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Small Press Bookwatch

Volume 14, Number 9 September 2015 Home | SPBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Art Shelf Biography Shelf
Christian Studies Shelf Fiction Shelf Music Shelf
Business Shelf Cookbook Shelf Mystery/Suspense Shelf
Theatre/Cinema Shelf Fantasy/SciFi Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Psychology Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

If You Love Me, Take Me Now
Steve Cox
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781511645218, $14.99, 208pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "If You Love Me, Take Me Now" by Steve Cox is the true story of a family's struggle with brain cancer. From the onset of symptoms through diagnosis and treatment, "If You Love Me, Take Me Now" articulately chronicles events as they unfold. Fears and raw emotions will capture the reader and give them an insider's view of a husband and wife's struggle to stay alive. The odds of what happened to this family are incalculable.

Critique: Exceptionally well written and presented, "If You Love Me, Take Me Now" is an informative and absorbing read that is very highly recommended for community library collections and the personal reading lists of anyone having to struggle with a diagnosis of brain cancer.

Northwest of Eden
Yancy Caruthers
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781497397286, $9.99, 184pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Northwest of Eden" is Yancy Caruthers' first person account of his experience during Operation Iraqi Freedom as second-in-command of an Army emergency department and leader of an air transport team. The varied cast of characters provides top-notch medical care to service members in harsh conditions, while wielding the darkest humor against each other just to stay sane. Most of the time they succeeded. It should be noted that "Northwest of Eden" does contains some adult language, and some dramatic scenes that may be disturbing -- but which quite accurately depict real life conditions.

Critique: Impressively well written, organized and presented, "Northwest of Eden" is an absorbing read from first page to last and is clearly this generation's updated version of the Korean War's 'MASH'. Very highly recommended for both community library and academic library Contemporary Military History collections, it should be noted for personal reading list that "Northwest of Eden" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).

The Whispering Voice
Dr.Maduka Sunny Oby
AuthorHouse UK
1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.authorhouse.com
9781477250815, $18.25, 236pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: A young American was engulfed with the desire to discover the truth about the sovereignty of God and had traveled extensively in search. And suddenly, Dr. Joe Musa, now an army major, discovered the presence of God in a battlefield and made a promise that activated a miraculous healing of his commanding officer, Brigadier Hayes, and the purpose fulfillment of his promise in Sudan through a plane crash. This divine intervention exposed him to a different world where poverty, confusion, war, and disorder reigned. He discovered a people that still loved even in the midst of hardship. A people who could share the little they had with strangers and who maintained tradition and unity. As a young man from a loving and buoyant Muslim family, he realized that his calling had started, and in the fervency of his obedience to God's directives in such dastard situation, his personal desires were Divinely granted.

Critique: An absorbing read from beginning to end, "The Whispering Voice" is a truly extraordinary read and highly recommended for community and academic library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Whispering Voice" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.99).


The Art Shelf

How To Draw Reptiles and Mammals: An Educational Guide
Earl R. Phelps
Phelps Publishing
PO Box 22401, Cleveland, OH 44122
9781887627085, $21.95, 190pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: By following the step-by-step illustrations in Earl Phelps' "How To Draw Reptiles and Mammals: An Educational Guide", aspiring artists and illustrators can learn how to draw nearly 48 different types of animals from around the world. A realistic portrayal of each mammal can be completed in as little as four steps, with each step in the drawing process demonstrated in a simple line drawing and designed to build basic graphic skills. Each creature-including the two-toed sloth, markhor, polar bear, African elephant, baboon, cobra, lion, pipistrelle bat, alligator and dingo and more-is accompanied by a brief discussion of its behavior, habitat, and diet.

Critique: Thoroughly 'user friendly' and a great deal of fun, "How To Draw Reptiles and Mammals: An Educational Guide" is very highly recommended for personal, school, and community library instructional art collections for aspiring artists of any age.

Attitude Is Everything
Samantha Snyder
Doodle Art Alley Books
c/o AKA Associates Inc.
6007 North Sheridan Road, Apt 15A, Chicago, IL 60660
www.akabooks.com
9780692469743, $9.95, 104pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Attitude Is Everything" is comprised of 50 doodle art images of inspiring sayings, quotes, and words printed on one side of the page for all ages to color. Quotes from famous authors include Aristotle, Emily Dickinson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Benjamin Franklin, Helen Keller, William Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, William Wordsworth, and more. The book also includes sayings and words from Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference and Live, Love, Laugh to Stay positive and Tomorrow is another day. Each doodle art image has been carefully selected to provide plenty of enjoyment, inspiration, and relaxation.

Critique: The third in the outstanding Doodle Art Alley Books series of coloring books for grown-ups, "Attitude Is Everything" is terrific fun from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for anyone who enjoys doodling and coloring. Also recommended are the first two titles in this splendid series by Samantha Snyder: "Mistakes Are Proof That You Are Trying" (9780692459928, $9.95, 104pp) and "Imagination Will Take You Everywhere" (9780692444481, $9.95, 104pp).


The Biography Shelf

Stuck in the Passing Lane: A Memoir
Jed Ringel
About Face Press
9780986255007, $14.99, 288pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: What happens when a newly divorced, monogamous, family-oriented Baby Boomer gets trapped on the Internet dating superhighway? From Spanish Harlem to Singapore, in relationships with Muscovite intellectuals and streetwise Chinatown massage parlor queens, Jed Ringel takes you on this hilarious, heartrending, self-revelatory, and sometimes even cringe-worthy journey with "Stuck in the Passing Lane: A Memoir ". With the unsparing comments of his three daughters, and his own honest, self-deprecating assessments, "Stuck in the Passing Lane" is the non-stop entertaining memoir of a mature man, dauntlessly searching for his last great love; one that won't, in just a matter of time, become relationship deja vu.

Critique: An absorbing, informative, and entertaining read from beginning to end, "Stuck in the Passing Lane: A Memoir" is strongly recommended for community and academic library American Biography collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Stuck in the Passing Lane: A Memoir" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).

Memoirs of a Ghost
Andrea Cagan
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781505319620, $16.95, 286pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Andrea Cagan knows how it feels to be a ghost, that is, to hide in the shadows and remain One Sheet Away from the limelight. A professional ghostwriter for many years, she has worked with movie stars, pro athletes, royalty, motivational speakers and rock stars, helping them recall and synthesize their stories onto the page, stage, and screen. Like a literary phantom, she has moved silently behind the scenes to write and produce over a dozen best sellers, all the while, gathering material for her own life story. In "Memoirs of a Ghost", Cagan, a baby boomer, takes her readers on a journey through the significant historical eras of the sixties, the seventies, the eighties -- all the way through the turn of the century and up to today. Against the backdrop of fascinating stories of her famous clientele, she weaves her own remarkable life experiences as a professional ballet dancer, a movie star, a survivor of domestic violence, a healing researcher, and, first and foremost, a writer. A ghost writer no more, Cagan recounts her own life stories with disarming honesty and authenticity as she steps out of the shadows and onto center stage.

Critique: An extraordinary memoir by an extraordinary writer, "Memoirs of a Ghost" is a compelling and informative read that is both absorbing and entertaining from beginning to end. Very strongly recommended for both community and academic library American Biography collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Memoirs of a Ghost" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

From Stilettos To The Stock Exchange
Tina Aldatz
Apparel Insiders
c/o Savvy Travelers LLC
9891 Irvine Center Drive, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92618
9780692374863, $24.99, 164pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "You are smart. You are pretty. You can do what others do, but better." -- Phylis (Aldatz) Tuthill. At 7 years old, Tina Aldatz had no idea of the impact and weight of her mother's words said at the time to an impressionable Tina to counter the snide remarks of classmates who teased her for dressing like the people on TV. The affirmation stuck, further validating Tina's childhood dreams of an improved life for her and her family, while building an unshakeable confidence that would later lead the young fashionista to creating the multimillion-dollar designer shoe accessories company, Foot Petals Inc. In this intimate, no-holds-barred autobiography, Tina candidly shares about her humble yet tumultuous upbringing, a freak accident at the beach that damaged the soles of her feet (and later inspired her brand), and lessons learned in corporate America that served as the impetus in her eventually calling her own shots. Filled with wit, wisdom, and unrelenting honesty, From Stilettos to the Stock Exchange offers a detailed look into the life of one of the most creative and successful serial entrepreneurs in the game. Complete with Tina's Six Essentials of Business and a play-by-play account of the creation of Foot Petals Inc., "From Stilettos To The Stock Exchange - Inside The Life of a Serial Entrepreneur" proves that with faith, hard work, and confidence The American Dream is within reach for any person with the desire and will to make it her reality.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized, and presented, "From Stilettos To The Stock Exchange - Inside The Life of a Serial Entrepreneur" is a personal memoir that is as candid as it is absorbing from beginning to end. Informative, entertaining, and ultimately inspiring, "From Stilettos To The Stock Exchange" is very highly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary American Biography collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "From Stilettos To The Stock Exchange" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

Only Trees Need Roots
John Jessen & Jennifer Jessen
Eloquent Books
c/o Writers Literary & Publishing Services
845 Third Avenue, 6th floor - 6016, New York, NY 10022
www.eloquentbooks.com
www.OnlyTreesNeedRoots.com
9781608602827, $35.00, 396pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Only Trees Need Roots" is an action-packed and true story of a privileged boy who was born in Hong Kong. John Jessen is the son of a Danish "Taipan", whose family has links with the Far East going back generations. "Only Trees Need Roots" chronicles Jessen's early life in Hong Kong and his travels throughout Asia. Just before WWII broke out and one of his father's ships was captured by Chinese pirates. After the death of his young brother in the Red Sea, 9-year-old Jessen left his grandparents in Switzerland to travel alone through Hitler's Germany and on to Russia, where he boarded the Trans-Siberian Express to Manchuria. His Japanese train was attacked by communist guerillas before he reached Shanghai, to join his parents. Jessen witnessed the brutal Japanese occupation there, offering a rare glimpse of Shanghai by a Dane. The post-war years in crime-riddled Shanghai picture the black market, rampant inflation, flirtations with Chinese concubines, a visit to a luxurious brothel and horror tales from survivors of Japanese prison camps. In his turbulent, hair-raising life, Jessen worked in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Denmark, throughout Central and South America, Switzerland, North Africa, the entire Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Germany, the United States, Belgium and Spain, as he worked for IOS and a major U.S. financial group.

Critique: Rarely is an autobiography so well written, organized and presented. A fascinating and absolutely absorbing read, "Only Trees Need Roots" is very highly recommended for community library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Only Trees Need Roots" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Christian Studies Shelf

Signs in Life
Deanna Nowadnick
Rhododendron Books
P. O. Box 1586, Monroe, WA 98272
9780983589754, $12.95, 144pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Signs in Life: Finding Direction in Our Travels with God" begins with a late night encounter with law enforcement. In the harsh glare of a flashlight, author Deanna Nowadnick learns the consequences of speeding through a stop sign. Other incidents follow. All are linked to the divine signs she's encountered in that bigger journey through life. Join Deanna as she shares humorous anecdotes and inspirational lessons from her travels with God. See the signs in life. She might be speeding through a stop sign (yet again!) while you're carefully navigating a busy street, but together we're all part of a bigger journey, a greater purpose. We're all part of God's great story.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Signs in Life: Finding Direction in Our Travels with God" is an inherently absorbing and inspiring read from beginning to end. Very highly recommended for all members of the Christian community regardless of denominational affiliation, it should be noted that "Signs in Life" is also available in a Kindle edition ($1.99).


The Fiction Shelf

A Call From Spooner Street
Carol Ascher
Mill City Press
https://www.millcitypress.net
9781634135818, $15.00, 314pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Three generations of strong-minded Rosens have gone their own ways, keeping a safe distance from each other. When Peter Rosen, the octogenarian emigre professor, takes a bad fall in the snow, his estranged adult daughter Marlene begins flying regularly to Madison. Long days on Spooner Street amidst her ailing father's beloved German books enable Marlene to let go of old bitterness and rekindle her love for him. When her son, Noah, returns from Africa for a last visit with his grandfather, he instigates a deeper honesty, love and forgiveness among all three Rosens.

Critique: A thoroughly engaging and entertaining read from beginning to end, "A Call From Spooner Street" documents author Carol Ascher as an extraordinary storytelling talent. Certain to be an enduringly popular addition to personal and community library General Fiction collections, "A Call From Spooner Street" is enthusiastically recommended!

Pokergeist
Michael Phillip Cash
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.michaelphillipcash.com/contact-form
www.michaelphillipcash.com
9781512074963, $12.99, 266pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Sometimes life, as well as death, is about second chances. Luckless Telly Martin doesn't have a clue. An awful gambler trying to scrape by as a professional poker player, he becomes the protege of world famous poker champion Clutch Henderson. The only catch is that Clutch is a ghost. Telly and Clutch must navigate the seedy gambling underbelly of Las Vegas learning to trust each other in order to win the elusive International Series of Poker, repair their shattered personal relationships and find redemption in this life and the hereafter.

Critique: An impressively entertaining and deftly crafted work of fiction, "Pokergeist " will prove to be especially attractive to poker enthusiasts as well as those with an interest original and offbeat supernatural tales. Very highly recommended for mature readers, it should be noted that "Pokergeist" is also available in a Kindle edition ($0.99).

The Conversion Prophecy
Michael Solomon
Green Dragon Books
2875 S. Ocean Blvd., Ste 200, Palm Beach, FL 33480
www.greendragonbooks.com
9781623860158, $29.95, 252pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: What if you awoke one morning to find all the flags of the free world were changed to the Islamic Flag? "The Conversion Prophecy" by Michael Solomon takes the reader through a journey of how the entire balance of global economic power will change forever as Islam secretly obtains control of every sector in the corporate world, from energy to food supplies; telecommunications to water and everything needed to sustain life as we know it. What Solomon has developed is a new and different form of terrorism - one, which does not require the firing of a single shot or the shedding of one drop of blood. However, it could lead to a new world order.

Critique: A deftly crafted 'what if' work of fiction that could all too easily come to pass in today's troubled economic and volatile political conditions. A thoroughly absorbing read from beginning to end, "The Conversion Prophecy" is very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Conversion Prophecy" is also available in a paperback edition (9781623860134, $19.95) and in a Kindle format ($9.99).

My Townie Heart
Diana Sperrazza
Post Hill Press
275 Madison Avenue, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10016
http://posthillpress.com
9781618688910, $21.00, 144pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Laura DiStefano is torn between dreams of a new counter-cultural life and the undertow of a dysfunctional family. Laura DiStefano has flunked out of the University of Massachusetts just as the counterculture reaches its peak in the 1970s.
Reluctantly, Laura returns to live back home with her parents and sister in the blue collar town she so hoped to escape. But she soon learns that her sister, a fierce survivor of a childhood attack who has rather foolishly gotten pregnant, needs Laura's help when she unexpectedly falls for a local guy. Even though the school offers to reinstate Laura's scholarship, leaving home again suddenly gets harder. As the conflicts in her threaten to drag her under, Laura becomes agoraphobic. How can she reconcile her divided loyalties and find her genuine life?

Critique: a terrifically entertaining and compelling read from first page to last, "My Townie Heart" clearly documents author Diana Sperrazza as an especially gifted storyteller. Very highly recommended for community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "My Townie Heart" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).

The Curious Autobiography of Elaine Jakes
H. R. Jakes
Archway Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.archwaypublishing.com
9781480814745, $35.95, 268pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: In "The Curious Autobiography of Elaine Jakes", author H.R. Jakes offers a fictionalized account of Elaine's life, telling a variety of stories that involve a romantic ride in an old-fashioned car, a frightening cheese plate, a magic sword, and a cross-dressing monkey. Her story is not one, but many as she humorously reveals time and again how connected her own narrative is to that of her Welsh forebears. During the journey, Elaine, a school teacher in the vivacious and eccentric community of New Hope, Pennsylvania, gains not only an appreciation of the world but also of her heritage, herself, and God.

Critique: A riveting and entertaining read from beginning to end, "The Curious Autobiography of Elaine Jakes" is wonderfully entertaining and certain to be an enduringly popular addition to community library General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Curious Autobiography of Elaine Jakes" is also available in a paperback edition (9781480814738, $17.99) and in a Kindle format ($6.99).

The Tick Rider
William Street
iUniverse
1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403-5161
www.iuniverse.com
9781491755020, $28.95, 558pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: A Texas cowboy, charged with rounding up tick-carrying Mexican livestock, meets a rancher's daughter. At the same time, two teenage boys, Miguel and Guillermo, yearning for opportunity, begin the dangerous trek toward America, and Alejandro, a young pilot for the cartel lands a load of cocaine in the mountains of Guatemala and finds fear. The cartel plans to establish a plaza on the river, but an assassination delays the plan. Their subsequent stories play out against the backdrop of the encroaching reach of the drug cartel, its bosses and pistoleros. All their lives become more dangerous as the cartel's grip tightens, culminating in an attempted escape as a pack-train of drugs crosses the Rio Grande in the moonlight. "The Tick Rider" by William Street is a story of families, homelands, drugs, redemption, and the dividing Rio Grande.

Critique: A deftly crafted novel that is an absorbing and entertaining read from first page to last, "The Tick Rider" is strongly recommended for community library Contemporary General Fiction collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "The Tick Rider" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).

The Deceptive Fibionary
Leagan E. Kasper
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781514390078, $5.99, 88pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "The Deceptive Fibionary " is comprised of three thought-provoking and deceptive short stories Leagan E. Kasper: 'Honorable Mischief' (a mischievous Court Procedure with a twist); 'The Lion's Den' (a Sci Fi tale of mammoth proportions); and 'The Great Adventure" (the unanticipated adventure of a scribe, written completely in rhyming verse).

Critique: "The Deceptive Fibionary" showcases author Leagan Kasper's impressively original storytelling talents in general, and master of the short story form in particular. As impressively written as they are diverse, the stories are highly recommended as solidly entertaining reading. "The Deceptive Fibionary" is recommended for both personal reading lists as well as community library Short Story Fiction collections. It should be noted that "The Deceptive Fibionary" is also available in a Kindle edition ($3.99).


The Music Shelf

Jazz: America's Gift
Richie Gerber
Gerber's Miracle Publishers LLC
401 Seven Isles Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
www.jazzamericasgift.com
9780692445532, $27.95, 336pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Music is both a unifying force and a deeply personal expression of the self. Over the millennia, melody and lyrics have served as a multilayered mode of storytelling and expression of joy, sorrow, and hope. For America, no other musical style is quite so adept at this than jazz. In "Jazz: America's Gift", musician, performer, comedian, and impresario Richie Gerber delves into the rich and storied history of American jazz from its roots in early American folk song and the blues into the sound and splendor of the Jazz Age. "Jazz: America's Gift" offers a unique and engaging exploration of the musical styles, traditions, innovations, and incredible talents that shaped jazz, and exposes how jazz itself shaped America's history, bringing the country closer together.

No figure embodies the mood and music of this time like George Gershwin, a Jewish-American musical dynamo whose Rhapsody in Blue would become one of the most widely known compositions to come out of this time. Using song titles as markers along the path of Gershwin's life, author Richie Gerber tells the evocative, often joyous, and sometimes heart-wrenching story of this often misunderstood genius. Gershwin's life story is elegantly framed within the larger narrative of the rise of jazz music, with an attention to detail that makes the words leap off the page and music sound in your ears.

Critique: Impressively informed and informative, "Jazz: America's Gift" is exceptionally well written, organized and presented. Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in scope, composition, and a 'must' for all jazz enthusiasts, "Jazz: America's Gift" is very highly recommended and rewarding reading. It will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community, and academic library American Music History reference collections and supplemental studies reading lists. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Jazz: America's Gift" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Business Shelf

Best Business Practices
Alan G. Thomas, Larry Kennedy, Ralph L. LoVuolo
Systematic Innovative Management, LLC
4242 Alesbury Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32224
www.SIM.world
9780996282604, $45.95, 230pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Best Business Practices" is an uncommonly practical "team planning and learning" tool by three men who combined their 90 plus years of business experience with over 15 years of solid research to create this one-of-a-kind management tool. "Best Business Practices" is a hands-on management tool that integrates a model team planning and learning process with a step-by-step guide, presents clear guidelines and tools to readily create a self-sustaining learning organization, and features a comprehensive outline of ideal best practices to implement the process. "Best Business Practices" covers leadership and management practices; shows how to avoid wasting time while capitalizing on all of a company's available knowledge and ingenuity; enables teams to collaborate and learn more efficiently, thereby enabling the organization will gain better control over its limited time and resources. "Best Business Practices" is compact and modular in nature, thereby minimizing the time required to realize its benefits. Managers can tailor its use to their immediate needs because it is very user-friendly. It is one of the most versatile small business tools available.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Best Business Practices" is thoroughly 'user friendly' and an informed and informative addition to personal, professional, corporate, community, and academic library Business Studies instructional reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

Managing Your Business with 7 Key Numbers
Jeffrey Kenneth Prager & Schott Stroud
BuilderBooks
c/o National Association of Home Builders
1201 - 15th Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
www.nahb.org
9780867187359, $35.95, 186pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: Use 7 Key Numbers to help you earn greater profits with less time and energy Many builders and contractors struggle to get a clear picture of where their business is at the moment and where it is headed financially. By the time you compare your accounting reports with your job costing, estimating and change orders, and pipeline, it is too late to make adjustments to guarantee profit. Stay on top of every job! Follow the steps in "Managing Your Business with 7 Key Numbers" to create a process that will let you know when costs or scheduling deviate from the estimate-in time to respond before those changes cost you money.

Critique: The collaborative work of Jeffrey Kenneth Prager and Schott Stroud, "Managing Your Business with 7 Key Numbers" is exceptionally well written, organized and presented. Specifically directed at professionals engaged in construction, "Managing Your Business with 7 Key Numbers" is as thoroughly 'user friendly' as it is informed and informative, making it very highly recommended.


The Cookbook Shelf

Cups, Sticks & Nibbles
Nicole L. Meyer
LifeRich Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive, Bloomington, IN 47403
http://www.liferichpublishing.com
9781489704207, $24.99, 92pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Cups, Sticks & Nibbles: Unlock Your Inner Hosting Confidence with Stress-Free Tips & Recipes" is specifically intended to rescue any party giver who finds themselves severely pressed for time because the guests arrivals are immanent and things just aren't ready yet. Nicole Meyer loves to be hostess and can't wait to share with you all her hints and dishes that will bubble you over with party-planning courage. Whether it an intimate night of cocktails or family holiday feast for thirty, her serving suggestions and sassy, simple dishes will pull your event together in no time. "Cups, Sticks & Nibbles" is a combination of event planner and cooking teacher. Its inspiring suggestions are meant to get rid of those overwhelming panicky feelings and replace them with a newfound party fever excitement. The mouth-watering nibbles featured in "Cups, Sticks & Nibbles" are handpicked from Nicole Meyer's blog, Nibbles By Nic, which she founded in 2011. Creations such as strawberry shortcake cheesecake shooters, pizza-meatloaf cupcakes, pineapple steak-roll-ups, and skillet stuffed eggplant are just a few of the menu items for you to include. Crowd-pleasing with easy-to-find ingredients and minimal steps involved give every opportunity to celebrate and have the best time at a party!

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Cups, Sticks & Nibbles: Unlock Your Inner Hosting Confidence with Stress-Free Tips & Recipes" is an impressive combination of cookbook and instruction manual. Extraordinarily 'user friendly' throughout, the recipes comprising "Cups, Sticks & Nibbles" range from Roasted Potatoes with Sour-Cream and Onion Yogurt; Grilled Steak Roll-Ups; Szechuan Salmon; and Eggplant Parm Pile-Up; to Pizza Meatloaf Cupcakes; Lemon Panko Chicken Cutlets; Banana Caramel Crunch Treats; and Sprinkle Cake Balls. Enthusiastically recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections, it should be noted that "Cups, Sticks & Nibbles" is also available in a paperback edition (9781489704191, $19.99) and in a Kindle format ($3.99).

The Art Of Making Vegetarian Sausages
Stanley Marianski & Adam Marianski
Bookmagic LLC
11771 Park Boulevard, Seminole, FL 33772
www.bookmagic.com
9780990458630, $19.95, 106pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "The Art of Making Vegetarian Sausages" elevates the sausage making process to an art, where only your imagination can limit your creations. Vegetarian sausages need not compete with meat sausages, but in many ways are the better of the two. "The Art of Making Vegetarian Sausages" departs from traditional methods of sausage making and introduces new concepts and techniques. The rules and guidelines presented in "The Art of Making Vegetarian Sausages" can be adapted to making Kosher sausages as well. Any food cooked at home can be enriched, stuffed into a casing and made into a sausage. After reading "The Art of Making Vegetarian Sausages", even the most novice of kitchen cooks will be able to create their own recipes, control the texture and color of the sausage and most importantly, end up with a delicious and nutritious culinary creation.

Critique: Impressively 'kitchen cook friendly' from beginning to end, "The Art of Making Vegetarian Sausages" is nicely illustrated and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, and community library vegetarian cookbook collections with recipes ranging from a Bread Pudding Sausage; a Buckwheat Sausage; and a Garbanzo Sausage; to a Potato Sausage; a Rice Sausage with Apple Sauce; a Sausage with Cranberries; and so much more! It should be noted that "The Art of Making Vegetarian Sausages" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.95).


The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

Desolation Sound
Fraser C. Heston & Heather J. McAdams
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781514193945, $9.95, 226pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: A collaborative and evocative Northwest Noir thriller by Fraser Heston and Heather McAdams, (and based on a real-life, unsolved mystery), "Desolation Sound" is set in the misty islands of British Columbia, will keep you on edge until its astonishing conclusion. Seattle homicide detective Jack Harris-a depressed alcoholic, prone to violence, was kicked off the force for killing a killer. He retired to the Gulf Islands and a quiet life of fly-fishing, sea kayaking and heavy drinking, to escape his demons. Until he finds the 13th severed human foot to wash ashore since 2007. RCMP claims there are no signs of foul play, but as Jack says, "Two feet is an anomaly, three to four statistically curious, six to ten, you have to think dirty. But thirteen feet? Seriously?" Blond female runners have been disappearing lately in the lower mainland. RCMP corporal Liz MacDonald-an obsessive, ambitious, rookie detective was kicked off a case for beating a suspect. She fits the victim profile perfectly. Young, good-looking, blond long distance runner. She also happens to be convinced that these disappearances are linked to the severed feet. Liz and Jack team up to catch a sadistic serial killer before he catches them.

Critique: Exceptionally well written and a thoroughly absorbing read from beginning to end, "Desolation Sound" is a riveting thriller that will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Desolation Sound" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.95).

If Jack Had
Steve Rappaport
Black Rose Writing
PO Box 1540, Castroville, TX 78009
http://www.blackrosewriting.com
9781612964911, $16.95, 214pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "If Jack Had" by Steve Rappaport is a dark, ironic, tale of duality and dying, as well as a story of fathers and sons. Jack is a New York Times journalist with a second job as a contract killer for the Russian Mob. "What's the difference between a serial killer and an assassin? A pay check." The events occur mainly in Manhattan, Miami, Tel Aviv, and Greece. "If Jack Had" begins at the end, with the protagonist preparing to kill his final victim; himself -- and then finishes where it began. In between there is sex, laughs, deaths. . . and a bit of incontinence.

Critique: A riveting read from beginning to end. Solidly written and thoroughly absorbing it is especially impressive that "If Jack Had" is author Steve Rappaport's debut as a novelist. Very highly recommended for both personal reading lists and community library General Fiction collections, it should be noted that "If Jack Had" is also available in a Kindle edition ($6.99).


The Theatre/Cinema Shelf

Scenes for Teens
Mike Kimmel
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781497557031, $14.99, 142pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "Scenes for Teens: 50 Original Comedy and Drama Scenes for Teenage Actors" is meant to help simplify the acting and auditioning process for young performers. Created by Mike Kimmel (who is an experienced actor with Hollywood and Broadway credits), these fifty original comedy and drama scripts are ideal for training and auditioning. The scenes are written for two actors, are gender-neutral, and intentionally exclude costumes, props, entrances, exits, complicated stage directions, and additional characters. In this way, "Scenes for Teens" is specifically designed to help young performers practice dialogue in a conversational and realistic manner. This allows them to focus on the one-on-one relationship. With an inspiring foreword by Kevin Sorbo, as well as a clear introduction to the art and business of professional acting by Kimmel, "Scenes for Teens" is an effective teaching tool for young actors, their parents, and acting coaches.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "Scenes for Teens: 50 Original Comedy and Drama Scenes for Teenage Actors" is ideal for high school drama department curriculums. Very highly recommended for personal, professional, community theater and community library instructional actor training collections.


The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Lord of War
A. K. Chandler
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781503129955, $14.99, 278pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The country of Shambelin is a wonderland. Its forests are teeming with life, its people have coexisted for centuries, and it's protected by an order of virtuous warriors named Veilin. Life is surreal. Until night. As the sun sets, the forests rot into ashes, and humans barricade themselves inside their cities as monsters prowl the darkness outside. The world has fallen victim to a plethora of sinister phenomena, and with every passing year, Veilin forces grow weaker. Clea Hart is a Veilin princess, and her latest mission demands that she brave the forests. It's a feat she can't undertake alone, and in desperation elicits the help of a mysterious man named Ryson. The duo conquers one enemy after another, but when Ryson's secrets comes to light, Clea realizes that the horrors of the forest are nothing but a playground to his past.

Critique: Exceptionally well written and a thoroughly entertaining read from beginning to end, "Lord of War" is an especially recommended addition to community library Fantasy Fiction collections in general, and the personal reading lists fantasy fiction enthusiasts in particular. It should be noted that "Lord of War" is also available in a Kindle edition ($2.99).

Forever In Vein
Jody R. LaGreca
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781514897546, $12.99, 322pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: An old diary reveals intrigue about Ludwing Von Vanderblatt, a one-hundred-fifty year old vampire. In 1895 Ludwing attends Becky Williams' Debutante Ball at Lakeview, an estate in Boston, Massachusetts. The handsome stranger charms Becky and her parents, Harrison and Lady Georgia, before luring Becky outside for his just desserts. Becky's vampire transformation binds her to Ludwing for all eternity. The same way Ludwing is beholden to Gretchen Talbot, a vampire from Dudleytown -- a cursed hamlet and legendary ghost town, known for its compilation of British and American history and ties to King Henry VIII. Harrison Williams takes a journey to the Vanderblatt farmhouse in Quakertown, Pennsylvania searching for answers -- when a chain of events unfurl dark secrets. Dazzling, dangerous, dramatic, and enticing, "Forever In Vein" contains well documented, chilling occurrences and locations.

Critique: Deftly written and a thoroughly absorbing read from beginning to end, "Forever In Vein" is an especially recommended addition to community library fantasy fiction collections in general, and to the personal reading list for vampire fiction enthusiasts in particular. It should be noted that "Forever In Vein" is also available in a Kindle edition ($4.99).


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Guide to Natural Mental Health
William Jiang
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781503250918, $35.00, 130pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: The thrust of "Guide to Natural Mental Health: Anxiety, Bipolar, Depression, Schizophrenia, and Digital Addiction" by William Jiang is nutrition and complementary therapies for digital addiction, anxiety, bipolar, depression, and schizophrenia. Truisms that have been passed down through the ages about mental health that have stood the rigors of scientific inquiry are presented. The role of nutrition in ameliorating anxiety is discussed. Light is thrown on the benefits of meditation, yoga, aromatherapy, exercise, the healing power of music, and the detrimental effects of playing too many video games or viewing too much pornography on depression. Next, the role of nutrition in helping manage bipolar disorder is included. The effect of light on bipolar disorder and the importance of good sleep hygiene is underlined. Then, how nutrition affects depression is discussed. A question relevant to many of us, "What are the effects of being indoors all the time?" is delved into. A long list of things that can be helpful for ameliorating depression is presented including: natural herbal remedies, meditation, religion, yoga, the effect of too much or too little light, the role of exercise in fighting depression, the role of music on the mood, the role of a positive social network in recovery, the role of pets, the harmful effects of the digital lives we lead, and the healing power of scent. Finally, the amazing fact that nutrition can sometimes prevent psychosis in its beginning stages before it becomes fully-blown schizophrenia is looked at. Additional mental health tips added to this newly revised and expanded third edition.

Critique: Thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organized and presentation, "Guide to Natural Mental Health: Anxiety, Bipolar, Depression, Schizophrenia, and Digital Addiction" is an informed and informative resource that will prove to be particularly useful for non-specialist general readers. Very highly recommended for both community and academic library Mental Health instructional reference collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Guide to Natural Mental Health: Anxiety, Bipolar, Depression, Schizophrenia, and Digital Addiction" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


The Psychology Shelf

A Schizophrenic Will
William Jiang
CreateSpace
4900 LaCross Rd., North Charleston, SC 29406
www.createspace.com
9781451512243, $15.99, 120pp, www.amazon.com

Synopsis: "A Schizophrenic Will: A Story of Madness, A Story of Hope" by William Jiang is an inspirational autobiographical account of living with the dreaded disease of schizophrenia. His story is one of rare genius, olympian strength, torrid romance, academic dominance, and, finally, professional accomplishment. "A Schizophrenic Will" leads the reader on a journey that chronicles twenty years of William Jiang's life. The journey begins with his first serious psychotic break from reality as a teenager and ends with him being a respected, published medical library Chief at the number one psychiatric research institute in the world, NYSPI, affiliated with Columbia University. One thing that makes his story a wonder to read is the sheer number of challenges he faces head-on and, ultimately, overcomes. "A Schizophrenic Will" is a story that is an unforgettable, uplifting personal history to be read and savored. This is an unusually candid and absorbing autobiography.

Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "A Schizophrenic Will: A Story of Madness, A Story of Hope" is an extraordinary read from beginning to end and very highly recommended for community and academic library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "A Schizophrenic Will" is also available in a Kindle edition ($9.99).


James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
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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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