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Small Press Bookwatch

Volume 15, Number 4 April 2016 Home | SPBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice American History Shelf World History Shelf
Mystery/Suspense Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Christian Studies Shelf
Judaic Studies Shelf Fiction Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Self-Help Shelf Metaphysical Studies Shelf Parenting Shelf
Travel Shelf Biography Shelf Social Issues Shelf
Relationship Shelf Business Shelf  


Reviewer's Choice

Everydata
John H. Johnson, PhD and Mike Gluck
Bibliomotion, Inc.
39 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA 02445
www.bibliomotion.com
9781629561011 $27.95 hc / $9.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Synopsis: While everyone is talking about "big data," the truth is that understanding the "little data" (stock reports, newspaper headlines, weather forecasts, etc.) is what will help you make smarter decisions at work, at home, and in every aspect of your life.

The average person consumes approximately 30 gigabytes of data every single day, but has no idea how to interpret it correctly. Everydata explains, through the eyes of an expert economist and statistician, how to correctly interpret all of the small bytes of data we consume in a day. Readers will become effective, skeptical consumers of everyday data.

Critique: Enlightening and educational, Everydata is a "must-read" for the twenty-first century. Peppered with eye-opening true stories, Everydata reveals the importance of keeping a critical frame of mind when hearing about the latest poll or statistics - under what circumstances was the data gathered, and what is the possible margin of error? (One of the most famous data-related blunders in American history was a newspaper headline "Dewey Defeats Truman" in an election that Truman unquestionably won.) Highly recommended, for both personal reading lists and public and college library collections.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Soul
Robert Clancy
Mohawk Street Press
www.guidetothesoul.com
9780985939502, $16.95, PB, 200pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Driving down life's highway, en route to our life's purpose, we each have opportunities to exit. Whether deliberate or by chance, these exits often route us away from our true path and into despair. "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Soul" by Robert Clancy address such questions as: How can you retain your focus and remain on your life path?; What will your next encounter with a kindred spirit mean to you, your family or the world?; Does your volunteerism really make a difference? "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Soul" is an evocative collection of the transcendental journeys, spiritual tips and chance encounters that will transform the way you think about your compassion for humanity while bringing deeper meaning in your everyday life.

Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Soul" is an inherently absorbing and ultimately inspiring read. Indeed, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Soul" is one of those books that will linger in the mind and memory long after it has been finished and set back upon the shelf. Very highly recommended for community, college, and university collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Soul" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).

The Heritage Keeper
Jacqueline Leigh
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781523309467, $6.95, PB, 158pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: It is the 1830s, and Fima and her mother are rice traders on the West Coast of Africa in the Sherbro River area: a network of mouths of rivers, mangrove mudflats and shifting sandbars where traders can load captives in secret onto vessels whose captains take them across the Atlantic for sale as slaves on auction blocks. Sherbro's rich agricultural hinterland can produce enough rice to maintain the thousands of slaves kept captive in barracoons during the weeks and months they are waiting to be loaded onto the slave vessels. It also produces enough rice to provision the slave vessels for their transatlantic crossings. Fima dreams of one day owning her own rice business in Sherbro, on her own terms. But when a family crisis occurs and her mother suddenly departs on foot for upcountry, she leaves Fima on her own sooner than she had expected. She also leaves her with an important family heirloom to guard. Fima is excited, and confident she will succeed. Little does she know, however, that people are not always what they appear...

Critique: "The Heritage Keeper" is an historical novel based on the true experience of a girl growing up on the West African coast in the 1830s in what is now called Sierra Leon. An extraordinary and highly recommended novel, "The Heritage Keeper" is an especially recommended addition to personal, middle grade school and community library collections for young readers.

DIARY of a 99%-er
D. Helene
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781501009303, $15.95, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Who comprises the 99%? They are the majority of Americans, who have to work for a living, sometimes struggling to just keep a roof over their heads. Although a work of fiction, "DIARY of a 99%-er: The Struggle Between Survival and Creative Expression" by journalist and author D. Helen is a novel that delves into the issues of income inequality, poverty, consciousness, politics, spirituality, yoga, and the balance between living and working.

Critique: Impressively well written from beginning to end, "DIARY of a 99%-er: The Struggle Between Survival and Creative Expression" is a compelling read that is as thoughtful and thought provoking as it is insightful and entertaining. Very highly recommended for both community and academic library Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "DIARY of a 99" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The American History Shelf

The Emergence of One American Nation
Donald J. Fraser
Fraser & Associates
www.perspectiveshistory.com
9780997080506 $16.95 pbk / $12.95 Kindle www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In the Emergence of One American Nation, Donald J. Fraser explores the difficulties that the founding generation confronted in molding the United States into one nation. At the heart of that endeavor was the effort to create and ratify a new Constitution for the country, one to replace the failed Articles of Confederation. Fraser not only explains the American leaders' process of constitution making, but places it clearly in the context of the separation from Great Britain, the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, and fighting the Revolutionary War.

Fraser's work not only tells of the events that led to the creation of one American nation, but also includes engaging portraits of the individuals who helped bring about the revolution and the new political order under the Constitution, including Franklin, Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, and a host of lesser known but interesting characters.

Critique: The Emergence of One American Nation: The Revolution, the Founders, and the Constitution makes American history come alive. The difficult birth of the American nation is often misrepresented in modern political propaganda; The Emergence of One American Nation is an excellent tour of the legendary (and lesser-known) personalities and milestone events that shaped the process. As engaging as it is enlightening, The Emergence of One American Nation is enthusiastically recommended for personal browsing and public library collections alike.


The World History Shelf

In Their Own Words
Edited by Elizabeth Foxwell
Oconee Spirit Press
www.oconeespirit.com
9780985910778 $11.95 pbk / $4.99 Kindle www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The contributions of American women to World War I often are neglected, perhaps because of a mistaken impression that as the official U.S. participation was two years in duration, its female contribution must be equally short. The few collections of World War I writings by women are composed of mostly British contributors, with only a few American women represented, and even those tend to be only the most prominent (e.g., Edith Wharton). The Department of Veterans Affairs report America's Women Veterans states that more than 10,000 American women served in the war; of the nearly 200 listed as casualties, four occurred under combat conditions. Countless others worked in private or nongovernmental relief efforts or in initiatives connected to Allied nations. Still others reported on the war. In Their Own Words: American Women in World War I restores American women's role in the war through their first-person accounts, thus providing a fuller picture of their participation.

Critique: In Their Own Words: American Women in World War I is a vivid primary source of history, offering the direct, personal perspectives of American women who aided the war effort. Most of these letters and other communications were written during or shortly after the war. In Their Own Words will fascinate historians and lay readers alike, and is especially recommended for public, community, high school and college library collections.


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

The Rainbow Dead
David John
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781517365424, $9.99, PB, 408pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Spontaneous Human Combustion is a rare and unexplained phenomenon that occurs maybe once a decade. So why has there been two cases in as many weeks both in the same area and in the same community? This is something lifelong sceptic and belligerent D.I. Eddy Souness has had dumped on him as his last case before he retires. Nobody expects results, they just want to keep him quiet until he goes. But then a prostitute is murdered on the same patch, in the same community. Connected? He's not sure but indications are that the two SHC cases may have been murder!

Critique: A carefully crafted suspense mystery thriller from beginning to end, "The Rainbow Dead" by David John will prove to be an engaging page-turner of a read by a true master of the genre and a "must" for all dedicated mystery buffs. Very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Rainbow Dead" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).

The Four
T. C. Ashing
Xlibris Corporation
1663 South Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.xlibris.com
9781503561243, $20.99, PB, 520pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: West Chambers, Georgia, was not a large town, but it held close to its own. The town had become somewhat isolated from the outside world. In keeping with that disconnection, conformity was mainstream. If you stood out in appearance or mind-set, you were looked down upon. With this public viewpoint, no one was more out of place than Nathan Kole. As the son of a hero cop, there were many high expectations on his shoulders, but he didn't seem to be living up to any of them in the eyes of the townspeople. He had enough trouble already after a tragedy hit his home, triggering a series of nightmares that he has been unable to escape. The only person he ever confides in is the new girl at his college.

Samantha was also a bit of an outcast, not following the popular feminine trends. She, like many others in town, had her own secrets. Erick was born within a dark, secret society led by his wealthy father. Recently discharged from the army, he returns home to the wife chosen for him. Erick's father still holds a tight grip on him even after his imprisonment. When they found the young witch named Jessica holding a book written in a dark language that only Erick could understand, it became apparent that the four of them were connected in some mysterious way. Their journey to discover what ties them together will lead them down a path soaked in blood and paved with the bodies of the unfortunate caught in the crossfire.

Critique: All the more impressive considering that "The Four" is author T. C. Ashing's debut as a novelist, this exceptionally well written saga is an original, absorbing and fully entertaining from beginning to end -- and one that will leave its readers looking eagerly toward Ashing's next literary project. Very highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Four" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).

Judicial Indiscretion
Michael Arkin
JB Stillwater Publishing Company
12901 Bryce Avenue NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112
www.casadesnapdragon.com
9781937240639, $16.95, PB, 328pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The Santa Fe Trail sets the scene for drug running, money laundering, treachery, murder, and challenges to character, as "Judicial Indiscretion" by Michael Arkin plays out in the cactus-studded New Mexican Rio Grande Valley landscape. A highly respected judge is murdered in Mimbres County, New Mexico and local attorney David Madrid is arrested for the crime. San Diego Times investigative reporter Linda Lawson prevails upon long time friend Matt Lucas to assist in the defense of David, her brother. In this second title in Michael Arkin's outstanding Matt Lucas series, "Judicial Indiscretion" is a compelling story of an underworld of crime, deception, and injustice.

Critique: Another compelling read from a master of the genre, Michael Arkin's "Judicial Indiscretion" is very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections and the personal reading lists of all dedicated mystery buffs who appreciate an especially well crafted story replete with unexpected twists and surprising turns.

Just Vengeance
Anthony D'Augustine
Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 S. Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
9781478763611, $28.95, HC, 312pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Mac Taylor is a rough and tumble ex-Newark cop who is now a Private Investigator. Mac's first client hires him to look into a reported suicide, but he soon uncovers a sinister plot that involves murders in Scotland and Italy, and plans to destroy several U.S. landmarks. Shortly after his discovery, Mac and his pregnant wife, Cheryl, become targets of an international terror organization; specifically, that of a psychopathic killer named Dirk Conroy, aka Ahmed Sal Mohammed. Working with FBI Agent Sara Dillon, Mac sets out to find Conroy. Dillon wants him captured alive. Mac wants him dead at all costs. Along the way, Taylor's old friend from his Vietnam days, Nick Polsani, tries to convince him that seeking justice is the only course of action to be taken. Mac disagrees. It's not justice he's looking for, it's just vengeance.

Critique: Another terrific action/adventure suspense thriller from author Anthony D'Augustine who is a master of the genre, "Just Vengeance" is very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Just Vengeance" is also available in a paperback edition (9781478763079, $16.95) and in a Kindle format ($4.99). Also enthusiastically recommended is the first Mac Taylor novel by Anthony D'Augustine, "Best Enemies" (iUniverse, 9780595657179, 256pp, $26.95 HC, $16.95 PB, $3.99 Kindle).

The Painter of Time
Matthew O'Connell
Privately Published
www.matthewoconnellauthor.com
9780996669337, $14.95, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "The Painter of Time" by Matthew O'Connell is a combination contemporary and historical suspense novel set amid the art world of modern day NYC and the dawn of the Italian Renaissance. Bronx born and bred, Mackenzie Ferrara is both nervous and excited to begin her career as a restorer of fine art at the prestigious Cloisters in New York City. The star of the restoration team is a handsome and reserved Italian, Anthony Bataglia. On loan from the Ufizzi, he is renowned for his ability to bring pre-Renaissance treasures back to life. Despite a rocky start, the two form a close working relationship, which Mackenzie hopes will blossom into something more. But as she works with him she begins to notice peculiar patterns and unexplainable similarities in all of his restorations. Something is clearly not what it seems to be with the dashing Mr. Bataglia. Mackenzie (with help from her father, a retired detective) is determined to uncover the truth, regardless of the consequences.

Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "The Painter of Time" is author Matthew O'Connell's debut as a novelist, this original and deftly crafted page-turner of a read is very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Painter of Time" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).

Death Notice: Committed to Excellence
Barbara Rolland & Al Rolland
www.barbrolland.com
Xlibris Corporation
1663 South Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.xlibris.com
9781514422434, $20.99, HC, 130pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Paul Lang, director of campus security, is restless. His wife has moved to California to help her folks open a new clothing shop-a divorce perhaps? His daughter, Shelley, is ready to graduate and has decisions to make and growing up to do. His best friend, the university basketball coach, plans to retire-he will be missed! The university has a new boss-a woman! It looks like a difficult year ahead. Just as life seems to be settling down, however, the usually quiet campus office is turned upside down with the sudden death of Dr. Evans, their leading research director. It was murder caused by a broken neck! And it came just as the campus was to be visited by a supervisory team for evaluation. They are all still reeling from the murder when a second occurs. Again, a broken neck, but no sign of why. The campus community receives a warning message, and the pressure becomes intolerable. The answer comes as the honors day ceremony is played out and the hallowed halls of the university are once again open to all.

Critique: A deftly crafted, quick and compelling read, "Death Notice: Committed to Excellence" is especially commended to the attention of mystery buffs who appreciate a skillfully written story of unexpected twists and turns. Very highly recommended for community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Death Notice: Committed to Excellence" is also available in a paperback edition (9781514422427, $19.99) and in a Kindle format ($3.99).

The Last Cruz
Caitlin Avery
SDP Publishing
PO Box 26, East Bridgewater, MA 02333
9780996842655, $14.95, PB, 292pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Up-and-coming ingenue Catrina Lang is burned out on Hollywood. Sick of paparazzi, her handlers, and her fans, she wants to cruise under the radar for a while, so she invites her loudmouthed sister on a backcountry motorcycle ride down Baja. Cat is prepping for a role as a motocross racer, and Sissy races bikes back in Texas. The trip offers the sisters a trade: Cat gets her sister's coaching, and Sis gets an all-expenses-paid vacation. Should be a win-win, but trouble starts when Sis brings along an uninvited friend. The getaway takes on new meaning when Sis's friend turns out to be a drug mule, making the trio a target for the cops and the cartel. "The Last Cruz" by Caitlin Avery is a road trip adventure that spirals down into a dark and suspenseful thriller when Cat finds herself trapped in a nightmarish race to make it home safely. She survives a violent mugging, a stint in prison, and a murderous rampage at a Day of the Dead parade, only to face a day of reckoning she cannot forget - and may never recover from.

Critique: Impressively well written and an absolutely absorbing read from beginning to end, "The Last Cruz" clearly establishes author Caitlin Averny as a master of the suspense thriller genre. Very highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Last Cruz" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).

Ice Chest
J. D. Rhoades
Polis Books
1201 Hudson Street, #211S, Hoboken, NJ 07030
www.PolisBooks.com
9781940610801, $24.00, HC, 304pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Famous beauty Clarissa Cartwright is about to take the stage wearing a fortune in jewels, and not much else. In the wings, a motley crew of bumbling crooks is scheming to make off with the biggest heist of their careers: five and a half million dollars in precious stones, used to create the world's most expensive piece of lingerie. But mix the glitz and glamour of the highest of high fashion with a team of crooks that would have trouble stealing a sandwich from a deli, and all bets are off. When the robbers find themselves pursued by both the intimidating ex-cop tasked with protecting the world's most valuable piece of lingerie and Clarissa's insanely jealous and mobbed-up ex-boyfriend, things get ugly. Especially when Clarissa decides she's had quite enough of being a sex object and decides to turn the tables on both the crooks and the fashion world.

Critique: A deftly crafted and impressively skillful novel that holds and keeps the reader's riveted attention from first page to last, "Ice Chest" by J. d. Rhoades will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections. Very highly recommended reading for all who enjoy an action-packed thriller by a true master of the genre, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Ice Chest" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).

Fall Irmgard: Operation Irmgard
Rand Charles
Penurious Publishing
9780996793902, $17.99, PB, 442pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Occupied Paris: April 1941 Desperate to return home from France on the eve of Hitler's anticipated declaration of war, American Addie Bridges realizes her future is anything but certain when she witnesses the brutal murder of German businessman and sweet old raconteur Konni Ritter. Addie is ordered to remain in Paris as a material witness to the murder, threat of war or no. The fragile balance of the occupation's first well-mannered year could careen into violent oppression if it turns out the French engineered Ritter's death. And nothing would benefit the SS more in their desire to wrest control of France from the army. Charged with uncovering the truth, Abwehr major Rolf von Gerz begins to tally the suspects: Was it the spiteful chanteuse at the Club l'Heure Blue? Or the club's crafty Alsatian manager, with well-known ties to the Paris underworld? Ritter's estranged business partner? Or could the recent murder of a French stockbroker somehow be connected? And most troubling of all: Can the beautiful young American be trusted?

Critique: Impressively well written from beginning to end, "Fall Irmgard: Operation Irmgard" by Rand Charles is a riveting combination of murder mystery, spy thriller, and love story, featuring uniquely colorful characters and a surprise ending, This is one of those all too infrequent novels that linger in the mind and memory long after the book is finished and set back upon the shelf. This is the kind of deftly crafted story that block-buster movies are made from. "Fall Irmgard: Operation Irmgard" is very highly recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Fall Irmgard: Operation Irmgard" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Candyland
Vicki Salloum
www.vickisalloum.com
Moonshine Cove Publishing, LLC
http://moonshinecovepublishing.com/index.html
9781937327828, $13.95, PB, 248pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Lazara overhears her brothers plotting to kill the teenage son of her employer for failing to pay his drug debt. Unable to bear the burden of the boy's murder on her conscience, she embarks on a crusade to save the boy, first alerting the boy's father then confronting her brothers and, finally, seeking help from a New Orleans cop. When all efforts fail, she steals a handgun and surprises her brothers during their rendezvous with the boy at the meth lab, Candyland, unleashing consequences she never expected or could ever have imagined.

Critique: A riveting read from first page to last, "Candyland" is replete with unexpected twists and surprising turns. Clearly author Vick Salloum is an exceptionally gifted novelist and one that will leave her readers looking eagerly toward her next effort. "Candyland" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Candyland" is also available in a Kindle ($5.99).


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Quest of a Teenage Mystic
Susan Ware
iUniverse, Inc.
c/o Author House
1663 Liberty Dr. Suite #300, Bloomington, IN 47403
www.iuniverse.com
9781491722886, $25.95, HC, 232pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Sean Mason thinks he has no future. Ever since his father vanished three years ago, Sean has been living in pain, haunted by his memories and in constant conflict with his mother. Worse yet, he has begun to experience chilling visions foretelling a possible future of devastation and destruction in the world. Sean feels helpless and out of control. But all of that is about to change. One day, in the throes of yet another vision, a disembodied voice tells Sean he has been given a mission that will determine his life's purpose and quite possibly the fate of humanity. Immediately, Sean free-falls into emptiness and is drawn into another world, where he is gifted with a powerful seed that holds all the answers he needs - if he can discover its secret. Meanwhile, in a faraway dimension, a lowly castle watchman, an ancient and partially demented Knight, along with a prophetic, but ominous raven work together to lead Sean and his three friends into alternate realities where they struggle through trials and challenges that eventually reveal that it is up to their generation to help humanity rise above its self-destructive ways, no matter what the personal cost to them.

Critique: A riveting read from beginning to end, "Quest of a Teenage Mystic" showcases author Susan Ware as a master of the fantasy genre and will have exceptional appeal for young readers ages 12 and up. Very highly recommended for school and community library YA Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Quest of a Teenage Mystic" is also available in a paperback edition (9781491722893, $15.95) and in a Kindle format ($3.99).

Crossover and the Gymbrats: The Crystal Baller
Demetrius Calip
Lulu Publishing
3101 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27607-5436
www.lulu.com
9781483442686, $14.99, PB, 108pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Crossover and the Gymbrats: The Crystal Baller" by Demetrius Calip takes young readers on a fun and magical adventure with eleven-year-old Crystal Baller, Devaryl P. Carroll, nicknamed "Crossover". He is a dreamer and a gifted kid with an amazingly fast cross over dribble on the basketball court and the power to make his dreams become reality. With the help of a red mysterious crystal with the number 9 inscribed in it, Crossover begins to explore new worlds and endless possibilities. Taking his talents from the streets of Los Angeles to New York, Crossover attends Longfellow Middle School for the Highly Gifted, where he meets a mentor along with a crew of other gifted tweens with their own special gifts, called The Gymbrats, who help Crossover recognize his hidden gifts. But everyone isn't so happy to see the new kid on the block, as he learns the streets of New York can rival any of the tougher streets across the country, and currently belong to Flint a ruthless tweenager.

Critique: Impressively well written and thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end, "Crossover and the Gymbrats: The Crystal Baller" is enthusiastically recommended for school and community library children's books collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Crossover and the Gymbrats: The Crystal Baller" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.99).

The Midnight Land: The Flight
E. P. Clark
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781518839498, $15.99, PB, 534pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The sun did not rise on the morning of the trial, and neither did Slava's spirits. As younger sister to the Empress of all of Zem' and the only one possessing her foremothers' gifts of clairvoyance, Slava is both one of the most powerful and powerless people in the Known World. Desperate to escape the intrigue and hostility of her sister's kremlin, Slava takes off on an expedition to the Midnight Land, the uninhabited, unmapped tundra on the Northern edge of Zem'. But as she travels North, Slava discovers that it is more than just the world of women that covets her gifts, and that fate is pushing her to become a most unlikely hero.

Critique: Combining motifs from classical Russian literature with the genre of high fantasy, "The Midnight Land: The Flight" is volume one of the new 'Zemnian Trilogy" from E. P. Clark and is both a gripping coming-of-age tale and a subversive exploration of gender, morality, and subjectivity. A riveting saga from beginning to end, "The Midnight Land: The Flight" will leave fantasy fiction fans looking eagerly toward the next installment of this outstanding series. While very highly recommended for community library Fantasy Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Midnight Land: The Flight" is also available in a Kindle edition ($0.99).

The Legend of the Dagger Prince
T. A. Gallant
Timotheos Press
http://timotheospress.com
9780997244700, $13.95, PB, 174pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In the days of King Tsedecc, the seventh generation after Qccesed the Great, a kidnaping shatters young Prince Korbin's idyllic world. In short order, everything he knows is called into question as he hears horrifying things about the world around him. In the deadly aftermath, nothing can ever be the same. A twisting tapestry of virtue and intrigue, "The Legend of the Dagger Prince" is much more than a simply coming-of-age tale or an ordinary adventure story, although it could aptly be described as bing both. Rather, T. A. Gallant's "The Legend of the Dagger Prince" is a carefully-woven medievalesque fantasy is a rich journey toward redemption, exploring hard lessons regarding the cost of loyalty and honor-and the price of deceit.

Critique: Impressively well written and a riveting page turner of a read from beginning to end, "The Legend of the Dagger Prince" is the first volume in what promises to be an outstanding new series, 'The Annals of Adamah' and clearly establishes author T. A. Gallant as a master novelist of the first order. Very highly recommended and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of action/adventure fantasy fans that "The Legend of the Dagger Prince" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).

The Perfect Tear
Connie Lansberg
Rockit Press
www.RockitPress.com
9780996216012, $14.95, PB, 326pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Eleanor is a singer. Her songs keep nature in balance, but when they are stolen from her, a grey mist descends and her world fails to thrive. This timid orphan is thrust into a course of action she never asked for, nor envisioned. Set against a backdrop of abandonment, loss and betrayal, she must find her way through strange and dangerous landscapes in her desperate search for the Perfect Tear, a dark crystal which holds the future of her world. But, Eleanor is no savior. She is a simple girl with strong instincts and she must learn to trust them. Just like the notes of song must connect to create a melody, Eleanor must discover the connections needed to create the harmony required to truly save her world.

Critique: A deftly crafted and original fantasy, "The Perfect Tear" by Connie Lansberg is a riveting great read for fantasy fans from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for community library Fantasy Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Perfect Tear" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).

Kai
Derek Vasconi
www.derekvasconi.com
Privately Published
9780692422120, $13.99, PB, 362pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Kai" by Derek Vasconi explores how one innocent girl becomes the target of enormous rage living inside another girl-who is seemingly from another world. Satsuki Takamoto is an invisible otaku teenager in Hiroshima. The only thing she has going for her is the upcoming birth of her sister. No longer will she be alone. But when her mother has a gory miscarriage right in front of her, Satsuki loses her one chance at happiness. She spirals into a deep depression, shutting out everyone and everything by locking herself inside her bedroom-for good. Her sadness, however, pales in comparison to her uncontrollable anger. It spreads like a nuclear fire, ambivalent to what or who it destroys, and won't stop until Satsuki accepts her sister's death.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in Evanston, Illinois, Seul Bi Rissiello can't sleep because every time she closes her eyes, she relives her adoptive parents' gruesome deaths. Why is she thinking so much about them now, ten years afterward? As she struggles with working at a clinic for the mentally disturbed, Seul Bi starts to unravel under the weight of living a lonely life and being twice an orphan. Her life devolves into a series of ominous and dangerous hallucinations that threaten not only her sanity, but her very existence as well. As both girls struggle to understand what is happening to them, their enigmatic connection comes into focus, raising the question: What if all the suffering in your life was carefully choreographed by somebody you've never met?

Critique: A deftly crafted Japanese themed horror fantasy of the first order, "Kai" by Derek Vasconi is an inherently fascinating, page-turner of a read from beginning to end -- but with the lights on at all times! Very highly recommended for community library Fantasy Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Kai" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).

When Is Sylvia Wallace?
Brad Anderson
Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 S. Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
www.outskirtspress.com
9781478763949, $24.95, HC, 448pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Deputy U.S. Marshal Sylvia Wallace's new world began in complete silence and absolute darkness. It wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't even supposed to be possible. All the science and technology said so, but a freak accident changes everything and she now finds herself sometime in the future when the Janus Project does not exist and most of the people around her are prison escapees. All is not forsaken, however. A note from the past gives her hope. Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Mackie (from Brad Anderson's the Guardians trilogy) and Colonel John Callan (from The Janus Project) are coming to take her back to her own time. All she has to do is stay alive until they find her, which becomes the most dangerous time of all.

Critique: Another terrific read from the mind and imagination of Brad Anderson, "When Is Sylvia Wallace?" is enthusiastically recommended addition to the personal reading lists of science fiction enthusiasts, and is certain to be an enduringly popular addition for community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted that "When Is Sylvia Wallace?" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.99).


The Christian Studies Shelf

Saturate Field Guide
Jeff Vanderstelt & Ben Connelly
Saturate
www.saturatetheworld.com
9780996849302, $19.99, 234pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Whether you're just beginning a relationship with Jesus or you've been a follower of Jesus for a long while, many of us have a hard time translating the truths we believe in our mind, to the reality of our everyday life. Given our tendency to wander away from God, we need both encouragement and tools to keep the gospel at the center of our action in the everyday stuff of our lives. "Saturate Field Guide: Principles & Practices of Being Disciples of Jesus in the Everyday Stuff of Life" is an 8-week guide that offers an all-of-life approach to being disciples who make disciples of Jesus. The questions, activities, prayers, and exercises will prompt you to do exactly that-put your thoughts and theology into hands-on practice. Designed for both group and individual use, each week will build on the next, aligning your heart with the will of God, examining your core identity beliefs, and launching you into mission. When God's people commit together to sow gospel seeds in the everyday rhythms of life, a ripple effect moves through our lives, out toward the whole earth, saturating it with the good news of Jesus.

Critique: Written with an admirable clarity, impressively well organized and presented, exceptionally inspired and inspiring, and presented in a spiral bound hard cover edition, "Saturate Field Guide: Principles & Practices of Being Disciples of Jesus in the Everyday Stuff of Life" is very highly recommended to all members of the Christian community regardless of their denominational affiliation. It should be noted that the "Saturate Field Guide" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

From Fear To Faith
Barbara Harris
Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 S. Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
www.outskirtspress.com
9781478762164, $9.95, PB, 76pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: As a young child, Barbara Harris could see and hear witches in her closet. This was the first clue something was wrong with her. There were early signs of her mental diseases but they were not severely manifested until her father's suicide when she was a teenager. After that her schizophrenia manic-depression, depression and panic attacks took over and her drug and alcohol abuse began. "From Fear To Faith" is a story of a woman who had no hope. At age 45, Barbara found the power, with the Lord's help, to recover from drugs, alcohol and my mental diseases. It was not an easy journey and had many facets including family murders, living in an ashram, relapses and spirit guides. Barbara had always been spiritual and had a close relationship with the Lord. It was thru her faith and trust in God that she was healed. The prize for this new life is freedom from bondage of self and self-will. Alcohol is a crutch to many people with mental disease. It becomes a vicious circle and is an added challenge to stay sober. "From Fear To Faith" can provide hope for many who suffer the way she did.

Critique: Candid, memorable, compelling, informative, and ultimately inspiring, "From Fear To Faith" is highly recommended to the attention of anyone struggling with psychological illnesses and substance abuse issues. "From Fear To Faith" should be a part of every counseling center and community library Self-Help/Self-Improvement reference collection.

The Apocalypse Within
Vincent Justino DiTizio
Xulon Press
2301 Lucien Way, Suite 415, Maitland, FL 32751
www.xulonpress.com
9781498406840, $13.99, PB, 160pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: One of the original meanings of the Revelation was that the entire story of what happens occurs inside us. All of the beasts and destruction are parts of our sinful nature being destroyed as we get closer to God. In The Apocalypse Within" by Vincent Justino DeTizio, you will find: How each image in the revelation is a personal message to you, showing you how to get closer to God; Simple, practical, and proven methods from the earliest Christians which will make the power of God a reality in your life.

Critique: Vincent Justino DiTizio is a self taught Bible scholar, who has used his thirty years on a night doorman shift as a kind of "monastery with a paycheck". Not being restrained by the particular theology of any divinity school has given him a great freedom in the study of Christianity. Exceptionally well written and impressively organized and presented, "The Apocalypse Within" is informative, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and ultimately inspiring -- making it very highly recommended reading for all members of the Christian community regardless of their denominational affiliation. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Apocalypse Within" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.99).


The Judaic Studies Shelf

Return to the Shtetl
Dorothy Sucher, author
Joseph Sucher, editor
Summit Crossroads Press
www.parentsuccess.com
9780961451912, $17.95, PB, 134pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: A shtetl or shtetlech (plural) were small towns with large Jewish populations which existed in Central and Eastern Europe before the Holocaust. Think "Fiddler on the Roof". Shtetlech were mainly found in the areas which constituted the 19th century Pale of Settlement in the Russian Empire. In 1992, Dorothy Sucher (a psychotherapist, journalist, editor, painter, writer, and lecturer) ventured alone to Russia and Belarus in search of information about her grandparents and their lives in a shtetl. During this trip Dorothy kept a journal and took many photographs, forming the basis of a number of presentations to large audiences. This material, edited by her husband Joseph Sucher, is presented in the pages of "Return to the Shtetl". In it Dorothy paints a vivid and moving picture of the state of Belarus at the time, not long after the Chernobyl explosion, with writing which will fully capture the reader's attention.

Critique: Impressively well written, enhanced with the inclusion of color photography, deftly organized and presented, "Return to the Shtetl" is an absorbing and informative read from beginning to end. "Return to the Shtetl" is highly recommended to the attention of readers with an interest personal travelogues in general, and the people and places of Russia and Belarus in particular.


The Fiction Shelf

The First Day in Paradise
Stuart Walton
Roundfire Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
Laurel House, Station Approach, Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781785352355, $21.95, PB, 424pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "The First Day in Paradise" by Stuart Walton tells the story of a young orphaned family who have been passed on from one set of relations to another, and whose eldest sibling, Adam, becomes enthralled by the impending opening nearby of a gigantic and beautiful shopping-mall by a flamboyant entrepreneur. To the consternation of his aunt and uncle, who run a small business, he joins the staff of one of its stores, and begins a dizzying ascent through the ranks, until circumstances induce him to question whether his entire value-system has become corrupted. "The First Day in Paradise" functions both as social-economic critique, and as a personal moral fable about the conjuration of ambition from present-day consumer culture.

Critique: "The First Day in Paradise" is a deftly crafted, multi-layered novel that is a riveting read from beginning to end and showcases author Stuart Walton's originality and skills as a novelist. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The First Day in Paradise" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).

The Angel's Lamp
Ashby Jones
Top Hat Books
c/o John Hunt Publishing, Ltd.
Laurel House, Station Approach, Alresford, Hants, SO24 9JH, UK
www.johnhuntpublishing.com
9781785352232, $19.95, PB, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "The Angel's Lamp" by Ashby Jones is set in war-torn Ireland just after the Easter Rising, and centers around a love affair between Johnny Flynn, an Irish-bred, English staff-sergeant in charge of the rebellion's soon-to-be executed leaders, and Nora Connolly, the firebrand daughter of James Connolly, the uprising's charismatic leader. Johnny meets Nora while standing guard over her soon-to-be executed father and is struck by her determination to take the fight to the British. But then, unknown to Nora and under the threat of death Johnny is unexpectedly summoned to serve on the firing squad that executes Connolly. Ridden with guilt after the execution and feeling a traitor to his heritage given all he has seen and done, Johnny deserts the British Army, joins the ragtag Irish rebels, and soon crosses paths with Nora. The story that follows culminates in an fiery emotional conflict between Johnny and Nora that pits the possibilities of love against the unyielding obstacles to forgiveness.

Critique: An impressively crafted and riveting story from beginning to end, "The Angel's Lamp" established author Ashby Jones and un exceptionally gifted novelist of the first order. "The Angel's Lamp" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Angel's Lamp" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.49).

Leather Compass
Brian Siguenza
Black Rose Writing
PO Box 1540, Castroville, TX 78009
http://www.blackrosewriting.com
9781612966052, $18.95, PB, 312pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Reflecting on what was once a game of integrity and sportsmanship, star quarterback Adam McDonough sees today's college football as a minor league version of the pros, complete with scandal and luxury box seats, as corporations and even Uncle Sam are looking for a big payday off the backs of amateur players. Routine preparation for a big game leads Adam to uncover a project known as "Leather Compass", in which scientists have been working with the government and a major media company to develop an individual talented enough to increase ratings and consumer spending through the use of genetic alterations. With the sport he has loved since childhood under the threat of being taken over by pure greed, Adam, his journalist girlfriend, and others at their college campus set out to expose a conspiracy of epic proportions and bring fair play back to the game.

Critique: With its underlying and all-too-believable premise, "Leather Compass" is a riveting read from beginning to end and establishes author Brian Siguenza as an impressively gifted and original novelist. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Leather Compass" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.99).

Zabel
Pearl Gray
Privately Published
http://www.pearlgray.ca
9780994871411, $14.95, PB, 296pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: With parallels to events in today's Middle East, "Zabel" is the compelling story of a woman who is forced into exile for her religious beliefs. It is a warrior queen's journey from the throne of Lesser Armenia to refuge in France in the 12th century. After the death of her father, Zabel is forced to marry Raymond, a French crusader. When it is discovered she follows the pagan ways of the Great Mother, she and Raymond are exiled. They arrive at Raymond's family estate near Paris, and Raymond dies. Zabel finds herself alone in a culture with different values, mores, and laws. Although Zabel was trained to ride and shoot, she took a vow of peace, but now, how can she survive in a society bent on her destruction? Scenes of exotic palace life, filled with fine silks and hot, scented baths and adventures on the Spice Trail fill the pages. In Rum, Zabel meets a Sufi mystic who, like the poet Rumi, is also the spiritual advisor to the Sultan. Later, in Montpelier, Zabel becomes a confidant of Eleanor of Aquitaine. With clear, concise prose, this novel evokes the medieval culture of the Middle East and France through a masterfully plotted and intriguing story.

Critique: A unique and inherently absorbing read from beginning to end, "Zabel" is a novel clearly showcases author Pearl Gray's complete mastery of storytelling skills. One of those rare novels that will linger in the mind and memory long after the book is finished and set back upon the shelf, "Zabel" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Zabel" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.95).

Maiden General
Mike MacCarthy
Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 S. Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
9781478763512, $18.95, PB, 269pp, www.outskirtspress.com

Synopsis: The year is 1429 and the English have been attempting to annex France since long before Joan can remember, and since 1419 trying to illegitimize its crown prince (the Dauphin). Joan, 17 years old and a pious young woman, runs away from home in order to attempt an impossible mission from God by having herself appointed as a French field general and lead her country to victory over the English. She knows she's small in stature, of low birth, illiterate, and has no knowledge of war or politics. Nonetheless, like her hero, the Blessed Virgin Mary, she says "yes" to God and, determined to succeed, sets off to prevent a major English victory at Orleans. "Maiden General" chronicles Joan's every perilous step from the harsh road away from her parent's farm to the Dauphin's heavy-handed investigation to determine if she's a witch or virgin. It also portrays the indignity she suffers at the royal court as well as the anger and hysteria among veteran French generals with the announcement of her elevation to knighthood. Then, at its heart, "Maiden General" takes readers through the week long Battle of Orleans, including Joan's failures, her wounds, her indomitable courage, and finally her impossible and miraculous victory.

Critique: An exceptionally well crafted historical novel, "Maiden General" is an inherently fascinating, informative, and entertaining read -- and one the demonstrates author Mike MacCarthy's impressive body of knowledge with respect to the young French girl who would forever be known as Joan D'Arc! Of special note is the inclusion of maps and illustrations, a bibliography, a timeline for Jehanne la Pucelle, and the Julian Calendar of 1429. Very highly recommended for community library Historical Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Maiden General" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.00) at www.amazon.com

The Revelation of the Nones
Arnie Stone
Lulu Publishing
3101 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27607-5436
www.lulu.com
www.TheRevelationoftheNones.com
9781483438047, $19.99, PB, 356pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: What if you were told that everything you believe about your religion is false? A self-proclaimed "messenger from The Maker," arrives with a dire warning: the world will soon end, and The Maker will not intervene. There is only one way for us to save ourselves and her mission is to show us the way. She quickly harnesses the strength of the Internet, social media, and the mainstream press. Her message resonates strongly with those already feeling disenfranchised from the organized religions of the world. Soon, millions believe in what she says, abandoning the restrictive religions that they once followed. The unaffiliated, sometimes referred to as "Nones", rapidly increase their numbers. This globally expanding "religion of no religion" soon begins to threaten the leaders of the major organized religions, led by the United Religious Congress. As they prepare for their massive world-wide "Call to the Mountain" conference, they are determined to regain their power and their followers at whatever the cost.

Critique: An impressively well written and original novel, "The Revelation of the Nones" is an inherently fascinating and entertaining read from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for community and academic library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Revelation of the Nones" is also available in a Kindle edition ($1.99).

Wrinkled Heartbeats
Temple Emmet Williams
Temple Works Properties
www.templeworks.biz
9780996892018, $29.95, HC, 294pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Wrinkled Heartbeats" is the story of a Korean war hero stumbles into a web of money-laundering, lies, and deadly secrets, including the "Gator Pole," a painful way to make people disappear in Florida's famous River of Grass, the Everglades. A very generous offer to buy the hero's luxury home includes an expiration date on his life. The only person who can save him is the person hired to kill him. For the warrior, one of the bloodiest battles in the history of the Marine Corps becomes a life-threatening allegory in the tropical paradise of the Palm Beaches.

Critique: In "Wrinkled Heartbeats", the author Temple Emmet Williams, incorporates flashbacks that link the reader to the true story of a brutal, 17-day battle that pitted 67,000 Chinese troops against 30,000 NATO soldiers in North Korea in 1950. Chairman Mao Zedong ordered his 9th Army, under the command of Song Shi-Lun, to destroy the UN forces that had swept northeast from the Port of Inchon, across the 38th Parallel. The historic Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign, turned the UN invasion into a retreat, but it was a Pyrrhic victory. Chairman Mao's triumph inflicted such a crippling toll on his own Chinese Communist Forces (CCF) that it became tantamount to defeat. The numbers are staggering. Marine Corps combat losses were 836 dead, less than a thousand warriors. Estimated casualties for the Chinese numbered 35,000 dead, with many more wounded. History records the Battle of Chosin Reservoir as a great victory for the United States Marine Corps. It becomes a revealing allegory in this deftly crafted and extraordinary novel. "Wrinkled Heartbeats" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Wrinkled Heartbeats" is also available in a paperback edition (9780990843368, $16.95) and in a Kindle format ($3.99).

First, You Swallow the Moon
Kipp Wessel
www.kippwessel.com
radialGRAIN
http://radialgrain.com
9780990924807, $21.95, HC, 232pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: At twenty-four years old, all Jack Hesley knows with certainty is he's head over heels in love. But his life (and love) veers from center when his brother's car careens across an icy Wisconsin interstate and into a stand of pine. Stunned by loss, Jack retreats into isolation - a depression so stubborn the only living thing forceful enough to cross its threshold arrives in the shape of wild bears. He dreams them. He becomes obsessed by them. And he alters his forward path, risking limb and love, to follow real bears, grizzlies, into the thick woods of western Montana to untangle their impossible message - to become one of them.

Critique: "First, You Swallow the Moon" by Kipp Wessel is a deftly crafted, reader engaging, modern novel of love, loss, heartbreak, redemption, wilderness, and the sometimes seemingly impossible act of letting go. A compelling read from beginning to end, "First, You Swallow the Moon" is very highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library General Fiction collections.

Promise of the Black Monks
Robert E. Hirsch
W & B Publishers Inc.
www.a-argusbooks.com
9781942981602, $19.99, PB, 558pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Born of nobility in France in the year 1066, the fate of seven-year-old Tristan de Saint-Germain is thrown to the winds upon the execution of his father for treason against William the Conqueror of Normandy. Then, abandoned by his mother who remarries and departs for England, Tristan and his four-year-old brother find themselves thrown into the monastic world of the Benedictine Black Monks of Cluny, France. Under the tutelage of Grand Prior Odo de Lagery, who one day will ascend to the very pinnacle of power within the Catholic Church in Rome, Tristan develops into an academic and linguistic prodigy by the age of twelve and becomes known as the Promise of the Black Monks. Tristan's unusual talents become useful to the Benedictines as well as to Rome, and the boy soon finds himself pulled into the visceral power struggle between Pope Gregory VII and Emperor Henrich IV as they mercilessly wage spiritual, political and military war upon each other to claim supremacy over the continent of Europe.

Critique: "Promise of the Black Monks" by Robert E. Hirsch is the riveting story of a young man who is predestined to be the catalyst of war. Torn between his heart and his church, he knows one to be his true love and the other a farce. Impressively well written, this deftly crafted saga of a novel is very highly recommended for community library Historical Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Promise of the Black Monks" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.99).

When Worlds Collide
Rick Parker
www.rickparker.org
Green Ivy Publishing
1 Lincoln Center
18W140 Butterfield Road, Suite 1500, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181-4843
www.greenivybooks.com
9781944680046, $20.00, PB, 388pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The Kingdom of Morocco is a quiet, conservative country. At least it was before Karly Winfield arrived. Her best years may be in the rearview mirror, but buxom Karly can still turn heads. Traveling with her portly husband, from the exotic suuqs of Marrakech to the High Atlas Mountains to medieval Fes, Karly leaves a trail of cultural faux pas in her wake as the middle-aged couple bickers its way across North Africa. However, impressions change when the Winfields encounter strange phenomena in the lonely and ancient village of Tiz Tisgui, located high in the barren mountains of central Morocco. In this isolated locale that evokes a prior age, villagers believe in Jinn and other supernatural beings, while incorporating their steadfast Islamic faith into their humble daily existence. Without warning, science, religion, and everything in between begin to collide in unexpected ways. Even the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco and the President of the United States are unable to stave off catastrophe. The best they can hope for is to somehow contain the ensuing damage. In the aftermath of the events they were unexpectedly thrust into, Morocco in general and Karly Winfield in particular, find themselves changed, down to their very cores. Neither will ever be the same.

Critique: A carefully crafted and highly entertaining novel, "When Worlds Collide" is a compelling read from beginning to end -- and even learn a little bit about a Moroccon Islamic culture as a beneficial counter to the Islamic terrorist distortions of one of the world's great monotheistic religions. An absorbing, compelling, engaging, and enjoyable read, "When Worlds Collide" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "When Worlds Collide" is also available in a Kindle edition ($18.99).

Becoming Valley Forge
Sheilah Vance
Elevator Group Publishing
PO Box 207, Paoli, PA 19301
www.TheElevatorGroup.com
9780982494592, $17.95, PB, 564pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Becoming Valley Forge" by Sheilah Vance is an epic historical novel that shows how the lives of ordinary men and women who lived in the shadow of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, were changed forever during The Philadelphia Campaign in mid-1777, when the American Revolutionary War conflict came to their doorsteps, leading them and their loved ones to the Valley Forge from winter 1777 through summer 1778. James, a former slave, lives as a blacksmith on Rebel Hill in Gulph Mills, with his patriot friend, Daniel. Daniel is reluctant to volunteer for the army because he supports his mother and sister. James questions the sincerity of patriots who fight for freedom when so many African Americans are still slaves. But, the Continental Army's occupation of Rebel Hill in early December uproots their plans. Orland Roberts, a Paoli farmer, leads a local patriot spy network with the help of his wife Teenie, daughter Betsey, and brother Norman, who owns a local tavern.

As soon as they come of age, the Roberts' boys (Fred and Allen) enlist in the Continental Army under the command of their neighbor, General Anthony Wayne, which puts them in the thick of The Philadelphia Campaign battles. The family outcast, Connie, who runs a brothel in Philadelphia that services many British officers during their occupation of the city, views the presence of both the redcoats and the patriots in the area as just another challenge that she has to conquer to survive, until a series of events causes her to put family ties above all else. Their paths converge, along with many other people's, at Valley Forge, where General George Washington's Continental Army, a young nation, and the fascinating characters in the book are forced to confront the reality and the aftermath of war, revolution, and freedom as they grow and become the meaning of Valley Forge.

Critique: Although a work of fiction, author Sheilah Vance has included a great deal of historically factual background details in her stirring saga of a novel. Impressively well written from beginning to end, "Becoming Valley Forge" is highly recommended for both community and academic library Historical Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Becoming Valley Forge" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Paradise Lost
Mollie Bach
AuthorHouse
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.authorhouse.com
9781504991766, $30.51, 194pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Set in the present day, "Paradise Lost" by Mollie Bach takes place in London and Southern France. There are two central characters, Judith and Annabel. Judith is a young artist who meets and falls in love with Claude, who is doing his doctorate on the painter Vincent van Gogh and the causes of his mental disintegration, which led eventually to his suicide. Judith's mother is an alcoholic. Annabel is a financial advisor to the NHS. Her job is deficit reduction within the hospital trusts. These two diverse characters are drawn into a complex relationship, which is not of their making, and for much of the story, they are unaware of the threads that bind them. These threads slowly tighten and strengthen until they are inexorably bound together. Dark, sensuous, original, "Paradise Lost" is an unflinching exploration of the devastating effects of neglect and addiction, but also of the extreme pleasures of art.

Critique: An original, totally engaging, and impressively written story from beginning to end, "Paradise Lost" clearly establishes author Mollie Bach as an exceptionally gifted novelist. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Paradise Lost" is also available in a paperback edition (9781504991773, $18.24) and in a Kindle format ($4.99).

Just Another Trip
Martin Whittle
AuthorHouse UK
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.authorhouse.com
9781504943147, $24.34, PB, 382pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: August 1943 and the Allies' air war in Europe is not going well and losses are mounting. Matt White and the crew of Lancaster bomber M-Mother have become a close-knit team but as the battle intensifies, the raw brutality of the endless night operations has a devastating effect on them. "Just Another Trip" is their story.

Critique: A deftly crafted, compelling, page-turner, "Just Another Trip" by author Martin Whittle is a riveting read that showcases his impressive skills as a novelist. With an exceptional fidelity to historical detail and background, "Just Another Trip" is certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Just Another Trip" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.99).

Lone Buffalo
C. J. C. Whitehouse
Arena Books Ltd.
www.arenabooks.co.uk
9781909421653, $26.99, PB, 272pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Lone Buffalo" is the story of Manophet, a man who was born in the wrong place at the wrong time, namely northeastern Laos in the autumn of 1969. With the Secret War building to its climax, American bombers had just razed the last buildings in Muang Khoun (the provincial state capital where his family lived) to the ground, destroying everything they possessed. He grew up in a communist state cut off from the outside world and littered with unexploded bombs.

Bogged down in a mire of poverty and traditional values, he became increasingly frustrated with his dead-end existence, from which there seemed to be no escape. But this was a man who was not prepared to give up his dreams of forging a better life for himself and his fellow men without a struggle. As much by accident as by design, he developed a skill set that allowed him to play a role in the reconciliation process as it slowly gathered momentum. He began reaching out to the country's remote ethnic minority tribes, some of who had been recruited by the CIA to act as America's fighting force on the ground during the sixties and seventies. When Laos finally reopened its borders with the outside world, he engaged fearlessly with westerners, and before long was rubbing shoulders with two of the more significant American figures from the war.

Critique: "Lone Buffalo" is a riveting read from beginning to end. In large part because although it is a work of fiction, author C. J. C. Whitehouse has taken an impressive effort to get his historical details and background information correct. Very highly recommended for both community and academic library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Lone Buffalo" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.66).

Forgetting Tabitha
Julie Dewey
Holland Press
www.juliedewey.com
9780578172316, $l4.95, PB, 280pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Raised on a farm, Tabitha Salt, the daughter of Irish immigrants, leads a bucolic and sheltered existence. When tragedy strikes the family, Tabitha and her mother are forced to move to the notorious Five Points District in New York City, known for its brothels, gangs, gambling halls, corrupt politicians and thieves. As they struggle to survive in their new living conditions, tragedy strikes again. Young Tabitha resorts to life alone on the streets of New York, dreaming of a happier future. The Sisters of Charity are taking orphans off the streets with promises of a new life. Children are to forget their pasts, their religious beliefs, families and names. They offer Tabitha a choice: stay in Five Points or board the orphan train and go West in search of a new life. The harrowing journey and the decision to leave everything behind launches Tabitha on a path from which she can never return.

Critique: Impressively well written and thoroughly engaging from beginning to end, "Forgetting Tabitha" is a deftly presented novel that clearly underscores author Julie Dewey as a master storyteller of the first order. A solidly entertaining read that firmly absorbs the readers total attention from first page to last, "Forgetting Tabitha" is strongly recommended for community library Historical Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Forgetting Tabitha" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).

Push Monkey
Ray St. Louis
BookLocker.com, Inc.
5726 Cortez Rd W, #349, Bradenton, FL 34210
www.booklocker.com
9781634909686, $20.95, PB, 470pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Valerie Polanski (a.k.a. Sunny), age 17, lands a job as a push monkey (a human powered ride operator) at her local Renaissance festival. Over her mother's objections, Sunny hits the road with the ride company and the adventure begins. As she travels from fair to fair, Sunny adapts to the "rennie" lifestyle: prolonged tent living, fair affairs, Bizarre Bazaars and Funky Formals. Meanwhile, others are working to bring her freewheeling new life to an end.

Critique: A deftly crafted 'coming of age' story, "Push Monkey" is original, entertaining, filled with unexpected twists and turns, and an altogether riveting read from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Push Monkey" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).

Dangerous Dreams
Mike Rhynard
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781517054847, $16.01, PB, 798pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: On July 23, 1587, England established its first permanent North American settlement on Roanoke Island in present day North Carolina. Barely a month later, the colony's deteriorating circumstances forced Governor John White to return to England for additional supplies and colonists. However, war with Spain preempted his return until 1590, when upon his arrival, he discovered the colony had vanished.

The Lost Colony's saga mysteriously unfolds through the lifelike dreams of a young twenty-first century woman, Allie O'Shay, who after her dreams continue like a TV mini-series, night after night, deduces she's dreaming the gripping drama of the Lost Colony. But Allie's dreams do far more than witness history -- they entwine her with a young colonist named Emily Colman with whom she develops a strange, compelling emotional intimacy.

Emily and the colonists begin their struggle for survival against mounting adversity---internal dissent erupts; multiple suitors seek Emily's favor, the powerful Powhatan chiefdom plans the colony's demise, and four warriors from a tribe to the distant north arrive to trade with tribes near the colony. The subplots converge amidst the excruciating drama of the colony's waning fortunes, and Emily faces terrifying perils that ultimately force her to make an agonizing, fateful decision.

Increasingly distraught, Allie follows the Lost Colony and Emily as they march inexorably toward their destinies. Desperate to understand the genesis and verity of her dreams, she probes the depths of modern dream science to fashion a theoretical explanation. But as the colony's prospects dim, she discovers there may be far more to her bond with the Lost Colony and Emily Colman than she could ever have imagined; and as her emotional fusion with Emily surges, she faces a dire challenge that threatens her own survival.

Critique: An inherently absorbing and deeply engaging read from beginning to end, "Dangerous Dreams" by Mike Rhynard is an exceptionally well written and consistently impressive novel that will prove to be of special interest to fans of historical fiction, romance fiction, and fantasy. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Dangerous Dreams" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Billionaires and Bagmen
Ray Bourhis
Blue Point Books
PO Box 91347, Santa Barbara, Ca 93190-1347
www.bluepointbooks.com
9781883423438, $19.95, PB, 202pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Sean Cogan, a funny, prickly, charismatic economist turned venture capitalist, is convinced that our system is no longer "of, by and for the people", that all three branches of government are bought and paid for, and that reform efforts are a complete joke. He believes that no matter who happens to be President, we have become a nation held in a vice grip by powerful billionaires, corrupt multinational corporations and their bagmen: the politicians and lobbyists who carry out their agendas. He gathers up a few old high school friends in their small town and decides to shake things up. Sean convinces them that if something dramatic doesn't happen now, the very concept of self-government will become obsolete. He heads to town hall, plunks down $250 and registers an initiative to be put on the November ballot for his hometown of Fairview to declare its independence from everybody. From a savvy newspaper reporter to a secretive former CIA agent who knows how the game is played to the idiot alcoholic mayor of the town who tries to sabotage the initiative to a controversial talk show host with an agenda, things start to spin out of control. Particularly when the powers that be in Washington become concerned that this independence movement could take on a life of its own. Cogan and his gang plow ahead in spite of the collusion of spies, lobbyists, a controversial talk show host and a whole boatload of other unsavory characters. It's an exciting, scary and dangerous ride. The climate for real change ripens. But is it too late?

Critique: In a novel that reflects current anxieties, concerns, believes, and attitudes of an enormous and growing percentage of the American public, "Billionaires and Bagmen: What Happens When A Small Town Takes Them On" is a deftly crafted and compelling read that clearly establishes author Ray Bourhis as an exceptionally skilled storyteller. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Billionaires and Bagmen" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.99).

Mongolia And The Golden Eagle
Bradford G. Wheler
BookCollaborative.com
PO Box 403, Cazenovia, NY 13035
www.bookcollaborative.com
9780982253892, $14.99, PB, 296pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Why is Cornell archaeology professor Robert Johnson, a pre-Columbian scholar, selected to head up a multimillion-dollar project in Mongolia? Why is this so important to high-tech billionaire Walter Falone? Why is he using consultants from Israel Aerospace Industries for his government contract in Mongolia? For Johnson and his colleague, brilliant and beautiful assistant professor Abbey Summers, it becomes the adventure of a lifetime in Mongolia And The Golden Eagle, by Bradford G. Wheler. Cyber security threats, high-tech spying, and Chinese agents mix in this ingenious and thrilling plot of full of twists and turns. Somewhere in spectacular snowcapped Altai Mountains of western Mongolia there is a mysterious object that people are willing to kill for. Populated by such fascinating and memorable characters as: a high-tech billionaire, a quick-witted professor, his beautiful young assistant, a former sumo wrestler, a full-blooded Navajo Indian, and the people of Mongolia, "Mongolia And The Golden Eagle" is an assiduously researched, fast-paced novel brings archaeology and cyber espionage to life against the backdrop of the wild and rugged landscape of Mongolia, the land of Genghis Khan.

Critique: A riveting read from beginning to end, "Mongolia And The Golden Eagle" is enhanced with the inclusion of twenty-seven illustrations and photos. It is interesting to note that author Bradford G. Wheler draws on his own personal expertise in engineering, technology, and business to help his readers feel that they are living the adventure. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Mystery/Suspense collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Mongolia And The Golden Eagle" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.99).

Riot: A 1960s Love Story
Charles S. Isaacs
Harpers Ferry Press
9780692486962, $29.95, PB, 458pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: It's September 1967 and white, idealistic, naive, Steve Harris begins his freshman year. During that year, he will fight to end the war, fall in love, confront painful truths about his family, and be jailed and beaten by police. Through this crucible, he emerges with a transformed consciousness, of the world and of himself. His awakening begins with a rousing antiwar speech delivered by Emma Gold, a Depression-era radical. When Emma introduces him to young Cat Crawford (inter-racial, brilliant and exotically beautiful) his bewitching is complete. The two students' instant friendship blossoms before long into a passionate love affair. Their bond is tested, though, by the mounting demands of the times, and by their own deep-seated psychological issues. 1968 is marked by campus unrest, urban rebellion, assassinations, and political violence that leads the two into clashes with the Chicago Police and the National Guard. "Riot: A 1960s Love Story" by Charles S. Isaacs builds to a heartrending climax during the street battles surrounding the Democratic National Convention.

Critique: A deftly crafted and complexly layered novel of immense passion and divisive politics that is a quite accurate portrayal of the events and issues backgrounded this emotionally dazzling story from beginning to end, "Riot: A 1960s Love Story" establishes author Charles S. Isaacs as a truly extraordinary and gifted novelist. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Riot: A 1960s Love Story" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.95).


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Cocoon of Cancer: An Invitation To Love Deeply
Abbe Rolnick & Jim Wiggins
Sedro Publishing
http://abberolnick.com/sedro-publishing
9780984511938, $10.95, PB, 118pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Written by Abbe Rolnick with the assistance of Jim Wiggins, "Cocoon of Cancer: An Invitation To Love Deeply" is a book of inspiration for those diagnosed with cancer, their caregivers, and family. Writing in "real time", the patient and caregiver offer an insider's look at how life changes forever when the word cancer is uttered. A realistic and hopeful work, it keeps one centered and also provides tips on how to manage life and illness. Sometimes raw, letters to and from friends, voice the unspeakable. The scientific voice of Jim, the patient, comes through when he has the energy to speak. This is an invitation to feel and find comfort. Abbe offers invaluable insights with her Caregiver Tips, Questions I Still Ponder, and Questions for the Reader. "Cocoon of Cancer" is a very special love story that keeps your heart open.

Critique: Unique, compassionate, informative, and ultimately inspiring, "Cocoon of Cancer: An Invitation To Love Deeply" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library collections. Especially commended to the attention of anyone having to deal with a diagnosis for cancer for themselves or a loved one, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Cocoon of Cancer: An Invitation To Love Deeply" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.99).


The Self-Help Shelf

How I Conquered Call Reluctance, Fear of Self-Promotion & Increased My Prospecting!
Sidney C. Walker
High Plains Publications
9780962117770, $16.95, PB, 172pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Everybody is promoting something, and most of us have some resistance to the process of getting other people interested in whatever you are offering. The resources in "How I Conquered Call Reluctance, Fear of Self-Promotion & Increased My Prospecting!" by Sidney C. Waliker are a reflection of his thirty-plus years as a full-time sales performance coach. This information has helped thousands of other people break through their barriers and find the will to make the prospecting calls they need to make. Many different perspectives are presented because everyone is different. The key is finding a state of mind that allows you to take action. From a bigger perspective, "How I Conquered Call Reluctance, Fear of Self-Promotion & Increased My Prospecting!" is about how to positively deal with the resistance you have to doing what you need to do to succeed. There is a part of you that doesn't want to take any risks, but there is a part of you that is practically fearless. If you can learn to block out the part that is putting on the brakes and listen more carefully to the part that can do anything...you can find a way to make the prospecting calls you need to make!

Critique: Extraordinarily 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation, "How I Conquered Call Reluctance, Fear of Self-Promotion & Increased My Prospecting!" is a impressively informative read from beginning to end. Imminently practical, "How I Conquered Call Reluctance, Fear of Self-Promotion & Increased My Prospecting!" is one of those life-changing books that will linger in the mind and memory long after it has been finished and set back upon the shelf. Very highly recommended for community and academic library Self-Help/Self-Improvement reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "How I Conquered Call Reluctance, Fear of Self-Promotion & Increased My Prospecting!" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Soul Courage
Tara-Janelle Walsch
Rainbow Ridge Books
http://www.rainbowridgebooks.com
9781937907396, $16.95, PB, 252pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Have you ever thought about who you really are and why you're here? Most people share the understanding that Life is about more than the experiences of the Body and the Mind, but it takes a special kind of courage to also engage one's Soul in our daily encounters. Knowing this is one thing. Knowing how to do it is another. There are no schools offering courses in Soul Connection. There is, however, "Soul Courage" by Tara-Janelle Walsch offers a clearly articulated path to such a connection with yourself and others. A path that has the potential to create some of the most enriching experiences in your life, allowing you to come alive in ways that can utterly transform your journey of self-awareness to one of soul-awareness. The promise of "Soul Courage" is it is within our reach, and the rewards can be extraordinary in terms of forever changing the way you view yourself and the world.

Critique: Informative, thought-provoking, and ultimately inspiring, "Soul Courage" by Tara-Janelle Walsch is thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, commentary, organization and presentation. Very highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library Self-Help and Metaphysical Studies collections, it should be noted that "Soul Courage" is also readily available in a Kindle edition ($6.99).


The Parenting Shelf

Ask More, Tell Less
Greg Warburton
Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 S. Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
www.outskirtspress.com
9781478708810, $19.95, PB, 294pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: When faced with a misbehaving child, do you find yourself resorting to lecturing, reminding, or even yelling? Do you sometimes feel helpless and panicky after you have tried everything you know to do and your child still seems "out of control" or withdrawn? Do you feel frustrated when nothing you are doing is moving your children to be responsible and achieve their unique potential? "Ask More, Tell Less: A Practical Guide for Helping Children Achieve Self-Reliance" by Greg Warburton (a licensed mental health counselor who helps children and parents become instruments of their own healing and change) provides a new model of parenting that can help transform the growing-up years. Life will become fulfilling and enjoyable rather than an ongoing, painful collision of wills. Behavior troubles diminish or vanish when children discover that they have the power to make their lives run more smoothly. These methods are not a "cater to the children" approach. Instead, they take the pressure off parents and put the whole family on a positively different road, traveling together in a land of mutual dignity and respect, maturity, and lasting change. Greg Warburton brings time-tested, practical methods out from behind the counselor's door to enable you to give your children the greatest gift of all: self-reliance. Through artful questioning, you can give them a clear and compelling road map for getting on with growing up in this rapidly changing world.

Critique: Informed and informative, impressively well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in tone, organization and presentation, "Ask More, Tell Less: A Practical Guide for Helping Children Achieve Self-Reliance" is ideal for the non-specialist general reader seeking to improve their parenting skills. Very highly recommended for community and academic library Parenting instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Ask More, Tell Less" is also available in a Kindle edition ($8.99).


The Travel Shelf

Travel Healthy
Natasha Leger
Blue Pearl Media
http://www.bluepearlmedia.com
9780991246502, $18.00, PB, 128pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Business travel is challenging enough with stress, work commitments, delays and time scarcity. Eating well is usually sacrificed under these circumstances. "Travel Healthy: A Road Warrior's Guide to Eating Healthy" by Natasha Leger (Co-Founder of Global Business Traveler Wellness Associates, a consortium of travel wellness advisors, which brings awareness to often neglected business travelers) will help you make healthy food choices and find nouri while traveling. "Travel Healthy" is designed for busy business travelers and those who prefer to read short books that get to the point quickly. There are a series of tools that are easy to use that will inspire you to think differently about food.

Critique: "Travel Healthy" is not a diet book, but rather a compendium of practical information, advice, suggestions, and recommendations with respect to staying physically healthy by making sound food choices for anyone who travels a lot for either business or pleasure. Thoroughly 'user friendly' in tone, content, organization and presentation, "Travel Healthy" is very highly recommended for personal, corporate, community, and academic library travel instructional reference collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Travel Healthy" is also available in a Kindle edition.


The Biography Shelf

Miracle Man: Beating the Odds; Cheating Death
Scott Pribyl
Tate Publishing
127 East Trade Center Terrace, Mustang, OK 73064
www.tatepublishing.com
9781682706336, $10.99, PB, 98pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Miracle Man: Beating the Odds; Cheating Death " is the personal story of Scott Pribyl, who survived an internal injury that is 90-95 percent fatal. In "Miracle Man" (a title bestowed upon him by his nurses), Scott describes his seven-year rehabilitation and comeback. Scott also describes how he lost fifty pounds in less than two months!

Critique: A quick and easy read, "Miracle Man: Beating the Odds; Cheating Death" is especially commended to the attention of anyone who is having to face, or who has faced, a major surgery, illness, disease, or other life-changing personal/financial situation. "Miracle Man" is a source of hope, inspiration, spiritual grace, and the sheer will to keep going. "Miracle Man" will also have a very special appeal to readers who want or need to lose weight quickly yet permanently, and with minimal exercise. Very highly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Miracle Man" is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.25).

Up: From Where We've Come
Charles Wright
Miles High Productions
PO Box 93157, Hollywood, CA 90093
9780578169309, $24.99, PB, 246pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Up: From Where We've Come" by Charles Wright contains historical moments with which the reader will experience inserts of the author's life long before he gained his status as a musical legend. And like his music, Wrights' story is a historical account of events that could only be told in his own personal and unique style. Wright's book, is about a young boy and his family's trials and tribulations on a cotton plantation owned by a cruel sharecropper named Edward Miles, who was born with an unfair advantage, which he uses to dominate his subjects. At the critical age of eight, the boy's father demanded he pick no less than a hundred pounds a day. Their saga continued due to one incident after another until finally, the child's mother sought help from her oldest daughter, who'd already moved out of state. The rest is history.

Critique: This autobiographical memoir of singer, songwriter, and guitarist Charles Wright is an inherently fascinating read and a "must" for his legions of fans. Very highly recommended for community, college, and university library Contemporary American Biography and African-American Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Up: From Where We've Come" is also available in a Kindle edition ($5.99).

Living Miracle
Greg Perry
www.GregPerry.com
Lifestyle of Success, Dream Life, LLC
c/o Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 S. Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
www.outskirtspress.com
9780578171272, $30.95, HC, 398pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Greg Perry considers himself a living miracle. The youngest of six kids, Greg grew up in South-Central, Los Angeles, running the streets and living life in the fast lane. One day, Greg came to a turning point and surrendered his life to God. Greg's life is a true rags to riches story that has taken him from poverty to a life of spiritual, family, business, and financial wealth. Greg is a successful businessman, entrepreneur, community leader, mentor, family man, and father. He is blessed beyond his wildest imagination. Greg became an overnight superstar in real estate and a self-made millionaire. He has been blessed with a wonderful wife and seven beautiful, healthy children. Through Greg's life-long experiences of joy and pain, success and failure, he discovered how to play the game of Life and win. When people ask, "What is the key to your success?" Greg always says, "G-O-D." Greg knew that to truly succeed in life, he had to put God first, help others, and be an outstanding person. Greg is on a mission to change the world, make a difference, and teach others that they have the power within to change their life and achieve true wealth in every aspect of life. Currently, Greg is the President and CEO of Lifestyles of Success, a life-changing brand that includes 12 affiliated companies. Greg's amazing life story, Living Miracle, reveals his incredible and inspiring personal journey to a life of health, wealth, and success. Greg's life is a living testament to the power of prayer, faith, and action.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Living Miracle" is an unusually inspiring, impressively candid, and inherently fascinating memoir that is very highly recommended for community library Contemporary American Biography collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Living Miracle" is also available in a paperback edition (9780578171265, $19.95) and in a Kindle format ($9.95).

Burn Zones: Playing Life's Bad Hands
Jorge P. Newbery
Community Books
9781619613201, $9.99, PB, 242pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Life was good for Jorge Newbery. A high school dropout and serial entrepreneur, he built a real estate empire of over 4,000 apartments across the USA. Taking risks and working tirelessly were the ingredients to his rise. But, he took one risk too many. An ice storm on Christmas Eve 2004 triggered his collapse. He was maligned, publicly shamed, financially gutted, and even arrested. He lost everything and ended up $26 million in debt. As he struggled to regain his footing, he spent what he could to get others to help lift him up. But no one did. He discovered that there was only one person who could lift him back up. Then, he chose a new life's purpose: to help others crushed by unaffordable debts rebuild themselves. "Burn Zones: Playing Life's Bad Hands" is an intensely personal story of playing life's bad hands and overcoming adversity against the worst possible odds. It's an inspirational story of a man who was pushed to his mental and physical limits, and came out the other side even stronger. And, most of all, it's a lesson that you can do the same.

Critique: Exceptionally well written and presented, "Burn Zones: Playing Life's Bad Hands" is a candid, insightful, absorbing, and ultimately inspiring memoir that is very highly recommended for both community and academic library American Biography collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Burn Zones" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.99).

Falling Up: A Memoir of Renewal
Louise Stanger
WZY Press
9780996761406, $14.99, PB, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Life is full of moments that feel like you're falling. For Louise Stanger, born into a tipsy-turvy world, that didn't stop her from making a life of her own. In her autobiography, "Falling Up: A Memoir of Renewal", Louise shares personal stories infused with a spark of human experience we collectively share, including hope. You'll follow her story from awkward little girl to fearless adult, through family tragedies and triumphs, mental health and substance abuse disorders, daring the reader to reflect and own their story. Because according to Louise, we all fall, and with strength and courageous action, the journey takes us up.

Critique: Louise Stanger has over thirty years of experience as a college professor, researcher with over five million dollars of government grants, and a licensed clinician, working with families and individuals who experience substance abuse and mental health disorders. She is a most remarkable woman who has led a most remarkable life. Exceptionally well written and presented, "Falling Up: A Memoir of Renewal" is a compelling and ultimately rewarding read which is highly recommended -- and would make an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library Contemporary American Biography collections.

Never Give Up
Jenny Maher
Outskirts Press, Inc.
10940 S. Parker Road, #515, Parker, CO 80134
www.outskirtspress.com
9781478759140, $14.95, PB, 144pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Never Give Up: How Determination And God Gave Me A Better Look at Life" is the compelling and personal story of Jenny Maher. She was forced to grow up much too early. She was in the Los Angels foster care system most of her life. Her mom's mental illness would sometimes cause her to be hospitalized, and with no other relatives close by, Jenny and her older brother had no choice but to be placed in separate foster homes. She not only had to deal with abuse growing up, she never experienced the comfort of hearing the words "I Love You," getting tucked in at night, or feeling her mom's arms wrapped around her so tight that she could finally feel safe. It was a life she tried to keep hidden from her friends. Until the day of her 18th birthday, (April 15th) her mom had sent her to live with one of her high school friends. She was a year younger then Jenny. They only knew each other through the basketball and softball teams at school. With no permanent place to live, and only having a few thousand dollars in the bank from working in the summer, she had to think about her future.

When recruiters went to her school looking for new recruits Jenny knew that was her answer. She decided to join the Air Force. She hoped it would be a way for a fresh start. Though she loved the Air Force, she couldn't no matter how many miles from home, get rid of the feelings of despair, and emptiness inside. Medically discharged, she continued to struggle with her own mental illness. As she continued suffering through multiple hardships, it was ultimately due to her mental illness that at 34 she did something that caused her to be found paralyzed from the neck down. Unable to even feed herself, she was determined to get strong enough to be as independent as possible, to push herself in a manual chair, and ultimately live independently. Only with no family willing or able to help care for her, she was forced to live in the hospital nursing home.

Alone, some days were harder than others, and unfortunately, she was forced to deal with abuse from staff, and wounds left untreated. It was when the wounds behind her calves were about 6 inches long, left exposed ligaments and tendons infected, that she was forced to make a hard decision. Stay, and risk the chance of dying or take the chance of flying from Denver, to a spinal cord center in Memphis, Tennessee. This is but a small piece of what she's endured, not only as a child, but as an adult. Though she has realized she is in control of the kind of person she could be at the present time. She can be angry at her mom for not being there for her when she needed her. Bitter at the whole situation, being dealt a bad hand. Blame others including God for being paralyzed. Depressed about all the things she won't be able to do now. Or she can make best of the hand she's been dealt and move forward. "Never Give Up" is her story, as she not only shows how much her determination changes her life, but how she finds God and how He changes her life.

Critique: As candid and intensely personal as it is exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Never Give Up: How Determination And God Gave Me A Better Look at Life" is ultimately inspired and inspiring. A relatively quick and absorbing read, "Never Give Up" is strongly recommended for personal reading lists and community library American Biography collections.


The Social Issues Shelf

The Moral Vacuum
Martyn Gabe
Xlibris Corporation
1663 South Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.xlibris.com
9781503507920, $48.38, HC, 416pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: We are experiencing a clash of civilizations, which knows no national borders. Fanatical and passionate fervor has no specific boundary. When it is religiously motivated it is idealism not nationalism. The emergence of ISIS is a reaction to imperialism. There is a political nexus between 911 and the GFC, for both are not mutually exclusive. To comprehend the terrorism of today we must first understand its motivation. Action begets reaction. In order to comprehend the violence of Islamic State you must firstly understand the arrogance of contemporary imperialism, because the consequences for America began on September 11th, 2001. "The Moral Vacuum" by Martyn Gabe clearly and articulately lays it all out with an impressive adherence to historical detail.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "The Moral Vacuum" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Social Issues and Political Science reference collections and supplemental studies lists. For personal reading lists for academia and the non-specialist general reader with an interest seeking to understand the origins and consequences of American foreign policy with respect to today's global conflicts, it should be noted that "The Moral Vacuum" is also available in a paperback edition (9781503507913, $32.25) and in a Kindle format ($4.99).


The Relationship Shelf

Divine Romance & Perfect Partnership
Linda De Coff
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781517494612, $24.99, PB, 294pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Divine Romance & Perfect Partnership: The Immortal Principles and Powers of Divine Love!" is a the latest volume of the Reverend Linda De Coff's outstanding 'Global Divine Consciousness' series. Revealing 'Truths of Infinite Majesty' " Divine Romance & Perfect Partnership" has as its focus the incomparable powers and joys of what Dr. Linda calls Divine Romance & Perfect Partnership. Dr. Linda offers enlightening keys on how to prepare for, recognize and attract your perfect eternal mate - and how to sustain your relationship forever. Whether as an individual or as a couple, readers of "Divine Romance & Perfect Partnership" will learn not only how to constantly renew relationships spanning the wide circumference of life, but to lift all in themselves and others to the highest level, and experience greater fulfillment, bliss and attainment than ever before.

Critique: Inspired and inspiring, "Divine Romance & Perfect Partnership: The Immortal Principles and Powers of Divine Love!" is very highly recommended reading, especially for those seeking to create, maintain, and enjoy relationships that will last a lifetime -- and beyond! It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Divine Romance & Perfect Partnership" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Business Shelf

The Galileo Moment
Elizabeth Jayanti
Atsui Press
9780990805618, $16.95, PB, 230pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In an era of dramatic change, Galileo built a powerful telescope and observed the stars. Contrary to theory, he saw that the earth was not the center of the solar system. It was an observation that profoundly changed the course of history. When Dr. Elizabeth Jayanti reviewed over 1,300 books and articles and compared over 100 top academic and commercial business tools, what she found was staggering: almost all of the business tools we use today are based on theories from the Industrial era which have never been tested. This was her 'Galileo Moment', when she realized that the real-world data didn't match what she had been taught. Embracing her Galileo Moment, she set out on a journey to understand how market-leading companies really work in today's economy. In "The Galileo Moment", Elizabeth Jayanti crystallizes the nuggets of wisdom gathered on this journey. Ultimately, "The Galileo Moment" asks readers to leave behind Industrial-era management practices and step into the present-day knowledge economy.

Critique: Informed and informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking, iconoclastic and provocative, "The Galileo Moment: How Global Market Leaders Differentiate From The Rest Of The Pack" is a compelling read from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for corporate, community, and academic library Business Management reference collections and supplemental studies lists, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Galileo Moment" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com


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