M ARCH 2018

Your guide to self-publishing

How Word-of-Mouth Marketing Makes Books Go Viral •
Book Cover Redesign • Indie Scouting Report •
First Lines from BookLife Authors • 72 New Titles Listed

Writing
from
Experience
A former police officer
finds a second career
crafting authentic
police procedurals
BY MATIA BURNETT

B
ritish author Rebecca Bradley,
who writes the Det. Insp. Hannah
Robbins myster y series set in
Nottingham, England, knows her way
around a police procedural. In fact, she
draws from personal experience.
Bradley worked as a police officer for
seven years, and then for a special
 ® INDIE SUCCESS
criminal investigation depart-
ment that dealt with se xual
exploitation. “It was there I real-
ized how dark and warped our
world really is,” she says. “The
reverse is also true: in that dark
world are people who battle to
make it right with everything
they have.”
Bradley didn’t plan on becom-
ing a writer. Instead, she culti-
vated an interest in law enforce-
ment from a young age. “I have
always been a reader of crime
and always wanted to join the
police,” she says.
Because of the height require-
ment for police recruits in the
U.K., however, Bradley—who
stands just five feet tall—thought
she might never get a chance
to join the force. But this isn’t
the story of an author who lives
vicariously through her char-
acters. Af ter Bradley’s f irst
child was born, the height
restriction was lifted and she
began training.
“I already felt fairly settled as
a wife and mother,” she says.
“And moving into a job that was
a career at this late stage, and
to do something I had always
Rebecca Bradley
70 B O O K L I F E , M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 8
wanted to do... It was thrilling
and scary all at the same time.”
But, after a successful career
as a police detective, Bradley
was forced to retire because of
a genetic condition. Though she
felt “gutted” to leave the police
force, there was a silver lining:
in the final years of her police
career, she had discovered a
passion for writing—and now she
had the time to focus on honing
her craft.
“As a writer, [working as a
police officer] has provided me
the basis in which to ground my
work,” Bradley says. “Though, I
do have to be careful and remind
myself that I’m writing a story
and not a practical how-to book.
There is a fine line between
making it factually correct and
boring a reader with too much
detail. Police work isn’t at all
exciting most of the time.”
Bradley initially looked into
publishing her work traditionally
and even acquired an agent. But
after submitting her work to
publishing houses, she parted
ways with the agent and made
the decision to self-publish the
book that would become Shallow
Waters, the first in the Robbins
series.
And Bradley has found self-
publishing success by cultivating
a community of invested readers
via social media channels. After
p u b l i s h i n g S h a l l ow Wa te r s ,
B ra d l e y w a s a p p ro a ch e d b y
Audible and signed a book con-
tract. Following the publication
of the series’ second volume,
Fighting Monsters, she signed
again with Audible for two more
audiobook adaptations. Her books
are also now sold through major
retailers such as Barnes & Noble,
and the former law enforcement
officer is able to make a living
from her writing.
Bradley descr ibes her pro-
tagonist as “a pretty average
woman who work s hard and
struggles to balance a social life
with a demanding career. She’s
dedicated and wants to do the
best she can for the people she
comes into contact with. She’s
also loyal to her team and expects
the same loyalty from them.”
Bradley has written a third
book in series, Made to Be Broken,
as well as a novella, Three Weeks
Dead. In addition to the books,
Bradley is using her knowledge
of law enforcement to help other
crime authors write authentically
and offers a “Police Fact Service”
for writers basing their work in
England or Wales.
Bradley also offers some prac-
tical advice for aspiring self-
published authors: “Make sure
you are aware of the amount of
work involved before you jump
in. Because unlike traditional
publishing where a lot of the
process is done by the publisher,
you are responsible for every
single step. Including knowing
when those steps need complet-
ing, where to go for the help,
and all the extras that come with
releasing the book.”
After all the hard work, Bradley
defines her success in terms of
how readers feel about her story,
characters, and voice: “With each
email or reader review on Amazon,
be it a positive or negative review,
I always feel that one step closer.
Once you release the book it’s
no longer yours. When they tell
me they felt as though they were
there, within the scenes, or the
ending made them cry, that’s
when I feel it. It’s all about the
readers.” ■
COVER ART ®

Cover Redesign
This month, Michelle Argyle at Melissa Williams Design
reimagines the cover of Practice Makes Purpose by
C. Paul Schroeder, who said the new cover
“takes the project to another level.”
To submit a book for a free cover redesign, email us at booklifeeditor@booklife.com. Original Cover

Blue is often One of the

used in marks of an
marketing to effective cover
convey trust is the “pop”
and sincerity— factor. Using a
something warm, golden
needed for any sun flare does
motivational the trick here.
book. It’s inviting,
energetic, and
dynamic.

The subtitle is
very important
to this book.
Giving it more
space ensures
that readers
will give it a I made the
second look. flower image
stand out
by keeping
it one color
and creating
a powerful
contrast
against
the flared
background.

B O O K L I F E .C O M 71
 ® BOOK MARKETING

Deconstructing
Word of Mouth
Many factors can lead to a
book going viral—and many
obstacles can prevent it from
reaching the next reader
BY MARK COKER

Mark Coker

W
riters have many opportunities to foster
word of mouth about their books. Doing
so starts by understanding the underlying
mechanics of why some books take off while others
Good books
disappear.
We’re all familiar with viral videos or other things
aren’t good
that go viral. Whether we’re talking about an inter-
net meme or an amazing book, these things pass
enough anymore. To spark
from one person to another via the power of word
of mouth. For books, word of mouth manifests in
and sustain word of mouth,
online reviews, social media recommendations,
book group suggestions, a phone call to a friend,
a book must surprise,
or watercooler conversations at work. delight, and transform the
We’ve all read books that moved us. These books
become part of us. We wear the experience of them reader, as if by revelation.
on our sleeves. We don’t just recommend these
books to our friends: we insist that our friends read Let’s take a closer look.
them. We buy them for our friends. We become Consider what needs to happen for one reader
single-minded evangelists for the books and the to spread a book to another. The reader must become
authors. aware of the book, discover a reason to desire the
As readers, we also read a lot of good books that book, and then find convenient access to the book.
we never recommend to anyone. Good books aren’t Once she finds it, her desire must overcome the
good enough anymore. To spark and sustain word cost of the book and the effort required to read it.
of mouth, a book must surprise, delight, and trans- And then she must be so moved by the book that
form the reader, as if by revelation. This is how her passion inspires her to promote the book to
sleeper hits from previously unknown authors can other readers.
come out of nowhere to land on the New York Times Each new reader must complete this cycle to
bestseller list. inspire others to do the same. But there are poten-
There’s more to word of mouth than book quality tial obstacles at each stage of the cycle, and these
alone, however; it is, in fact, governed by a complex challenges can easily undercut virality.
chain of interdependent and sequential elements. Readers could hear great things about the book,

72 B O O K L I F E , M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 8
 ®

search for it, not find it, and then give up. Or maybe
they find it but lose interest at the sight of the
cover. Or they see a typo in the book description,
or the price is too high, or too low, or the book’s
not available in their favorite stores, or the average
review rating is four stars and not five.
Herein lies the opportunity for authors to directly
influence word of mouth. Think of a book as an
object and attached to that object are dozens of
dials and levers—we’ll call them viral catalysts—that
the author can twist, turn, and tweak to make the
book more discoverable, more accessible, more
desirable, and more enjoyable to readers. Every
decision the author makes will have an impact on
word of mouth.
Examples of viral catalysts include better cover
images, better prices, better editing, broader
distribution, better book descriptions, better cat-
egorization, or (brace yourself) better books. If
authors can identify and minimize their books’
potential weaknesses, they’ll have a better chance
of encouraging word of mouth. Identifying such
issues requires an open mind and a keen sense of
self-awareness.
Luckily, readers, through their actions or inac-
tions, give authors valuable clues about what’s
working and what’s not. For example, if the book
averages five-star reviews but sales are low, it’s
likely a problem with the cover, the book title, the
description, the distribution, the price, or the author
brand.

PW IN YOUR
But, if reviews average 3.5 stars out of five, that’s
a sign that reader satisfaction is the problem.

POCKET
Readers like the book, but not enough to evangelize
it. The solution is probably a major revision. Or
maybe the book needs better categorization so it
reaches the readers who will enjoy it most.
One of the many benefits of self-publishing is that
books are dynamic, living creatures. Authors can
evolve their books over time. Even established NEWS. UPDATES.
bestsellers have the opportunity to reach more
readers by adjusting their viral catalysts to make AND MORE.
their books more discoverable, desirable, and enjoy-
able. When authors get the formula just right, each
reader creates another reader. ■

Mark Coker is the founder of Smashwords, the

author of the 2018 edition ofthe Smashwords
Book Marketing Guide, and the host of the Smrt
Author podcast.

B O O K L I F E .C O M 73
 ® BOOKS TO WATCH

Scouting Report
In this month’s roundup of the best-reviewed BookLife
titles, we highlight a history of haunted hotels, a Regency
romance, a guide to worrying less, and a children’s book
about family, memory, and interconnectedness.

★ Haunted by ★ The Demon Duke

History MARGARET LOCKE
CRAIG OWENS
Synopsis: Duke Damon
Synopsis: Using photos, Blackbourne, who has a
Owens documents eight misunderstood neurological
prominent hotels in disorder, takes the helm of
California and the origins his family estate and falls
of their ghost stories. for Lady Grace Mattersley.
PW’s Takeaway: This book PW’s Takeaway: This tale of
blends solid research, fascinating insights, and hope and courage will
haunting photography. appeal to Regency readers.
Comparable Title: Colin Dickey’s Ghostland Comparable Title: Anne Gracie’s The Perfect
Sample Line: “[He claimed] that the ghost of an Stranger
angry teenage male haunted the Charlie Sample Line: “It was a welcomed state, the lack
Chaplin Suite, that the Palm Court had unex- of feeling. It had dulled the pain of his back,
plained cold spots, and that the Alexandria’s which bore witness to the intense lashings his
basement... was haunted by the ghosts of father had laid upon him, a desperate attempt
‘Larry and Gus, both Mafioso and very commu- to exorcise the demons Damon knew only too
nicative.’ ” well.”
Read the Review: Read the Review:
publishersweekly.com/9780997688108 publishersweekly.com/9780996317085

Cubicles 50 Ways to If You Look

WALTER OSTLIE Worry Less Up to the Sky
Synopsis: Wally Now ANGELA DALTON
finds his job boring GIGI LANGER Synopsis: A young
until he discovers a Synopsis: Langer narrator recalls
plot to take over speaks from expe- her grandmother’s
the company. rience in her valu- advice to seek
PW’s Takeaway: Ostlie has suc- able manual on curbing anxiety. perspective in the sky.
cessfully adapted his Cubicles PW’s Takeaway: Langer’s frank PW’s Takeaway: Dalton empha-
comic strip with visually appeal- and empathetic tone will comfort sizes that there’s comfort to be
ing, pastel-laden panels, action readers, as will the practical found in memories and in the
sequences, and eclectic aliens. steps she teaches. great expanse of the universe.
Comparable Title: Chip Zdarsky Comparable Title: David A. Comparable Title: Maya Soetoro-
and Kagan McLeod’s Kaptara Carbonell’s The Worry Trick Ng’s Ladder to the Moon
Read the Review: publishers- Read the Review: publishers- Read the Review: publishers-
weekly.com/9780996954815 weekly.com/9780999122006 weekly.com/9781592988280

74 B O O K L I F E , M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 8
 Spirits watch over Juanita. But who is she? A mystic in love
who holds life sacred? Or a ghost-possessed railroad saboteur?

A mystical vision of an airship appears to

fifteen-year-old Juanita. The long-dead captain
commands her to prevent California’s thrown-away
people—including young children—from boarding
trains to an asylum. That institution’s director plots
murder to reduce the inmate population. Yet to
save innocent lives Juanita must take lives of the
corrupt.
corrup How can she reconcile her assignment
with her belief in the sacredness of all human life?
And will she survive to marry her betrothed?

Juanita sets out despite inner trepidation to

sabotage the railroad. Her ancestor Billy, the ghost
of a steam locomotive engineer, guides her. Then
bit by bit, she discovers the gut-wrenching truths
all of her ancestors neglected to reveal.

Come visit Juanita’s world—an alternate

Come
nineteenth-century California—where spirits meet
steampunk, where both love and anger emanate
from beyond the grave.
2017 Independent Press Award (Steampunk), Kirkus Best Indie Books
2017, Shortlisted for Dante Rossetti Award YA Fiction 2017

”Like Ursula K. Le Guin, Hill pays attention to the anthropology of her invented
culture in ways that enrich the story greatly.”
-Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 2017

”Steampunk as it should be, with mysticism and adventure, an alternate history that warns about
what could happen and a coming of age story that should appeal to teens and adults alike.”
-Irene Radford, Author of the Merlin’s Descendants Series

”Veteran author, Laurel Anne Hill, adeptly empowers her heroine, Juanita, to go to hell and back
in a compelling coming of age story. She’ll surprise the reader with uncharted territory delving
into the shamanic mysticism of Native American and Mexican cultures. Get ready to barrel down
the tracks in this alternate history, ‘habanero’ steampunk adventure.”
-Elizabeth Crowens, author of Silent Meridian,
First in Category for the Chanticleer Review's 2016 Goethe Award

www.laurelannehill.com

BUY IT TODAY AT & Select Retailers!

ISBN (Trade): 978-1-937818-47-0 | ISBN (Hardcover): 978-1-937818-80-7 | Pages: 352 | Publisher: Sand Hill Review Press
 ® FIRST LINES

First Lines OuterSphere

QUOLEENA SBROCCA
Our monthly look at some of “Putrid: It is the only word which suits
what I smell and what I see.”
the best opening lines from titles
by BookLife authors Evolution Revolution:
Simple Machines
This month, we’ve got unfair death, the evils of CHARLOTTE BENNARDO
Google, and flimsy paper dolls. To submit a first “If he didn’t run faster, he’d be eaten.”
line, email booklifeeditor@booklife.com.
The Light over Broken Tide
Psycho-Tropics HOLLY DUCARTE
DORIAN BOX “We’re all like paper dolls. Happiest
“It wasn’t fair that Albert Thumpet when linked to another, often unaware
had to die just because he was the of our flimsiness. So easily torn.”
most boring member of the Seminole
High School Class of 1975.” Fight to the Edge of Earth
Tonight
The Truth Is out There MICHAEL ANGLISS
BRANNON HOLLINGSWORTH “Peace is a vast minority in space.”
“Google will get you killed. Take it
from me.”

With "A Lord's Treasure," David S. Longworth delivers

financial wisdom in the first volume of his A King's Wisdom
series of parables set in a Medieval Fantasy world.
The characters
charac in each parable teach and learn simple, highly
effective financial wisdom as life experiences throughout the
tale. This is the book that will guide you towards having the
net worth of a lord's treasure.

"The book is short, and can be understood in

a single sitting. An offbeat though informative
lesson in personal finance."
-Kirkus Reviews

ISBN-10: 0999680900
ISBN-13: 978-0999680902
ASIN: B079C6RMRV
Page Count: 106
WRITING ADVICE
Ask
the
Editer
A veteran editor answers
your writing questions
BY BETTY KELLY SARGENT
Dear Editor:
D o acquiring editors really
only read the first chapters
of manuscripts? –Leonard
S ometimes. Look at it this way:
if you pick up a book, skim the
first chapter, and hate it or find
it boring, are you going to buy
it? Probably not. Book editors
feel the same way. They are busy
and often have piles of unread
manuscripts. Even when they get
a manuscript from a top literary
agent, if the book doesn’t grab
them, they’ll reject it.
What’s the lesson here? Pay
close attention to your opening—
your first sentence, paragraph,
chapter. With fiction, you want
your opening paragraph to entice
readers, surprise them, scare them,
or make them feel something.
With nonfiction, tell your reader
what your book is about, why it’s
different, what’s in it for them,
and maybe why you wrote it.
Keep in mind “the beauty of
brevity,” which E.B. White empha-
sizes, and try to keep your prose,
clear, clean, and accurate. “A
sentence should contain no unnec-
essary words, a paragraph no
unnecessary sentences, for the
same reason that a drawing should
®
have no unnecessary lines and a
machine no unnecessary parts,”
says William Strunk Jr. in The
Elements of Style. “This requires
not that the writer make all sen-
tences short or avoid all detail
and treat subjects only in outline,
but that every word tell.”
This advice applies to all writers.
“Easy reading is damn hard writ-
ing,” said Nathaniel Hawthorne.
And putting in the hard work is
always worth it, in my experience.
Some things never change.
Betty Kelly Sargent is the founder
and CEO of BookWorks.
If you have a question for the
editor, please email Betty Sargent
at booklifeeditor@booklife.com.
B O O K L I F E .C O M 77
 PAID LISTINGS

® PW SELECT LISTINGS

New Titles from

Self-Publishers
Booksellers, publishers, librarians, and agents are encouraged to look at the 72
self-published titles below. Each appears with a list of retailers that are selling the
book and a description provided by its author. Some of these writers are waiting to
be discovered; others have track records and followings and are doing it on their
own. If you are a self-published author interested in listing titles in this section,
please visit publishersweekly.com/pw-select for more information.

Fiction Bits & Pieces ISBN 978-1-5434-8225-6

Adriana Corderu: Quest for Freedom
David Michael Palladino,
illus. by Maxwell.
RoseDog Books. $20
paper (208p), ISBN
978-1-4809-0615-0
Rosedogbookstore.com
In the 1980s,
Communists control
Eastern Europe, but young people,
idealistic and courageous, are ready
to fight back. Spirited Adriana joins
the resistance.
Adriana Corderu: Western Odyssey
David Michael Palladino,
illus. by Maxwell.
RoseDog Books. $19
paper (270p), ISBN 978-
1-4809-7498-2
Rosedogbookstore.com
Adriana Corderu is
back, dealing with
heartbreaking loss and new love. She
travels the world while trying to escape
from the Romanian Securitate and the
dangers of her past.
James R. Taylor III. Toplink
Publishing. $15.99 paper
(374p), ISBN 978-1-
947938-51-9
Amazon, BN.com
Annabelle Wolfe is
used to doing things her way. But in
1890 Ohio, doing things your way isn’t
always easy.
Creole Moon:
Book of Roots
S.T. Holmes. Toplink
Publishing. $11.99
paper (185p), ISBN
978-1-948556-84-2
Amazon, BN.com
New Orleans at Mardi
Gras is the perfect locale for a treasure
hunt. This Mardi Gras festival is like
none ever seen before.
Deadly Highway:
Super Highway Beta
1.0
J. Stewart Willis. Xlibris.
$29.96 hardcover (286p),
Amazon, BN.com, Google Play, Kobo
Workers compete as they prepare a
major tech proposal. Adultery, black-
mail, drugs, and death ensue.
Dog Tags &
Wedding Bands
Joe Rosato, illus. by Gina
Rosato. Dorrance
Publishing. $10.15 paper
(176p), ISBN 978-1-
4809-5135-8
Amazon, BN.com
The story of two American Red Cross
nurses who disappeared during the
Vietnam War and are forgotten.
The King’s Daughter
Daniel Hendrix.
CreateSpace. $16.95
paper (414p), ISBN
978-1-4820-8021-6
Amazon
A novel of the birth
and death of a king-
dom, the relentless ambition of the
immigrant spirit, and the undying pas-

78 B O O K L I F E , M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 8
 PAID LISTINGS

PW SELECT LISTINGS ®

sion of young love during one of the (320p), ISBN 978-1- Amazon, BN.com, Indigo, Inkshares
most compelling times in American 941020-16-6 Set in Rome, the story follows the
history. Amazon, Apple iBooks, whirlwind antics of a publicist as he
Baker & Taylor, BN.com, struggles to manage his first TV chef
Land of Hidden Fires Indigo, Ingram, Kobo, client, his new life, and an unexpected
Kirk Kjeldsen. Grenzland Overdrive, Smashwords visit from his ex-girlfriend.
Press. $12.95 paper A tale of espionage
(214p), ISBN 978-0- and deception during Manhattan Alien
9984657-2-2; $6.99 the Civil War. The lives of two men and B.K. Mhatre. Xlibris.
e-book, ISBN 978-0- the destiny of a nation are held in one $19.99 paper (322p),
9984657-1-5 woman’s hands. ISBN 978-1-5245-
Amazon, Apple iBooks, 8684-3; $8.99 e-book,
BN.com, IndieBound, Powell’s The Love Fool ISBN 978-1-5245-
A young Norwegian girl helps a Lorenzo Petruzziello. 8683-6
downed American pilot get to Sweden Inkshares. $14.99 Amazon
during World War II. paper (314p), ISBN A young immigrant
978-1-947848-19-1; doctor from Asia pursuing his
The Lion of the South $7.99 e-book, ISBN American dream meets a young medi-
Jessica James. Patriot Press. $16.99 paper 978-1-947848-20-7 cal student who transforms him from a

B O O K L I F E .C O M 79
 PAID LISTINGS

® PW SELECT LISTINGS

RADIO_THIRD_V_1114_Layout 1 11/11/14 10:45 PM Page 1

nerd into a street-smart doctor. 0-7; $9.95 e-book, Amazon, BN.com, Outskirtspress.com
ISBN 978-0-9994602- In the jungles of Peru, Dr. Henry
Nightmare
Robert E. Ford Jr.
Join the 1-4
Abebooks, Amazon,
Jedidiah and his team discover ancient
scrolls and tablets, which propel them
Dorrance Publishing. community of Apple iBooks, BN.com, onto a path toward an artifact stolen
$15 paper (178p),
ISBN 978-1-4809- book lovers atgeol-
Kobo
A young female
thousands of years ago.

4569-2
DorranceBookstore.com
PW Radio ogist charges into
drought-ravaged 1930s Kansas to
Still Life
Olivia Shaw. Livi Shaw
In Vietnam, Staff heal the land and must adapt in a farm Solutions. $2.99 e-book,
Sergeant Butler fights the odds to keep town that welcomes neither women in ISBN 978-1-9999568-
his men alive. At home, he must fight to power nor changes to its way of life. 1-3
keep his nightmares from destroying Amazon
his life. Based on the author’s experi- The Staff and the A woman must dis-
ences. Sword cover the meaning
T.K. Kohl. Outskirts behind a new virus affecting men
Peculiar Savage Beauty Press. $19.95 paper before too many are infected for them
Jessica McCann. Perspective Books. $24 (313p), ISBN 978-1- to be stopped.
hardcover (414p), ISBN 978-0-9994602- 4787-9184-3
RADIO_THIRD_V_1114_Layout 1 11/11/14 10:45 PM Page 1 Now on The Warramunga’s War
Greg Kater. Zeus
Publications. $21.80
paper (304p), ISBN

Join the
Hosted by PW 978-0-648-16074-8
editors Rose Fox and Amazon, Book

community of
Mark Rotella, Depository, Booktopia
PW Radio
A central North-

book lovers at
brings juicy
ern Territory
book gossip right to your
Warramunga aborigine becomes

PW Radio
headphones.
close friends with an army officer
Every Friday and on demand, listen to during World War II. They become
PW Radio and get the app at involved in intelligence and fighting
iHeartRadio.com.
spies and criminals in the Middle East
PublishersWeekly.com/pwradio and Australia.
@PubWklyRadio
Poetry
The Intuitive Wisdom of the Heart:
A Collection of Poems of
Encouragement
PublishersWeekly.com James P. Robson. Toplink
Publishing. $11.99
paper (218p), ISBN 978-
PublishersWeekly @PublishersWkly 1-947620-95-7
Amazon, BN.com
Now on This book is the
author’s eighth con-
PublishersWeekly pubweekly
taining poems about
life and the human heart.
Hosted by PW
80 B O O K L I F E , M A Reditors
C H 2 6 ,Rose
2018Fox and
Mark Rotella,
 PAID LISTINGS

PW SELECT LISTINGS ®

It Dawned on Me straitlaced young businesswoman ward to retirement. Just after this next
Kellse T. Krick. Xlibris. encounters drug dealers, pornogra- adventure.
$15.99 paper (76p), phers, and other seedy characters
ISBN 978-1-5434- while on a dangerous mission to The Prize
2945-9; $3.99 e-book, unearth the truth behind her brother’s Geoffrey M. Cooper. BookBaby. $12.99
ISBN 978-1-5434- accident. paper (240p), ISBN 978-1-5439-1217-3;
2944-2 $2.99 e-book, ASIN
Amazon Me, the World, and a Dog Named B076J9ZQ72
A combination of thoughts put into Steve: The Mini-expeditions Amazon, Apple iBooks,
poetry form. Some were written to Wayne Cotes. BN.com
describe an experience or situation, CreateSpace. $10.99 In the world of cut-
while others were written for fun and paper (401p), ISBN ting-edge medical
amusement. 978-1-973355-10-6 research, competition
Amazon between scientists
Poetry in Pieces After a 27-year racing to find a drug against
Timothy John Bergel. career in law Alzheimer’s leads to fraud, betrayal,
RoseDog Books. $13 enforcement and 30 and violence.
paper (116p), ISBN years in both the Marines and Navy
978-1-4809-7652-8 reserves, Jerod Grey was looking for-
Rosedogbookstore.com
A collection of chil-
dren’s, religious, love,
feeling, humor, and sadness poetry. Hal Moore on Leadership offers a comprehensive
There is happiness, sadness, and guide to the principles that helped shape Moore's
sometimes both in the same poem. success both on and off the battlefield. They are
strategies for the outnumbered, outgunned, and
Words I Utter seemingly hopeless.
Clyde Johnson. Clyde
Bernard Johnson. $9.99
e-book, ISBN 978-0-
692-06754-3
Apple iBooks
"Hal Moore personified
This book is a recol-
outstanding leadership.
Whatever your profession might
lection of metaphoric poetic expres-
be, his leadership approach of
sions. The poems reflect to the
Competence, Judgment, and
spiritual context of the metaphors
Character is more relevant
Johnson lived and continues to live.
today than ever."
Mystery/Thriller - Don R. Knauss,
The Endora Murders: Heart’s Home Former Chairman & CEO,
Michelle J. Ciesielka. The Clorox Company
CreateSpace. $14.99
paper (159p), ISBN 978-
1-978011-51-9; $4.99
e-book, ASIN
B077XMM8GS ISBN: 978-1548305109 Available Now at
ASIN: B073NNFNTM
Amazon
Page Count: 168
In this crime thriller, a Publisher: Magnum Books

B O O K L I F E .C O M 81
 PAID LISTINGS

® PW SELECT LISTINGS

The Rogue Revolutionist Amazon paper (322p), ISBN

Robert L. Blackburn. A deceptive massa- 978-0-9997558-0-8
iUniverse. $13.95 cre disguised by clan Amazon, Apple iBooks,
paper (178p), ISBN wars, a man sought BN.com, Kobo
978-1-5320-2277-7; as an experiment to Psychologist Martha
$3.99 e-book, ISBN cure vampirism—and Mathewson thought
978-1-5320-2279-1 a life drastically she knew who she
Amazon altered forever. was. But then, when she meets up with
In this political a small metal orb with ET intelligence,
thriller, a revolutionist is suddenly Dust to Dust she has to face she’s clueless.
thrust into a life-and-death struggle to John Hudson. Outskirts
survive after the government decides it Press. $15.95 paper The Saint James Conspiracy
wants to keep secret his computer (293p), ISBN 978-1- Jessica Murphy.
program of the human mind. 4787-4334-7 iUniverse. $20.99 paper
Amazon, BN.com (390p), ISBN 978-1-
Suburban Gangsters This debut novel 5320-1760-5; $3.99
Michael P. Dineen. examines human e-book, ISBN 978-1-
Dorrance Publishing. ambition gone wrong where fortunes 5320-1761-2
$14 paper (160p), evaporate, beliefs are challenged, Amazon
ISBN 978-1-4809- careers are ruined, and lives are lost. The Dead Sea scroll
5189-1 he is translating compels a retired pro-
DorranceBookstore.com Edger fessor to visit the cathedral of Santiago
Patrick has been David Beem. Escapist de Compostela, Spain. The artifact he
selling cocaine since he was a teen- Press. $2.99 e-book, discovers there could bring modern
ager. Maybe one more big sale and he ASIN B079VDP8NC Christianity to its knees.
can get out. But drugs and crime don’t Amazon
pay. An edgy thriller based on the A computer dork gets Romance/Erotica
author’s life. a superpower: access- Conned
ing all human knowl- Charity Parkerson. Punk
SF/Fantasy/Horror edge in a single thought. His kryptonite? & Sissy Publications.
The Backward In three days, that power will turn his $2.99 e-book, ISBN
Time Traveler brain to pudding. 978-1-946099-28-0
Parker Rimes. Jules Amazon
Lewicki. $4.99 e-book, Jewel When Army learns his
ISBN 978-0-9942581- T.K. Rising. T.K. Rising. celebrity crush is
2-0 $12.99 paper (265p), appearing at a comic con, he snags a
Amazon ISBN 978-1-5499- ticket. After standing in the world’s lon-
A psychic takes a 5069-8; $2.99 e-book, gest line, Army gets one fan experi-
pesky reporter back 200 years to help ASIN B076QGCZR6 ence he’ll never forget.
her alter science. But they clash with Amazon, Smashwords
each other, and a Sioux healer senses In the multiverse, Deep Blue
their plan. He decides to kill it—and there are barren universes and (The Pathway Series, Book 1)
them. Creators. Billions of years ago, Rivalen, Kristy McCaffrey. K.
a barren universe, builds a device to McCaffrey. $11.99
Blood Moon: control life. That is, until Blue Star paper (316p), ISBN
Diary of a Highland Massacre comes along. 978-0-9980907-5-7;
(Fate of the True Vampires, Book 3) $4.99 e-book, ISBN
Christine Church. Grey Horse Press. $2.99 Reconciliation: Heaven and Earth 978-0-9980907-4-0
e-book, ISBN 978-0-692-06309-5 Diane de Simone. Diane de Simone. $12.95 Amazon

82 B O O K L I F E , M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 8
 In Croswald, the only thing more powerful than dark magic is one secret...

For sixteen years Ivy Lovely has been hidden

behind an enchanted boundary that separates
the mundane from the magical. When Ivy
crosses the border, her powers awaken.
Curiosity leads her crashing through a series of
adventures at the Halls of Ivy, a school where
students learn to master their magical blood
an the power of Croswald's mysterious gems.
and
When Ivy s magic and her life is threatened by
the Dark Queen, she scrambles to unearth her
history and save Croswald before the truth is
swept away forever.

BUY IT TODAY!

"A deftly crafted read by a master of the genre, D.E. Night's ‘The Crowns of Croswald’ is an
impressively entertaining and engaging novel that will prove to be an enduringly popular and
prized addition to community library Fantasy Fiction collections." - Midwest Book Review

"Night's blend of magic, danger, and suspense (and a touch of steampunk) is a well-realized,
fresh fantasy world all its own." - Kirkus Reviews

"Readers that enjoy intricate tales in a fantasy world will revel in this original story that can
surprise and delight until the very end." - The Children's Book Review

""Full of conjuring, creative creatures, and colorful characters, The Crowns of Croswald is a
thoughtful, action-driven middle grade fantasy that will leave audiences clamoring to find out
what happens next in Ivy's magical world." - Foreward Reviews

ISBN: 978-0996948654 Page count: 320 Publisher: Stories Untold LLC www.DENight.com

® PW SELECT LISTINGS
Can filmmaker Alec Galloway keep Dr.
Grace Mann safe as she free dives with
great white sharks?
Dr. Brown: A Klondike Love Story
Kay Wright. CreateSpace.
$10.75 paper (288p),
ISBN 978-1-977752-
40-6
Amazon
Dr. Nathan Brown
somehow knew from
the moment the fiery,
red-haired Abigail Buchanan showed
up at his Klondike cabin that their lives
would be thereafter inextricably joined.
Heart of Dust
H.L. Moore. H.L. Moore.
$3.99 e-book (185p),
ISBN 978-0-648-
27129-1
Kobo
Doran Ó Seanáin,
gang leader, is trying
to incite a revolution in Iole City and
finds himself increasingly drawn to a
mysterious man to whom he owes his
life.
Ravenhurst, Vol. 1
Lorraine Beaumont.
Lorraine Beaumont
Books. $2.99 e-book,
ASIN B01ATSF9C6
Amazon, Apple iBooks,
BN.com, Kobo
A once-forgotten
legend returns. Ravenhurst: locked
within the gloomy confines of this
ancient edifice is the key to unlock the
door of time itself.
Nonfiction
2D Surgical Hospital:
An Khe to Chu Lai South Vietnam
Lorna Griess. Xlibris. $15.99 paper (122p),
ISBN 978-1-5245-6304-2; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-5245-6303-5
84 B O O K L I F E , M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 8
PAID LISTINGS
Amazon Bible Letters to the
The author shares the Public Editor
remarkable experi- Dan Arthur Pryor and Hal
ence of living and Arthur Pryor. Dorrance
working in a mobile Publishing. $11 paper (68p),
Army surgical hospi- ISBN 978-1-4809-4535-7
tal in South Vietnam. DorranceBookstore.com
Letters with a Catholic
The Age of Uterine Law: viewpoint on pressing issues and the
Writings from West Virginia role of the church in society. Written to
Carol Williams. One encourage and strengthen Christians
Omik Music. $14.95 to live a fully religious faith-based life.
paper (72p), ISBN 978-
0-9711360-3-8 Capturing the Magic: A Photographic
Amazon Celebration of the Disneyland Resort
The author became Holly Wiencek. Story Farm. $39.95 hard-
really angry after the cover (288p), ISBN
2016 election and 978-0-9969441-1-3
started writing personal essays to rep- Capturing-the-
resent that anger. magic.com
Celebrate the won-
Alphabet Soup: der of the
How a Christian Disneyland Resort. Leave today
Woman Overcame behind as the author celebrates Walt
Anna Wright. Dorrance Disney’s original land of enchantment
Publishing. $12 paper and fantasy.
(98p), ISBN 978-1-
4809-4889-1 A Chicken in the Wind and How He
DorranceBookstore.com Grew: Stories from an ADHD Dad
The author overcame PTSD and MPD Frank South.
through her faith in God. She wrote this Rattlesnake Publishing.
book to help Christians realize they are $14.99 paper (258p),
not alone and not victims—they are ISBN 978-0-9994878-
survivors. God loves us all. 0-8
Amazon, BN.com
Becoming Jesus: The author wrote
The Making of a Prophet these stories during
Michael Berens. eight unusually tumultuous years in his
MJBerens Research. family’s life as a way to try to under-
$9.95 paper (228p), stand what they were going through.
ISBN 978-1-73204-
050-2; $3.99 e-book, The Cuckoo Chronicles:
ISBN 978-1-73204- Laughter and Perspective
051-9 for the Ages
Amazon, Ingram Jeff Low. Desert Springs
An exploration of how an obscure vil- Publishing. $85 hardcover
lager from Galilee became a charis- (516p), ISBN 978-1-
matic prophet who would change the 62407-343-4
course of Western civilization. Thecuckoochronicles.com
 D
HE
AU S T
NC
-L JU
RE

Calling All Indie Authors...

What can BookWorks do for you?
Help You Find Your Reader

Post Excerpts from Your Book for Peer Review

Get a Featured Author Cover Medallion for Your Book

Chat with Our Experts

Showcase and Sell Your Books with Direct-To-Retailer Links

Find the Best Editors, Designers, Illustrators, Marketers

and Publicists in the Business

And that’s just for starters.

Let us help you Prepare, Publish and Promote your
books. We show you how to make indie publishing
easier and, yes it’s true—how to make it fun.

JOIN NOW!
bookworks.com

® PW SELECT LISTINGS
A warped collection of 125 bone-tick-
ling short stories, perfect for when you
need a daily or marathon pick-me-up.
God Versus the Idea of God:
Divinity Is What We Think,
Faith Is What We Experience
Thomas Richard Harry. Balboa Press.
$18.99 paper (160p), 978-1-5043-
8656-2
Amazon, BN.com,
Balboa Press
A book about per-
sonal religious doubt.
Written by a layman
for the potential ben-
efit of other layper-
sons, it asks, Is God, isn’t God, or does
it really matter?
Good Intentions—Bad Consequences:
Voters’ Information Problems
Phillip Nelson. AuthorHouse. $4.99 paper
(172p), ISBN 978-1-
5246-7379-6; $3.99
e-book, ISBN 978-1-
5246-7378-9
Amazon
There are voters who
would like to do good
but ignore the conse-
quences of their
attempts to do so. This book presents
a new approach to understanding
voter choice with important implica-
tions.
Jump Seat: 1963–1976;
A Stewardess’ Memoir
Janet Angell.
CreateSpace. $14.95
paper (145p), ISBN
978-1-5448-4568-5
Amazon
This is the story of a
flight attendant who
worked for a major
U.S. airline as the
86 B O O K L I F E , M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 8
PAID LISTINGS
industry was transitioning from propel- The Making of a Physician:
ler-driven airplanes into the jet age. This Was My Calling
Harry L. Graber. Xlibris.
Learning and the Affective Approach $19.99 paper (192p),
Acene Fleurmons. Xlibris. $19.99 paper ISBN 978-1-5245-
(156p), ISBN 978-1- 1279-8; $3.99 e-book,
5434-2173-6; $3.99 ISBN 978-1-5245-
e-book, ISBN 978-1- 1280-4
5434-2172-9 Amazon
Amazon The stories in this
The author demon- book are shared for others to develop
strates the impor- a greater appreciation of their own
tance of affection, environmental experiences and con-
love, association, and integration for sider them as influential factors in the
kids, preschoolers, and schoolers in decision-making of their lives.
their immediate environment and
learning journey. The Parabola of Discipleship for the
Churched and Unchurched
Life Is So Precious: Kendall E. Coleman.
Believe Your CreateSpace. $34
Impossible Is paper (174p), ISBN
Possible 978-1-974506-09-5
Alton E. Pete. Alton Pete. Amazon
$17.87 paper (170p), This is an account of
ISBN 978-1-5245- a discipleship pro-
2424-1 gram run through the homeless minis-
Amazon, BN.com try of a Chicago church.
Life gives back what we put into it. The
author, a retired war combat veteran, Retro TV Lover Presents
raises awareness of a number of All the Single Girls
imperative topics people are facing Jeanine Furino. Furino
today. Productions. $21.95
paper (528p), ISBN
Light in Jerusalem: 978-0-9996429-0-0
A Memoir Amazon, BN.com
Stuart Perrin. Blue Kite This is the story of the
Press. $14.95 paper American single
(165p), ISBN 978-1- woman as she has
985130-03-6 been depicted on TV from 1950 to
Amazon 2014 and how she has evolved along
This memoir is set in with the changing world she lives in.
Jerusalem in 2006, a time of war
between Israel and Hezbollah. It is A Simple Little Rule:
about the Israeli and Palestinian peo- Rediscovering the Golden Rule
ples, meditation practice, and inner Mike Ellerkamp. Balboa Press. $13.99
peace. paper (180p), ISBN 978-1-5043-8149-9;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5043-8150-5
Amazon
 PAID LISTINGS Advertisement

PW SELECT LISTINGS ®

Bring life to the Golden Rule with five life the faded past of
supporting principles her hometown
to enhance and enrich through a collection of
lives as professed stories told firsthand
through the ages. of heartache and loss,
There’s a purpose for balanced by glorious Dangerous
your life: discover it triumphs. Dreams: A Story
here. of the Lost Colony
Will I Fly Again? of Roanoke
Unaccompanied Children: Care and Sara Tula. Outskirts Press.
Mike Rhynard.
Protection in Wars, Natural Disasters, $17.95 paper (309p), Libraries--IngramSpark, (642p), ISBN
and Refugee Movements ISBN 978-1-4787- 9780692905333
Amazon, $14.99 (612p), ISBN
(Reprint of the 1988 Edition) 9352-6 9781534740815
Everett Ressler. Amazon, BN.com Barnes & Noble, $23.99 (642p), ISBN
9780692905333
CreateSpace. $40 A young girl makes
paper (572p), ISBN life-changing deci- � � � � � � � �
978-1-983691-52-2
Amazon
A study about unac-
sions and overcomes
numerous hurdles, including rape as a
young girl and an abusive marriage, in
T he preface of Rhynard’s hefty
debut describes how he drew on
companied children the pursuit of her dreams. his own experiences dreaming
in wars, natural about historical characters whom
disasters, and refugee movements. Children’s/YA he “spoke... laughed... feared... and
ultimately died with” in writing
For policy makers, academics, and Big Brother Book
this novel set in the lost colony of
researchers. William Hartley, illus. by
Roanoke, Va.,[sic] in 1587. Young
Allison Donahue. Emily Colman is one of the 117
Why Not Me: Synergist Publishing. English colonists left behind after
A Brave Journey with Cancer $49.99 hardcover (49p), ISBN 978-1- Gov. John White sails back to England
Joseph C. Aurelia. 945735-00-4 for more supplies. She and the
Dorrance Publishing. Amazon others—her father, friends, soldiers,
$24.95 paper (92p), A scrapbook-style book that documents and various paramours among
ISBN 978-1-4809- a child’s journey of becoming a big them—strive for basic sustenance
and desperately fight the Powhatan
4427-5 brother.
tribe, which was ravaged by an earlier
DorranceBookstore.com
English expedition. As the colonists
A doctor’s memoir Big Sister Book attempt to elect leaders and establish
about his beloved William Hartley, illus. defenses, Emily struggles to find
wife’s life and her death from cancer. by Allison Donahue. lasting love amid the harsh conditions
Part love story, part caregiver’s guide, Synergist Publishing. of the new world. Interwoven is the
this is an intimate and honest account $49.99 paper (49p), present-day story of Allie O’Shay,
of marriage and grief. ISBN 978-1-945735-01-1 who realizes she’s dreaming the
Amazon entire saga—and learns that her lucid
dreams could mean actual danger for
Wildflowers and Train Whistles: A scrapbook-style book that documents
her. A graphic rape scene in which the
Stories of a Coal Mining Family a child’s journey of becoming a big victim is depicted as being aroused
Lillian “Sissy Crone” Frazer. AuthorHouse. sister. will likely put off some readers, but
$13.99 paper (131p), ISBN 978-1-5462- those who can get past that will find a
2656-7; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5462- The Blood King story full of convincing period details,
2655-0 Liz Long. Blue Fire Media. 99¢ e-book, fraught with tension and violence, and
Amazon, AuthorHouse, BN.com ASIN B0798JJH35 featuring a strong cast. (BookLife)
Sissy Crone, a coal camp kid, brings to Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
www.mikerhynard.com

B O O K L I F E .C O M 87
 PAID LISTINGS

® PW SELECT LISTINGS

Reina Torres joins preparing for a deadly magical war, the Navy. His wife, Mary, finds a spy in
Brighton’s KEY pro- and four ordinary teens must master the gang and follows Harry. Together,
gram, excited to their newly acquired gifts to join the they unmask a spy ring on Harry’s boat.
finally contribute to battle. Time is not on their side.
the kingdom. Reina’s Secret Whispers
refusal to marry the The Ghost Engine Jacqui Hyde. AuthorHouse.
king’s son, however, Theresa Fuller. Bare $15.18 paper (152p), ISBN
will mean punish- Bear Media. $7.99 978-1-5246-7765-7;
ment far worse than death. e-book, ISBN 978-1- $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-
925748-00-0 1-5246-7764-0
The Boy Who Amazon, BN.com, Kobo Amazon
Hated Christmas: Ada Lovelace’s Visiting his aunt by the
A Christmas Story granddaughter is Welsh coast, George uncovers secrets
Miriam Madison. sucked into a computer, where she and meets people from the past. He
AuthorHouse. $20.99 finds she’s not the only one fighting for soon discovers a path to the future and
paper (36p), ISBN 978- equality. what fate has in store for him.
1-5246-9427-2;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5246-9426-5 Ice Escape A Special Day for Aki
Amazon Beatrice Hale. Bette Jackman LoBue.
This book is for children who like to Smashwords. $3.99 Xlibris. $21.99 paper
read and parents who read to them. It paper (126p), ISBN (26p), ISBN 978-1-
is also about loss and ideas that can 978-1-311-92854-2 5245-3882-8; $3.99
make a difference. Smashwords e-book, ISBN 978-1-
An adventure story of 5245-3881-1
Change of Chaos a plane crash and Amazon
Jacinta Jade. MoshPit rescue in Iceberg Alley among the ice Aki, a young Japanese girl, is celebrating
Publishing. $2.99 floes of the Arctic. Girl’s Day. She ends the day a bit wiser
e-book, ISBN 978-1- and a little more grown up than she was
925739-48-0 Justin’s Pet before. ■
Amazon, Apple iBooks, Clairmarie Hanavan
BN.com, Kobo, Field. Xlibris. $16.99
Smashwords paper (24p), ISBN 978-
Siray is forced into an emerging war on
her planet of Kaslon, where destiny
1-5245-4878-0;
$3.99 e-book, ISBN
For more
forces her to become more than she is
in order save her people.
978-1-5245-4877-3
Amazon
information
Crossroads and the
It was a crisp autumn day, and Justin
and his mother went on a trip to the about marketing
Dominion of Four library. That trip changed his life for-
C. Toni Graham. Balboa Press. $39.95 hard- ever. your book with
cover (340p), ISBN 978-1-5043-9163-4;
$21.99 paper (340), The Resolute Heart pw select visit:
ISBN 978-1-5043- Beatrice Hale.
9161-0 CreateSpace. $9.99 booklife.com/
Amazon, Apple iBooks, paper (184p), ISBN
BN.com, Books-a-
Million, Powell’s
978-1-5146-1469-3
Amazon
about-us/
The Otherworld’s
mythical beings are
In 1805, Harry is
press-ganged into
pw-select.html
88 B O O K L I F E , M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 8
 ® REVIEWS
Fiction
Behind the Mask
Dana Ridenour. Wise Ink, $14.99 trade paper
(344p) ISBN 978-1-63489-903-1
Retired FBI undercover agent Ridenour,
whose career included infiltrating the
militant Animal Liberation Front, provides
an inside look at that kind of operation in
her page-turning debut. In May 2010, the
bureau dispatches special agent Lexie
Montgomery, who’s just received her
undercover certification, to Los Angeles,
where her mission is to gain the confidence
of members of the ALF by posing as a sym-
pathizer. A prologue set a year later, in
which Savannah Riley, a woman in FBI
custody charged with conspiracy to violate
the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act,
makes it obvious that Lexie succeeds in
her assignment, but the sacrifice of some
suspense is more than justified by
Ridenour’s emphasis on the human aspects
of undercover work. Lexie’s developing rela-
tionship with Savannah gains depth because
the reader knows Savannah’s eventual fate.
Lexie’s own struggles with maintaining her
professionalism while sympathizing with
the goals, rather than the means, of the
animal rights terrorists helps make her a
three-dimensional lead. With any luck,
Lexie will be back in a sequel.
Cubicles
Walter Ostlie. Walter Ostlie, $19.95 trade
paper (128p) ISBN 978-0-9969548-1-5
Wally, a mild-mannered, mousy
employee, finds life in his office-supply
company boring—though it’s spiced up by
his outrageous and impulsive buddy, Ost,
who throws the office into chaos daily.
When the two unwittingly stumble onto
the new boss Blaine’s plan to take over the
company by marrying the owner’s daughter
(Wally’s unrequited love) Sarah, Blaine
sends them on what is supposed to be a
routine supplies delivery but which he
intends to end in their deaths. Yet life in a
cubicle has somehow prepared them to
take on barbarians, space pirates, giant
squids, and corporate thugs. Mixing the
sensibilities of office comedy, Seth Rogen
bromances, absurd Family Guy asides, and
a splash of Walter Mitty, Ostile has suc-
88A B O O K L I F E , M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 8
cessfully adapted his Cubicles comic strip
into a goofy yet loveable story, with visually
appealing pastel-laden panels, action
sequences, and eclectic aliens.
Dancing for the General
Sue Star and Bill Beatty. D.M. Kreg, $15.99
trade paper (440p) ISBN 978-0-9893578-7-6
Set in 1957, this atmospheric spy story
from Star (Organized Death) and Beatty (Hell
Down Under) opens in Ankara, Turkey,
where Anna Riddle, a young American
teacher, has recently arrived to care for her
niece, Priscilla, whose parents—Anna’s
sister and brother-in-law, who works for the
State Department—had to leave the
country at short notice. One hot summer
day, while Anna and Priscilla are visiting an
ancient tomb, the sound of a gunshot leads
them to the body of a man wearing a
Western business suit. Clutched in his hand
is a letter written years ago by Anna to her
former fiancé, Lt. Rainer Akers, who was
killed while on a mission to the Eastern
Front in 1945. Anna soon becomes
embroiled in a slowly unfolding mystery of
political turmoil and dark family secrets.
Readers may initially struggle to under-
stand the link between Anna’s narrative
and chapters devoted to Meryem Alekci, a
Romani dancer whose life is in danger, but
those who persevere will be rewarded.
Historical fiction fans won’t want to miss
this one.
★ The Demon Duke
Margaret Locke. Locked on Love, $12.99
trade paper (304p) ISBN 978-0-9963170-8-5
Locke has outdone herself with this sensi-
tive, splendid Regency and her portrayal of
its disabled hero. Damon Blackbourne has
a little-known, completely misunderstood
neurological disorder (now known as
Tourette syndrome) that causes involuntary,
uncontrollable nervous muscle twitches.
When his father couldn’t beat Damon’s
spasms out of him, he banished the 10-year-
old to live in exile, and many believed the
child had died. Now Damon is 27, a
bookish, socially awkward recluse. When a
carriage accident claims both the old brute
and Damon’s elder brother, he must step up
to oversee the family estate and present his
younger sisters to society. Unfortunately,
society isn’t quite ready to accept the res-
urrection of the so-called Demon Duke.
Meeting and falling in love with blue-
stocking Lady Grace Mattersley makes for
a charming story, but the real value to this
romance is Locke’s depiction of the lovers
overcoming the social obstacles that others
create out of fear and suspicion of Damon’s
disability. This tale of hope and courage will
appeal to Regency readers across the board.
The Devil’s Throat: Or, Robert
Louis Stevenson, Detective
Joseph Theroux. Kilauea, $8.99 trade paper
(173p) ISBN 978-0-9992665-0-2
Theroux (Black Coconuts, Black Magic)
couples a plausible fictional depiction of
Robert Louis Stevenson with an intriguing
whodunit plot based on a real-life unsolved
mystery. In 1889, while Stevenson is living
in Hawaii, the corpse of Jules Tavernier, a
“celebrated painter of Plains Indians and
Hawaiian volcanoes,” is found in his
Honolulu studio. Since the doctor who
examines the body attributes his death to
“excessive use of alcoholic drinks,” there’s
no inquest. In Theroux’s telling, which is
based on a claim that Stevenson’s step-
daughter would later make in her memoir,
Tavernier was shot through the heart, and
someone is covering up the truth. Aided by
his stepson, Samuel Lloyd Osbourne,
Stevenson searches for clues and motives, as
well as links between the painter’s death
and other murders. In Theroux’s hands,
Stevenson is an effective sleuth, and
Sherlockians will be amused at his echoing
Holmes’s cynical view of doctors (“When a
medical man turns to crime, he is the worst
of offenders”). Readers will hope to see more
of the famous author as detective.
Ghost Dog
Helen Currie Foster. CreateSpace, $12.99
trade paper (255p) ISBN 978-1-505378-26-9
Foster’s entertaining sequel to Ghost
Cave finds small-town Texas attorney
Alice MacDonald Greer looking forward
to a concert held at Twin Springs, a
recording studio and mansion complex.
The featured performer is to be Annie
Temple, a legendary singer whose “husky
voice had sung for years with such courage
about love, war, politics, and loss that no
president felt safe inviting her to the White
House.” Annie was invited to the event by
REVIEWS
Alice’s new client, 21-year-old songwriter
Tessa McElroy, whose carelessness in
signing a contract may have cost her the
rights to her breakout song. Before the
performances are scheduled to begin,
Annie’s body is discovered floating near the
bottom of the Twin Springs swimming
pool. The subsequent autopsy reveals that
Annie had a toxin in her system, one found
in Texas mountain laurel, a possible ingre-
dient in the cup of tea that Tessa supposedly
made for Annie shortly before her death.
Alice’s plausible efforts to clear Tessa of a
murder charge make for suspenseful
reading.
Growing Season
Melanie Lageschulte. Fremont Creek, $9.99
trade paper (251p) ISBN 978-0-9988638-1-8
In Lageschulte’s amiable if predictable
coming-of-middle-age tale, the first in a
series, Melinda Foster is devastated when
she loses her job of 15 years at a Twin Cities
advertising firm. After her aunt, Miriam,
asks for Melinda’s help at her hardware store
in rural Prosper, Iowa, a little community
of barely 200 people, Melinda sublets her
stylish Minneapolis apartment and rents a
charming Iowa farm, complete with
chickens, sheep, a huge garden, and a dog
named Hobo. The summer that follows is
a whirlwind of canning, gardening,
chicken chasing, and sheep wrangling—
and a tornado. Melinda even brings her
marketing expertise to Prosper Hardware.
This feel-good tale doesn’t break new
ground or plumb much depth, but it’s rich
in nostalgia, and it’s hard not to fall for the
plucky Melinda and her quirky and kind
friends and neighbors. It’s also refreshingly
free of the trope of the handsome man who
swoops in to save the hapless woman.
Melinda’s reinvention of herself isn’t
without its bumps, making her a relatable
heroine whom readers will want to follow
to her next adventure.
The Lion and the Lamb
Charles Causey. WestBow, $19.95 trade paper
(269p) ISBN 978-1-5127-6109-2
Causey, an army chaplain in Washington,
D.C., weaves the true stories of Corrie ten
Boom and Arthur Speer into a riveting
fictional narrative. Ten Boom lives in
Holland and hides Jews behind a false wall
in her family home during the German
occupation. Eventually, she is caught and
sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp.
Speer, a German architect, becomes Adolf
Hitler’s minister of armaments. As the
war rages on, Speer feels conflicted about
his work and begins to question his devo-
tion to his führer. The Christian faith is
part of both of their lives, yet “Corrie’s faith
was a fountain and the message of her life.
Speer’s faith seldom trickled out,” Causey
notes in the postscript. Through the stories
of how each understands their actions in
terms of faith, readers are invited to consider
how Christianity can influence decision
making—particularly decisions made during
dire ethical circumstances. Even those
familiar with the history of ten Boom and
Speer will find Causey’s unique approach
worth reading.
The Mark of Wu:
Hidden Paths, Book One
Stephen M. Gray. Helu Press, $11.99 trade
paper (383p) ISBN 978-0-9990071-0-5
Gray fills this robust first novel of the
Mark of Wu series with ample treachery in
the Chinese monarchy of 519 BCE and
heart-stopping scenes of ancient warfare.
After the initial chapters, a bit dense with
background and characters (a helpful list
and maps are included), Gray moves assur-
edly into the battle of Chi-fu, a land dispute
between the states of Chu and Wu. The
battle looks like a win for Chu warriors until
it becomes apparent that the incompetent
Chu commander Wei Yue, who was given
the role instead of the highly respected
leader Yuan, has been outplayed by Wu’s
Prince Kuang, a master strategist. Chu’s
King Ping rages at both the loss to Wu and
at his own state’s tribal disputes. He sees
threats all around him, even from his son
Chien, the heir apparent who was banished
to a faraway state. Yuan tries to protect his
family and the heir apparent; he and the
heir’s son begin a long, brutal escape,
seeking safety away from unfriendly forces
until Yuan confronts his arch enemy, Prince
Kuang, in hostile Wu territory. Despite its
slow start, the novel quickly picks up the
pace and doesn’t let up. History buffs,
military devotees, and thrill seekers will
find this an enjoyable roller-coaster ride.
®
Updrift
Errin Stevens. Errin Stevens, $2.99 e-book
(286p) ISBN 978-0-9982961-2-8
Stevens adds psychological manipulation
to the seductive powers of mermaids in
her rambling romance full of delayed and
competing desires. Recently widowed
Cara Sweeting and her six-year-old
daughter, Kate, relocate to coastal North
Carolina. They quickly become friends with
the sprawling and mysterious Blake clan,
later revealed to be sirens capable of shifting
between piscine and human forms. Despite
the families’ strong attachments, the parents
disrupt a budding romance between Kate
and Gabe Blake, offering only murky
promises of later explanations and heavy
pressure to achieve academically. The con-
fusing early chapters drag through Kate’s
childhood in an oddly nonchronological
sweep and pit Cara’s calm but rich per-
sonal life against her sister Dana’s sterile
workaholism as the two paths Kate might
pursue. Things improve once Kate and
Gabe reunite in early adulthood to con-
summate their long-postponed romance.
Gabe teaches Kate about the strict customs
of sirens and their powerful abilities to read
and influence others’ emotional states.
Patient readers are rewarded with the final
dramatic arc of a gaslighting siren king
who kidnaps Kate, but most will find the
plodding work taxing.
Nonfiction
★ Haunted by History:
Separating the Facts and
Legends of Eight Historic Hotels
and Inns in Southern California
Craig Owens. Sad Hill, $50 trade paper
(410p) ISBN 978-0-9976881-0-8
Photographer Owens distinguishes fact
from fiction in this stimulating, heavily
illustrated account of the supposed haunt-
ings of eight historic Southern California
hotels. Pulling together historical photo-
graphs and original documents as well as
firsthand accounts, the author attempts to
verify the ghost stories associated with
each inn, dissecting their origins (often in
the late 19th and early 20th centuries) and
recreating the ghostly encounters in glam-
orously staged vignette photos. Owens’s
B O O K L I F E .C O M 88B
 ® REVIEWS
research reveals that each hotel survived
financial hardships and frequently changed
owners, yet in many cases the reported
sightings continued. There have been
numerous sightings over the years of a young
woman in Victorian-era clothing roaming
the Hotel Del Coronado, believed by some
to be the ghost of Kate Morgan, a hotel
guest who killed herself in 1892. Owens
suggests that the ghosts said to be in the
Alexandria Hotel in downtown Los Angeles
may be connected to a series of bizarre
deaths that occurred there between 1913
and 1922. Owens’s gorgeous photo stagings
recreate the romantic and heady days of each
lodging while adding dashes of visual
humor, subtle sensuality, and haunting
atmosphere. Lavishly illustrated and hand-
somely produced, the book’s entertaining
and informative narrative dwells on the
documented facts while dispelling most of
the colorful myths. Photos.
Muay Thai: Peace, at Last
Michael Goodison. CreateSpace, $12.99
trade paper (192p) ISBN 978-1-5238-0787-1
Australian Goodison (All Is Fair in Love
and War) narrates the month he spent in
Chiang Mai, Thailand, studying and
training in Muay Thai, “the most brutal,
most effective martial art in the world.”
Stating that his central philosophy is “to be
surrounded by the madness of life,” he picks
Thailand not only because of what he sees
as its “melting pot of heritage, violence,
culture and visitors,” but also because he is
able to participate in an actual stadium
fight, which he headlines due to the novelty
of his being a “farang” (foreigner). Goodison
describes travels through the area, as well
as sharing his intense training regimen,
which is where he shines, describing the
fight tactics of Muay Thai in what he clearly
shows is “an exceptionally technical art
form.” His description of the final stadium
fight is powerful—“imagine getting hit on
the bones of your forearms by somebody
swinging a baseball bat.” Goodison’s writing
can rely too heavily on clichés (“Loneliness is
the price of rebellion”), but he effectively
describes how the fight gave him a sense of
inner peace. This is a powerful narrative of
a physical and spiritual journey that also
illuminates a fascinating martial art.
88C B O O K L I F E , M A R C H 2 6 , 2 0 1 8
The Sacred Shed on the Edge of
the Ravine
B.R. Bodengraven. CreateSpace, $15 trade
paper (280p) ISBN 978-1-5425-7495-2
Bodengraven details her construction of
a writer’s studio in her backyard on Boston’s
North Shore in this contemplative paean
to nature. She begins by reflecting on her
decision to create the space: an empty
nester, she had recently suffered the loss of
a beloved pet when a transformational
dream and a visit from what she deems an
animal “totem” spurred her into action. She
designs the section of her garden designated
for the studio, preparing the land and sur-
rounding area while awaiting the shed’s
delivery, and then turns it into the refuge
she seeks, aided by family and friends such
as Marilyn, a potter and mystic.
Bodengraven slowly divulges the pain she
experienced over the premature deaths of
her mother and sister earlier in her life, but
mainly she lovingly describes her physical
surroundings, meditates on her long mar-
riage to her sailboat-loving husband, and
contemplates the spiritual transcendence of
the natural world. (In a staredown with a
doe, she writes, “I am the first to look away.
This seems to be the way of the wild.... I had
to be the one to look away.”) Less a narrative-
driven memoir than a stream of memories
and ruminations, Bodengraven’s quiet
work expresses her deep respect for the
unknowable qualities of nature.
Successful Cheesemaking
Merryl Winstein. Smooth Stone, $124.99
(670p, two vol.) ISBN 978-0-9985959-5-5
Cheese-lovers who want to try their hand
at making their own taleggio, queso
blanco, Brie, or Jarlsberg would do well to
start with cheese-making consultant and
educator Winstein’s outstanding two-
volume collection of step-by-step recipes
for producing some of the world’s classic
cheeses at home. Those expecting a quicky
recipe for DIY blue cheese or cheddar that
comes together in 20 minutes would be best
served elsewhere, but serious cheesehounds
will find Winstein’s image-heavy, science-
based tutelage to be useful. Specifics on
aging, salting, ripening, and developing
texture go a long way to instill confidence
and ensure success for each type of cheese.
Though Winstein does offer specific recipes
for cheeses like havarti and burrata, she
focuses more on broad styles, such as a basic
kefalotyri, a classic Greek cheese, or
Reblochon, instead of every variety of brie
or Gorgonzola on the market. Those who’ve
already made ricotta and mozzarella and
want to learn more would do well to seek
out this impressive work. One of the most
in-depth and informative works on the
subject, these volumes perfectly blend
practicality, science, and creativity. 800
photos.
The Yogi Diet: Spirituality and the
Question of Vegetarianism
James Morgante. James Morgante, $18.95
trade paper (370p) ISBN 978-0-69277-599-8
Part spiritual investigation and part nutri-
tion guide, this scattered book from Morgante
(Lazarus, Come Forth!) considers the spiritual
nature of health, dieting, and vegetarianism.
Using the Hindu sattva of harmony, balance,
and sympathy, Morgante offers an academic
and immersive comparison of vegetarianism
to omnivorous diets as part of a holistic
approach that “nourishes all dimensions of
the human being simultaneously.” Morgante
considers nutritional effects on spiritual
development which he divides into three
categories: mind, body, and spirit. For nour-
ishing the mind, he highlights what he sees
as the connection between mental clarity
and food quality, nutrients, vitamins, and
toxins. For nourishing the body, he discusses
the advantages and disadvantages of low-
carb, low-fat, and low-calorie diets, and
explains how he believes that diet helps the
body transform the spiritual self. Finally,
he explores various religious doctrines con-
cerning vegetarianism—particularly
Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity,
Judaism, and Islam—and helps readers con-
sider what (if any) role vegetarianism
should play in one’s life; Morgante ends up
leaning toward a diet that includes meat.
The spiritual facets of his thesis provide
convincing food for thought for anyone
interested in the spirituality of diet.
50 Ways to Worry Less Now:
Reject Negative Thinking to Find
Peace, Clarity, and Connection
Gigi Langer. Possum Hill, $14.95 trade paper
(161p) ISBN 978-0-9991220-0-6
Langer speaks from hard-won experience
REVIEWS ®

in her valuable, heartfelt manual on curbing
excessive worrying. After having readers
evaluate their own anxiety levels, the author
offers four basic steps: getting honest about
one’s worry; claiming power over it with the
help of God or another “positive power”;
consciously reframing worry as opportunity
in one’s mind; and using 50 “growth prac-
tices,” including meditation, to keep calm.
Langer calls the root of many worries
“whispered lies”—undermining thoughts
like “I’ll never have enough money” or
“relationships just don’t work for me.” She
challenges readers to replace them with
“truth phrases,” by writing down negative
thoughts, analyzing them, and reframing
the negative self-talk as something positive.
Langer advocates forgiveness of others, no
matter how hard this may be, as well as
taking personal responsibility for one’s own
attitude and behaviors. Lest anyone think
that the author is preaching from a distance,
Langer doesn’t hold back on sharing painful
examples from her own life, such as a con-
frontation with her husband over his alco-
holism. Langer’s frank and empathetic tone
will comfort readers, as will the practical
steps she teaches in this tome.
growing civil rights movement. A careful
observer, Bobbi also notices as Lucille
becomes close with Jim Tressel, a quiet
30-something neighbor with a wheelchair-
bound wife. Lucille’s shocking murder and
Jim Tressel’s subsequent trial force Bobbi
to grow up quickly, and she learns that
“some questions didn’t have easy answers.”
Carlile excels at dialogue that brings Bobbi,
Mama, Lucille, and the other characters to
life. Despite a rather contrived resolution
to Lucille’s murder, plot twists and well-
integrated historical content will keep
readers engaged. Ages 10–18.
Super George and the Invisible
Shield
Laurie P. Mendoza, illus. by Cheryl Francis.
SCF Press, $12.95 paper (32p) ISBN 978-0-
9990337-1-5
George, a boy with blue-black hair that
swoops into a cowlick, insists on being
called Super George and dons a cape to
match the moniker. When others tease him
with names like “Curious George” or
“George Washington,” George’s anger gets
big and scary: “Whenever George yelled, he
imagined the sound racing out of his
mouth, getting bigger and bigger and
holding glowing, fireflylike constellations
within her hands. She grows older and is
seen sitting in a rowboat in a bay, pointing
up at the shapes made by clouds: “If you
look up to the sky and see big, billowing
clouds, find as many shapes as you can. It’s
the universe’s way of helping you create new
dreams.” She also gazes out over an expanse
of rocky canyons set against “a sea of blue.”
Finally, the child is fully grown, with her
own son; the two look up at the moon to see
the kind face of her grandmother, watching
over them from above: “Know that you will
always find me in the brightness of the full
moon.” Writing with tenderness and
warmth, Dalton emphasizes that that there
is comfort to be found in both the memories
of lost loved ones and in the great expanse
of the universe. Ages 4–8.

Children’s/YA bigger until it crashed against the other

The Girl on Rusk Street
Penny Carlile. CreateSpace, $9.99 trade paper
(226p) ISBN 978-1-973939-02-3
An inquisitive, precocious girl grapples
with the sometimes questionable actions of
adults in Carlile’s debut novel. In June
1960, 10-year-old Bobbi Rogers looks
forward to building forts with her best
friends, Katie and Law, and enjoying sum-
mertime with her family and neighbors on
Rusk Street in small-town Marshall, Tex.
When beautiful 25-year-old Lucille Harris
moves into a formerly vacant house in the
neighborhood, she immediately draws
attention from the locals. Her husband was
recently killed in a car crash, so she’s taken
a job teaching piano and voice at all-black
Bishop College, located nearby, and Bobbi
gets to know her after she begins her own
piano lessons. While it’s not the primary
focus of the novel, Carlile alludes to racial
tensions in Bobbi’s all-white community,
while referencing pivotal events in the
person like storm waves.” Taking a cue from
his favorite TV superhero, Silent Knight—
who is also teased—George wishes for an
invisible shield to ward off hurtful words.
His wise, purple-haired grandmother sug-
gests perhaps he has one already; he just
needs to activate it, by taking calming, deep
breaths. Giraldo delivers a relatable story
about willpower and taming angry emo-
tions, enlivened by Bertelle’s spirited and
pleasantly jumbled comics-style art. Ages
7–10.
If You Look Up to the Sky
Angela Dalton, illus. by Margarita Sikorskaia.
Beaver’s Pond, $17.95 (24p) ISBN 978-1-
59298-828-0
In a gentle story about family, memory,
and interconnectedness, a narrator recalls
the words spoken to her by her grandmother
when she was a child, urging her to seek
perspective and assurance by looking at the
sky. Sikorskaia’s luminous, milky paintings
depict a brown-skinned child on a beach,
watching an approaching storm and

B O O K L I F E .C O M 88D