With our eighth PW Select we complete two years of quarterly presentations of self-published titles and reviews. As of next year, PW Select will appear bimonthly, that is, six times a year, beginning in February.
Back Words: One Painter’s Voice in the Conversation.
Peter Malone. CreateSpace, $11.95 paper (152p), ISBN 978-1-4781-8221-4; $8.75 e-book ASIN B008O6JYNQ
A narrative of artistic development and a critique of the university as educator of artists offers a new assessment of contemporary art.
Drawing with the Spirograph Multicolor Pen: 51 Original 10-Color Design Instructions for the Spirograph Toy of the 1960s
Howard Richman. Sound Feelings Publishing, $9.95 paper (28p), ISBN 978-1-882060-92-4
The combination of this new instruction booklet and a Spirograph Multicolor Pen will breathe new life into a cherished toy of the past.
Biography & Autobiography
Hell on Wheels: The Incredible Story of Rookie Roller Derby Queen Cindy McCoy.
Karen Mueller Bryson. Short on Time Books, $8.99 paper (124p), ISBN 978-1-4776-9075-8; $2.99 e-book ASIN: B008KO2LBO
This captivating biography reveals the details of sports legend Cindy McCoy’s inspirational life story.
Beamish Boy: A Memoir.
Albert Flynn DeSilver. The Owl Press, $8.99 e-book (262p), ISBN 978-1-4524-4611-0
“A beautifully written memoir... poignant and inspirational, comical and terrifying!” says Kirkus Review.
Casting Norma Jeane: A Starlet Is Transformed into Marilyn Monroe.
James Glaeg. The Woodbine Press, $12.95 paper (246p), ISBN 978-0-615-61206-5; $6.99 e-book ASIN B008RPQAFO
A restless starlet described as “pretty but plain” steps into a role that will make her the most photographed woman of the 20th century.
Full Circle: A Journey in Search of Roots.
David A. Hecker, Ph.D. Crab Walk Press, $14 paper (253p), ISBN 978-1-4664-2397-8; $9.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-62111-035-4
After the author finds his lost great-grandparents, he writes poems, a historical novel, and this memoir about the many family secrets found during the journey.
A Child Lost in Flight: Moving On After Tragedy on Flight 229.
Mohan K. $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-62314-538-5
A first-person account of a father coming to grips with the sudden death of his child on an international flight.
Up the Park.
Richard D. Kutz. Inkwater Press, $17.95 paper (338p), ISBN 978-1-59299-792-3; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-59299-793-0
Join a group of kids who mature while working out life together, through team sports and a strong camaraderie, to become fine young adults.
My Top 40 at 40: Making the First Half Count: A Modern Man’s Story Collection.
Kari Loya. XK Productions, $24.95 hardcover (252p), ISBN 978-0-9847637-0-2
To celebrate turning 40, the author shares 40 favorite stories spanning six continents and two decades that will inspire readers to live fun, meaningful lives.
Dodging Machetes: How I Survived Forbidden Love, Bad Behavior, and the Peace Corps in Fiji.
Will Lutwick. Peace Corps Writers, $15.95 paper (266p), ISBN 978-1-935925-11-8; $7.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-935925-12-5
Romeo and Juliet meets Eat, Pray, Love in this seriocomic memoir, in which a Peace Corps volunteer and a local Indian girl become star-crossed lovers in Fiji.
Boocoo Dinky Dow: My Short, Crazy Vietnam War.
Grady C. Myers and Julie Titone. CreateSpace, $13.99 paper (168p), ISBN 978-1-4679-5568-3; $6.99 e-book
Grady Myers was an artistic but aimless teen in 1968, when, desperate for troops, the U.S. Army overlooked his extreme nearsightedness and transformed him into Hoss, an M-60 machine gunner. His illustrated memoir is by turns funny and sobering.
A Sea Story: The Untold Story of the U.S. Navy Response to 9/11.
Joseph Pignataro. CreateSpace, $8.70 paper (216p), ISBN 978-1-4752-4131-0 ; $4.99 e-book ASIN B007W9F4A8
A Navy boarding team struggles to survive on a Iranian tanker smuggling weapons to the Taliban on 9/11; based on true events.
Antonia De Rocsini, Queen of the Pirates
Rinaldo Rinaldini. Krys Roxien Books, $20.95 paper (410p), ISBN 978-0-615-47722-0
A 17th-century biography of one of the least-known female pirates, trans. from the French by Krys Roxien.
Cancer Country: A Survivor’s Memoir.
Chet Skibinski. Inkwater Press, $12.95 paper (202p), ISBN 978-1-59299-806-7; $4.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-59299-807-4
Amazon; B&N; inkwaterpress.com
Discovering you have cancer is like being thrust into a foreign country that was next door all the time.
13 Years in America.
Melanie Steele. CreateSpace, $10.95 paper (288p), ISBN 978-1-4752-1566-3; $2.99 e-book ASIN B007M4C780
An inspiring memoir of an immigrant from Canada traces one woman’s fearless pursuit of happiness and fulfillment in modern-day America; both personal story and sharp social critique.
Broken Innocence: A True Story of Soul Redemption.
Gregory Allan Voss. Inkwater Press, $15.95 paper (268p), ISBN 978-1-59299-767-1; $4.99 e-book ASIN B0085XH22I
The story of one man’s journey from the shattered innocence of an abusive childhood to hard-won redemption in later life.
Great Black War Fighters: Profiles in Service.
Ben L. Walton. Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Co., $29.97 hardcover (256p), ISBN 978-1-61897-108-1
With a foreword by LTG (Ret.) Robert G. Gard Jr., Ph.D., this is a chronicle of 29 African-American admirals and generals who reached the pinnacle of a military career with one to four stars, since President Truman abolished segregation in the nation’s armed forces.
Body, Mind & Spirit
It’s All About Me... or Is It?
Christopher Barron. CreateSpace, $12.99 paper (164p), ISBN 978-1-4775-2566-1
A first-person narrative delves deeply into the the meaning of being human and reflects on the moments of our days that should not be ignored or neglected.
Be Your Best Without the Stress: It’s Not About the Medal.
Katrina Radke, M.F.T. Motivational Press Inc., $24.95 paper (262p), ISBN 978-1-935723-61-5
Embrace your inner Olympian, maximize your potential, manage obstacles, take care of your health. Find deep satisfaction within as you discover your best, true self.
Living Beyond the Pain: Insights for Your Journey of Transformation.
Gordon Selley, D.C. Selley Enterprises, $14.99 paper (164p), ISBN 978-0-9855268-0-1
The author shares his comeback from permanent neck injuries to fulfilling life to help readers pull themselves up from whatever circumstances have them stuck in the darker places of life.
Love Promised: A Future Life Revealed.
Kent Smith. Universal Life Strings, $19.95 paper (318p), ISBN 978-0-9851654-2-0; $3.33 e-book ASIN B007W4M8TS
Smith relates how death is a part of life through her own love story, fashioning a guide to recovery from grief for those who have lost family or friends, revealing the messages she has received from loved ones after their death, and connects quantum theory to her experiences.
A Passage to Eternity: A Mystical Account of a Near-Death Experience and Poetic Journey into the Afterlife.
Azmina Suleman. Inkwater Press, $18.95 paper (228p), ISBN 978-1-59299-801-2
A rare account by a Shia Ismaili Muslim of a near-death experience candidly explores the Canadian journalist’s experience. “What is important is... its moral value; its power to inspire faith, and care for others,” says John King of the University of Calgary.
Business & Economics
You Can Get the Truth—You Can Fix the World: A Step by Step Guide.
Joe Fedison. You Can Get the Truth, $19.95 paper (312p), ISBN 978-0-9858258-0-5
A “how-to” guide shows exactly what needs to be done to get at the root of problems and outlines specific strategies for fixing them; includes examples, instructions, guidelines, and templates.
The Business of Wanting More: Why Some Executives Move from Success to Fulfillment and Others Don’t.
Brian Gast. Barnegat Press Co., $24.95 hardcover (184p), ISBN 978-0-9849419-0-2; $9.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9849419-1-9
The former CEO tells his personal story of why success was his undoing and teaches the four elements of fulfillment along with a roadmap to being both fulfilled and successful.
Smart Customers, Stupid Companies: Why Only Intelligent Companies Will Thrive, and How to Be One of Them.
Michael Hinshaw, and Bruce Kasanoff. Business Strategy Press, $24.95 paper (200p), ISBN 978-0-9851339-1-7; $9.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9851339-2-4
Massive disruption is coming to every industry. The authors offer a five-step plan for companies to profit from disruption rather than falling victim.
Values—Not Just for the Office Wall Plaque: How Personal and Company Values Intersect.
Irial O’Farrell. CreateSpace, $18.97 paper (208p), ISBN 978-1-4610-5836-6; $12.29 e-book ASIN B007PK9FTU
A management consultant provides a nuts and bolts explanation of what personal and company values are and how their successful intersection can benefit a business’s bottom line.
Customer 3D: A New Dimension for Customers.
Bill Self. CustomerEDU, $21.95 paper (234p), ISBN 978-0-9853908-0-8; $9.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9853908-1-5 Amazon; (800) 380-2308
Exceptional companies are remaking themselves to become more customer-centered with the Customer 3D strategy.
On Top of Everything: Manage Your Projects and Life with Ease.
Laurence H. Seton. Projecteze Inc., $37.95 paper (187p), ISBN 978-0-9810629-0-7; $37.95 e-book ISBN 978-0-9810629-1-4
Describes how to stay organized and achieve work-life balance with technology you already own, using Projecteze, a simple and effective task management system.
Comics & Graphic Novels
Max Overacts, Vol. One: Hold On to Your Stubs.
Caanan Grall. Occasional Comics, $19.95 paper (164p), ISBN 978-0-9879042-0-1
Max is the next great serious thespian and every day is an opportunity to showcase his talents, whether anyone else likes it or not.
Polterguys, Vol. 1.
Laurianne Uy, and Nathan Go. Mumo Press, $12.99 paper (192p), ISBN 978-0-9851920-0-6; $4.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9851920-1-3
A nerdy college girl moves into a house that’s haunted by five guys. Once invisible to live boys, she’s the only one who can help the ghostly ones now. Winner of the Xeric Award 2012.
Family & Relationships
This Little Piggy Went to the Liquor Store: Unapologetic Admissions from a Non-Contender for Mother of the Year.
AK Turner. Fever Streak Press, $12 paper (190p), ISBN 978-0-9855839-0-3; $3.99 e-book ASIN B008FIBV20
A girl who scorns the idea of family majors in Russian, minors in vodka, and one day finds herself with child... and in-laws.
The Crawford Affair.
Michael R. Adams. Solemn Chanting Press, $2.99 e-book (322p)
Horatio Crawford plans and executes lavish “memorial” events, but his family is entangled in the affairs of love, gossip, and town politics.
Making Believers: Connect to the Light Within.
Linda Amato. Hay House/Balboa Press, $17.95 paper (223p), ISBN 978-1-4525-3543-2
Abuse needs to end in relationships by the simple transformation of discovering that God is within all. Gracie and Amanda live as a mother and daughter filled with their demons on a daily basis, yet in death Gracie leaves Amanda a gift that enables her to transform her life.
America’s Fool: Las Vegas and the End of the World.
Jay Amberg. Amika Press, $17.95 paper (400p), ISBN 978-0-9708416-7-4
TV reporter Andy Wright must prevent fanatics from murdering thousands of people in Las Vegas with a powerful poison and destroying our democratic system of government.
A Song Apart.
Jeffrey H. Baer. CreateSpace, $14.99 paper (352p), ISBN 978-1-4564-9292-2
A rising pop star and her biggest fan fall in love and fight society for respect, then discover they only need each other.
Honeymoon with Harry.
Bart Baker. Big Muddy Books, $8.63 paper (301p), ISBN 978-1-4752-5655-0
A shocking tragedy thrusts two enemies on an emotional odyssey as they travel together to spread the ashes of the woman they both loved. Announced as a New Line Cinema film.
The Other Pilot.
Ed Baldwin. Brasfield Books, $14.95 paper (350p), ISBN 978-0-615-67322-6
A political action thriller with a military aviation background.
It’s Not Easy to Unfuck Things Up.
Earl Barret. CreateSpace, $10.99 paper (274p), ISBN 978-1-4751-2152-0
A tragic WWII novel of a West Coast teenager whose first love is about to be interned for the duration of the war.
Staying Alive in Lampasas County.
Glenn A. Blake. E-Booktime, $12.95 paper (189p), ISBN 978-1-60862-349-5; $5.95 e-book ASIN B006ZCUE76
E-Booktime.com; Amazon; B&N
Based on an actual feud and violent shootout between two families on the Texas frontier in the mid-19th century, this novel features a young man trying to live right in a cruel and lawless land.
Women from Venus.
Ed Brodow. Lulu, $15.95 paper (196p), ISBN 978-1-300-00712-8; $6.99 e-book ASIN B008LUM5JA
A collection of four short novels by the author of Fixer and Negotiation Boot Camp.
Victoria Brown. Woodchuck Publishers, $14.95 (272p), ISBN 978-0-9854391-1-8; $4.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9854391-2-5
This gripping tale of corruption, greed, murder, and betrayal tells the story of three boyhood friends during Prohibition and explores the meaning of friendship, family, love, and loyalty.
My Way Home.
Cynthia Lee Cartier. Story Creek Books, $12.95 paper (368p), ISBN 978-0-9850224-2-6; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9850224-0-2
Cammy’s lost as she faces the end of her 25-year marriage, but an abandoned lodge on an island gives her new dreams.
Michaelbrent Collings. CreateSpace, $15.97 paper (424p), ISBN 978-1-4781-6776-1; $2.99 e-bookASIN B008GFLVQI
A loving father is attacked by a supernatural presence that wants to possess him, and kill his children.
Adam Connell. Adam Connell, $4.99 e-book (434p), ISBN 978-0-9854855-0-4
Enter the underbelly of Manhattan, where warring crews of telepaths read or alter the thoughts of the “hacks” around them, for a fee.
Window Above the Porch.
Kevin Costanzi. Amazon Digital Services, 99¢ e-book (211p), ISBN 978-1-4675-3289-1
A fictional portrayal of warfare in Iraq that examines what motivates men to fight far from home in the midst of morally complicated and threatening conditions.
Doom Spore: A Summer Movie in a Novel.
John T. Cullen. Clocktower Books, $16 paper (264p), ISBN 978-1-4775-2994-2; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-7433-1149-6
Terrifying jungle horror turns San Diego citizens into fungal zombies. Lt. Linsey Simon and hard-hitting reporter Jack Simon desperately fight back to save the world.
Orbital Sniper: A Jack Gray Thriller.
John T. Cullen. Clocktower Books, $19.95 paper (500p), ISBN 978-1-4774-2526-8; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-7433-1403-9
Jack Gray, a 21st-century cross between James Bond and the Saint, combats Dr. Night, whose orbital sniper rifle threatens terrorist mass murder.
The Spy’s Daughter.
John T. Cullen. Clocktower Books, $22 paper (454p), ISBN 978-1-4752-9838-3; $4.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-7433-1228-8
A wealthy woman, searching for her roots and her vanished WWII spy father, uncovers his love story in a panoramic adventure reminiscent of Doctor Zhivago.
Gerald J. Davis. Insignia Publishing, $14.99 paper (361p), ISBN 978-1-4774-0119-4; $4.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-4762-2439-8
The author of eight novels offers a translation of the story that a Nobel Prize Committee survey of a hundred of the world’s best writers named “the greatest book of all time.”
The Militant Genome.
Braxton DeGarmo. BookBaby, $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-62309-226-9
Combines state-of-the-art medical genomics and an Ozarks white supremacy group for a thriller with a life-threatening conspiracy of murder, kidnapping, and rising racial tensions.
William Dickerson. Kettle of Letters Press, $12.99 paper (329p), ISBN 978-0-9851886-1-0; $2.99 e-book ASIN B007RZZX76
An explosive coming-of-age drama blasts open the grunge-era world of suburban American teenagers in the early ’90s.
e.r. dinsmoor. CreateSpace, $12.95 paper (448p), ISBN 978-1-4775-0519-9
Fleeing a brutal foster home, a Gullah teen crosses the paths of two powerful feuding Southern families. Troubled yet memorable characters uncover a murderous conspiracy to destroy him and protect his life.
What Smiled at Him.
Colin Dodds. Royal Pulp, $12 paper (280p), ISBN 978-1-4774-0331-0
Two childhood friends find every clue they need to solve a grisly double murder, but, for their own reasons, choose not to.
Slow Curve on the Coquihalla: A Hunter Rayne Highway Mystery.
R.E. Donald. Proud Horse Publishing, $13.95 paper (348p), ISBN 978-0-9881118-0-6; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-4657-6920-6
A compelling whodunit, this first in a series of character-driven mystery novels features Hunter Rayne, a former RCMP homicide detective turned long-haul truck driver, who’s enlisted to find the murderer of a fellow trucker.
Jennifer Dozier. CreateSpace, $12.95 paper (180p), ISBN 978-0-7433-1379-7, 978-0-7433-1378-0; $2.99 e-book ASIN B007MCO3IY
Muriel and Sarah engage in a passionate, sentimental summer romance during the bleak, terrifying 1950s. They will marry and move on, but never forget.
Searching for Lincoln’s Ghost.
Barbara J. Dzikowski. Wiara Books, $13.95 paper (172p), ISBN 978-0-9840305-0-7; $8.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9840305-1-4
Andi Powell, 11, lost both her parents in a car accident and lives with her grandmother, who’s obsessed with death. In this coming-of-age tale set during the tumultuous 1960s, Andi hopes to find the truth from Lincoln’s ghost, said to haunt her elementary school.
The Final Confession of Justine Moritz.
Mark Ferra. Vook, $1.99 e-book (191p) ISBN 9781614309475
The Frankenstein family's housekeeper is framed by the Creature for the murder of young William Frankenstein. This is her confession, unearthed from a Vatican archive.
Patricia Fulton. CreateSpace, $14.50 paper (400p), ISBN 978-1-4680-7480-2
Killer heat and a priceless baseball signed by Carlton Fisk thrust Jared Riley into a dark world where an ancient evil is waiting.
God Bless the Dead.
Evan Geller. Evan Geller, $7.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-615-67420-9
A biophysicist grad student and an enigmatic Irish emigré develop a mind-reading technology that will profoundly change society, but threatens to uncover the dangerous past of the biophysicist’s wife.
Jane George. Paper Grove Publishing, $9.99 paper (210p), ISBN 978-0-9851307-1-8
Love is a drug.To win aloof artist and bicycle messenger X-It, young J.J. Buckingham tries to become queen of the club scene in 1980 Manhattan. Her plan backfires with horrendous consequences.
The Last Minstrel Show: A Detective Story.
Peter Goldman. CreateSpace, $12.50 paper (324p), ISBN 978-1-4700-0837-6
Someone is killing members of a touring black basketball-plus-minstrel-show troupe, and a burned-out PI named Max Christian is on the case in “postracial” America.
9/11 to Global Jihad: The Grand Plan.
Don Gould. GrumpyFox Books, $16.95 paper (500p), ISBN 978-0-9857381-0-5; $9.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9857381-1-2
A masterfully complex story of Islamic terrorism begins with an unnerving, catastrophic global assault called 9/12, which leads to a new Islamic initiative called the Grand Plan.
The Snow Angel: A Novel.
Michael Graham. Schaffner Press Inc., $12.95 paper (256p), ISBN 978-1-936182-35-0
Based on a true story, this is the tale of a multiracial kidnapping that threatens the stability of a struggling urban community, as three cops work the case before the town explodes.
Packages from America.
Carol Wilson Grandin. Rockland Press Rhode Island, $15 paper (196p), ISBN 978-1-4699-0425-2
The Neumanns, an East German family, are trapped by communism. Their hand-to-mouth existence from the end of WWII is revealed in letters to an American family who send packages of food and clothing.
Jonathan Grant. Thornbriar Press, $18.95 (468p), ISBN 978-0-9834921-2-2
Charlie Sherman has no idea what madness awaits when a stranger persuades him to finish a dead man’s book about a crime that’s gone unpunished.
No Cure for the Past: A Vin Hardin Novel.
Rick Halpern. CreateSpace, $9.95 paper (244p), ISBN 978-1-4774-7178-4
When PI Vin Hardin’s mentor is senselessly murdered, Vin doesn’t anticipate that finding the killer will require delving into his own troubled past.
The Lake and the Glacier.
Markku Hietala. BookBaby, $7.99 e-book (267p), ISBN 978-1-62095-540-6
The stories of a terminally ill man’s promise to an Indian boy and a newlywed couple escaping the monotony of their lives come together with a lake and a glacier among the clouds high in the Himalayas.
Michael Allen Hunt. CreateSpace, $14.99 paper (346p), ISBN 978-1-4700-1359-2
In this apocalyptic thriller, one man must sacrifice everything and destroy the U.S. Defense Department’s OPLAR Spacecraft before it becomes operational and causes the extinction of all humankind.
Oversoul: Stories and Essays.
Mitchell S. Jackson. The Collections House, $4.99 e-book (92p) ISBN 978-0-9853409-1-9
A collection of short fiction and essays explores fictional and nonfictional characters struggling with such vices as drugs and avarice while dealing with the fallout of strained family ties and ill-conceived notions of love.
Sharing a Man.
R.W. Jaeger. Gold & Water, $12.95 paper (144p), ISBN 978-0-9827042-2-6
A woman from the East Coast and a woman from the West Coast meet at a gravesite in Chicago and discover they both were lovers of the deceased. Tensions between the women lead to transformation. Cocoons are shed. Wings unfurl. A man is resurrected.
Yield, Book 1 of the Armageddia Series.
Bryan K. Johnson. Bedside Books, $24.95 paper (436p), ISBN 978-1-58982-681-6; $9.95 e-book ASIN B008WNXM3Y
As people are caught between the lives they know and the anarchy that follows a devastating attack against the U.S., those that remain are confronted with the worst in humanity... and themselves.
Another Broken Wing, Flap Flap: Swimming Alone in the Deep End of the Gene Pool.
James Sumner Kendrick. Easy Street Stories, $14.49 paper (325p), ISBN 978-0-615-66768-3
A barrage of seemingly random coincidences in Stormy Day’s life connect his mother’s disappearance 30 years before with today’s absurd conspiracy to defraud the lottery.
Catching on Fire.
Sue Knott. Foot Drop Publishing, $12.99 paper (302p), ISBN 978-1-4774-5049-9; $3.99 e-book ASIN B007VTEC4S
Visions of a dystopian future drive Rachel to find answers in mysterious symbols. On her quest she discovers that answers and love are elusive.
Eyes Behind Belligerence.
K.P. Kollenborn. CreateSpace, $18 paper (460p), ISBN 978-1-4701-6816-2; 99¢ e-book ISBN 978-1-4524-7114-3
Two Japanese-American families survive racism, the harsh elements of the desert, gang violence, and boredom while interned inside detention camps during WWII in the U.S.
Wright for America.
Robin Lamont. Grayling Press, $14.95 paper (252p), ISBN 978-0-9858485-0-7; $6.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9858485-1-4
A struggling actress enlists a troupe of fellow unemployed actors to teach a venomous ultra-conservative radio host just how powerful words can be.
Urban Legend: Murder at the House of Blue Lights.
Garry D. Ledbetter. CreateSpace, $9.99 paper (226p), ISBN 978-1-4751-3373-8
This novel delves into the Indiana urban legend of “The House of Blue Lights,” a place with 150 cats, a pet cemetery, tunnels, and blue lights that cast an eerie glow on the countryside.
Kill Town, USA.
Joseph Love. Squanch Books, $8 paper (98p), ISBN 978-1-4699-2330-7; $3 e-book ASIN B007FVST8C
Jack Heart is out of work and on the run from zombies in a quarantined Appalachian town.
The Sun at Midnight, or As the Planet Warms.
Nick Mann. CreateSpace, $12.49 (512p), ISBN 978-1-4538-5683-3
Three unconventional young people from Washington, D.C., become celebrities in early 1960s Hollywood, but their lives aren’t wonderful. Melody goes mad. Her kid brother Damon copyrights sex. Their pal Colleen embraces death.
Awake in the Mad World.
Damon Ferrell Marbut. CreateSpace, $14.99 paper (343p), ISBN 978-0-9855452-0-8; $4.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9855452-2-2
An energetic coming-of-age novel about college graduates seeking to find their place as creative thinkers in a world apparently indifferent to their passions.
Teresa Matvejs. Dorrance Publishing, $24 paper (318p), ISBN 978-1-4349-1126-1
Follow circus performer Rose Vitkov-skis and her colorful cohorts as they laugh, cry, and entertain their way through small towns in the Australian outback.
Through the Door.
Jodi McIsaac. Inkwood Publishing, $12.99 paper (296p), ISBN 978-0-9880472-1-1; $5.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9880472-0-4
Celtic mythology and the modern world collide in the tale of a child with an ancient power and those who want to control her.
Crossing the Bridge of Sighs.
Susan Ashley Michael. Twin Oaks Press, $8.99 (200p), ISBN 978-0-9844354-7-0; $8.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-62095-068-5
Claire, a brokenhearted travel writer, travels to Venice where she finds herself in a romantic comedy of errors, magnified by advice from the shades of Byron, Tintaretto, and other literary and artistic spirits. Plenty of romance, recipes, and pithy proverbs.
Silk Road: Seals of Destiny, Book One.
T.J. Michaels. Bent West Books, $11.99 paper (270p), ISBN 978-0-9857874-1-7; $7.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9857874-0-0
The first Descendant in millennia with the power to use an ancient artifact is being hunted—by the good, the bad, and the worst.
Arthur Mokin. CreateSpace, $15 paper (280p), ISBN 978-1-4637-7391-5
A love story set in ancient Egypt is told against the narrative of the Bible’s Book of Exodus.
The Accident Stager.
Susan Moss. Re:Source Publications, $14.95 paper (260p), ISBN 978-0-9642329-4-5; $6.99 e-book
Gaude Velasquez is a master of the highway accident insurance scam. But his next mark, an older woman and artist named Joy, fights Velasquez and her insurance company to prove who was at fault in the “accident.”
Forging of a Knight.
Hugo Valentin Negron. Lulu, $16.99 paper (380p), ISBN 978-1-105-50634-5; $3.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-105-85152-0
Amazon: lulu.com; B&N
A young warrior named Qualtan joins forces with a half-orcne thief named Glaive as they battle through undead hordes, evil druids, shape-shifting Maugs, hungry trolls, and more as Qualtan journeys to become a knight.
M.P. Nicholaou. Publish Green, $4.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-938297-44-1
Two disparate groups clash on the London to Brighton train, but when two Muslim suicide bombers threaten to blow up the train, the two groups must work together to save the train and its passengers.
Baden-Powell’s Beads, Book One: Beads Series.
Paul D. Parsons. Tate Publishing, $21.99 paper (292p), ISBN 978-1-61862-090-3; $8.99 e-book ASIN B008EA28WQ
Amazon; www.tatepublishing.com; B&N
A thriller based on the true story of Zulu beads recovered in South Africa in 1888 and the doctor who was given one by a dying patient.
To Wander the Labyrinth.
Brian Peters. AASP Press, $16 paper (238p), ISBN 978-0-9838572-0-4; $9.99 e-book ASIN B0085OOI38
Protagonist Clay is an “interrogator” in a totalitarian U.S. that would make Kafka and Dostoyevski proud. One of his victims, Maya, could be the source of his redemption.
Jimmy Lagowski Saves the World.
Pat Pujolas. Independent Talent Group, $12 paper (198p), ISBN 978-0-9840093-0-5; $7.99 e-book B007ATF6WQ
A murder trial unravels through strange, overlapping narratives involving the defendant, jury members, and the title character.
Grandpa Ben and His Pirates: A Novel of the American Revolution.
John W. Ravage. CreateSpace, $18.95 paper (533p), ISBN 978-1-4679-1043-9
Ben Franklin moves to Paris to find support for the American Revolution and gain release of more than 3,000 colonial POWs in English jails.
Into the Woods: A Novel.
Jacob Reece. Amazon Digital Services, $3.99 e-book (177p) ISBN 978-1-62050-337-9
Ten-year-old Billy Raymond is a practiced liar, but he really is threatened by the neighborhood bully. Will his parents believe him before it’s too late?
Katrina Register. Armando Diaz, $9.95 paper (192p), ISBN 978-0-9851734-0-1
One woman dares to acknowledge how insecurity, self-hate, distrust, and bitterness affect her as she fumbles her way through life, searching for what she has never truly felt: love.
Made in China.
Mark Reutlinger. Abbott Press, $23.95 paper (371p), ISBN 978-1-4582-0314-4; $3.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-4582-0315-1
A gripping tale of love, murder, and a race to revive America’s abandoned industries when everything “made in China” suddenly disappears from the nation’s marketplace.
Fire Angels: A Southern Novel.
Joseph Richardson. CreateSpace, $15.95 (387p), ISBN 978-1-4421-2902-3
The Coopers live on a small central Florida farm. Over the years of 1915 through 1925, their lives are affected by WWI, murders, lies, deceit, fueled by ethnic and racial tensions.
Klavern: A Sherry Russell Mystery
James K. Rone. Arno Press, $14.99 paper (422p), ISBN 978-0-615-66168-1; 99¢ book ASIN B008F8Y27Q
During a 1967 Ku Klux Klan uprising, ex-Nashville PI Sherry Russell investigates a heinous racial hate crime in rural Alabama, counting among its victims the brother of Sherry’s African-American housekeeper.
No Nice Girls: A Sixties Noir Thriller
James K. Rone. CreateSpace, $13.50 paper (339p), ISBN 978-1-4775-0830-5
In 1965 Nashville PI Sherry Russell is hired to stop a scandal targeting the sexpot queen of country & western, but finds herself in sin-city Biloxi, Miss., playground of the Mafia, down mean streets where “no nice girls” walk.
William Rosencrans. William Rosencrans, $8.62 paper (360p), ISBN 978-0-615-64996-2; $2.99 e-book ASIN B0082MWDM6
Vladimir lives on an island nation of genetic rejects. When war destroys his home he must fight his way through jungle and political intrigue to freedom.
The Last Falcon: Book 1 of the Cael Stone.
Colleen Ruttan. CreateSpace, $10.99 paper (327p), ISBN 978-0-9881343-0-0; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9881343-1-7
A young woman sets out to find justice for the murder of her father and finds herself caught up in a deadly struggle for power.
The Return of Elliott Eastman: The Occupy Wall Street Manifesto.
Ignatius Ryan. Telemachus Press, $7.99 paper (310p), ISBN 978-1-937698-35-5; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-937698-36-2
Eastman, former congressman and billionaire, has six months to live. With the help of some former men-at-arms and his long lost love he goes back to Washington with an audacious proposal, one that will change the future of America forever.
Dax Santi. Dax Santi, $10 paper (214p), ISBN 978-0-9849092-1-6; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9849092-0-9
Amazon; B&N; iBookstore
A failed marriage proposal sends a man off the deep end where he forms an unlikely bond—with a lobster.
Russell Scott. Xlibris, $29.99 hardcover (294p), ISBN 978-1-4691-3339-3; $3.59 e-book ISBN 978-1-4691-3340-9
Can SamSon convince others and himself that he is still the Metagalaxy’s defender? Or will SamSon’s own power lead to the Metagalaxy’s destruction?
Conspiracy to Assassinate Jesus Christ: A Novel of Historical Fiction and Religious Suspense.
Chris Seepe. Synchronopedia Corp., $14.99 paper (223p), ISBN 978-0-9878193-0-7; $4.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9878193-1-4
Opposing forces, coerced by the most powerful person in the Roman Empire, maneuver Jesus as a pawn in a conspiracy to overthrow Tiberius, Rome’s emperor.
Elizabeth Segrave. CreateSpace, $12.99 paper (274p), ISBN 978-1-4679-6329-9
Two murders and two missing Carnival masks. A romantic sci-fi mystery that takes grad students Violet and Tom to Venice, London, Scotland, and beyond.
Diane Sherlock. Smashwords, $4.95 e-book ISBN 978-1-4659-8001-4
A newly divorced scuba diver finds more than she bargained for on a diving adventure in the South Seas.
Diane Sherlock. Smashwords, $4.95 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4658-2925-2
A chocolate tree becomes the source of miracles for a grieving mother and a troubled teen.
Diane Sherlock. Smashwords, $4.95 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4657-3991-9
Dr. Ryan Parker uses a medical convention to escape the strictures of his life, from the hellish end of his marriage to a pending malpractice suit, with the bonus opportunity to pursue a pretty patient away from the complications and restrictions of Los Angeles.
One Pink Line.
Dina Silver. CreateSpace, $12.99 paper (260p), ISBN 978-1-4637-7253-6; $3.99 e-book
Spanning generations, One Pink Line charts the story of Sydney and Grace, whose lives are decades apart, but dramatically shaped by the same event.
A for Argonaut.
Michael J. Stedman. Clipper Trade Books, $14.99 paper (374p), ISBN 978-0-9856477-0-4; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9856477-1-1
A Special Ops commander teams up with the “Queen of Diamonds” to hunt down African terrorists before they bring the U.S. to its knees.
Sea of Crises.
Marty Steere. Penfield Publications, $15.95 paper (314p), ISBN 978-0-9854014-0-5; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9854014-1-2
What really happened to the crew of Apollo 18 in the Sea of Crises? Sons of mission commander Bob Cartwright risk their lives to find out.
Angel Stell. Heavenly Image Press, $13.95 paper (280p), ISBN 978-0-9834853-0-8
The story of three friends in their 20s who are each involved in complicated relationships that lead them to question their desire to find true love.
Mind Over Murder: A Jake Roberts Novel.
Cary Allen Stone. Fine Line Books, $7.99 paper (238p), ISBN 978-1-4774-6188-4; 99¢ e-book ISBN 978-1-4774-6188-4
Incarcerated serial killer Lori Powers assists her ex-lover, Det. Jake Roberts, in the apprehension of the wealthy serial killer Jared Hamilton.
The Trinity Signs.
Scott M. Sullivan. Sullivan Publishing, $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-615-67187-1
Tobias, the last Guardian, must light the way to the fabled Trinity Signs and protect the unknowing world around him before all is lost.
Matt Valenti. Tri-Cornered Hat Books, $3.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-937572-71-6
Just in time for the presidential election, The Newts is a satire of American politics and religion that leaves no high-profile target unscathed.
The Dogs of Pilothead Sound: Book One of the Days of Pilothead Sound (DOPS).
C. S. Walkingheart. CreateSpace, $21.99 paper (568p), ISBN 978-1-4782-0521-0; $8.99 e-book ASIN B006WWGUX6
On opposite sides of the world, a lighthouse keeper, an actor, and an exiled Incan noble see their destinies mesh in a poignant saga.
Matthew Weber. Pint Bottle Press, $8.99 paper (190p), ISBN 978-0-9854590-0-0; $5.99 e-book ASINB0081KBFXC
Frank Standish, tired of new taxes and regulations choking his livelihood, decides to do something about it.
The Blue Poppy.
Robert W. Welkos. CreateSpace, $18.99 paper (400p), ISBN 978-1-4701-5383-0
A treasure trove of Tibetan religious artifacts, known only as the Blue Poppy, has disappeared. Only one man may know its whereabouts—former FBI agent Robert Frazier, convicted of espionage and imprisoned at a high-security federal penitentiary.
City of Spirits.
Eric Wilder. Gondwana Press, $16.95 paper (298p), ISBN 978-0-9791165-5-1
It’s Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and French Quarter sleuth Wyatt Thomas is dealing with a new client and a very old curse.
Hens and Chickens: A Story About Love.
Jennifer Wixson. White Wave, $14.95 paper (272p), ISBN 978-0-9636689-8-1; $7.95 e-book ISBN 978-0-9636689-7-4
Two women, downsized by corporate America, move to Maine to raise chickens and sell organic eggs—and discover more than they bargained for, including romance.
The Last Arakad.
Guillaume Wolf. CreateSpace, $8.63 paper (260p), ISBN 978-1-4701-6902-2; $2.99 e-book ASIN B007ZI6AVS
A story of about life, loss, and magic, The Last Arakad is a thrill ride that talks about letting go of fears and claiming your own power.
Neil Edward Wolfson. CreateSpace, $9.99 paper (198p), ISBN 978-1-4679-6169-1
First Born is the story of a former Special Forces officer intent on solving the murder of his wife and child.
Thorn of Béxar.
Robert Wuench. Reelfoot Publishing, $12.95 paper (166p), ISBN 978-0-615-64285-7; $4.95 e-book
A taut tale of battles, personal conflict, and the human side of legendary people who helped shape the United States in the 18th century.
Geoffrey Young. Top Shelf Books, $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-615-43022-5
Fall is the darkly comic story of Paul, a young man recounting how he ended up a fugitive writing his life story on a Manhattan fire escape.
Race to Glory: Olympics from the First Century.
Barbara Youree. CreateSpace, $13.99 paper (327p), ISBN 978-1-4701-1019-2
To win an Olympic crown Timos must overcome the curse of young Nero, his nemesis, while Kyniska must gain her independence from her tyrannical father.
The God Antenna.
Niko Zinovii. Zinovii Art Studio, $13.95 paper (258p), ISBN 978-0-9852230-0-7; $6.95 e-book ISBN 978-0-9852230-1-4
A story of unusual extraterrestrial visitation and post-human worlds, love, betrayal, and artificial intelligence in an ancient alien civilization.
Anonymous. CreateSpace, $6.99 paper (176p), ISBN 978-1-4775-1445-0; $2.99 e-book ASIN B00865T4JE
Steven endures a horrifying ordeal as he simultaneously plans his escape and attempts to help his abductor find his way back to normalcy.
King’s Dream: Barack Obama Becomes President of the United States of America.
Sherry Hutson and Lynn Lyons. Sherry Hutson, $29.95 paper (318p), ISBN 978-1-105-83821-7
Amazon; B&N; Lulu
King’s Dream is the story of the 2008 Democratic primary and general election, told by over 500 writers from nearly 200 sources.
The Great Cotzias: Discoverer of the Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease.
Dr. Bernard M. Patten. Peak Achievement Publishing, $4.44 e-book ASIN B008QG810Q
In Greece, George Cotzias is a hero to Parkinson’s patients. This is a portrait of Cotzias and his remarkable research team.
Patalosh: The Time Travelers.
Z Altug and Tracy Gensler. CreateSpace, $12.99 paper (326p), ISBN 978-1-4635-2133-2; $3.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-4635-2133-2
A 10-year-old boy from a distant planet living on Earth frantically searches for his missing parents with the help of seven unique friends, battling many deadly obstacles and one terrifying enemy along the way.
My Merlin Awakening: Book 2, My Merlin Series.
Priya Ardis. Ink Lion Books, $14.99 paper (340p), ISBN 978-0-9848339-3-1
A young Merlin has woken and must control a high school girl to wield Excalibur to stop a natural disaster—but then falls in love.
A Moment in Time.
Jennifer Butenas. The Perfect Moment, $17.99 hardcover (40p), ISBN 978-0-9840039-0-7
A story in rhythm and rhyme about a family of four and their moment in time—a balmy summer on Cape Cod.
Sweet Savage Blood.
Carolina Courtland. Carolina Courtland, $13.15 paper (366p), ISBN 978-1-4750-1263-7
A teen vampire romance about undying love that sweeps across time from the 19th to the 21st century.
VOLUSPA—A Magical World.
Sam D and Ray East. Pramita, $8.99 paper (214p), ISBN 978-0-9856816-0-9; 99¢ e-book ISBN 978-0-9856816-1-6
A YA novel that is a crossover between urban fantasy and paranormal romance with a mythological and dystopian twist.
Randal the Flannel Camel.
Ann Goshia Diedrich. AuthorHouse, $17.99 paper (24p), ISBN 978-1-4685-8822-4; $3.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-4685-8823-1
A young camel gets lost, is found, and shops for something special to wear.
Fangs and Stilettos.
Anthony DiFiore. InGroup Press, $14.95 paper (256p), ISBN 978-1-935725-07-7
Fashion’s greatest secret—who is the driving force behind the globally burgeoning industry?—is revealed in this globe-trotting mystery.
Caller Number Nine.
Debbie Duncan. Debbie Duncan, $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-615-47740-4
Thirteen-year-old Laura wins a trip for two to Hawaii with L.A.’s coolest deejay in 1967, when times are changing and girls are discovering their power.
The Society’s Traitor: The Discoveries of Arthur Grey, Book 1.
V. K. Finnish. Panama Hat Publishing, $12.99 paper (326p), ISBN 978-0-9852202-1-1
Amazon; B&T; Ingram
The adventure of 11-year-old Arthur Grey intertwines legend, history, and modern Peru as he attempts to reveal a traitor and discovers more than he bargained for.
Blaze of Glory.
M. Garzon. Petal Press, $13.95 paper (344p), ISBN 978-0-9880013-0-5; $5.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9880013-1-2
Tea, at 17, confronts the end of her promising career as a horse-jumper after an accident. After a series of bad choices, her older adopted cousin, Jaden, steps in to help, and Tea’s love for horses soon becomes a love for Jaden. A USA Today recommended read.
The Mumbo Jumbo Circus.
Jane George. Red Willow, $12.95 paper (336p), ISBN 978-1-936539-08-6
A 15-year-old girl must save a rag-tag, magical circus that is home to a group of throwaway teens.
Jadhu Ram and the Thirsty Forest.
Kirk B. Gradin. Banyan Studios, $17.95 hardcover (36p), ISBN 978-1-105-04735-0
When drought strikes, a young Indian sage forsakes his blissful forest life in order to rescue the village folk and a forest of creatures.
The Hellandback Kids: Be Careful What You Wish For.
L.L. Helland. CreateSpace, $14.99 paper (302p), ISBN 978-1-4538-5218-7
A fable about how the search for what we want may never be complete without first living out our dreams.
Book: Baby Unplugged.
Dr. John Hutton. Blue Manatee Press, $7.99 hardcover (14p), ISBN 978-1-936669-06-6
A celebration of books—turning pages, discovering letters, words, friends, places, and imagination—from the award-winning Baby Unplugged series, dedicated to “old-school” childhood.
Joyce Shor Johnson. Pugalicious Press, $16.99 hardcover (208p), ISBN 978-0-9838240-1-5
Amazon; B&N; Igram
At Samhain, Robyn chooses red-hot crucibles of molten bronze and roaring fires over midwifery. Will she survive her training and see her dreams come true?
The Yawning Rabbit River Chronicle.
J.L. Kimmel and David Ceccarelli. Springtree Press, $17.99 hardcover (296p), ISBN 978-0-9785007-1-9
Amazon; B&N; B&T
An illustrated and complex tale of unconditional love, courage, perseverance, and forgiveness.
The Not-So-Grim Folk Tales.
A. A. King. AuthorHouse, $19.95 paper (313p), ISBN 978-1-4678-4557-1; $3.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-4678-4554-0
New tales woven out of stories by authors from the Grimm brothers to J.K. Rowling and everybody in between—including Star Wars.
Paris-Chien: Adventures of an Ex-pat Dog.
Jackie Clark Mancuso. La Librairie Parisienne, $17.95 hardcover (40p), ISBN 978-0-615-54542-4
When Hudson, an adventurous terrier, moves to Paris and tries to make friends, he discovers that Parisian dogs only speak French. Now what
Angie McCullagh. CreateSpace, $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9850330-0-2
Six-foot-plus Emily and best-friend-gone-wild Trix discover their friendship can’t withstand the search for love, acceptance, and absent parents.
Ethereal (Celestra Series Book 1).
Addison Moore. Addison Moore, 99¢ e-book ISBN 978-0-9834782-0-1
Skyla Messenger finds out the hard way that angels aren’t always there to help—sometimes they want you dead.
Mystery of the Egyptian Scroll: Secret Agent Zet Book One.
Scott Peters. CreateSpace, $6.99 paper (114p), ISBN 978-1-4783-0570-5; $3.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9859852-0-2
In ancient Egypt, 12-year-old Zet must capture a thief to earn a much-needed reward.
The Klampie Mystery.
Luis Rodriguez. Mascot Books, $14.95 hardcover (32p), ISBN 978-1-62086-031-1; $8.95 e-book
Samantha gets a stuffed koala before going to Australia. On the plane ride home, the koala turns out to be quite a mysterious plush animal.
Aliens in Disgise: Rise of the Heroes.
M.M. Scott. AMPM Press, $9.99 paper (154p), ISBN 978-1-937970-01-7
An anti-bullying handbook disguised as a sci-fi story.
Xor: The Shape of Darkness.
Moshe Sipper. Amazon. $7.99 paper (296p), ISBN 978-1-4750-7868-8; 99¢ e-book ASIN B007HKOS90
On his 12th birthday, Lewis Nash discovers he’s a Shaper from Xor. Moreover, it seems Xor is doomed— and Lewis is its only hope.
Heart of a Hero.
Billi Tiner. CreateSpace, $7.99 paper (182p), ISBN 978-1-4701-1014-7; $2.99 e-book
Lady, an Irish setter puppy, lives on a farm in Ohio in the 1940s, but her life takes a dangerous turn—into a world war.
Murder from Beyond the Grave.
Yvonne Yourkowski. CreateSpace, $10.99 paper (200p), ISBN 978-0-9880932-0-1; $6.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9880932-1-8
Officer Kaila Porter stares at the mutilated body of her mentor. Fresh from the Police Academy, she has something to prove and is determined to find justice.
Oscar’s Adventures in the Woods
Pam Stone. Outskirts Press, $14.95 paper (16p), ISBN 978-1-4327-6382-4; $7 e-book
A true story of a little girl, Shelby—the author’s daughter—and her pet turtle, Oscar.
The Wizard of Crescent Moon Mountain.
Oldman Brook. Troubadour Publishing, $10.25 paper (440p), ISBN 978-1-84876-761-4; Matador, $1.52 e-book ISBN 978-1-78088-768-5
Can two boys from the past, and one wizard in the future, save Everlast from an otherworldly monster? Ages 10–up.
A Biplane and Her Boy.
Mary Coleman-Woolslayer. 2010 Tigermoth Publications, $24.95 hardcover (45p), ISBN 978-0-9844785-0-7
A poignant story of a 1943 Stearman biplane that dreams of being reunited with “the boy” who owned and flew her better than anyone in the world. Ages 6–12.
Ben, His Helmet, and the Too Tight Hair.
Janelle Wall, $20 paper (12p), ISBN 978-0-9751168-1-4
Ben found an alien helmet down near the back fence. It wasn’t very long before he discovered it was a magic helmet. Written by the mother of a child with Asperger’s, this series aims to help children adapt to their Asperger’s or autism diagnosis.
Mrs. Cora’s Clothespins.
Anthony Melancon. AuthorHouse, $12 paper (10p), ISBN 978-1-4670-3943-7
Mrs. Cora uses clothespins for more than hanging clothes and gives them life in her own way. Neighbors’ clothespins want to live with her.
The Time for Justice: How the Excesses of Time Have Broken our Civil Justice System.
Anthony V. Curto. Onward Publishing, $14.95 hardcover (187p), ISBN 978-0-9849005-1-0; $9.95 e-book ISBN 978-0-9849005-2-7
Curto highlights inequities in our justice system and provides “time fixes” to correct it and help rebuild confidence in the system.
The Proof Is in the Poodle: One Veterinarian’s Exploration into Healing.
Donna Kelleher. Two Harbors Press, $16.95 paper (195p), ISBN 978-1-937928-06-3; $9.99 e-book
This memoir by a doctor of veterinary medicine explores why and how we heal animals through the wisdom of an herbalist mentor.
Life Is Good: Conservation in an Age of Mass Extinction.
Jeremy Leon Hance. Mongabay.com, $10.95 paper (218p), ISBN 978-1-4680-1250-7
An environmental journalist explores the many ways conservationists are striving, with limited funds and little time, to save Earth’s vanishing species and wild places.
Clayton Kinnelon Greiman. CreateSpace, $6.50 paper (139p), ISBN 978-1-4782-0497-8
A Christian and vegetarian, Greiman warns about the risks and dangers of a homosexual lifestyle. Illustrations by Ozzy Longoria.
Once Upon a Playground: A Celebration of Classic American Playgrounds, 1920–1975.
Brenda Biondo. Blurb, $47.95 paper (158p), ISBN N.A.
Illustrated with contemporary photographs and ephemera, Once Upon a Playground offers a visual tour of vintage playgrounds and celebrates their place in American culture.
Living in the Mouth of the Wolf: Based on a True Story.
Salvatore DiVita. Thunderbird Press, $19.95 paper (352p), ISBN 978-0-9742406-2-6
Raised in the youth movement of Fascist Italy, Antonio is forced to question and take up arms against an ideology to which he once swore allegiance.
California’s Next Century.
Marcus Ruiz Evans. CreateSpace, $10 paper (202p), ISBN 978-1-4751-8602-4
Will California eventually become an independent nation? Evans proposes that America grant California independence so that it can become a new global negotiations hub.
Caroline Flohr. Book Publishers Network, $15.95 paper (140p), ISBN 978-1-937454-36-4; $9.99 e-book
A heartwarming story about prayer, compassion, hope, courage, love..
Never Give In to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up from Rock Bottom.
Marti MacGibbon. Stay Strong Publishing, $15.95 paper (376p), ISBN 978-0-9860067-0-8
A memoir that chronicles a drug-fueled descent into the underworld.
Savannah Shadows: Tales from the Midnight Zombie Tour.
Tobias McGriff. Blue Orb, $20 hardcover (205p), ISBN 978-0-9792523-0-3
An uncensored look at life and afterlife in Savannah, Ga., America’s most haunted city, according to the author.
Go for It! 100 Ways to Feel Young, Vibrant, Interested and Interesting After 50.
Mary McHugh. CreateSpace, $18 paper (122p), ISBN 978-1-4752-1829-9; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-1-62110-867-2
How to be good to yourself, rev up your marriage, and experience life anew.
Escape: My Lifelong War Against Cults.
Paul Morantz and Hal Lancaster. Figueroa Press, $29.95 paper (310p), ISBN 978-0-18-213220-1
Morantz devoted his legal career to fighting brainwashing and nearly every major cult movement. It nearly cost him his life.
Cherries from Chauvet’s Orchard: A Memoir of Provence.
Ruth Phillips. Red Ochre Press, $16.95 paper (242p), ISBN 978-2-9534500-1-9
An English painter moves to Provence and discovers how hard it can be for one man to face a blank canvas—even in relative paradise.
Beach Wars: 10,000 Years on a Barrier Beach.
William Sargent. Strawberry Hill Press, $15.95 paper (150p), ISBN 978-1-4752-8263-4
On March 19, 2012, the Cape Cod National Seashore demolished five barrier beach homes threatened by sea level rise. It was only the latest skirmish in the ongoing battle over the use of the area. Beach Wars chronicles the pirates, Indians, rumrunners, and farmers who have made use of this beach.
Prescriptions from Paradise: Introduction to Biocompatible Medicine.
Carlos M. Viana. Healing Spirit Press, $25 paper (238p), ISBN 978-0-9789920-4-0
A holistic medicine reference guide for optimum wellness that draws on Dr. Viana’s decades of clinical experience.
Majoring in Motherhood.
Barbra Roylance Williams. CreateSpace, $12.99 paper (192p), ISBN 978-1-4681-4898-5
The diary of a young girl who is faced with teenage pregnancy while battling domestic violence.
Secrets of the Primaverse: Why God Cannot Exist & Nothing Can Exist Without Him.
Joel H. Posner. Metafisica, $22 hardcover (140p), ISBN 978-1-936940-24-0; $9.99 e-book ASIN B008OKNPC8
Secrets of the Primaverse strives to dismantle the orthodoxies that polarize atheists and people of faith.
Clinging to the Promise.
Mary Beth Cordle. Change of Heart Publishing, $12.99 paper (492p), ISBN 978-1-4679-7481-3
The devotionals in this collection offer an alternative to the narrative devotional while seeking to convey understanding to those looking for more spiritual material.
China: Hungry for Resources and Know-How.
Wil Souza. Dorrance Publishing, $11 paper (58p), ISBN 978-1-4349-1622-8; $6 e-book ISBN 978-1-4349-1571-9
An explanation of China’s global reach to secure global resources as well as high-tech know-how from developing and developed countries.
Holy: The Bible Companion.
Anthony Jon Beavers. Kinetic Press, $9.95 paper (100p), ISBN 978-0-578-10427-0; $7.95 e-book ASIN B007SPPKLE
Holy brings timeless wisdoms, passed through generations, into focus. Four treatises provide a firm foundation in thinking to achieve better health, wealth, love and leadership.
The Science of the Quran: Proving God’s Existence Through Established Modern Science.
Ahmad Hassan. Lido Horizons Publishing, $26.67 paper (240p), ISBN 978-0-615-49984-0
The Science of the Quran attempts to prove God’s existence by presenting modern-day scientific insights provided by select verses of the Qur’an.
The Master of Evolution: An Illustrated Voyage of Truth and Light.
Gregory Hatton. Universal Wisdom Publications, $34.95 hardcover (256p), ISBN 978-0-9880275-2-7
An astronaut travels to the moon and encounters an Angel who reveals cosmic secrets about Christ and the divine purpose of humankind.
Customer Service and the Imitation of Christ.
Ron Johnson. CreateSpace, $9.99 paper (134p), ISBN 978-1-4681-6205-9; $7.99 e-book ISBN 9781468162055
An unemployed professor accepts a job in a customer service call center and learns why it’s so hard to get good service.
Extraterrestrial Intelligence: Amazing New Insights from Qur’an.
Sayeedur Rahman. CreateSpace, $18 paper (286p), ISBN 978-1-4750-5256-5; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-81-88497-27-0
Working in the religio-scientific realm, Extraterrestrial Intelligence seeks to advance beyond where science has brought the investigation of alien life.
Stop Acting Your Age: Start Living Your Life.
David James Demko. CreateSpace, $9.95 paper (156p), ISBN 978-1-4538-0246-5
An expert on aging offers advice on how to remain youthful.
Living Successfully with Chronic Pain.
Ruth Stella MacLean. CreateSpace, $10.89 paper (103p), ISBN 978-0-9878295-0-4; $5.39 e-book ASIN B007CH1JXQ
A nurse with 20 years experience in living with chronic pain offers strategies for living every day in the presence of pain, allowing the individual to move from denial, fear, and hopelessness to a place of acceptance.
12 Ways to Put Money in Your Pocket Every Month: The Skinny Book That Makes Your Wallet Fat.
Jennifer S. Matthews. Pickett Fennell Group, $15 paper (106p), ISBN 978-0-9833864-8-3
Guides readers by adjusting current spending to create cash, converting expenses into income opportunities.
Beware the Purple People Eaters: A Personal Look at Leadership.
Anthony Paustian, Ph.D. BookPress Publishing, $19.95 hardcover (160p), ISBN 978-0-9855133-0-6
Beware the Purple People Eaters delivers inspired thinking about leadership through an entertaining blend of humor, nostalgia, and research.
The Ten Most Important Things Ever Said.
Dan D. Schinzel. AuthorHouse, $16.95 paper (201p), ISBN 978-1-4772-2799-2 978-1-4772-2797-8
Schinzel brings together quotes from a variety of sources, each followed by fictional conversations and historical stories that elaborate on the intentions of the author.
Defending Happiness: And Other Acts of Bravery.
Amy Shea. Danzatore Publishing, $14.95 paper (130p), ISBN 978-0-9831247-0-2
The collection of stories that demonstrates how one woman faced breast cancer, online dating, and motherhood.
Keyboard Results: Piano and Fundamentals for Everyone, Vol. 1.
Jay Snyder. Golden Retriever Media, $29.95 paper (204p), ISBN 978-0-578-08110-6
A self-help guide with a gentle pace for those starting from scratch or resuming piano.
Juan Makes Lemonade.
Raymond G. Ramos (Giovanni Rosario). Raymond G. Ramos, $19.95 paper (174p), ISBN 978-0-9855114-0-1
Juan learns to survive on the streets and energize “the jaguar in his soul.”
Sports & Recreation
Splish! Splash! Dolphins and Kids Having Fun in Water.
Karen Board. Stone Fence Publishing, $11.95 paper (32p), ISBN 978-0-9827847-8-5
The Open Door Bookstore
Cartoon characters Olivia and Jack discover how similar children and dolphins are while having fun playing water games and telling jokes.
Surfing the Middle East: Deviant Journalism from the Lost Generation.
Jesse Aizenstat. Casbah Publishing, $26.95 hardcover (240p), ISBN 978-0-9837009-1-3; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9837009-0-6
A first-person account of what it is like to surf around the closed, war-torn Israeli-Lebanese border.
Wellfleet: An Insider’s Guide to Cape Cod’s Trendiest Town.
Alexandra Grabbe. Alexandra Grabbe, $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9858094-0-9
Wellfleet, Mass., celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2013. Grabbe, an innkeeper, explains what to see and do there and why this Cape Cod town means so much to so many people.
The Everyday Space Traveler: Discover Insights of Space Travelers.
Jason Klassi. Space Traveler Publishing, $24.95 hardcover (220p), ISBN 978-0-9817674-0-6
A book that brings space travel down to Earth and presents the profound insights that have been gleaned by space travelers.
The Bookie’s Daughter: A Memoir of Growing Up in a Crazy, Crime-Ridden Family.
Heather Abraham. Sagis Books, $15.99 paper (316p), ISBN 978-0-9838635-1-9
The raw, provocative, and comedic reflections of a young girl caught up in her parent’s seedy world of violence, crime, and addiction.