Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Your Guide to
Self-Publishing
DIY Audiobooks
Book Design Dos
and Donts
Reviews Roundup
41 New Titles Listed
KS
IND
UDIOBO
A
O
IE
INDIE AUDIO
DIY Audiobooks
Just dont do it all yourself
By Ryan Joe
32 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 1 5
INDIE AUDIO
Infinity Publishers
When Arthur Gutch started at Infinity
Publishers, its AudioBrite arm did production work for large publishing houses
such as Hachette. Gutch, now the chairman, wanted to focus more on indie authors, and Infinity offers two services
catering to that smaller group. The first
is unabridged audio production through
Infinitys Spoken Books Publishing unit,
which releases both CDs and digital files
via Audible and iTunes.
The basic services include script preparation and contact with the narrator, plus
recording, editing, proofing, mastering,
publishing, and distribution. Depending
on word count, the cost can run $4,000
to $5,000 or more. Additional
services include abridgment
($599 per 10,000 words),
sending audio copies to reviewers ($25), and hour-long
phone consultations ($250).
For $649, Infinitys OneHour Audio option will
abridge a book, distilling it P.J. Ochlan
into an hour-long listening
experience. Its more attuned to nonfiction work, but, for shorter novels, it also
applies, Gutch says.
according to a union
spokesperson, plus a 13%
contribution to the guilds
health and retirement fund. That said,
narrators are free to set their own, higher
rates, the spokesperson says.
Additionally, Kafer urges indie authors to relax and let the
professionals do their jobs.
One of the big things that authors do is they feel they need to
direct or micromanage, Kafer
says. Ive heard horror stories
where the narrator submits the
book and gets a spreadsheet of a
thousand things the author didnt like.
Thats the worst thing an author can do.
I understand this is your baby, but you
hired the narrator for a reason. You have
to let go of your baby and let the professional you hired do their job.
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M
33
BOOK DESIGN
34 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 1 5
SELFPUBLISHED LISTINGS
New Titles
from Self-Publishers
Booksellers, publishers, and agents are encouraged to look at the 41 self-published titles
listed below, with descriptions provided by their authors. If you are a self-published author
interested in listing titles in this section, please visit publishersweekly.com/pw-select for
more information.
FICTION
Deep Fried and Pickled: The Rachael
OBrien Chronicles, Book 1
Paisley Ray. Paisley Ray.
$2.99 e-book (415p), ASIN
B00AABHU70
Amazon, Audible
Rachael OBriens
freshman plans seem simple:
attend a Southern college and meet cute
guys. Unraveling an art fraud scheme
conflicts with Rachaels to-do list,
sending her on a misadventure.
Pianist in a Bordello
Mike C. Erickson, illus. by
Katelyn Schirmer. TryRhyme Publications. $1.99
e-book (284p), ASIN
B00SC6RSAO
Amazon
This is the funny, satirical, story of a
man named after Richard Nixon whose
colorful life sucks him into politics.
Wai-nani:
Voice from Old Hawaii
Linda Ballou. Star Publish.
$19.95 paper, ISBN 9781-932993-88-2
Apple iBooks, Audible
Wai-nani transports you
into the wild heart of ancient Hawaii.
POETRY
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M
35
SELFPUBLISHED LISTINGS
MYSTERY/THRILLER
1884 No Boundaries: A Story of Espionage and International Intrigue
A.E. Wasserman. Archway
Publishing. $23.99 paper
(367p), ISBN 978-1-48081652-7
Amazon, BN.com,
Ingram
An Englishman and his
lovesick German friend are thrown into a
life-or-death pursuit of spies, killers, and
assassins.
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt:
A Jenna James Legal Thriller
Linda S. Prather. Linda S. Prather. 99
e-book (351p), ISBN 978-0-98591834-7
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com,
Draft2Digital, Kobo,
Assistant DA Jenna
James took an oath to
uphold the law, administer
justice, deter crime, and
ensure the safety of the
community. Lies, deceit,
and murder tempt her to cross the lines.
A Book About a Film
Calen Sifferman. CreateSpace. $13.40
paper (268p), ISBN 978-1-5085-9593-9
Amazon, Baker & Taylor,
Ingram
A thriller about the
Cornfield People, a secret
society that knows the
meaning of life and what
comes after death.
Dead Money Run
J. Frank James. CreateSpace. $13.25
paper (302p), ISBN 978-1-4910-9379-5
Amazon
Lou Malloy meets a
young and beautiful PI,
Hilary Kelly, and together
they fight to keep their
freedom and $15 million
in mob money, and to find
those responsible for his
sisters death.
Missing Melissa
Alretha Thomas. Diverse Arts Collective.
$2.99 e-book, ASIN B00XKNBZQC;
$9.95 paper (312p), ISBN 978-0-69241610-5
Amazon
A young woman in
search of her missing twin
discovers the unimaginable.
Nightfall: A Chase Dagger Mystery
Lee Driver. Full Moon Publishing. $26
hardcover (308p), ISBN 978-0-98886836-6
Amazon, Ingram
The body count is rising.
Chase Dagger sees a connection to Paul Addison,
who wreaked havoc during
a full moon on a Friday the
13th. But Addison died in a fire. Or did
he?
OHenry: A Josh Ingram Novel
T.G. Brown. Thriller Reads. $2.99
e-book (432p), ISBN 978-1-92802900-7; $10.75 paper (432p),
ISBN 978-1-928029-01-4
Amazon
OHenry, a serial killer
who once plagued New York
City, has resurfaced. Josh
Ingram has no way of knowing that his
journey will put his closest of friends in
harms way.
The Oracle of Baal:
A Mick Chandra Mystery
(Mick Chandra Mysteries, Book 4)
Rebecca Yount. Rebecca Yount. $3.99
e-book (298p), ASIN B00JKT2YUQ
Amazon, BN.com
In the Oracle of Baal,
Scotland Yard Det. Insp.
Mick Chandra must
expose a self-help group as
a cult.
SF/FANTASY/HORROR
Assassins Wall
Amanda Dubin. Amanda Dubin. $4.99
36 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 1 5
ROMANCE/EROTICA
Forever Grace
Linda Poitevin. Michem Publishing.
$12.99 paper, ISBN 978-0-9919958-3-7
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Book
Depository, Chapters/
Indigo, Kobo
Sean McKittricks
neighbor is hiding something. Seans cop instincts
kick in, but as he digs for
the truth, the line between
professional concern and personal interest
becomes blurred.
SELFPUBLISHED LISTINGS
If Tomorrow Never Comes
(Harper Falls, Book 2)
Mary J. Williams. Mary J. Williams.
$2.99 e-book (288p), ASIN
B00YISB98M
Amazon
Love has a way of
catching up with you. Dani
and Alex are getting a
second chance at their happily ever after. Now they
just have to be strong enough to take it.
INSPIRATIONAL
A Season of Miracles: Artful & Poetic
Devotions
Aliza McCracken. Aliza
McCracken & Associates/
Grace Publishing Group.
$29.95 paper, ISBN 9780-9667291-5-3
BN.com, Russos Books
In this delightful vignette of drawings
and poems, Aliza shares her faith in the
creative process, and her love for others.
Alizas gracious prose celebrates everyday
miracles!
NONFICTION
The Becoming Years 18 to 28: The Ten
Years It Takes to Get Over Being a Kid
George Wray AlphaGraphics. $24 paper
(332p), ISBN 978-0-990-3721-0-3
Thebecomingyears.com,
Amazon
This conversational book
is for keen and striving
young people between ages
18 and 28and for those
wandering and wondering.
Good Decisions Most of the Time:
Because Life Is Too Short Not to Eat
Chocolate
Danielle Brooks. Aviva
Publishing. $9.99 e-book
(418p), ISBN 978-1938686-62-7; $27.59
hardcover (418p), ISBN
978-1-938686-63-4
Amazon
Discover fun informative facts about
foods, enjoy over 40 delicious recipes, and
jogging. 53 illustrations.
BIO/AUTOBIO
37
SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS
PW Select provides
indie authors
promotional access
to reach and
influence the
gatekeepers of the
publishing industry.
AGENTS
LIBRARIANS
BOOK
BUYERS
PUBLISHERS
EDITORS
CHILDRENS/YA FICTION
Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar
Conspiracy
Paula Berinstein, illus. by
Anna Mogileva. The
Writing Show. $9.99 paper
(386p), ISBN 978-09860304-8-2
Amazon
38 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 1 5
Reviews Roundup
This month, we reviewed 50 self-published titles submitted to BookLife, PWs website dedicated to indie authors. Among the highlights are two books that received
starred reviews: Matt McHughs Radioland and Thomas Claburns Oversight.
Fiction
All for You
Laura Florand. Laura Florand, $15.99 trade paper (300p)
ISBN 978-1-943168-00-2
Black Canyon
Jeremy Bates. Ghillinnein, $2.99 e-book (78p) ISBN 978-0-9937646-4-6
Budapest Romance
Rozsa Gaston. CreateSpace, $11.95 trade paper (266p)
ISBN 978-1-4801-4063-9
The Cooks
Charles Facas. Orsonami, $14.99 trade paper (258p) ISBN 978-0-9851919-9-3
Miseryland
Keiler Roberts. Keiler Roberts, $10 paper (142p) ISBN 978-1-5078-0475-9
Oversight
Thomas Claburn. Lot 49 Labs, $2.99 e-book (264p) ISBN 978-0-986-10160-1
Project Nephili
T.L. Farmer. Story Merchant, $15.95 trade paper (436p)
ISBN 978-0-990421-62-7
Radioland
Matt McHugh. Matt McHugh, $1 e-book (37p) ASIN B0063914DE
Griffith Stadium
Robert Ambros. Authorhouse, $19.50 trade paper (268p)
ISBN 978-1-4634-3839-5
Gwendolyns Sword
E.A. Haltom. CreateSpace, $13.99 trade paper (328p)
ISBN 978-1-5001-5501-8
The Magician
D.A. Pupa. WingSpan, $17.95 trade paper (326p) ISBN 978-1-595945-31-0
Meant to Be
Jessica James. Patriot Press, $16.99 trade paper (329)
ISBN 978-1-941020-02-9
The Merry-Go-Round
Donna Fasano. CreateSpace, $9.49 trade paper (236p) ISBN 978-14536-8801-4
Radioland
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M
39
REVIEWS ROUNDUP
Short Bus Hero
Host of Memories
So Buttons
Jonathan Baylis et al. So Buttons Comics, $20 (184p) ISBN 978-0-98818779-5
Sucker
Mark Lingane. CreateSpace, $14.99 trade paper (262p)
ISBN 978-1-5084-5598-1
Treadmill
Warren Adler. Stonehouse, $9.99 e-book (210p) ASIN B00NG1E7N6
Without Consent
Virginia R. Degner. Strategic Book Group, $18.95 trade paper (330p)
ISBN 978-1-60976-400-5
Wytchfire
Michael Meyerhofer. Red Adept, $16.99 trade paper (360p)
ISBN 978-1-940215-28-0
Nonfiction
Crazy Dumplings
Amanda Roberts. Two Americans in China, $6.99 e-book (176p)
ASIN B00OVTRWKC
Gimme Shelter:
A Damaged Pit Bull, an Angry Man, and How They
Saved Each Other
Louis Spirito. CreateSpace, $14.99 trade paper (236p)
ISBN 978-1-4823-3068-7
40 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 1 5
Sugar Burn
Number One Songs: The First Twenty Years
Larry Irons. Black Hills, $15.95 trade paper (218p) ISBN 978-0-9907-6360-4
Childrens & YA
Hey Boy
Ben Strouse, illus. by Jennifer Phelan. Dog Ear Publishing, $18.95 (40p)
ISBN 978-1-4575-3342-6
Moon Tears
M.M. Frische. Ten Story, $11.99 paper (258p) ISBN 978-0-9916348-1-1
Nap-a-Roo
Kristy Kurjan, illus. by Tyler Parker. KPO Creative LLC, $7.95 (16p)
ISBN 978-0-9860750-0-1
Unclaimed
Laurie Wetzel. Wise Ink, $14.95 paper (466p) ISBN 978-1-940014-24-1
Reviews
Fiction
All for You
Laura Florand. Laura Florand, $15.99 trade
paper (300p) ISBN 978-1-943168-00-2
Black Canyon
Jeremy Bates. Ghillinnein, $2.99 e-book
(78p) ISBN 978-0-9937646-4-6
Discontented adolescent Brian, the narrator of this short, sharp shocker, admits
to parricide in the opening paragraphs,
and he has a few more startling surprises
to spring before hes through recalling his
familys ill-fated Colorado camping trip
in the fall of 1990. Things are already
tense between Brian and his bickering
parents when
Brians showboating dad
stumbles off a
cliff and seriously
injures himself.
While Brians
mom runs for
help, Brian
watches over his
dad, until the
delirious man tells Brian a secret that
makes the boy less inclined to save him.
The stage is set for other revelations that
put Brians behavior in grim context.
Bates (The Taste of Fear) writes persuasively from Brians adolescent point of
view, making the horror of his youthful
reminiscences that much more intense. A
coda shifting from the past to the present
comes across as something of a storytelling cheat, but it doesnt diminish the
power of this first-person tale.
Budapest Romance
Rozsa Gaston. CreateSpace, $11.95 trade
paper (266p) ISBN 978-1-4801-4063-9
The Cooks
Charles Facas. Orsonami, $14.99 trade paper
(258p) ISBN 978-0-9851919-9-3
REVIEWS
eclectic cast of characters
whose lives intersect at a
weekly cooking class in New
York City. The book takes place over a
single day, and the eight students in
renowned French chef John Sebastians
class, and John himself, are all at a crossroads. Struggling actress Dana showers at
least three times a
day and wonders if
shell ever land a
career-making
role. Tomcatting
real estate agent
Paulson frets over
his bowling game
and congratulates
himself for going
two whole days
without cheating on his boyfriend.
Financial analyst Lola obsessively counts
everything and puzzles over why she
keeps dreaming she has a penis. And John
is brought to his knees at the thought he
might actually be in love for the first time
in his life at 50 years oldor maybe not;
he just cant tell. Fracass wry, matter-offact writing style is a delight, and his
characterssurprisingly relatable, albeit
with a touch of the absurdare literary
amuse-bouches.
Comfort:
A Novel of the Reverse
Underground Railroad
H.A. Maxson and Claudia H. Young. Parkhurst
Brothers Publishers, $18 trade paper (240p)
ISBN 978-1-62491-044-9
40b P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 1 5
Griffith Stadium
Robert Ambros. Authorhouse, $19.50 trade
paper (268p) ISBN 978-1-4634-3839-5
REVIEWS
unable to figure out how he could care for
13-year-old Lou, gave up Lou to a foster
home. Jack drops everything to race to
D.C. to learn the truth, only to find that
the police believe Lou had been a
Communist and arent actively looking
for the killer. Determined to get justice
for his brother, Jack turns sleuth. Ambros
does a solid job of making Jacks occasionally amateurish efforts plausible. Fans of
Sarah R. Shabers WWII-era mysteries
(Louises Blunder, etc.) will enjoy this effort
with its darkly satisfying ending.
Gwendolyns Sword
E.A. Haltom. CreateSpace, trade paper (328p)
$13.99 ISBN 978-1-5001-5501-8
The Magician
D.A. Pupa. WingSpan, $17.95 trade paper
(326p) ISBN 978-1-595945-31-0
tive use of flashbacks and alternating perspectives to create suspense. FBI agent
Frank Sorello was devastated by the loss of
his wife to the
serial killer known
as the Magician.
The murderer was
so named because
he began killing
in Harry
Houdinis hometown, on the date
of the legendary
escape artists
death. Now retired from the Bureau,
Frank becomes convinced that the
Magician is bestselling author Gary Jones,
whose latest book is a thinly veiled version of his actual crimes. Frank manages
to persuade the FBI director, a friend, to
take him seriously, and to allow him to
participate in the search for Jones.
Though Pupa fills in the tragic history
that led to the creation of the Magician,
who witnessed the murder of his parents
in Los Angeles in 1998 while only eight
years
Meant to Be
Jessica James. Patriot Press, $16.99 trade
paper (329) ISBN 978-1-941020-02-9
The Merry-Go-Round
Donna Fasano. CreateSpace, $9.49 trade
paper (236p) ISBN 978-1-4536-8801-4
Miseryland
Keiler Roberts. Keiler Roberts, $10 paper
(142p) ISBN 978-1-5078-0475-9
REVIEWS
daughter, Xia, calls her
only to find out its to say I
love you. In the comics best
pages, Roberts
and Xia
struggle with
toilet training
(That already
happened, Xia
beams when she
is warned to
keep her butt
out of the bowl),
and Xia abuses
her swearing privileges. The linework on
the characters is detailed while retaining a
sketchiness for backgrounds that makes
the figures feel raw, rather than polished.
The simple, direct art makes for an intimate, personal journey through Robertss
life as a mother and creator.
Oversight
Thomas Claburn. Lot 49 Labs, $2.99 e-book
(264p) ISBN 978-0-986-10160-1
Project Nephili
T.L. Farmer. Story Merchant, $15.95 trade
paper (436p) ISBN 978-0-990421-62-7
Radioland
Matt McHugh. Matt Mchugh, $1 e-book (37p)
ASIN B0063914DE
40d P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 1 5
Red Sulphur:
The Greatest Mystery in Alchemy
Robert Bosnak. Red Sulphur, $3.99 e-book
(504p) ISBN 978-0-9909321-0-9
Bosnak debuts with a high-stakes fantastical tale set largely in the Netherlands
during the late 17th century. Mundanus,
an Italian alchemist, sets out on a mission
to visit the venerated Dutch physician
Helvetius. He
brings with him
the famed
Philosophers
Stone, forcing
Helvetius to
reconsider his
skepticism of
alchemy.
Meanwhile,
Mundanus is
drawn to Helvetiuss wife, Marianne, who
is herself an alchemist, and to her ailing
niece, Clara. Mundanus and Marianne
begin to use an alchemical compound
called red sulphur in experiments, many
of which have life-altering effects. He also
hopes to prove himself a better physician
than Helvetius by curing Claras lingering
illness. Occasional modern colloquialisms
and phrasing hinder the flow, and the
atmosphere suffers as a result. However,
Bosnak excels at depicting human drama,
particularly the love triangle among
REVIEWS
Mundanus, Marianne, and Clara. Bosnaks
characters are three-dimensional, and the
interactions among them are often
thought provoking. The fantastical elements assist but never overshadow the
main story, and the characters emotional
entanglements are balanced by a complex
plot with a well-realized historical setting.
This impressive debut deftly incorporates near-future technology into a suspense plot. In the year 2039, the dead are
pressed into service as shadeszombie
slave laborers working off their unpaid
debts. Jonah
Adams works as an
agent for the
Incorporeal
Revenue Service,
impounding delinquent corpses. His
girlfriend,
Vanessa, is a
lawyer who specializes in
Afterdeath Debt Reconciliation and
Remediation. When Vanessa disappears
along with the bioengineer who pioneered
shade technology, Jonah, abetted by his
indefatigable AI, Sasha, follows their trail
from Earth to the moon and into a web of
intrigues spun by a sinister corporate culture that has become desperately dependent on cheap shade labor. Dallaire
torques his tale with sinuous twists that
keep the reader guessing. His real
achievement, though, is his credible rendering of a world in which virtual reality
and avatar technology are so rampant that
its hard to tell whats real from what
isntmuch to the benefit of this craftily
plotted futuristic crime thriller.
So Buttons
Jonathan Baylis et al. So Buttons Comics, $20
(184p) ISBN 978-0-98818779-5
Spark Rising:
The Progenitor Saga, Book 1
Kate Corcino. Kate Corcino, $14.99 trade
paper (380p) ISBN 978-0-9907328-0-8
REVIEWS
ment is desperate to control
them. When Lena Gracey
was a child, her parents faked
her death to hide her from authorities
bent on taking girls with Spark talent. As
a young adult, she lives in an abandoned
gas station outside the city enclave. When
Alejandro Reyes, a
government agent
secretly helping
the Sparks, discovers her home,
he knows Lena is
one of the most
powerful Sparks
hes ever come
across, and he
hopes shell be the
key to the revolution hes been plotting
for decades. Balancing the demands of his
double identity makes it difficult for Alex
to convince Lena that he wants to keep her
safe, but when he brings her to a secret
school to train her talents, she realizes
theres more to Alex than she originally
had thought. As Lena learns to use her
powers, biding her time before getting
revenge against the council that destroyed
her family, she discovers a new cause:
saving other girls with Spark talent in a
world where even fellow revolutionaries
cant be trusted. Alex and Lenas slowburning, tension-fueled romance, and a
uniquely layered postapocalyptic world,
will have readers eagerly looking for the
next installment.
40f P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 1 5
Sucker
Mark Lingane. CreateSpace, $14.99 trade
paper (262p) ISBN 978-1-5084-5598-1
Lingane (Faraday) sets up a deadly contest between good and evil in a bleak
alternate-Earth setting thats soaked in
noir wryness. When PI Van H. Avram
takes on a missing-person case, the last
thing he expects is to find a dead body on
his doorstep. The corpse is only the first of
a series of encounters with skinny
blond things that
lead Van into an
apocalyptic nightmare of murder,
human sacrifice,
vampires, demons,
and deadly fireballs. A mysterious artifact is
missing, someones torching buildings,
Vans got some annoying holes in his
memory, and his only ally, Angelina, is a
vampire slayer with secrets of her own.
The breakneck pace balances Vans laconic
voice, pulling readers headlong into a
maelstrom of violence, magic, and
prophesy. Dark-fantasy fans will enjoy
this gritty supernatural mystery and its
memorable protagonist.
REVIEWS
strongly opposes the project. To his shock,
he begins to have feelings for her, feelings
he thought had died with his beloved wife.
Nothing is as it seems in this tale of twists.
Dangerous people think Brianna is dead
and theres no telling how theyll react if she
turns up alive. Though the premise is original, the villains motivations are quite farfetched. Still, Oortmans writing holds
enough promise to carry readers through to
the end.
Treadmill
Warren Adler. Stonehouse, $9.99 e-book
(210p) ASIN B00NG1E7N6
Without Consent
Virginia R. Degner. Strategic Book Group,
$18.95 trade paper (330p) ISBN 978-1-60976400-5
Wytchfire
Michael Meyerhofer. Red Adept, $16.99 trade
paper (360p) ISBN 978-1-940215-28-0
Poet Meyerhofer (Damnatio Memoriae)
Nonfiction
The Crazy Dumplings
Amanda Roberts. Two Americans in China,
$6.99 e-book (176p) ASIN B00OVTRWKC
REVIEWS
tional pork to tacos and
cheesecake. She is an
American expatriate who has
been living in China for four years; her
recipe attempt to respect local traditions
and the foods she has come to love while
recreating her comfort foods from home.
In this manner, she shows readers how she
can turn almost anything into a dumpling
filling and make a tasty meal for two. By
providing a single dumpling wrapper
recipe, she frees herself (and her readers)
to consider non-traditional fillings, as
well as a variety of sauces. Roberts makes
readers think about the versatility of
dumplings in a new way. However,
readers are bombarded with so many different recipes,
most of which are
requests from
Kickstarter
backers, that they
have no idea what
is worth making
and what is not;
and the recipes all
start to blend
together, especially with her overly succinct directions.
She provides good notes on metric conversions and some of her research around
dumplings, but there is very little of the
theory of what makes dumpling fillings
work (or not), so readers will likely feel a
little overwhelmed. Roberts covers a lot of
ground, but she does it without much
depth.
Dear Hannah:
A Geeks Life in Self-Improvement
Philip Dhingra. Nuclear Elements, $14.99
trade paper (254p) ISBN 978-1-5003-9224-6
with enthusiasm,
and then feeling
his interest wane
and his frustration
with his work and
love life redouble.
After taking up
meditation and
sticking with it
for multiple years,
however, he
decided to write a book collecting his letters to Hannah, in hopes of helping other
self-help devotees. Reading about
Dhingras past self-improvement efforts
can be difficult, since his obsession with
self-analysis borders, as even he admits, on
the obsessive-compulsivehe has an
apparent need to put every aspect of his
life in a spreadsheet. While Dhingra presents some useful ideas about meditation
and mindfulness, the books tone comes
off as at once relentlessly self-analytical
and un-self-aware, making it unlikely to
appeal to readers seeking their own path
to self-improvement.
Gimme Shelter:
A Damaged Pit Bull,
an Angry Man, and
How They Saved Each Other
Louis Spirito. CreateSpace, $14.99 trade
paper (236p) ISBN 978-1-4823-3068-7
40h P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 1 5
Host of Memories
Peter Rupert Lighte. Acausal, $15.95 (344p)
ISBN 978-0-9912529-7-8
REVIEWS
voice, but they will ultimately not engage
with the various characters of the book.
Jewels of Allah:
The Untold Story of Women in Iran
Nina Ansary. Revela, $12.99 trade paper
(268p) ISBN 978-0-9864064-1-6
Kid Me Not:
An Anthology by Child-Free Women
of the 60s, Now in Their 60s
Edited by Aralyn Hughes. Violet Crown, $12
trade paper (126p) ISBN 978-1-938749-10-0
Fifteen women in their 60s share personal reminiscences of their youth, praising
birth control, abortion access, and the support of activists who told them that they
had more options than babymaking and
secretarial work, and showing how life
without childreneither by choice or circumstanceworked out perfectly fine for
them. Alternating with joyful photo collages and cute lists of events, TV shows,
movies, and music from individual years in
the 60s, these narratives of sex, love, career,
family, and relationships together give a
warm impression of women whose paradigms were changing, whether they fought
for it and or just found themselves at the
forefront of new opportunities. Lovely pictures of the
writers as young
women and in the
present accompany each
vignette and
serve as a
delightful testament to aging
gracefully.
Younger feminists might find that compassion for the
struggles of their second-wave foremothers
is evoked by the words of well-spoken,
everyday women who look like their own
mothers and grandmothers. Their stories
are a reminder that our choices now do
carry us into the rest of our lives.
Sugar Burn
Ryan Kurr. Amazon Digital, $7.99 e-book
(230p) ASIN B00QOH8CJY
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epic. The rhymes are trite,
albeit sometimes whimsical,
and the whole piece would
have benefited from very serious editing,
particularly when Irons loses focus and
veers off on
autobiographical tangents.
Twenty years of
songs also isnt
a strong theme
to organize a
book around
and therefore
the collection
feels unwieldy.
Readers may want to skip this altogether
and go straight to Ironss source, The
Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, to learn
about the music itself.
40j P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y J U N E 2 9 , 2 0 1 5
Childrens & YA
Hey Boy
Ben Strouse, illus. by Jennifer Phelan. Dog Ear
Publishing, $18.95 (40p) ISBN 978-1-45753342-6
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and when the boy finally decides to take
the dog home, it has been adopted.
Although the dog
moved very
slowly now and
couldnt see very
well the two
reunite in a semblance of a happy
ending. Graceful
in their simplicity,
Phelans crisp digital illustrations
match the moody atmosphere of the story
with a pale palette spiked with orange elements (a ball, a field of flowers) that highlight the love between boy and dog. With
its melancholy tone and focus on the passage of time, Strouses story will remind
some readers of Shel Silversteins The
Giving Treelike that book, it can be read
as a portrait of either selflessness or selfishness. All ages.
Moon Tears
M.M. Frische. Ten Story, $11.99 paper (258p)
ISBN 978-0-9916348-1-1
Unclaimed
Laurie Wetzel. Wise Ink, $14.95 paper (466p)
ISBN 978-1-940014-24-1
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shifters change genders and
dip into their targets minds
for information. Not all of
the ideas introduced get the attention one
might expect (such as the American government stripping shifters of their rights,
simply because they exist), but Van Brunt
leaves room to explore this and other
topics in future books. Ages 12up.
Nap-a-Roo
Kristy Kurjan, illus. by Tyler Parker. KPO
Creative LLC, $7.95 (16p) ISBN 978-0-98607500-1