Shelf Unbound October/November 2016

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

READ

1

SEPTEMBER 2010

what to read next in independent publishing

“Bitingly intelligent.”

“Nice read! I’ve come to love Matson’s idiosyncrasies, Kwong’s patience, focus and wisdom, and Warren’s savvy.”

“Five Stars for The Fog.”

THE INSPECTOR KWONG MYSTERIES

BY VIC WARREN

Vic Warren’s third novel, Hong Kong Blues, is a Hitchcock-style thriller about a newly-married couple being chased by two Hong Kong Triads who want to learn the last words of a man who died in their arms.

Readers liked the characters so well that he has started a spinoff series of novellas: The Inspector Kwong Mysteries.

Set ten years later, Chief Inspector Lawrence Kwong of the Hong Kong Police is sixtyish and weighs in at 308 pounds. Matson Tai, the eleven-year-old street kid in the first novel, is now twenty-one and just graduated from the university with a degree in criminology.

Kwong’s First Two, featuring both The Quartz and The River, has been named one of Shelf Unbound’s 100 Notable Books for 2015.

WARREN IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE NEXT KWONG MYSTERY, TITLED THE RAIN.

WWW.VICWARREN.COM

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staff

Margaret Brown fo u n d e r a n d p u b l i sh e r Anna Nair edito r i n ch i e f Christina Davidson c re a t i ve d i re c tor Ben Minton circ u l a t i on ma n a g e r Patricia McClain c o py e d i to r Marc Schuster c o n t r i b u t i n g e d i tor Hayley Whitehead e d i to r i a l i n te r n

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Morgan Siem c on su l ta n t , soc i a l me d i a Kasia Piasecka so c i a l me d i a ma n a g e r Jane Miller ac c o u n t i n g ma n a g e r For a dve r tising inqu ir ie s: c al l 2 14.704.4182 or e- mail m a rga ret@ s he l fm e di agrou p.c om For editor ial inqu ir ie s: e- mail m a rga ret@ s he l fm e di agrou p.c om or write to Shelf U nbou nd, P O B ox 852321 R ich ard s on, TX 75085

Photograph: from Nowhere to Be Found by Bae Suah

what to read next in independent publishing

october/november

contents

DEPARTMENTS 6

a note from the publisher

10

shelf media podcast

126 photo essay 132 dystopian fangirl 134

my self-publishing journey

136

on our shelf

138

small press reviews

139 last words

16

Blood of the Dawn interview with Claudia Salazar Jiménez

22

Señorita Peru interview with Kuky Villafuertes

30

Japanese Books in Translation interview with Sarah Skilton

38

The Weight of Paradise essay by translator Michelle Hartman

44

Gesell Dome essay by translator Andrea G. Labinger

50

Best Translated Book Awards 2016 Fiction Longlist

Above Photography: (top) French Perfume by Amir Tag Elsir. (bottom) Berlin by Aleš Šteger.

On the cover: From Far Afield Copyright © 2016 by Shane Mitchell.

Photographs copyright © 2016 by James Fisher.

Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

October 21 RELEASE!

“Sometimes it takes more strength to let go than it does to hold on” After tragically losing his family, pilot Ron McQuillen is determined to end his life. But his plan is interrupted by Mike, a mysterious stranger who desperately needs his help.

As the two men fly from city to city, Ron finds his life taking unexpected twists and detours during his attempts to leave his unwanted guest behind.

When he learns new details about his family’s accident, he is left with heart-wrenching choices. Will he exact revenge AVAILABLE THROUGH or have unplanned connections intervened and allowed him to heal and forgive?

WWW.PETERSCHMOTZER.COM

International Books Award – Best In Non-fiction History!

Is what we know about Jesus true?

D.C. Smith reintroduces

history’s most misunderstood Messiah. He presents the Torahobservant teacher, accompanied by classical artwork and concise explanations, to show what actually happened to him both before and after Christianity took root in Roman-occupied Judea. Using a carefully drawn out series of historical segments, Smith peels back 2,000 years of revisionist distortions to uncover the many myths and made-up stories about a local rabbi we now think of as “Jesus,” but whose real name was Joshua.

From start to finish, this remarkable book separates fact from fantasy in reconstructing the historical Jesus and the turbulent times in which he lived. It is a must read for inquisitive people of all faiths as well as secular humanists.

JESUS

The Jew No One Knows

by D.C. Smith

Available in paperback and e-book at Amazon.com.

a word from the

publisher

W

READ GLOBAL

elcome to our annual “Read Global” issue, in which we feature books in translation from around the world. As we’ve noted previously, just three percent of all books published in the United States are translations, and this issue and these books give you an opportunity to discover excellent writers, many of them little known to readers in the United States.

This issue is particularly meaningful to our staff here at Shelf Unbound because we are partnering with Dallas-based Deep Vellum Bookstore and Publisher to raise money in support of Señorita (senoritaperu.com), a nonprofit helping to educate disadvantaged girls in Peru. Launched earlier this year by Kuky Villafuerte, Señorita has the goal of changing the world, one girl at a time. Read our interview with Kuky in the following pages.

To our readers in North Texas, please mark your calendars for Saturday, November 12, 7 pm, when Deep Vellum bookstore will host a book release party for Peruvian-born Claudia Salazar Jimenez’s debut novel Blood of the Dawn, which we discuss with her here. The event at Deep Vellum will benefit Señorita, along with a portion of ad sales from this issue.

We hope to see you there! Enjoy the issue.

Margaret Brown publisher

“My plan is to see no woman on the streets in my city.”

— Kuky Villafuerte of Señorita

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

Photograph: Debra Pandak

The Real Lord Byron was not the World’s Byron.

To his friends “England’s First Superstar” was a young man totally different to the famous Idol that he later became. They knew the everyday Byron. The private Byron. The Byron full of fun and wit and laughter, and the tearful Byron who could not bear to see any animal in distress without seeking to help it. Yet overall he had a unique charm and empathy that gained him a lasting devotion and loyalty from all who knew the real Byron.

“He had a power of fascination, rarely, if ever, found in any man of his age.”

In this series of 4 biographical novels, based on the letters and diaries of Byron himself, and also of those eyewitnesses to the personal events of his life, the author Gretta Curran Browne has sought to go “behind the screen” to find and tell the story of the boy, the man, the legend.

Available in Hardback & Paperback from INGRAMS Available in eBook & Paperback from AMAZON. Reading age: Teens & Adults.

“This fast-paced historical novel is a well-crafted telling of Byron’s troubled start on the path to poetic greatness.”

—Kirkus Reviews—

“I’ve read about Byron before but never like this!”

—M.L.Keegan—

“UTTERLY COMPELLING.” —John McLaren, Author of Black Cabs—

“...You have written an impressive, fascinating, very moving book—gripping and suspenseful...a masterpiece—beautiful prose.”

—Betsy King, Historian and Editor

“The story...is one of the most amazing and impressive accounts of individual strength and determination that I have ever read. It is so inspiring to read of such individual valor and constant effort against tremendous odds.”

—William B. Fuller, Sr., Lt., US Navy, 1964-1967, (Wilmington, NC)

A young Montagnard girl relates her struggle to escape persecution by the North Vietnamese Communists/ Viet Cong in 1975, after Saigon falls. The Government’s attempts to eradicate the ethnic tribes of Montagnards and their 2000-year-old culture in the Central Highlands continues throughout her 11-years of conflict.

In her earliest days, when H’Yoanh is four months old, her mother dies. Uneducated relatives make an effort to raise her in and out of a Catholic orphanage/school.

Education becomes her personal goal and drives her life. However, during her younger teen years, she experiences the horror of executions of family and friends. At 16, she leaves school to follow other oppressed Montagnards into the Highlands.

She never could have imagined the hardships, the encounters with enemy gunfire, the near-death suffering, or the food that she is forced to eat to survive.

At the same time, she is humbled by the protection that is afforded to her by the Grace of God. A terrifying race with 1500 Montagnards and Cambodians over the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and the midnight crossing of the Mekong River, test her strength. A false accusation and the suicide of a young friend test her moral fortitude.

www.harriethillbooks.com

In 1986, along with 211 other Montagnards (who aided our American Army during the Viet Nam War), this pregnant young woman, with her husband and first child, are sent to the United States. They are welcomed to N. C. by American Special Forces, Lutheran Family Services and personal sponsors. Unexpected opportunities in the U.S. challenge them and fill their lives with determination and hope.

www.adventurequestbooks.com

T N E I AN ANC

Long ago the old texts of ancient Egypt alluded to scrolls in which King Tut spoke to the people from beyond the tomb. Many archaeologists put this down to an incorrect translation of the ancient Egyptian texts. Others swore to the accuracy of the translation. But, Tutankhamen Speaks isn’t a story about the lost scrolls. It’s about the story written down on those ancient scrolls: Tutankhamen’s story.

A glimpse into the everyday life of Tut, before and after his rise to Pharaoh. It is like a fly on the wall peek at his life without it just being part of a much larger plot.

www.beyondtodayeducator.com

U T R N E E V D A D L WOR

The fifth adventure in the SHADOWS FROM THE PAST series is set in the ancient past. The ancient Roman town of Pompeii lies in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, but its inhabitants are blissfully unaware of the deadly threat of the volcano which is about to devastate their lives.

Twins Joe and Jemima Lancelot, still on the hunt for their missing parents, venture once more into the past, accompanied by their friend Charlie and Max, their adorable Tonkinese cat.

Arriving in the middle of a slave auction in the Forum, the children are shocked to find themselves being sold to the highest bidder. Trapped in the household of a wealthy Pompeian, how will they manage to escape before the town is buried by the erupting volcano?

www.wendy-leighton-porter.com

Continuing the adventure, cousins Adam and Justin Sinclair, with their friend Kim Maleka, are now hunting for the third Stone of Power, one of seven mysterious stones lost centuries ago. The third stone might be located in an ancient city, hidden in the depths of the Mexican jungle. When their small plane crashes in the jungle, the kids are rescued by an uncontacted tribe. With only a young boy, Tukum, as their guide, they make their way through the dense and dangerous jungle to find the city. Of course, their old adversary Dr. Khalid is close behind as the kids press on. But this time Adam will clash with a terrible enemy who adopts the persona of an evil Aztec god, Tezcatlipoca, and is keen to revive the ancient tradition of human sacrifice. Adam, Justin, and Tukum must play a dreadful ball game of life and death and maybe survive.

Will they emerge alive from the jungle?

www.chroniclesofthestone.com

Now Available on

In the first Shelf Media Podcast, publisher

Margaret Brown talks to author Matt Bell about his three books and about writing, teaching the craft of writing, and his

forthcoming novel. She also talks to book reviewers David Rice and Michele Filgate about Bell’s most recent novel, In the House Upon the Dirt Between the Lake and the Woods.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

Can you be a good parent and “not know” what goes into your children’s educational material? Or, can you be a better parent if you did know what goes into it?...

Some say that love, nurturing, and the ability to nurture, religion, and education all start at home.

Parenting, education, and nurturing are some of the most important aspects of family life that a family with school-aged children can experience. We as parents spend millions of dollars and thousands of hours teaching our children; yet, many still do not know what goes into our children’s educational make-up. ...MIND GAMES is far ahead of even our presidential candidates; as they are just now bringing-up the subject for a campaign issue, when we are trying to inform parents of how to improve their children’s educational abilities. How much wiser can you be as a parent if you had this information to aid your child with in their educational quest?

“COMMON CORE”

WWW.ALTAIRBEY.TATEAUTHOR.COM

You’ll rest in peace when we tell you, you can.

The End

is John Crawley’s 15th novel: this one truly deals with life and death.

Your final act in life is to ask your estranged brother—your only next of kin—to do one last thing for you—let you die in peace. But he refuses. He can’t, fulfill your requests because God and the Catholic Church are standing in the way. He is a priest and his faith and duty to his calling won’t allow it. And you do not share his theology. And he doesn’t approve your lifestyle. After all, you are lesbian and he is God’s pious servant.

You haven’t talked in twenty years.

And here it is on your deathbed he holds all the power over you. Death with Dignity is the premise of John Crawley’s 15th novel, The End.

w w w.johncrawleybooks.com Available at Amazon, iBooks, BarnesandNoble, and Lulu

Lamb to the

Slaughter

by Pete Delohery A novel about love and cour age, sin and redemption “Iron” Mike McGann is facing the twilight of his prizefighting career.

Desperate for his future, he has refused to honor his promise to his wife to quit the ring and start a family.

Rufus “Hurricane” Hilliard is the most menacing presence in prizefighting. But behind his menacing ring presence lives a man nobody knows, a complex man who despises his own image.

Rufus “Hurricane” Hilliard vs. “Iron” Mike McGann, just another fight shown on The Continuous Sports Network, but by the time it is over the lives of these and many others will be forever different.

“This heartfelt tale makes a powerful emotional impact.”

—Blue Ink Starred Review Also in Spanish: El Cordero al matadero Available in print and e-book at Amazon, xlibris, and Barnes & Noble.

w w w. p e t e d e l o h e r y. c o m

Peru We’re helping educate girls in Peru.

Will you join us?

Shelf Unbound is proud to be partnering with Dallas-based Deep Vellum Publishing and Bookstore in a benefit for Señorita, a nonprofit that sells jewelry to raise money to educate disadvantaged girls in Peru.

In the following pages, you’ll meet Señorita founder Kuky Villafuerte, who talks about the problems facing women in her native Peru and about her plan to create solutions through education, one girl at a time.

You’ll also meet Peruvian-born author Claudia Salazar Jiménez, whose debut novel Blood of the Dawn is being published in English by Deep Vellum on November 8. This strong, intense debut novel examines the lives of three women during a time of heinous political violence in Peru. I cannot stop thinking about the characters and events in this novel.

We’re donating a portion of proceeds from ad sales in this issue to benefit Señorita, and Deep Vellum is doing the same with copies of Blood of the Dawn sold at the November event.

I hope you will consider joining us in furthering the mission of Señorita by going to senoritaperu.com and purchasing jewelry, by ordering Blood of the Dawn from Deep Vellum (deepvellum.org), by attending the November 12 event if you are in the Dallas area, or by sending a donation directly to Señorita at 3800 Deep Valley Trail, Plano, TX 75023.

Thank you, deep vellum + shelf unbound

for señorita

14

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

Margaret Brown, Publisher Shelf Media

deep vellum + shelf unbound

for señorita

Saturday,, November 12, 2016 @ 7:00pm Join us at Deep Vellum Bookstore in Dallas on November 12 at 7 pm for a book release party for Blood

of the Dawn by Claudia Founder Kuky Villafuerte

Salazar Jiménez, benefiting Señorita, a nonprofit educating disadvantaged girls in Peru.

3000 Commerce St. Dallas, TX 75226 deepvellum.com deepvellum.org

feature

interview

deep vellum + shelf unbound

for seĂąorita

A strong, intense debut novel examining the lives of three women during a time of heinous political violence in Peru.

16

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

Blood of the Dawn

by Claudia Salazar JimĂŠnez Deep Vellum Publishing Deepvellum.org

Shelf Unbound: Blood of the Dawn goes back to the 1980s when the extreme left terrorist group the Shining Path brutally tortured and killed thousands of Peruvians, many of them villagers, in what is now referred to as “the time of fear.”

You were a child during this period; why did you choose to write about it?

Claudia Salazar Jiménez: That time marked my entire generation and we are still living with its consequences today. There are several novels and short stories about it, but almost all of them are narrated from a male-centered perspective, as usually happens in the Peruvian literary tradition. I chose to write about this time in order to think about and try to understand how we—as a nation—allowed such brutal violence to happen. I also chose to write it from a different perspective: one that includes the voices of women. It is a perspective that transcends the specifics of this historical moment and crosses époques and geographies. I

wanted to write about violence against women and their struggle for survival.

It is important that we, as a society, remember this period, its causes and consequences.

Shelf Unbound: Your novel is told from the perspectives of three women—a journalist intent on photographing the atrocities, a member of the Shining Path, a villager who gets caught up in the conflict. What were you able to shed light on by having female narrators that you might not have been able to with male narrators?

Jiménez: Having female narrators and characters allows me to include a perspective that is usually not taken into account when War is told. Voices of women tend to be silenced or obliterated during the narration of history. In order to include these voices, it is necessary to consider the kind of language and grammar we are going to use. Language shapes our reality, so, as a writer I decided to break the grammar that sustains the patriarchal

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violence and to create a new one that avoids the reproduction of this violence and questions its origins. I wanted to use a discourse that not only represented violence but that incarnated the female bodies and sexualities.

Shelf Unbound: The violence against the women in this novel is gut-wrenching. Three times, with three different women, you begin a description of the horrific beatings and rapes with the simple line: “She was a lump on the floor.” Those words are a poignant and perfect way of expressing how they have been completely dehumanized. I imagine these sections would have been quite hard to write. How did you go about writing them?

Jiménez: Those scenes are the foundation of the novel; they appeared in the first draft. It was difficult, indeed. Sometimes, I had to stop writing for a couple of days in order to keep my own sanity. Writing about violence is not an easy process to endure, but it has to be done.

We cannot relegate these stories to silence. I believe that literature allows us to approach this period under a different light.

Shelf Unbound: Your writing is beautiful and poetic. I particularly found the lesbian sex scenes to be gorgeous and

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

evocative. Why did you choose to make the character of the journalist Melanie a lesbian?

Jiménez: Considering the centrality of sexual and power relations in Blood of the Dawn, I wanted my novel to include several diverse approaches to desire and sexual relations. As I mentioned before, sexuality is a key point in Blood of the Dawn. Including a character whose sexuality is fluid allowed me to include a subjectivity often obliterated in the Peruvian (and Latin American) literary production, another perspective that focused on female sexual desire and agency.

Shelf Unbound: What would the climate for gays and lesbians have been like in the time period of your novel, and what is it like today?

Jiménez: The climate for gays and lesbians in Peru is pretty harsh. Peru is a very traditional country where Catholic religion still infuses the State and its laws. The climate is not much different from how it was during the 1980s (the period of the novel).

Shelf Unbound: What do you want American readers to take away or learn from reading this novel?

Jiménez: The importance of thinking about our historical processes of violence and terrorism, and to reflect on the violence against women.

2016 eLit Book Awards GOLD WINNER

Jackals lurk in our probate courts, growing fat at the expense of our most vulnerable citizens and fully supported by widespread legal corruption. This is the world of professional guardianship fraud, where the rights of the elderly hinge on the decisions of callous profiteers.

Guardianship warns of this epidemic of abuse, providing a guide for the many concerned relatives who find themselves punished for the crime of trying to protect a loved one’s estate, health, and even life. www.GuardianAbuseCases.com

by M Larsen Michael Larsen is a businessman who witnessed the corruption of professional guardianship fraud firsthand. He hopes Guardianship will raise awareness of this callous predation on our most vulnerable citizens.

Available through AMAZON, CREATESPACE, KINDLE, and BAKER & TAYLOR.

All royalties donated to The Wounded Warrior's Project and the Hilton Head Humane Association.

The Seventh Treasure

by Len Camarda

T

his thriller follows the travails of Secret Service agent Gene Cerone, who travels to Spain to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding his sister's death. Teaming up with Lieutenant Mercedes Garcia of the National Police Force, their investigation unwittingly uncovers an unfathomable conspiracy that dates back to the time the Moors surrendered their kingdom in Granada in 1492.

www.lencamarda.com

Available as e-book, soft and hard cover at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and AuthorHouse.

“Reminiscent of Hitchcock Thrillers!

Fascinating read with wide audience appeal.”

Five Star Rating

by Pacific Book Review

By Gregory E. Seller

A wealthy Beverly Hills hedge fund manager and his wife become entangled in a deadly battle with China’s Red Nobility over control of billions of dollars in hidden assets. Like a Hitchcock thriller, the events ensnare a collection of interesting and unsuspecting characters in a battle for survival, revenge and redemption. An exciting story taken from actual current events!

“…sharply written, fast moving thriller.This is an involving and fun yarn that will keep you wanting to know what happens next. As one shock leads to another, readers won’t necessarily be sure where this runaway train is going, but they’ll be happy to be along for the ride.

RECOMMENDED by US Review.

US Review of Books

“Brimming with action, this intricate novel should attract followers of contemporary international affairs” Kirkus Reviews “This is a highly entertaining story that works well in part because of several interesting and layered characters.”

Four Star Rating by Clarion Review “…an undeniable page turner...well-written and highly entertaining read.”

Blue Ink Review

WWW.GREGORYSELLERAUTHOR.COM

Available at

feature

interview

deep vellum + shelf unbound

for señorita

Kuky Villafuerte

Through her nonprofit Señorita, Villafuerte is educating disadvantaged girls in Peru.

“My plan is to see no woman on the streets in my city.”

senoritaperu.com 22

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

Shelf Unbound: What is Señorita and what is its mission?

Kuky Villafuerte: I have the need to help other women, and the mission for Señorita is to empower women through education. Education is a good tool that will give them a promising future, especially for girls who don’t have the same blessings that I’ve had when it comes to education.

Shelf Unbound: You’re working with an orphanage?

Kuky: When I was living in Peru I had a cupcake shop; I had my own business. So that gave me an opportunity to manage my time. One day my aunt asked me if I wanted to do some social work with her at an orphanage, and I could take time off so I went with her. The moment I stepped into that house, a bunch of kids came running to me with the happiest faces ever. And I’m like, I’m not Santa, I don’t know why you are smiling at me, because it was during Christmastime, but they just wanted to be kissed and hugged. For me it was love at first sight. And it was what

I had been looking for because I had always felt like there was something empty in me.

I established a good working relationship with the pastor in charge of the orphanage, Jose, and his wife, who take care of the 40 or so kids of all different ages living there. I asked, “how can I help you?” And they said that they had people who brought rice but that they didn’t have fruit or vegetables because those foods rot so quickly. So I went to the company I was working for and asked if they could supply fruits and vegetables to the orphanage weekly. They said, “yes, no problem.”

With that covered, I asked again, “how can I help you?” Jose said that between getting all the kids to school and back and everything else, he didn’t have time to take them to the park or elsewhere to have fun on the weekends. So I put myself in charge of that, and once or twice a month, depending on my schedule, I would celebrate their birthdays and take them out for a movie, swimming, things like that.

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As time went by, I started having a really good connection with the teenage girls. I felt like they were very shy, very introverted. But whenever they were with each other, they were different. I had a roommate from Canada who suggested we teach them how to swim. So we started taking them to the pool for swimming lessons. But I noticed over time that we had fewer and fewer teenage girls with us. Jose explained that when most of the girls turn 18 they decide to leave, and often the girls will come back pregnant and then the story repeats again. They have a need for love that they haven’t had, and whoever gives them attention first, they feel like that guy is the love of their life and they give everything to him. But it’s just another little teenage boy that doesn’t know anything about life yet.

After three years of seeing what was going on, it was time for me to come back to the United States; my family is here. But I didn’t want to just leave the orphanage behind, so I proposed a program to Jose.

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I asked him what he thought would most help the girls coming out of the orphanage. He said, “Kuky, give them a skill. It will give them more confidence and they will be able to find a better job.” In Peru it’s not easy to get a job.

When you go to a national school, your education is really bad and a lot of people will not hire you. So these girls will just end up working in a house as a maid and will be there the rest of their lives. The plan with Señorita is to create something where they can go to an institute or to college, where they will learn a specific skill.

Shelf Unbound: That’s great, so you’ve got three girls in college right now?

Kuky: Yes, we found three girls who had finished high school and were ready to get out of the orphanage.

Two of them are staying in the orphanage while they attend college and one has a part-time job that is paying for her apartment. Señorita covers their monthly tuition, books, daily transportation, and clothing for their career.

Set within the framework of World War II, SHOT DOWN is about the dramatic experiences of each member of a ten man B-17 crew after their plane (piloted by the author’s father) was knocked out of the sky by German fighters over the French/Belgian border on February 8, 1944 and about the courageous Belgian citizens who risked their lives trying to help them. The hardcover book has more than 200 time period photographs of the people who were involved and the places where their stories took place.

SHOT DOWN has a 4.9 Amazon reader review rating (92% 5 stars) and has received 20 national book awards.

WWW.STEVESNYDERAUTHOR.COM

They started to college in March of this year; I have two girls who are studying to be chefs and the other one is studying to be an accounting assistant.

Shelf Unbound: Do you do follow them to see how they’re doing?

Kuky: Yes. Before I left Peru, I talked to a group of girls who used to do community service and told them about the project. We were concerned about giving these girls an emotional education as well and wanted to check in on how they are doing emotionally.

So I asked this group to mentor the girls, and they meet with them individually on a weekly basis and as a group once a month. Usually it’s either to celebrate somebody’s birthday for that month, or we also have a friend whose aunt is a psychologist, so she will bring a topic to talk about, like how to manage your time correctly— something that will give them tools to continue their college career.

Shelf Unbound: Great. Are you able to cover all of their expenses?

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Kuky: Right now, I get a little bit of scholarship money from the school they attend. I cover the rest of everything. I’m a kickboxing instructor, so I give from my paycheck if I don’t sell enough jewelry for the month.

Shelf Unbound: What are your goals for Señorita?

Kuky: To be honest, living almost four years in Peru recently, sometimes I couldn’t handle it, just seeing women on the streets with their kids, asking for money. Why were they in that position? Girls are raped.

Husbands go away and they are on their own. I wondered, how could I target that? Where is this starting? I decided I needed to target teenage girls, particularly girls who are most vulnerable to be in that situation— girls that don’t have family, girls that don’t have education, girls who are on their own.

So when it comes to Señorita—my mind just goes limitless. My plan is to see no woman on the streets in my city, and then continue growing.

E H E R E H

!

S D I K , S E M O C

!

O R E H T EX

N R U YO

His name is Sly the Fly.

Sly the Fly Goes on a Happy Holiday Adventure takes him to the North Pole and to Santa’s workshop. This is a fun story for the holidays, and the kids will love this adventure.This is a must-read for your Sly the Fly collection.

Goes To The Big City

Sly Goes to School

Hamilton Williams lives in both Juvenile Fiction, Animals, Insects Englewood, Colorado, and Tucson, 9 7 8 -1 -6 8 2 7 0 -5 9 2 -6 Arizona. He has six children and seven grandchildren. He has always liked the outdoors, and this is where he came up with the Sly the Fly adventures. Enjoy the books about Sly the Fly. You’re going to like them.

Hamilton Williams

rld? s to Fly.

and He with u’re

Juvenile Fiction, Animals PRINTED IN THE USA

tat e publ i s hi ng CH I L D R E N ’ S D I V I S I O N

listen|imagine|view|experience Includes Digital Entertainment Pkg • Details Inside

by Hamilton Williams

tat e publ i s hi ng

9 7 8 - 1 - 68270- 985- 6

CH I L D R E N ’ S D I V I S I O N

listen|imagine|view|experience Includes Digital Entertainment Pkg • Details Inside

AUDIO DOWNLOAD INCLUDED

Hamilton Williams

perience Details Inside

AUDIO DOWNLOAD INCLUDED

goes to the North Pole

HAMILTON WILLIAMS

Sly the Fly

sly

Another Adventure With Sly the Fly

PRINTED IN THE USA

is a great story about Sly going to school and learning what he can. This story will help with a child’s first days at school. It’s fun to see what Sly goes through in this adventure. It’s a good one.

Another Adventure With Sly the Fly Sly Goes to School

Sly the Fly Goes To The Big City

y

Another Adventure with Sly the Fly, Sly Goes to School

HAMILTON WILLIAMS lives in both Englewood, Colorado, and Tucson, Arizona. He has six children and seven grandchildren.

He has always liked the outdoors, and this is where he came up with the Sly the Fly adventures. Enjoy the books about Sly the Fly. You’re going to like them.

Fly Goe Sly theoliday Adsvon a H entur y p e H ap

Sly the Fly Goes on a Happy Holiday Adventure

He loves to go on adventures everywhere.

He likes to have fun and see new places.

Coming out this year are an adventure to the mountains, the circus, to the big city, and to see Santa Claus at the North Fly Goe Sly theoliday Adsvon a H entur y p p e Pole in a winter adventure. SlyHawill also sly o the be going to school, and he willgogo es ttrick orth Pole or treating at Halloween time. NCome and enjoy not only how fun it is to read, but to go along with Sly on these adventures.

Hamilton Williams

HAMILTON WILLIAMS lives in both Englewood, CO and Tucson, AZ. He has six children and seven grandchildren. He has always liked the outdoors, and this is where he came up with the Sly the Fly adventures.

AUDIO DOWNLOAD INCLUDED

written by: Hamilton Williams

feature

japan

8 Great

Japanese Bo ks in Translation

That Aren’t by Haruki Murakami

by Sarah Skilton

W

e love Murakami, and all the cats, jazz, whiskey bars, mysterious women, and glimpses at modern Japanese life that populate his books.

But there’s a world of magnificent novels out there by Japanese authors who don’t receive as much U.S. press for their work. If you’ve already devoured Murakami’s story collections (like Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman) and his acclaimed novels (including Kafka on the Shore, The Wind-up Bird Chronicle, and IQ84), it’s time to add these contemporary Japanese books to your reading list. There’s something for everyone: mysteries and thrillers, teen horror, relationship dramas, and twisted, yakuza-related crime stories, all taking place in locales that may be unfamiliar to American readers. Each will get your imagination churning and your passport begging for stamps. Here’s a sample of our favorite modern books from the land of the rising sun.

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Out

by Natsuo Kirino (translated by Stephen Snyder)

Chain Mail: Addicted to You

by Hiroshi Ishizaki (translated by Richard Kim)

Written in omniscient-narrator style, with multiple POVs, this book will appeal to fans of Breaking Bad and Quentin Tarantino. It’s smart, darkly comedic, and shockingly violent— but this time, a group of ladies are the ones taking names, leaving body counts, and, well, chopping up the evidence.

In this fast-paced YA book filled with twists and turns, a lonely teenage girl named Sawako is immediately intrigued by the subject of an email message: “Would you like to create a fictional world?” Three more teen girls with diverse interests soon join the online game, the objective of which is to co-write a story about a girl, her tutor/boyfriend, her stalker, and the detective who’s tracking the stalker.

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Shelf Unbound: What do you make of the fact that just three percent of books published in the United States are books in translation?

Sarah Skilton: It’s disappointing, though I can’t say I’m shocked. I wonder if some readers worry they won’t relate to stories that were initially written in a different language? If so, that’s a real shame; I believe books reveal how interconnected and similar people of all languages, countries, and cultures actually are. It’s pretty much an effortless and entertaining way to experience empathy.

Shelf Unbound: What’s your favorite book on this list and why?

Skilton: Probably The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura because I loved being immersed in the world of a master pickpocket in Tokyo. The writing style was crisp, smart, and literary. One of the reasons I love to read is so I can experience lives that are dangerous or extraordinary. I can visit places--in physical and philosophical terms--that I’d otherwise never know. Also, to me, magic and sleight-of-hand trickery exist along a continuum and I enjoy reading about both.

Shelf Unbound: You’ve published two well-reviewed YA books and your first novel for adults, Club Deception, Shelf Unbound: I love the comes out next year. Tell us list of Japanese books about Club Deception. in translation you’ve put Skilton: Sure! Here’s the logline: together here. What are some Life behind the velvet curtain of a commonalities about these private magic club in downtown books that appeal to you?

Los Angeles, Club Deception depicts Skilton: Thank you! I wanted the love lives, scandals, rivalries, to include a variety of tales, both and murder that surround a in terms of genre and location group of modern-day magicians (Japan is a lot more than its and the women who love, inspire, most famous cities), and I think I or control them. succeeded. What I didn’t realize I had the best time writing until later was that most of the this book! My husband is a books I selected happen to depict professional magician, and I people who are outsiders, isolated absolutely loved creating the from co-workers, family, or friends. tight-knit, intense, sexy, and Their isolation comes in the form dysfunctional world in which the of criminal behavior, grief, or story takes place (all fictional, I loneliness. They’re all seeking a swear!). It’s part romance, part mystery, and part thriller. connection. Sometimes they find The stories I wanted to tell one; other times they drift farther (in Bruised especially but also and farther away from society.

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in High & Dry) wouldn’t have made sense without teenagers; their ages were integral to and intertwined with the plot, which was terrific. On the flip side, the depth and breadth of their experiences were necessarily limited. With Club Deception I was eager to include adult perspectives in a way that felt fresh to me. I couldn’t think about their lives so much in terms “firsts,” which forced me to justify why this particular story was worthy of being told. I had to push myself and ask, “What makes it stand out? What makes it special or different?” Also, I had the characters’ whole lives to draw from, which was equal parts exciting, scary, and invigorating!

From “8 Great Japanese Books in Translation that Aren’t by Haruki Murakami” by Sarah Skilton, originally published at www. barnesandnoble.com/blog/8-greatjapanese-books-in-translation-thatarent-by-haruki-murakami. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

All She Was Worth

by Miyuki Miyabe (translated by Alfred Birnbaum)

The first in a popular and critically acclaimed mystery series that has been adapted for TV in Japan, All She Was Worth introduces us to Tokyo Metropolitan Police Inspector Shunsuke Honma, a widower with a 10-year-old son. On medical leave after being shot in the knee, Honma is at loose ends, frustrated and bored, when a distant relation, Jun, shows up begging for help in locating his missing fiancé.

A Midsummer’s Equation

by Keigo Higashino (translated by Alexander O. Smith)

An internationally bestselling author, Higashino is best known for his Detective Galileo novels. If you like mysteries in which an outsider with a unique profession sheds light on a case, you’ll love A Midsummer’s Equation. While visiting the beautiful but struggling coastal town of Hari Cove during a controversial time in its history (a corporation is destroying the coastline with its hydrothermal ore mining), associate physics professor Manabu Yukawa solves not one but two related murders that occurred 16 years apart.

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Kitchen

by Banana Yoshimoto (translated by Megan Backus)

This book is slim but absolutely packed with emotion about love and loss. Our main character, Mikage, has lost every member of her family but is welcomed into the affectionate home of a young man, Yuichi, and his transgender mother, Eriko, who runs a gay night club.

Mikage teaches herself to cook, and the process becomes a passion, an art, and a lifestyle that helps her work through her pain.

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Manazuru

by Hiromi Kawakami (translated by Michael Emmerich)

Twelve years after her beloved husband, Rei, vanishes without warning, Kei finds herself traveling repeatedly to a quiet beach town called Manazuru, where she feels her husband’s presence for reasons she can’t explain. In the decade since he left, she has been raising their daughter, Momo, at her mother’s house, and has taken a lover at work.

She has long had the suspicion that she’s being followed, and in Manazuru that sensation rises to a level she can no longer ignore.

THE FAR SIDE OF SILENCE

BY ROBERT B. MARCUS, JR. AND KIM FRANK RICHARDSON

Alexander Gray is an ex-Navy Seal with an impossible assignment.

Air Force One is shot down over the Mediterranean Sea with no survivors. The new president secretly orders the U.S. Navy to prepare the Sigonella Naval Air Station on Sicily for a clandestine and experimental operation to save the life of the Russian president, the man most Americans believe responsible for the downing of Air Force One.

“A gripping story I did not want to put down!”

—Judy W Murphy, Amazon

“Riveting Read!”

—Carleen Markivitch, Amazon

Antagonistic forces within the U.S. and Russian governments are determined to prevent that operation from taking place. From the U.S. to Sigonella, Gray must evade and outwit those working against the president.

Will Gray survive to bring the traitors to justice and execute the daring operation?

Number 10 on the Goodreads Best Political Novels list.

High on Goodreads Best Political Thrillers List.

Available at

WWW.RBMARCUSJR.COM35 UNBOUND

The Thief

by Fuminori Nakamura (translated by Satoko Izumo and Stephen Coates)

With his mentor gone, his girlfriend dead, and his own days seemingly numbered, a master pickpocket winds his way through the streets of Tokyo, targeting wealthy businessmen. Our antihero with a Robin Hood–style sense of morality takes under his wing a kid who’s forced to shoplift and needs help with technique. But he remains haunted by a home invasion and burglary he participated in that ripped his mentor from him. He spends his nights ruminating on what becomes of a man without societal ties.

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The Changeling

by Kenzaburō Ōe (translated by Deborah Boliver Boehm)

When Kogito’s estranged brotherin-law and childhood best friend, Goro, sends Kogito 40 cassette tapes of himself having a one-sided conversation about their relationship, Kogito listens to them as part of a nightly ritual. A particularly chilling remark recorded toward the end of the tapes turns out to be the moment Goro has committed suicide. Kogito becomes obsessed with listening to the tapes and responding to them verbally, in an attempt to uncover the reasons behind Goro’s desperate act.

Available at

W

UP S .

WW

S ER

O

NIC

E Y L F

R

M O .C s5 e g a For

9

Here is the book that so many early readers are going crazy over. It is the TRUE story of the REAL American hero who risked his life in 1947 to fly the X-1 rocket plane through the sound barrier and take the world of aviation into the modern age. The risks were great with some scary ups and downs, but Chuck Yeager was steady and determined and he did it.

What is the sound barrier? This book gives a careful explanation. You and your children will never forget this story. See the movie at www.supersonicflyer.com.

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translator’s notes

“Iman Humaydan’s latest novel offers a way to think about … how people can and do live, love, and resist oppression in any time and in any place,”

says translator Michelle Hartman in the following essay on the novel and the process of translating it.

The Weight of Paradise

by Iman Humaydan

translated from the Arabic by Michelle Hartman Interlink Books interlinkbooks.com

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

In the summer of 2015, scenes of Syrian refugees— particularly women and children—sitting on flimsy boats and dinghies crossing the Mediterranean Sea to flee fighting at home captured the world’s attention. Watching these scenes from the relative comfort of Lebanon was, every day, a heartbreaking reminder of the human toll of civil war, and the countless lives forever affected— and ended—by fighting. In Lebanon at the same time, inspirational scenes of young people fighting against the corruption and cynicism of the ethically bankrupt sectarian system of government offered

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translator’s notes

a counterbalance of hope that perhaps ordinary people could have some impact on the shape of their future. As people in Lebanon—young and old—took to the streets, Khandaq al-Ghamiq, the old Beirut neighborhood so prominent in this novel, was in the news. The proverbial “bad apples” singled out by the power structure to blame unrest upon the “young thugs of Khandaq alGhamiq,” were caricatured in the media in order to shift attention from the very real demands of disenfranchised people in Lebanon seeking to hold the government accountable. These people were represented by a loose coalition of groups with such names as “We Want Accountability” and “You Stink.”

The scenes from the summer of 2015 are crucial to my reflections here because we know that translations both directly and indirectly reflect their own times, circumstances, and contexts as much as those of the texts they

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are transforming. My translation of The Weight of Paradise was finished in an atmosphere that in many ways reflected the circumstances of its characters, though the story is set so many years earlier, between the 1970s and 1990s. Against the background of the present, working with a text about Syrian women fleeing to Lebanon only to be confronted by war, the devastation of the center of Beirut (where Khandaq al-Ghamiq is located), and its rehabitation by internally displaced refugees, the novel felt oddly prescient and deeply engaged in contemporary events.

This translation in some ways mirrors the journeys of its characters in moving across borders, from place to place, firmly rooted in the complicity of women. The novel itself was finished in Paris; the translation’s first draft was completed in Montreal, and it was finished in Beirut.

But in some ways, fittingly, the bulk of the work on the translation itself was a collaborative endeavor undertaken in the spacious, wind-filled rooms of an old house in the hills of Ain Anoub, a village overlooking Beirut – the house itself a symbol and remnant of the war.

In a recent interview I asked Iman Humaydan what was similar or different about the translation of this novel and other translations of her works. She gave an answer that I myself might have given: this translation is different because more than any previous translation that either one of us had been involved in, its final shape is a product of us working so closely together.

For over a month in the summer of 2015, Iman and I lived together in that house in Ain Anoub, not only working on the translation for a few hours a day but also sharing our space, time, and thoughts about both it and many other things. This means that the histories she had drawn upon in writing this novel were all powerfully present in the lived context in which the translation was

FROM AUTHOR DR. GLENN R. HARRISON

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In the book “God Is Not Complicated,”we will find out how we should approach God and how to operate in His Kingdom so that we can receive His blessings and promises.

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This book will help believers receive healing from the lord.

translator’s notes

finished. This proximity also meant that our discussions about everything from daily affairs to bigger questions were all a part of our creative process. My reflections on translating The Weight of Paradise, including choosing this new name for the novel, are all thus linked to this shared time and space.

The original title of his novel in Arabic more literally reads 50 Grams of Paradise, alluding to the specific weight the Egyptian perfume seller attributes to his scent of the same name when he offers it to Kemal in the novel. Formal and informal conversations with people throughout the spring and summer demonstrated to me that this title did not have the same appealing resonance in English as it did in Arabic, and conjured up the wellknown bestseller of the times, 50 Shades of Gray, or invoked drug dealing rather than perfume. We experimented with many titles. I would suggest one and let it sit for a while; we would debate it,

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discuss it, leave it, and come back to it. No title felt right until The Weight of Paradise emerged—words that capture the idea of weighing the perfume as well as the notion of paradise not always being where or what we expect it to be. Our close proximity and constant conversations allowed both of us to try out different word combinations in-between other tasks and to arrive at a compromise we both were satisfied with.

Another way in which our close collaboration helped the translation in the summer of 2015 was through our working together on ways to solidify the PEN Association of Lebanon, by discussing, writing, and translating materials for it. This association for the freedom of speech and expression is tied to the work of characters like both Noura and Maya, the novel’s twin protagonists.

Working together on the same kinds of issues as the book’s characters once again tied our real-life collaboration to their fictional ones—the life of the Lebanese past to ours in the present.

What I hope The Weight of Paradise in English translation offers its readership is a journey through words and language to ponder the past. This book is about how we do and don’t repeat history, how we can look at and understand history in different ways. It is about real-life people and their everyday lives, but in extraordinary times—like perhaps all times are. Iman Humaydan’s latest novel offers a way to think about all of these things and about how people can and do live, love, and resist oppression in any time and in any place.

—Michelle Hartman From The Weight of Paradise by Iman Humaydan, translated

by Michelle Hartman, Interlink Books, interlinkbooks.com. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

“Robert Williscroft once again delivers with this new SF novel.”

“I wish books like Slingshot were written when I was a teenager.”

Keith Lofstrom Inventor of the Space Launch Loop

Martin Bloom Former President of the Los Angeles Adventurers’ Club

The Starchild Compact is an epic tale of beginnings, roots, what might have been, and what might be. It is an adventure of heroic proportions, commencing 500 light years away, arriving here just a few years from now, and ending in the distant expanses of the Universe.

Slingshot is a mystery—about a missing aviatrix, a conspiracy, a truebeliever. Slingshot is an adventure— about following a dream, the oceandeep, outer space. Slingshot is about constructing the first space launch-loop stretching 2,000 km between Baker and Jarvis Islands in the Equatorial Pacific. It’s about high finance, intrigue, unlimited ambition, heroism, fanaticism, betrayal…and about opening space to the common person.

STARCHILDCOMPACT.COM

SLINGSHOTNOVEL.COM

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translator’s notes

“Gesell Dome is by no means a tale for the squeamish, but its humor, brutal honesty, and the tenderness concealed in its murky heart make it irresistible, at least to this reader,” says translator Andrea G. Labinger in the following essay on the novel.

Gesell Dome

by Guillermo Saccomanno translated from the Spanish by Andrea G. Labinger Open Letter openletterbooks.org

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Villa Gesell exists.

With the click of a mouse you can easily find it on any detailed map of Argentina, a beachside resort town some 200 miles south of Buenos Aires. Though this novel is a work of fiction, Villa Gesell, which serves as a model for the town depicted in it, is quite real. In fact, for approximately the past two years, I’ve inhabited author Guillermo Saccomanno’s Villa, virtually, to be sure.

Unlike Saccomanno, however, who literally—and literarily—has made Villa Gesell his home for several decades, I’ve never actually set foot on its “streets of

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translator’s notes

sand,” strolled along the treelined boulevards of Pinar del Norte, or trod the grittier streets of El Monte or La Virgencita. I’ve never shaken the hand of a single fleshand-blood denizen of the Villa, nor have I patronized its shops, rented a beach cabana for the summer, or endured a bleak, drizzly, lonely winter season in one of its apart-hotels. Instead, my experience of Gesell has been exclusively that of an outsider peering in, unobserved, as if gazing through the very device that lends its name to the title: the Gesell Dome.

Saccomanno explains how this invention, created by American psychologist Arnold Gesell, functions: The Gesell Camera [more commonly known as Gesell Dome] … was conceived as a dome for observing children’s behavior without their being disturbed by the presence of strangers. The Gesell Dome consists of two rooms with a dividing wall in between in which a large, one-way mirror allows an observer in one room to see what

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is happening in the other, but not vice-versa. Both rooms contain audio and video equipment for recording different experiments. It is frequently used for observing suspects during interrogations and also to ensure the anonymity of witnesses. The camera is considered to be the ideal instrument for taking legal testimony from children.

In other words, the Gesell Dome—or filming chamber—that Saccomanno has created for us, his readers, theoretically affords an unobstructed, uncensored, panorama of a complex society, populated by numerous characters, many of whom we are invited to follow as they go about their daily lives. At times these lives inevitably intersect; sometimes they remain apart: isolated, searching, intermittently elated or depressed, peaceably complacent or violently desperate. We watch them, fascinated, but by no means dispassionately, for these are not Arnold Gesell’s children at play, nor are we objective, scientific observers.

The person for whom Villa Gesell was named, however, has nothing to do with psychology or child behavior, but rather with its founder, Carlos Idaho Gesell, a descendant of German immigrants who, as an inventor and entrepreneur in his own right, was also responsible for the forestation of the sand dunes in the area and the establishment of the seaside vacation spot that Villa Gesell eventually was to become. Saccomanno’s title is an amalgam of those two, unrelated Gesells: the German developer and the North American psychologist. He uses both of them to make his point: the first as historical artifact and the second as literary device.

[By] far the most pervasive literary presence in Gesell Dome is generic: that of noir, or more explicitly, neo-noir fiction and the challenge it presents, particularly for the translator.

Noir is inherently transgressive and hermetic: transgressive because of the nature of its subject matter and hermetic because it often depends on private linguistic does and

THE

WEAVER SERIES Mind over matter in a whole new way!

A secret society of evolved human beings travel an alternate plane with their minds to explore the universe and encounter other sentient life.

www.VaunMurphrey.com

Ebooks on Amazon.com Print on B&N.com and Amazon.com UNBOUND

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translator’s notes

specialized argot with which the public may not be familiar.

In translating the novel, I relied heavily on linguistic and cultural expertise of a friend and native informant, the much-acclaimed Argentine noir novelist Alicia Plante, whose familiarity with lunfardo in all its permutations was invaluable in deciphering pervasive, encoded language that I might have otherwise found impenetrable. Lunfardo, whose origins can be traced to the late nineteenth and early twentieth century in the Rio de la Plata area, is a form of popular speech originally associated with immigrant groups, especially with the influx of working-class Italians at that time. … Linguistic issues aside, Gesell Dome presents an even more fundamental challenge for the translator: that of tone. While Saccomanno adheres closely to the traditional noir diet of relentless violence and mayhem, he tempers his sinister tale with outrageous humor and compassion as

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well. Much of the grisliness is over-the-top, clear evidence of the author’s background as a writer of comic strips.

Gesell Dome is by no means a tale for the squeamish, but its humor, brutal honesty, and the tenderness concealed in its murky heart make it irresistible, at least to this reader. How to best capture Saccomanno’s unique voice and make it accessible to the English-speaking world became my personal obsession as I sat before my computer screen day after day and experienced the perverse joy of slipping into the skins of the myriad characters who populate this abundant novel, speaking in their voices and occupying, albeit momentarily, their place in the universe. The Villa beckons: I invite you to join me there.

—Andrea G. Labinger From Gesell Dome by Guillermo Saccomanno, translated from the Spanish by Andrea G. Labiger, Open Letter, openletterbooks.org. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

J.A. klASSen

A ShAde If “Fifty Shades of Grey” featured vampires and starred Johnny Depp, the outcome may be shockingly similar to J.A. Klassen’s “A Shade of Darkness.”

of

dArkneSS

Bronwyn is a successful author who has just finished her second book.

She is now thinking of her third one.

She might as well enjoy herself while she is working, so she decides to go on a working holiday. She flies to all the old pirate haunts in the Caribbean to do some research. When she gets there she runs into a very unlikely character who just happens to be a pirate from the 16th century.

But, of course, he has some baggage from living so long. Then she meets his maker and really finds out what kind of baggage he has.

“J. A Klassen does a good job weaving an interesting tale of romance and betrayal. A Shade of Darkness is the kind of story that clings to the reader.”

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feature

translations

Best Translated Book Awards The blog Three Percent’s annual Best Translated Book Awards spotlights best original works published in the U.S. in the previous year. Here’s a look at their 2016 fiction finalists.

A General Theory of Oblivion

by José Eduardo Agualusa translated from the Portuguese by Daniel Hahn (Angola, Archipelago Books)

“On the eve of Angolan independence, an agoraphobic woman named Ludo bricks herself into her Luandan apartment for 30 years, living off vegetables and the pigeons she lures in with diamonds, burning her furniture and books to stay alive and writing her story on the apartment’s walls.

Almost as if we’re eavesdropping, the history of Angola unfolds through the stories of those she sees from her window.”

—Archipelago Books 50

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

The Story of the Lost Child

by Elena Ferrante translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein (Italy, Europa Editions)

Arvida

by Samuel Archibald translated from the French by Donald Winkler (Canada, Biblioasis)

“Like a Proust-obsessed Cormac McCarthy, Samuel Archibald’s portrait of his hometown is filled with innocent children and wild beasts, attempted murder and ritual mutilation, haunted houses and road trips to nowhere, bad men and mysterious women.

Gothic, fantastical, and incandescent, filled with stories of everyday wonder and terror, longing and love, Arvida explores the line which separates memory from story, and heralds the arrival of an important new voice.”

—Biblioasis

“Here is the dazzling saga of two women, the brilliant, bookish Elena and the fiery, uncontainable Lila. Both are now adults; life’s great discoveries have been made, its vagaries and losses have been suffered. Through it all, the women’s friendship has remained the gravitational center of their lives.

Both women once fought to escape the neighborhood in which they grew up—a prison of conformity, violence, and inviolable taboos. Elena married, moved to Florence, started a family, and published several well-received books.

In this final book, she has returned to Naples. Lila, on the other hand, never succeeded in freeing herself from the city of her birth. She has become a successful entrepreneur, but her success draws her into closer proximity with the nepotism, chauvinism, and criminal violence that infect her neighborhood.”

—Europa Editions UNBOUND

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The Physics of Sorrow

by Georgi Gospodinov translated from the Bulgarian by Angela Rodel (Bulgaria, Open Letter)

“Using the myth of the Minotaur as its organizing image, the narrator of Gospodinov’s long-awaited novel constructs a labyrinth of stories about his family, jumping from era to era and viewpoint to viewpoint, exploring the mindset and trappings of Eastern Europeans. Incredibly moving—such as with the story of his grandfather accidentally being left behind at a mill— and extraordinarily funny—see the section on the awfulness of the question “how are you?”—Physics is a book that you can inhabit, tracing connections, following the narrator down various “side passages,” getting pleasantly lost in the various stories and empathizing with the sorrowful, misunderstood Minotaur at the center of it all.”

—Open Letter 52

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

Signs Preceding the End of the World

by Yuri Herrera translated from the Spanish by Lisa Dillman (Mexico, And Other Stories)

“Signs Preceding the End of the World is one of the most arresting novels to be published in Spanish in the last ten years. Yuri Herrera does not simply write about the border between Mexico and the United States and those who cross it. He explores the crossings and translations people make in their minds and language as they move from one country to another, especially when there’s no going back.

Traversing this lonely territory is Makina, a young woman who knows only too well how to survive in a violent, macho world. Leaving behind her life in Mexico to search for her brother, she is smuggled into the USA carrying a pair of secret messages – one from her mother and one from the Mexican underworld.”

—And Other Stories

Moods

by Yoel Hoffmann translated from the Hebrew

by Peter Cole (Israel, New Directions)

“Part novel and part memoir, Yoel Hoffmann’s Moods is flooded with feelings, evoked by his family, losses, loves, the soul’s hidden powers, old phone books, and life in the Galilee— with its every scent, breeze, notable dog, and odd neighbor. Carrying these shards is a general tenderness accentuated by a new dimension brought along with “that great big pill of Prozac.”

Beautifully translated by Peter Cole, Moods is fiction for lovers of poetry and poetry for lovers of fiction—a small marvel of a book, and with its pockets of joy, a curiously cheerful book by an author who once compared himself to ‘a praying mantis inclined to melancholy.’”

—New Directions

The Complete Stories

by Clarice Lispector translated from the Portuguese

by Katrina Dodson (Brazil, New Directions)

“The recent publication by New Directions of five Lispector novels revealed to legions of new readers her darkness and dazzle. Now, for the first time in English, are all the stories that made her a Brazilian legend: from teenagers coming into awareness of their sexual and artistic powers, to humdrum housewives whose lives are shattered by unexpected epiphanies, to old people who don’t know what to do with themselves. Clarice’s stories take us through their lives—and ours.

From one of the greatest modern writers, these eighty-six stories, gathered from the nine collections published during Clarice Lispector’s lifetime, follow her from her teens to her deathbed.”

—New Directions UNBOUND

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War, So Much War

by Mercè Rodoreda translated from the Catalan

by Maruxa Relaño and Martha Tennent (Spain, Open Letter)

The Story of My Teeth

by Valeria Luiselli translated from the Spanish

by Christina MacSweeney (Mexico, Coffee House Press)

“Highway is a late-in-life world traveller, yarn spinner, collector, and legendary auctioneer. His most precious possessions are the teeth of the ‘notorious infamous’ like Plato, Petrarch, and Virginia Woolf. Written in collaboration with the workers at a Jumex juice factory, Teeth is an elegant, witty, exhilarating romp through the industrial suburbs of Mexico City and Luiselli’s own literary influences.”

—Coffee House Press 54

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

“Despite its title, there is little of war and much of the fantastic in this coming-ofage story, which was the last novel Mercè Rodoreda published during her lifetime.

We first meet its young protagonist, Adrià Guinart, as he is leaving Barcelona out of boredom and a thirst for freedom, embarking on a long journey through the backwaters of a rural land, accompanied by the interminable, distant rumblings of an indefinable war. In vignette-like chapters and a narrative style imbued with the fantastic, Guinart meets with numerous adventures and peculiar characters who offer him a surrealistic view of an impoverished, war-ravaged society and shape his perception of his place in the world.

Like Rodoreda’s Death in Spring, nature and death play a fundamental role in this phantasmagoric narrative that seems to be a meditation on moral degradation and the often inescapable presence of evil.”

—Open Letter

Murder Most Serene

by Gabrielle Wittkop translated from the French by Louise Rogers Lalaurie (France, Wakefield Press)

“In the last days of the Venetian Republic, the successive wives of Count Alvise Lanzi suffer mysterious, agonizing deaths. Murder Most Serene offers a cruel portrait of a beautiful, corrupt citystate and its equally extravagant, cruel, and corrupt inhabitants; redolent of darkness, death, corruption, poison, and transgression, it is also an overthe-top, tongue-in-cheek Venetian romp. Rich in historical detail and bursting with bejeweled putrescence, Gabrielle Wittkop’s chilling memento mori eschews the murder mystery in which it is garbed for a scintillating depiction of physical, moral, societal, and institutional corruption, in which the author plays the role of puppeteer— ‘present, masked as convention dictates, while in a Venice on the brink of downfall, women gorged with venom burst like wineskins.’”

—Wakefield Press

Nowhere to Be Found

by Bae Suah translated from the Korean

by Sora Kim-Russell (South Korea, AmazonCrossing)

“A nameless narrator passes through her life, searching for meaning and connection in experiences she barely feels. For her, time and identity blur, and all action is reaction. She can’t quite understand what motivates others to take life seriously enough to focus on anything—for her existence is a loosely woven tapestry of fleeting concepts. From losing her virginity to mindless jobs and a splintered, unsupportive family, the lessons learned have less to do with the reality we all share and more to do with the truth of the imagination, which is where the narrator focuses to discover herself.”

—AmazonCrossing UNBOUND

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French Perfume

The Meursault Investigation

by Kamel Daoud translated from the French

by John Cullen (Algeria, Other Press)

“He was the brother of “the Arab” killed by the infamous Meursault, the antihero of Camus’s classic novel.

Seventy years after that event, Harun, who has lived since childhood in the shadow of his sibling’s memory, refuses to let him remain anonymous: he gives his brother a story and a name— Musa—and describes the events that led to Musa’s casual murder on a dazzlingly sunny beach.

In a bar in Oran, night after night, he ruminates on his solitude, on his broken heart, on his anger with men desperate for a god, and on his disarray when faced with a country that has so disappointed him. A stranger among his own people, he wants to be granted, finally, the right to die.”

—Other Press 56

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

by Amir Tag Elsir translated from the Arabic by William M. Hutchins (Sudan, Antibookclub)

“’I had many things in mind that I wanted to achieve before the Frenchwoman Katia arrived …’”

So begins the story of Amir Tag Elsir’s French Perfume as told by Ali Jarjar—the town gossip and schemer of a poor community rich with sleazy bachelors, desperate women, soothsayers and secret police. Tasked to introduce his impoverished town to a chic foreign visitor, Ali’s attempts to make the best first impression are left in limbo as the newcomer perpetually postpones her trip.

Quickly escalating to a terrifying conclusion, Spike Jonze’s Her crashes into Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot as our charming narrator allows his attraction for a stranger’s online existence to become a frightening obsession in the real world.”

—Antibookclub

UNTIL PHILOSOPHERS

BECOME KINGS BOOK ONE

by Chris Thomas

When does good end and evil begin?

A tale of conflict and moral dilemmas arising from the best of intentions, Until Philosophers Become Kings explores the gray and blurred lines of morality.

Available at

“An intense crime thriller from debut author Thomas that follows an undercover agent embedded deep within a Mexican drug cartel...the dynamic tale takes the reader along for one harrowing journey.”

—Kirkus Reviews

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Sphinx

by Anne Garréta translated from the French by Emma Ramadan (France, Deep Vellum)

“Sphinx is the debut novel, originally published in 1986, by the incredibly talented and inventive French author Anne Garréta, one of the few female members of OuLiPo, the influential and exclusive French experimental literary group whose mission is to create literature based on mathematical and linguistic restraints, and whose ranks include Georges Perec, Italo Calvino, and Raymond Queneau, among others. Sphinx is a remarkable work of literary ingenuity: a beautiful and complex love story between two characters, the narrator, “I,” and “A.”, written completely without any gendered pronouns or gender markers referring to the main characters.

—Deep Vellum 58

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

The Sleep of the Righteous

by Wolfgang Hilbig translated from the German

by Isabel Fargo Cole (Germany, Two Lines Press)

“Doppelgängers, a murderer’s guilt, pulp noir, fanatical police, and impossible romances—these are the pieces from which German master Wolfgang Hilbig builds a divided nation battling its demons.

Delving deep into the psyches of both East and West Germany, The Sleep of the Righteous reveals a powerful, apocalyptic, utterly personal account of the centurydefining nations’ postwar struggles. In the words of 2015 International Man Booker Prize recipient László Krasznahorkai, Hilbig ‘described a world which is distasteful not only to the Germans but actually horrific for all of us.’”

—Two Lines Press

Beauty is a Wound

by Eka Kurniawan translated from the Indonesian

by Annie Tucker (Indonesia, New Directions)

“The epic novel Beauty Is a Wound combines history, satire, family tragedy, legend, humor, and romance in a sweeping polyphony. The beautiful Indo prostitute Dewi Ayu and her four daughters are beset by incest, murder, bestiality, rape, insanity, monstrosity, and the often vengeful undead. Kurniawan’s gleefully grotesque hyperbole functions as a scathing critique of his young nation’s troubled past: the rapacious offhand greed of colonialism; the chaotic struggle for independence; the 1965 mass murders of perhaps a million ‘Communists,’ followed by three decades of Suharto’s despotic rule.”

—New Directions

Tram 83

by Fiston Mwanza Mujila translated from the French by Roland Glasser (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Deep Vellum)

“Two friends, one a budding writer home abroad, the other an ambitious racketeer, meet in the only nightclub, the Tram 83, in a war-torn city-state in secession, surrounded by profit-seekers of all languages and nationalities. Tram 83 plunges the reader into the modern African gold rush as cynical as it is comic and colorfully exotic, using jazz rhythms to weave a tale of human relationships in a world that has become a global village.”

—Deep Vellum UNBOUND

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PETS

The Body Where I Was Born

by Guadalupe Nettel translated from the Spanish

by J. T. Lichtenstein (Mexico, Seven Stories Press)

“From a psychoanalyst’s couch, the narrator looks back on her bizarre childhood. Born with an abnormality in her eye and a family intent on fixing it, she occupies a world without the time and space for innocence. The narrator intimately recalls her younger self—a fierce and discerning girl open to life’s pleasures and keen to its ruthless cycle of tragedy.

With raw language and a brilliant sense of humor, both delicate and unafraid, Nettel strings together hardwon, unwieldy memories—taking us from Mexico City to Aix-en-Provence, France, then back home again—to create a portrait of the artist as a young girl. In these pages, Nettel’s artful storytelling transforms experience into inspiration and a new startling perception of reality.”

—Seven Stories Press 60

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

The Things We Don’t Do

by Andrés Neuman translated from the Spanish

by Nick Caistor and Lorenza Garcia (Argentina, Open Letter)

“Playful, philosophizing, and gloriously unpredictable, Andrés Neuman’s short stories consider love, lechery, history, mortality, family secrets, therapy, Borges, mysterious underwear, translators, and storytelling itself.

Here a relationship turns on a line drawn in the sand; an analyst treats a patient who believes he’s the real analyst; a discovery in a secondhand shop takes on a cruel significance; a man decides to go to work naked one day. In these small scenes and brief moments, Neuman confounds our expectations with dazzling sleight of hand.”

—Open Letter

— Kirkus Reviews

— BlueInk Reviews U.S. $XX.XX

“Genuously hilarious...”

E. Rawlins

“A heartfelt and engaging read”

Learning to Live with Fritz

“A thoroughly readable account of a woman, a dog and a spiritual journey.”

Available at Amazon, Barnes+Noble and IUniverse

— Clarion Reviews

w w w.LearningtoLivewithFritz.com UNBOUND

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I Refuse

One Out of Two

“Per Petterson’s hotly anticipated new novel, I Refuse, is the work of an internationally acclaimed novelist at the height of his powers. In Norway the book has been a huge best seller, and rights have already been sold to sixteen countries. In his signature spare style, Petterson weaves a tale of two men whose accidental meeting one morning recalls their boyhood thirty-five years ago. Back then, Tommy was separated from his sisters after he stood up to their abusive father. Jim was by Tommy’s side through it all. But one winter night, a chance event on a frozen lake forever changes the balance of their friendship.

Now, Jim fishes alone on a bridge as Tommy drives by in a new Mercedes, and it’s clear their fortunes have reversed. Over the course of the day, the lives of each man will be irrevocably altered. I Refuse is a powerful, unforgettable novel, and its publication is an event to be celebrated.”

—Graywolf Press

“The most distinctive thing about the Gamal sisters is that they are, essentially, indistinguishable (except for a modest mole). The twin spinsters spend their time trying to mask any perceptible differences they have while working hard at their thriving tailoring business in a small town in rural northern Mexico.

When? Thirty years ago? Fifty years ago? Who can say—the world seems not to intrude on Ocampo over much.

Gloria and Constitución take an almost perverse delight in confusing people about which one is which. But then a suitor enters the picture, and one of the sisters decides that she doesn’t want to live a life without romance and all the good things that come with it.

The ensuing competition between the sisters brings their relationship to the breaking point until they come up with an ingenious solution that carries this buoyant farce to its tender and even liberating conclusion.”

—Graywolf Press

by Per Petterson translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett (Norway, Graywolf Press)

62

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

by Daniel Sada translated from the Spanish by Katherine Silver (Mexico, Graywolf Press)

While the rest of the world reels under a severe financial crisis, ndia’s microfinance sector enjoys an unprecedented boom.

FROM AUTHOR RAMESH S. ARUNACHALAM

Why on earth are people investing such huge amounts of money in an obscure industry, especially at the time of global recession? And why is Wall Street suddenly so interested in ndia’s poor?

That is exactly what Robert Bradlee, senior correspondent with The New York Post, sets off to investigate, along with his While the rest ofLittle the world reels under a severe financial crisis, ournalist friend, Chandresh. does he know that his search

India’s microfinance sector enjoys an unprecedented boom. for a scoop would lead him through a complex multi-pronged Why on earth are people investing such huge amounts of web of deceit, fraud, manipulation and financial crime, remote money in an obscure industry, especially at the time of global controlled from distant lands by an entire chain of financial recession? And why is Wall Street suddenly so interested in sector stakeholders.

India’s poor?

“A Scathing Review of Hillary Clinton’s Candidature”

Gripping, racy and meticulously researched, financial That is exactly what Robert Bradlee, this senior correspondent The out NewofYork , setsworld off to of investigate, along with his thriller weaveswith in and the Post affluent high-powered journalist friend, Chandresh.

Little he know that his search boardrooms and the gruelling poverty of thedoes remotest villages for a the scoop would leadtruths him through a complex multi-pronged of India, to reveal devastating that often lurk behind web of deceit, fraud, manipulation and financial crime, remote controlled from distant lands by an entire chain of financial

“good intentions”.

“

sector stakeholders.

Where Angels Prey is an engaging and touching story of the Gripping, racy and meticulously researched, this financial collision of altruism and aspiration. I found it a most enjoyable, thriller weaves in and out of the affluent world of high-powered but also most disturbing, read! boardrooms and the gruelling poverty of the remotest villages Matthew Gamser, CEO, SME Finance Forum, of India, to reveal the devastating truths that often lurk behind International Finance Corporation, Washington DC, USA “good intentions”.

“

“A Scathing Review of Hillary Clinton’s ” Candidature”

“

Where but Angels Prey is an engaging and touching Fantastic storyline, startlingly realistic; written racily, story yet of the ofInterweaving altruism and aspiration. found itthis a most enjoyable, in impeccablecollision English. fact and Ifiction, novel but also most disturbing, read! is a creative and compelling read.

” ”

Matthew Gamser, CEO, SME Finance Forum, International Finance Corporation, Washington DC, USA

G R Swaminathan, Assistant Solicitor General of India

“

Fantastic storyline, but startlingly realistic; written racily, yet in impeccable English. Interweaving fact and fiction, this novel is a creative and compelling read.

”

G R Swaminathan, Assistant Solicitor General of India

A scathing and well-researched indictment of Hillary Clinton.

If you believe in democracy, at all, this is a must read.

“Exemplary piece of investigative, political journalism” —USReview WATCH THE TRAILER

“Behind Every Huge Fortune, There is a SUCCESSFUL Crime!”

While the rest of the world reels under a severe financial crisis, Wall Street pours huge money into India to help its poor—a somewhat strange happening indeed. Intrigued, Robert Bradlee, senior correspondent with The New York Post, sets off to investigate, along with his journalist friend, Chandresh. Little does he know that his search for a scoop would lead him through a complex multipronged web of deceit, fraud, manipulation and financial crime, remote controlled from distant lands by an entire chain of financial sector stakeholders.

WWW.WHEREANGELSPREY.COM

The Big Green Tent

Berlin

by Aleš Šteger, translated from the Slovene by Brian Henry, Forrest Gander, and Aljaž Kovac (Slovenia, Counterpath)

“Berlin is a lyrical account of the city as well as a book of discoveries, allusions, and traces, an homage to great literary figures who have lived in Berlin. 31 prose miniatures are combined with 21 black-and-white photos taken by Šteger in the city. Instead of describing, Šteger works to create a web of Benjaminian passages and allusions, a flaneurian book full of small details that takes the reader on a smooth yet unpredictable journey through the city, which turns out to be a city of texts.”

—Counterpath 64

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

by Ludmila Ulitskaya translated from the Russian

by Polly Gannon (Russia, FSG)

“With epic breadth and intimate detail, Ludmila Ulitskaya’s remarkable work tells the story of three school friends who meet in Moscow in the 1950s and go on to embody the heroism, folly, compromise, and hope of the Soviet dissident experience. These three boys—an orphaned poet; a gifted, fragile pianist; and a budding photographer with a talent for collecting secrets—struggle to reach adulthood in a society where their heroes have been censored and exiled. Rich with love stories, intrigue, and a cast of dissenters and spies, The Big Green Tent offers a panoramic survey of life after Stalin and a dramatic investigation into the prospects for individual integrity in a society defined by the KGB. —FSG

IT’S THE NOVEL YOUR FUNNY BONE HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR.

Will President Snoodle survive?

Will the Aussie gumshoe save the day?

Hang on for mayhem and unbridled mischievousness. No tradition, convention, or sacred cow is safe from author Burke’s joke-filled pen.

He blasts political correctness and bakes it in a bottomless pit of never ending gags, quips, and puns. His characters are classic archetypes taken to elephantine excess.

Reviewed by Joe Kilgore

Book Excellence Awards Finalist

www.gerryburke.net

Mirages of the Mind The Four Books

by Yan Lianke translated from the Chinese by Carlos Rojas (China, Grove Press)

“In the ninety-ninth district, a subdivision of a sprawling labor camp in an isolated part of Henan province, a group of highly educated citizens are imprisoned to restore their commitment to Communist ideologies.

Here, the Musician and her lover, the Scholar—along with the Author and the Theologian— live inside a community where everyone is encouraged to inform on each other for dissident behavior. The prize: winning political favor and the chance at freedom. They’re overseen by a preadolescent supervisor, the Child, who delights in draconian rules, policing inmates’ conduct, and confiscating books.

—Grove Press 66

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

by Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi translated from the Urdu

by Matt Reeck and Aftab Ahmad (India, New Directions)

“Basharat and his family are Indian Muslims who have relocated to Pakistan, but they remain deeply steeped in the nostalgia of pre-Partition life in India. Through Mirages of the Mind’s absurd anecdotes and unforgettable biographical sketches—which hide the deeper unease and sorrow of the family’s journey from Kanpur to Karachi—Basharat emerges as a wise fool and the host of this unique sketch comedy. From humorous scenes in colonial north India, to the heartbreak and homesickness of postcolonial life in Pakistan, Mirages of the Mind forms an authentic portrait of life among South Asia’s Urdu speakers, rendered beautifully into English by Matt Reeck and Aftab Ahmad.”

—New Directions

JONAS

KIRK MYSTERIES

BY DICK SNYDER

JONAS KIRK emerges from the sudden death of his parents as a wealthy wanderer, traveling widely but settling into his home town, Woodland Park. Immune to the movers and shakers of his community, he remains footloose until he becomes interested in murder. Studying forensic evidence at Hamline University, he courts the professional confidence of Lt. Chester Devlin and gradually becomes an informal advisor on homicide investigations. Trusted? Maybe not.

A vacation in the Rockies introduces Kirk to a new view of his community and offers him a rationale for imposing his own sense of justice. When law and jury fail, Kirk develops his own strategies, ones that arouse Devlin’s suspicions. But he can’t complain much. Kirk is good for his career.

Deal Me In...

SMOKE IT

DEADLOCKED

RUBBER DUCKY CAR WASH

Sudden woofs, clangs, and shouts, along with eight-inch cups and holein-one cash prizes, turn the Bird Nest Scramble into a peculiar mix of fun, finance and drugs. Lydia tells Jonas to “Follow the Money.” He passes the result on to Devlin.

When the Woodland Park Locusts take on the Stillwater Frogs, it’s not just the football game that burns new memories.

Coaches provide. Players collide. Fans scream homicide. Lydia shows a violent mentality and Kirk sorts through odd habits and eccentricity to give Devlin some final answers.

Hello Geraldine Wright! The local maven of conformity spends her days reviewing and correcting shop owners and their business habits.

Kirk follows her through the Rubber Ducky Car Wash and finds her new car on a collision course to death.

Can Geraldine find a way out? Does Kirk know as much as he thinks?

Available at Amazon.

Available at Amazon.

Available at Amazon.

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You be the guest,we take care of the rest.

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

GAYLE A. LUNNING www.lunning.co

This Must Be True Bloody Bill Anderson History is filled with bad people, such as the detestable Roman Emperor, Caligula, who certainly qualifies as a deranged man. While perhaps not in the same league as Caligula, “Bloody Bill Anderson” is a maniac that earned his nickname.

Although William Clarke Quantrill led the raiders on the Lawrence, Kansas Massacre of 1863, it was Bloody Bill Anderson who personally accounted for nearly ten percent of the killings that day. He reveled in killing in brutal fashions.

The senseless killing of 25 Union soldiers in Centralia, Missouri and the butchery of nearly 150 soldiers attempting to end the merciless killing spree of the maniac, defies description.

History may have made William Clarke Quantrill more well known, but it was “Bloody Bill Anderson” who was feared.

Most communities have local legends.

Living in different states and communities, I listened as residents related what many may consider unbelievable tales of the past, each teller swearing that it happened; therefore, “This Must Be True.”

The story of a promiscuous female who dallied with the wrong husbands and the five women’s retaliation against her is legendary. Other legends in “This Must Be True” include the classmates and teacher threatened by a nine year old boy with a toy pistol; the man whose wife shot him five times; the terror in an army camp overrun by the Japanese; and the anticipation of a six year old boy waiting for Santa Claus.

WORKS AVAILABLE THROUGH: Infinity Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble Baker & Taylor | Ingram & other mass-market retailers of “Books in Print”

Athletes, Celebrities, Personal Moments The 60s and 70s

by Walt Brown

www.momentswithheroes.com

A Personal Moment with Muhammad Ali

T

he station host introduced himself to the Muslim guard, and to Ali. I saw him gesture toward me and the leader of the guard shake his head “no.” Ali smiled and, in turn, shook his head at the guardians; nodding at me to come on over. I signaled my videographer to join us.

As we approached, my videographer seemed scared by the guards, and held back. Ali noticed the girl, and walked to the bench. With a friendly smile, he asked the girl why she was there. I said

to Ali, “she’s a champ, too, Champ; national age group track champion.” Ali said to the girl, “You are? Let’s see how you run.” The girl got up and started jogging around the room. Ali joined her.

I whispered to my videographer, “get them jogging!” He didn’t turn on his camera. And we missed out on what would have been one of the great Ali videos of all time; jogging in a reception room alongside a Junior Olympic Champion pre-teen white girl. It was joyful and warm.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 70

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016

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You’ll see society/history repeat itself. Today is a reflection of the past: with shootings, riots, an overseas war (that one in Viet Nam,) effecting our lives then, as now. There was a fight for gender equality. Richard Nixon signed Title IX for equal rights in athletics. There was “Black Power,” and the “Battle of the Sexes.”

Share private moments with your heroes from the past: Ali, Musial, Mays, Jesse Owens, Dan Marino, IndyCar... NasCar...F1...drivers, Billie Jean King, Cindy Potter, Wilt, Rod Laver, George C. Scott, Bob Hope, Jerry Rice, the Kennedy family, golf and hockey stars, most of the major names of the last half of the 20th Century.....

WALT BROWN is a retired radio and television broadcaster who did playby-play of more than 20 different sports. This began while he was a broadcast student at Stanford University and continued while he was a Naval Officer at the Armed Forces Radio Television Service in Hollywood.

Professionally, he covered sports and news in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Nebraska during his 30 year career.

UNBOUND

71

WHAT TO

young widow Paula, as devoted to him as she was to his cause.

It did not take long for rumors to circulate of which his enemies made unscrupulous use to try and dispose of Jerome once and for all…

READ NEXT

Jerome & His Women

by Joan O’Hagan Historical fiction about the controversial Saint Jerome is given a contemporary twist

I

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

n Ancient Rome at the end of the fourth century, one man stirred up controversy like no other, and left an indelible impact on Western society—Jerome.

When the Pontiff commissioned him to translate the Bible into a single definitive Latin text, it proved a political masterstroke, establishing Christianity as a major world religion.

What is less well known is that Jerome accomplished this colossal task with the assistance of a circle of aristocratic, educated women who in some cases risked their lives in the pursuit of their ideals. Chief among these was the attractive

Joan O’Hagan is a published crime writer and author of A Roman Death (Macmillan 1988).

Thanks to meticulous research, a wicked imagination, and over thirty years of living in Rome, she breathes new life into an ancient saint and his world, drawing us irresistibly into a highly-charged world of danger and intrigue while reminding us to question our own values.

Honorable mentions in the Paris and New York Book Festivals, 2016 ‘This is more than a historical novel bringing alive to us an unfamiliar time and society. It is essentially a story about human hearts and minds facing challenges that, in time, confront us all.’

—Richard Johnson, Professor Emeritus of Classics, Australian National University (Foreword) ‘Offers incredible insight into the achievements of a much maligned yet very important figure...and the women surrounding him.’

—Dr Mario Baghos, St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College, Sydney www.joanohagan.com info@blackquillpress.com, ISBN: 978-0-646-94370-1 (288 pages) $US 19.95

WHAT TO

READ NEXT

My Life Story

by Shenna Walker

S

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henna Walker has definitely been through her share of hardships in life; but no matter what, she has always turned to God in times of struggle and hopelessness. For He has always shown her the light.

My Life Story will surely motivate, encourage, and inspire all of us. It is never too late for change. Success can stem from pain and struggle if we do not lose hope. Push through your barriers and witness your inner “diamond shine.” It is a non-fiction piece that will send one on an emotional, fulfilling, adventurous journey. It is a story of resilience and rising up in the face of adversity. It causes one to look within self and provoke the inner person to LIVE and not DIE!

Shenna shares some of her most personal life events, which have shaped and molded her into the woman she has become.

“We don’t look like what we’ve been through”, states Shenna when often asked about her personal story.

About the Author: Shenna Walker is originally from Palestine, Arkansas. She was born into an athletic family.

Sports, her faith, and academics were her ways of escape to success. After leaving the family nest, Shenna attended Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas where she graduated with her BS in Human Services. Shenna holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling.

Shenna has two children and two stepchildren. She renders behavioral therapy to adults and youth. She created a nonprofit organization called Shenna’s Mentorship: Giving Back to the Delta, which allows her to give different productive services back to her roots.

WHAT TO

life in that era. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an adventure as well as romance.”

READ

“This story is full of adventure with every page. It is hard to put down once you begin to read.

There is never a dull moment with its characters and the way you are drawn into their lives, the way they would have written or spoke allows the reader to feel and connect to them. This is a wonderful story that is very well written.”

NEXT

While the Rivers Run

by Wynema McGowan

Amazon 5 Star Reviews:

Wynema McGowan has lived in New York, Chicago, the Twin Cities and in northern Minnesota where five of her novels are set.

She now lives in the Texas Hill Country where six of her books take place. She has written three westerns entitled While the Rivers Run, Beyond the Rivers and Redemption River, and seven novels of historical fiction including The Irishman (named Best First Book by Romantic Times Magazine), The Scotsman, The Horse Tamer, Catchin’ Heck and The Dare Family Saga. The final and fifth book on the Dare Family will be published late this year.

“Held my attention from beginning to end. I loved the dialect of the characters as well as the vivid imagery. I felt as though i was really experiencing

All 11 books by Wynema McGowan are available at Amazon, or you can click on the website below: www.wynemamcgowan.com

A tale of murder and vengeance in 1850’s Texas.

I

n 1850’s Texas a courageous young woman sets off across Texas seeking revenge for the murder of her husband. With a territorial ranger named Tom Doubletree she finds danger, adventure and the love of her life.

A fast moving story with original and complex characters as well as gun fights, Indian attacks, and tangible chemistry between the two main characters.

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About the Author:

WHAT TO

Carrot Principle” and “All In”, who stated “In a “Tale of Two Beehives” Sharoq Almalki uses a fable to teach us all how to be better leaders. This delightful story will help you value your people and new ideas in a way that is positive and thought provoking. This book is a gift!

Enjoy it and share it!”

READ NEXT

A Tale of Two Beehives

by Dr. Sharoq Almalki

A

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Tale of Two Beehives brings new insight to an important topic—employee engagement and working culture. The contemporary corporate fable is written in an engaging style and applicable in organizations all across the countries. The story echoes one how to increase employee engagement in today’s competitive market, and provides tactics on leading the organization working culture.

Learn how to turn things around by creating a culture of engagement that provides satisfaction, fulfillment, and recognition. When you achieve employee engagement, profitability will often follow.

This book is endorsed

by Chester Elton, NY Times Bestselling author of “The

A Tale of Two Beehives is very different from the typical management book because of its progressive theme that’s delivered in the form of an entertaining fable about a group of hard-working bees. Anyone can read the book and relate to the problems faced by Adam and his co-workers. A warm and touching story with memorable characters who find solutions to the challenges facing them.

Enjoy this entertaining read and you can implement new methods for your own team’s success.

www.sharoqalmalki.com Available at Amazon and Archway Publishing.

WHAT TO

READ NEXT

The Three Souls

by Bill Thomas

J

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

ohnny Chambers is a long haul truck driver doing a route from New Orleans to Dallas. He lives in Dallas with Kitty. The year is 1960. He is finished with his route and goes by the house to be with Kitty.

He is only in the house for a few minutes when there is a knock at the door. He opens the door and sees two Dallas policeman at his door. There are a few questions and Johnny is taken into custody at the station.

It seems there has been a robbery and the pistol recovered at the scene belonged to Johnny. The details are sketchy but someone was using Johnny’s car and they carried out a robbery. Johnny is later charged and ends up going to trial. He is sentenced to five

years at the Huntsville prison.

While in prison Johnny meets two prisoners Vinny Le Pugh and David Madejas. Johnny is fascinated by the pair because both of them have had near death experiences and lived to tell about it. They both were both average people and after the accidents both acquired keen abilities to write music and draw paintings. He felt like he had found two people who were reincarnated souls of Amadeus Mozart and Vincent Van Gogh. Johnny is also beat unconscious and escapes death himself. He begins to write incessantly and feels he himself is the reincarnated soul of Ernest Hemingway.

Things at the prison take a turn and Johnny decides to try and plan an escape. The warden has become unreasonable and it is time to leave. Johnny decides to escape the prison on November 22, 1963. The same day President Kennedy comes to Dallas.

The story moves fast and all the characters are trying to fit into their new roles. www.BillJamesMusic.com Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Baby, and i Tunes.

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Till the Rivers All Run Dry

by Jim Lester

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hile touching on issues that remain relevant today such as racism and America’s reliance on foreign oil, Jim Lester’s coming of age historical novel, Till the Rivers All Run Dry, is a page turning, high-octane suspense tale of star crossed young lovers set in exotic wartime Venezuela.

Jim Lester has a Ph.D in history and is the author of two previous coming of age novels—Fallout, which Booklist called “a fast paced, clever coming of age story, Salingeresque in spirit” and The Great Pretender, a novel about growing up in the South in the 1950s which received consistently good reviews on Amazon.

He is also the author of a sports history book called Hoop Crazy: College Basketball in the 1950s.

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glimpse into an era long gone, that most of us have never seen or could even imagine in today’s world.”

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“I could not put this book down, nor keep from chuckling as I tried to imagine myself during this time-1956-57. I recommend it to anyone who loves travel or is looking for a light, yet historical read.”

An Extraordinary Year, A Journal of a Student Abroad 1956-1957

by Judy Woodall Readers’ reviews of ‘An Extraordinary Year”: “An Extraordinary Year”, by Judy Woodall, pulls one in by the detailed descriptions and keen observations of the excited, funloving, wise-beyond-her-years 20 year old.

Her ability to “read” the people she encountered, and to understand the history and importance of ART in all its forms was nothing short of inspired!”

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“An Extraordinary Year” becomes an extraordinary read, bringing the years 1956-57 into the present tense, providing an always interesting, often amusing

“Judy Woodall’s descriptions are like magnets, pulling the reader into her life as a young woman abroad in a more innocent time.”

“Judy Woodall’s memoir poignantly captures a young woman’s excitement, enthusiasm, energy, and curiosity as she details her daily adventures. Her journal offers the reader a window into the past, to a time, when the world was gentler, and about to change dramatically within a very few years.”

“What is more exciting than hearing the voice of a 20 year old in the 1950’s as she confronts the reality of the vestiges of war, the excitement of learning new cultures, the pleasures of the table, and the differences and similarities between Americans and Europeans?”

THRILLER

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Jack, a private investigator with Harrison Private Investigation Agency, lands in Nome and discovers that Lindberg Research Corporation has been using the people of that city as guinea pigs to perfect mind control research. He has stumbled onto a massive conspiracy that has held hostage the noble people of Nome. The plot threatens America’s way of life, the life of the vice president of the United States, and Jack’s own survival.

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Alone and without his usual resources and special equipment, Jack is overmatched and is nearly killed before he can even scratch the surface of what’s really taking place in Nome. Jack must elude an ex-special forces green beret—a man who has sworn over his dead son to kill Jack—and work around local law enforcement and other mysterious forces in order to save the people of Nome and the vice president of the United States.

Dennis Quiles earned a bachelor’s degree

in criminal justice and a master’s degree in business administration. A US military veteran and a veteran

GAMES of M I N D

GAMES of MIND

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hen former naval intelligence officer Jack Steele opens a letter from his aunt, he makes an immediate decision to head to Nome, Alaska. Although he hasn’t seen Marie in twenty years, he’s concerned when she tells him her husband, Uncle Jimmy, is in trouble. From the moment Jack picks up that envelope, he knows he’s about to enter a situation better left alone. But loyalty to family is stronger than a gut feeling.

DENNIS QUILES

of the protection business, he is the director of global security services for one of the world’s largest

DENNIS QUILES

multinational corporations. Quiles and his wife have three children and currently live in Illinois.

U.S. $XX.XX

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CHOICE

www.iuniverse.com

MIND CONTROL DIDN'T STOP IN THE 70S

Games of Mind

by Dennis Quiles

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ack Steele was drafted into the middle of a conspiracy scheme of a multi-billion dollars organization, which had developed a thorough plan and mustered enough government leverage to be the first government sanctioned organization to develop Stem Cell research technology. As if this was not enough Lindberg Research Corporation had heavily invested in Project MK-Ultra, a program which had been discarded by the CIA thirty years ago. The clandestine research operation experimented in the behavioral engineering of the human mind. Their success lays on re-programming the human brain without using any archaic technique other than the programmer’s voice during

a normal casual conversation.

Mind Control reprograming for many early stage subjects lead to intra-venal infusion, the side effects reduced the subject’s ability to show emotions, have homicidal tendencies and caused irrevocable brain damage. To further aggravate the situation those were the very same signs currently displayed

by Uncle Jimmy. I had no intentions to save the world; I’m no hero and only wanted to help Uncle Jimmy any way I could.

I could not let this happen but soon found myself alone, without support and losing hope quickly.

I was taken three floors beneath Lindberg Research Corporation, bound to a chair reciting the very same sentence that would assure my own reprograming instructions to kill the Vice President of the United States.

“Games of Mind is a fantastic thriller with a larger-than-life villain” —CLARION “Quiles’ military expertise resonates throughout the book, giving Games of Mind’s technical passages an air of authority and authenticity.”

—BlueInk “Without spoiling the surprise— plays out as an over-the-top nightmare.”

—KIRKUS “Games of Mind” awarded the “Honorable Mention” Award at the New York and Amsterdam’s Book Fest.

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From capital punishment to abortion, and gun rights to gay rights, arch conservative

Supreme Court Justice Damon King inflamed the nation’s culture wars for over

twenty-five years. Brilliant, arrogant, and abrasive, nothing threatened his sense of intellectual impregnability until the morning his wife found him shot dead in his

study, on the verge of overturning the most controversial liberal precedent of all.

Seasoned FBI Agent Dexter Chambeau, beset by his own personal challenges, is

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confounded by a cluster of suspects but a dearth of clues—any number of parties angered by King’s divisive judgments, but no witness, no murder weapon, no

fingerprints, no DNA. Was this the perfect crime to thwart the triumphant finale to King’s reign on the bench? Did justice finally triumph over the law?

Ian Greenham was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia.

He graduated from law school and worked in one of Australia’s leading commercial law firms before joining the country’s diplomatic service. While in Australia’s High Commission in Papua New Guinea, he was recruited by a major U.S. bank. Assignments followed in Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore, London, and New York. During his recent ten years in New York, his abiding interest in the law and its

social ramifications saw him tracking closely the succession of controversial U.S. Supreme Court decisions underlying the murderous intrigue in Justice Down, his new novel after his scientific mystery, The Fisherman’s Stamp.

$13.45 U.S.

Justice Down

by Ian Greenham Supreme Court Justice Damon King garnered many enemies over his 25 years on the nation’s highest court. His conservative opinions on gun rights, gay rights, abortion, and capital punishment built hostility on the left, and made him the darling of the right. He was a harsh, distant parent, alienating his children through uncompromising insistence on strict, conservative values. He and his fellow conservatives on the bench were on the brink of overturning one of the nation’s most controversial liberal precedents of the last 50 years when his wife found him shot dead in his study at home.

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Veteran FBI agent Dexter Chambeau is called in to collar the killer. He’s stymied by a

plethora of suspects and a dearth of clues—no witness, no murder weapon, no fingerprints, no DNA. His enchantment by King’s daughter, Eleanor, a journalist, complicates his task.

Every lead turns into a dead end; the lack of evidence is maddening. Was this the perfect crime to thwart the triumphant finale to King’s reign on the bench? Did justice finally triumph over the law? Justice Down is an entertaining thriller, packed with twists and turns leaving the reader wondering whodunit until the last pages are turned.

Author Ian Greenham, a native of Melbourne, Australia, worked as a lawyer with one of Australia’s leading commercial law firms before serving in the country’s diplomatic service. He was recruited by a major U.S. bank, and after assignments spanning the globe, settled in New York City. His abiding interest in the law and its social ramifications gave him the ballast for the controversial themes in this, his second novel, after his scientific mystery The Fisherman’s Stamp.

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Like I Used to Dance

by Barbara Frances

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“Oh, Grace, our kids,” laughed Bud. “Where did we go wrong?

One marries God, another a Jew and the last one, the devil!”

Texas, 1951. The Wolanskis— Grace, Bud and their three grown children—are a close-knit clan, deeply rooted in their rural community and traditional faith.

On their orderly farm, life seems good and tomorrow always holds promise.

But under the surface, it’s a different story. Grace is beset by dark memories and nameless fears that she keeps secret even from Bud. Their son Andy has said no to becoming a farmer like his dad and, worse, fallen in love with a big-city Jewish girl. Youngest child Regina is trapped in a loveless marriage to an abusive, alcoholic husband.

Even “perfect” daughter Angela’s decision to become a nun takes an unforeseen turn.

And then Ceil Dollard breezes into town.

Ceil—wealthy, sophisticated, irrepressible—is like a visitor from Mars. She’s a modern woman. She drives a car and wears pants. She blows away tradition and certainty, forcing Grace to face her fears and brave a changing world. Through Ceil, Grace learns about courage and freedom—but at the risk of losing Bud. Barbara Frances’ sparkling, richly human novel takes you back to a time when Ike was president and life was slower, but people were the same as now. You’ll encounter a cast of characters storm-tossed by change, held together by love.

Written with compassion, humor and suspense, Like I Used to Dance will charm you, warm you and even squeeze a few tears, from its opening number to the last waltz.

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The Dance of the Moon

by Pari Spolter

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ari Spolter’s latest book Dance of the Moon explains the complex motion of the Moon. In this book, you will not find a long series of advanced mathematical equations. There are no theory or assumptions.

Instead, you will find many easy to understand graphs based on the latest ephemerides of unprecedented accuracy.

A theory of gravitation cannot claim legitimacy, unless it can explain the puzzling motion of the moon. Newton realized this and made considerable effort to explain the observed anomalies.

Einstein, with his extensive set of advanced mathematical equations comprising general relativity, never attempted to solve this important problem.

In his Memoirs of the Life,

Writings, and Discoveries of Sir Isaac Newton, David Brewster relates Newton’s remark to Edmond Halley that the theory of the moon made his head ache and kept him awake so often that he would think of it no more. Lunar theory has caused headaches to numerous luminaries of later dates including D’Alembert, Clairaut, Euler, Lagrange, Laplace, Delaunay, Hill, Brown, and Eckert. In 1994 Martin Gutzwiller presented a paper at the American Institute of Physics Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia entitled: “Moon-EarthSun: The Oldest, Best Known, but Least Understood Three Body Problem.”

The new, correct equation for gravitation force, presented in the author’s previous book Gravitational Force of the Sun, the invention of the atomic clock, the advent of lunar laserranging technique, the availability of computers, of scientific programmable calculators, of software for plotting and statistical calculations, have made the work presented in this book possible.

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black neighbors for Orbie’s taste, not to mention the local Pentecostal congregation of snake handlers. Soon, however, he finds his worldviews changing, particularly when it comes to matters of race, religion and the true cause of his father’s death

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[Owens] renders a child’s viewpoint with great psychological sensitivity: “I didn’t like the way [Victor] was all the time trying to be on my mind. It was too close together somehow—like when Momma started talking about Jesus and wouldn’t shut up.”

Then Like the Blind Man, Orbie’s Story

by Freddie Owens

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hile fiction about the 1950s Civil Rights era is far from rare, few capture the period and struggles from the perspective of a white child. This is the story of one such child and the forces he must overcome to restore order in his world.

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Nine-year-old Orbie already has his cross to bear. After the death of his father, his mother, Ruby has off and married Victor, a slick talking man with a snake tattoo.

Orbie hates his stepfather more than he can stand, a fact that lands him at his grandparents’ place in Harlan’s Crossroads, Kentucky. There he grudgingly adjusts to life with his doting Granny and carping Grandpa, who are a bit too keen on their

“A psychologically astute, skillful, engrossing and satisfying novel.” * Starred For Exceptional Merit —Kirkus Reviews * “In an American coming-ofage novel, the author presents a stunning story with clarity and historical accuracy, rich in illuminating the Appalachian culture of the time period.”

—Publisher’s Weekly * “Every once in awhile, you read a book in which every element fits together so perfectly that you just sit back in awe at the skill of the storyteller. Then Like the Blind Man is one of these books.”

—The San Francisco Book Review * Best In Literary Fiction / Indie Reader Discovery Award An Amazon Bestseller!

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Praise for Before the Court of Heaven: “...a brilliantly-written tale of internal struggle and redemption.”

—IndieReader 5-star Review

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“Haunting echoes of Boris Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago and Irwin Shaw’s The Young Lions waft through this excellent novel...a gripping tale of high adventure, and an enthralling love story in the classic tradition.”

—RECOMMENDED by the US Review of Books

Before the Court of Heaven A novel by Jack Mayer www.jackmayer.net (author of LIFE IN A JAR: THE IRENA SENDLER PROJECT) Winner of 9 book awards including: • 2016 IndieReader Discovery Award – 1st Place – Fiction.

• 2015 Nautilus Book Award Winner – Fiction – Silver • 2016 Finalist – Grand Prize (Eric Hoffer Award) – Fiction

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istorical fiction based on the true story of a fascist assassin in 1922. On trial for his life, he receives an unfathomable offer of forgiveness that sets him on a harrowing journey of redemption. A vivid history of Germany from the beginning of the 20th Century to World War II, a thriller and tender love story.

“...captivating story of Germany between the wars... .”

—5-Star Clarion Review “...a compelling work of historical fiction...an important and accurate lens into the past.”

—Francis Nicosia, University of Vermont Center for Holocaust Studies “...enthralling historical fiction” —Starred - BlueInk Review “A spellbinding historical novel and a moral tale of enduring profundity.”

—Robert S. Schine, Professor of Jewish Studies, Middlebury College “...an engrossing novel that compels you to keep reading... an impressive rendering of the historical realities of a dark era.”

—Rebecca Bennette, Director of Jewish Studies and Associate Professor of History (German), Middlebury College

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Peacemaker Award - 2015 Best Novel Finalist

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“Squires’ briskly paced romance crackles with energy thanks to well-drawn characters and settings ... Squires’ use of historical details bolsters her settings, particularly the depiction of everyday life in the Arizona Territory ... A welldeveloped romance wrapped in an engaging and fast-paced Western, complete with strong protagonists, colorful settings, and superb historical details.”

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Desperate Straits

by Janet Squires Arizona Territory, 1887—

S

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arah Ryan’s hope for a new life is shattered by gunfire leaving her to rebuild an uncertain future with her orphaned nephew, Will, and face the challenges of a cattle ranch. Just when order returns, veteran lawman, L.T. McAllister rides in. L.T. believes himself ready for anything until he meets Sarah. Her ideas about the man he’s become soon pit his lifetime of duty against desire.

L.T.’s and Sarah’s loyalty to Will catapults them into a life for which neither one is prepared.

And when L.T. and Sarah defy Sheriff Grant Simpson, they trigger a retaliation that escalates into kidnapping and murder. L.T. and Sarah are forced into a battle for justice … and their lives.

​

—Kirkus Reviews, March, 2016.​​

“I found Desperate Straits by Janet Squires to be a wonderful meeting of Lonesome Dove and a Nora Roberts historical romance. The spunky optimistic Sarah is the very type of pioneer woman that made the West great. I loved her spirited Irish nature in the face of taunting situations ...” ​ PSusan W, Reviewer — Netgalley, January, 2016.

www.janetsquiresbooks.com Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

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Scapegoat—A Flight Crew’s Journey from Heroes to Villains to Redemption

by Emilio Crosetti lll

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n April 4, 1979, a Boeing 727 with 82 passengers and a crew of 7 rolled over and plummeted from an altitude of 39,000 feet to within seconds of crashing were it not for the crew’s actions to save the plane. The cause of the unexplained dive was the subject of one of the longest NTSB investigations at that time.

While the crew’s efforts to save TWA 841 were initially hailed as heroic, that all changed when safety inspectors found twenty-one minutes of the thirtyminute cockpit voice recorder tape blank. The captain of the flight, Harvey “Hoot” Gibson, subsequently came under suspicion for deliberately erasing the tape in an effort to hide

incriminating evidence. The voice recorder was never evaluated for any deficiencies.

From that moment on, the investigation was focused on the crew to the exclusion of all other evidence. It was an investigation based on rumors, innuendos, and speculation. Eventually the NTSB, despite sworn testimony to the contrary, blamed the crew for the incident by having improperly manipulated the controls, leading to the dive.

This is the story of an NTSB investigation gone awry and one pilot’s decades-long battle to clear his name.

Availability Scapegoat is available as an eBook, hardcover, and audio download. The book is available at all major retailers and wholesalers.

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A formidable grand picture! This is a fascinating compilation of information available in the public domain – no fiction – on the intricacies and interdependencies of American campaign politics.

– Prof. (em.) Dr. Hans Dieter Seibel, Germany Simply brilliant, unbiased, timely and thorough investigative journalism … Woodward and Bernstein would be proud of it. A riveting book that is a ‘must read’ for every American!!!

– Ajit Patel, Chief Technology Officer, WWA Advisors LLC, USA

This is a breath taking analysis by Ramesh S Arunachalam. Madam President will never become dated. It is a clarion call to rescue American democracy from the fatal embrace of money-power.

– G.R. Swaminathan, Assistant Solicitor General of India

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While the rest of the world reels under a severe financial crisis, India’s microfinance sector enjoys an unprecedented boom.

Why on earth are people investing such huge amounts of money in an obscure industry, especially at the time of global recession? And why is Wall Street suddenly so interested in India’s poor?

That is exactly what Robert Bradlee, senior correspondent with The New York Post, sets off to investigate, along with his journalist friend, Chandresh. Little does he know that his search for a scoop would lead him through a complex multi-pronged web of deceit, fraud, manipulation and financial crime, remote controlled from distant lands by an entire chain of financial sector stakeholders.

“A Scathing Review Gripping, racy and meticulously researched, this financial thriller weaves in and out of the affluent world of high-powered of Hillary Clinton’s boardrooms and the gruelling poverty of the remotest villages India, to reveal the devastating truths that often lurk behind Candidature”of“good intentions”.

Ramesh S Arunachalam

READ ‘We’re going after all these scams and make sure that everyone pays their fair share here in America. I‘m gonna hold them accountable, and we’re gonna have a special effort to track all these resources wherever they might lead.‘ – Hillary Clinton, speech before the AFL-CIO convention in Philadelphia – ABC News, April 06, 2016 Impassioned words tailored to warm the hearts of an American electorate disgruntled over increasing inequality and unemployment, even while corporate America grows fatter at their expense? Or empty election rhetoric not worth the paper the speech was written on? Can a President, whose campaign has largely been funded by the ‘billionaire class’ and Wall Street really ‘walk the talk’ on corporate crime? The book raises this among many other questions as it attempts a factual analysis of strategic issues related to a possible Madam Clinton Presidency!

As a former First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State and now the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee for the 2016 U.S. Presidential elections, Hillary Clinton enjoys the advantage of bringing a certain experience to the table that none of the others can boast of.

The advantage of experience does not come alone though but is accompanied by a certain baggage in the form of track record.

Will Hillary’s immense experience and charisma override this past baggage and catapult her to the Oval Office to make history as its first ever woman occupant? If that happens, will these issues come back to haunt her Presidency or will she be able to bury the ghosts of the past and indeed live true to her word and achieve all her election promises?

Madam President

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Where Angels Prey is an engaging and touching story of the “collision of altruism and aspiration. I found it a most enjoyable, but also most disturbing, read! ” CEO, SME Finance Forum, Matthew Gamser, International Finance Corporation, Washington DC, USA

“in impeccable English. Interweaving fact and fiction, this novel is a creative and compelling read. ” Solicitor General of India G R Swaminathan, Assistant Fantastic storyline, but startlingly realistic; written racily, yet

Madam President

by Ramesh Arunachalam

Where Angels Prey

by Ramesh Arunachalam

Chapter 11 Dealing with transnational terrorism is therefore a very integral part of foreign policy and be it 9/11/2001 in the United States, 7/7/2005 (in London), 26/11/2008 (in India), or the more recent Paris and Brussels attacks, it is foreign policy that will have to take a lead in ensuring national security. The national defense implications of this fact cannot be overemphasized. In fact, national security and national defense strategies are now an integral part of foreign policy because the foreign policy advisor (such as the United States Secretary of State) has the responsibility to ensure the safety and security of a nation’s assets, properties, and citizens worldwide. I don’t think there should be any doubts with regard to this. That said, Hillary Clinton’s actions in using her private unsecure server to conduct official U.S. government foreign policy, was not quite in the best interests of the United States.

Chapter 3 Priya suddenly clutches his arm, breaking his train of thought. She is not given to public displays of affection and hates even holding hands—a possible fallout of life in a patriarchal society where she was constantly chaperoned and on display. She hates drawing attention to herself.

He looks at her in surprise and then in the direction she points towards.

A nattily dressed, black-haired Indian man in his mid- thirties waves enthusiastically at Bob from across the street. He smiles broadly as he waves back in return.

“That’s Mayank Sharma, an acquaintance who works with James Jordin,” Bob says to Priya as he watches Mayank walk briskly towards them. His opening volleys always remind Bob of staccato gunshots. No wonder people in the west call Indian English “machine gun English”.

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Escaping Viet Nam— H’Yoanh’s Story: A Memoir of Determination, Defiance and Deliverance

by Harriet Tomlinson Hill and H’Yoanh Ksor Buonya www.harriethillbooks.com “Christmas Horror”

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or a week we had practiced carols to sing for the Christmas celebration with other villages. I made my way back to the hut by midnight, falling asleep almost immediately.

A gunshot noise roared in my ears, and I sat up quickly.

Outside there was a rushing of shadows, but I did not recognize any of them. All I could hear were night insects, almost in loud warning sounds, keeping time to my racing heart. My backpack, holding all of my

belongings, was in the corner.

I zipped it, put it over my shoulders and made several steps outside.

There was no time to wait for instructions. I had to move on my own—but where? Bullets flew over my head, and I started to shake and walk at the same time. I could barely feel my legs that seemed locked into a nightmare of slow motion. I went toward the stream and saw people low to the ground.

“Who are you?” I asked.

Someone jerked me down low next to him and said, “Don’t talk so loud! They have M79 rifles with grenade launchers.” Explosions set huts on fire. The flames caused more shadows to run and branches to reach out with long arms in a race to catch them.

People scattered in all directions. Some went downstream, some went up, and others just disappeared.

No one said, “Come with me!”

There was a hillside that I could barely see, near the stream. I went there and started to climb. The first branches that I reached broke under my weight, and I slid in the mud to the bottom. I stretched out my arms, clawing the dirt. Again, my pack pulled me backwards.

As my arms grasped other branches, and my feet clung to the mud, my foothold caught and I managed to keep moving upward. I called in a low voice, “Help me! Can someone help me?” Only silence.

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Love’s Legacy

by Dr. Ngozi M. Obi

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ove’s Legacy is the sequel to her debut novel, Love’s Destiny and continues Luke and Naeerah’s epic love story.

They’re back together despite all that threatened to keep them apart, but no one is ever fully prepared for Life’s storms. Luke and Naeerah are no different.

Follow our favorite couple as they fight to weather the storms of life while desperately trying to hold on to each other.

Will their marriage ship sink or swim in the sea of life’s process and prove their love is unbreakable and worthy to be branded a lasting legacy?

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“Dr. Obi has beautifully created a tale that brought the realities of life and the hardships that we face into a world of fiction

that we all can enjoy. Highly entertaining and inspirational…

Love’s Legacy lured me in deeply. The characters are so real with issues that make this novel 3 dimensional. The emotional journey was definitely one exciting thrill ride. I found myself completely enjoying and waiting to experience again when I read this story once more. The love that the main characters Luke and Naeerah have for one another is something, as a reader, that amazed me. Their love went deep physically and emotionally. Both made sacrifices for the other. In today’s world it’s rare to find a love like these characters had. Despite all obstacles, they held through with true declaration of love for another. Life always threatens to take away what we have and it’s not any different where Luke and Naeerah are concerned.

True love may have or may not have won in this brilliant piece

by Dr. Obi. Readers have to read it to find out for themselves. I absolutely loved reading Love’s Legacy, the most inspiring, heart melting, and intriguing novel I have read. Overall, I highly recommend this title to readers everywhere.”

—Danielle Urban AAMBC Book Reviewer August 16, 2016 *****(Rated 5 out of 5 stars) Visit the store section of www.ladyofdestiny.com for purchase links

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Releasing the Prisoner Within: A 63 Day Recovery Program

by Keith E. Jackson, MFT

A

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ddiction can portray itself in many different forms, but the spirit is the same. The principles found in this book will work with any form of addiction, because it address the problem at its inception. I have personally used this program to address some issues of addiction I had, so I know that it will work for anyone who is motivated and is ready to change. This is a biblical based program using the Word of God as its foundation along with neuro-psychology. It is God’s will that we be empowered and walk in dominion in our life, with the knowledge provided in this book the reader will be empowered to overcome any situation or circumstance that stands before them.

Christian Award winning author Keith E Jackson, MFT received honors for his Daily Devotional Walking in the Way Day by day (2015). He is a graduate from the University of Arizona and former player in the NFL. He has worked in the field of Criminal Justice for 28 years as a Juvenile Probation Officer and Correctional Counselor for San Diego County and received his Master Degree in Counseling Psychology from Southern California Bible College. He a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California and the founder of One Last Chance outreach.

For more information please visit www.olcoutreach.com.

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Return of the Convict

by William Alan Thomas

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BlueInk Starred Review: “William Alan Thomas’ visionary story revolves around a terminally ill convict’s attempt to escape a Mars penal colony and illicitly upload his being—all of his memories, thoughts, and dreams—into the mind of his unknowing clone. A (Philip K.) Dickian science fiction novel, it is a fascinating, cerebral exploration into the meaning of freedom.

The story is set in the year 2143 as the environmentally ravaged planet is ruled by the United World States and a small band of American rebels are still trying to regain their independence. The tale initially focuses on Dominic Tessier, a star student at the Space Training Academy in British Columbia.

With graduation looming, Tessier is excited to finally get his brain

implants (which will make him telepathic) and become a fullfledged T-man (“transformed” man). Once a T-man, he will be linked telepathically to all other Tmen as well as Raina, the godlike quantum computer that is essentially the brains behind the world government whose overarching mission is to restore Earth’s biosphere.

But his life is turned upside down when he meets his secret benefactor—the person who has anonymously paid for his education and who turns out to be his parent clone. Lucas Rivera is a convict who has been exiled on Mars for decades. After discovering that he has cancer, he devises an ingenious plan to not only stay alive but to experience a second life. Unfortunately, that means Tessier will become a prisoner in his own mind when Rivera takes over his body.

This is a captivating, relentlessly paced novel with well-developed characters, a fascinating backstory, richly described world-building, and a multitude of visionary imagery (i.e. the robotic dogs and horses). But perhaps the most powerful aspect is the story’s dark atmospherics and compelling underlying themes, not the least of which is the sheer unpredictability of existence.

A smart, thought-provoking glimpse into the future, this novel should more than satisfy anyone who enjoys cerebral sci-fi.”

Also available as an ebook.

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Abstract Painting, A Practical Approach

by Hennie Reimer

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riming the canvas with a brief philosophy of art and overview of colors and the ways they relate, author and lifelong artist Hennie Reimer then invites you on a journey of observation and experimentation. As she presents different techniques and styles that are available, she shares examples from her own work to illustrate how a certain idea paired with a particular approach may appear in its final painted form. But this is only one possibility and rather than just copy it, she encourages you to discover your unique version.

AWARDS: Next Generation Indie Book Awards: Finalist 2012

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New York Book Festival: Honorable Mention 2012

Hollywood Book Festival: Honorable Mention 2012 San Francisco Book Festival: Honorable Mention 2012 Praise for Abstract Painting: “Reimer’s book is true to its title, offering clear how-to tips on everything from mixing colors and stretching canvases, to experimenting with new methods and finding inspiration.”

—ForeWord Clarion Review “This is a book about art, but it’s far from abstract in its approach to creating your own masterpiece.”

—Hollywood Book Festival Critique “An educational, eye-catching primer on how to look at art and “see as an artist.”

—Kirkus Review www.henniereimerwebsite.com Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Alibris.

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Warrior, Lover, King

by Acacia Oak

W

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arrior, Lover, King recounts the tale of the eighth-century, barbarian king, Charlemagne, known for his love of learning, his commitment to the spread of Christianity, and his efforts to educate the children of his realm. As a cool-headed soldier; a lustful, enthusiastic lover; and a thinking, compassionate king, he truly is a hero sprung from the Dark Ages.

After their father’s death, Charlemagne and his brother, Carloman, become rulers of the Carolingian kingdom.

Understanding their duties very differently, the young men labor to protect and expand the Frankish realm. The Queen Mother’s influence and manipulation force the brothers

down a path which threatens Charlemagne’s effectiveness and discounts Carolman’s efforts.

In less than three years, Charlemagne rules alone but has little confidence in his own decisions. As if by a miracle, he finds someone to belive in him, someone who bolsters his belief in himself—Hildegard, a yound maid from Swabia. But the king’s road is complicated; he is already married with a hunchbacked son.

Charlemagne must find the strength to defy his mother, to win the woman he loves, and to protect a realm which through its poverty and illiteracy, is prey to enemies—both within and without.

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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in the investigation of his sister’s murder. Working with Lieutenant Mercedes Garcia Rico, the two uncover an unfathomable conspiracy dating back to the time the Moors surrendered their kingdom in Granada to the catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabela in 1492.

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The Seventh Treasure An International Thriller

by Len Camarda

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young American woman dies in a tragic roadway accident in the mountains outside of the city of Granada, Spain. Her brother, who heads up a training unit of the US Secret Service, travels to Spain to bring her body back to America. There, and in the company of a female lieutenant of Spain’s National Police Force, it is discovered there was foul play associated with his sister’s Gina’s death.

Soon, the consequences of this incident generate a cascade of mysterious murders that confound local authorities and shut down all leads as to why Gina Cerone was killed.

After a thirty year career in the Secret Service, Gene Cerone retires so that he can participate

Reviews: “Set in modern-day Spain and painted with layers of history and forgotten lore, this novel combines Tom Clancy’s knack for political suspense with Dan Brown’s love of secret societies.”

—The Clarion Review “…some might see echoes of Dan Brown in its fictionalization of history based on a few truths.

But this novel is awash with the rich culture and vibrancy of the Iberian Peninsula. Camarda has obviously done his research and his travels in the region lend credence to the book’s fertile setting and story. Readers who appreciate a complex plot and engaging historical fantasy will find much room to roam in The Seventh Treasure.”

—BlueInk Review “If you like historical thrillers or are just looking for a good read, I suggest Len Camarda’s The Seventh Treasure—and of course, a trip to Spain.”

—ByLanderSea Book Review Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and local book stores.

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Jesus, The Jew No One Knows

by D.C. Smith

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n Jesus The Jew No One Knows D.C. Smith reintroduces history’s most misunderstood Messiah. He presents the Torahobservant teacher, accompanied by classical artwork and concise explanations, to show what actually happened to him both before and after Christianity took root in Roman-occupied Judea. Using a carefully drawn out series of historical segments, Smith peels back 2,000 years of revisionist distortions to uncover the many myths and madeup stories about a local rabbi we now think of as “Jesus,” but whose real name was Joshua. Smith informs us about Christ’s birthplace, his mother, father, brothers and Nazarene neighbors, as he describes a peasant existence exalted and overdramatized after-the-fact. He shares the circumstances of a

teenage boy growing up in Lower Galilee, noting the race, tribe and lineage he would have belonged to, while explaining the political meaning behind his parables and the baffling behavior of his closest disciples. The author also considers narcissistic emperors and kings who reigned during those ancient days and recounts the new prophet’s religious calling, along with aristocratic “enemies” and so-called “friends” who claimed to have witnessed what was going on. In the third and final part of the story Smith exposes his hideouts, his last supper, his betrayer, the Roman judge who sentenced him, and the eventual crucifixion, all of which were followed by church doctrines regarding his resurrection and second coming.

Replete with biblical timelines and a comprehensive glossary, Jesus the Jew No One Knows is a visual journey into the day-to-day life of Jesus Christ.

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up for success; encouraging them to make further attempts preparing food at home. “The Style of the recipes encourages you to believe that even if you’ve never cooked your own dinner from scratch…you can do this” —Amazon Review by Kat K

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TEENS A League Of Their Own A Perfect Culinary Blend Cooking and Baking Recipes

by Author Christine Burton “New Cookbook Inspires Teenagers For Own Style, Taste in Cooking…”

—PRWEB; November 18, 2015 Burton’s book shows teens are in a league of their own, in the “kitchen arena;” they can cook and bake. One challenge to successful food preparation is lack of opportunity and experience in the kitchen. “…

Encouraging children and teens to develop kitchen skills will serve them well when it’s time for them to strike out on their own…”

—The US Review of Books

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Having worked with regular/ special needs children in grades K-12, Burton developed the book using methods to inspire and set these novice cooks/bakers

Recipes are written with preparation directions included in the ingredient lists, allowing for proper preparation of food in advance, preventing redundant reading and confusion. Ingredients are listed in the same order of use in the body of the recipe, to keep track of what ingredients are used and what’s left to use.

Instructions are written simply, but not dumbed down.

Burton had four students assist with testing and photographing of recipes before publishing. These students are pictured throughout the book, comically and real life; showing kids having fun outside of and in the kitchen. Students used alternate ingredients as suggested in the recipes and techniques unique to themselves; playing with new ideas and making new creations. Cooking and Baking Sections consist of 200 recipes to prepare simple menus or to plan menus for entire dinner parties.

Burton’s book is unique and a one-of-a-kind reference. She believes, “Teens are in a League of their own—in the kitchen arena.” www.teenscookbook.com

Children’s - FiCtion

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have you ever wished you could be someone or something else so you could get out of doing things you don’t want to do? that’s exactly what the boy in this story does.

The boy thinks of all the things rhinos don’t like, such as haircuts, eating dinner, and going to school. He also imagines that rhinos don’t like their teachers and would rather go outside and play than sit in class.

The boy starts pretending to be a rhino, which makes his mother upset. Eventually, he realizes that all the things he’s trying to avoid aren’t so bad—and that they may even be good for him.

Every child will find it easy to relate to the boy and rhino in this story. Most of them have the same problems, but deep down inside, they know that even things they don’t like are often worth doing.

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Rhinos Don’t Like it

AnD neitheR Do i!

Written and Illustrated by

Riccardo J. simpson

Rhinos Don’t Like It and Neither Do I!

by Riccardo J. Simpson 9X7 landscape Perfect Bound SC

H

ave you ever wished you could be someone (or something) else so you could get out of doing things you don’t want to do? That’s exactly what the boy in this story does. He pretends to be a rhino, and he imagines all the things rhinos probably don’t like: baths, haircuts, school, etc. Acting like a rhino upsets those around him, including his parents and his teacher, and eventually, he realizes that the things he’s trying to avoid aren’t so bad—they may even be good for him. Every child will find it easy to relate to the boy and rhino in this story. Most kids know that even things they don’t like are often worthwhile.

Readers Favorite calls it “a great book to share with a child.” www.riccardojsimpson.com www.lulu.com/shop/riccardoj-simpson/rhinos-dont-like-itand-neither-do-i/paperback/ product-22389072.html SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

www.facebook.com/rhinos dontlikeit/?fref=hovercard

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Opal Ridge Book 1

by Victoria Capper

W

e read to let our imaginations soar as we visit new places and the people who live there. Australia is a distant land, a faraway place and the outback has a particularly unusual way of life. Victoria Capper is a writer who faithfully captures the essence of this environment and our hearts with her characters and their relationships. Her series overreach is all about the legendary outback and the people who live there. People are saying:

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“Opal Ridge is a story that any romance lover can enjoy.

Victoria Capper seems to be very knowledgeable about the Australian outback, and the setting definitely came off as realistic.

Jenna and Charles are quite different, but from the get go I felt

that they are meant to be together.

The fact that they had plenty of differences to overcome made the book an interesting read.”

“A really fun read. Romance featuring Australian outback and two characters that really have kept me hooked reading it from the very start. Jenna and Charles seem so so right for each other but the hurdles they encounter are undeniable. Beautiful setting and an intriguing story make reading this so worthwhile.”

“This book was really enjoyable to read. The setting was very realistic and I was able to gain insight into everyday life in the Australian outback. ” Buy Now: bit.ly/opalridgeau www.victoriacapper.com www.facebook.com/ victoriacapperauthor/

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The Governess Book 2

by Victoria Capper

V

ictoria Capper lived in the Australian Outback for over fifty years, and people often ask “What it is like to live out there”?

Her writing is an answer to that question. This is book two in a series that, like the first book, demonstrates a vivid sense of place and a love for the details of life in the Outback. She says “The people I knew out there are hard-working full of grit, determination and humour. I love their spirit and my characters are an amalgamation and blend of people, circumstances and opinions, in their environment”

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This story unfolds with life in the far west more challenging than Thea expects—men carrying guns, huge spiders, murky water, what will she find next? She finds

Bruce, a very attractive single man who is in desperate need for a woman’s touch to help with his two young daughters. Their attraction is immediate, but will it survive this harsh environment?

The story is set around the homestead—the family life of children and animals, the dogs, the chickens, the lambs and even the snakes. Everyday dramas are the backdrop of the inevitable deepening and eventually the blossoming of the relationship between the central figures.

“It’s a beautiful story told with gentle humour and an authenticity only possible from an author with an intimate knowledge of outback life.”

Buy Now: bit.ly/thegoverness www.victoriacapper.com www.facebook.com/ victoriacapperauthor/

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up against the hardships with coming of age, struggle to find redemption, and fight to discover a way off the roadway of eternal death and onto the pathway to everlasting life!

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What pathway are YOU on?

Portals, Passages & Pathways, Book 1 In the Land of Magnanthia

by B.R. Maul

W

hen a portal to another world cracks open just outside a small town in Minnesota, it sets off a series of events forever changing the lives of two boys. Simon is set on the path to save this world, while Jak is on a path to tear it apart.

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WINNER of the 2015 Independent Publisher Book Awards for BEST sci-fi/fantasy eBook In the Land of Magnanthia is a teen & young adult fantasy adventure that takes you on a magical journey into the beautiful land of Magnanthia, the home to fantasy creatures of all kinds, spell-casting wizards and warlocks, and the ultimate war between good and evil.

Follow two teenagers as they go

Absolutely Enchanting - “In the Land of Magnanthia really blew me away. It was SMART, FUN and MAGICAL. B.R. Maul wrote about a magnificent world and characters that you will fall in love with.”

—Courtney with readbetweenthebooks91. blogspot.com Great New YA Series - “This book is a GREAT READ...! The two main characters embark on two very different experiences and the author does a great job telling the story from alternating perspectives. The book is also full of robust vocabulary and beautiful language adding to the richness of the novel. If you love fantasy this is definitely a book you will want to check out!”

—EvesFanGarden.com A Magical Read - “This book is an exciting mash up of all my best loved fantasy novels.

It has MYSTERY, MAGIC and MAYHEM; plenty of adventure and enough action to keep me glued to my Kindle.”

—Roxy Kade www.brmaul.com Available at Amazon.

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The Tail Wags the Dog

by Dr. Amy Beth Taublieb

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aving worked with folks as they plowed through their psychological struggles of varying severity taught Dr. Amy Beth Taublieb an enormous amount about the human condition. Her book, “The Tail Wags the Dog” (published by AuthorHouse), serves as a virtual guide to living life at an optimal level while navigating life’s inevitable struggles.

The book combines the expertise of a doctoral level clinical with the practical and easy to understand presentation relevant to the lay reader.

Addressing a wide range of topics, the book can serve as a guide to understanding/ interacting with others, and, basically living life in a psychologically healthier manner.

Since content is derived entirely from lessons learned by a psychologist from her patients, material presented is not colored

purely by academic research and psychological dictates.

Rather, what thousands of men, women and children have found to be helpful in their struggles with depression, anger, grief, anxiety, obsessions, addictions, insecurities, and other psychological issues, is presented to readers in a concise, usable format.

The direct, easy-to-understand language of this book exudes true relevance to each and every reader. Running the gamut from parenting issues, to addictive problems, to interpersonal interaction styles, to relationship struggles, to psychological/ psychiatric diagnoses ,to just plain making it through day to day life, “The Tail Wags the Dog” is an absolutely insightful read.

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and AuthorHouse.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Amy Beth Taublieb is a licensed psychologist who has been doing therapy and assessment in outpatient and inpatient settings for almost three decades. In addition to her therapeutic expertise, she is frequently called upon as a consultant to businesses for interpersonal mediation, to intervene with organizational employees when a psychologically traumatic event occurs, by the media to discuss issues of psychological relevance, and, to perform various assessments and serve as an expert witness for the courts.

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“It’s difficult to believe it happens, but forced guardianship fraud runs unchecked throughout international probate courts.

Deemed incapacitated by the courts, elderly citizens are robbed of all decision-making rights and assigned professional guardians whose only interest lies in profiting from their vulnerable charges’ estates.”

—The Washington Examiner

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Guardianship How Judges and Lawyers Steal Your Money

by M Larsen www.GuardianAbuseCases.com “A simple slip-and-fall can put someone into the guardianship of unknown persons with no knowledge to family and friends until the deed is done. Forced incompetency; get control over everything and the ward (senior) loses all rights.”

—Robert W Melton, Pinellas County Internal Auditor, “Dirty Tricks of Guardianships – The Need for Change,” April 2004

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“You are a target because you have assets. You don’t necessarily have to be very old.

You can even be quite lucid.

That won’t stop these predators.

When it comes to removing your rights and your money, these folks are experts.”

—Money Magazine.

“There is a web of murderous profiteering, all sanctioned by a corrupt legal system. As guardianship firms take everything they can, state attorneys turn a blind eye. Crooked cops harass family members into silence, while the very attorneys you hired won’t help for fear of losing their licenses.”

—Katherine Hein, Journalist “Instead of serving to protect the assets of incapacitated persons, the existing guardianship system presents the opportunity for unscrupulous guardians to loot the assets of their wards and enrich themselves with impunity.”

—New York Grand Jury “These are the people who may one day control your loved one’s health care, living arrangements, finances, and very life. Ostensibly created to prevent financial abuse by caregivers and family members, professional guardianship instead gave the legal system carte blanche to destroy lives.”

—Dr. Angela Woodhull

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Mind Games

by Al tair Charron Bey’

C

an you be a good parent and not know what goes into your children’s educational material?

Recently a group of past “Mom Congress Delegates” were able to travel to Washington D.C. to meet with the U.S. Department of Education staff, to discuss the importance of positive parent/family engagement in our schools, our children’s educational material, and how to support these initiatives. They found several things: * Having a family involved in a child’s educational opportunities and experiences is critical to long-term student success.

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* It is important for parents to be knowledgeable of how student curriculum is being created and

presented; and what the results from the new assessments will mean in the year ahead. (Many states have adopted “Common Core State Standards) * As parents, they often feel that if they just had the “information” they are looking for; which provides the criteria used by school administrators who create curriculum and standards, it would help their ability as parents to discuss with school administrators what they would like to see become a part of their children’s education.

This book gives parents that information they are looking for; it provides the criteria which curriculum and standards are based upon, and much more, for their ability as parents to discuss with administrators what they would like to see as a part of their children’s education.

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The Purple Teddy Bear A Christmas Story

by Janie Tesch-Cassady

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he Purple Teddy Bear book (with plush Teddy) is a recipient of the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award. This story is about a child’s Christmas wish and a very unique teddy bear. The story teaches us to love and embrace the things that make us unique and special.

The author wrote this book over 60 years ago initially for her fist graders.

“As a child I often begged my mom to read The Purple Teddy Bear. When she agreed, I would excitedly watch as she reached up in her closet. She would pull down a box containing slightly yellowed pieces of paper with the handwritten story and simple illustrations drawn in ink. I loved to hear her read from the worn pages. The story was mesmerizing—even without a fancy cover or colorful drawings”, stated her daughter

Heather Tesch (formerly of The Weather Channel).

Now a great-grandmother, Janie’s five daughters convinced her it was time to share the story with the world.

“The teddy bear didn’t think anyone loved him and then he found out that he was really loved”, said Janie Tesch-Cassidy at a book signing. “I think a lot of times kids feel that way—that they’re not loved, but they really are. I wished I published this sooner, but I’m happy to share it now.”

The Purple Teddy Bear book with adorable Teddy is an instant classic that children of any age will treasure all year long. www.thepurpleteddybear.com Set available at thepurpleteddybear.com and Amazon. Book only available at Barnes & Noble.

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The Modern Woman’s Guide to Aging: Together We Consider Our Options

by Claire Haye The Modern Woman’s Guide to Aging: Together We Consider Our Options explores the many adjustments and challenges that women face as they grow older.

With insight and humor, the Guide weaves together research, ideas, personal stories and thought-provoking questions to assist your own wise woman’s search for self-understanding and direction.

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The author, Claire Haye, is a well-known visual artist. She has lived in Taos, New Mexico since 1978. She came here as a young woman with her husband and two small daughters. Time has passed, she has become a grandmother, a widow and a

senior citizen. For nearly two decades, she has owned her own gallery, Claireworks, in the charming mountain village of Arroyo Seco, New Mexico.

Claire has had considerable success with her original jewelry and fine art. Her own aging process and her witnessing her much older parents’ journey inspired her to investigate and write on this topic.

The book, quietly self-published, has been well received by women readers and a few curious men.

“A Modern Woman’s Guide is a timely, invaluable treasure— beautifully written, beautifully designed, and beautifully illustrated (with photographs by award-winning Taos, NM, photographer Lenny Foster).

Haye’s authorial voice is intelligent, conversational, accessible, and up-beat—a kind of “all-in-together, girls” tone.”

—Bonnie Lee Black This book can be purchase at amodernwomansguide.com and Amazon.

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The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, Book One in The Chronicles of the Stone

by Fiona Ingram

A

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thrilling adventure materializes for two young boys when their fun family trip to Egypt turns into a dangerously exciting quest to uncover an ancient and mysterious secret.

A 5000-year-old mystery comes to life when a scruffy peddler gives Adam and Justin Sinclair an old Egyptian scarab on their very first day in Egypt. Only when the evil Dr. Faisal Khalid shows a particular interest in the cousins and their scarab do the boys realize they are in terrible danger. Dr. Khalid wants the relic at all costs.

This multi award winning juvenile fiction adventure will open the doors of discovery for young explorers and anyone who has ever wanted to save the world! Justin and Adam embark upon the adventure of

a lifetime, taking them down the Nile and across the harsh desert in their search for the legendary tomb of the Scarab King, an ancient Egyptian ruler. They survive terrifying dangers in a hostile environment, pursued by enemies in their quest to solve the secret of the sacred scarab, as well as rescue the missing archaeologist James Kinnaird, and their friend, the Egyptologist Ebrahim Faza before time runs out. They must also learn more about the ancient Seven Stones of Power and the mysterious Shemsu-Hor. With just their wits, courage, and each other, the boys manage to survive … only to find that the end of one journey is the beginning of another!

“What a fabulous first book in a planned series from Fiona Ingram ... Ingram immediately draws the reader in ... it’s truly a non-stop adventure story, and one that boys and girls alike will enjoy. Once I started reading The Secret of the Sacred Scarab I never wanted to put it down, and I was ready to read it all over again as soon as I was done. If the first book in The Chronicles of the Stone series

by Fiona Ingram is this superb, I hold out high hopes for future installments.”

—Cheryl Malandrinos, for Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection www.chroniclesofthestone.com Available on Amazon.

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Get a ticket to adventure with SHADOWS FROM THE PAST— a series that takes Middle Grade readers on a thrilling journey through time.

by Wendy Leighton-Porter

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en-year-old twins Joe and Jemima Lancelot have no idea why their parents have disappeared, but a strange old book that had belonged to their father holds the answer – and so begins an unusual quest to discover the truth. Together with their friend Charlie, the twins discover that the book unlocks a gateway into the past and they set off into the unknown in search of their missing parents who are lost in the mists of time.

Starting in the ancient city of Atlantis, their travels take them to key moments in history, moving forward in time with each chapter of the book. The twins’ parents remain elusive, slipping through holes in the time vortex as they try to work their way back to the present, but the children are hot on their heels.

Each exciting destination brings them a step closer, but their journeys are fraught with danger.

Who wouldn’t be scared of facing the Minotaur in Crete, or landing slap-bang in the middle of the Trojan War, or trying to escape from Pompeii as Mount Vesuvius erupts?

There is a fourth member of the team who simply has to be mentioned. Max, a large but extraordinarily handsome Tonkinese cat, is with them every step of the way. Intelligent and capable of great heroics at times of dire necessity, despite his natural tendency towards cowardice, Max sees his role as the children’s protector. His pithy comments bring a touch of humour to the stories…ah yes, Max is no ordinary cat and is capable of human speech, but you’ll just have to read the books if you want to find out how that’s possible! www.wendy-leighton-porter.com All of the books are available from Amazon

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years. It seemed like forever.

BRYAN: As long as he could remember, he had wanted only one thing: to be a knight like Sir Lancelot.

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Three Quests When an advisor to the king is killed and a jewelled medallion is stolen from the king’s treasury, their friend the Wild Man is accused of the theft and murder.

Filled with disbelief at the arrest of the Wild Man, the three friends embark upon a knight’s quest to save their friend’s life.

The King’s Ransom, Young Knights of the Round Table, Book 1

by Cheryl Carpinello • 2014 Gold Award Juvenile Fiction-Global eBook Awards • 2013 EVVY Finalist/Merit Award Juvenile/YA-CIPA • 2012 Silver Award YA Fictional-Children’s Literary Classics • 2012 Seal of ApprovalChildren’s Literary Classics

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Three Friends PRINCE GAVIN: The enormity of his quest enveloped Gavin and he sighed. Continuing on meant he might save the Wild Man, but he might put himself in danger as well.

PHILIP: Two years ago he would never have dreamed he’d be here, chopping wood for food and a dry place to sleep…Two

Three Mysterious Predictions To succeed, the three must confront their fears and insecurities, and one of them will have to disclose the biggest secret of all. Join Gavin, Philip, and Bryan on their quests in the magical world of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.

Do you have their courage?

Knights, Swords and Adventure – All in one.

“Pull out those swords and slide into your armor - can one slide into something that bulky?

- Doesn’t matter because this story will still feed the fantasy of children (especially boys), who dream of the days of knighthood.”

—Dr. S. Drecker www.cherylcarpinello.com Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes.

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After the Wind: 1996 Everest Tragedy— One Survivor’s Story

by Lou Kasischke www.afterthewind.com EXCERPT:

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I was excited and anxious. After almost six weeks, we were on the final push for the summit.

Once the decision was made to leave Camp 2 it was a single continuous push. Camp 3 and High Camp would only be brief rest stops on the way to the top of the world.

By my calculation and assumption, we would be on the move for 59 or more hours, with little if any sleep, and little solid food to eat. Sleep deprivation and lack of nutrition, by themselves, magnify the difficulty of all the climbing challenges. Hopefully I could get

my body to digest solid food, but I wasn’t counting on it. My body would also have to climb 7,800 vertical feet while hypoxic and while my cell structure was dying from oxygen starvation.

Also, in very practical terms, others who had climbed the terrain before told me there was no place to sit down and take a rest. If you wanted to rest, it would be while standing and gasping for air.

If everything did not continue as a go for some reason, it was possible to wait above the altitude at Camp 2 for a limited time before going further, or even return to Camp 2 after an aborted attempt and try again later. This commonly occurred and we were prepared for that possibility. We had the time and resources. But we never talked much about that contingency.

Rob was always positive. He said that the idea and priority was to have patience and pull it off the first time and avoid the physical and logistical challenge of a second attempt.

I knew the next 59 hours would be the big hurt. It would be all misery. Suffer and endure.

From After the Wind by Lou Kasischke. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.

“A vivid, intimate memoir that, with great clarity and attention to detail, tells an unforgettable survival story.”

—Kirkus Reviews

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE www.shelfmediagroup.com

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what to read next in independent publishing

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SEPTEMBER 2010

what to read next in independent publishing

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SEPTEMBER 2010

Chanel, Astaire, Lindbergh, and other Twenties somethings

what to read next in independent publishing

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SEPTEMBER 2010

what to read next in independent publishing

BOOK SHELF The Vampire Girl Next Door

by Richard Arbib

M

The Vampire Girl in London

by Richard Arbib

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ark falls in love with Sylvia, the beautiful, but quirky girl next door, not realizing that she’s a vampire who killed his last neighbor.

When Mark first meets Sylvia, he tells her, “You’re the girl of my dreams!” Sylvia smiles and responds with a warning—“Be careful what you wish for.”

n this sequel to The Vampire Girl Next Door, Mark and Sylvia must deal with terrorists, a CIA agent, a vampire-hunting cult, and a mansion full of Sylvia’s vampire friends— some of whom she can’t really trust. Will Mark and Sylvia’s love be enough to survive it all?

“The Vampire Girl Next Door is a choice pick for one looking for a romance with a supernatural twist, highly recommended.”

—John Burroughs, Midwest Book Review

“The Vampire Girl in London would satisfy supernatural fans and I’m once again entertained

by Arbib’s fascinating couple, Sylvia and Mark.”

—Lit Amri, Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews

www.thevampiregirlnextdoor.com

www.thevampiregirlnextdoor.com

Available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

Available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

Paperback and all e-book formats available on author’s website.

Paperback and all e-book formats available on author’s website.

Desperate Straits

by Janet Squires

A

rizona Territory 1887…An immigrant Irish girl and a veteran lawman battle for their lives when they stand between one man’s obsession and the Lost Adams gold.

“...A well-developed romance wrapped in an engaging and fast-paced Western, complete with strong protagonists, colorful settings, and superb historical details.”

—Kirkus Reviews, March, 2016. www.janetsquiresbooks.com Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Return of the Convict

by William Alan Thomas

I

n 2143 brain implants are standard for space cadets like Dom Tessier. Soon he’s to be fully telepathic, and join the world-wide technocracy.

Dom’s dreams are threatened when his parent clone, Lucas, escapes from Martian exile and returns to Earth. Lucas is deathly ill, and a mind transfer using Dom’s implants could save his life. www.williamalanthomas.com Available at Amazon.

BOOK SHELF The Human Magnet Syndrome, Why We Love People Who Hurt Us

by Ross Rosenberg, M.Ed., LCPC, CADC

Breakthrough, Transforming Fear Into Compassion

by Richard Forer

W

omantic relationships are formed instinctively, not so much by what is seen, felt, or thought, but more by an irresistible, invisible, and seductive relationship force. The Human Magnet Syndrome is precisely this force. It brings together oppositely matched but compatible codependents and pathological narcissists, who both mistake their soul mate mirage for their cellmate reality.

ith penetrating insight, Breakthrough narrates a journey from prejudice and fear to compassion and clarity and describes the inner thought processes that lead normally decent people to support indecency. Clarifying the history of Israel-Palestine, Breakthrough shows that the real enemy is the unexamined mind that projects its suffering onto the other and then scapegoats the other for its suffering.

www.HumanMagnetSyndrome.com Available at Amazon.

www.richardforer.com Available at Amazon.

R

The Three Souls

by Bill Thomas “A book that started out like a Johnny Cash song.”

—Kirkus Review “This is a fascinating story with real-life characters and scenarios. It’s difficult to imagine reincarnation inside a high security prison, but the author makes it seem quite possible.”

—Reader’s Favorite 4 Stars NABE 2014 Best Book in the Category of Fantasy www.BillJamesMusic.com Available at Amazon, BookBaby, Barnes and Noble and iTunes.

Till the Rivers All Run Dry

by Jim Lester

I

n 1941, when thirteen year old Ricky Parker’s family is uprooted from their home in Arkansas and relocated to Venezuela, Ricky thinks his life is over. But what he finds in a rough and tumble oil camp on the banks of Lake Maracaibo is the adventure of a lifetime. An adventure filled with Nazi spies, treachery, betrayal, true love and even murder. www.jimlesterbooks.com Available at Amazon in paperback and ebook formats.

BOOK SHELF The Tangled Web

by Phyllis Falls Rogers

W

ith intriguing characters, the plot of this mystery has some tantalizing twists: any of the characters could have murdered Jasper, and when the true murderer is revealed, it’s a satisfying conclusion. Jasper’s death leaves a web of unanswered questions, and the answers to those questions weave a web through Bibly, as murder binds people together in unimaginable ways. What will happen to those left behind as a result?

Available at Amazon and AuthorHouse.

Toxic

by Wix Diamond

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lexa Mason discovers a young boy with severe lead poisoning and makes sure he gets treatment.

Alexa has fallen in love with Jack, an attorney working for the city of Atlanta. When he goes missing, Alexa is angry but her anger turns to heartbreak when she realizes something must have happened. Then, more children turn up with lead poisoning.

www.wixdiamond.com/home.html Available at Amazon.

Jerome & His Women

by Joan O’Hagan Historical fiction about the controversial Saint Jerome is given a contemporary twist.

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hen the Pontiff commissions Jerome to translate the Bible into Latin, it is a political masterstroke set to establish Christianity as a world religion. Yet Jerome is his own worst enemy, and his famously sarcastic wit quickly alienates the ruling elite. As rumors circulate about his relations with the beautiful widow Paula, they plot his downfall… www.joanohagan.com Available at Amazon, Book Depository, and Booktopia.

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Promote your book in Shelf Unbound in our Special Advertising Section for Authors. Each issue of Shelf Unbound is distributed to more than 125,000 people in the U.S. and 62 countries around the globe. Our introductory ad rate for this section is $375/quarter page as seen here.

Contact publisher Margaret Brown to reserve your space.

Margaret@shelfmediagroup.com 214.704.4182.

BOOK SHELF My Life Story

by Shenna Walker

While the Rivers Run

by Wynema McGowan

M

A tale of murder and vengeance in 1850’s Texas.

y life began at birth in a small country town known as Marianna, Arkansas as the firstborn child to Bishop and Mrs. Thomas and a big sister to Michael Thomas. Life as a child was a joyful one because my parents allowed me to enjoy the privileges of being a child.

A

courageous young woman sets off across Texas seeking revenge for the murder of her husband. With a territorial ranger named Tom Doubletree she finds danger, adventure and the love of her life. A fast moving story with original and complex characters as well as gun fights, Indian attacks, and tangible chemistry between the two main characters.

www.thisisshenna.com Available at Lulu. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRbfXChqi-I www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEhkz6QFdfQ

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his book was written as a result of questions I had concerning the state of the church of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I read of all the miracles God performed in the Bible, and like Gideon (Judges 6:13) I asked the question, “Where has that God gone? Why am I not seeing that kind of power in my life?” After much prayer and meditation, God started to show me what was lacking in my life. I realized that walking with God was more than just memorizing Scriptures and learning formulas to get God to work on my behalf.

WALKING IN THE WAY DAY BY DAY

A Tale of Two Beehives

by Dr. Sharoq Almalki

Available at Amazon.

While I was paralyzed from a spinal infection, I realized that some of what I had been taught in church were based on tradition and were not biblically based. During this period of time, God began the healing process. Through faith in the Word of God, I was healed physically, but, more importantly, God gave me the assignment to pass on to others what I have learned. I pray for all those who read this book: may your eyes and hearts be open to receive the message of God’s great love for you and His desire to lead you to your Promise Land.

www.sharoqalmalki.com Available at Amazon and Archway Publishing.

Keith E. Jackson, MF T

Tale of Two Beehives brings new insight to an important topic— employee engagement and working culture.

Learn how to turn things around by creating a culture of engagement that provides satisfaction, fulfillment, and recognition. When you achieve employee engagement, profitability will often follow.

This book is endorsed by Chester Elton, NY Times Bestselling author of “The Carrot Principle” and “All In”.

Walking in the Way Day by Day

by Keith E. Jackson, MFT WALKING IN THE WAY DAY BY DAY

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his book was inspired while I was hospitalized for a spinal infection. I was a quadriplegic and the Keith E. Jackson, MF T doctors told me I would probably be wheelchair bound for the rest of my life. Well, the LORD told me that I would recover because he wanted me to be a witness to His Glory. This daily devotional is full of the promises that God has made available to all those who call on His name. Begin your walk today and find your promise land. This book contains 365 readings one for each day of the year. www.olcoutreach.com Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Authorhouse.

Your Daily Guide to the Promise Land

WARNING: THIS BOOK CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT MAY CHANGE YOUR PERCEPTION ABOUT GOD, YOURSELF, AND YOUR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS!

BOOK SHELF The Tail Wags the Dog

by Dr. Amy Beth Taublieb

H

aving worked with folks as they plowed through their psychological struggles of varying severity taught Dr. Amy Beth Taublieb an enormous amount about the human condition.

Her book, “The Tail Wags the Dog”, serves as a virtual guide to living life at an optimal level while navigating life’s inevitable struggles.

www.dramybeth.com Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Author House.

An Extraordinary Year

by Judy Woodall

I

n early September, 1956, Judy Woodall sailed off to Europe with a group of young women, all students at Tulane University’s Newcomb College about to experience their Junior Year Abroad. Starting that first night at sea, Judy kept an extraordinarily detailed journal recording her experiences living in Paris and Dijon and her many travels throughout Europe. Reading this journal gives a vivid dayto-day portrayal of a time worth remembering—a time now fading into history.

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Tate Publishing.

Abstract Painting, A Practical Approach

by Hennie Reimer

W

hile many art how-to books offer explicit stepby-step instructions, Abstract Painting: A Practical Approach uses a less stringent strategy to teach you how to paint, which not only leaves ample room for your own creativity but also frees you to have plenty of fun with the process.

Are you ready to sidestep formulas and search the depths of your own creativity? www.henniereimerwebsite.com Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Alibris.

Love’s Destiny, When Dreams and Visions Collide, and Love’s Legacy

by Dr. Ngozi M. Obi

D

r. Ngozi M. Obi is an American author whose love for writing has evolved into 3 published novels to date.

Love’s Destiny, her 1st novel, is an intriguing tale of love lost & found. Her 2nd novel, When Dreams & Visions Collide, is an uplifting tale of fulfilling dreams despite arduous challenges. Her 3rd novel, Love’s Legacy, continues the quest of true love in a riveting sequel to her first novel.

Visit www.ladyofdestiny.com to learn more.

BOOK SHELF Then Like the Blind Man, Orbie’s Story

by Freddie Owens

W

hile fiction about the 1950s Civil Rights era is far from rare, few capture the period and struggles from the perspective of a white child. This is the story of one such child and the forces he must overcome to restore order in his world.

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http://parispolter.com/the-dance-of-the-moon

Great Reviews From Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus (starred review), Midwest & The San Francisco Book Review.

Available at Amazon.com, Baker and Taylor, and IngramSpark.

An Amazon Bestseller! www.freddieowens.com Available at Amazon.

See review by Dr. Thomas E. Phipps, Jr. in PHYSICS ESSAYS, Volume 28 Number 2 June 2015 page 290.

Justice Down

by Ian Greenham

C

onservative Supreme Court Justice King inflamed our culture wars for years—arrogant and intellectually impregnable until the morning his wife found him shot dead in his study, on the verge of overturning the most liberal precedent of all. FBI Agent Chambeau has no witness, no murder weapon, no fingerprints, no DNA. Did justice finally triumph over the law?

www.iangreenham.net Available at Amazon.

Scapegoat—A Flight Crew’s Journey from Heroes to Villains to Redemption

by Emilio Crosetti lll

T

he true story of a flight crew wrongly blamed for causing a near-fatal accident and the captain’s decades-long battle to clear his name.

“Fasten your seatbelt for an incredible story of injustice.”

—Karlene Petitt, international airline pilot, safety consultant, and best-selling author www.emiliocorsetti.com www.facebook.com/Scapegoatbook The book is available at all major retailers and wholesalers.

BOOK SHELF Like I Used to Dance

by Barbara Frances

T

his sparkling, richly human novel is a saga that transports you back to a time when Ike was president and life was slower, but people were the same as now. Written with compassion, humor and suspense. You’ll encounter a cast of characters storm-tossed by change, held together by love and jumping off the page to charm you, warm you and even squeeze a few tears, from its opening number to the last waltz. www.likeiusedtodance.com Available at Amazon and Smashwords.

The Olive Picker A Memoir

by Kathryn Brettell

T

he Olive Picker grabs the reader by the scruff on the very first page and never lets go. Never a victim’s tale; it has an underlying theme far more powerful than any murder mystery.

It is a poignant, powerful, story of resilience and survival. A haunting tale of strength and inspiration that will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned. www.kathrynbrettell.com Available at Amazon.

A Modern Woman’s Guide to Aging: Together We Consider Our Options

by Claire Haye

T

his succinct book by the aging artist, Claire Haye, is not a how-to book, but rather an invitation to explore the many adjustments and challenges that women face as they grow older. With insight and humor, the Guide weaves together research, ideas, personal stories and thought-provoking questions to assist your own wise woman’s search for self-understanding and direction. www.amodernwomansguide.com Available at Amazon and Claireworks.com.

Walking Away From Texas

by Sharon Bradley

K

atie Mitchell and Alan Thomas have been best friends since kindergarten and are about to prepare for college and their future.

Katie is struggling with conflicting feelings and is unsure about leaving her friends and family behind. She discovers that her feelings for Alan run deeper than platonic. Can Katie and Alan’s friendship survive the challenges that lie ahead?

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

BOOK SHELF The Collection of Heng Souk

by S.R. Wilsher

“T

When the Serpent Bites

by Nesly Clerge

F

he words he had heard in the chapel had been well chosen, gleaned from listening to those who had known the man. But they were not enough. To understand what one person meant to another it can only be heard directly. The truth was not in the words; it was in the catches of emotion and the breath of remembrance.”

rederick Starks has it all—until gutwrenching betrayal by his wife sends him over the edge and into a maximum security prison. There, Starks is a new “fish,” stripped of nearly everything he’s always relied on. Starks is now forced to face the darker side of life, and he must choose which path to follow when the line between right and wrong becomes blurred.

www.srwilsher.com Available at Amazon.

www.clergebooks.com Available at Amazon.

Undermining the U.S. Constitution

by Diane S. Vann A book about Extremist Socialism, also known as Communism, and its threat to the Constitution.

From the book: ...In brief, the prescription is for Communists of the working class to first take over a political party, gain control of the government, and then bring the ruling middle class and government down with the help of trade unions and socialists. The desired outcome of the prescription is that no class will oppress another and everyone’s status will be equal, even though only the Communists will know the ultimate plan for the worldwide government. www.dianevann.com Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Authorhouse.

Forgotten Warriors

by D. Ralph Young

T

his story is of the Amphibious March across the Pacific from the Aleutians to Okinawa by the USS J. Franklin Bell (Amphibious Personnel Assault Ship.) It brings attention to the many battles in the Pacific that have been forgotten, such as Tarawa, Tinian, Pelelliu, etc. Records show that Pacific soldiers were 5 times more likely to be killed than our European counterparts. www.dralphyoung.com Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and www.dogearpublishing.net

BOOK SHELF TEENS A League Of Their Own, A Perfect Culinary Blend Cooking and Baking Recipes

by Christine Burton Children’s - FiCtion

have you ever wished you could be someone or something else so you could get out of doing things you don’t want to do? that’s exactly what the boy in this story does.

The boy thinks of all the things rhinos don’t like, such as haircuts, eating dinner, and going to school. He also imagines that rhinos don’t like their teachers and would rather go outside and play than sit in class.

The boy starts pretending to be a rhino, which makes his mother upset. Eventually, he realizes that all the things he’s trying to avoid aren’t so bad—and that they may even be good for him.

Every child will find it easy to relate to the boy and rhino in this story. Most of them have the same problems, but deep down inside, they know that even things they don’t like are often worth doing.

C

hristine Burton, creatively combines cultural traditions/ techniques encouraging children/teens to develop kitchen skills—inspiring creation of new flavors. Detailed instructions—recipes kitchen tested and photographed—makes this a reference book great for beginners and long-time cooks/chefs. The recipes are sure to motivate you to start creating your own dishes that will stand the test of time. www.teenscookbook.com Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, Pubmatch, and Trafford Publishing.

The Purple Teddy Bear A Christmas Story

by Janie Tesch-Cassady The Purple Teddy Bear comes with an adorable plush Teddy to hug and is a recipient of the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award.

The Purple Teddy Bear is about a child’s Christmas wish and a very unique teddy bear. The story teaches us to love and embrace the things that make us unique and special.

Loved by children age 3 – 10. www.thepurpleteddybear.com Set available at thepurpleteddybear.com and Amazon. Book only available at Barnes & Noble.

Rhinos Don’t Like it

AnD neitheR Do i!

Written and Illustrated by

Riccardo J. simpson

Rhinos Don’t Like It and Neither Do I!

by Riccardo J. Simpson 9X7 landscape Perfect Bound SC

H

ave you ever wished you could be someone else to get out of things you don’t want to do? The boy in this story pretends to be a rhino until he realizes the things he’s trying to avoid aren’t so bad—they may even be good for him.

Readers Favorite calls it “a great book to share with a child.” www.riccardojsimpson.com Available at Lulu.

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Promote your book in Shelf Unbound in our Special Advertising Section for Authors. Each issue of Shelf Unbound is distributed to more than 125,000 people in the U.S. and 62 countries around the globe. Our introductory ad rate for this section is $375/quarter page as seen here.

Contact publisher Margaret Brown to reserve your space.

Margaret@shelfmediagroup.com 214.704.4182.

BOOK SHELF If You Were Me and Lived in...

Colonial America

by Carole P. Roman

J

oin Carole P. Roman and travel through time to visit the most interesting civilizations throughout history. Learn what Colonial American children did for fun. If You Were Me and Lived in... Colonial America does for history what her other award-winning series did for culture. So come and discover the world through the eyes of a young person just like you. www.caroleproman.com FACEBOOK LINK | TWITTER LINK Available at Amazon.

In the Land of Magnanthia

by B.R. Maul Have you ever wondered, “Why am I here?” For Simon Whittaker the answer awaits on the other side of a magic portal…but so does the darkest, primal evil.

In the Land of Magnanthia is book #1 in the teen, fantasy fiction series Portals, Passages & Pathways, and the recipient of the 2015 Independent Publisher Book Awards for Best Sci-fi/Fantasy eBook. www.brmaul.com Available at Amazon.

Cole’s Perfect Puppy

by Frances Crossno

C

ole’s Perfect Puppy is the first in a series of “Perfect Puppy” novels filled with action, moral concepts, and, of course—puppies! Book one revolves around a boy named “Cole”, his brother “Caleb”, their friend “Rachel”, and a golden retriever puppy named “Scarlet”. As the story progresses, they learn about friendship, sacrifice, and God’s perfect love. www.francescrossno.com Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and Book Depository.

Warrior, Lover, King

by Acacia Oak

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arrior, Lover, King recounts the tale of the eighthcentury, barbarian king, Charlemagne, known for his love of learning, his commitment to the spread of Christianity, and his efforts to educate the children of his realm. As a coolheaded soldier; a lustful, enthusiastic lover; and a thinking, compassionate king, he truly is a hero sprung from the Dark Ages.

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

BOOK SHELF The Commandments of God: Are They Burdensome? Are They Abolished?

by Cornie Banman

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he Holy Scriptures show us that the Eternal God set His Laws in motion for our benefit and welfare, and for our health; for all eternity. In this book you will see that liberty can be obtained by following God’s Laws and Commandments, and that man’s burdens come from following man’s commandments/traditions.

www.corniebanman.com Available at Amazon and iUniverse.

Before the Court of Heaven

by Jack Mayer

H

istorical fiction based on the true story of Ernst Techow, the 1922 fascist assassin of the highest-ranking Jew in Weimar Germany, Walther Rathenau.

Rathenau’s mother’s letter, read at Techow’s trial, offering forgiveness becomes the fulcrum of his redemption. A vivid history of Germany from the beginning of the 20th Century to World War II, a thriller and tender love story. www.jackmayer.net Available at Amazon, Ingram, and independent bookstores.

Traditional Anti-Torah Church Doctrines

by Cornie Banman

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ornie Banman gives readers an informative and comprehensive guide on the methods to validate the doctrines they abide by. He believes that humans have a strong desire to agree with anything that comes out from the pulpit.

He desires to give everyone the ability to discern between what should be faithfully followed and what shouldn’t, so that they would be in alignment with the will of God. He digs deep into Scripture and history to solidify his methods of discernment. www.corniebanman.com Available at Amazon and iUniverse.

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Promote your book in Shelf Unbound in our Special Advertising Section for Authors. Each issue of Shelf Unbound is distributed to more than 125,000 people in the U.S. and 62 countries around the globe. Our introductory ad rate for this section is $375/quarter page as seen here.

Contact publisher Margaret Brown to reserve your space.

Margaret@shelfmediagroup.com 214.704.4182.

BOOK SHELF Opal Ridge Book 1

by Victoria Capper

O

The Governess Book 2

by Victoria Capper

T

pal Ridge is both a romp through the vernacular of life in the Bush and an intriguing story of great depth.

Opal Ridge is the first novel in Victoria Capper’s trilogy of outback romances. It covers the joys and trials of living in the Australian outback, as well as the romance of the inevitable relationships that develop.

he Governess is a book that brings to life both the intensity of human emotions brought on by isolation and the fierce beauty of the Australian bush.

It is the second book in the Opal Ridge series about the joys and trials of living in outback Australia. The beautiful setting, and a gentle but compelling romantic story make reading this so worthwhile.

www.victoriacapper.com Available at Amazon.

www.victoriacapper.com Available at Amazon.

Black Inked Pearl, A Girl’s Quest

by Ruth Finnegan A girl searches through time and space for her rejected love. A novel originating in dreams.

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ward-winning epic romance by a noted anthropologist: ‘the best of classical literature combined with the highest mechanisms of Modernism…nothing else like it’, ‘classic’, ‘dreamlike’, ‘hints of Dante, Hopkins, and African story-telling’, ‘sinks into your unconscious’, ‘on the threshold of poetry’, ‘unique’.

FACEBOOK LINK Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Kobo

Dearest Elizabeth— A Private Collection

by Wayne Griffin

D

earest Elizabeth—A Private Collection tells not only the story of an extraordinary life of the last queen of Hollywood, Elizabeth Taylor, it is also tells a remarkable story of celebrity connection made possible through the many items in this collection. See items once owned and worn by the legendary star, and hear the author’s captivating stories behind each piece. Find out how the private collection all began,what inspired the penfriendship between the star and the author, and how he collected each piece with loving precision and amassed such an intense volume of Elizabeth Taylor history. www.dearestelizabeth.com Available at Amazon and Xlibris.

BOOK SHELF Pokergeist

by Michael Phillip Cash

A

n awful gambler trying to scrape by as a professional poker player, Telly becomes the protégé of world famous poker champion Clutch Henderson. The only catch…Clutch is a ghost. Telly and Clutch navigate the Las Vegas gambling life learning to trust each other in order to win the elusive International Series of Poker, repair their shattered relationships and find redemption. www.michaelphillipcash.com FACEBOOK LINK | TWITTER LINK Available at Amazon.

Games of Mind by W Dennis Quiles U.S. $XX.XX

DENNIS QUILES

hen former naval intelligence officer Jack Steele opens a letter from

his aunt, he makes an immediate

decision to head to Nome, Alaska. Although he hasn’t seen Marie in twenty

years, he’s concerned when she tells him

A

her husband, Uncle Jimmy, is in trouble.

former intelligence agent; responding to a family member plea for help upon of landing in Nome, Alaska immediately discovers DENNIS QUILES a vast conspiracy.

A Medical Research MIND CONTROL DIDN'T STOP IN THE 70S Corporation, has been using locals, as guinea pigs to perfect, mindcontrol techniques, so they, could strategically lay the ground, to assassinate the Vice President of the United States.

From the moment Jack picks up that en-

velope, he knows he’s about to enter a

situation better left alone. But loyalty to family is stronger than a gut feeling.

Jack, a private investigator with Harrison

GAMES of MIND

GAMES MIND

Private Investigation Agency, lands

in Nome and discovers that Lindberg Research Corporation has been using the

people of that city as guinea pigs to perfect

mind control research. He has stumbled onto a massive conspiracy that has held

hostage the noble people of Nome. The plot threatens America’s way of life, the life of the vice president of the United States, and Jack’s own survival.

Alone and without his usual resources and

special equipment, Jack is overmatched and is nearly killed before he can even scratch

the surface of what’s really taking place in

Nome. Jack must elude an ex-special forces green beret—a man who has sworn over

his dead son to kill Jack—and work around

local law enforcement and other mysterious forces in order to save the people of Nome

and the vice president of the United States.

www.gamesofmind.net Available at Amazon, iUniverse, and Kobo.

A Shade of Darkness J.A. Klassen

B

ronwyn is a successful author who has just finished her second book.

She is now thinking of her third one. She might as well enjoy herself while she is working, so she decides to go on a working holiday.

She flies to all the old pirate haunts in the Caribbean to do some research. When she gets there she runs into a very unlikely character who just happens to be a pirate from the 16th century.

But, of course, he has some baggage from living so long. Then she meets his maker and really finds out what kind of baggage he has.

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iUniverse.

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Promote your book in Shelf Unbound in our Special Advertising Section for Authors. Each issue of Shelf Unbound is distributed to more than 125,000 people in the U.S. and 62 countries around the globe. Our introductory ad rate for this section is $375/quarter page as seen here.

Contact publisher Margaret Brown to reserve your space.

Margaret@shelfmediagroup.com 214.704.4182.

BOOK SHELF Daemon (Angel Blade, vol. 2)

by Carrie Merrill

I

n the thrilling sequel to Angel Blade, Nikka receives a vision about the end of the world and must fight the demon horde again to stop the coming Apocalypse.

“Dare I say it’s better than the last book? She’s done it again with the page turning suspense and the nail biting cliffhangers. One more page turned into several hours and chapters later.”

—Amazon Review http://carriemerrill729.wix.com/author Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and http://christophermatthewspub.com/daemon.

Solaris Seethes

by Janet McNulty Every myth has a beginning.

A

fter escaping the destruction of her home planet, Lanyr, with the help of the mysterious Solaris, Rynah is forced to unite with four unlikely heroes from an unknown planet (the philosopher, the warrior, the lover, the inventor) in order to save her people and embarks on an adventure that will shatter everything Rynah once believed. www.mcnultyjanet.com Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, and Kobo

The Messenger

by Claude L. Chafin

A

ndrew Chafin, the author’s grandfather, was recruited at age nine by the infamous “Devil Anse” Hatfield, to act as a messenger between the Hatfield home and the hideouts of his two sons Cap and Johnse. The sons were hunted relentlessly by bounty hunters, for their part in the feud with the McCoy family of Kentucky. He rode on horseback through the mountains, at distances of forty miles or more, encountering wildcats, bears, and bounty hunters, and spending nights in the trees. But he always fulfilled his mission.

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

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Promote your book in Shelf Unbound in our Special Advertising Section for Authors. Each issue of Shelf Unbound is distributed to more than 125,000 people in the U.S. and 62 countries around the globe. Our introductory ad rate for this section is $375/quarter page as seen here.

Contact publisher Margaret Brown to reserve your space.

Margaret@shelfmediagroup.com 214.704.4182.

photo essay

FAR AFIELD

RARE FOOD ENCOUNTERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

by Shane Mitchell photography by James Fisher Ten Speed press crownpublishing.com

“In the forthcoming culinary travel book Far Afield, the stewards of the world’s traditional footways—farming, fishing, and herding methods— are profiled along with extraordinary photography and 40 recipes. Each profile represents a distinct culinary tradition or practice unknown to outsiders.”

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Reprinted from FAR AFIELD Copyright © 2016 by Shane Mitchell.

Photographs copyright © 2016 by James Fisher.

U N B O U N D 127 Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

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dystopian fangirl The Cresecren Chronicles: Novus

by Crystal Marcos Cat Marcs Publishing catmarcs.com “I may never know what it feels like to lose a mate.

As I watched Zira rock back and forth moaning, I wondered if love was worth what she felt. “

What to read next in YA dystopian fiction? Our intrepid fangirl Sarah Kloth reviews some of her favorites.

Adventure-packed experience with a Cinder-like feel and an iRobot-like storyline. Marcos takes you into a dystopian world where humans have made a new being to aid in the survival of the human race. The Cresecrens, essentially a new race whose sole purpose is to serve humans. No rights, no freedom. Humans and Cresecrens live peacefully within their own boundaries, after one unexplainable event, all that changes.

From character development to plot twists, Marcos story comes together beautifully. There is never a slow or dull moment: conspiracy, forbidden love, hidden cities, battles, and more; you are sure to read this book in one sitting.

Synopsis: “In an effort to preserve themselves, humans created those they call Cresecrens.

Cayden was given life as a Cresecren. He expected to live out his days with the dysfunctional human family he was assigned to serve. One fateful night, however, landed him in Gavaron, the home of maimed, elderly, or defiant Cresecren.

Beyond its borders is the Den, an area much more dangerous than he ever imagined. Now seventeen, Cayden unwittingly becomes involved in a conspiracy and is one of the handful of survivors fleeing a deadly attack. They set off on a perilous journey in search of refuge and the truth.

Along the way, Cayden begins to comprehend the difference between fully living and merely surviving, while trying to balance his emotions and forbidden love.

Can he trust anyone?”

—Cat Marcs

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PODCASTERS! ENTER THE PODSTER

“Best Undiscovered Podcast”

COMPETITION

Podster magazine announces the Podster “Best Undiscovered Podcast” Competition. Eligible podcasts must have an average of fewer than 1,000 downloads/listens per episode. Entry fee is $50 per podcast episode entered. There is no limit to the number of podcast episodes an individual can enter; each podcast episode is a separate entry. The winning entry will be selected by the editors of Podster magazine.

The winner will receive a full-page ad in a 2017 issue of Podster magazine (rate card value $1,000) as well as an interview in a 2017 issue of Podster. Five finalists will receive editorial coverage in a 2017 issue of Podster. We will also feature additional “notable” podcasts entered in the competition in a 2017 issue of Podster.

DETAILS HERE

www.shelfmediagroup.com/pages/competition-podster

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Please feel free to contact Margaret Brown, Publisher, via email: Margaret@shelfmediagroup.com.

Promotion

by Jake Kerr

I

my self-publishing journey

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n my previous column I noted how a single promotional site—Bookbub—helped set up the launch of my second book (Tommy Black and the Coat of Invincibility) by powering over 13,000 free downloads of book one (Tommy Black and the Staff of Light). In this column, I want to talk about free. Free as in giving away free books and the power of free promotion.

In self-publishing circles, the power of free is wellknown, and it is one of the key ways that a self-publisher can outmaneuver a traditional publishing house, as major publishers are loathe to give their books away for free. There are two ways this is generally done. The first is to make the very first book in a series permanently free. Readers get a whole book for free, and the theory is that once they love the first book, they’ll buy the rest of the books in the series. This works, and has powered many a self-published author’s career.

Related to the above is to do what I did with my first Tommy Black book: Create a huge promotion that will lead to a high ranking in the Amazon free store, with the goal that that temporary surge will lead to both greater interest in the series so that you not only sell other books in the series (called sell-through), but you also generate interest in book one once the free promotion is over.

The power of free was further confirmed for me when Bookbub agreed to do a free promotion for my second book. Generally speaking, most authors that utilize free do not do a free promotion for the second book because if you gave away the first book and you give away the second book, what do you have left to sell?

My theory was that there are so many readers out there, that even though it would cost me some sales, it would generate more in book one. That turned out to be true, as when Bookbub did the free promotion of

book two, I did a discounted price promotion of book one, and it sold over 300 copies in one day, which is a huge number. The total sales from that promotion and subsequent days was hundreds of dollars.

Bookbub costs money, and for some genres it costs a lot of money. But there is valuable promotion that you can receive that is free, and, interestingly, this is some of the best promotion you can get. I found this out first-hand with Tommy Black and the Coat of Invincibility.

Generally speaking, free promotion is when a blog or news site showcases your book or when a famous author promotes it on social media.

For Tommy Black and the Coat of Invincibility, I was able to use relationships I had built over the years to request and receive two major pieces of press: io9.com, the largest science fiction and fantasy website on the Internet, showcased the book, and that coverage led to over 100 sales at full price. The next week, bestselling author John Scalzi showcased the book on his very popular blog, and I again sold dozens of copies.

I should note that this column series could also be considered a free form of promotion for my books, although I hope that you all also see value in my columns!

One of the most difficult things to do as a writer is to take stock and figure out what to do when all your promotional efforts are over. For Tommy Black, I’ve done nearly everything I could do—I released the second book; I secured two Bookbubs; I ran a price discount promotion; I generated press and coverage on major sites, and I promoted via social media. What else is there for me to do while I work on book three?

Well, that’s the tough thing … outside of the advertising you can do on Facebook and Google and other places, there isn’t a whole lot. For self-publishers, new releases generally drive ongoing sales. So the promotional story for my experience with Tommy Black will have to end here, but I do have one more column to write: My experience with Amazon and the other online bookstores. I’ll examine how self-publishers deal with various booksellers in my next and final column.

Tommy Black and the Coat of Invincibility is now available in paperback and ebook formats.

PURCHASE HERE.

about Jake Kerr

After fifteen years as a music industry journalist Jake Kerr’s first published story, “The Old Equations,” was nominated for the Nebula Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America and was shortlisted for the Theodore Sturgeon and StorySouth Million Writers awards. His stories have subsequently been published in magazines across the world, broadcast in multiple podcasts, and been published in multiple anthologies and year’s best collections. Tommy Black and the Staff of Light is his first novel, and is the first volume of the Tommy Black series. tommyblackseries.com.

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on our shelf

THE UNKNOWN HUNTSMAN “There’s no shortage of intrigue in this debut novel: an unnamed village, a strange narrator, an unsolved murder, a mysterious huntsman, and a wisdom tooth extraction gone wrong.

The narrator’s rambling musings are unsettling at first, and the atmosphere vaguely claustrophobic as the tale shifts between Monday meetings at the parish hall, where villagers air their petty complaints, and Friday gatherings shrouded in secrecy and presided over by the enigmatic Professor.”

—QC Fiction The Unknown Huntsman by Jean-Michel Fortier, translated

by Katherine Hastings, QC Fiction, qcfiction.com.

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ONE OF US IS SLEEPING “As she returns home to visit her mother who is dying of cancer, the narrator recounts a brief, intense love affair, as well as the grief and disillusionment that follow its end. The book’s striking imagery and magnificent prose underpin its principal theme: the jarring contrast between the recollection of stability—your parents, your childhood home, your love—and the continual endings that we experience throughout our lives.”

—Open Letter One of Us Is Sleeping by Josefine Klougart, translated from the Danish by Martin Aitken, Open Letter, openletterbooks.org.

VOROSHILOVGRAD A city-dwelling advertising executive heads home to take over his brother’s gas station after he mysteriously disappears, but all he finds at home are mysteries and ghosts.

The industrial landscape of nowwar-torn eastern Ukraine sets the stage for Voroshilovgrad, mixing magical realism and exhilarating road novel in the poetic, expressive prose that marks Ukrainian literary rockstar Serhiy Zhadan’s vivacious style.”

—Deep Vellum Voroshilovgrad by Serhiy Zhadan, translated from the Ukranian by Isaac Wheeler and Reilly Costigan-Humes, Deep Vellum, deepvellum.org.

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small press reviews Babbling Corpse

by Grafton Tanner

G

rafton Tanner’s Babbling Corpse examines vaporwave, a musical movement that grapples with technology’s tendency to displace humans from the center of, well, the human experience.

Because music is almost limitless and free, Tanner argues, it has essentially become “ghost music.” That is, like a ghost, music is always there, waiting for someone to channel it. In some ways, then, music has lost its tangibility and has undergone a kind of vaporization. Though Tanner avoids defining the movement, he offers some hints: “A great deal of vaporwave’s unsettling sound comes from the relentless repetition of vocal hooks, introductory motifs, and refrains (among other samples of song sections)… Usually focusing on one fragment of an entire song, a vaporwave producer will then loop that fragment ad nauseam, often for the length of the entire track. The effect is absurd, hilarious, unnerving, and sometimes boring.” Additionally, vaporwave music “often tends to emphasize the uncanniness of glitches via repetition of audio effects such as distortion, pitch shifting, and high doses of compression.”

Ultimately, Tanner suggests that we humans have become ancillary to the machines that consume our lives. Yet by holding a critical mirror up to our technology-saturated (and mediated) world, vaporwave has, in Tanner’s words, “become something like the ‘new punk’ or ‘Internet punk’—coming from the online underground yet growing with an emphasis on welcoming others.” The result is “an entire community of artists, musicians, remixers, and critics listening to and creating strange and exciting sounds that grapple with nostalgia, consumerism, and the uncanny in a digital age.”

—Marc Schuster, www.smallpressreviews.wordpress.com

Zero Books zero-books.net

Shelf Unbound Contributing Editor Marc Schuster is the author of The Grievers, The Singular Exploits of Wonder Mom and Party Girl, Don DeLillo, Jean Baudrillard, and the Consumer Conundrum, and, with Tom Powers, The Greatest Show in the Galaxy: The Discerning Fan’s Guide to Doctor Who. He is the editor of Small Press Reviews, and his work has appeared in numerous magazines and journals.

Marc teaches writing and literature courses at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.

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IN OTHER WORDS

Translation is another name for the human condition. ―from Is That a Fish in Your Ear: Translation and the Meaning of Everything by David Bellos

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