March 2011

A quarterly guide
to what’s new in
self-publishing
Full reviews of
30 self-published
books
Listings of
141 new titles

Plus:
w Regional successes:
four reports
w Nine kids’ books that
found big houses
w How agents are changing
their tune
w New measures of
success
 A Nation’s Honor…
A Generation’s Political Soul…
Love and War in the Age of Aquarius

ALtAmoNt AuGie
A Novel by Richard Barager

AVAILABLE JUNE 1, 2011

308 pages
ISBN 13 (TP): 978-0-9830661-0-1; $15.95
ISBN 13 (e-book): 978-0-9830661-1-8; $9.99

A startlingly vivid portrayal of one of the

most colorful and turbulent periods in
American history. The tumultuous affair of
David Noble and Jackie Lundquist, two ill-
fated college lovers at odds over Vietnam, spills
onto a tableau of some of the era’s most iconic
settings—the legendary battleground of Khe
Sanh; a Midwestern campus riven by dissent;
and Altamont Speedway, scene of the notorious
rock festival profiled in the film Gimme Shelter.
Let the richly satisfying story of David and
Jackie transport you to a Sixties state of mind.

“ …historical fiction at its very best. The main characters are true-to-life
and make the readers care…Barager’s writing is always on target.”
—ForeWord Clarion Reviews

“I believe you’ll agree that this novel is the product of both genius and passion,
a powerful and unforgettable literary experience.”
—Mark Spencer, winner of the Faulkner Award for the Novel for The Weary Motel

Available at Amazon, BN.com and richardbarager.com

Distributed to the trade by Pathway Book Service: 800-345-6665
www.richardbarager.com Review Copies Available: Contact Publicist at gail@topressandbeyond.com

Booksellers Reveal Secrets to
Self-Published Success
Midwest & Rocky Mountain States
By Claire Kirch
I
f there was ever a stigma about
selling self-published books, inde-
pendent booksellers in the Mid-
west and Rocky Mountain states
have long since gotten over it.
Self-published books sell well at most of
the stores in the region contacted by PW.
The Bookworm in Omaha, Neb., dis-
closed that two self-published books—
Pleased but Not Satisfied by Berkshire
Hathaway executive David Sokol, and
Five Minute Talks on Life, Love, and Faith by
Fr. James Schwertley, a retired Catholic
priest—currently are their top-selling
titles. More than 10,000 copies of Sokol’s
book have sold since 2008 (2,000 of
them since December), and 550 copies of
Schwertley’s since September 2010.
Orders for both books, which are sold
exclusively by the Bookworm both in-
store and online, come in from all over
the world.
Booksellers agree that the self-pub-
lished books that sell best are books that
are both professionally packaged and
aggressively marketed by the author.
While several bookstores contacted dis-
closed that they only sell books by local
authors on consignment for a 90-day
period, that local connection, while
important, wasn’t necessarily an essential
factor in sales.
“The author is in advertising, and
Fall from Grace doesn’t have that ‘self-
published’ look about it,” Bev Bauer,
the owner of Redbery Books, in Cable,
Wis., says about Kerry Casey’s coming-
of-age novel about five high school
hockey players, which has sold 400 cop-
ies in her small store. The author lives
in St. Paul, Minn., and has visited Red-
GOING REGIONAL
bery only “occasionally.”
The biggest success story in
recent years of any self-published
book placed in Midwestern and
mountain state bookstores has to be
Blind Your Ponies by Minnesotan Stanley
West. West, who lived in Bozeman,
Mont., at the time, self-published his
debut novel in 1997, after failing to find
a publisher. Recalling that he “didn’t
know any better,” he sold the novel,
about a high school basketball team, to
“every bookstore [he] could find” in that
state. “The rings kept getting wider and
wider,” West tells PW, and the book was
picked up by independent bookstores
across the Midwest, and then by the
chain bookstores. By the time Algonquin
Books acquired Blind Your Ponies last
year, West had sold 40,000 copies.
Gail White, a clerk at the Blue Heron
in Ennis, Mont., tells PW that Blind Your
Ponies is talked up to any customer asking
for a recommendation. The combination
antique store/bookstore has sold over
1,000 copies since 1997. “It’s one of the
best reads,” White declares. Country
Bookshelf in Bozeman also reports that
the store sold “hundreds and hundreds” of
copies of Blind Your Ponies since 1997, and
has already sold about 100 copies of
Algonquin’s reissue, published in January.
“It’s one of those books people would
read, and then return to the store to buy
copies for others,” Anna Hjortsberg,
Country Bookshelf’s manager, says.
Charles Kaine, the owner of Readers
Cove, in Fort Collins, Colo., describes
Karla Oceanak as a prime example of an
author who understands the fine art of
self-promotion. Kaine has sold 400 cop-
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M
ies of Oceanak’s debut children’s book,
Artsy-Fartsy, since 2009, and has sold
300 copies of the second book in the
Aldo Zelnick series, Bogus, in the past
year. He reports that he’s got young cus-
tomers “sitting on their hands” waiting
for the third book, Cahoots, scheduled for
release in May.
“They’re an easy sell,” Kaine says,
explaining that he tells customers the
series is “just like Wimpy Kid Diaries,
though not as snarky,” and that both
books also refer to beloved local land-
marks, as Oceanak lives in Fort Collins.
IPG started distributing the titles
through its regular program this past
fall, and Artsy-Fartsy was recently named
an IndieBound Children’s Books Favor-
ite.
Mary McDonald, events coordinator at
the Learned Owl, in Hudson, Ohio, has
been talking up Terry Sykes-Bradshaw’s
debut novel, The Awful Truth About Dead
Men to other GLiBA booksellers and to
sales reps. “It’s a hoot, it’s fun, it’s a good
mystery set during a Florida cruise,” she
declares of the book, which has sold 40
copies in the store since this past sum-
mer. While the Learned Owl has a self-
published authors section, The Awful
Truth About Dead Men is shelved with the
other paperback fiction titles.
“When we’re fired up about a [self-
published] book, we’ll mix it in with the
regular books,” she disclosed, “There’s no
reason Sykes-Bradshaw couldn’t be pub-
lished by a mainstream press.”
1

The South
By Marc Schultz
W
hen someone asked
Mandy Williams,
coauthor of What I
Learned After My
Husband Got Fired!,
why the kinds of lessons laid out in her
self-published personal finance memoir
aren’t being taught in schools, Williams
replies, “How would I
know? What do I look like,
a teacher?”
That question cropped
up shortly after the August
2009 release of the book
Williams wrote with her
sister, Tina Pennington,
during a speaking engage-
ment for businesswomen
arranged by the Jewish
Federation of Greater
Houston. Within a matter of months,
the sisters—who write under the names
Red (Pennington) and Black (Wil-
liams)—found themselves teaching
those very lessons, out of their own
book, to a class of high school seniors at
the KIPP Zenith charter school in
Houston. Within a year, the title was
approved by the Texas State Board of
Education as a textbook for the state
curriculum’s newly required financial
literacy component. By the end of next
month, Williams and Pennington plan
to release a self-published teaching
guide for What I Learned, based on the
140-page course proposal they sent to
the Texas board.
Even before their success with Texas
schools, the sisters’ unusual self-pub story
had gotten them a write-up in PW Daily:
on the strength of their book, and a good
bit of chutzpah, the Texas pair got Nei-
man Marcus in Houston to launch their
self-pubbed, handbound title with its
very own display window, featuring man-
nequins dressed like Williams and Pen-
nington. It doesn’t hurt that the sisters
2 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY ■ M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 1
GOING REGIONAL
have a media-ready Odd Couple dynamic:
Pennington is the finance-illiterate sub-
urban housewife, while Williams is a self-
described “rich bitch who races cars.”
The first-time authors’ aggressive
time line put them out of the running for
commercial publication—though they
ended up consulting with Bright Sky
Press in Texas—and their determination
to print in the U.S. (with R.R. Donnel-
ley) meant they had to commit to a
25,000 print run if they wanted any hope
of recouping their investment.
Though Williams never even consid-
ered education as a part of
her marketing plan, the
book’s content makes it a
natural fit for a financial
literacy classroom, cover-
ing everything from credit
cards and insurance to time
management, stress, and
values. But it’s the story
and the style that made it
an unexpected hit with
KIPP high schoolers: “It’s
[written] the way kids communicate,”
says Williams. “One kid told us it was
like a reality show in a book.”
The sisters’ foray into education was a
surprise for both of them. When they
were first called into the office of KIPP’s
executive director, who received a copy
from one of KIPP’s founding teachers
(who received the copy from his wife),
Williams expected, at best, that KIPP
wanted a “dog-and-pony show: round up
all the kids, put them in the audito-
rium.” After about 40 minutes of discus-
sion, however, the director asked them to
plan and teach a semester-long financial
literacy program for his seniors. “With-
out skipping a beat,” Williams says, “I
tell him, ‘Sure, no problem.’ I look at my
sister and she looks like a deer in head-
lights.”
After meeting for five weeks with a
“task force” of eight high school students
who volunteered to help them hammer
out a curriculum, Williams and Penning-
ton still hadn’t considered using What I
Learned itself in the classroom: “The last
day, we said to them, ‘Okay, we’re not
teachers, what do we use for handouts in
class? How do we get the message across?’
And it was these kids that suggested we
use the book as a textbook.”
The program turned out to be a win-
ner: “After we completed it, both the
Texas Education Agency [which is over-
seen by the 15-member State Board of
Education] as well as the lieutenant gov-
ernor’s office wanted to hear more about
the program.” That meeting led the pair
to put together and submit a 140-page
document on the program, called The Book
Club Approach to Personal Finance & Life
101, which earned What I Learned
approval from the State Board of Educa-
tion for use in public schools throughout
Texas. Like What I Learned, The Book Club
Approach will be printed in the U.S. by
R.R. Donnelley, with an initial print run
of 1,500 (“as we expect it to be updated
as we get feedback from users”) and a
retail price of $20 (What I Learned sells
for $25).
Though Williams and Pennington
still have a lot of copies on their hands—
Williams estimates that between 2,000
and 2,500 copies have been sold—the
future looks promising. With almost
1,700 high schools in Texas and dozens
of KIPP middle and high schools across
the country, plus interest from indepen-
dent schools, churches, the Girl Scouts of
America, and Williams and Penning-
ton’s core demographic of boomer women
and senior citizens, Williams is confident
they’ll move all 25,000 copies. She even
hints at a sequel, already outlined, which
would pick up where What I Learned
leaves off: Williams’s husband serving
her with divorce papers.
“But really,” says Williams, “we don’t
know what happens next.” That uncer-
tainty makes up a big part of both the
risk and reward of self-publishing: “From
everything I’ve read, I would venture to
guess [a traditional publisher] would’ve
had a marketing strategy in place before
this book ever hit the presses. And I’m
not sure that a traditional publisher
would have understood, shortly after
launching the book, us taking a five-
month sabbatical to go teach school!”
 GOING REGIONAL

New England by the Sea, a $40 pictorial on Portland, like

hotcakes over Christmas, and in the dead
doesn’t look self-pub-
lished. It’s an interesting
By Judith Rosen of winter we’re still selling 15 a week.” piece of local history, well

I
n a variation of the phrase coined by
Tip O’Neill on politics, all self-pub-
lished books are local, or at least the
ones that work best in New England.
“I think self-publishing makes sense
for über-local authors,” says Susan Fox, co-
owner of Red Fox Books in Glens Falls,
N.Y., who has sold Lawrence Gooley’s Ter-
ror in the Adirondacks (Bloated Toe Press),
about serial killer Robert F. Garrow, and
trail guides on snow shoeing and hiking in
the Adirondacks, part of Roger Fulton and
Michael Carpenter’s series of Outdoor
Books for Ordinary People, extremely well.
“We’re doing really well with regional
nonfiction,” says Jon Platt, owner of
Nonesuch Books and Cards in Biddeford
and South Portland, Maine. “There defi-
nitely is a market for the super, super
local,” he says. “We sold John Moon’s City
Nonesuch has also experienced strong
sales, over 165 copies, for Maine pediatri-
cian Conner Moore’s memoir, Black Bag
to Blackberry, published by Bryson Taylor
Publishing in Saco, Maine. It was founded
by Deb Landry to self-publish her anti-
bullying children’s books.
As Platt sees it, “The real future for us
is nonfiction regional books, whether
they’re travel books or kids books. The
whole regional aspect of our book sales
has become critical for our survival, espe-
cially when we’re up against e-books.”
The right local title also works at Dev-
aney Doak & Garrett Booksellers in Farm-
ington, Maine. As an example, owner
Kenny Brechner cites John Hodgkins’s
Our Game Was Baseball, a history of the
Temple, Maine, Townies that shows how
baseball served as the glue for small towns
in Maine. “You look at the book, and it
done, and well priced at $15.95. I sold it
hand over fist at the holidays. Everybody
has family that played on the teams.”
Although Tom Holbrook, owner of
RiverRun Bookstore in Portsmouth,
N.H., agrees that local self-published
nonfiction sells best, his store-recom-
mends list includes Lisa Genova’s novel
Still Alice, originally self-published and
then picked up by Simon & Schuster.
Recently, RiverRun has done well with
local author Darcy Scott’s first novel,
Hunter Huntress. “Technically,” says Hol-
brook, “it wasn’t self-published; it was
published in England.” After failing to
find a U.S. publisher, Scott imported the
U.K. edition and sold it herself. She has
since signed with Publishing Works,
Exeter, N.H., for her sophomore effort.
Sometimes self-published fiction
works for bookstore/publishers. That’s

“For the smart self-publisher, TP&B is the perfect solution—

all the decision advantages and control, and a built-in
editorial/production/marketing team.”

— Dan poynter,
The Self-Publishing Manual.

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the case at Box Car and
Caboose Bookshop in St.
Johnsbury, Vt., which has
an Espresso Book Machine. “This is a
kind of nuanced thing,” says co-owner
Scott Beck of the store’s Railroad Street
Press publishing division. Railroad both
prints and acts as publisher for self-pub-
lished authors. It even has begun making
some books available nationally by
downloading them to Lightning Source.
One of the store’s, and Railroad’s, best-
sellers is Robin Berenbaum’s novel,
Gresham’s Law, set in Vermont, which
has sold close to 300 copies to date.
It helps when self-published novelists
already have a national platform, like
Archer Mayor, whose Joe Gunther mys-
TheWest Coast
W
By Wendy Werris
hen it comes to self-
published books,
regional titles and
niche categories rate
high among West
Coast indie booksellers, who also cite the
willingness of these authors to promote
and market these books as key to their
success.
At Diesel Books in Oakland and Brent-
wood, California, co-owner John Evans
says, “The most important standards for
any book are marketability and editorial
excellence. Neither is necessarily applied
in the self-publishing arena. In a sense,
then, the bookseller becomes those wings
of the publisher as we decide whether or
not to stock self-published titles.”
The most successful of these books at
Diesel have been about Malibu, where the
chain had a store that closed just last
month. My Fifty Years in Malibu by Dor-
othy Stotsenberg sold more than 800 cop-
ies, and Marian Hall’s Malibu: California’s
Most Famous Seaside Community had sales
of 150. “These are micro-regional titles
that lend themselves particularly well to
self-publishing,” says Evans.
San Francisco’s Green Apple Books is
also bullish on self-published books, and
4 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY ■ M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 1
GOING REGIONAL
teries, set in Vermont, are pub-
lished by St. Martin’s. Several
years ago when backlist sales for
his early books began to falter,
Mayor took back the rights and
now publishes the first 12 under
the AMPress imprint. Pat
Fowler, co-owner of Village
Square Books in Bellows Falls,
Vt., likes to stock the early mys- Archer Mayor
teries so people new to the series can read
them all. “I give him a whole shelf in the
mystery section,” she says.
A few independent authors are able to
capitalize on platforms they’ve developed
in other media. Elayne Keratsis, producer
of USA Network’s Burn Notice, who coau-
thored Bobby Martini’s memoir, Citizen
the store carries about 150
active titles. Buyer Kevin
Ryan notes, “I kind of
dread it when an author
walks into the store with
their self-published title,
but half the time I’m
pleasantly surprised. We’ve had some
great books come to us this way.” The
store’s biggest success has been with
Kate Pocrass’s Mundane Journeys: A Field
Guide to San Francisco that’s sold 230 cop-
ies to date. Pocrass’s follow-up book, A
Field Guide to Color, has also done well for
Green Apple.
“Most niche books are too narrow for
the bottom line of traditional publish-
ers,” Ryan says. “Self-publishing pro-
vides an opportunity for these authors,
because they don’t have to sell 5,000 cop-
ies to make it work.” Consignment terms
at Green Apple are 50/50.
“We never charge authors to hold
events at Green Apple,” Ryan adds. “That
goes against what we believe in as book-
sellers. Author signings are turnkey events
here; they take very little effort. It’s the
author’s job to get people into the store,
and more often than not this works well.
Frankly, I’d rather have local authors.
People tend to show up for their friends.”
At Warwick’s in La Jolla, Calif., local
author liaison James Jensen looks for
Somerville (PowderHouse
Press, Nov.), about the Boston
Irish mafia before Whitey
Bulger, fell back on her film
and television connections
after Berkley signed, then can-
celed, the book. To date, says
Keratsis, they’ve sold 4,000
copies, and the book has been
on the Boston Globe bestsellers
list twice.
So what makes a self-published book
work? For Jeff Mayersohn, owner of Har-
vard Book Store in Cambridge, Mass.,
which printed Citizen Somerville, it all
comes down to two things: “There’s a
compelling story and a very strong local
component.”
self-published books
that appeal both to locals
and tourists. Trail of
Light by Sarita Eastman
is one such title. This
biography of Dr. Anita
Figueredo, who was the
first female surgeon in San Diego and
close friends with Mother Teresa for
decades, has sold almost 250 copies; the
author is Figueredo’s daughter and lives
in La Jolla. “She’s a wonderful self-pro-
moter, which makes all the difference in
the world,” Jensen says. Warwick’s has
also done well with La Jolla 92037 by
Olivier Dalle and Paul Burlingame. Jen-
sen describes it as an atypical travel book
that combines photography with unusual
facts and statistics about the resort town;
it has sold over 200 copies.
In recent months Warwick’s, which
maintains only 10 self-published books
in active inventory, has implemented a
marketing program for self-published
authors in which they agree to spend the
day in the store to meet and greet custom-
ers. Jensen brings in 10 copies of the book
on consignment—generally a 60/40 split
in favor of the author—for these events.
“The way this program is set up takes
away our liability,” notes Jensen. “The
authors do most of the work, and we’re
not sitting on excess inventory.”
 DISCOVERIES

Self-Published Children’s Books

Thrive in the Mainstream
By Sally Lodge

Tales of self-published kids’ books that have become backlist 2001 self-pub-
staples for trade houses are familiar publishing lore. Two lished the picture
book, which fea-
are titles written by young readers themselves: Christopher tures art by Karen
Paolini’s Eragon, first published by his family, then found Keesler. Passion-
ate about her
a home with Knopf in 2003, and Alec Greven’s How to Talk book and its mes-
to Girls, which grew out of a school report and was picked sage, Duksta vis-
ited schools and art festivals, and hand-
up by Collins in 2008. And more than 20 years ago, Jerry sold copies to galleries and children’s
Pallotta’s self-published alphabet books were the inaugural stores across the country. After selling
179,000 copies, author and illustrator
four releases from Charlesbridge’s trade division and are still signed up with agent Cathy Hemming,
among its bestsellers. Here are less well-known stories of nine who placed the book with Sourcebooks
Jabberwocky.
self-published titles that are flourishing in second lives with “We had just launched Jabberwocky,
mainstream companies. and I Love You More was a perfect fit for
us,” says Todd Stocke, Sourcebooks’ v-p
A Feisty Feline Hits His Stride new characters with a unique quality, and and editorial director. “Laura had had
A chance encounter at an Atlanta stop- Pete had that,” says Margaret Anastas, extensive success within gift and spe-
light led to the creation of Pete the Cat: I editorial director of HarperCollins Chil- cialty channels, and our job was not just
Love My White Shoes, written by children’s dren’s Books. “Across the board, every- to put the book in bookstores but to nur-
musician Eric Litwin and illustrated by one here felt this book could be a success ture both markets and expand her reach
James Dean. Waiting for the light to on our list.” in nonbookstores.”
turn, Litwin recognized Dean, HarperCollins released Pete Jabberwocky’s first picture book, I
a local artist known for his the Cat in March 2010 and Love You More was released in October
paintings of a blue cat named sent Litwin and Dean on a 2007. The publisher has sold 120,000
Pete, in the next car. Litwin five-city tour; the book spent copies, as well as 50,000 copies of a board
told him he was a big fan of three weeks on the New York book edition released in September
Pete and asked if he wanted to Times bestseller list and has 2009. Duksta continues to spread her
collaborate on a book; thus a sold 50,000 copies. The duo message of love in You Are a Gift to the
children’s book protagonist will hit the road again in World, illustrated by Dona Turner, due in
was born. August, when Pete returns in April, which she’ll promote on a five-
In 2008, the two self-pub- Pete the Cat: Rocking in My week national tour.
lished a book in which the singing, School Shoes, which has an announced
sneaker-wearing Pete struts his stuff. The 75,000-copy first printing. Labyrinthine
collaborators—Litwin on guitar and Path to Pro-
banjo and Dean with giant easel—pro- Writing from the Heart duction
moted their book at Atlanta-area book- Floridian Laura Duksta was working as a For years, math
stores, schools, libraries, and festivals, bartender when her nephew inspired her whiz Jason Shiga
and sold some 4,000 copies. One book- to write I Love You More, a flip book worked on creating
seller showed the book to HarperCollins revealing love from both a parent’s and a Meanwhile: Pick
sales rep Eric Svenson, who passed it child’s perspective. After receiving rejec- Any Path. 3,856
along to the house’s picture-book team. tions from publishers and agents, she Story Possibilities, a
“We are always on the lookout for great borrowed money from her mother and in graphic novel in

6 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY ■ M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 1

which readers use myriad tubes and tabs
to follow various adventure paths. The
process entailed making a series of seven
increasingly complex flow charts and
writing a computer program to map the
branches of the story. Shiga then created
black-and-white art, which he photo-
copied and stapled together, cutting the
tabs on each page by hand. In 2001, he
began selling the book on his Web site
and at comics conventions, and moved
approximately 1,000 copies.
“This book is an incredible reading
experience, and as soon as I held the self-
published version in my hands, I couldn’t
let it go,” says Maggie Lehrman, senior
editor of Abrams Books for Young Read-
ers and Amulet. Together with Charles
Kochman, now editorial director of
Abrams ComicArts, she bought Mean-
while from Shiga’s agent, Dan Lazar of
Writers House. “We knew we wanted to
run with the book, but trying to figure
out how to mass produce something so
complicated was the hard part,” Lehrman
says.
After Shiga colorized his art on the
computer and the production depart-
ment mastered numerous challenges
(including sourcing paper that could
reproduce the graphics well and resist
rips), the Amulet title rolled off press in
March 2010 and currently has 45,000
copies in print. Meanwhile was named an
ALA Best Graphic Novel and a Booklist
Top 10 graphic novel, and has had solid
sales in the trade and in the comics com-
munity, Lehrman reports. Abrams
ComicArts will release Shiga’s adult
graphic novel, Empire State: A Love Story
(or Not), in April.
Gift Book Gets New Look
After 25 years as a flight attendant,
Corinne Humphrey retired and promptly
did two things she’d long wanted to do:
adopt a dog (which she named Rudy)
from a shelter and take a painting class.
Both steps helped inspire The Tao of
Rudy, a book she self-published in 2007.
A frequent inspirational speaker in her
Park City, Utah, area, Humphrey sold
more than 2,000 copies of her book about
DISCOVERIES
making the most out of one’s life, which
won an Independent Publishers Bronze
“IPPY” Award for Most Outstanding
Design in 2008.
Almost simultaneously, Humphrey
met two people who urged her to submit
her book to Chronicle: a friend of Tyrrell
Mahoney, Chronicle’s v-p of sales and mar-
keting, and Feiwel and Friends publisher
Jean Feiwel, whom Humphrey encoun-
tered at BEA. Humphrey followed their
advice and sent her book to San Francisco.
“When we saw it, we saw exactly what
those people had seen: a graphic, punchy,
gift book,
which is Chron-
icle’s specialty,”
says editor Julie
Romeis. “We
worked with
Corinne to edit
the book, and
gave it a fresh design and new title so
that it would appeal to a broader kid
audience.”
Chronicle will release Shoot for the
Moon: Lessons on Life from a Dog Named
Rudy with a 15,000-copy first printing
in May. “With its inspirational wisdom,
this book is reminiscent of Oh, the Places
You’ll Go!” Romeis observes. “It makes a
wonderful graduation gift.”
A Leap from Web to Page
In 2009, adult novelist Catherynne M.
Valente published her first children’s
book, The Girl Who Circumnavigated
Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, as
an online serial. The novel, centering on
a girl who is transported to Fairyland to
help inhabitants deal with turmoil, was
named the 2010 CultureGeek Best Web
Fiction of the Decade and won the 2010
Andrew Norton Award for Young Adult
Science Fiction and Fantasy—the first
work ever to win this prize before appear-
ing in book form. The story garnered
accolades in tweets and blogs, including
from Neil Gaiman and Cory Doctorow.
Valente’s agent, Howard Morhaim,
brought the book to auction, and Liz
Szabla, editor-in-chief of Feiwel and
Friends, clinched the rights for Fairyland
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M
and a sequel. “As I
did some research
before the auction, I
realized how popu-
lar this book was
online,” says Szabla.
“That only fueled the fire of our wanting
to publish it. I am really tough on fan-
tasy, and this was a find.”
Featuring illustrations by Ana Juan,
Fairyland pubs in May with a 50,000-
copy first printing. Valente will embark
on a four-city tour and will attend a num-
ber of upcoming conferences.
Launching with a Splash
Sterling’s Splinter YA line debuted in
January with Colleen Houck’s Tiger’s
Curse, a paranormal romance originally
published by the author on Kindle in fall
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2009. When the Kindle
book, about a girl who
attempts to piece together
an ancient proph-
ecy to break a
curse, appeared,
Houck “quickly
cultivated a
devoted fan base
online,” says
Cindy Loh, edito-
rial director of
Sterling’s Chil-
dren’s Books and
Splinter. After arriving at Sterling in
April 2010, Loh heard from a friend at a
Hollywood studio that a self-published
property was making the studio rounds.
She contacted Houck’s newly acquired
agent, Alex Glass at Trident, who sent
her the manuscripts of Tiger’s Curse and
its two sequels.
“I took them home that night and
quickly devoured them, entirely ignor-
ing my family,” says Loh. “Everyone at
Sterling agreed that this was the book we
wanted as Splinter’s first.” Sterling
released the novel with a hefty 250,000-
copy first printing and a $250,000 mar-
keting and publicity campaign. “We
wanted to make a big statement when we
launched Splinter, and felt this was the
perfect book to do that with,” Loh says.
The novel took the #1 slot on bn.com
its first day on sale and subsequently
spent four weeks on the New York Times
bestseller list. Splinter has an aggressive
publishing schedule for the next install-
ments of Houck’s five-book series, with
Tiger’s Quest coming out in June and
Tiger’s Voyage in November. “We don’t
want to make readers wait,” says Loh.
School Request Triggers Deal
Diane Lang and Michael Buchanan drew
from their experience as high school
teachers to write The Fat Boy Chronicles,
which follows a teenager’s struggles with
obesity, abuse, and isolation. The Char-
lotte, N.C., authors self-published the
book early last year and had sold some
1,000 copies when local school district
requested 2,000 copies for a community-
8 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY ■ M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 1
DISCOVERIES
wide reading initiative. Bookseller Vir-
ginia Meldrun, owner of the Owl’s Tree
in Powder Springs, Ga., suggested that
the authors contact Sleeping Bear Press,
and a contract was soon inked.
“We needed to move quite quickly
with the book, given the school district’s
deadline,” says publisher Heather
Hughes. “We tweaked the book a bit in
terms of design and did some copyedit-
ing and proofreading. We fulfilled the
school’s order and then brought the book
out in the trade.” The July 2010 release
has sold 25,000 copies.
“This book is a good fit for our press,
since we are used to a real grassroots pub-
lishing approach,” says Hughes. “There
has never been a greater need for com-
munities to discuss
bullying. From
e-mails we’ve
received, we’ve
learned that the
book has been
helpful in starting
discussions. We’re
very pleased to be a
part of that.”
Propitious Encounter Leads
to Book’s New Incarnation
After receiving rejection letters from
some 100 agents, in 2007 Bryan Chick
decided to self-publish The Secret Zoo,
his novel about a magical land that lies
behind the walls of a zoo. He sold cop-
ies to bookstores in his local Ann
Arbor, Mich., area and visited schools,
making presentations to, in his esti-
mation, some 20,000 students. In a
conversation with one principal, Chick
mentioned he wished he could connect
with a publisher, and the principal
mentioned that his aunt, Lois Adams,
is the managing editor of Greenwil-
low.
“Lois read the novel and passed it
along to me,” says Steve Geck, Greenwil-
low’s executive editor. “I fell in love with
the book. Bryan knows how to write
characters, and his novel had great pac-
ing and was absolutely on target for
middle-grade readers.” The house pub-
lished the book in
June 2010 and
sent the author on
tour, releasing the
paperback the fol-
lowing December.
The two editions
have sold a com-
bined 35,000
copies.
In February, Greenwillow published a
follow-up, The Secret Zoo: Secrets and
Shadows; The Secret Zoo: Riddles and Dan-
ger will follow next fall. The series will
continue, says Geck: “Bryan thought up
this series when he was in elementary
school, and has at least a 15-book arc in
mind. The paperback sales of The Secret
Zoo grow every week, which is always
nice to see.” The author will tour again
in April.
From Journal to Picture Book
Cheryl Kilodavis’s My Princess Boy, illus-
trated by Suzane De Simone, centers on
a four-year-old who happily wears tradi-
tional girl things like dresses, jewelry,
and tiaras. The book grew out of Kilo-
davis’s journal entries about her son, a
self-titled “princess boy.” Kilodavis self-
published the book in 2008, first having
it bound by a copy center and, as news
of it spread by word-of-mouth, hiring a
printer to produce 1,000 copies, which
she sold on Amazon.
After the author was interviewed in
People and appeared on Today, Kilodavis
sought out a publisher; last fall Simon &
Schuster signed up the book, releasing it
under the Alad-
din imprint in
D e c e m b e r.
There are now
20,000 copies
of My Princess
Boy in print.
“ We k n e w
right away we wanted to do this book, to
make sure that its message about accep-
tance gets out to a wider audience,” says
Aladdin editorial director Fiona Simp-
son. “This is a beautiful story that needs
to be told.” ■

Agenting Gets Untraditional
By Rachel Deahl
Talk to any agent today and a topic that usually bubbles to the surface
is the difficulty of today’s book market.
F
or years agents have been
grumbling about the death
of the midlist author—
those writers who are not
bestsellers but consistently
move tens of thousands of copies.
Midlist authors, who once made up the
core of major publishing houses, are
now forced to take lower advances or
head to smaller presses. Insiders will
tell you the publishing business is mov-
ing toward a model more like the movie
business, in which large corporate play-
ers chase after major hits and publish
fewer titles overall. As the big six take
fewer chances on new writers and drop
more midlist authors, and as it becomes
easier to distribute titles with the rise
in POD software and the growing pop-
ularity of digital books, some agents
offer publishing programs and different
types of representation.
After Steve Ross left HarperCollins,
where he ran the Collins imprint, he
launched a consulting business. Now at
Abrams Artists Agency, Ross works
both as a traditional agent and the head
of Abrams Author Services, which pro-
vides consulting on the publishing pro-
cess. He will do everything from find-
ing the right outside help—publicists,
book jacket designers, editors—to con-
sulting on the best way to bring out a
Steve Ross
AGENTS
title. “With the evolution of technolo-
gies and the rapid proliferation of plat-
forms, there are numerous decisions
that the author faces along the route of
self-publishing. Keeping current with
each of these options, and their distinct
advantages and disadvantages, is almost
a full-time job,” he says. “The writer’s
job is to create great content, not to be
expert in, say, the relative distribution
or marketing capabilities of certain
presses. Writers and their work benefit
from knowing what has proven effective
and what is likely to be an unproductive
squandering of their resources—
resources including time, energy, and
money.”
Jim Levin
At a panel at Digital Book World in
January called “New Models for
Agents,” Jim Levine of the Levine
Greenberg Agency, said he and his col-
leagues now consider themselves “mul-
timedia producers” more than agents.
Levine explained that he looks at manu-
scripts that potential clients bring in
with an eye for how the content can live
in various forms. Should this potential
book be an app? An e-book? An
enhanced e-book?
Scott Waxman, who runs the Wax-
man Literary Agency, was one of the
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M
Scott Waxman
first agents to try a nontraditional
model, adding a publishing arm called
Diversion Books. Waxman has com-
pared Diversion to Amazon’s publish-
ing unit, AmazonEncore, calling it
“between the big houses and the lonely
road of self-publishing.” At the DBW
panel, which Waxman also sat on, he
said in some ways his business approach
has not changed, but that he looks for
“an author who’s willing to experiment
and try something new.”
As much as things have changed,
however, many things remain the same.
Ross notes that the biggest mistake self-
published authors make is the same one
authors published by the big six make:
assuming their work ends at publica-
tion.
“Self-published authors in particular
need to roll up their sleeves and realize
that almost anything that happens for
their book is going to happen as a result
of their efforts,” Ross says, “so they need
to work studiously and assiduously on
behalf of their work.” Authors who lack
motivation, belief, and ambition are not
likely to succeed, says Ross, unless all
they want is for their book to be one of
the hundreds of thousands of new titles
published each year. ■
9
 SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS

A Wide World of
Self-Published Titles
The 141 titles submitted for our second
quarterly PW Select.

From a lavishly illustrated volume on a Chicago

architect, an exposé of D.B. Cooper, and a Ouija board–controlled family sojourn
to Kabul, in nonfiction, to novels based in early Hollywood, the Depression-era
Corn Belt, and a segregated rural community in Maryland, plus plenty of self-help
books—about yoga, baking bread, moving households, training dogs, and an explo-
ration of the lives of wolves: this installment of PW Select has something for everyone,
and again shows the enormous breadth of stories people have—and are able—to tell.

ARCHITECTURE The remarkable true story of one man’s Life of a Public Broadcaster.
Zook: A Look at R. Harold Zook’s meteoric rise and fall, and the thousands Fred Flaxman. Story Book Publishers. $16
Unique Architecture. of lives he touched throughout his larger- paper (252p), ISBN 978-1-891513-01-5
Berry Green. Ampersand. $19.95 trade than-life journey. (828) 645-8580
paperback (152p), ISBN 978-0-9818126- This humorous
8-7 I Did What I Had to Do! memoir by a public
Ampersandworks James E. Diamond. Vantage Press. $14.95 radio veteran and jour-
.com; Amazon; paper (330p), ISBN 978-0-533-16325-0 nalist demonstrates
Ingram; bn.com B&T; Ingram that you can learn about
The work of R. A compelling account of the author and life from your dog, that
Harold Zook is his wife’s time in Chad as Peace Corps vol- the “teen disease” can
recognized as his- unteers in the 1970s. be cured, and that there
torically signifi- are better ways “to make babies.”
cant, particularly in Odd Road to Kabul: A Memoir.
Hinsdale, Ill., where he lived for 26 years. Patricia Diaz. Lulu. $28.30 hardcover Lust for Justice:
(286p), ISBN 978-0-557-94810-9 The Radical Life & Law of J. Tony Serra.
BIOGRAPHY & www.buckoandchicky.us Paulette Frankl. Lightning Rod. $19.95
AUTOBIOGRAPHY A Ouija board takes control of a dysfunc- trade paperback (306p), ISBN 978-0-615-
Jerry Wolman: The World’s Richest tional family and leads it on a perilous road 38683-6
Man. to Kabul, Afghanistan, to build an inter- www.lustforjustice.net; Amazon
Joseph Bockol and Richard Bockol. Amer- national church, against the backdrop of The first authorized biography of J.
ican Literary Press. $25.95 hardcover the ’60s. Tony Serra, a renowned counterculture
(222p), ISBN 978-1-934696-45-3 lawyer who represented Huey Newton in
www.JerryWolman.com Sixty Slices of Life on Wry: The Private the 1960s; he is also the older brother of the

10 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 1
American sculptor Richard Serra. Foreword by Gerry Spence.
The Greater Generation.
Phil Holt. Vantage Press. $13.95 paper (145p), ISBN 978-0-
533-15734-1
B&T; Ingram
A memoir of a group of young boys from Malden, Mass.,
and the story of a generation of American youth who succeeded
in ways they could never have expected and embodied the
American Dream they fought so hard to protect.
in newspaper, magazine and online media outlets worldwide.
Two Years of Eternity: One Missionary’s Experience.
Scott R. Hoyt. Vantage Press. $15.95 paper (300p), ISBN 978-
0-533-16357-1
B&T; Ingram
Hoyt describes his transition from “normal teen life” in
Southern California to becoming a Mormon missionary on the
streets of Peru.
Kaleidoscope:
Shapes and Colors of Childhood.
Bill Kraft. $23.95 hardcover (162p), ISBN
978-0-615-37035-4
Amazon; seasons4@charter.net
Celebrates the simple joys of growing up
in the rural Midwest of the 1940s and ’50s
and discovering the larger world.
Bad Girl Gone Mom: A Girl Born Without a Vagina.
K.C. Lauer. Xlibris. $29.99 hardcover (287p), ISBN 978-1-
4568-2339-9
K.C. struggles with sexual development dysfunction, hear-
ing loss, and depression, and also battles with her family and
her faith.
Wolfer: A Memoir.
Carter Niemeyer. BottleFly Press. $17.99 paper (374p), ISBN
978-0-615-40948-1
Amazon
Niemeyer spent a career in the business of government preda-
tor control—and brought wolves back to the American West.
I Remember.
Ed Palasz. Vantage Press. $13.95 paper (308p), ISBN 978-0-
533-15675-7
B&T; Ingram
Orphaned by the 1918 influenza epidemic, the author rode
freight trains, panhandled, and went into the Merchant Marine
before meeting the woman who became his wife for over 50
years.
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 SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS

Clarence M. Rincker. Van- growing up in American suburbia during BUSINESS & ECONOMICS
tage Press. $25 paper (435p), the ’60s and ’70s. Deciphering the Latino Consumer: A
ISBN 978-0-533-16314-4 Guide for Employers, Professionals,
B&T; Ingram BODY, MIND & SPIRIT Retailers, and Business Travelers.
Rincker’s life story, from the dust storms Endless Energy: The Essential Guide to Lori Madden. SLS Publications. $19.95
and grasshopper hordes of the Great Energy Health. paper (106p), ISBN 978-1-4515-6602-4
Depression through WWII to earning his Debra Greene, Ph.D. Amazon
master’s degree. MetaComm Media. How to improve working relationships
$18.95 paper (307p), between Anglos and Latinos and enhance
UNTE: Life in the Soviet Union ISBN 978-0-615- business opportunities with Hispanics in
as Seen Through the Eyes 26933-7 the U.S. and abroad.
of a Child and a Teenager. www.YourEnergyMat-
Antonette Sabonaitis, trans. by Gerald C. ters.com Greet! Eat! Tweet! 52
Tamkutonis. Vantage Press. $14.95 paper A practical “new home health guide for Business Etiquette
(278p), ISBN 978-0-533-16337-3 the 21st century.” Postings to Avoid Pit-
B&T; Ingram falls and Boost Your
Life in the Baltic countries under Soviet The Way of Forgiveness. Career.
occupation during WWII. D. Patrick Miller. Fearless Books. $12.95 Barbara Pachter. Cre-
paper (120p), ISBN ateSpace. $13.95 paper
Before the Journey Became Home. 978-0-9822799-0-8 (160p), ISBN 978-1-
Zents Sowunmi. CreateSpace. $14 paper w w w. f e a r l e s s b o o k s 4536-0034-4
(207p), ISBN 978-0-615-30262-1 .com/Forgive.html Amazon; www.pachter.com
Amazon A revision of Miller’s An etiquette guide to help businesspeo-
A detailed childhood account of the earlier work, which was ple avoid career-damaging mistakes.
fears, hopes, and anxieties of a Nigerian praised by Wally Lamb.
immigrant to the U.S. The Employee Rights Handbook: Effec-
Oneness Am. tive Strategies to Protect Your Job.
Looks Easy Enough: Philip Nash. SameHand. $12.21 paper Steven Mitchell Sack. Legal Strategies Pub-
A Joyful Memoir of Overcoming Dis- (188p), ISBN 978-0-615-29793-4 lications. $39.95 hardcover (640p), ISBN
ease, Divorce, and Disaster. Ingram; Amazon 978-0-9636306-7-4
Scott Stevenson. $18 paper (451p), ISBN This illustrated blend of reconstructed www.TheEmployees
978-0-9842810-0-8 spiritual sayings unifies the five major Lawyer.com
Amazon; www.lookseasyenough.com faiths. How to get properly
A love letter to the author’s wife, this hired, protect yourself
memoir of overcoming adversity with a Cranio-What? on the job, and fight
smile was a winner of Readers Favorite and A CranioSacral Ther- back if you are unfairly
Pinnacle Achievement awards. apy Primer. or illegally fired.
James Nemec. First
From the Andes to the Rocky Moun- Edition. $12.95 paper Find Your Perfect
tains: A Father, Mother and Son’s Story. (62p), ISBN 978-0- Job:
Carlos A. Suarez. Vantage. $11.95 paper 9792805-7-3 The Inside Guide for
(127p), ISBN 978-0-533-16245-9 www.newleaf-dist.com/ Young Professionals.
B&T; Ingram Designed for patients of this nonintru- Scott Smith. Career
The compelling narrative of the emi- sive, light-touch healing art. Strategies Media.
gration of the author and his family from $12.95 paper (136p),
Colombia to the U.S. in search of a better The Little Book of Gratitude Quotes. ISBN 978-0-9843938-
life. Edited by Kathleen Welton. Little 0-0
Quote Books. $9.99 paper (150p), ISBN (215) 989-9291
The Snitch, Houdini and Me. 9780578065861 A successful business executive and
Johnny Virgil. JVE. $12.95 paper (250p), Amazon; www.littlequotebooks.com attorney shares insider secrets on landing
ISBN 978-0-615-38693-5 A collection of 365 quotations that a dream job.
Amazon encourage kindness and gratitude.
A humorous first-person memoir about Big Wave Surfing: Extreme Technology

12 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 1
 SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS

Development, Management, Market- paper (525p), ISBN 978-0-615-23129-7 www.collegeadmissionstips

ing, & Investment. 1-800-BOOK.LOG .com/
Kenneth J. Thurber. Beaver’s Pond Press. A professional baker offers tips on mak- “College Admissions Secrets & Tips to
$29.95 hardcover (408p), ISBN 978-1- ing great bread. Look Exceptional” to admissions officers.
59298-380-3
Ingram; B&T; bn.com; Borders DRAMA America the Melting Pot/Now the
Insights necessary to surviving in today’s The Price: A One-Act Play. Chamber Pot.
rapidly changing technology landscape. Leon Newton. Innovopublishing. $9.99 Mary I. Arnold. 48-hour printing. $10
paper (55p), ISBN 978-1-936076-40-6 paper (150p), ISBN 978-1-4507-3427-1
COOKING Amazon selfhelpagency.net
Cooking on the Line: From Food Lover An arrogant millionaire who does not A call to action to avoid “one-world gov-
to Professional Line Cook. believe in God thinks his paperwork is ernment.”
Wayne Cohen. Larousse Churchill. $14.95 mixed up.
paper (258p), ISBN 978-1-4537-7819-7 FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS
Amazon EDUCATION What Really Works: Blending the
A cook’s-eye-view of the intensity of Keys to the CAS- Seven Fs for the Life You Imagine.
cooking at award-win- TLE: Mentor Paul Batz and Tim Schmidt. Beaver’s Pond
ning restaurants. in a Book: Col- Press. $20 hardcover (184p), ISBN 978-1-
lege Admissions 59298-360-5
How to Bake Bread: Secrets & Tips. Ingram, B&T; bn.com; Borders
The Five Families of Kamala Appel. The Seven Fs represent the key elements
Bread. $29.97 paper that bring satisfaction to life: faith, family,
Michael Kalanty. Red (126p), ISBN 978- finances, fitness, friends, fun, and future. How
Seal Books. $27.95 1-4538-2103-9 can people achieve success in all of these areas?

“Helps in explaining existential situations youth yearn to

understand in a way they can easily grasp.”
—Robert S. Schwartz L.C.S.W.

A New Way for Teens to

Overcome Daily Challenges
This small book is full of wisdom of the deepest kind, couched
in simple language and written from the heart. Provides useful
tools for developing a positive outlook on life.

Soon to be a Series!
ISBN (HC): 978-0-9832025-0-9
ISBN (eBook): 978-0-9832025-1-6
5 x 8, 72 pages, hardcover with dust jacket, $10.99
On Sale June 15, 2011

Available on Amazon, BN.com, www.talyanai.com

Distributed to the Trade by
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 SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS

Jewish president and a disarmament plan (190p), ISBN 978-1-

that could end life on Earth—perhaps from 60910-555-6
FICTION laughter, in this comic apocalyptic farce. b o o k l o c k e r. c o m /
Beaufort 1849: books/5026.html
A Novel of Antebel- F i n d i n g t h e Wa y A sensible and
lum South Carolina. Home. ambitious dog named
K a r e n Ly n n A l l e n . Sarah Byrd. WestBow Dorothy rises from
Cabbages and Kings Press. $19.95 paper obscurity to power in
Press. $13.95 paper (306p), ISBN 978-0- (268p), ISBN 978-1- the U.S. in this political satire.
9671784-1-7 4497-0350-9
www.cabbage-king.com Amazon; bn.com Hitter of the Year.
After years abroad, Jasper Wainwright Suzanne Morgan has Milton D. Ghivizzani. Colosseum Pub-
tries to persuade the planters of Beaufort, lost herself, Peter Morgan has lost his way, lishing. $7.99 paper (313p), ISBN 978-0-
S.C., to change their economy to avert the but grief has brought them together. 9753975-1-0
coming war. www.joebarimystery.com; Amazon
State of Mind. An underworld mystery starring attor-
In Theda Bara’s Tent. Sven Michael Davison. Bedouin Press. ney/sleuth Joe Bari, who made his debut in
Diana Altman. Tapley Cove Press. $15 $25.95 hardcover (389p), ISBN 978-0- Ghivizzani’s Employee of the Year.
paper (339p), ISBN 978-0-615-34327-3 9666149-2-3
Amazon; bn.com www.stateofmindbook.com Killing Them Softly:
An orphan carves a place for himself in In the future, people marry their minds An Erotic Tale of Mur-
the early years of the American film indus- with computer chips, and innocent people der.
try. are committing murder. Roy Glenn. Escapism
Entertainment. $14.95
Musings of a Mystery Sibling. The Serpentine Curve. paper (252p), ISBN
Marian Armstrong. iUniverse. $15.95 Charles Domina. Vantage Press. $14.95 978-0-9827316-1-1
paper (220p), ISBN 978-1-4502-3418-4 paper (238p), ISBN 978-0-533-16217-8 www.royglenn.net
www.iuniverse.com B&T; Ingram Three people become sexually involved
The premature death of a book editor’s A 30-something Manhattan geneticist and plan a murder for money.
brother prompts her to test his theories on returns to England to help her former
life. professor at Cambridge with research. Dina’s Lost Tribe: A Novel.
Her fateful decision will lead her on a life- Brigitte Goldstein. iUniverse. $32.95
Altamont Augie. altering odyssey. hardcover (412p), ISBN 978-1-4502-
Richard Barager. Interloper Press. $15.95 5108-2
paper (308p), ISBN Asylum Lake. www.dinaslosttribe.com
978-0-9830661-0-1 R.A. Evans. Chapbook Press. $15 paper An American historian’s search for the
www.richardbarager (205p), ISBN 978-1-936243-10-5 mythical place of her birth at the time of
.com www.Schulerbooks.com her parents’ flight from Nazi persecution
A novel of the late A small town’s dark secrets can be found leads her to a mountaintop utopia and the
1960s about the mean- at the bottom of Asylum Lake. passionate world of a medieval Jewess.
ing of national honor
and a free society’s Gaia’s Emissary. For the Love of Art.
choice between nihilism Suzanne Fensin. Magical Aspirations Janet Goodfriend. Painted Wood Press.
and tradition. Press. $17.95 paper (245p), ISBN 978-0- $16 paper (274p), ISBN 978-1-4528-
9828851-0-9 5601-8
Roll Over, Hitler! www.suzannefensin.com www.janetgoodfriend.com
Daniel Bruce Brown. Ancient spiritual wisdom, Earth stew- A mother’s getaway on Martha’s
Inkwater Press. $25.95 ardship, environmentalism, and personal Vineyard is the setting for an art heist
paper (397p), ISBN development are embraced in an attempt puzzle.
978-1-59299-465-6 to save the planet.
w w w. i n k w a t e r p re ss My Friend Michale:
.com Tailspin. A True Story about the Real Jaws.
A m e r i c a ’s f i r s t Denton Gay. Booklocker. $14.95 paper Kenneth W. Grimshaw. CreateSpace.

14 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 1

$12.95 paper (103p), ISBN 978-1-4537-
1639-7
Amazon
A Montauk pilot tells the story of a killer
shark—from the point of view of the shark.
M o n t a u k Ta n g o :
From the Ashes of
9/11 to the Frying
Pan.
Lewis Gross. iUni -
verse. $24.99 hardcover
(285p), ISBN 978-1-
4502-1645-6
Montauktango.com
A fictional account of the true story of
how a family starts a restaurant on Long
Island after fleeing the devastation in their
downtown New York neighborhood after
9/11.
Vengeance Is My Trump.
Wm. J. Iwaschuk. Vantage Press. $13.95
paper (289p), ISBN 978-0-533-16279-6
B&T; Ingram
An action-packed thriller about a pro-
tagonist with the Midas touch.
Tr a i n o f C o n s e -
quences.
Tom Jarvis. iUniverse.
$14.95 paper (212p),
ISBN 978-1-4502-
6623-9
www.tomjarvisfiction
.com
Two troubled teenagers run away to
escape abuse and neglect, embarking on a
journey that changes their lives.
The War Is Language 101: Short Works.
Nath Jones. Scribd. $4.99 paper (230p),
ISBN 978-0-615-41188-0
Experimental flash fiction explores
identity and authority as experienced by a
female soldier in the wake of Abu Ghraib.
Progeny:
The Children of the White Lions.
R.T. Kaelin. Terrene Press. $25.99 paper
(672p), ISBN 978-0-615-42103-2
www.progenythebook.com
In the first volume of a fantasy series,
SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS
brother and sister must deal with tragedy www.JourneyToVirginland
while discovering their lives are an illusion. .com
Dog vs. God. In an iconoclastic story,
See Ya. Dog demolishes the foundations of Western
Cheryl Kerr. Chanter Press. $12 paper civilization.
(233p), ISBN 978-0-615-27969-5
CherylKerrBooks.com Encounters in Paris:
In 1996, a colonel’s death leaves his A Collection of Short Stories.
daughter and a chance visitor to solve a Carolyn Moncel. CreateSpace. $17.99
mystery that traces to 1944 and WWII. paper (114p), ISBN 978-1-4538-9821-5
Amazon; www.carolynmoncel.com
War with Pigeons. Ellery Roulet, a 35-year-old African-
Tae Kim. A StoryTelling. $24.95 hard- American executive living in Paris, faces
cover (394p), ISBN 978-0-9844359-3-7 betrayal, loss, mistakes, and regrets in this
www.astorytelling.com bittersweet collection of tales.
A deceased friend’s request sends a
young man on an odyssey of love, loss, and Rev. Bucky.
hope; hailed as “intriguing and fascinat- Joe Milton Murphy. Vantage Press. $13.95
ing” by Midwest Book Review. paper (164p), ISBN 978-0-533-16332-8
B&T; Ingram
A Despicable Profession: What happens when an unassuming
Book Two of the American Spy Trilogy. church mouse turns “spokesrodent?” This
John Knoerle. Blue Steel Press. $15 paper allegorical tale offers a humorous look at
(310p), ISBN 978-0-9820903-0-5
www.bluesteelpress.com
In 1946, former spy Hal Schroeder is
recruited by former OSS director Wild
Bill Donovan for a mysterious mission to
Berlin.
Tamara’s Child: A Novel.
B.K. Mayo. Fir Valley Press. $14.95 paper
(407p), ISBN 978-0-9815884-7-6
B&T; Partners West; Amazon
A homeless pregnant teenager, strug-
gling to make a new life for herself and her
future child, is victimized by the people
she turns to for help.
Postal.
Peter McNeil. Level 44 Publications.
$24.99 (470p), ISBN 978-0-615-40999-3
(704) 501-7085
A candid depiction of the rise and fall of
postal employees in six interlocking nar-
ratives highlighting greed, job insecurity,
betrayal, corporate ladder climbing, single
parenthood, and romance.
Journey to Virginland: Epistle I.
Armen Melikian. Two Harbors Press.
$23.95 hardcover (288p), ISBN 978-1-
935097-51-8
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 15
 SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS
the challenges our society
faces today.
Duncan’s Diary: Birth of a Serial Killer.
Christopher C. Payne. $12.95 paper
(280p), ISBN 978-0-9828119-3-1
Amazon
Duncan is in the throes of a midlife crisis
and searching for his own identity when he
begins to secretly explore a world of torture
and death.
The Gargoyle Prophecies, Part I:
The Savior Rises.
Christopher C. Payne. $10.95 paper
(220p), ISBN 978-0-9828119-6-2
Amazon
Is Stefani truly the savior of an inhuman
race or has her solitude and the trauma of
her mother’s death finally affected her san-
ity?
Golden State.
David Prybil. iUniverse. $TBD hardcover
(320p), ISBN 978-1-4502-7303-9
iUniverse, bn.com
Set in California during the 2003
recall election that brought Arnold
Schwarzenegger to power, Golden State fol-
lows four Sacramento locals who get swept
into an anything-goes atmosphere.
Zaftan Entrepreneurs:
Book 1 of the Zaftan Trilogy.
Hank Quense. CreateSpace. $17.99 paper
(353p), ISBN 978-1-4563-4938-7
hankquense.com
A unique First Contact story—part
adventure and part corporate and political
satire, spiced with comic relief.
Waterfall Dance.
Andrew Quinn. CreateSpace. $14.99 paper
(254p), ISBN 978-1-4536-2947-5
Amazon
Into the most sensational trial of the
century comes one extraordinary witness.
To prevail, an animal must change what it
means to be human.
Your Weight and More.
Robert G. Rohland. Vantage Press. $10.95
paper (86p), ISBN 978-0-533-16319-9
16 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 1
B&T; Ingram
Eleven-year-old Billy Jack Baxter dis-
covers a novelty scale in a general store
that will tell him his “weight and more,”
changing his life.
Deed So.
Katharine A. Russell. CreateSpace. $16.99
paper (438p), ISBN 978-1-4537-7503-5
Amazon
A coming-of-age tale set in a small
Southern town in 1962, before civil rights,
assassination, war, and women’s rights
touch the inhabitants.
The Making of a Nurse.
G. Scott. Vantage Press. $13.95 paper
(271p), ISBN 978-0-533-16159-1
B&T; Ingram
Largely autobiographical, Scott’s debut
follows Genell Lee, a woman born into
a loving but impoverished family, who
grows up to pursue her dream of becom-
ing a nurse.
Climate Change and the Oceans.
John Slade. Woodgate International.
$12.95 paper (238p), ISBN 978-1-
893617-19-3
www.woodgateintl.com
Extensive research into climate change
and clean energy is woven into a fictional
tale that attempts to give global warming
a human face.
The Emancipation of Giles Corey.
Michael Sortomme. Singing Lake Press.
$16.95 paper (358p), ISBN 978-0-
9830517-5-6
Amazon
A modern-day shaman works to redeem
the soul of a man unjustly sentenced to
death during the Salem witch trials.
The Rebel Princess.
Anne M. Strick. CreateSpace. $15.99 paper
(388p), ISBN 978-1-4528-6497-6
Amazon
The story of a film company on loca-
tion in Mexico reveals the making of a
film, from preproduction through wrap,
enlivened by romance, sex, and a possible
murder.
Intimate Strangers.
Anne M. Strick. CreateSpace. $15.99 paper
(457p), ISBN 978-1-4537-7625-4
Amazon
The story of a contested adoption.
PushBack.
Alfred Wellnitz. iUniverse. $14.79 paper
(324p), ISBN 978-1-4502-3432-0
Amazon
Hyperinflation shatters the U.S., and
African-American insurgents battle a white
supremacist government in this thriller.
Mission of Malice.
Renee Wetherill. $18.99 trade paper
(309p), ISBN 978-1-4392-4393-0
Amazon; www.missionseries.com
A provocative tale of suspense, terror-
ism, and intrigue set on the dangerous
Arizona/Mexican border.
Butterfly Rising.
Tanya Wright. CreateSpace. $15 paper
(257p), ISBN 978-1-4536-5036-3
Amazon
Lilah Belle (Lucasville’s loopiest singer)
and Rose Johnson (the town’s seductress)
take a road trip to meet the mythical, mag-
ical Lazarus of the Butterflies.
Martha’s Vine.
Sheree Zielke. Creeping Ivy Publishing
House. $17.95 paper (584p), ISBN 978-
0-9866437-0-5
Amazon
The power grid has vanished, demand-
ing new rules, violence, and unlikely
heroes, such as Martha, a middle-aged
woman with a deadly secret.
HEALTH & FIT-
NESS
Food Facts at a Glance:
A Quick Reference
Guide for Choosing
Wholesome, Nutri-
tious Foods.
Ginger Grant. GG Pub-
lications. $12.95 paper (240p), ISBN 978-
0-615-41174-3
Amazon

Accessible tables and charts showing
nutrition and food composition, and brief
explanations of common food and nutri-
tion terms.
Vital Yoga: A Sourcebook for Students
and Teachers.
Meta Chaya Hirschl. Prajna Publishing.
$35 paper (300p), ISBN 978-0-9823055-
0-8
www.vitalyogathebook.com
Poses for all ages and body types, off
the mat practices, history and philosophy,
breath practices, therapy, meditation, and
a chai tea recipe.
Breast Cancer:
Reduce Your Risk
with Foods You Love.
Robert Pendergrast.
Penstokes Press. $24
paper (184p), ISBN
978-0-9844769-0-9
Amazon
Breast cancer prevention for women of
all ages, with the unique perspective of
a pediatrician specializing in adolescent
health.
HISTORY
France Creates a New Nation:
The United States of America at
Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781.
Gilbert Di Lucia. Vantage Press. $25 paper
(138p), ISBN 978-0-533-16396-0
B&T; Ingram
Historian Di Lucia tells a new version of
Cornwallis’s famous defeat and surrender to
George Washington at Yorktown based on
meticulous research.
JUVENILE FICTION
Bitsy’s Labyrinth.
Mary Andonian. Good Thief Press. $11.99
paper (198p), ISBN 978-0-9831075-0-7
Amazon; bn.com; Ingram
Thirteen-year-old Bitsy Johnson
describes the summer her mom built a lab-
yrinth on their farm, and the unexpected
things that happened because of it.
The Adventures of Little Billy Barber:
Billy’s First Flight Lesson.
SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS
Elaine R. Barber. Ampersand. $17.95 hard-
cover (36p), ISBN 978-1-4507-0620-9
Ampersandworks; Amazon; bn.com;
Ingram
Billy Barber was only 11 when he made
his first solo flight. As Capt. William A.
Barber, he became one of the youngest
commercial airline captains in the United
States and a flying renaissance man who
performed aerobatic stunts for 25 years.
The Scrapper.
Alex Marie Bess. Kid-
Pub Press. $13.95 paper
(188p), ISBN 978-1-
936184-85-9
books.kidpub.com
Yo u n g C l a r a l y n
has wanted one thing all her life: to be a
knight. There’s just one obstacle—no girls
are allowed at Knight School.
The Tiny Tiger.
Janette Shipston Chan. Author House.
$13.50 paper (20p), ISBN 978-1-4520-
4106-3
Amazon; bn.com
A tiny tiger’s roar leads Tong and Jen-
jen on a journey through a forest and over
a mountain to become a family.
Fenella: A Fable
of a Fairy Afraid
to Fly.
Susannah Cord.
Brown Books
Publishing.
$18.95 hardcover (48p), ISBN 978-1-
934812-80-8
Amazon; Borders; www.FenellaTheFairy
.com
A fairy tale in the tradition of Hans
Christian Andersen about facing and
embracing your worst fears.
Dinosaurs on the Move: Movable Paper
Figures to Cut, Color, and Assemble.
Cathy Diez-Luckie. Figures in Motion.
$14.95 paper (48p), ISBN 978-0-
9818566-1-2
NBN; Ingram; Borders,
Make movable dinosaur action figures
with this creative learning tool, featuring
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M
10 easy-to-assemble favorites
in colored and ready-to-color
versions; includes dinosaur facts.
The Angel Children.
Linda Emmanuel. The Wintermantel
Group. $11.99 paper (120p), ISBN 978-
0-9767418-1-7
www.lulu.com
This fictional fantasy reveals how to use
energy to get whatever you want—just be
careful what you wish for.
This Star Shall Abide.
Sylvia Engdahl. Ad Stellae Books. $10.95
paper (252p), ISBN 978-0-615-34834-6
Amazon
Now back in print (first published by
Atheneum), this is an award-winning
science fiction novel about a young rebel
fighting a repressive society.
Ten Finger Prints in the Butter.
Margaret Konieczny. $10.95 hardcover
(40p), ISBN 978-0-9828886-0-5
www.kankpublishing
.com
Margie counts the
fingerprints as they
appear in the butter in
this counting book with
a suspenseful theme.
Happy Jazzfest.
Cornell P. Landry, illus. by Sean Gautreaux.
Ampersand. $16.95 hardcover (36p), ISBN
978-1-4507-0618-6
Ampersandworks; Amazon; bn.com;
Ingram
A rhythmic salute to all events at the
annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage
Festival.
The Happy Hearts.
Marlana Liburdi. Happy Heart Int’l.
$8.50 hardcover (16p), ISBN 978-0-615-
34485-0
www.thehappyheartsfamily.com
Every day, like clockwork, the magic
telephone rings in the Happy Hearts home
with important news about a child in need.
Manny McMoose and His Chubby
17
 SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS

Caboose: Emma L. Price. ELP bn.com

A Parable About Kids’
Struggles with Life’s Adversity.
Kevin McMahon. Vantage Press. $8.95
paper (28p), ISBN 978-0-533-16352-6
B&T; Ingram
An endearing tale told in verse about
one child’s efforts to thwart bullying and
address his own obesity.
Stranger Danger! Play and Stay Safe
Splatter and Friends.
Melissa Perry Moraja. $24 hardcover (32p),
ISBN 978-0-9842394-4-3
Amazon
In this rhyming story, Razzle teaches
Josh four stranger danger safety rules.
Jake and the Fly.
Melissa Perry Moraja.
$9.95 paper (86p),
ISBN 978-0-9842394-
2-9
Amazon
Find out if Jake rids
his home of invading
pesky flies, and if he’s able to rescue his
dad from the flies’ beady stares.
Goodnight Tigers.
Amanda Morgan and Jessica McDaniel,
illus. by Sean Gautreaux. Ampersand.
$17.95 hardcover (32p), ISBN 978-1-
4507-0621-6
Goodnight Tigers is a captivating bed-
time story that provides an introduction
to Louisiana State University.
The Adventures of Yat and Dat:
What’s Cookin’?
Nancy Parker, illus. by Nancy Parker.
Ampersand. $17.95 hardcover (32p), ISBN
978-1-4507-0619-3
Ampersandworks; Amazon; Ingram;
bn.com
Yat and Dat are lovable birds who are
tired of eating seeds and scraps. Culinary
masterpieces are everywhere, so one day
they decide to make their own using spe-
cialties found in some of the greatest res-
taurants in New Orleans.
Portia’s Incredible Journey.
Books. $9.95 paper
(144p), ISBN 978-0-
9841650-0-1
w w w. e l p b o o k s . n e t ;
Amazon
Young readers follow
Portia from one disaster
to another as the likable character gains
wisdom and strength.
The Expeditioner’s Club, Volume 1:
Rio Roosevelt.
Kate Moira Ryan. Word Clay. $10.80
paper (123p), ISBN 978-1-60481-807-9
Amazon
As the child of two expeditioners,
10-year-old Timothy Elliott is thrilled
when he learns he has the ability to
time travel. But when he winds up with
Theodore Roosevelt in the Amazon, he’s
not sure he has what it takes to be an expe-
ditioner.
Year of the Beloved
Animal: Story of
the Chinese Zodiac
Animals.
Noriko Senshu. Stu-
dio Cherry Publish-
ing. $15.45 paper
(34p), ISBN 978-0-
9793360-3-4
www.norikosenshu.com/books.html
A version relating Chinese zodiac ani-
mals, focusing on the cat.
Goodnight Houston.
Jennifer and Kyle Solak, illus. by Paul
Dolan. Ampersand. $17.95 hardcover
(36p), ISBN 978-1-4507-0623-0
Ampersandworks; Amazon; Ingram;
bn.com
Goodnight Houston takes families on a
bedtime tour of the many points of inter-
est that make Houston unique.
Fleurdelicious.
Mary Beth Touzet and Reneé Hemel, illus.
by Amy Lee Story. Ampersand. $17.95
hardcover (32p), ISBN 978-1-4507-
0617-9
Ampersandworks; Amazon; Ingram;
Fleurdelicious explores the city of
New Orleans, where she finds images of
the fleur-de-lis all over town. Readers are
invited to count the number of fleur-de-lis
on each spread.
MEDICAL
When Cancer Hits
Home: Cancer
Treatment and Pre-
vention Options.
Patrick Maguire.
Coastal Carolina Publishing. $16.95 paper
(264p), ISBN 978-0-615-39111-3
Amazon
A guide for common cancers.
NATURE
Invitation to Wonder:
A Journey Through the Seasons.
Elizabeth Ayres. Veriditas Books. $19.95
paper (282p), ISBN 978-0-9845178-4-8
Ingram; Amazon
In a hectic, uncertain world, these ele-
gantly written, life-affirming reflections on
nature’s beauty, wisdom, and mystery aim
to provide a comforting respite.
NON-CLASSIFIABLE
Varitan’s Illustrated Greek Myths.
Yonah Ignacio Varitan. Orphiflamme
Press. $34.95 hardcover (120p), ISBN
978-0-9828812-0-0
varitans.com
A retelling of the Greek myths for our
time—part science, part prose poem, part
moral-social treatise.
NONFICTION
Old Daisy and Young Jack Living
Together.
Lee Weir Carlson. Vantage Press. $10.95
paper (78p), ISBN 978-0-533-16330-4
B&T; Ingram
A heartwarming tale of how the author
and his wife chose to bring a rambunctious
black Labrador puppy into their family just
as their 14-year-old German shorthaired
pointer was entering her last years.
Unaccountable Congress: It Doesn’t
Add Up.

18 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 1

Joseph J. DioGuardi. $12 paper (160p),
ISBN 978-0-89526-521-0
Amazon
Against the background of America’s
economic crisis, a former congressman (and
CPA) from New York State reveals the fis-
cal unsustainability of the U.S. govern-
ment and outlines the necessary steps to
charting a new course.
Moving Gracefully: A Guide to Relocat-
ing Yourself and Your Family.
Carol Miller Fradkin. CreateSpace. $17.95
paper (336p), ISBN 978-1-4528-9932-9
MovingGracefully.com
A comprehensive guide that walks the
reader through the entire relocation pro-
cess, from making the decision to move
through getting adjusted to new surround-
ings.
Marketing and Pub-
lishing a Manuscript.
Janet Horton. Colum-
bia County PC. $21.95
paper (62p), ISBN 978-
0-9844536-0-3
columbiacountypc.org/
default.aspx
A single source for learning about the
publishing process and the people involved.
Because, It’s Just Good Manners!
Janet Horton. Columbia County PC.
$17.95 paper (52p), ISBN 978-1-936634-
99-6
columbiacountypc.org/default.aspx
A reminder of the simple things we have
forgotten—good manners and common
courtesies.
C o a c h S o l o m o n ’s
Playbook: 25 Char-
acter-Building Prin-
ciples.
John L. Manning.
Mannart. $12.99 paper
(168p), ISBN 978-0-
9832946-0-3
Amazon
A coach instructs young athletes in
character-building principles to help them
succeed in sports and life.
SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS
The Big “C”: A Weapon of Death.
Nina Norstrom. Vantage Press. $14.95
paper (148p), ISBN 978-0-533-16003-7
B&T; Ingram
In this mother’s account of her daugh-
ter’s battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma,
readers are introduced to a strong and resil-
ient young woman who was only 16 at the
time of her diagnosis.
Famous Personalities Honored on
Stamps: Links to Medicine.
Marc A. Shampo, Robert A. Kyle, and
Werner Heidel. Vantage Press. $22.95
paper (262p), ISBN 978-0-533-16361-8
B&T; Ingram
A collection that interweaves the world
of postage stamps with vignettes celebrat-
ing those who’ve excelled in a wide variety
of professions who have also contributed
to medicine, from Che Guevara to Agatha
Christie.
Positively Ninety: Interviews with
Lively Nonagenarians.
Connie Springer. $37.50 paper (110p),
ISBN 978-0-9712744-2-6
www.blurb.com/bookstore
Springer interviews and photographs 28
spirited nonagenarians to present a hopeful
and dynamic view of aging.
A Penny Always Has Two Sides:
A Memoir of Growing Up in Wartime
Germany.
Steffie Steinke. Inkwater Press. $21.95
paper (306p), ISBN 978-1-59299-481-6
Amazon; bn.com; Powell’s; Inkwaterpress
.com
The author’s life as a child in Germany
during WWII.
Untold: The New Orleans Ninth Ward
You Never Knew.
Lynette Norris Wilkinson. Write Cre-
ations. $13.99 paper (118p), ISBN 978-
0-9706292-1-0
www.HurricaneKatrinaStories.com
Riveting true stories of 16 Katrina sur-
vivors from the Lower Ninth Ward of New
Orleans.
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M
Things My Teacher Did
Tell Me.
Charles R. Womack. Vantage Press. $18.95
paper (367p), ISBN 978-0-533-16312-0
B&T; Ingram
A contemporary almanac of northeast
Florida, this book makes the case for cel-
ebrating Jacksonville as one of America’s
greatest cities.
PERFORMING
Memories for the Future:
A History of Palm Beach’s Royal Poin-
ciana Playhouse.
Thomas C. Clarie. Back Channel Press.
$39.95 paper (428p), ISBN 978-1-
934582-24-4
Amazon
A history of the stunning world-famous
Royal Poinciana Playhouse in Palm Beach,
Fla., includes 340 photos, 21 in color.
POETRY
Poems of Passion
Norma H. Conroy. Vantage Press. $10
paper (74p), ISBN 978-0-533-16301-4
B&T; Ingram
The author offers readers poems of love,
work, current events, family, and friend-
ship.
Poetry Political (with Tongue in Cheek).
Maack Twain. Vantage Press. $8.95 paper
(69p), ISBN 978-0-533-16297-0
B&T; Ingram
In the great tradition of American
humorists, Twain uses poetry and short
verse to skewer today’s politics, pundits,
and pontificators.
From Poverty 2 Publicity.
J. Will Da Invincible. Vantage Press. $7.95
paper (35p), ISBN 978-0-533-15078-6
B&T; Ingram
Poems with a vibrant hip-hop beat deal
with issues of poverty, injustice, and love.
PSYCHOLOGY
mADD man.
Brian J. Robinson. Abstract Publications.
$16.99 paper (232p), ISBN 978-0-557-
34122-1
Amazon; Revolution Books (New York, N.Y.)
19
 SELF-PUBLISHED LISTINGS
A call for change in the
educational system, specifi-
cally for gifted children with alternative
brain chemistries who are stigmatized with
such labels as ADHD.
RELIGION
Fearful to Fearless:
Biblical Truths to Inspire You to Live a
Life Free of Fear and to Worship God.
Jeff Kusner. Koozzz. $15.99 paper (420p),
ISBN 978-0-615-40232-1
tinyurl.com/koozzzf2f
Fearful to Fearless brings together almost
400 passages of scripture to help us to not
be afraid and to look to Christ for strength
and comfort.
Theology 101 in Bite-Size Pieces:
A Bird’s Eye View of the Riches of
Divine Grace.
Judy Azar LeBlanc. Westbow Press, $11.95
paper (104p), ISBN 978-1-4497-0706-4
Amazon
A fresh look at the nature of God’s power
and the power of grace.
Letters to the Lord:
Learning to Live in My World of Wars.
Don Reeves. Booksurge. $13.99 paper
(165p), ISBN 978-1-4392-4557-6
Amazon
A retired USAF chaplain, Reeves plunges
the reader into new frontiers of thought on
the “mindlessness” of modern war.
Destined to Live, Despite Me:
Biblical Truths for Suicide Survivors.
Yolanda Shanks. $14.99 paper (144p),
ISBN 978-0-578-05468-1
www.YolandaShanks.com
Destined to Live speaks to suicide attempts
in terms of spiritual direction.
SCIENCE
Double Bubble Universe in a New TOE.
Katya Walter. Kairos Center. $14.95 paper
(160p), ISBN 978-1-884178-00-9
Amazon
Current information about quantum
physics that spans the thinking styles of
both scientists and “spiritists.”
20 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 1
SELF-HELP
The Power of Resilience.
Dr. Julia Baldwin. Vantage Press. $27.95
paper (146p), ISBN 978-0-533-16355-7
B&T; Ingram
The author and 10 successful women
leaders all share how they have dealt with
crisis in their lives and turned what could
have been a life-changing negative into a
cornerstone of their success.
Secrets of a Working
Dog: Unleash Your
Potential & Create
Success.
Ellen and Patrick Gal-
vin and Bella the Boxer.
Joseph Rudolph Pub-
lishers. $19.95 paper
(192p), ISBN 978-0-9828680-3-4
Amazon; bn.com
Straightforward advice on how to bal-
ance the responsibilities and challenges of
modern life and still have fun.
P r e m o n i t i o n s o f a Yo u n g M a n ,
Unscathed.
Terron J. Cook. $21.95 (218p), ISBN 978-
0-557-55083-8
www.terronjcook.com; Amazon
The story of a young man fighting to
overcome his tumultuous past and help
others to avoid the same pitfalls.
Soaring Above Co-Addiction:
Helping Your Loved One Get Clean,
While Creating the Life of Your Dreams.
Lisa Espich. Twin Feather Publishing.
$14.95 paper (176p), ISBN 978-0-615-
35975-5
www.twinfeatherpublishing.com
In this memoir-style self-help book, the
author shares her experience of overcom-
ing co-addiction by utilizing such tools as
affirmations and visualization.
My Parents Get Windows 7.
Louise Latremouille. KLMK Enterprises.
$19.95 paper (164p), ISBN 978-0-
9732728-7-1
www.MyParentsFirst.com
This book is like having the most patient
geek in the family sit down and teach you
computer basics one-on-one.
The Art of Successful Relationships:
The Prince or the Predator.
Georgina Ramirez. Vantage Press. $9.95
paper (93p), ISBN 978-0-533-16171-3
B&T; Ingram
A guide to identifying the predators and
bullies in one’s life, developing the “strong
spiritual and moral core” to defeat these nega-
tive influences, and finding the power to lead.
Shift: Change Your Words, Change Your
World.
Janet Smith Warfield. Word Sculptures.
$15.95 paper (208p), ISBN 978-0-
9778324-7-7
www.wordsculptures.com
Shift uses words to look at meaning, per-
ception, emotions, actions.
SOCIAL SCIENCE
Dystopia: What’s to Be Done?
Garry Potter. CreateSpace. $29.95 paper
(380p), ISBN 978-1-4538-2256-2
Amazon
An analysis of the most serious of the
interrelated and interacting multiple crises
facing humanity and a proposal for radical
systemic change.
TRUE CRIME
Bombing Harvey.
John Birges Jr. and Nina J. Arnold. Van-
tage Press. $16.95 paper (208p), ISBN
978-0-533-16380-9
B&T; Ingram
Part memoir and part novel based on the
true events surrounding the extortion and
bombing plot that brought down a Lake
Tahoe casino in 1980.
D.B. Cooper Case Exposed
George C. Nuttall. Vantage Press. $18.95
paper (284p), ISBN 978-0-533-16390-8
B&T; Ingram
In November 1971, Dan “D.B.” Cooper
parachuted out of a passenger jet that he
had hijacked with $200,000 in cash. The
author, a former CHP officer, examines all
available evidence and discovers an aston-
ishing case filled with poor police work,
missing documents, lies, and coverups.
Fiction
In Theda Bara’s Tent
Diana Altman. Tapley Cove Press, $15 trade
paper (352p) ISBN 978-0-615-34327-3
Harry Sirkus, the protagonist of Alt-
man’s atmospheric historical, is a boy or-
phaned at a young age and sent to live in a
home for destitute chil-
dren. Once Harry be-
comes a teenager and re-
alizes the home can no
longer support him, he
strikes out to find his
fortune. Along the way
he meets young would-
be mogul Louis B. Mayer
and begins to learn the film business. He
next works for William Fox, founder of Fox
Film Corporation, and then—from the
1910s to the 1930s—proceeds to meet a
host of influential performers and famous
film industry figures, all the while casting a
critical eye on issues like immigration, an-
ti-Semitism, and opportunity in early
20th-century America. Through Harry,
Altman frames a vibrant story about early
Hollywood and a tumultuous time in
American history. Harry, meanwhile, lovable
if a little bland, mainly serves to bring readers
closer to larger-than-life figures like Fox
and Mayer. Readers with an even passing
interest in the history of Hollywood will be
enthralled.
Bombing Harvey:
Based on a True Story
John Birges Jr. and Nina J. Arnold. Vantage,
$16.95 trade paper (224p) ISBN 978-0-533-
16380-9
A novel based on the real-life extortion
attempt on a Lake Tahoe casino master-
minded by a veteran of the Hungarian air
force–turned–restaurateur should be more
gripping than this halting effort, mostly
told from the perspective of the criminal’s
son. John Birges Jr.—also one of the
book’s coauthors—survives a difficult
childhood: he is physically abused by his
father, John Birges Sr., and his mother
takes her own life after his parents divorce.
Desperate to escape his father’s grasp, the
younger Birges leaves home at the age of
16. Three years later, despite the family
rift, the younger Birges agrees to help his
father out of a jam, ostensibly because he’s
flattered that he might
Reviews
have something to offer
the old man. The re-
sulting scheme to es-
cape from crippling
gambling debts by
planting a bomb in and
extorting $3 million
from a Lake Tahoe casino would be consid-
ered over-the-top if it wasn’t true. But the
book provides little tension to sustain
reader interest and the underdeveloped
psychology of its characters also proves a
serious drawback.
Tamara’s Child
B.K. Mayo. Fir Valley Press (www.firvalleypress
.com), $14.95 trade paper (407p) ISBN 978-
0-9815884-7-6
In Mayo’s heavy-handed novel, Tamara
Ames is a scared and very pregnant
16-year-old. Abandoned by the baby’s fa-
ther, Tamara is told to leave home by her
mother and has only one family member
to whom she can turn: her stepbrother,
Gary. A sleazy criminal, Gary makes Ta-
mara uncomfortable, but she’s run out of
options. And it’s only a matter of time be-
fore Tamara meets a doctor who happens
to know an older, wealthy couple who des-
perately want a baby. Working in concert
with Gary, the doctor steals Tamara’s child
to give to the couple, and though the plan
succeeds, Tamara later recognizes her baby
and attempts to steal it
back, but not before de-
ciding how much she
values her child’s hap-
piness. While the
book’s subject matter is
charged, there’s noth-
ing in the text that’s
surprising or unique.
All of the characters are stereotypical,
leading to disengagement from the very
beginning.
Duncan’s Diary:
Birth of a Serial Killer
Christopher C. Payne. JournalStone (www
.journalstone.com), $12.95 trade pa-
per (280p) ISBN 978-0-9828119-3-1
Only readers with an appetite for ex-
plicit sexual sadism will find anything
worthwhile in this contemporary serial
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M
killer thriller, present-
ed as if it were a mur-
derer’s diary. Follow-
ing the separation
from his wife—de-
scribed in overwrought prose: “The new-
ness of my separation from my wife hung
over me like the plastic vault of a new toy
recently pried open with
those damned metal ties
that cling to its con-
tents”—Duncan, the fi-
nance director for a Cali-
fornia company, goes off
the rails. While on vaca-
tion in the Dominican Re-
public, he has a surpris-
ingly satisfying violent sexual encounter,
which triggers dormant feelings that lead
him to build a killing lair in his vacation
home. With his soundproof base of opera-
tions established, the psycho seeks his first
victim through the world of online dat-
ing. When the woman is reported miss-
ing, the case is assigned to police detective
Sudhir Takhar, but his investigative efforts
can’t prevent Duncan from claiming more
lives. The graphic descriptions of Dun-
can’s slaughters shock but do not add any
depth to this run-of-the-mill depiction of a
conscienceless killer.
Your Weight and More
Robert G. Rohland. Vantage, $10.95 trade
paper (86p) ISBN 978-0-533-16319-9
Rohland’s simplistic, Depression-era fa-
ble proves to be more a collection of
sketches than a well-developed novella. In
1935, 11-year-old Billy Baxter, who
“live[s] in a small community somewhere
within the Corn Belt of America,” has an
odd encounter that will change his life
forever. Elderly Paul Alfred Perkins—also
known as Pap—stops Billy outside the
corner grocery store and tells the boy he
used to watch him playing ball with his
friends. When Billy then loses two cents
to a machine that claims to predict “your
weight and more,” Pap gives him the
money to try again. This time, the ma-
chine tells Billy his fortune. Upset by
Pap’s intervention, Billy’s mother goes
looking for the old man, only to be told
Pap doesn’t exist. The remainder of the
book sketches the arc of Billy’s life as it
21
 reviews
intersects with the predic-
tions made by the machine.
The author does himself no
service by his terseness; for
example, the reader is told that Billy was
awarded a Bronze Star for valor without a
hint as to why. In the end, what was in-
tended as a hopeful parable makes virtual-
ly no impact.
Deed So
Katharine A. Russell. CreateSpace, $15.29
trade paper (438p) ISBN 978-1-4537-7503-5
In Russell’s jumbled novel, Haddie
Bashford is a young white woman with a
great deal of growing up to do. She lives
in rural 1960s Maryland where segrega-
tion is the law, but race relations between
the locals are more progressive. All of that
changes when a black youth is shot for as-
saulting a white farmer’s disabled son.
This—coupled with the increase in sit-ins
in nearby towns—raises racial tensions to
a new level. And if that isn’t enough, an
arsonist is also striking the town, destroy-
ing property irrespective of its owner’s
race. Haddie must negotiate all of this, as
well as her burgeoning adolescence, a
crush on a much older friend, and a sense
that everything is not as easy as she once
thought. Russell paints a detailed, com-
pelling portrait of time and place, but
there’s way too much going on, with plot
threads initiated and then dropped, as if
Russell is unsure about which story she
wants to tell. The result is a novel that’s
easy to get into, but hard to stay with.
Ablong
Alan Salant. The Olivier Arts and Open Press
(www.oliveropenpress.com), $12.95 trade
paper (114p) ISBN 978-0-9819891-8-1
In Salant’s uneven comic novel, profes-
sor Wilson Ablong is a genius of sorts
who once had an awesome idea that
turned into a unified theory and changed
everything for humanity. Ever since, he’s
been coasting along in a tenured faculty
position at his university, where he insults
students, toys with colleagues, and gener-
ally refuses to engage with anyone. This
works out fine until his long-lost son,
Tex, shows up and forces him to connect
with people. The strain sends Ablong into
a breakdown. As he recovers, he opens up
about his fears, his doubts, and the hallu-
cinatory value of broccoli. Ablong’s very
22 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 1
circumscribed academic world doesn’t
make Salant’s work unenjoyable, but it
does impose unfortunate limitations on
the novel and the audience it’s likely to
reach. The book has moments that are
laugh-out-loud funny, but those high
points are separated by pseudo-Socratic
dialogues that, much like Ablong him-
self, fail to reach an emotional core.
The Emancipation of Giles Corey
Michael Sortomme. Singing Lake Press,
$16.95 trade paper (348p) ISBN 978-0-
9830517-5-6
While it’s conceivable that a book cen-
tered on “nine days of rituals to free hun-
dreds of ghosts in the Massachusetts Bay
Colony” could work, this muddled novel
does not. In 2009, retired academic Mor-
timer Siminsky is introduced to “Indige-
nous Shamanic Practitioner” Sophie St.
Cloud, whose shamanism is “in-your-
face,” and who presents him with the draft
of a novel detailing her experiences in Sa-
lem, Mass. Two years earlier, Sophie at-
tempted to use “High Magick” to aid the
spirit of Giles Corey, who was pressed to
death in 1692 as a result of the notorious
Salem witch trials. Sortomme’s intermina-
ble descriptions of the rituals carried out
over the years to free Giles’s soul are stulti-
fying, leavened only by passages that are
unintentionally humorous, e.g., “They
knew that eating chocolate over the bones
of Giles Corey would give them power,
fortitude and courage.” The book’s dense,
excruciatingly detailed account of prepara-
tions for the emancipa-
tion ritual are also a slog
(“We move on to Net-
zach, symbolizing our
energy valve, the Solar
Plexus of the reading,
right-brain in orienta-
tion. We have the
Knight of Pentacles; he
is riding slowly, his speed imperceptible
to others”)and most readers will concur
with Mortimer’s opinion that Sophie’s nar-
rative is “confusing.”
Target: A Pete Thorsen Mystery
Robert Wangard. Ampersand (www.amper-
sandworks.com), $17.95 trade paper (312p)
ISBN 978-0-9818126-9-4
Wangard launches a promising con-
temporary mystery series with this engag-
ing debut, featuring Pete Thorsen, a Chi-
cago lawyer turned amateur detective. As
a managing partner for his law firm,
Thorsen has his hands full. But he is un-
willingly thrust into the middle of a mur-
der investigation when Cara Lane—the
woman he dined with the night before—
is found drowned. Reports that the two
argued at dinner, along with Thorsen’s ad-
mission that, after the date, he went for a
late-night walk that brought him to the
crime scene, make him a
natural suspect. To clear his
name, the attorney digs
into Lane’s past, discover-
ing that his dinner date
was a former student radi-
cal involved in a bombing
that injured two people 20
years earlier. Wangard’s
novel moves along—twist-
ing and turning—at a brisk pace. And his
well-drawn detective has enough person-
ality to make readers excited for the next
installment.
Butterfly Rising
Tanya Wright. CreateSpace, $12 trade paper
(257p) ISBN 978-1-4536-5036-3
In Wright’s meandering debut, Lilah
and Rose are misfits in hometown Lucas-
ville, Miss. Singer Lilah is extremely close
to her brother, and when he dies in a freak
accident, she begins drinking and stops
singing. Rose, meanwhile, catches the eye
of every man in town, but never allows
anyone close to her heart. Both women re-
alize they need to leave Lucasville, so they
set out on the road in search of healing
from the magical Lazarus of the Butter-
flies. When they find him, the healing he
offers takes a form neither expects. Lilah
makes peace with her demons and begins a
career in Nashville. Rose finally allows a
man to love her. And while Lilah and
Rose’s tragedies aren’t over yet, their
friendship will be enough to sustain them.
The story begins with a great deal of
promise—misfits in a South touched by
magic—but it soon becomes abundantly
clear to the reader that Wright, who can
write a very nice sentence, doesn’t fare as
well with plot and structure, with the nar-
rative veering into tragedy and then recov-
ery at a pace that calls out for the guiding
hand of a smart editor.
Nonfiction
Cooking on the Line: From Food
Lover to Professional Line Cook
Wayne Cohen. Larousse Churchill, $14.95
trade paper (258p) ISBN 978-1-4537-7819-7
In this absorbing memoir, Cohen—a
college football player and business owner
who always loved to cook—answers an
online advertisement for a line cook and
brings significant life
skills but scant culinary
experience to the kitch-
en. Working with a
young chef and an ambi-
tious menu, Cohen forges
through mundane tasks
and back pain and finds
his personal and profes-
sional comfort zone despite hostile per-
sonalities and questionable restaurant op-
erations. Eventually, Cohen becomes a
chef himself, laboring to meet the many
challenges of kitchen work while yearn-
ing to take the next professional step. He
interns in the kitchens of celebrated chefs,
discovers the latest trends and techniques,
and receives other job offers before set-
tling in with his mentor. The book is in-
tensely detailed, and though the author’s
tendency to conclude each chapter with a
melodramatic cliffhanger will likely irk
some readers, Cohen’s relentless positivi-
ty—a quality that often comes across as
slightly vain—lends a nice energy to his
story.
Moving Gracefully: A Guide to
Relocating Yourself & Your Family
Carol Miller Fradkin. CreateSpace, $17.95
trade paper (336p) ISBN 978-1-4528-9932-9
For this handy and thorough guide-
book to moving, Fradkin draws on her
own experiences of moving more than 20
times, which, surely, should qualify her as
an expert. Fradkin tackles moving from
every conceivable angle, beginning with
making the decision to move, followed by
detailed information and tips about sell-
ing houses, interpreting real estate list-
ings, mortgage shopping, finding a new
home, tools of the hunt (e.g., tape mea-
sure, digital camera), renting versus buy-
ing, then goes on to selecting a moving
company, creating an inventory of belong-
ings, and getting ready for moving day.
Reviews
Entire chapters are devoted to moving
with pets (“Moving is very stressful on
fish, and quite risky”) and children
(“They may be angry [especially older
children] and sad”). Packing tips include
how to handle hazardous items that can’t
be stored in moving vans, advice about
items that can be damaged by heat, and
suggestions about items that should be
transported personally. Fradkin concludes
with information about unpacking, safety,
security, and a listing of useful Web sites.
This guidebook serves as a definitive,
comprehensive manual.
Secrets of a Working Dog:
Unleash Your Potential and
Create Success
Ellen Galvin and Patrick Galvin. Joseph
Rudolph, $19.95 trade paper (192p) ISBN
978-0-9828680-3-4
Written by a hus-
band and wife team
from the point of view
of Bella, their happy
boxer, this charming
guide to success offers
valuable life lessons
aimed at helping read-
ers enjoy well-balanced lives. The book’s
commonsense advice originates from Bel-
la’s experience: keep life uncomplicated,
find out where your passion lies, and take
time everyday to reflect. This canine wis-
dom applies to everything from breath-
ing to stretching and exercising to choos-
ing happiness. Readers are also presented
with engaging case studies of successful
individuals who exemplify the book’s ad-
vice, including Amy Sacks, whose Pixie
Project allows her to follow her passion
and help facilitate animal adoptions, and
Carol Gardner, who turned the end of her
marriage into an opportunity by creating
a line of greeting cards. Also included are
sections on communication, persistence,
camaraderie, maintaining focus, and the
importance of napping as well as practi-
cal and realistic advice about time man-
agement. Delightful and insightful, Bel-
la’s pearls of wisdom will entertain while
imparting more than a few valuable les-
sons.
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M
Zook: A Look at
Harold Zook’s
Unique Architec-
ture
Betty Green. Ampersand, $19.95 trade paper
(152p) ISBN 978-0-9818126-8-7
A registered nurse turned Chicago Ar-
chitectural Foundation Museum docent,
Green offers a lavishly illustrated homage
to the Midwestern architect R. Howard
Zook (1889–1949). After seeing a Zook
home being demolished, the author’s cu-
riosity in the architect was piqued, and
she began tracking down his English
Costwald–style cottages
and commercial and
municipal buildings—
romantic, whimsical
structures, most boast-
ing the architect’s trade-
mark flourishes: a lay-
ered, mock-thatch roof
and spiderweb-shaped ornamental iron-
work. Green has a remarkable eye for de-
tail, and her photographs are assured and
dramatic. Zook’s spiral staircases, “Juliet
balconies,” built-in umbrella stands and
bunk beds, hidden chevrons, undulating
shingles, his earthly material textures
and sensuousness come to brilliant life.
While the photos enchant, however, the
prose disappoints. The introduction and
brief biography of Zook are bland and
clotted with trivia (“He frequently enter-
tained guests and was described as a good
conversationalist”), with the remainder of
the book devoted to inspirational quotes
only tenuously connected to the material.
Still the book is, as Green describes, “a
labor of love” (proceeds will go to the
preservation of Zook homes) and is a vi-
sual treat that would beautifully comple-
ment a more conventional biography of
the architect.
Vital Yoga: A Sourcebook for
Students and Teachers
Meta Chaya Hirschl. Prajna, $35 trade paper
(320p) ISBN 978-0-9823055-0-8
Hirschl—who, after working for years
in stressful management jobs, ditched the
corporate world to become a yoga instruc-
tor and studio owner—offers tips and ad-
vice to both students and teachers of yoga.
23
 reviews
Hirschl aims to help modern
yogis transform their asana
(pose) and meditation rou-
tines via yoga history, philos-
ophy, and traditional practices like
pranayama (breath), mantra (chanting),
mudra (gesture), and drishti (gaze). The
author clearly summarizes classic yoga
texts, the eight limbs of yoga, pioneering
teachers, energetics, and basic anatomy in
a way that will greatly benefit new practi-
tioners. She also offers an excellent over-
view of yoga styles, as well as sections on
classical asana, advice on selecting teachers
and classes, tips on becoming part of a
community, and her take on applying yo-
gic precepts to daily life via “stealth”
yoga. For instructors, Hirschl offers sam-
ple yoga sequences and advice about the
initial steps of opening a studio. As refer-
ence and inspiration, Hirschl’s beautifully
illustrated compendium will best serve
novice students and teachers, as well as
those aspiring to change careers.
How to Bake Bread:
The Five Families of Bread
Michael Kalanty. Red Seal, $50 trade paper
(525p) ISBN 978-0-615-23129-7
A flip through this master course in
bread baking from French-trained, Cali-
fornia Culinary Academy instructor Ka-
lanty might temper the most determined
aspirant, but after digesting the basics
(baker’s percents, ingredients, add-ins,
tools, techniques, and workplace setup
and flow), readers will be primed to at-
tempt Kalanty’s “formulas” for a gamut of
baked goods including baguettes, bagels,
pizza, challah, babka, stollen, and cinna-
mon buns. With his Five Families of
Bread method—adapted from a 19th-
century French culinary concept—Kalan-
ty contends that readers
can utilize similar tech-
niques to make a variety
of baked goods. A dynam-
ic teacher, Kalanty adds
spice with history and an-
ecdotes in this engaging
and practical volume. As
readers turned bakers ac-
quire skills like the “Degas and Fold,”
“Poker Chip Gesture,” and visualization,
Kalanty insists they will gain confidence
to enter the fast track to creating bou-
langerie-quality breads.
24 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 1
Theology 101 in Bite-Sized
Pieces: A Bird’s Eye View of
the Riches of Divine Grace
Judy Azar LeBlanc, WestBow, $11.95 trade
paper (124p) ISBN 978-1-4497-0706-4
LeBlanc’s well-meaning but uneven
exploration of theology would have bene-
fited from a thorough edit. While the au-
thor provides notations and references
that steer readers to various scriptural
sources, LeBlanc fails to clearly delineate
the theme and purpose of her book and
frequently contradicts herself. The
“Bird’s Eye View” of the subtitle, for in-
stance, never materializes, and the book
lacks a clear structure. While LeBlanc
seeks to explore some basic tenants of
fundamental Christianity, her work lacks
breadth and depth. Forty of the book’s
124 pages are given over to a “New
American Standard Greek Lexicon,”
while other entries on concepts like
“Adoption” or “Justification” run less
than two pages. That missing editor
might have addressed these issues and
caught some of the author’s tics: her as-
sertions, for instance, that she “must ad-
mit that [she doesn’t] fully comprehend”
or “cannot even imagine” or finds it
“quite difficult for me to wrap my mind
around” various biblical concepts. While
there are probably some readers out there
who will connect to LeBlanc’s thoughts
and appreciate her scholarship, this book
is not likely to find a wide audience.
When Cancer Hits Home
Patrick Maguire. Coastal Carolina Publishing,
$14.99 trade paper (264p) ISBN 978-0-61539-
111-3
An oncologist whose parents died of
cancer brings his unique perspective to
this thoughtful and surprisingly touching
reference aimed at helping people reduce
their risk of cancer and learn about diag-
nosis and treatment. The book covers
some familiar but important territory: re-
ducing the chances of getting cancer via
quitting smoking, eating well, exercising,
and practicing safe sex. Maguire also dis-
cusses topics like prostate and breast can-
cer testing and their risks and benefits for
early detection—he favors both. But the
manuscript’s real strength lies in the au-
thor’s calm, concise discussions of treat-
ment options for the 20 most common
types of cancer. Maguire presents readers
with synopses of patients’ diagnoses,
workup, treatment, and outcome. These
histories are sometimes heartbreaking—
like the case of a retired accountant whose
melanoma doesn’t respond to treat-
ment—and often inspiring—like the case
of a retired seamstress whose lymphoma is
cured. “If I’m able to lessen that fear [of
cancer]... for even a few people then I’ll
have achieved my goal,” Maguire writes
in this valuable reference that reminds
readers that knowledge is power.
Wolfer: A Memoir
Carter Niemeyer. Bottle Fly Press, $17.99
trade paper (374p) ISBN 978-0-615-40948-1
In this colorful memoir, Niemeyer ex-
plores a life shaped by wolves, suspicious
ranchers, intrepid trappers, other extraor-
dinary characters, and convoluted poli-
tics. “Wolves had a way of working their
way into my life,” Niemeyer writes, “like
a worm through an apple. They are just
animals, of course, but they have a way of
making people nuts, and for that matter,
attracting nutty people.” A government
expert who reintroduced endangered gray
wolves to the West, Niemeyer works day
and night to become a revered wildlife
expert and develop a real understanding
of the often unjustly maligned wolf.
Among the book’s many engaging anec-
dotes are stories about grinding up prai-
rie dogs for bait, flea treatments for trap-
pers, and capturing a dart-gunned griz-
zly. Niemeyer’s cogent tale is full of em-
pathy, and his adventures and the mind-
boggling challenges he faces will rivet
readers.
D.B. Cooper Case Exposed: J.
Edgar Hoover Cover Up?
George C. Nuttall. Vantage, $18.95 trade pa-
per (285p) ISBN 978-0-533-16390-8
Nuttall—a former California Highway
Patrol captain—offers an uneven explora-
tion of one of the most baffling unsolved
cases in recent American history: D.B.
Cooper’s 1971 high-
jacking of a Northwest
Airlines jet. Aided by a
former colleague, Har-
ry L. Grady, of the San
Diego Police Depart-
ment, Nuttall exam-
ines vintage books,
press clippings, maps,

and law enforcement records, only to con-
clude the official investigation of the case
was botched—particularly the failed at-
tempt to capture Cooper after he para-
chuted from the stolen jet with $200,000
in cash. Nuttall’s investigation turns up
some interesting findings: the absence of
radar tracking the highjacked jet, con-
flicting reports from witnesses aboard the
plane, a lackluster search for Cooper in
the wrong location, and the tardy release
of serial numbers on Cooper’s ransom
money. But Nuttall’s investigative work
loses some credibility when he delves into
late FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover’s gambling
addiction and homosexuality, tying those
factors to an agency coverup, organized
crime, and blackmail. Nuttall reaches
some bewildering conclusions that blunt
the book’s potential as one of the defini-
tive volumes on this
mysterious case.
Famous Person-
alities Honored on
Stamps: Links to
Medicine
Marc A. Shampo, Robert A.
Kyle, and Werner Heidel.
Vantage, $22.95 trade paper (280p) ISBN 978-
0-533-16361-8
For these short profiles of people pic-
tured on postage stamps, the authors de-
vised a unique if limiting premise for in-
clusion: “men and women with relatively
little known links to medicine who were
honored on stamps primarily because they
made their mark in other fields—politics,
art, philosophy, religion, entertainment,
sports, and so on.” The 131 individuals
profiled include Walt Disney and Ernest
Hemingway, who were both American
Red Cross ambulance drivers during
WWI; Hector Berlioz and Robinson Jef-
fers, who were once medical students;
basketball inventor James Naismith, who
was briefly a Colorado physician; O. Hen-
ry, who was a licensed pharmacist while a
prison inmate; and Howard Hughes, who
founded the Howard Hughes Medical In-
stitute. The book disappoints on multiple
levels. Some of the stamps profiled belong
to larger sets, leaving readers to wish the
authors had presented the entire set. Ad-
ditionally, there is scant information
about the stamps themselves—usually a
single sentence at the end of each pro-
file—and the artists of
the stamps remain a
mystery.
Positively Ninety:
Interviews with
Lively Nonagenar-
ians
Connie Springer. Blurb (www.blurb.com),
$37.50 trade paper (110p) ISBN 978-0-
9712744-2-6
In this uniformly upbeat volume,
Springer—discouraged by her mother’s
decline in mental health—interviews and
photographs 28 nonagenarians who are
leading happy, vibrant lives. Among
those profiled are Janet Kalven, a 94-year-
old feminist with a 30-year mortgage;
Dot Grannen, who, at 90, fulfills her life-
long ambition to tackle an Olympic bob-
sled run; Neil Keto, who, at 98 and with
only one eye, is still a voracious reader;
and swimmer Russ White, who has
amassed hundreds of medals at the Na-
tional Senior Olympics. Though most of
her subjects have outlived their spouses,
siblings, and, in some cases, children,
they still lead fulfilling lives, full of social
events and activities. However, Springer
wisely avoids Pollyanna-
ism, detailing the health
conditions of her sub-
jects as well as some of
their disappointments.
If there’s a recurring
theme, it’s the impor-
tance of staying focused,
staying positive, and never giving up.
And the claim that happiness and con-
tentment are often a choice is encourag-
ing and inspiring.
Looks Easy Enough: A Joyful
Memoir of Overcoming Disease,
Divorce, and Disaster
Scott Stevenson. Deadora, $18 trade paper
(451p) ISBN 978-0-9842810-0-8
In this didactic memoir, Stevenson re-
flects on his personal and psychological
growth while dealing with his wife’s
struggle with breast cancer, his sister-in-
law’s tumultuous divorce from an abusive
husband, his losses in the recent stock
market crash, and the destruction of his
home in a wildfire. The tone of the book
is reminiscent of Tom Youngholm’s The
Celestial Bar—a staple of New Age spiri-
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M
reviews
tuality literature by an au-
thor whose influence Steven-
son readily acknowledges.
However, Stevenson’s narra-
tive is hardly a journey of discovery. In
the book’s introductory note, the author
tells readers exactly what “Truth” means
to him: having a perspective on the
“Magic” of life, or “knowing that we
choose our experiences to learn and to
grow from so we can all move towards
and experience the Oneness of all things.”
Despite Stevenson’s obvious sincerity, the
crises he encounters inevitably end as op-
portunities to tell his wife and sister-in-
law—as well as the reader—about the
“Magic,” unintentionally producing a
memoir that proves to be more of a self-
congratulatory slog than a self-revelatory
journey.
Shift: Change Your Words,
Change Your World
Janet Smith Warfield. Word Sculptures (www
.word sculpturepublishing.com), $15.95 trade
paper (208p) ISBN 978-0-9778324-7-7
A meandering collection of poems, hai-
ku, charts, and essays from self-help guru
Warfield boils down to two admonitions:
we must allow our creative selves to man-
ifest, and we must not allow people to
control and constrict our lives. In most
cases, Warfield’s advice and exercises—
daily affirmations, essays on perception,
tips like “learn and grow from your mis-
takes”—are well-intentioned and provide
methods of increasing self-awareness that
will likely prove helpful to readers. But
the book takes an unsettling turn when
the author offers her bizarre take on the
Holocaust: “Certainly, genocides and ho-
locausts are unwise choices if we want to
create a peaceful, prosperous planet where
humans respect one another and work to-
gether in harmony. Yes, we can label
them evil if we want but what do we ac-
complish? Doesn’t this just beget pride in
us and guilt in others?” Warfield then
concludes: “We, of course, would never do
such a horrible thing, but then we have
never walked in those other shoes.” These
and other stunningly wrongheaded state-
ments undermine her approach and, cou-
pled with ramblings about religion and
consciousness, result in a book that raises
more questions than it answers.
25
 Review_XXX

Reviews
reviews

Hirschl aims to help modern Theology 101 in Bite-Sized with synopses of patients’ diagnoses,
yogis transform their asana Pieces: A Bird’s Eye View of workup, treatment, and outcome. These
(pose) and meditation rou- the Riches
tions with andof Divine Grace “some
histories first
areclass help,” the
sometimes man proposes
heartbreaking—
tines via yoga history, philos- Judy Azar LeBlanc,
contributions to WestBow, $11.95 trade alike
trade:
the “I will
case of pay for your
a retired time in flight
accountant whose
ophy, and traditional practices like paper
the (124p)race.
human ISBN 978-1-4497-0706-4 lessons.”
melanomaOn the day
doesn’t of his first
respond lesson,
to treat-
pranayama (breath), mantra (chanting), LeBlanc’s
Written well-meaning but uneven
in the Billy
ment—andbids a dramatic farewell to his
often inspiring—like the case
mudra (gesture), and drishti (gaze). The exploration
voice of a tree,of theology would have bene- mother
of a retired(“Today I leavewhose
seamstress a boy lymphoma
and come is
Children’s
author clearly summarizes classic yoga the from a thorough
fitednarrative is edit. While the au- back
cured.a “If I’m able
pilot!”). Large, to brightly
lessen that colored
fear [of

Books
texts, the eight limbs of yoga, pioneering thor provides
composed pri-notations and references type conveys
cancer]... the boy’s
for even a fewenthusiasm,
people thenasI’ll
teachers, energetics, and basic anatomy in that
marilysteer
of readers to various scriptural when he takes my
have achieved off with
goal,”the pilot and
Maguire grabs
writes
a way that will greatly benefit new practi- sources, LeBlanc fails to clearly delineate
rhymed couplets in this
the valuable
control stick:reference
“I’m flying! that I’m
reminds
really
tioners. She also offers an excellent over- the
withtheme and purpose of her book and
a less-than- readers that
flying!” Moreknowledge
successfulisthan power.
Terentiak’s
Picture Books
view of yoga styles, as well as sections on frequently
precise meter contradicts
(“From giant herself. The to
redwoods wooden characters are her renditions of
classical asana, advice on selecting teachers “Bird’s Eye Joshua
the ancient View” of the subtitle,
Tree./ We are asfor di-in- Wolfer:
electric-hued A Memoirperiod airplanes, with each
The Tiny Tiger
and classes, tips on becoming part of a stance,
verse asnever materializes,
the human family”). andThethepoem
book Carter
modelNiemeyer. Bottle Flyagainst
labeled, pictured Press, $17.99
dappled
Janette
community,ShipstonandChan, illus.onbyapplying
her take Kelly Barrow.
yo- lacks a clear
mentions whatstructure.
some trees WhilebearLeBlanc
(“apples, trade
aqua paper
skies. (374p)
Ages 4–up. ISBN 978-0-615-40948-1
AuthorHouse
gic precepts (www.authorhouse.com),
to daily life via “stealth” seeks
oranges,to explore
maple syrup,some basic
and eventenants
grape-of In this colorful memoir, Niemeyer ex-
$13.50
yoga. For paper (24p) ISBN
instructors, Hirschl offers sam-
978-1-4520-4106-3 fundamental Christianity,
fruit”), that “paper and boxes hercome
workfromlacks Goodnight
plores Houston
a life shaped by wolves, suspicious
pleThis
yogawarmsequencesand straightforward
and advice about story,
the a breadth
us,” and andthatdepth. Forty ofinthe
“You breathe thebook’s
air that Jennifer and
ranchers, Kyle Solak,
intrepid illus. byother
trappers, Paul extraor-
Dolan.
metaphor
initial stepsforofadoption,
opening adrawsstudio. from a Chi-
As refer- 124 pages are
we breathe out.” given
Yet over
the bookto a “New
is short on Ampersand
dinary (www.ampersandworks.com),
characters, and convoluted poli-
nese proverb
ence assertingHirschl’s
and inspiration, that an invisible,
beautifully American
substance, Standard
presenting Greek Lexicon,”
information and $17.95
tics. (36p) ISBN
“Wolves had978-1-4507-0623-0
a way of working their
unbreakable
illustrated red thread “connects
compendium those
will best serve while other
analogies entries
that seem on concepts
either random like(“Fall way “The
intostars
my at night
life,” are big and
Niemeyer bright,/
writes, “like
novice students and teachers, destined as to
wellmeet
as “Adoption”
is when all oforour “Justification”
colors are on run less
display./ aInworm
Houston, through it’s time to sayThey
an apple. goodnight,”
are just
those aspiring to change regardless
careers. of time, than two pages.
The Fourth of JulyThat missing
is your editor
colorful day”) opens thisofaffectionate
animals, course, buttribute they have to Texas’s
a way of
place or circum- might have(“We
or strained addressed
lose ourthese issues
leaves andandpeo- largest city.
making peopleSimple
nuts,rhymed
and forcouplets bid
that matter,
How to Bake Bread: stance.” Each time caught
ple shedsometheirofskin./
the author’s
This is our tics:way
herofas-re- goodnight nutty
attracting to various
people.” landmarks, attrac-
A government
The Five Families of TongBreadthe tiger sertions,
newing again for instance,
and again”).that Balancing
she “must an ad- tions, events,
expert and natural endangered
who reintroduced resources, in-gray
Michael Kalanty. Red Seal, $50he
roars, trade paper
hears a mit thatpalette
auburn [she doesn’t]
with brightfully green
comprehend”
hues, cludingtothe
wolves theHermann
West, NiemeyerPark Railroad,
works theday
(525p) ISBN 978-0-615-23129-7 “tiny roar” coming or “cannotnaïf,
Blondon’s evenblocky
imagine” or finds itadd a
illustrations Houston
and nightZoo, to become a revered wildlife
A flip through this master from the course
otherinside “quite
note of difficult
whimsy, for me to wrap
portraying treesmyfrommind Miller Outdoor
expert and develop a real understanding
bread baking from French-trained,of the mountain Cali- around”
above andvarious
below,biblical concepts.
occasionally While
personify- ofTheatre,
the often Galves-
unjustly maligned wolf.
fornia Culinary Academy andinstructor
assumes it’s Ka-his there are probably
ing aspects of nature, some andreaders out there
emphasizing ton Bay, the
Among the book’s
Or- many engaging anec-
lanty
echo. might
Settingtemper the most
out to find it, hedetermined
encounters who
trees’will connect
strength andtousefulness
LeBlanc’sbut thoughts
also fra- ange Show,
dotes and about grinding up prai-
are stories
aspirant,
fellow tiger butJen-jen,
after digesting
who tellsthe basics
him she is and appreciate
gility. her scholarship,
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thebook
in- Discovery
rie dogs forGreen. bait, flea treatments for trap-
(baker’s
following percents,
a red stringingredients,
“wherever add-ins,
it goes,” is not likely to find
terconnectedness a wide audience.
of nature. Ages 4–8. Someand
pers, entries feel a dart-gunned griz-
capturing
tools, techniques,
and invites him toand comeworkplace
along. The setupstring like Niemeyer’s
zly. filler— cogent tale is full of em-
and
leadsflow),
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to a cave, willwhere
be primed
they findto at-a Billy’s Cancer
When First Flight
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Elaine Maguire.
Barber, Coastal
illus. by Carolina
Linda Terentiak.
Publishing, in the blooming
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he faces will rivet con-
baked
has thegoods
end ofincluding
the string baguettes,
tied to her bagels,
paw. Ampersand
$14.99 trade(www.ampersandworks.com),
paper (264p) ISBN 978-0-61539- tribute to an overall sense of the sources
readers.
pizza,and
Tong challah,
Jen-jen babka,
namestollen,
her Lila,andandcinna-
the $17.95
111-3 (40p) ISBN 978-1-4507-0620-9 of Houstonian pride. The digitally en-
mon buns.
three “livedWith happilyhis ever
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grade-school workbooks ty contends that readers
or early comput- files the real-life
reference aimed atBilly—William
helping peopleA. reduce
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certainly and the highlight
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clearly pullssimilar tech-
from person- ber, her
their risklate
of cancer
husband—who
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of fireworks exploding an uneven
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ents to share with ecdotes
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cusses topics
to thelike prostate and breast can- Airlines
concludesjet. with Aided
capsuleby a descriptions of the
readers turned bakers ac- airport
cer testing
to and their risks and benefits for former
locations, colleague,
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to L.
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manuscript’s Diego
to HoustonPoliceshould
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Press,
Kalanty$17.95
insists (26p)
theyISBN
will978-0-533-16358-8
gain confidence land. When
thor’s calm, concise discussions of treat- ment,
amongNuttall exam- and visitors. Ages
city residents
to This
enterpaper-over-board
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ment a pilotfor the 20 most common ines
4–up. vintage books,
tribute to trees, focusing
langerie-quality breads. on their interac- if he needs
types of cancer. Maguire presents readers press clippings, maps,

26 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 1
24 0
 reviews

Fiction
Portia’s Incredible Journey
Emma L. Price. ELP Books (www.elpbooks.
net), $9.95 trade paper (144p) ISBN 978-0-
9841650-0-1
“How did everything go so wrong so
quickly?” laments the almost 11-year-old
narrator of Price’s debut novel, after her
parents tell her she must learn to adminis-
ter her own insulin
shots rather than rely
on them to do it. Por-
tia then flashes back a
year, to when she was
diagnosed with diabe-
tes, adjusted her diet,
and learned how to
test her blood sugar. In
the present, a visit from her cousin, who
also has diabetes, comforts Portia, as both
girls deal with their health-related prob-
lems. Attending a summer camp for dia-
betics, Portia reaches out to an ornery girl
who is also afraid of giving herself insulin
shots. Back home, Portia worries about
the growing tension between her parents
and fears they will divorce. While the sto-
ry may reassure diabetic readers, it’s
weighed down by extraneous, stilted dia-
logue. The story’s histrionic tenor reaches
a crescendo when a truck slams into the
van that Portia and several family mem-
bers are riding in—while fleeing a hurri-
cane—and Portia requires surgery for a
broken arm. Portia’s close bond with her
caring grandmother adds an affecting note
to this overwrought novel. Ages 6–12.
Bitsy’s Labyrinth
Mary Andonian. Good Thief Press, LLC (www.
goodthiefpress.com), $11.99 trade paper
(198p) ISBN 978-0-9831075-0-7
In this largely successful spiritual com-
ing-of-age story, 13-year-old Bitsy feels
ignored by her mother, who spends her
time helping fellow recovering alcoholics,
and by her remarried father, who reneges
on promises to visit. She is also alienated
from her older sister, who has taken up
drinking and smoking. Bitsy’s mother,
who prays as she walks the
labyrinth she built on their
lavender farm, explains that
she uses it to contemplate
problems while walking, and gives the
problem to God when she reaches the cen-
ter. Though Bitsy is skeptical, she too
talks to God, asking for help with her
family issues. After her best friend Gina
gains a sense of calmness from the laby-
rinth, Bitsy becomes frustrated. In a melo-
dramatic turn of
events, Gina’s mother,
who is battling cancer,
dies of a bee sting
while walking the lab-
yrinth, after which Bit-
sy attempts to set it on
fire. Andonian has a
nice handle on dia-
logue, and Bitsy’s narration, with its gen-
tly sarcastic sense of humor and embar-
rassment concerning her mother’s outspo-
ken faith, feels genuine and contemporary
as the story makes its way to an upbeat
conclusion. Ages 12–18.

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FINDERS KEEPERS
A novel by Russ Colchamiro The big bang was no theory.
RUSS_1/2H.indd 1 2/11/11 11:57 AM
W W W . P U B L I S H E R S W E E K LY. C O M 27

More and more authors are choosing to sidestep agents and big houses
to bring their books to the reading public.
Book Publishing Success
Measured by More than
Sales Alone
The desire to influence,
to promote a cause, and
just for fun are among
the standards for success
By Kevin Weiss
Publishing continues to evolve and
change as digital readers and digital for-
mats rule the day. Interactive, media-rich
apps are changing the very definition of
book. And online retail outlets like Ama-
zon have forced bricks-and-mortar book-
sellers to rethink their business models,
and in the case of Borders, to contract.
S elf-publishing, led by print-on-de-
mand providers, has served as one
of the key catalysts to the changes.
More and more authors are choosing to
sidestep agents and big houses to bring
their books to the reading public. From
full-service self-publishing operations
with myriad services to free online e-
book conversion portals that allow writ-
ers to produce digital books in minutes,
opportunities for authors and choices for
readers have never been greater.
What hasn’t evolved as quickly is the
measurement of success. Historically,
that yardstick has been hitting the New
York Times’s bestsellers list, which is still
a worthy accomplishment. Yet even that
respected source does not take into ac-
count the changes that have taken place
in the industry.
The metric used in determining best-
28 P U B L I S H E R S W E E K L Y ■ M A R C H 2 8 , 2 0 1 1
SOAPBOX
sellers are not comprehensive. The New
York Times bestsellers list doesn’t include
every single vender of books. Amazon’s
rankings are based solely on Amazon sales
and are updated hourly, but actual figures
are not released, for competitive reasons.
Nielsen BookScan bases its figures on
retail sales from about 75% of retailers.
And none of these takes into account
direct sales or complete book club sales,
which may be a more significant portion
of book sales as authors and publishers
have gone directly to readers.
Perhaps even more important is that,
for many authors, book sales alone are not
the only measure of success.
A uthor Solutions Inc. worked
with more than 20,000 authors
last year to help them bring
their works to readers. I’ve spoken with
many of these authors, and I can tell you
firsthand that their reasons for publish-
ing—and ultimately their definitions of
success—are as unique as the books they
submit to our companies for publication.
Yes, a large subset of authors publish
their works with the hopes of rising to the
top of bestseller lists, as Brunonia Berry
or Lisa Genova did. But many write to
influence readers, to bolster a cause they
believe in, to support a consulting career,
or for the fun of it.
Reg Green is one of the world’s fore-
most advocates of organ donation. He
wrote The Gift That Heals to raise funds
in support of his cause and sells thousands
a year at the dozens of speeches he gives
around the world. Reg never defined his
book’s success on sales alone. His goal is
to reach people through his words—to
affect behavior. By any measure, Reg—
who’s raised the profile of this cause—and
his book have been a greater success than
most bestsellers.
C.S. Marks has created Alterra, a paral-
lel world of heroic elves. Marks decided
to free these characters from her imagina-
tion onto the pages of her books. Her
books’ covers feature original illustra-
tions, oil paintings that make her charac-
ters even more vivid. Marks is also a mas-
ter marketer—one of the reasons she
chose to self-publish—and she’s created
quite a following. In January 2011 alone,
her four-title series sold a combined
2,700 e-books. At book signings in Los
Angeles and New York, hundreds of
miles from her Indiana home, fans lined
up early to meet her and secure auto-
graphed copies of the series’ flagship title,
Elfhunter.
Don Failla has been teaching network
marketing for decades. His book, The
45-Second Presentation That Will Change
Your Life, is a concise training manual for
readers who want to establish network
marketing businesses that depend on the
cooperation of independent distributors.
He’s sold tens of thousands of copies of his
self-published book, averaging about 500
copies a month through channels tracked
by Nielsen BookScan. He has had even
more success selling direct to consumers
at speaking and consulting events.
H istorically, publishers have
measured success by num-
ber of print books sold. Au-
thors have measured success by the size
of their advance. But the industry has
changed dramatically. How we account
for sales and what is considered a success
should continue to evolve with the other
changes taking place in the industry. ■
Kevin Weiss is the president and CEO of Author
Solutions Inc.
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