FE B RUARY 2017

Your guide to self-publishing

Going Indie for Female Superheroes Book Cover Redesign
First Lines from BookLife Authors
Ask the Editor with Betty Kelly Sargent 148 New Titles Listed

The
World
Needs
More
Sheroes
Publishing and
promoting a
graphic novel
BY JENNIFER MCCARTNEY

L
aunching a superhero fran-
chise is a lot of work. The
author Shequeta Smith not
only created the black female
superhero Rayven Choi but also
Smiths superhero self-published two graphic novels
Rayven Choi, from the featuring Choi under her Shero
cover of the first issue of Comics imprint, directed a trailer
the eponymous series for the series, and launched the
second book at Los Angeles Comic

W W W. P U B L I S H E R SW E E K LY.C O M 41

Con. Smith was inspired to create
her own superhero after a trip to
a local comic book store in L.A.
I had trouble finding any books
with a black woman on the cover,
says the North Carolina native.
So, she decided to create one.
Women make up like 46% of comic
book readers, so its a no brainer
that we should be creating these
stories, Smith says.
The learning curve for self-
publishing a graphic novel is steep.
After writing the first book of her
planned six-part series and col-
laborating with artists, colorists,
and letterers, Smith was ready
for the publishing process. One
of the surprises was learning that
the print and digital editions of
her book required different types
of formatting: color printing
requires files in CMYK mode, and
digital requires RGB. This meant
a last-minute scramble to reformat
the digital edition. Choosing how
to publish the print edition was
another consideration. Publishing
in color on CreateSpace was too
costly, says Smith. Plus, she felt
that the platform catered to black-
and-white, text-based publications
rather than graphic novels.
I wanted to find a company
that specialized in printing com-
ics since I felt like they would be
Covers and back covers from Smiths Rayven Choi series
42 B O O K L I F E , F E B R UA RY 2 7 , 2 0 1 7
The movie poster for the Rayven
Choi short film
able to address any issues that
we may have overlooked, Smith
says. She opted for Texas-based
Litho Ninja, which does just that.
Smith then hand-sold the printed
books into traditional comic book
stores around her home in Los
Angeles, as well as more unusual
outlets. I have books for sale in
pharmacies and newsstands and
even in womens beauty supply
stores, she says.
The first step in her publicity
plan was a trailer for the series.
Smith already had experience
INDIE SUCCESS
writing and directing; her short
The Gestapo vs. Granny was a
finalist in HBOs Project Greenlight
competition in 2015. She planned
to use the trailer to introduce
comic book fans to the series.
Smith has since expanded that
effort into a short 14-minute film.
I really thought that having a
great trailer would help push book
sales, but that hasnt happened,
at least so far, she says. The dis-
crepancy between trailer views
and book sales is something that
Smith hasnt figured out yet
although she says she often gets
inquiries from readers and view-
ers wondering about a feature-
length film.
Next came outreach to real
comic book enthusiasts, which
meant launching the second book
at Stan Lees Los Angeles Comic
Con in October. Smith says the
response was encouraging, par-
ticularly from women readers.
She recalls meeting a group of
girls who were on the hunt for
female superhero characters, but
who were discouraged to discover
the creators were all men. Their
question was: where are the
women who are creating these
strong female characters? Smith
says. By the time they arrived
at my table, they were both excited
and relieved to find a woman who
was telling a story about a strong
and powerful woman.
Smith has also sent copies of
her book to authors she admires,
as well as to public figures such
as Michelle Obama. My strategy
for Rayven Choi is to turn her
story into a property that is just
as big as a Hunger Games or
Divergent, Smith says.
Jennifer McCartney is a free-
lance writer, editor, and the
author of the novel Afloat.
 Behind the Great Firewall of
China, there are secrets people
will kill to keep..

ISBN-10: 0 9 8 6 3 9 6 2 6 5
Contact Dscottj431@gmail.com
 Weam Namou,
a Babylonian Storyteller
in America

B
orn in Baghdad, the fabled city of the
Arabian Nights, Weam Namou weaves a
multitude of experiences and impressions
into her twelve books. An award-winning author,
Namou grew up as a minority Christian in a
Muslim country. Her family endured Saddams
totalitarian regime until, when she was a child,
they fled to the United States for a better life.
Once in America, Namou was again a minority
and had difficulty fitting in and finding her voice.
The Great American Family: A Story of Political
Disenchantment is the most challenging book
Namou has written to date, because it revolves
around a local political case that made her feel
uneasy, reminding her of the authoritarian
government of her birth country. The book
took six years to complete, and in it she writes,
We came here for Americas freedoms. As an
immigrant, I saw through the Dawn Hanna case
how we are losing the very things we came here
for. Through the lens of a single case, Namou
touches on a number of important issues that
are robbing American families of living the
American dream.
During the process of writing The Great
American Family, Namou discovered to her
dismay that shed lost her literary voice. She
decided to call bestselling author and mystic
Lynn Andrews for some literary advice. What
was supposed to be a one-hour conversation led
Namou to Lynns four-year shamanic school,
where she would realize, among many things,
what role her oppressive birth country played
in muffling her ability to write her truth. Lynns
ancient teachings helped Namou heal as a
woman, wife, mother, and author. Suddenly,
words began to flow easily and energetically
to where she wrote a four-book memoir series
about her experience in Lynns school. The four-
book memoir series is called Healing Wisdom
for a Wounded World: My Life-Changing Journey
Through a Shamanic School (Book 1, 2, 3, 4).

Available wherever books and ebooks are sold

For more details, visit www.weamnamou.com

 Healing Wisdom for a Wounded World:
My Life-Changing Journey Through
a Shamanic School (Book 1)
Namou recounts her life-changing journey through
author and mystic Lynn V. Andrews four-year
shamanic school. The first year largely focuses on the
Mother Energies and the Sacred Wheel.
ISBN:978-0977679041
Memoir (341 pages) $15.00
Read PWs reviews: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-9776790-3-4
Healing Wisdom for a Wounded World: My
Life-Changing Journey Through a Shamanic
School (Book 3)
Book 3 interweaves teachings that focus on
balancing ones emotions, building endurance,
working deeply with the chakra systems, and
celebrating the marriage of self to self.
ISBN: 978-1945371974
Memoir (220 pages) $15.00
The Great American Family: A Story of
Political Disenchantment
Through the lens of a single political case, Namou
touches on a number of important issues that
are robbing American families from living the
American dream.
ISBN: 978-0977679058
Nonfiction (294 pages) $15.00
Iraqi Americans: The War Generation
A collection of 36 articles, written over eight years,
which paint a picture of Iraqi Americans political
and social situation and their struggles. This full-
color book has a large focus on Christianity and the
biblical city of Nineveh.
ISBN: 978-0977679096
Nonfiction (238 pages) $30.00
Iraqi Americans: The Lives of the Artists
A full-color book about the lives of 16 American
artists of Mesopotamian ancestry. They followed
their passions and found ways to showcase their
work despite any and all challenges, thus becoming
victors, rather than victims, over their lives.
ISBN: 978-0977679010
Nonfiction (176 pages) $22.95
The Feminine Art
A married woman distracts herself from boredom
by trying to find her nephew a wife from the Middle
East. The process challenges her to face the truths
within herself that had been kept hidden behind
tradition and illusion.
ISBN: 978-0975295625
Fiction (238 pages) $13.95
Healing Wisdom for a Wounded World:
My Life-Changing Journey Through
a Shamanic School (Book 2)
In Book 2, Namou embarks on a deep transformation
process. The schools focus for the second year is to
understand how to bring form into the world.
ISBN: 978-1945371998
Memoir (328 pages) $15.00
Read PWs review: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-945371-99-8
Healing Wisdom for a Wounded World: My Life-
Changing Journey Through a Shamanic School
(Book 4)
In Book 4, Namou reveals the key experiences of her
final year as an apprentice. This year is about coming
full circle, the completion/creation cycle.
ISBN: 978-1945371943
Memoir (198 pages) $15.00
The Flavor of Cultures
A young woman is torn between her Iraqi heritage and
the land of freedom and opportunity. She then meets
her perfect suitor, but their romance brings along
multiple complications, eventually escorting her to the
discovery of unexpected cultures and beliefs.
ISBN: 978-0975295663
Fiction (268 pages) $13.95
Iraqi Americans: Witnessing a Genocide
This full-color book looks at how the genocide
against the Iraqi Christians affected the
Christians living in other parts of the world.
Their perspectives, told through personal stories,
have sentiments and information not found in
mainstream media.
ISBN: 978-0977679072
Nonfiction (134 pages) $17.95
I Am a Mute Iraqi with a Voice
A collection of 76 poems, which the Pea River
Journal describes as A startling call to memory
and mourning for an Iraq that is dead, an ululation
for all that is lost in war after war after war.
ISBN: 978-0975295694
Poetry (126 pages) $12.00
The Mismatched Braid
An Iraqi refuge living in Athens falls in love with his
American cousin who spends a semester in Greece.
His struggles to win her love and his attempts to make
it to America lead him to his adulthood.
ISBN: 978-0977679003
Fiction (244 pages) $13.95
 COVER ART

Cover Redesign
This month, Deborah Bradseth at Tugboat Design
reimagines the cover of Rozsa Gastons romance
Dog Sitters. See Bradseths new cover art and design
notes below.
To submit your book for a free cover redesign, email us at Original Cover
booklifeeditor@booklife.com.
The original Movement in
cover lacked design helps
a focal point direct attention.
and elements The line
competed for extending from
attention. In the s draws the
redesign, the eye to the subtitle,
title became silhouettes, and
the focal point. author name.
The movement
within the
silhouettes draws
the eye to the
title, sky, and
blurb.
A rookie
mistake is the
use of drop
shadow on text.
The original
The happy
design used it,
couple and
but the redesign
dog let readers
does notand
know the books
its not only
genre and tone.
readable at
You know its a
thumbnail size,
sweet romance
but eye catching
and the dog plays
as well.
an important
role.

46 B O O K L I F E , F E B R UA RY 2 7 , 2 0 1 7
COVER DESIGN

11 Tips for
Successfully Working
With a Cover Designer
For self-publishing success, a cover
design must be professionaland it
must be a priority
BY JOEL FRIEDLANDER Joel Friedlander

P
ublishing professionals
advise self-publishers to
focus on editing and cover
design to ensure that their books
have the greatest chance of suc-
cess. Knowing how to work with
a professional designer will raise
your odds of getting the cover
you want without misunderstand-
ings that can lead to unexpected
costs and delays.
You want a cover for your book
that is attractive to the readers
in your niche, category, or genre
and one that does a good job of
selling your book. Thats usually
going to mean hiring a profes-
sional designer.

B O O K L I F E .C O M 47

And you want a professional
book cover designer, not just a
good graphic artist, your nephew
who took an art class in college,
or your friend who loves to paint
and draw. Book cover design is a
specialty, and even skilled graphic
designers who havent worked in
book publishing may not be good
choices for this crucial task.
Here are some tips on finding
and working with a professional
book cover designer. You should
be prepared to provide your
designer with:
your manuscript, even if it
isnt finished;
the final title and subtitle
for your book;
your name as youd like it to
appear on the cover;
your publishing company
logo, if you have one;
a description of the reader-
ship for your book;
book covers in your category
that you like, and ones you dont
like.
Keep in mind that designers vary
in their specialties. Some only do
book covers, some only interiors,
and some do both. Designers with
a studio and a staff will also be
able to create a website, handle
your printing, and supply you with
other graphics for your book pro-
motion needs. If you find a designer
who can do it all for you, youll
save yourself a lot of time and
trouble coordinating the work of
several different people.
in when its done: PDF for
Tips for Success
1) Check portfolios to make
COVER DESIGN
sure designers understand and
have worked in your genre, cat-
egory, or niche.
2) Make sure the designers fee
is within your budget.
3) If you need to have the work
completed by a specific date,
communicate that at the
beginning of the projectand
ask the designer to agree to
your schedule.
4) Review the designers con-
tract or the agreement under
which the work will be done.
5) Let your designer know
exactly what youll need besides
the front cover.
6) Review the formats that you
would like to receive your cover
uploading to print-on-demand
vendors, a JPG of the front

Murder
In All
LE
AVAILAB CK
Honour
RBA A NEW ACTON & DOYLE MYSTERY BY
IN PAPE LE
& KIND ANNE CLEELAND
Things are a bit grim, this Christmas, at Scotland Yard. On the heels of a nasty
corruption scandal, the CID must now contend with a killer who is murdering
pregnant women, so as to steal their babies. Acton doesnt want Doyle
anywhere near this case, of course, but she cant shake the feeling
that there is more to his concern than his usual over-protectiveness
and more to this case than the usual psycho killer.

LEARN MORE ANNECLEELAND.COM

ISBN / 978-0998595603 PAGES / 291 DISTRIBUTOR / Amazon and Baker and Taylor
AVAILABLE MARCH 1 ON

48 B O O K L I F E , F E B R UA RY 2 7 , 2 0 1 7
COVER DESIGN
cover for e-book retailers, a In short, as you are now a book designers and other vendors. It
high-resolution file, and so on. publisher in addition to being will pay off for you as you con-
7) Supply the designer with an author, youll want to take a tinue to grow your publishing
necessary background material. businesslike approach to hiring business.
(See the list above.)
8) Give the designer photos or Joel Friedlander is a book designer and author; he blogs about
drawings that you think will be book design, marketing, and the future of the book at the
useful as background or visual Book Designer.
inspirations.
9) Dont dictate what elements
the designer should usethats
why you hired a pro!
10) Talk over the various
approaches to your cover when
the designer provides you with
samples.
11) Remember that you and
your designer are collaborators
by Keith Julius
trying to reach the best approach
to packaging your book for sale.

Contracts and
Agreements
Although many indie authors
A GRITTY NOVEL THAT UNFLINCHINGLY
DEPICTS THE RAVAGES OF DRUG ABUSE.
THIS IS A HEARTBREAKING BUT AUTHENTICALLY REALISTIC STORY, TOLD
skip this step, it is wise to have WITHOUT PROSELYTIZING EMBELLISHMENT.
a written agreement with your
THE PROSE IS CLEAR AND SOMETIMES HAUNTING....
designer that addresses what
exact work is to be done, how
much it will cost, how payments
will be made, how parties can
cancel the contract if they wish,
and who owns the artwork used
to create the cover, as well as
what files the designer will
COMING
deliver. You may need access to A P R I L
2017
these files later, so be sure your
designer agrees to make them
available.
Negotiating a contract may seem
embarrassing at first, but it can
save a lot of heartache and expense
later if your project doesnt turn YOUNG MOTHER ALEISHA WHAT SEEMS TO BE A CASE AFTER WITNESSING THE
out the way you expect. (This also TURNER OVERDOSES ON OF CHILD ABUSE HIDES A TRAGIC DEATH OF HER
HEROIN, THROWING HER SECRET THAT THREATENS BROTHER 15 YEAR OLD
applies to interior designers, for- LIFE INTO TURMOIL. SHE TO TEAR A HOUSEHOLD ROSALETTA GUITERREZ
STRUGGLES TO KEEP HER APART, TESTING THE RUNS AWAY. BUT ESCAPE
matters, photographers, models, FAMILY TOGETHER AND BONDS OF FAMILY AND BECOMES A NIGHTMARE
and illustratorsin other words, RESTORE NORMALCY TO
HER LIFE.
THE STRENGTH OF FAITH. SHE COULD HAVE NEVER
ANTICIPATED.
ANT
you need a contract or a letter of
agreement with anyone who is
creating something to be used in
your book.)

B O O K L I F E .C O M 49
 FIRST LINES

First Lines Plagued

BETTER HERO ARMY
It took an insane kind of bravery to
A monthly look at some of the best hunt zombies.
opening lines from titles by BookLife
authors Jestus on Rampage
V.S. SURY
This month, weve got zombies, poisoners, outlaws, In a battle between the logical and the
and a whole lot more. To submit your first line to illogical, the illogical invariably wins
BookLife, email booklifeeditor@booklife.com. the day.

The Apocalypse Men The Dangerous Summer of Jesse

JOHN CHENEY Turner
The world was melting. D.C. REEP AND E.A. ALLEN
Everybody knew I was an outlaws kid.

Beyond Every Mirror The Lady and the Mountain Man

CHRISTINE CHURCH MISTY BELLER
His day was going greatuntil he Are you going to poison her the way
BOOKWORKS_HALF_H_0715_Layouthe
discovered was dead.
1 7/24/15 10:12 AM Page 1 you killed your last wife?

Calling all Indie Authors

What can BookWorks do for you:
Help You Find Your Reader Chat With Our Experts
Post Excerpts from Your Book Showcase and Sell Your Books With
for Peer Review Direct-to-Retailer Links
Get a Featured Author Cover Medallion Find the Best Editors, Designers, Illustrators,
for Your Book Marketers, and Publicists in the Business
And thats just for starters
Let us help you Prepare, Publish and Promote your books. We show you how to make
indie publishing easier and, yes its true how to make it fun.

JOIN NOW!
bookworks.com
WRITING ADVICE

Ask not like action heroes. But Ive

received negative comments
or just human? Or maybe your
story is about a Nobel Prizewin-

the
about one character, who was ning professor from MIT who keeps
described as weak and stupid. forgetting to turn off the burner
Kish Knight under his coffee pot. Is that stupid,

Editer Always trust your instincts. Do

A veteran editor
answers your
writing questions
BY BETTY KELLY SARGENT
Dear Editor:
How do I build compassion and
realistic insecurities into my main
character without having her come
across as whiny, weak, or irritat-
ing? I like to create characters who
react as everyday people would,
you think your characters behav-
ior is stupid and makes her appear
weak? And what if she does appear
weak? What if she is weak in some
situations? Is that so terrible? A
characters vulnerability is usually
what causes readers to bond with
that character. Even James Bond
had his soft spots.
Lets say your story is about how
a neglected child from Detroit
learned to overcome her fear of
water to become the first American
woman to win an Olympic gold
medal in swimming. Does that
fear make her weak or just human?
Does any fear make a person weak,
or a touching symptom of the
failing memory of a brilliant man?
Who is this character? What do
you want from her? What do you
want the reader to feel about her?
If you feel your critic made a valid
point, then do your best to respond
to it. But if your gut tells you that
the actions you describe simply
add to your characters complex-
ity, making her struggle more
sympathetic to the reader, then
stick with it.
If you have a question for the
editor, email Betty Sargent at
booklifeeditor@booklife.com.

ROBERT NWADIARU PRESENTS

NIGERIA:
A FAILED STATE
Americans who know Nigeria mainly for its Islamic Boko
Haram terrorists and internet scams will find this book an
informative guide to the countrys larger discontents.

Political repression, rampant corruption, ethnic and sectarian

strife, crumbling infrastructure, energy shortages, and an economy
hooked on oil and mining all make Africas most populous country
a basket case, according to this hard-hitting jeremiad. An impas-
sioned, eye-opening take on a critical African nation.
KIRKUS REVIEWS

ISBN / 978-1632689276 Pages / 300 Publisher and Distributor / Tate Publishing

AVAILABLE ON

ORDER NOW RobertNwadiaru14.tateauthor.com

B O O K L I F E .C O M 51
 BOOKS TO WATCH

Scouting Report
In this months roundup of the best-reviewed self-published
titles, we highlight a resource for the wives of wounded
warriors and a horror novel about a resurrected metal band,
as well as a romance, a thriller, and some literary fiction.

Banshees Wounded Warrior,

MIKE BARON Wounded Wife
BARBARA K. MCNALLY
Plot: In Barons horror
novel, when the dead mem- Plot: Physical therapist
bers of a notorious satanic McNallys stories describe
metal band return to life the bitter joy that comes
and the stage, the son with being a wife of a
of the groups drummer wounded military service
teams up with a reporter member.
to uncover the grisly truth. PWs Takeaway: After more
PWs Takeaway: Horror buffs and metal fans will than a decade of Americans fighting battles on
marvel at every grinding detail in this meaty, multiple fronts, this is a deeply necessary and
grim fantasy. poignant offering.
Comparable Titles: The Armageddon Rag, Comparable Titles: Once a Warrior Always a
The Returned Warrior, Afterwar, What Have We Done
Sample Line: There was no escaping the ban- Sample Line: Walking away from your partner
shee screams, a high-pitched atavistic vibration can feel like a profound betrayal, but sometimes
that shook the spine like a rag doll. its the only choice that remains.
Read the review: Read the review:
publishersweekly.com/9781614753940 publishersweekly.com/9781633932876

The Coming Out The Hunting

Dining Car SEVEN SLADE Ground
ERIC PETERSON Plot: This comedy JEAN HELLER
Plot: A football star of sexual misinter- Plot: Chicago jour-
turned dining pretation follows nalist Deuce Mora
car bartender lifelong friends investigates the
journeys across as they navigate mystery surround-
the country and finds himself. love and sexuality in their small ing a child trafficking ring.
PWs Takeaway: Inspires dreams hometown. PWs Takeaway: Heller crafts a
of savoring decadently elaborate PWs Takeaway: Bittersweet fun... tightly constructed mystery
foods and drinking fine wines This charming story will win featuring a protagonist of
and specialty cocktails. readers hearts. tremendous empathy.
Comparable Titles: The Nero Wolfe Comparable Titles: Losing It Comparable Titles: Red Wolf,
series Read the review: publishers- Behind Closed Doors
Read the review: publishers- weekly.com/9780986146541 Read the review: publishers-
weekly.com/9780982486009 weekly.com/9780692779613

52 B O O K L I F E , F E B R UA RY 2 7 , 2 0 1 7
 PAID LISTINGS

New Titles from

Self-Publishers
Booksellers, publishers, librarians, and agents are encouraged to look at the 148
self-published titles below, with descriptions provided by their authors. Some of these
writers are waiting to be discovered; others have a track record and a following and are
doing it on their own. If you are a self-published author interested in listing titles in this
section, please visit publishersweekly.com/pw-select for more information.

Fiction disaster, and two a complex conspiracy of interstellar

Best Laid Plans & Other Disasters immigrants. Where proportions. Will she uncover the truth
Amy Rivers. Wooden Pants Publishing. will all this lead? Earth of the crimes?
$12.99 paper (235p), faces destruction and
ISBN 978-0-692- awaits the path for Death of the Republic
81780-3 survival. Anthony Fielek. Xlibris. $19.99 paper (166p),
Amazon, Kobo ISBN 978-1-5144-
A year after Gwen is A Couple with Common Cents: 2338-7; $3.99 e-book,
elected mayor, her A Short Story About Abundant Hope ASIN B018DE8EUM
career and life are fully in Your Family Finances Amazon
on track. But the unex- Ryan Eidson. Morgan A plebeian boy seeks
pected turns everything topsy-turvy, James Publishing. justice for his family
forcing Gwen to reexamine her carefully $12.95 paper (108p), while trying to cut
planned life. ISBN 978-1-63047- through the fog of
712-7; $9.99 e-book, avarice, double-dealing, deceit, corrup-
The Call of Destiny: ISBN 978-1-63047- tion, and bloodshed as the old republic
Secrets of the Lost Scrolls 713-4 dissolves.
John J. Pietrangelo. Amazon, BN.com, Books-
Bhakti Publishing. $20 A-Million, IndieBound Drinking the Knock Water:
paper (512p), ISBN 978- How do young parents resolve conflicts A New Age Pilgrimage
1-5399-6668-5 about money? Tabitha and Jack cant Emily Kemme. Arrowhead
Thecallofdestiny.net, agree how to handle their finances in Publishing. $26.99 hard-
Amazon this realistic fiction story. Includes study cover (288p), ISBN 978-
Destiny finds twin guide for application. 0-9837401-2-4
brothers faced with Amazon, Apple iBooks
the challenge to Repair My Church, Cryogen, Mars: An Interplanetary Topics of infertility,
which is falling into ruin. When all is said Espionage and Murder Mystery religion, mental health
and done, will they triumph in the face of Kevin Owens. and abortion direct an
enormous odds? AuthorHouse. $23.95 emotional pilgrimage through the rela-
paper (390p), ISBN 978- tionships that make us who we are.
Code Name: Zeus 1-4918-3238-7; $3.99
Gary Andersen. Xlibris. $19.99 paper (298p), e-book, ASIN Faulty Bones
ISBN 978-1-5144-1738-6; $3.99 e-book, B00HFR3HAG J.M. Fraser. Natalyn Press. $12.95 paper
ISBN 978-1-5144-1737-9 Amazon (256p), ISBN 978-1-946464-00-2
Amazon A series of deaths Amazon
A secret project, a major worldwide thrusts media journalist Terra Antoni into Two desperate card players, lured by

B O O K L I F E .C O M 53
 PAID LISTINGS

PW SELECT LISTINGS
counterfeit chips and Amazon, Apple iBooks, Joes Tap: The Story of Maurine and
black magic, find Audible, BN.com, Google Tales of the Other Cape May
mystery, humor, fan- Play, Kobo K. Lee Washington.
tasy, and romance in Betty Grafton tells the iUniverse. $15.95 paper
the seedy underbelly tale of how an unlikely (176p), ISBN 978-1-
of New Orleans. friendship during the 4759-5127-1; $3.99
civil rights struggle in e-book, ISBN 978-1-
Fenians Trace the 1960s shaped her 4759-5129-5
Sean P. Mahoney. Fenian Productions. $9.99 into the woman she is today. Amazon
paper (238p), ISBN 978-0-9983207-0-0; Growing up above a
$19.95 audio, narrated The Game Changer racially integrated local pub in 1950s
by Liam Carney, Dave Drge. MVO Productions. $12.95 paper and 60s America, Maurine Finch will
ASIN B01N2JUY2G (384p), ISBN 978-1- take the lessons she learned into school
Audible, Amazon, Apple 5190-8808-6; $9.99 and beyond, trying to find comfort in her
iBooks, BN.com e-book, ASIN own skin.
Mr. Clancy tells of two B01N5CQY1A
lads raised as broth- Amazon Last Things
ers during the rebel Henk van Wijnen- Betta Ferrendelli.
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Steve Kranz, illus. by Mike
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Shattered Blue (The Light Trilogy) Teeneagram: Identity Search Made Easy
Lauren Bird Horowitz. Skyscape. $9.99 paper Randy Winston Hillier.
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integrity and authority
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INDIE AUTHORS
the Light Trilogy. Noa 5245-2940-6
of Publishers Weekly and Callum share a Amazon
from Publishers Weekly
to assist indie authors
dangerous secret and An introductory book to
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achieve their
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INDIE AUTHORS
other indie authors
The Star of Bethlehem
Edward Allen Matherly. Xlibris. $21.99 paper
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Jylene Morgan, illus. by Sean Winburn.
from Publishers Weekly (34p), ISBN 978-1-5245-1130-2; $3.99 AuthorHouse. $19.99 paper (28p),
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in Publishers Weekly Bethlehem is fascinat-

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Harry H. Brown. CreateSpace. $11.95 paper Michael Cascio, illus. by Bentley Wong.
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Amazon, Ingram ISBN 978-1-63177-949-7
Support for Fullertown may have Amazon, BN.com, Books-A-Million

INDIE AUTHORS had a hardscrabble

past, but it was never
A little boys imagina-
tion has gone wild,
from Publishers Weekly in short supply of and he is overcome
reasons to smile. by fear. As told in
A Yankee storyteller verse, accompanied
describes Pilgrim by his father, the child
descendants with wit, warmth, and faces and then over-
whimsy. comes each one.

booklife.com
REVIEWS
Fiction
1% Free
G.A. Matiasz. 62 Mile, $18.95 trade paper
(468p) ISBN 978-0-9977054-3-0
In this middling cyberpunk noir novel,
a private investigator and a salvager face off
against an alien menace. San Francisco PI
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has been murdered on the same day that an
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a cloned human spy whos gone rogue. In
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building and character backstories pad out
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tracting from it. Matiasz (End Time) has
crafted a world thats a hotbed of political
intrigues and ideologies, where war sim-
mers on the horizon. The narrative slowly
winds through a labyrinth of tangents and
Interstitial Materials, a reading list from
an alternate timeline. The uneven pacing
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die-hard worldbuilding enthusiasts. This
diverse, complex setting feels better suited
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Alaska Virgin Air
Izzy Ballard. 40 Below Ink, $12.50 paper
(304p) ISBN 978-0-9818267-0-7
Fans of Janet Evanovichs Stephanie Plum
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oversexed mom on Long Beach Island, N.J.,
is cut short when Grandma Luna calls the
itinerant psychic back home to save the
family airline in Fairbanks, Ala.the last
place Abbey wants to be. But even as Abbey
plots her next great escapewhile juggling
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old photograph her suddenly tight-lipped
mother refuses to discussa sweet, sensi-
tive, super-sexy hottie whod like to see her
stick around has her thinking that maybe
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Arms of Promise
Crystal Walton. Impact Editions, $2.99 e-book
(249p) ASIN B01HVLH1MU
Waltons chaste contemporary piles on
the bathos, as willful Annabelle Madison
struggles to make her own way as a profes-
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insistence that she move back home and
pursue a sensible career. Worse than land-
lords and creditors breathing down her neck
is the physical threat of a merciless gangster
kingpins goons. Hes about to face Annas
father in a life-or-death trial and has put out
a contract on the DAs family. Enter lifelong
family friend Evan ORiley, a former Army
Ranger whos tasked with guarding Anna
even though shes determined to dodge him
at every turn. Walton shines at making both
characters lovable through their interactions
with children and family, but falls short
when it comes to bringing Evan and Anna
together. Despite obvious, highly charged
sexual attraction, it seems like theyll never
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one is for romance fans willing to overlook
a few plot contrivances so they can read
about an adorable couple.
Banshees
Mike Baron. Wordfire, $16.99 trade paper
(416p) ISBN 978-1-61475-394-0
Veteran comics writer Baron (Nexus)
slays with this epic and brutal novel. A new
band with the look and sound of an old
satanic metal group called the Banshees
blazes onto the music scene decades after
the original trio died in a plane crash. A
concert flyer leads impoverished musician
Ian St. James, the son of the Banshees
drummer, from a hangover in his Prague hotel
room to the shocking discovery of his long-
dead rock star father performing with the rest
of the Banshees at a Czech club. He demands
to see his father but ends up drugged and
screaming in a car compactor, from which
he only narrowly escapes. The reanimated
Banshees attract a cult following. Each gig
results in the death or disappearance of
someone in the crowd, and soon Ian is lured
into helping ambitious reporter Connie
Cosgrove score the story of a lifetime. Barons
smart dialogue propels his globe-trotting
characters along in a charismatic ballad of
carnage. Horror buffs and metal fans will
marvel at every grinding detail in this
meaty, grim fantasy.
Beneath the Blackberry Moon:
The Red Feather
April W. Gardner. Big Spring, $12.99 trade
paper (442p) ISBN 978-0-692-60333-8
Gardner sets the first of her three-book
Creek Country Saga series in Alabama amid
the historical conflicts between Native
Americans and white settlers during the
War of 1812. The McGirth family has lived
peacefully among the Creeks for years, but,
after a brief encounter between middle
daughter Adela and a band of Creeks trans-
porting weapons, the family seeks refuge at
Fort Mims. Compelled by honor and duty,
the McGirths once-adopted son Nokose, a
Creek tribe member who has returned to his
roots, and his brother-in-law Totka, partici-
pate in the Fort Mims massacre. Nokose
rescues the surviving McGirths, bringing
them back to his village as slaves. Totka
is soon given responsibility for Adela.
Struggling with an undeniable attraction to
a man who does not share her religious
beliefs and who is holding her captive,
Adela often gives Totka hope that she will
acquiesce and become his wife. She then
repeatedly dashes those hopes. While por-
trayed as a scalp-collecting heathen, Totka
remains a more sympathetic character than
the Christian settlers. Despite an extensive
narrative, Gardner does not resolve the rela-
tionship between Adela and Totka in this
installment, making the next book required
reading for those seeking closure.
Chiaroscuro:
The Mouse and the Candle
Matthew Cox. Curiosity Quills, $18.99 trade
paper (332p) ISBN 978-1-62007-769-6
A vampire laments and an innocent child
B O O K L I F E .C O M 66a

inspires in Coxs centuries-spanning philo-
sophical exploration of duty, guilt, and
faith. In 1885 France, Father Antonio
Molinari is fresh off an exorcism of a young
woman. Two priests approach him,
claiming to have a chained-up vampire that
he can study. Horrified to learn the vampire
is an eight-year-old girl, Sabine Caillouet,
he becomes protective of her and even lets
her feed off him. When a priest disapproves
and stabs Antonio, Sabine saves him by
turning him into a vampire. Thus begins
the paternal love story of Antonio and his
young ward, whose soul he vows to save and
protect against dark temptations. As they
dodge Vatican vampire-hunters and
vengeful vampires, Antonio has faith that
God has a plan for them, a faith he carries
to America and Canada, and into the 21st
century. Coxs world is elegant, the charac-
ters are sympathetic, the vampire lore is
traditional, and the writing is engaging and
descriptive. However, the second half lags,
themes become repetitive, and plot threads
unravel. Nevertheless, vampire enthusiasts
will devour this solid and emotional story.
Children of Hellions
Mia Michele. CreateSpace, $14.99 trade
paper (354p) ISBN 978-1-5371-3078-1
This Christian paranormal romance rests
on the premise that a soul is required to fall
in romantic love. Ela (a name for God, were
told) is nearly 30 and spends much of her
time caring for her autistic brother Tim and
running a bookshop dedicated to the
autistic community of Cape Spear,
Newfoundland. She has two concerns: Tim
and getting married. Every man she
encounters is evaluated for hotness and par-
enting skills, often repeatedly. No man
makes the cut, thoughits Lucian,
enforcer demon from the Ninth Realm of
HellQuarters, who smells so good she cant
resist him. Unfortunately, Lucian has a
demon war to stop, and a virgin teetotaler
who wears a lace mantilla to morning Mass
cant distract himunless that virginal
blood might come in handybut then
Lucian, who is supposed to have no soul,
finds himself falling in love with her.
Redundant, meandering prose, shaky
66b B O O K L I F E , F E B R UA RY 2 7 , 2 0 1 7
mechanics, and shallow characterization
mean that the patience of a saint will be
required to follow this trilogy to its end.
Coming Out
Seven Slade. Howling Mad, $12.99 trade
paper (322p) ISBN 978-0-9861465-4-1
Slades clever contemporary romance
deposits best friends Tamsyn Archer and
Rodrigo Vega-Goldstein into a screwball
comedy of sexual misinterpretation. Theyve
been friends since the second grade, when
tough butch Syn defended Rigo (whos
queer as a left-handed, blue-footed boobie)
against a bully who teased him for wearing
a pink shirt. Now theyre 22 and still stuck
in their tiny hometown of Middle, N.C.
Rigo claims to have the hots for the aptly
named Simon Sex, the lead singer in a rock
band, but Syn worries that hes setting him-
self up for a fall if the guys not gay. However,
when Simon and Rigo finally do meet, its a
very different sort of disaster: Simon is
willing to experiment with gay sex, but all
Rigo can think about are Syns breasts. And
though shes in a relationship with another
woman, Syn secretly yearns for Rigo.
Bittersweet fun ensues as each wrestles with
the risk of losing a friend by fessing up and
coming out as straight. This charming story
will win readers hearts.
The Custer Conspiracy
Dennis Koller. Pen, $14.99 trade paper
(348p) ISBN 978-0-9980808-0-2
What if the true story of Custers last
stand was quite different from the accepted
version? Thats the intriguing premise of
Kollers second thriller featuring homicide
inspector Tom McGuire of the San Francisco
PD (after 2016s The Oath). McGuire, who
was once a high school football coach, is
pleasantly surprised to hear from a former
player, historian Matt Conroy, whos working
on a book about Custer. Conroy has just con-
firmed a discovery about the Battle of the
Little Bighorn that could possibly rewrite
the past hundred and forty years of world
history. McGuire agrees to meet Conroy at
the battle site, but on arrival he finds that a
sniper has just murdered the historian.
McGuire reaches out to another former
REVIEWS
player, Rob Kincaid, an exNavy SEAL, to
help him find the truth after the U.S. Park
Police and the FBI are taken off the homi-
cide inquiry. The romance that develops
between McGuire and Katelyn Murray, a
member of Kincaids team who got her air-
plane pilots license at the age of 13, adds
some human interest.
Darkshine
R.D. Vallier. Free Fire, $2.99 e-book (372p)
ASIN B01ENYSJ4W
Valliers uneven debut features a tepid
heroine who has been abused and neglected
until she can no longer trust her feelings or
instincts. When a chickadee speaks to
Miriam, her first assumption is that shes
losing her mind, not that the bird is telling
the truth about fairies and dangerous
moths. Shocking revelations about her hus-
band and about her own true nature leads
to Miriam walking out and looking for the
guide to fairyland that the chickadee told
her aboutbefore one of the evil darklings
can find and kill her. Along the way she tries
to learn about her changeling heritage and
life in the fairy realm, but quickly realizes
some things dont add up. Valliers world is
complex and interesting, but the characters
are one-dimensional. Miriam is threatened
with sexual assault multiple times, entirely
so that various male characters can save her,
and by the time she finds her voice shes
been plunged into a potential war. A sequel
may be able to answer lingering questions
for readers, but it will be an uphill climb.
Demons of the Hallowed Dome:
Acheron, Book 1
C.F. Sheridan. Nowatay, $12.99 trade paper
(340p) ISBN 978-0-692-57222-1
Sheridans generally appealing but some-
what melodramatic military SF debut con-
tains plenty of military lingo, patriotic
characters, and a roguish protagonist who
enjoys risky behavior. Three years ago, the
Earth was viciously attacked by an assault
force of lizard-like aliens; they were barely
repulsed by the combined forces of Earths
nations. Capt. Ryan Flannery and his 13
Green Beret brothers undertake a perilous
mission to raid the planet OuTherras,
REVIEWS
destroy an alien communications tower, and
gather intelligence to prepare Earth in
advance of further attacks. Its just coinci-
dence that, while on OuTherras, Flannery
discovers that his girlfriend, Alyssa, has
been held captive by the aliens for several
months. The plot is familiar and there are
several nods to Star Wars, but undemanding
fans of pulpy SF adventure will enjoy this
tale of tough men flying planes, bran-
dishing cool weapons, and shredding aliens.
The Dining Car
Eric Peterson. Huckleberry House, $28.95
trade paper (350p) ISBN 978-0-9824860-0-9
Petersons second book is like a meal pre-
pared by a top-tier chef, great individual
ingredients coming together to form some-
thing even better. Brilliant, athletic Jack
Marshall was a Stanford football star whose
career ended after a shameful accident. After
recovering from his downfall, Jack becomes
a bartender on an elaborate, anachronistic
railroad dining car owned by rich, alcoholic,
famously eccentric Horace Button, a nation-
ally acclaimed food and wine writer. Horace
is a politically connected culinary aesthete
who has hired the 25-year-old Jack to per-
form the menial tasks of a busboy, but his
deeper abilities are never entirely ignored.
Throughout journeys across the country in
the rolling bar/restaurant/sleeper car, with
its remarkably lovable/hateable owner and
its extraordinarily talented chef Wanda
Nordquist, Jack outgrows his flaws. The
novel inspires dreams of savoring decadently
elaborate foods, drinking fine wines and
specialty cocktails, and rolling with unlikely
adventures while hurting, laughing, and
falling in love. Peterson (Life as a Sandwich)
serves up his story in delicious form.
Dirty like Me
Jaine Diamond. Jaine Diamond, $2.99 e-book
(301p) ASIN B01KAKAU2M
The sparks fly when a Vancouver-based
rock star hires a struggling artist first to
appear in his new video and then to act as
his girlfriend as he goes on tour across
North America. Katie Bloom has no inten-
tion of being known as rocker Jesse Mayess
latest fling, but the money is too good to
pass up, and shes secretly intrigued by
Jesses blend of roguish charm and private
playfulness. Their mutual attraction is
impossible to deny, and what starts off as a
performance for the cameras soon turns real,
with the two lovers burning up the sheets
even as Jesses album burns up the charts.
But they both know its only for the dura-
tion of the tour, and Katie cant wait to get
back to a normal life. For this first entry in
the Dirty contemporary romance series,
Diamond (Deep) crafts a spicy, sassy, sexy
romance with likable characters who share
intense chemistry, and populates it with a
memorable, entertaining supporting cast.
It feels like Katie and Jesse take forever to
realize their obvious feelings for one another,
but their story is still satisfying.
Dreadnought and Shuttle
L.J. Cohen. Interrobang, $4.99 e-book (327p)
ISBN 978-1-942851-01-1
Cohen continues to display her talents for
engaging characters and a believable uni-
verse in her teen-friendly third Halcyone
Space adventure (following Ithaka Rising),
traits that more than balance out uneven
storytelling and pacing. Chief Engineer Ro
Maldonado, captain of the AI space freighter
Halcyone, and most of her crew are working
on Daedalus Station, while ship botanist
Micah Rotherwood attends an Earth uni-
versity under an assumed identity. A warning
from mysterious rebel Dr. May about Ros
dangerous smuggler father, Alain, is
received too late to alert Micahs bright new
roommate, urban archeology student
Devorah Dev Martingale Morningstar;
Alain takes her hostage in an attempt to
extort money from Micah, both as an act of
revenge and to stave off his criminal credi-
tors. The admirably brave and bercom-
petent Dev shines as a stellar addition to the
genre, and Cohen bestows significant
contributing tasks upon all of the supporting
characters. However, too many of the
mysteries of the allies and adversaries of the
universe remain in question after the abrupt
ending. New readers are advised to begin at
the beginning; Cohen makes few allowances
for those joining midseries.
E.X.O.: The Legend of Wale
Williams, Part 2
Roye Okupe and Sunkanmi Akinboye. Youneek
Studios, $14.99 trade paper (148p) ISBN 978-
0-9966070-3-2
The second chapter of the Legend of Wale
Williams, a superhero in an Iron Manlike
power suit, delves deeper into the compli-
cated relationships that characterized the
first book, and explains the properties and
powers of the E.X.O. suit. The outline of the
story is familiar: Williams hones his abilities
and eventually must combat the supervillain
Oniku, whose army of faceless drone soldiers
attacks Lagoon City, Nigeria. But what
should be a brisk action adventure is often
bogged down by loads of exposition. These
sections of lengthy, textbook detail, which
constitute a significant chunk of the book,
drag the pacing to dead stop. E.X.O. is
clearly a passion project to create a superhero
for Nigeria, and writer Okupes love of
American comics is palpable on every page.
But right now its too by-the-numbers to be
a successful superhero story in its own right.
The Fairytale Chicago of
Francesca Finnegan
Steve Wiley. Lavender Line, $14.99 (250p)
ISBN 978-0-9981492-1-9
Debut author Wileys name is only men-
tioned in the back matter, so readers may
wonder whether his whimsical novel is in
fact written by young, blue-haired Francesca
Finnegan. The hero is called either Richard
or Rich, depending on his place in his process
of learning about himself and the history of
Chicago. As Richard, a miserable, wealthy
vice president of something, he believes
the citys past has been accurately recorded
by dusty historians in their tedious books.
As Rich, a teen boy who travels on a special
lavender train with Francesca, he learns the
fantastical truths about Chicago. She
explains that the city of Chicago was built
by magic and wind, and corrects all of the
pedantic real-world lies. The talented
author takes admirable risks with this
enchanting tale of magic, self-exploration,
and growing up by remembering ones
youth. There are illustrations, too, as in any
proper fairy tale. This is a book for intelli-
B O O K L I F E .C O M 66c

gent adult readers who love a playful escape
into teenage fantasies of fleeting first kisses,
exceptional Ferris wheels, extraordinary
cocktails, and a castle that has the skys stars
for a ceiling.
Feast of the Raven
Catherine Spacer. Quillstone, $16.95 trade
paper (254p) ISBN 978-0-9971535-0-7
A warrior has a crisis of faith in Spaders
thin medieval adventure of pagans versus
Christians. In 782 Germania, Saxon pagans
are forced by the Frank King Karl
(Charlemagne) to abandon their old gods
and convert to Christianity. Gerwulf, born
from a Saxon wolf warrior father and a
Christian Frank mother, yearns to purge his
mystical wolf nature and embrace the
Christian god with the help of colorful
Brother Pyttel. He hopes that if he tracks
down the rebel Saxon Widukind and
retrieves Karls powerful relic, the Holy
Spear, the king will absolve him of his
pagan sins. But hes distracted by the
charms of Widukinds accomplice, the
magical shieldmaiden Vala, who worships
Wodan and draws Gerwulf in with the
hunger of the Raven spirit, the Eater of
Souls. Historically accurate settings of the
Hellweg, Lippespringe, and Teutoburg
Forest are lovely; the sprawling plot and
lengthy diversions are all the more unfor-
tunate by comparison. Gerwulf frets con-
vincingly over his soul, but the other char-
acters lack dimension.
Girl in the Water
Dana Marton. Dana Marton, $11.99 trade
paper (272p) ISBN 978-1-940627-19-9
Martons tense nail-biter of a contempo-
rary romantic thriller spans two continents
and several years as American Ian and
Brazilian Daniela join forces to find the man
who killed Ians former army buddy, Finch.
The story comes to life with descriptions as
lush and colorful as the wild Amazonian
jungle where Daniela lives a hand-to-
mouth existence with her mother. At 15,
Daniela is forced into prostitution. Years go
by and eventually shes sold to Finch as a
housekeeper and sexual slave. After he is
murdered by a mysterious man, a terrified
66d B O O K L I F E , F E B R UA RY 2 7 , 2 0 1 7
Daniela hides out in his home, which is
where Ian finds her when he goes looking
for his friend. Since shes the only one who
can identify Finchs killer, the two form an
uneasy alliance. Ian vows to protect Daniela
from all men, including himself, which
becomes a problem as she begins to fall in
love with him. Marton succeeds with an
edgy mix of love and danger.
Going Up South
Janet W. Ferguson. Southern Sun, $13.99
trade paper (266p) ISBN 978-0-9974822-6-3
Fergusons (Leaving Oxford) second
installment of the Southern Hearts series
continues in Oxford, Miss., where Cassie
Brooks hasnt practiced law since her messy
divorce. But when her close friend, Jill,
needs help with a custody battle involving
a hotshot Hollywood actor, Cassie offers to
mediate to keep the story out of the tab-
loids. Dylan Conner never quite gave up his
crush on Sarah Beth, the heroine of the
series opener, with whom he had a fling
when they both lived in L.A., and so hes
pleasantly surprised when he sees her and
her friends in L.A. But upon reconnection
her friend Jill tells Dylan he is the father of
her cute three-month-old son Michael.
Dylan decides to travel to Oxford, Miss., to
negotiate custody of his son, and it seems as
if the whole town is against him. He finds
an unlikely ally in Cassie and her son
Benjamin. As they start to spend more and
more time together, the custody mediation
isnt the only thing on their minds. And
when Dylan joins a group from Cassies
church that goes to Honduras to help those
suffering from a dengue fever outbreak, the
past bubbles up in unexpected ways.
Ferguson makes up for some awkward dia-
logue and the overly complicated romantic
situation with the captivating unfolding of
Dylan and Cassies relationship, as well as
Dylans father-figure role in Cassies sons
life.
Hiding Magic
Ray Rhamey. Platypus, $14.99 trade paper
(290p) ISBN 978-0-9909282-1-8
Rhamey draws a realistic and sympa-
thetic portrait of the uses and consequences
REVIEWS
of magic in this contemporary urban fan-
tasy. On a wintry night in Chicago, Gabe
River rescues a suicidal Latina teenager
whos freezing to death in the snow. Then
her face flickers and shes revealed to be a
white woman. She also displays a shocking
ability to communicate with his autistic son
and can even heal his injured horse. She is
Annie, a centuries-old member of a clan of
beings who manipulate life energy to heal
or harm. Annie is running from K.B.
Volmer, a sadistic Homeland Security agent
who believes her to be a terrorist, and from
Clanmaster Drago, her grief-stricken
father-in-law, who blames her for the death
of his son. Drago vows to wipe out human-
kind by manipulating DNA to create a fast-
acting infectious disease, and Annie must
alert the other clans to Dragos plans.
Rhamey focuses as much on his racially
diverse characters emotions and goals as on
the intricacies of magical properties,
crafting a solid paranormal story with an
epic feel.
The Hunting Ground:
Deuce Mora Series, Vol. 2
Jean Heller. Heller, $14 trade paper (410p)
ISBN 978-0-692-77961-3
Down-to-earth and resourceful Chicago
journalist Deuce Mora finds herself
embroiled in a mystery surrounding a child
trafficking ring in Hellers worthy sequel
to The Someday File. While Deuce and her
boyfriend, Mark, are on a nature stroll in
Chicagos Dan Ryan Woods, Marks dog
picks up a human bone. The discovery sets
in motion a police excavation of the area,
which unearths multiple bodies of children,
believed to be street kids and others lost
through the foster care system. In addition
to having a vested interest in the case,
Deuce is also eager to be the first to cover
the story. After she takes a transient foster
kid under her wing, Deuces drive to help
uncover the identity of the victims increases
threefold. As the investigation begins to
have far-reaching implications, Deuces
own safety is threatened. Heller, herself a
journalist and former investigative reporter,
crafts a tightly constructed mystery fea-
turing a protagonist of tremendous
REVIEWS
empathy and a bent toward thoughtful
introspection.
Introducing Gertrude, Gumshoe
Robin Merrill. New Creation, $6.99 trade
paper (154p) ISBN 978-0-6926-8909-7
Cozy fans who enjoy ample servings of
tongue-in-cheek humor may find Merrills
(The Witches of Commack, Maine) series debut
to their taste. Oddball Gertrude, who lives
in Mattawooptock, Maine, is concerned
about a nearby trailer, occupied only by two
young neglected children. She noses around
and finds a pay stub indicating that their
mother, Lori, works in a strip club, Private
Eyes. Gertrude adroitly gets the local trans-
portation service for the disabled to give her
a lift to Private Eyes, but strikes out there.
She has more luck when she conducts a thor-
ough search of Loris belongings, uncovering
some compromising photographs,
including ones featuring the towns slimy
mayor, Lance Pouliot, who once tried to
burn down Gertrudes church. Gertrudes
inept doggedness will entertain readers who
dont take their mysteries too seriously.
Judas Wolf
Robert J. Wolfe. Wolfe, $15 trade paper
(330p) ISBN 978-1-519608-36-9
In cultural anthropologist Wolfes capti-
vating second Alaska-based mystery (after
2015s Falling Walrus), the governors chief
of staff, Marlin Fosburger, fears that a
decline in the number of moose could nega-
tively affect tourism and be used against his
boss in an upcoming election campaign.
Fosburger convenes a summit of experts,
who agree that the cause of the problem is
the higher-than-desirable ratio of wolves to
moose, but not about how to manage the
wolf population. The ultimate decisionto
relocate some of the predators to the Kenai
Peninsulainfuriates Mel Savidge, a mav-
erick anthropologist, who views the plan
as an indirect death sentence for the wolves
because of the Kenais isolation. The peril
of the situation becomes even clearer when
Mel learns that it could unintentionally
lead to an epidemic of dangerous parasitic
infections. Mel enlists the aid of series lead
Camilla Mac Cleary and Camillas sidekick,
Nicholas John, in a desperate race to fore-
stall that disaster. Wolfe knows his stuff and
successfully integrates esoteric details into
a compelling story line.
The Keeping
Rochelle Ransom. Preadtend, $9.99 trade
paper (294p) ISBN 978-0-9890174-4-2
At the start of Ransoms clunky debut,
teenager Sierra Hart wakes up in a small,
locked room with absolutely no recollection
of how she got there. What follows is an
investigative journey through her family
history and current romantic entangle-
ments. Sierras life in Laketown, N.Y., is
revealed through a detailed diary she keeps
while imprisoned and the narratives of
those closest to her: her parents, Patrick and
Dr. Laura Hart; her ex-boyfriend, Dave
Braun; and the new boy in her life, Gavin
Ross. Unfortunately, not all of the narratives
serve the purpose of moving the story
forward, and the immense amount of back-
story negates the suspense. Awkward prose
doesnt help (The water pooled in a small,
deep, divot as the fear exploded up her
throat, across her tongue and out of her
mouth in a desperate shrill wail that fell
flat, in the trapped air).
The Last Great American Magic
L.C. Fiore. Can of Corn Media, $17.99 trade
paper (372p) ISBN 978-0-692-71707-3
Fiores fictionalized story of Shawnee war
leader Tecumseh focuses on his relationship
with his brother, Tenskwatawa, as well as his
apocryphal love for Rebecca Galloway.
Tecumseh is determined from a young age to
play his part in the fight to keep white men
from overrunning Shawnee and other Indian
lands. His father and later his older brother,
Chiksika, are killed in battle, leaving
Tecumseh to lead his band of Shawnee and,
later, an increasingly large confederation
devoted to halting the settlers. Rebecca, once
a captive in his village, is the daughter of a
judge who wants Tecumseh to sign a treaty
ceding Shawnee lands. Tecumseh refuses but
falls in love with Rebecca. Tenskwatawa is
portrayed as weak, a drunkard, and a gam-
bler, until he returns from death imbued
with great power. Even then, he is not a com-
petent general and the Indian settlement of
Tippecanoe is sacked by the forces of William
Henry Harrison. Tecumsehs Shawnee
descendants may well tell his story differ-
ently but this works adequately as a piece of
fiction.
Life as We Knew It:
Transformation Project, Book 1
Lela Markham. Breakwater Harbor, $2.99 e-
book (337p) ASIN B00UY6MKHG
With this brief volume, Markham (The
Willow Branch) sets the stage for her post
apocalyptic thriller series, which features
fiercely self-sufficient Christian preppers
and government conspiracies. Shane
Delaney, a mercenary haunted by his past,
is close to committing suicide in fictional
Mirastan when the book opens, but an
unexpected text from his grandfather Jacob
and a visit from his friend Mike interrupt
him. Back in Emmaus, Kans., Jacob and
other members of Shanes family feel moved
to pray for him, even without knowing why.
Shane is a Central Security Agency asset,
and his depression is bad enough that his
handler, Grant Rigby, is prepared to pull
him from his current assignment and send
him home. Then Grant and others learn of
a plot to nuke multiple American cities
and at least some elements of the federal
government are aware of this plot and doing
nothing to stop it. (This bizarre premise is
never really explained.) Shanes unique
skills may soon be needed by his family and
the rest of his salt-of-the-earth rural Kansas
town. This flimsy science fiction thriller
will appeal to fans of novels by Newt
Gingrich and William Forstchen.
Marry Me Twice:
Rose Quartz, Book 1
Catherine Avril Morris. Catherine Avril Morris,
$3.99 e-book (284p) ASIN B00O28QR30
A disillusioned would-be TV producer
finds romance and a new career in Morriss
middling Rose Quartz contemporary series
launch. Janie Adams is eager to produce her
first episode of magazine television show
Albuquerque Tonight, and she has the per-
fect idea for it: a piece on the tiny town of
Rose Quartz, N.M., and the Valentines Day
B O O K L I F E .C O M 66e

festival celebrating the Love Stone that
was mined there. Janie, who longs to make
historical documentaries, is fascinated by
the local legend of lovers Isabella and
Enrique, but her ratings-hungry boss wants
more, and he thinks a Bachelor-style dating
competition featuring sexy local quartz
mine owner Mason Hart is the key to
drawing more viewers. It will also help
Mason, who stands to lose everything if hes
not married by his upcoming 30th birthday.
Upset to learn that her boss intends to rig
the contest, Janie proposes an alternate plan
to Mason: she will marry him if hell give
her seed money to start her own production
company. But it will take more than sexual
sparks and wedding vows to bond this
couple. Despite a shaky plot and by-the-
numbers romance, Morris delivers enough
emotional heat to hold the story together.
Midnight Omen
Marti Melville. Doce Blant, $24.99 trade
paper (356p) ISBN 978-0-9971023-4-5
The past haunts the present in this lum-
bering piratical fantasy, first in the Deja Vu
Chronicles. When ER nurse Katherine
experiences unusual phenomena while on
duty one night, her mentor suspects its
related to her magical gifts and mysterious
heritage. In order to learn more, Katherine
undergoes shamanistic regression to a past
incarnation, where she relives the adven-
tures of Kathryn, a Welsh witch living in
1721. As Kathryn, shes coerced into
joining the crew of the pirate ship Revenge,
under the captaincy of John Phillips; many
of the men superstitiously avoid her, but she
nevertheless finds a place among them,
using her powers to protect and heal them.
As they confront other pirates, thwart
mutiny, and plunder their way across the
Caribbean, Kathryn suspects larger forces
are at play and have brought her on board
for a reason. Despite the modern-day
framing sequence, most of this tale takes
place in 1721, leading to a narrative imbal-
ance between the various threads. Melvilles
work, which heavily romanticizes the life
of a pirate, is atmospheric but overly
descriptive and even flowery, which drags
down the pacing and tension. Its a solid
66f B O O K L I F E , F E B R UA RY 2 7 , 2 0 1 7
start to the series, but it lacks real story
movement.
Rest Now, Beloved
Blake S. Lee. CreateSpace, $14.89 trade
paper (334p) ISBN 978-1-5087-5403-9
Two different cover-ups 60 years apart
drive Lees lackluster debut. In San Diego,
Calif., in 1933, the body of missing seven-
year-old Christopher Abkhazian, a pastors
son, surfaces in San Diego Bay. Jurisdictional
conflicts, misinformed reports, and egotis-
tical battles eventually cause the case to be
forgottenthat is, until 1993, when the
San Diego Observer runs an article detailing
the closing of the case. Pete McGraw, the
former lead investigator, whos now a recov-
ering alcoholic with cancer, challenges it,
calling it a second cover-up. Sera Schilling,
an investigative reporting intern at the
Observer, teams with Pete to revisit every
part of the case and find out who would
want to cover it up decades later. Lee does a
good job evoking San Diegos rich culture,
but her intertwining of past and present
fails to generate much momentum. Only
the climax delivers any real suspense.
Sarah Annes Faithful Friends
Cathy Lynn Bryant and Jessica Dorman.
Bryant Dorman, $12.25 trade paper (314p)
ISBN 978-0-6925-6298-7
In the fourth book of the Unshakable
Faith series, the mother-and-daughter
writing team of Bryant and Dorman return
to pre-Revolutionary War Massachusetts to
continue the tale of Sarah Anne Swyndhurst.
Having suffered the loss of both her hus-
band and her son, Sarah travels to the home
of Daniel and Joanna Thompson to help
with the birth of their third child. Soon
after giving birth, Joanna, realizing that she
is dying, asks Daniel to marry Sarah after
she is gone. This way, Sarah can take care of
her family and Daniel can take care of the
young widow. At first, both Daniel and
Sarah reject the idea, but in time they agree
to a celibate marriage of convenience. All
goes well until Joannas estranged brother
George arrives to make trouble. Angry at
Sarah for stepping into Joannas place, he is
determined to do all he can to make her
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leave. Although this is part of a series, the
book functions well as a standalone. While
the writing is somewhat formal and the
characters emotions are restrained, these
traits reflect prim and proper 18th-century
society. Bryant and Dorman invite readers
to escape into the past in this enjoyable
work of historical Christian fiction.
The Seventh Son:
Norman Conquest, Book 4
Ashley York. Ashley York, $4.99 e-book (397p)
ASIN B01BZ36LS0
York takes the reader on a journey back
to 11th-century Ireland in the fast-paced
and enjoyable fourth Norman Conquest
romance (after The Irish Warrior). Tadhg
MacNaughton has become chieftain upon
the death of his father, Padraig. The old
chieftain had broken off a treaty that joined
the MacNaughton family with the
OBriens, an act that annulled Tadhgs
betrothal to his beloved, Tisa OBrien.
Before Tadhg can craft a new treaty or rein-
state the betrothal, Tisas father weds her to
Darragh Meic Lochlainn. Tisa is very
unhappy in her marriage and her new home
with the Meic Lochlainn clan; her cruel hus-
band is not sexually attracted to women
and, she fears, cannot protect her from other
men who wish her harm. When she and
Tadhg meet again, they learn that the spark
that was kindled between them years ago
has never been extinguished. York expertly
combines her historical knowledge with
romance and intrigue in this alluring tale
of parted lovers whose greatest desire is to
be together once again.
The Sitting Room
Aimee Juarez. Bayley Street, $4.99 e-book
(410p) ISBN 978-0-9965749-0-7
Juarezs debut romance has the bones of
a good historicalstrong period feel
(though there are some persistent errors),
appealing protagonists, quirky secondary
characters, and a dab of Irish language for
aficionadosbut it cannot escape its
smothering detail. In 1894 London, David
Gosfield arrives to take up a teaching post
formerly held by his grandfather at Johns
College. Adele Ledford is in the company
REVIEWS
of her illusionist uncle, Lionel Douglas
Daniels Ledford. Uncle and niece are gifted
mediums, and when Adele spots David
across a restaurant, its moreand worse
than love at first sight: David is being
haunted by a specter only Adele and Lionel
can see. This is an enticing setup, but an
excruciating 15% of the book is required to
establish it. Juarezs research is front and
center, a jumble of apropos nuggets and
absurd specifics: Davids hair is seven inches
long at the crown, while that of Adeles
future brother-in-law is five inches; Davids
satchel never becomes a mere bag but is
persistently the brown-leather gladstone.
And so interminably on, delaying and mud-
dying conflict and character development.
Its a meander of a book, one that longs to
romp but only plods.
Splintered
Thomas London. CreateSpace, $16.95 trade
paper (428p) ISBN 978-1-5151-2356-9
Londons tale about the consequences of
lying in D.C. is a strange concoction that
unsuccessfully mixes a childrens story
with lobbying skullduggery. Pinocchio, it
seems, is an analyst at a lobbying firm that
has lost its former idealism. Charles
Stevens, the senior partner for the Kronos
Group, needs some leverage on
Congressman Frank Barnes to effectively
overturn Barness previous legislation pro-
tecting the speckled owl. He seizes on a
fender bender between Pinocchio and the
congressman, whose female passenger was
definitely not his wife, to pressure the con-
gressman, using Pinocchios testimony in
front of the congressional committee to
drive home his point. Everything takes a
left turn when Pinocchios lies return him
to his former state as a wooden puppet.
Fairies and talking flora and fauna take the
stage, including Pinocchios old con-
science, who turns out to be a cockroach
rather than a cricket. London injects
thriller elements like the kidnapping of
Pinocchios family, but the two sides of the
story simply dont mesh. It doesnt help
matters that this reads like a second-rate
morality tale for teens.
The To-Do List
Sharon Struth. Solsbury Hill, $3.99 e-book
(254p) ISBN 978-0-9979293-0-0
Struths sweet contemporary struggles a
bit under the weight of its complex story.
Free after a contentious divorce, Maggie
Harris leaps at the chance to restart her life
with her teenage daughter back in her
hometown of Brockport, Conn., where she
inherited her aunts bookstore. But she
didnt count on bumping into her high
school crush, Cooper Stanton, so soon after
settling in. No one warned her that the
former college baseball star was now a town
detectiveand hes in charge of finding
whomever vandalized her bookstore.
Despite old chemistry reigniting between
Maggie and Cooper, its a long and slow
road to a relationship. Each is keeping
20-year-old secrets that could very easily
drive the other away. Struths characters are
well developed and are given room to con-
sult with family and friends about their
problems, which is refreshing when many
contemporaries keep the dialogue between
the focus couple. But two big revelations
make the story feels more complicated than
it needs to be and take away from the plea-
sure of watching Maggie and Cooper fall
back in love. The Wolf of Dorian Gray: A
Werewolf Spawned by the Evil of Man
Brian S. Ference. Brian S. Ference, $9.99
mass market (216p) ISBN 978-0-9983252-0-0
Ferences debut puts a twist on Oscar
Wildes classic The Portrait of Dorian Gray,
adding the dimension of a wild beast. The
arrangement smoothly parallels the orig-
inal, and Ference does his best to honor
Wildes distinctive style, though hes not
always successful. Victorian gentleman
Dorian remains stunningly handsome after
his youthful self is captured by an excep-
tionally talented artist in an eerily powerful
painting. However, Dorian is not alone in
this portrait; also depicted is a wolf cub, and
after the painting is hidden away, the wolf
is the one to change. A element of intense
violence is added to this version, and there
are some gender swaps, but the plot of a
young man led astray into lusty debauchery
remains the same. Passions and betrayals
abound. Ference lifts some lines from
Wildes text and adds his own gift for
description: Flowers, bright in sapphire
blue and crimson reds, sang out from every
corner of the ornately decorated room. But
other sentences are clunky and clichd.
Perhaps the forthcoming sequel will show
this promising writer coming into his own.
Nonfiction
An Affair with Beauty: The Mys-
tique of Howard Chandler Christy
James Philip Head. North Loop Books, $23
(292p) ISBN 978-1-63413-882-6
Heads glowing and revelatory biograph-
ical novel chronicles the life of Howard
Chandler Christy, a talented painter of
celebrities, dignitaries, and beautiful
women, whose models were known as
Christy Girls. Born in an Ohio log cabin in
1872, Christys talent was apparent from a
very young age; at 18 he went to New York
to study at the Art Students League, where
he was singled out as brilliant by his
teachers. Christy was a magazine illustrator
in his early 20s, followed by a stint as a
sketch artist in Cuba during the Spanish-
American War. Back in New York, Christy
became a well-paid illustrator, then shot to
fame with his Christy Girl portraits and
large-scale historical murals. His famous
painting of the signing of the Constitution
hangs in the U.S. Capitol. Christys second
wife, Nancy, was his model and muse until
his death in 1952; the narrative is mostly
from her perspective and from reminis-
cences or writings ascribed to her. Abundant
anecdotes provide insight into Christys
personality, life with Nancy, and philo-
sophical musings. Head emphasizes that
Christys lifelong obsession with beautiful
women, the romanticized, statuesque god-
dess, was as much about inner beauty as
physical perfection.
Busy Moms Cheat Sheet:
Raising Happy Healthy Kids
Lilly Cadoch. Picki Beli, $11.99 trade paper
(162p) ISBN 978-0-9969633-0-5
Cadoch, a certified health coach, is
B O O K L I F E .C O M 66g

devoted to her children; like many parents,
she struggles with juggling tasks and
feeding her kids easy and healthy meals that
they like. Cadochs main goal expressed here
is for all children to have healthy, well-
nourished bodies, minds, and spirits, and
she breaks down her thoughtful guide into
these categories. In the body section, she
discusses teaching children to read and
understand food labels so they understand
how certain ingredients affect the body. She
also covers essential topics such as the
importance of sleep and exercise. In the
mind section, Cadoch shares more lessons
shes learned; she encourages parents to
share stories of overcoming failure and to
teach children accountability and a positive
attitude in order to equip their minds for
success. In the spirit section, she describes
the benefits of meditation and affirmations
and shares several preferred techniques.
Finally, Cadoch includes a brief appendix of
healthy recipes that her children love, from
berry nutty smoothies to sweet and sour
meatballs. This is a kind guide for any
parent, one that reminds them to practice
and teach self-care.
Dont Date Baptists and Other
Warnings from My Alabama
Mother
Terry Barr. Red Dirt, $14.99 trade paper
(228p) ISBN 978-0-692-64120-0
The essays in Barrs debut collection
engage both nostalgia and social critique as
he chronicles his upbringing in Bessemer,
Ala., under George Wallaces divisive gov-
ernorship in the 1960s. Born to a Jewish
father and Methodist mother, Barr lovingly
details neighborhood barbeques (Over the
Hot Coals); his filial love for Dissie, his
f a m i l y s A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n m a i d
(Searching for Higher Ground); and his
experience of revisiting the town in adult-
hood (Racial Divide). In highlighting
Bessemers widespread intolerance, Barr
reveals the towns ugliest cobwebs, but he
often fails to sweep them away; instead he
defers to rhetorical questions or passes the
work onto others. In The Mayor, for
instance, Barr suggests, Some things need
to stay the same so that well remember, and
66h B O O K L I F E , F E B R UA RY 2 7 , 2 0 1 7
maybe so that other people, younger than
ourselves, will ask uncomfortable questions
about echoing things they dont quite, but
feel they should, understand. The material
is steeped in Southern charm. Some overlaps
in the material become repetitive; four sepa-
rate works mention the city pool being
cemented over rather than integrated. In
standout pieces concerning Barrs adult life,
he marries an Iranian woman and then hides
the marriage from his parents, and he seeks
to understand his daughters love of new
country music. Barrs portrayal of his
mother sustains the book, as she is funny,
endearing, and frank. Whenever she spins
a new yarn, the reader cant help but listen.
Everglades: Times Discipline
Mary Peck. Merlin Press, $35 paper (64p)
ISBN 978-0-692-69106-9
This slender collection of black-and-
white photographsmost presented as
double-page spreadsand the accompanying
commentary evoke both the grand mystery
and the worrisome ecological decline of
Floridas Everglades. In an accompanying
essay, writer and conservationist William
deBuys observes that the Glades are a
Noahs ark of wetland wildlife and an eco-
logical marvel and provides bits of histor-
ical and political background, as well as a
stark warning about the regions rapid
decline due to human impact, climate
change, and the predatory, nonnative
Burmese python. The Everglades were
declared a national park in 1947 and origi-
nally stretched for 150 miles, notes deBuys,
until real estate development diverted and
damaged the waters. Restoration attempts
are ongoing, but have all but failed.
Photographer Pecks images are a vision of
bowed and brambled curiosities: leafy
plants within reach of nubby tree bark in
rugged, tangled thickets; tree trunks and
finely detailed foliage rising up from vel-
vety water that appears to be moving
pell-mell; and darkening, atmospheric
wetlands with tree shadow reflections on
water. Tasteful and affecting, the photos
capture a diversity of cluttered, unkempt
plant life that awes with quiet elegance.
Readers will be moved by the cautionary
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narrative about the fragility of this natural
treasure. B&w photos.
Journey to Peace:
31 Devotions Through the
Grief of Miscarriage, Stillbirth,
or Other Pregnancy Loss
Keanna Barnes. Gold Peach, $8.99 trade
paper (114p) ISBN 978-0-9979057-0-0
In this debut, Barnes collects 31 devo-
tionals to help mothers process the grief of a
miscarriage or stillbirth. Providing a dif-
ferent biblical passage for each day of the
month, Barnes divides her book into five
sections that help teach women how to
find PEACE: pray, entrust, act, change,
encourage. Barnes introduces the book with
her own heartbreaking story, sharing how she
lost her son to preeclampsia around the start
of her third trimester. She continues to weave
her own personal experiences and insights
into her daily meditations, which will make
readers feel as if they are listening to an old
friend who has endured similar grief. Barness
writing is intimate and simple, and the daily
meditations are quick doses of hope (a page
or less) rather than theologically complex
reflections on death and grief. She also
includes a note from her husband on his expe-
rience dealing with his own grief over the loss
of his son and helping his wife through her
pain. An accompanying journal that can be
downloaded for free from the authors web-
site helps people work through the devotions
and exercises in this helpful book.
God in My Head:
The True Story of an Ex-Christian
Who Accidentally Met God
Joshua Steven Grisetti. CreateSpace, $12.99
trade paper (185p) ISBN 978-1-50850-266-1
In this debut memoir, Brooklyn-based
actor Grisetti describes a divine vision he
had while undergoing a dental procedure.
Raised as a Southern Baptist in Virginia,
Grisetti abandoned his faith after college.
Before that, faith was how he coped with his
crippling fear of dentistry, he jokes: In the
name of the Father, the Son, Crest, Colgate
and Oral-B. Amen. Eventually dentists
prescribed anxiety pills, which he mixed
with alcohol to knock himself out. On the
REVIEWS
day he met God, he had premedicated
before being given Xanax and nitrous oxide.
The majority of the book recounts the
extended question-and-answer session he
had with the deity, who told him, among
other things, that the Old Testament is alle-
gorical, God and the devil are two halves
of a whole, and heaven and hell dont exist.
Its no surprise that such iconoclasm and
moral relativism emerged from the mind of
someone whod struggled with orthodox
Christianity, Grisetti acknowledges.
Although he gamely investigates drug-
induced hallucinations and near-death
experiences, he still believes that he expe-
rienced something beyond the mere neu-
rons of my brain. Readers can make of
Gods revelations what they will, but the
authors vivid memory and sense of humor
render this a riveting account.
History of the Apocalypse
Catalin Negru. Lulu, $2.99 e-book (581p)
ISBN 978-1-329-66764-8
Negru, who describes himself as neither a
believer nor an atheist, didnt use the popular
phrase a brief history in his title for good
reason. At 581 pages, the tome is anything
but. Negru reminds readers that fascination
with the apocalypse isnt a recent cultural
obsession; rather, its been a subject of intense
interest since the earliest days of recorded
history, as evinced by the doctrinal beliefs of
all three Abrahamic religions. He also points
out that the phrase the end of the world can
be interpreted various ways, such as the
extinction of humankind, the destruction of
Earth, or some other type of transformation
or migration. After delineating the views of
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam on escha-
tology (the study of the last days), Negru
zeros in on how the Christian view, in par-
ticular, has been presented from the first to
the 21st century, and how it has changed due
to greater knowledge and discovery. The
book is well researched and includes quotes
from sacred texts and other scholars. Those
obsessed with zombie movies or modern
stories of survivalist living may be disap-
pointed that the book stays away from
Hollywoods take. But for those who want to
probe the historical and religious teachings
on the apocalypse, Negrus not-so-brief book
wont disappoint.
Let Go, Heal, Be Happy:
An In-Depth Roadmap to
Life-Long Emotional Mastery
Mark Linden OMeara. Soul Care, $17.95
trade paper (338p) ISBN 978-0-9812717-8-1
OMearas foray into the self-help genre
is stimulating despite occasionally being
overly vague about process. OMeara begins
by detailing his own struggles with letting
go, which led him to make a New Years
resolution to experience more joy. Hes
overly brief with how the process occurred
in his own life and never defines what he
experienced emotionally after a series of set-
backs, including a back injury. Much of
whats here will be familiar to anyone whos
ever picked up a self-help book, but OMearas
tone is admirably sincere. He attempts to
cover a lot of bases, including depression,
abuse, memory, shame, and emotional
masks. Maybe the most important sections
come when OMeara criticizes the concept
(which he cites as common among assertive-
ness coaches) that no one can make you feel
what you dont want to feel, and runs down
the flaws and benefits of positive thinking.
A concluding appendix offers a list of sug-
gestions for how to continue to heal and
grow. For some readers the book might be
too optimistic, but theres something to pick
and choose and learn from for everyone.
LoFrisco Family Cookbook: How
Josie Brought Sicily to Brooklyn
Anthony LoFrisco. Trylon, $39.95 (280p)
ISBN 978-0-9975458-0-7
First-time cookbook author LoFriscos
love letter to Italian cuisine is equal parts
memoir and cookbook, a welcome trip
through time. LoFriscos nostalgic stories
from his youth in 1950s Brooklyn, such as
his brief foray into a life of crimelifting
fistfuls of candy bars to share with his
friends, only to have his father, a police
officer, answer the call from the shop
ownerare charming and delightful, and
give the book a generous helping of person-
ality and place. His recipes are perfectly
fine, but also perfectly ordinary; most of
them are for Italian standards (panzanella
Sunday sauce, veal parmigiana, lasagne)
with some culinary outliers (a Nioise salad,
potato pancakes, beef stew, coffee cake).
Readers of a certain age and those with an
affinity for family cookbooks are sure to find
a lot to like here. LoFriscos a warm story-
teller. His deep affection for his family and
the foods of his childhood is truly a delight
to behold, and it shines through in what is
clearly a labor of love.
Long Road to Hard Truth:
The 100-Year Mission to Create
the National Museum of African
American History and Culture
Robert L. Wilkins. Proud Legacy, $26.99
(144p) ISBN 978-0-9979104-0-7
In this comprehensive yet refreshingly
brisk account, Wilkins, a former public
defender, relates the drive to establish the
National Museum of African American
History and Culture. The process spanned
decades of pervasive racism, wars and eco-
nomic crises, and dismissive, hostile, and
ineffective Congresses. Its a journey riddled
with false starts and full stops, which
Wilkins traces from its earliest notions
a 1916 effort to erect a memorial to honor
black soldiersto President Obamas
speech at the 2012 groundbreaking cere-
mony. Throughout, Wilkins weaves the
personal story of his foolhardy involvement
in advocating for a museum dedicated to
black history, culture, and contributions in
Americas front yard. He peppers the
book with little-known history, from the
failed government-run Freedmens Bank,
which lost and did not reimburse former
slaves savings, to the changing designs of
and bureaucratic squabbles over the
National Mall. The museum also had sur-
prisingly diverse array of proponents,
including Mary McLeod Bethune, James
Baldwin, John Glenn, George W. Bush, John
Lewis, Rick Santorum, and Cecily Tyson.
Wilkins occasionally gets bogged down in
minutiae, but he delivers a passionate
narrative of the struggle to honor and share
the complex and powerful stories of African-
American people.
B O O K L I F E .C O M 66i

Masao: A Nisei Soldiers Secret
and Heroic Role in World War II
Sandra Vea. DMA, $18.99 trade paper (360p)
ISBN 978-0-692-57558-1
Vea shares the important and fascinating
story of her father-in-law, Masao Abe, doc-
umenting his military experiences as a
nisei, a second-generation Japanese-
American. She bases her work on hundreds
of hours of interviews with Abe and his
friends and relatives. Though the book has
some flaws, the story is of historical interest
for several reasons. First, though Abe was
an American citizen by birth, from ages
nine to 19 he was brought back to Japan for
his education and groomed to be an officer
in the Imperial Japanese Army. To avoid
military service his father sent him back to
the U.S., where he was drafted into the U.S.
Army in 1941, serving with military intel-
ligence throughout WWII. The second
aspect of Abes distinct story is his service
as a translator and interrogator during
WWII. It was Abes job to coax Japanese
defenders into surrendering during the
ferocious island campaigns of WWII in the
Pacific. Finally, the Abe story illustrates
the challenges and injustices faced by the
American immigrant communities during
WWII even as their sons fought and sacri-
ficed on the battlefield. Vea omits much
about Abes life and career, but her other-
wise moving and informative story illumi-
nates a rarely discussed aspect of the WWII
experience.
Raised on Ritalin
Tyler Page. Dementian, $20 trade paper
(400p) ISBN 978-0-9720801-6-3
Like many Gen X kids, Page took
Ritalin to control attention problems and
hyperactive behavior. As an adult, he
notices his old symptoms returning and
goes back on medication, but this time he
starts to ask questions. The result is a thick
graphic novel that explores ADHD,
Ritalin, and psychiatric medication from
every possible angle. Page intersperses his
ongoing search for treatment with biology
lessons, history, and criticisms of the phar-
maceutical industry. Hes not a doctor and
latches onto some deeply suspect ideas
66j B O O K L I F E , F E B R UA RY 2 7 , 2 0 1 7
(e.g., that depression can be cured by exer-
cise), but he dives in with curiosity and an
open mind, encouraging readers to make
their own choices. A longtime indie car-
toonist, Page draws in a simple and acces-
sible if unremarkable style, sometimes
stretching too hard for gags instead of
letting the material speak for itself. As a
chronicle of mental illness, it doesnt
reach the heights of its clear predecessor,
Ellen Forneys remarkable Marbles, but it
provides an exhaustive, personal look at
the little-understood world of ADHD.
Sew Jewish: The 18 Projects
You Need for Jewish Holidays,
Weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs
Celebrations and Home
M. Bywater. Sew Jewish, $29.95 trade paper
(150p) ISBN 978-0-9968582-2-9
Bywater, who designs wedding chuppahs
for the wedding rental company Huppahs.
com, assembles 18 projects for crafters
interested in creating items for Jewish
events. Each project is introduced with a
quote from the Torah or rabbinical texts.
Bywater introduces readers to each project
with a quote or idiom and a short explana-
tion of the religious significance of the item.
There are projects for all skill levels, ranging
from a simple decorative wrap that can
transform an everyday jar into a special
tzedakah box (used to save coins for chari-
table donations) to a DIY wedding chuppah
with directions for both the canopy and
stand. The color photos and simple instruc-
tions and patterns will help anyone feel
confident in taking on a project. Suggestions
on choosing and cutting appropriate fabrics
make this a perfect book for beginners.
Bywaters cheerful writing style and helpful
explanations of the religious significance of
items will appeal to younger readers or
those new to Judaism and wishing to learn
more. Color photos.
Timor Runguranga:
A Photographic Journey Through
Timor-Leste
David Palazon. Blurb Books, $49.50 (344p)
ISBN 978-1-36-755911-0
In this fascinating contemporary photog-
REVIEWS
raphy book, which was eight years in the
making, photographer and writer Palazon
crafts a highly visual study of Timor-Leste,
focusing on the unique beauty of the
Southeast Asian country and the contradic-
tions of modern life. In addition to photos,
the book contains short written pieces from
60 mostly Western contributors to illumi-
nate aspects of the culture. Simo Barretos
song Call the Wind celebrates the ritual
ceremony calling the wind at the time of
rice harvest, still guiding the day-to-day
life of farming communities today.
Anthropologist Sofia Miranda describes
how difficult communication and transpor-
tation issues between Dili, the center of
power, and rural areas, prevent projects
from fully materializing and keep the popu-
lation dependent on government assistance.
Each contributor zeroes in on an intriguing
facet of Timorese politics, culture, or his-
tory, together offering a kaleidoscopic look
at the nation. Palazons many photographs,
taken between 2008 and 2016, provide the
most striking and lasting impression of
Timor-Leste. Until the Timorese them-
selves document their culture, Palazons
work will help readers outside the small
country get to know it a little better. Color
photos.
Weedgalized in Colorado:
True Tales from the High Country
Johnny Welsh. Peak 1, $19.95 trade paper
(224p) ISBN 978-0-9963078-8-8
Welsh, a bartender in Frisco, Colo.,
sheds light on the green rush in this hap-
hazard account of the first year of legalized
marijuana in Colorado. Gleaned from
Welshs experience as a bartender, the book
attempts to entertain and inform curious
readers about the emerging cannabis
industry primarily from the perspective of
one ski town in the heart of Colorado. It
is most useful as a guide for Colorado tour-
ists, detailing laws and customs from the
first year, offering a dispensary list, and
describing the different strains available at
the moment. Welsh puts a strong focus on
the business side of the phenomenon,
speaking with ganjapreneurs running
shops, consumption friendly lodgings, and
REVIEWS
culinary tours, illegal dealers whose income
has dried up, and dispensary budtenders
about their early experiences, and with
individuals like Frank McDonald, the
owner of the entire town of Stoner, Colo.
Welshs own inexperience as a consumer
puts him at a remove from his subject and
his retelling of other peoples anecdotes
often fall flat. He attempts original research
by way of formulaic interviews with anony-
mous dealers that leave obvious questions
unasked. Its an amateurish book on a pop-
ular subject.
Wounded Warrior, Wounded Wife:
Not Just Surviving, but Thriving
Barbara K. McNally. Battle Flag, $7.99 e-book
(228p) ISBN 978-1-63393-287-6
Physical therapist and debut author
McNally, writing in heart-wrenching
detail, outlines the bitter joy that comes
with being a wife of a wounded military
service member. Each of the books selected
stories illustrates phases of the recovery
process from the perspective of a veterans
wife. The author frankly discusses anger,
traumatic brain injuries, suicide, and other
issues. Challenges with sexuality fill a
deeply honest chapter. McNally cites find-
ings that post-9/11 military caregivers
are more likely to be young (more than
40% are between 18 and 30), veterans of
military service themselves, working, and
without a support network. With little
warning and almost no training, these
women have learned to serve their fami-
lies as full-time caregivers while their
partners try to recover from broken bones,
lost limbs, severe head injuries, and
other unspeakable assaults on their
bodies and beings, she writes. McNally
describes becoming aware of this issue
after witnessing a veterans suicide. Along
with her own insights, she also shares the
sage advice of a number of mental health
professionals, meant as a lifeline to care-
givers struggling to understand their loved
ones issues. After more than a decade of
Americans fighting battles on multiple
fronts, this is a deeply necessary and poi-
gnant offering.
Childrens/YA
Skin
Brenda Corey Dunne. Fortunate Frog Fiction,
$14.99 paper (262p) ISBN 978-0-9881562-2-7
Though Ocean OMalley loves to swim,
she isnt happy to be moving from Toronto
to Prince Edward Island. It doesnt help
matters that the 17-year-old is attacked on
her first night on the island, though shes
rescued by Sam OBrien, her attractive new
neighbor from Ireland. As Ocean and Sam
become close, he reveals that they are both
mythical creatures known as selkies, and
that his dangerous father is looking for
them both. As Ocean struggles with these
revelations, the race is on to find her selkie
skin, which her father hid in order to pro-
tect her. Canadian writer Dunne (Dependent)
builds on Irish lore to create an intriguing
mythology, though its not fully explained
(particularly with regard to the way that
time moves differently for selkies, as well
as their custom of luring humans into the
sea to live as sex slaves). Ocean has a
believable voice and is a well-rounded char-
acter with fleshed-out relationships with
her family, particularly her mother. Her
story is marred, however, by the fact that,
on multiple occasions, Sam steps in to save
Ocean from sexual assaults. A sequel is
planned. Ages 14up.
Kissd
D.C. Reep and E.A. Allen. CreateSpace,
$10.99 paper (224p) ISBN 978-1-5331-3312-0
In this light paranormal romance,
16-year-old Jenny Tyler goes to stay with
her eccentric Aunt Connie, following a
hurdle-jumping injury during a track meet
that resulted in a concussion. Aunt Connie,
who conducts sances with a small group of
fellow enthusiasts, believes that Jenny will
bring new luck to their attempts to contact
a spirit. When Jenny has a dreamlike
meeting with a young man dressed as a sol-
dier, it seems as though her aunt may be
correct. The ghostly figures kiss transports
Jenny to WWI-era Belgium, where she
learns that he is a Canadian soldier named
Jack. Along with two of his cohorts, Jenny
and Jack seek safety from advancing
German forces as Jenny grapples with her
inexplicable new circumstances and falls
for Jack. Allen and Reep, who previously
collaborated on The Dangerous Summer
of Jesse Turner, vividly portray the histor-
ical moment and keep tension levels high
through a series of perilous encounters. Jack
and Jenny arent the most memorable of
romantic leads, but readers intrigued by
the idea of past-life loves should still be
intrigued by this girl-meets-ghost story.
Ages 12up.
A Fine Witch for a Cat
Catherine Callie. Amazon Digital Services,
$3.75 e-book (154p) ASIN B01M9BFB1U
In this sharp-edged fantasy, British
writer Callies first book, Granny Willow,
an elderly witch, lives with her talking cat,
Shadow, in a remote village. One night, a
mother frantically seeks Granny Willows
help in healing her daughter, who has been
attacked by a cat. After the murderous cat,
Gorlan, kills Granny Willow for refusing
to supply information about the girl,
Shadow becomes a suspect and is hunted by
the villagers. Callie writes vividly about
Shadows journey, as he adjusts to living
without Granny Willows protection.
Enduring both physical and mental
anguish, Shadow eventually finds love with
a cat named Magala and forms alliances
with feral barn cats, as they prepare for a
great battle with Gorlan. Though the story
bogs down amid redundant explanations
and overwritten passages (Shadow could
not begin to understand those feelings that
made him want to destroy the cat that did
this. He didnt know it was within him.
These destructive impulses, combined with
the immeasurable guilt he felt for his earlier
absence made him question his own
being), Callie creates an intriguing world
of animal magic. Ages 9up.
Mystery of the Troubled Toucan
Lisa Travis, illus. by Adam Turner. WorldTrek,
$5.99 paper (126p) ISBN 978-1-936376-24-7
This sixth installment in the Pack-n-Go
Girls Adventures series, mystery chapter
books featuring young heroines from
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around the world, transports readers to the touched on, and the retrospective narrative
Amazon rainforest. After nine-year-old frame only serves to distance readers from
Sofia Diazs parents announce that they are the boys experience. Ages 48.
separating, her father takes her with him
from their home in Miami on a trip to Brazil.
Though Sofia is brooding over this recent
The preceding reviews of
development and wondering whether her self-published titles ran in
father will continue to be a part of their Publishers Weekly during the
lives, the sights of Brazil distract her from past month.
her pain. She soon meets a girl her age, Jlia
Santos, whose passion for protecting the
rainforest animals from poachers and other
threats proves infectious. After the girls
discover pink dolphins called botos that
have been tied up by poachers, they attempt
to find out who is responsible. Travis writes
clearly and engagingly, infusing the story
with information about conservation and
the rainforest, as well as Portuguese vocabu-
lary (a glossary is included). Turners b&w
cartoon spot illustrations do a fine job of
capturing the local flora and fauna, while
tapping into the unfolding mystery and the
camaraderie between the girls. Ages 69.

Once Upon a Weasel

Salvo Lavis and James Munn, illus. by Dave
Leonard. Spitball Studio, $15.95 (32p)
ISBN 978-0-9977982-0-3
An adult narrator looks back at his
adventures with his childhood pet weasel
in this energetic but aimless story. Living
with his parents above their hat shop, the
unnamed boy had few friends but I did
dream a lot, he explains. Passing a local pet
store, the boy is instantly drawn to a weasel:
He had big eyes, soft orange fur and a
playful nature. The boy sneaks the weasel
home and hides it from his parents, but after
he brings the weasel on a field trip to a plan-
etarium, chaos ensues, jeopardizing his
chances of keeping the pet. Leonards fresh,
cinematic cartooning has fun with the sto-
rys flights of fancy, including the boys
imagined moon journey with the weasel and
the animals wildly circuitous path through
the museum, traced in a zigzagging dotted
line. But Lavis and Munn never give the
story much substance or tension. Pacing is
uneven, including a second imagined trip
into space thats done in a flash. The lesson
the boy learns about responsibility is barely

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