she expects it least. This cyberpunk polemic at the intersection of art and technology asks, Where are our boundaries and why do they exist? Is the relentless march of technology to blame? Can we close the gaps between us before it’s too late?

Spine
Rachel Barr. Scattered Green Galaxies Publishing. $9.99 paper (189p), ISBN 978-0-9911992-0-4
Amazon; Anderson’s; BN.com; Tower
Kenda, an unlikely heroine with a strange immunity, contends in a future world populated with twitching diseases, sympathetic furniture, and mythological ass-kicking librarians. An explosion releases a deadly spore that kills every tree on the planet. The printed word fades into obscurity before finally disappearing from all memory. Centuries later, an order of mythological women emerge from their self-imposed hiding into a world where metaphor is dead. In a future where sunlight is measured, sidewalks charge user fees, and you can be torn apart by virtual bears, Kenda is an everyman caught up in a future that has no past. Due to a faulty grid on the console embedded in her head, Kenda is able to resist the lure of screens. Will it be enough to help her chart humanity’s new course?

Three Days to Darkness
David Gittlin. Entelligent Entertainment. $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9882635-0-5
Amazon; BN.com; iBooks
Heaven isn’t the reward Darius McPherson expected it to be. For one thing, he’s too young to be there. And now the archangel Aaron and the Board of Director angels are telling him he has to return to earth to save humanity from itself and an army of renegade angels. Darius is not exactly in the mood after losing everyone he loves, including Colleen, the soul mate he was about to marry; his beloved parents; and two older brothers. No one seems to care that Darius is woefully short of training and skills for the difficult task. Then the archangel calmly announces that Darius has three days to defuse what his superiors refer to as “The Big Emergency,” a budding cataclysm that threatens the orderly evolution of consciousness itself. The fragile bits of self-confidence and slim hopes for success Darius manages to hang on to are immediately punctured when he meets the first member of his mortal task force: 17-year-old Javon Quincy, a gangbanger on the run from a botched robbery attempt.

Romance/Erotica

Angels Around Her
Jennifer Cusumano. Inkwater Press. $14.95 paper (252p), ISBN 978-1-59299-639-1; $5.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-59299-640-7; ePub ISBN 978-1-59299-641-4
Amazon; BN.com; Inkwaterbooks.com
If we only had the wisdom of experience in our youth, what decisions would we have made differently? This novel takes a heartfelt look at some of life’s most important decisions, often made at a tender age: love, career, children. Sometimes, finding the courage to make a change when you’ve made the wrong choice takes a little encouragement. This Christmas, one woman has a supernatural chance to right those wrongs—with a little heavenly help.

The Kestrel Waters: A Tale of Love and Devil
Randy Thornhorn. Rosasharn Press. $33.95 hardcover (572p), ISBN 978-0-9916496-4-8; $19.95 paper (572p), ISBN 978-0-615-96746-2; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00E82QNUC
Amazon; BN.com
“I was haunted throughout...A mesmerizing...extraordinary work of the imagination.” —William Peter Blatty (author of The Exorcist) In the beginning were the Brothers Brass. In the end, there is no end to what one girl’s heart will give and no end to what one brother will give for the other. The Brothers Brass—two young bluegrass singers raised in Savannah by the sea. Together, these boys’ voices chime like heavenly bells. The older brother, Kestrel, falls in love with a wild little thing named Bettilia, a girl raised by a flesh-and-blood devil on a haunted mountain called Riddle Top. Soon all the family Brass falls for Bettilia. She touches Kestrel, she touches everyone. And they touch sweet Bettilia, forever. Then comes that fateful day when, deep in his own heart, Kestrel says I do to his own devil. “One of the South’s wildest new voices.” —Oxford American magazine

Quiver of the Pure Heart
Burnita Bluitt. Bookstand Publishing. $7.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-61863-989-9
Amazon; BN.com; iBooks; Bookstand-
publishing.com
Blis’s world starts to crumble as she fights the Bureau to save the home she adores, fights the temptation of an incorrigible former lover, and fights the peril threatening the tender passion of a budding romance.

Very Wicked Things: Briarcrest Academy #2
Ilsa Madden-Mills. Little Dove Publishing. $15.89 paper (332p), ISBN 978-0-99036842-7; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00KA0AGJK
Amazon
Ballerina Dovey Beckham is a scholarship student at Briarcrest Academy, determined to prove she’s more than just a girl with the wrong pedigree. She does whatever it takes to succeed, even if it means surrendering her body but never her heart. Until the day she meets him, and he rips apart her well-laid plans. Suddenly, the girl everyone thought unbreakable might just shatter. Cuba “Hollywood” Hudson is rich, spoiled, and a star football player. With his fast cars and superficial girlfriends, he lives the high life, hiding his secrets from the world. Until the day he meets Dovey, and she offers him something he’s never tasted—love. But once-in-a-lifetime love doesn’t come easy—especially when dirty money, past sins, and old flames come calling.

Nonfiction

Avoiding the Dodgeballs...at Work: A Young Woman’s Guide to Succeeding at a First Job
E. Marie. CreateSpace. $14.95 (200p), ISBN 978-1-4840-3395-1; $9.99 e-book, ASIN B00NZF6I1M
Amazon;BN.com
A career guidance book to prepare entry-level employees for the world of work. It addresses subjects including project management, teamwork, managing the boss, performance evaluations, sexual harassment, difficult coworkers, and networking. Tips are told in an easy-to-read style by two main characters: a young woman and recent college graduate, and the narrator, who gives the new employee straight-to-the-point advice with a touch of humor. Illustrations are scattered throughout the book, and an index is included.

Finding Faith in Slow Motion
Damon J. Gray. WestBow Press. $13.95 paper (148p), ISBN 978-1-4908-1279-3; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4908-1280-9
Amazon; BN.com
Faith is neither static nor instantaneous. It is not something we stumble upon and instantly understand. Neither is it a monolithic, one-dimensional, singular entity. It is many-faceted, multidimensional, and appears differently depending on one’s angle to the Son. The author examines faith from myriad angles and through gut-wrenching life experiences, as he asks, regarding faith, “What is that stuff?” Spanning the emotional gamut from laughter to tears, Gray challenges us to define our faith and redefine it, to look at it from a multitude of perspectives and define it again. He offers the reader the ability to identify with him as he wrestles with the weighty subject of finding faith.

Unveiling the Soul: Spirituality in the Dimension of Opposites
Rosalyn Becker. Balboa Press. $8.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-4525-9618-1; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4525-9619-8
Balboapress.com
The author presents a synthesis of Christianity, mysticism, physics, and metaphysics. She explains who and where God is, and unravels the mystery of the Earth dimension of opposites. In preparation for your spiritual journey, her book helps you to overcome low emotions and recognize and protect yourself from dark forces. Drawing from her experiences and revelations, the author teaches you to meditate, communicate with your angel, and experience oneness with God.

Bio/Autobiography

Anne Frank: Silent Witnesses; Reminders of a Jewish Girl’s Life
Ronald Wilfred Jansen. Pumbo. $18 paper (298p), ISBN 978-94-90482-08-4; $15 e-book, ASIN B00KJKMZ0E
Amazon; BN.com
The author visited Anne Frank’s home addresses in Frankfurt am Main, Aachen, and Amsterdam; her hiding place, the Secret Annex; and the Westerbork, Auschwitz-Birkenau, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps, where Anne Frank was imprisoned. He describes her history and the objects that still remind us of the environment in which she lived. His motivation for writing the book is that it was one of the last opportunities he would have to contact the people who knew Anne; these people revealed some new facts about her and her world. Other contemporaries of Anne Frank also contributed information about her surroundings.

From Generation to Generation: A Story of Intermarriage and Jewish Continuity
Jane Larkin. CreateSpace. $14.99 paper (286p), ISBN 978-1-4953-0152-0; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00N85D8R6
Amazon; BN.com
This inspiring true story follows the journey of a Jewish woman who, through the ups and downs of her interfaith marriage, ultimately rediscovers her faith and finds her Jewish voice.

Over and Over the Road: A Truck Driver’s Stories
V.W. Sheperd. CreateSpace. $8.95 paper (154p), ISBN 978-1-4991-5965-3; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00NVSHLBO
Amazon; BN.com
A collection of short stories about the author’s experiences and life as a 48-state over-the-road truck driver.

Sealed with a Kiss: An American Love Story in Letters
Bob Zielsdorf. Two Shores Books. $13.99 (318p), ISBN 978-0-9913174-0-0; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9913174-1-7
Amazon
A coming-of-age story, a romance, and a glimpse of an America on the brink of change. Anyone who remembers having a pen pal, scribbling envelopes with codes like SWAK, or even just falling in love will recognize themselves in this story. In 1957, on a trip to Massachusetts to visit a friend, 13-year-old Bob Zielsdorf meets 14-year-old Fran Jordan. Though they spend less than an hour together (admittedly, an hour that includes some kissing), they agree to write, beginning a correspondence that will last for eight years, encompass hundreds of letters, and end with an enduring marriage. As Bob and Fran grow up, they never live in the same town or even the same state. Long-distance calls are still too expensive to be a relationship staple. Instead, their bond, which begins as friendship and only later deepens into love, is forged through writing. The letters paint a vivid and unself-conscious picture of two lives in transition from childhood innocence to adult choice. Includes author’s personal photos.

Tei: A Memoir of the End of War and Beginning of Peace
Tei Fukiwara, trans. by V. Mizushima. Tonnbo Books. $16 paper (352p), ISBN 978-0-9754848-5-2; $7.99 e-book, ASIN B00KXDLB0C
Amazon; BN.com; Boulder Bookstore; Tattered Cover
In a nation devastated by World War II, Tei Fujiwara wrote a memoir about her harrowing journey home with her three young children. Tei’s memoir begins in August 1945 in Manchuria with Tei and her family fleeing from the invading Soviets, who declared war on Japan a few days after the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. After reaching her home in Japan, Tei wrote what she thought would be a last testament to her young children, who might be comforted by their mother’s words as they faced an unknown future in post-war Japan. But Tei survived, and her memoir, originally published in 1949, became a bestseller in a country still in ruins. Over the decades, millions of Japanese became familiar with her story. To understand the war experience, Empress Michiko urged young Japanese to read Tei’s story. Now English readers are able to read her story of survival and hope, and understand how she influenced an entire generation and a nation.

The Twelve Children of Christmas
William Cunningham and Robert Cunningham. Creative Content Corp. $5.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9897695-5-6
Amazon
A celebration of family and hope, this book tells the stories of the 12 Cunningham kids as they somehow survived growing up in the slums in and around South Boston.

The Years of Zero
Seng Ty. CreateSpace. $17 paper (240p), ISBN 978-1-4922-8673-8; $7.99 e-book, ASIN B00JEN8K24; BN ID 2940149489312
Amazon; BN.com; iBooks
This survivor’s account of the Cambodian genocide carried out by Pol Pot’s sadistic Khmer Rouge regime in the late 1970s follows the author from the age of seven as he is plucked from his comfortable, middle-class home in a Phnom Penh suburb, marched into the jungle, and thrust into the unspeakable barbarities of an agricultural labor camp. Seng’s mother was worked to death, while his siblings succumbed to starvation. His oldest brother was brought back from France and tortured in a secret prison. Seng is forced to fend for himself, determined to survive so he can bear witness to what happened in the camp. Seng sneaks mice and other living food from the rice paddies where he labors, knowing that the penalty for such defiance is death. He tries to escape into the jungle, only to be dragged back and severely beaten. Through it all, Seng finds a way to remain whole both in body and in mind. At the end, the reader will finally celebrate with him his unlikeliest of triumphs.

Business/ Personal Finance

Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook: The Step-by-Step Guide to the Legal Issues of Self-Publishing
Helen Sedwick. Ten Gallon Press. $17.50 paper (206p), ISBN 978-0-9883021-5-0; $5.99 e-book, ASIN B00KTQJRZO
Amazon; BN.com
An attorney and self-published author draws on 30 years of legal experience to show writers how to stay out of court and at their desks. Topics include business setup from DBAs to sales taxes to crowd-funding; engaging a self-publishing service company versus doing it yourself with a print-on-demand provider; hiring designers, editors, and other freelancers; intellectual property issues of copyright, trademarks, fair use, and public domain; tips on finding copyright holders and how to license images and music for little or no money; Internet privacy regulations; spotting scams and overpriced services; and how to avoid the dangers of defamation, invasion of privacy, and infringement.

What I Wish Every Job Candidate Knew: 15 Minutes to a Better Interview
Russell Tuckerton. Interview-aid.com. $6.99 (48p), ISBN 978-1-5006-0515-5; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00HTB5AFS
Amazon; BN.com
A hiring manager with 20 years of experience with Fortune 500 companies tells readers what goes through the head of the interviewer so they can use it to their advantage, an advantage others won’t have. Tuckerton provides a highly condensed set of recommendations that he says will give interviewees an edge to put them in the very small set of interviewees that stand above other candidates, whether they are seeking an entry-level or an experienced management position. He has seen “bad” behavior across all levels of interviews, with candidates unaware of what prevents them from being hired. Be guided by actual experiences from the other side of the table, and it won’t be necessary to memorize 101 interview answers.

Health/Diet/Parenting

The Autism Parents’ Guide to Reclaiming Your Life: How to Build the Best Life Possible While Successfully Raising a Child with Autism
Deanna Picon. CreateSpace. $18.95 paper (96p), ISBN 978-1-4975-8122-7
Amazon; Yourautismcoach.com; BN.com
This life-affirming guide provides parents with proven techniques and realistic strategies to help overcome the challenges of raising a child with autism, while building a good life for themselves.

Be Youthful: Look Good, Feel Great—and Remain Young at Any Age
Shino Bay Aguilera, illus. by Loren Psaltis. Shino Bay Books. $20 paper (298p), ISBN 978-0-9911445-0-1; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00MJ9BKHW
Amazon; BN.com
A Miami cosmetic dermatologist reveals his secret fountain of youth. He describes advanced techniques the professionals use to restore facial fat and contour tissue for a younger, more natural-looking appearance; why women should become “billionaires” of collagen and elastin before confronting the drastic changes of menopause; the factors that cause ongoing damage to the skin and how to protect against them; tips for preventing and treating the seven most common skin disorders seen in the doctor’s office; skin requirements for every decade—from the 20s to the 70s—including protocols for the proper use of cleansers, toners, moisturizers, and sunscreen; professional makeup tips to help women of any age look spectacular; the benefits and possibilities of laser light technology in medicine and aesthetic surgery; why being youthful is as much a product of your thoughts and feelings as your genetics; and the reasons you can never start taking care of your appearance too early.

Friends with the Scale: How to Turn Your Scale into a Powerful Weight Loss Tool
Linda Spangle, R.N. SunQuest Media. $14.95 paper (192p), ISBN 978-0-9767057-1-0; $5 e-book, ASIN B00JQS5JGM; BN ID 2940149434244
Amazon; BN.com
Spangle, a weight-loss coach and emotional-eating expert, presents a practical approach to help you completely change your relationship with the scale. Based on stories and examples along with scientific data, this book helps you discover the weight-loss power that lies within your scale when you simply make it your friend.

The Other Medicine that Really Works: How Energy Medicine Can Help You Heal in Body, Mind and Spirit
Heidi DuPree. CreateSpace. $16.95 (360p), ISBN 978-1-4811-5894-7; $9.99 e-book, ASIN B00BJ605H2
Amazon; BN.com
A comprehensive guide to a healing way of life that goes beyond symptom elimination and into growth, transformation, and radiant health. Through mind-body health information, scientific studies, and true-life stories of healing, the reader will learn the core energetic causes of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual issues and how to treat them in a way that really works—knowledge that is a birthright.

History/Political Science

American Boys: The True Story of the Lost 74 of the Vietnam War
Louise Esola. Pennway Books. $19.99 paper (452p), ISBN 978-0-9960574-0-0; $9.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9960574-1-7
Amazon; BN.com
The true story of the ongoing injustice regarding the only U.S. warship that set off to fight in the Vietnam War and never came home.

René’s War: Memoirs of French Resistance in WWII
Michel Mockers. New Dawn Services. $19.95 paper (228p), ISBN 978-1-4993-4288-8; $9.95 e-book, ASIN B00K6TBWXY
Amazon; BN.com
By the flip of a coin, the destiny of two brothers is decided. One faces prison in Spain before being released to join the French army under General Giraud, and ends up paratrooping into France as a decoy for the D-day invasion. The other becomes a leader of his group of the French Resistance and a member of the British Mission, driving verboten cars, being shot at, saving American airmen, and more. This true story has action, drama, romance, spies, life, and death. The author was awarded the Croix de Guerre.

SEALs: Naval Special Warfare in Action
S.F. Tomajczyk. Call to Arms Books. $29.95 paper (124p), ISBN 978-0-9911198-1-3
Amazon; BN.com
A heavily illustrated inside look at the U.S. Navy SEALs and the men and women of Naval Special Warfare who support them on missions. Text and photo captions provide surprising details about mini-submarines, combat assault dogs, warfare tactics, remote training facilities, weapon systems, and more.

Shot Down: The True Story of Pilot Howard Snyder and the Crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth
Steve Snyder. Sea Breeze Publishing. $27.95 hardcover (376p), ISBN 978-0-9860760-0-8; $8.95 e-book, ASIN B00N5CL5XG; BN ID 2940150312135
Amazon; BN.com
This is the story of the author’s father, Howard Snyder, the 10-man crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth, and the experiences of each man after the plane was knocked out of the sky by German fighters over the French-Belgian border on February 8, 1944. Some men died. Some were captured and became prisoners of war. Some evaded the Germans for a while but were betrayed, captured, and shot. Some men evaded capture and were missing in action for seven months. The stories are all different and all are remarkable.

Sovereign Debt Crisis and Economic Sustainability: Is It the End of American Hegemony? How Can the West Retain Economic Dominance?
Nazimudeen Saleem. CreateSpace. $21 paper (148p), ISBN 978-1-5004-5833-1
Amazon; BN.com
The concept of market economy and capitalism is said to have created miracles in lifting the economic prosperity and the standard of living of people worldwide, particularly in the developed economies of the West and Japan since the 1940s. In an age of globalization and commercialization, the author wonders if we can continue to enjoy what we are endowed with, particularly when debt-afflicted nation-states of the West find it difficult to sustain their prosperity. In addition to proposing some innovative ideas to generate public revenue using the market principles to sustain the status quo, Saleem stresses that the West should adopt the concept of a regulated market economy along with new monetary and fiscal policy measures.

World War II Memories: Behind the German Enemy Lines
Theodore E. Roblee. Roblee Publishing. $19.99 paper (142p), ISBN 978-0-615-92852-4; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B00IQHFZJK
Amazon
The author was drafted into the army in June 1943 and served as a bombardier on a B-17. On his fifth mission, Sergeant Roblee was shot down over German-occupied Holland. He evaded capture with the assistance of the Dutch underground. This is the tale of his experiences and the brave men and women who helped him to survive.

Self-Help

Are You Living to Die or Dying to Live? What Will Your Legacy Be?
Aaron Lumpkin. Westbow Press. $13.95 paper (157p), ISBN 978-1-4908-4931-7; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4908-4930-0
Westbowpress.com; Amazon; BN.com
A positive guide emphasizing the urgency to celebrate every day and to create a memorable legacy. Be inspired to live with passion, hope, and courage.

Commit to Get Fit: Find the Secret to Your Own True and Everlasting Weight Loss
Laura Dion-Jones. Original Cosmo Girl Press. $14.95 (273p), ISBN 978-0-9794914-3-6; $9.95 e-book, 978-0-9794914-1-2
Commit-fit.com; Amazon; BN.com; iBooks; Kobo; Smashwords
This is not your typical diet and fitness book, Dion-Jones says. The failing of most weight-loss books is that they are strict, regimented plans complete with recipes, rules, and long lists of dos and don’ts. This approach is exactly what Chicago author, TV/radio show host, certified motivational weight loss coach Dion-Jones challenges and changes in her new book.

The Inexplicable Laws of Success: Discover the Hidden Truths that Separate the “Best” from the “Rest”
Virend Singh and Verusha Singh. Ink ‘n Ivory. $22.95 paper (258p), ISBN 978-1-922113-03-0; $9.95 e-book, ISBN 978-1-922113-06-1
Amazon; BN.com
Success is an elusive thing. Great success is a careful process of discovering and applying certain subtle, pure truths about prosperity. This book uncovers those truths.

Marriage—Think Before You Act: Are You Really, Really, Really Ready for This?
Anastasia Beata. CreateSpace. $19.50 paper (149p), ISBN 978-1-5005-6786-6
Amazon; BN.com
What really happens between a couple from the moment of total bliss, love, and romance to the point when they can’t stand each other anymore? Marriage has become such a casual and disposable process that couples often get married for all the wrong reasons and don’t give it a second thought. This book aims to provide the tools and knowledge to overcome major issues couples face. After reading it, you should establish strong communication channels to help you overcome any obstacles. You will also test yourself to confirm your decision instead of jumping into something so life-changing.

Say It Out Loud: Revealing and Healing the Scars of Sexua
Roberta Dolan. She Writes Press. $16.95 paper (214p), ISBN 978-1-938314-99-5; $9.95 e-book, ISBN 978-1-63152-900-9
Amazon; BN.com
Dolan shares concrete healing strategies for survivors of sexual abuse, offering fellow survivors the inspiration to begin their own healing journey, as well as an encouraging message: the scars of abuse can be healed.

Fiction

The Big Exoneration
Dennis Sanchez. CreateSpace. $9.98 paper (218p), ISBN 978-1-4923-5117-7; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B00FERI3SK; BN ID 2940046074048
Amazon; BN.com; Smashwords
Jake, 12, and his sister, Darlene, 10, are new to LA. They discover a skeleton key that acts as a time machine and introduces them to the ghost of a 1930s private detective named Archer Wolfe, who was framed and executed for a murder he didn’t commit. The siblings travel back in time to find out who framed him and why.

Desta: To Whom the Lions Bow
Getty Ambau. Falcon Press International. $19.95 paper (312p), ISBN 978-1-884459-04-7; $9.95 e-book, ASIN B00KZ530N4; BN ID 2940149831753
Amazon; BN.com; Gettyambau.com
Desta’s story unites with all humanity’s in this third phase of his journey to fulfill the sacred ancient quest entrusted to him. As he discovers just how much his life is bound up with the ancient world, powerful spirits, and his country’s glorious past, he must resist the designs of others on King Solomon’s twin magic coins. Desta relies on his wits and the power of the coin as he navigates betrayal, tragedy, challenges in school, and the intercession of unbidden voices and prismatic spirits. With acceptance, forgiveness, and hard-won faith in himself, Desta is transformed from homeless fourth-grader to celebrated graduate and the pride of his family. His accomplishments and experiences teach him that the world is truly his family but that his fated path is his alone.

Grandfather Ratoncito Perez and the Apprentice Tooth Fairy / Abuelo Ratoncito Perez y la Hada de los Dientes
Virginia Pilegard, illus. by Fiona Hodgetts. Goat Mountain Books. $15.99 hardcover (32p), ISBN 978-0-615-98590-9
Amazon; BN.com; Ingram
When a young tooth fairy tries to fly with 100 pennies, Ratoncito Perez and his grandson, Miguel, offer assistance and lessons in counting coins. Bilingual: English/Spanish

Make Me
Rhiannon Holte. Exposure Productions. $7.99 paper (146p), ISBN 978-0-578-14408-5; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B00K4FD7CY
Amazon; BN.com
What happens to celebrities after they burn through their money, crash their cars, and land in rehab? Anya, a former child TV star, is determined to claw her way back into the spotlight, and her friend Rhiannon is willing to help her. They create a website that allows users to vote on ways to give Anya’s life a complete makeover, from how to change her appearance to where she should live and whether she should dump her boyfriend. The catch—Anya must do the makeover that wins the most votes or the project will be shut down. The site goes viral, but what happens when the haters threaten to overtake the true fans? A behind-the-scenes account of how two 18-year-old girls handle the pressures of the scary but exciting world of instant Internet fame. Readers can visit the website at www.makemeover.us.

Patriots and Rebels
John C. Bush. CreateSpace. $12.95 paper (285p), ISBN 978-1-4991-7926-2; $5.99 e-book, ASIN B00JURETW4
Amazon
An imagined true story set in the years 1863–65. The stark reality of patriotism and rebellion plays out in the words, thoughts, experiences, and emotions of Thomas Files and his 14-year-old daughter. Born in the hill country of Alabama, Tom is determined to defend the United States of America as his ancestors did in 1776. His strong sense of patriotic loyalty places him and his family in situations of profound conflict and danger. Based on the records of real people.

Savanna’s Treasure
C. Behrens, illus. by Kim Johnson. Xlibris. $29.99 hardcover (134p), ISBN 978-1-4363-6633-5; $8.99 paper (132p), ISBN 978-0-69229519-9
Amazon; BN.com; Xlibris
Nobody would think that a baby elephant and a mouse could fight off poachers and pirates. The story of these unlikely allies showcases the boundless potential afforded by never giving up and sticking close to those one loves.

What If? Talking with Trees, Book 3
Colleen Doyle Bryant, illus. by Manuela Soriani. LoveWell Press. $9.99 paper (32p), ISBN 978-1-5008-3044-1; $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9849056-4-5
Amazon; Baker & Taylor, BN.com; CreateSpace; iBooks; Ingram
A brother and sister keep finding themselves in trouble until a wise tree teaches them to think before they act. A tale teaching respect, self-control, and responsibility.

Yarashell Abbily and Her Very Messy Room
Sybrina Durant, illus. by Sara Wilson. Sybrina Publishing. $14.99 paper (36p), ISBN 978-1-4995-0412-5; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B00KEG0910
Amazon; BN.com
A little girl of three always wakes up joyfully. Getting dressed creates a mess, and Mommy isn’t pleased. Will playful Daddy save the day? Told in singsong verse.

SF/Fantasy/Horror

The Crystals of Belvoir
Beverly Snell. Beverly Hoskinson. $17.99 paper (220p), ISBN 978-1-3124-0355-0; $9.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4675-9100-3
Lulu.com
Barbara Rowett, an American tourist visiting England, did not believe in faeries, witches, or time travel, until she was thrust into early 18th-century England after a freak auto accident. Her disappearance into the past sends her family members on a desperate search for her before she is lost to them forever. Barbara, meanwhile, is called on to save a young boy stricken with polio. In between are faeries, witches, and the Master of Time, who hold the keys to her return to her own century, but won’t let her go until she saves young William. But in a time when there was no knowledge of how to deal with the disease, how can Barbara succeed before time runs out?

Mountain Garden: An Illustrated Fable
Will Ottley, illus. by Chloë Holt. Perpetualaum Books. $12.65 hardcover (104p), ISBN 978-0-9927763-0-5; $7.99 paper (104p), ISBN 978-0-9927763-1-2; $4.99 e-book, ASIN B00IO87O3G; BN ID 2940149439379
Book Depository; Amazon; BN.com
Buckan, a brave young stag, embarks on a journey to find a mythical garden in order to gain the strength to save his fellow deer from the attacking wolves. The journey tests his faith and courage, and forces him to overcome his deepest fears. A tale of trust and bravery of heart, this fable shows the importance of intuition and love.

Comics

The Half Hearted Girl
Sandra Harvey, illus. by Calum Jones. CreateSpace. $12.99 paper (114p), ISBN 978-1-5003-8525-5; $6.99 e-book, ASIN B00MI4ZOLQ
Amazon; BN.com
On one side of the world a little girl is born missing half of her heart. On the other side of the world a little boy is born missing half of his soul. The interesting thing, is they don’t feel half whole and carry on with life extraordinarily. One day they meet in the very middle of the world.

Nonfiction

Hoofbeats in Africa
Nikki Scrivener. Xlibris. $36.28 paper (80p), ISBN 978-1-4990-0125-9; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4990-0124-2
Amazon; BN.com
A true story about the author’s quest to get a pony of her own, after learning to ride on a donkey and a zebra on a farm in Africa.

One Toke: A Survival Guide for Teens
Marc Aronoff, illus. by Earl Cavanagh. Porter House. $14.99 paper (157p), ISBN 978-1-63041-020-9; $7.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-63041-143-5
Amazon
Written by a licensed mental health counselor who has worked with youth at risk for over 20 years, this book is about making smart decisions and harm reduction, and offers clear, cogent counsel for teens and parents who are open to guidance about the realities of smoking pot. Geared for teens who are either considering smoking pot or are already smoking, and their parents, this is a no-nonsense guide, covering all the subjects associated with teen marijuana use, from peer pressure to addiction, and from pot-smoking parents to politics.