Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Book Life February 2019
Book Life February 2019
Paper
Dreams
A graphic designer
launches an indie
pop-up book press
BY MATIA BURNETT
T
hough Rosston Meyer, founder
of Poposition Press, read pop-
up books as a kid, it wasn’t
until college—when he studied the
work of master paper engineers
Robert Sabuda and David A. Carter—
that he developed a true appreciation
for the form’s unique artistry. Meyer,
a longtime arts and comics enthusi-
ast and a web and graphic designer
by trade, was so inspired by Sabuda’s
and Carter’s wide-ranging creations
that he planned to make his own
pop-up book. He sat on the idea for
some 15 years before collaborating
with the comic book ar tist Jim
Mahfood on a book titled Pop Up
Funk, which he and Mahfood self-
published in 2013.
® INDIE SUCCESS
that I work with have existing audiences that we’re
able to tap into for each title through social media,
emails, and other direct contact,” he says. “Online
advertising has also been successful as I’m able to
market ads to specific demographics.”
For instance, Meyer sought out H.P. Lovecraft
fan communities when marketing Skinner ’s
Necronomicon Pop-Up Book, a Poposition book
featuring scenes from Lovecraft’s stories, illustrated
by Skinner, an artist in Oakland, Calif.
Meyer recently partnered with Carter, to whom
he initially reached out in 2013 to express his
Rosston Meyer displays a pop-up scene from artist admiration and to seek advice about pop-up book
Junko Mizuno’s Triad. engineering. The two struck up a friendship, and
in 2017 Carter approached Meyer about a pop-up
After that, Meyer was hooked. He followed that book that he was creating in collaboration with
first project with The Pop Up Art Book, which Hester van Eeghen, a Dutch shoe and handbag
features the work of Mahfood and five other con- designer. The book was planned for a 30-year
temporary artists: Angry Woebots, kozyndan, Junko anniversary exhibition of van Eeghen’s work, to
Mizuno, Tara McPherson, and Skinner. Meyer funded be held at the Tassen Museum of Bags and Purses
the book through Kickstarter. He also started in Amsterdam. The result of their efforts, One
considering the idea of launching a pop-up book Thousand and One Handbags, was a unique project
press, and, after seeing firsthand the success that for Carter: his first limited-edition pop-up book,
self-published books can find through direct mar- with the potential to be a collector’s item.
keting to consumers, he felt increasingly confident Meyer values close-knit hands-on collaborations
about the venture. that result in unique works of art. “It’s a wonder-
Poposition Press is a true passion project. “My ful feeling to hold a finished product in your hands
goal was to create limited-edition pop-up books that in some cases just two people worked on for
that feature artists or subjects that are of a deep months,” he says. With the “constantly evolving”
personal interest to me,” Meyer says. design and artistry that he brings to each new
Meyer’s many pop-up book projects have taught project, Meyer looks forward to putting more pop-
him about the importance of harmonizing aspects up book wonders into the hands of readers. ■
of art and design. Though complex designs
can make a pop-up book particularly dynamic,
he believes that “a simply engineered page
with striking artwork can have the same
effect.” Each new project presents different
challenges. “For me, creating a pop-up book
is kind of like solving a very long and in-
depth puzzle, not just in terms of the paper
engineering and design aspects of the proj-
ect but also in the marketing and selling
of the books,” he notes.
Meyer continues to rely on crowdfund-
ing to support his projects and primarily
sells them directly to pop-up book fans
and people who collect the work of the
featured artists. Having an awareness of
already-established fan bases allows Meyer
to better target his efforts. “The artists Meyer and Mizuno with Triad.
30 B O O K L I F E , F E B R UA RY 2 5 , 2 0 1 9
COVER ART ®
Cover Redesign
This month, Michelle Argyle at Melissa Williams Design
reimagines the cover of That Night, by indie author Cecily
Wolfe, who says she was “thrilled” with the new cover and
described it as “a perfect fit.”
To submit a book for a free cover redesign, email us at booklifeeditor@booklife.com. Original Cover
To indicate Sometimes
that this is a YA you don’t
book, I chose want images
an image of a perfectly
teenage girl. centered. The
But I made sure image here
it was a photo is off-center
that grabs enough that it
the reader’s creates an edgy,
attention. uncomfortable
feel. This is
perfect for the
book’s gritty
subject matter.
Unlike in the
original, I made
the title and Using a hand-
author name written font
stand out and gives the cover
reflect the an almost
same colors and vulnerable
shadows as the feeling; it lets
image. readers know
that this will be
an intense story
that is told in a
personal way.
B O O K L I F E .C O M 31
® BOOK MARKETING
BY JOEL FRIEDLANDER
F
or indie authors, few free marketing efforts
match the power of book reviews and blurbs.
But many authors don’t pursue reviews and Joel Friedlander
blurbs, and that’s a shame. Those who try are often
disappointed with the results, and inexperience
at querying reviewers is usually the cause. 2. Send a Well-Crafted Query
To make this process more approachable, I’ve A query letter can make or break a review campaign,
tried to streamline it into three simple steps for so it’s important to spend time on it. Here are some
indie authors, with an emphasis on crafting an tips.
effective query. Keep it short. People are busy. A four-page letter
explaining the book and marketing plan in detail
1. Identify Targets won’t be read by many people. Make it as short as
This is the most important part of the process. You possible to get the job done—no more than one
only want to approach reviewers who are at the page.
“top of the mountain” in terms of the influence Introduce yourself. Include information on who
they have over potential book buyers and readers. you are and why you’re qualified to write this
That’s why it’s so important to know who potential particular book. But skip the résumé or list of
readers are, and who influences them. accomplishments.
And you shouldn’t put limits on yourself. Instead, Why is it important? Describe, in a sentence or
think of the perfect review or testimonial—the one two, what the book hopes to accomplish and why
that could really affect book sales—and what it other people should care.
would look like on the cover of your book or in Connect to a common cause. This is crucial. Try
the first paragraph of a press release. Then, go to establish a “community of interest” between
for it, and make sure to include the influencers yourself and the person being queried. If the
identified on the list of reviewers and bloggers person’s work is noted in the book, mention that.
to contact. Be specific about what action should be taken.
What’s key is to only approach review sources or Include in the quer y exactly what outcome is
individuals who have a proven interest in the kinds desired. For instance, when requesting a testimo-
of books you’re writing. Don’t send a book on flower nial, you might write: “If you enjoy the book, would
arranging to a publication for kayakers—it will just you give me a quote that I can use in my book
waste everyone’s time. promotion?” When requesting a review, point out
32 B O O K L I F E , F E B R UA RY 2 5 , 2 0 1 9
BOOK MARKETING ®
how the publication’s readers would benefit from with a quality book, you will gather reviews or
reading the review. testimonials. But many won’t respond, and that’s
Set a deadline. For testimonials, you will receive just the way it is. Don’t take it personally.
many more responses if you establish a deadline. You should make sure that all the materials
Say something like: “It would help tremendously needed to follow up with respondents are on hand.
to have your response by February 1, but of course If there are printed books, make sure they are in
I would be grateful for any responses that come in hand, along with the media kit or other press
after that if your schedule doesn’t allow you to materials useful to book reviewers.
meet that date.” A deadline isn’t needed for review- There is no better boost for a book than for it to
ers, who are working to their editorial schedules. be recommended by experts in the field and to
Make it easy. Don’t send the book with the query have positive reviews right where the intended
letter, but do offer it in whichever formats are readers will see them. Far more effective than paid
available. If there’s a print or print-on-demand ads, reviews can be the lifeblood of an indie author’s
version, offer the printed copy as well as a PDF. If marketing campaign.
there’s an e-book version, offer that as well. Although And there’s no reason to stop looking for
PDFs look just like the printed book, they are also reviews after a book’s publication date. If you
the format most prone to piracy, so consider using have written a solid, professionally produced book
a ser vice such as BookFunnel or NetGalley to that delivers real value, reviewers will be happy
securely distribute books to reviewers. to find out about it. ■
Q&A SPONSORED
Geopolitics and climate change figure into this For the complete interview, visit booklife.com/forsyth
B O O K L I F E .C O M 33
® BOOKS TO WATCH
Scouting Report
In this month’s roundup of the best-reviewed BookLife
titles, we highlight a romance novel, a work of historical
fiction, a parenting guide, an analysis of the book of Job,
and more.
34 B O O K L I F E , F E B R UA RY 2 5 , 2 0 1 9
® FIRST LINES
Q&A SPONSORED
36 B O O K L I F E , F E B R UA RY 2 5 , 2 0 1 9
WRITING ADVICE ®
the
you just need to access it. you have freedom. Once you
“Your voice is simply the way identify the unique gift you have
you, the writer, project yourself to give, the tone, the rhythm,
how you see the world: put them Tongue, suggests: “Look within, If you have a question for the
all together and there it is, your and listen to yourself. Tune out editor, please email Betty Sargent
voice. You haven’t lost it. It’s other voices giving you advice. at booklifeeditor@booklife.com.
Q&A SPONSORED
B O O K L I F E .C O M 37
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The Mutiny Girl (Gold & Courage Series) controls in Paris, he battles with a patient of an end-of-the-world asteroid storm.
Karen S. Gordon. Gordon of no fixed identity.
Productions. $14.99 Beneath the Surface (A Gray Ghost
paper (358p), ISBN 978- Oriental Vagabonds: Novel)
1-73360-641-7 A Tale of a Far East Tramp Amy McKinley.
Amazon Richard Regan. Richard Regan. $9.99 paper Arrowscope Press. $13.99
Vance Courage is strug- (268p), ISBN 978-1-980845-72-0; paper (272p), ISBN 978-
gling to save his law $2.99 e-book, 0-9994280-4-7
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a cascade of events that mires him in a A hard-bitten skipper Framed for murder,
potentially lucrative yet deadly conspiracy. and his misfit crew a Russian sleeper agent works with a
navigate their aging former Navy SEAL to reveal the true
Nobody I Know tramp steamer through culprit, unmasking corruption that has
John J. Gaynard. John J. Gaynard. $4.99 the dangerous waters reached some of the highest levels of
e-book, ASIN of the Far East on the eve of World War II. the U.S. government.
B07LBW173H
Amazon Reasons to Kill God: A Bond of a Dragon: Zahara’s Gift
Psychologist J. O’Neill Historical Fiction Novel A.J. Walker. AJ Walker Publishing. $11.99
is a pariah in the U.S. I.V. Olokita. I.V. Olokita. paper (281p), ISBN 978-
for work done with the $12.95 paper (140p), 1-72689-139-4;
CIA. In the psychiatric ISBN 978-1-72940- $2.99 e-book,
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ASIN B07M6CMHKZ Amazon, BN.com, Kobo
Amazon A young man forced
Before his mother’s death, Deus learns into action. A juvenile
Looking for a career? that his family history was all lies. The dragon alone in a new
Looking for a new job? truth: his mother is Jewish, and his father world. Whispers of a terrible evil return-
Look no further... is a sadistic Nazi fugitive. ing to power. Can 19-year-old Anders
create his own destiny?
JOBP Yesterday’s
ZONE
Tomorrow, Part One: Darkness: Book One of the Oortian Wars
Just a Dream Iain Richmond. Rogue Planet Publishing.
Guy Rosmarin. BookBaby. $15.95 paper (460p),
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country’s most prolific public intellectuals This book attempts to describe the Love, Sanity, or
across the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s. economic system at Medical School:
the level of an inde- A Memoir
The Employee Millionaire: How to Use pendent state Stephanie Benjamin.
Your Day Job to Become a Millionaire through the language KDP. $9.99 e-book, ISBN
with Rental Properties and methodological 978-1-73289-960-5
H.J. Chammas. principles of general Amazon
PartridgeSingapore. system theory. The third year of med
$24.07 paper (354p), school is a year of rotating through
ISBN 978-1-5437-4494- An Inexplicable Attraction: specialties, teams, hospitals, and lives. It
1; $7.99 e-book, ISBN My Fifty Years of Ocean Sailing leaves an indelible mark on every physician,
978-1-5437-4493-4 Eric B. Forsyth. Yacht Fiona. $24.95 paper but the story is often untold—until now.
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From identifying and closing deals, e-book, ISBN 978-0- The Mindset: My Journey from Janitor to
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capitalizing on opportunities, this book This memoir explores e-book, ISBN 978-1-
can help you achieve financial freedom the origins of Forsyth’s 73294-811-2
while being employed. love of seafaring Amazon
adventures and his At the age of 22,
Everything Is Matter many journeys to every Bowers was forced to
Moving Through part of the world, one of which was choose whether to con-
Space almost his last sail. tinue the cycle of family
Joseph Palazzo. poverty or break it. This memoir describes
AuthorHouse. $13.99 Just Be: his unconventional path to success.
paper (256p), ISBN 978- Transform Your Life and Live as Infinity
1-5462-5619-9 Suresh Ramaswamy. Lucid Field. $18.18 My Persian Paradox:
Amazon paper (518p), ISBN 978-0-9962730-0-8; Memories of an Iranian Girl
A new concept of time, a new law of $9.09 e-book, ASIN Shabnam Curtis. Shabnam Curtis. $12.99
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Einstein’s equivalence principle yield Amazon 1-73359-880-4
new insights into the concepts of gravity In this book, readers Amazon, Apple iBooks,
and entropy. can discover what life BN.com, Chapters Indigo,
is truly about, learn Ingram
Farmer’s Son, practices to experi- This is a tale of an
Military Career ence a deeper reality Iranian girl’s resilience
Clarence Vold. Page rooted in beingness, and understand in the face of dictator-
Publishing. $17.95 paper how to live from that reality. ship, fighting with restrictive cultural rules,
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Vold sought life beyond Ann Schiebert. Andrew Benzie Books. $16.95 Out of This World Ideas:
what he knew. Answering the call, he paper (232p), ISBN 978-1-941713-85-3 And the Inventions They Inspired
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Economy from the Standpoint of General cyberbullying, prom Works of science
System Theory night, computer and fiction contain many
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(384p), ISBN 978-1-949804-04-1 rowing the car, and concepts. Have any
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Books. $12.95 paper (140p), ISBN 978-1- My Fox Ate My Homework
73354-750-5 David Blaze. Blaze Books for Young Readers.
Amazon, Ingram $17.99 hardcover
A physician offers a radical new view of (106p), ISBN 978-1-
nutrition and medicine in the U.S. 73259-146-2;
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Bluff Amazon, Ingram
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978-1-72927-446-0 Mart Grams, illus. by Allisandra German. a new school, and
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fat,” a stranger Amazon
teaches Bluff about For parents who are dealing with the Sky-Bound Misfit
the dangers of arro- common fears of children from about Jane Powell. Tellwell. $18.67 paper (322p),
gant boasting. With two to seven years of age, just relax. ISBN 978-0-228-80353-9
readaloud rhythm The fears that your child experiences are Amazon, BN.com, Book Depository, Chapters
and a virtuous mes- normal. Indigo
sage of humility. Growing up in the
1980s is a struggle
Children of a for Frankie.
Northern Kingdom: Relentlessly bullied
A Story of the after she is sexually
Strangite Mormons assaulted, she learns
in Wisconsin and on the key to survival is
Beaver Island, friendship, humor,
Michigan and determination.
Elaine Stienon. Henry Winterbottom and the Feeling
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paper (288p), ISBN 978-1-5462-0334-6; Jen B. Wild, illus. by Day. La Pixie Publishing. Connie Goyette
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Amazon Amazon, BN.com Valentina Valenza.
Fleeing persecution, Rusty follows his This book is designed to help children 3DLight Publications.
family group to Michigan’s Beaver Island. understand emotions by reading about $7.99 paper (44p),
Again forced to leave, he loses posses- Henry’s experience with a colorful ISBN 978-0-
sions and family. Where can he find spectrum of feelings. 9986614-6-9
help? Amazon, BN.com,
In Clouds of Fire: A Story of Community Books-A-Million
Eternal Devotion Elaine Stienon. AuthorHouse. $20.95 paper Tilly and Torg are off to their first day of
A.R. Jackson. A.R. (448p), ISBN 978-1-4184-4767-0; $5.99 school. Whether it’s reading, math, or
Jackson. $9.95 paper e-book, ISBN 978-1-4184-5738-9 even recess, these two monsters have
(202p), ISBN 978-1- Amazon a lot to learn. Sight word list and quiz
79326-039-0; $2.99 This tale of love, included.
e-book, ASIN violence, and death
B07L1S33BV explores the diver- Time Changes
Amazon, Apple iBooks, sity of people who Everything
BN.com, Kobo were attracted to Jane Craig Sebok.
Kevin was bound to be a star. He grew the early Mormons Outskirts Press.
up in a sports-driven family and was and the groups $15.95 paper (201p),
groomed to play football all his life. from which they ISBN 978-1-977202-
came. 13-0
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51a B O O K L I F E , F E B R UA RY 2 5 , 2 0 1 9
REVIEWS ®
their romantic stories will find this one Rosing has created in order to fully appre- water tests and trials begin. Hester watches
worth reading. ciate this tie-in, and the final sacrifice falls with growing horror as those with unac-
flat. Fans of the graphic novels may enjoy ceptable religious beliefs—and some
The Black Parade this prequel, but the uninitiated will feel Puritans—are condemned by the righteous
Kyoko M. CreateSpace, $12.99 trade paper disconnected from it. Marshal Gilbert and are publicly hanged.
(347p) ISBN 978-1-4909-1150-2 As Hester’s fear that she will be one of the
M. (Of Cinder and Bone) kicks off her A Cruel Kind of Beautiful: Sex, ones accused intensifies, the handsome
Black Parade urban fantasy series with a Love, and Rock & Roll, Book 1 young Tom, whose family are traveling
tropey, action-packed love letter to angels, Michelle Hazen. CreateSpace, $2.99 e-book traders, could offer a way out. Basto’s use of
demons, and psychic powers. Two years ago, (314p) ISBN 978-1-975889-87-6 period language can make for awkward
seer Jordan Amador inadvertently killed an Hazen (Fill Me) tees up her Sex, Love, and prose, but her descriptions can be rather
innocent man and was tasked with shep- Rock & Roll series with a middling rock striking. (“Rumors swirled like the pow-
herding 100 lost souls to the afterlife as music–themed contemporary set in dered snow that drifted off the wind-blown
penance. With only two souls remaining Portland, Ore. Aspiring musician Jera mounds.”) The ugliness of early American
until she earns her redemption, Jordan McKnight has sworn off relationships. religious persecution and misogyny are
meets her match in the form of Michael, a Then Jacob Tate, who has a job delivering admirably captured in this well-researched
handsome rock star turned poltergeist who newspapers, accidentally sends one sailing story.
has lost his memory and is far more than he through her window at 4 a.m., and she’s
seems. When Jordan’s guide, the archangel charmed by his efforts to apologize. Their The Child
Gabriel, recognizes Michael as a lost fellow lives couldn’t be more different. Jera’s (The Eagle & the Child #1)
archangel and the commander of God’s focused on making music, and her band, the S. Khubiar. CreateSpace, $21.99 trade paper
army in heaven, Jordan is thrust into an Red Letters, is managed by her formerly (644p) ISBN 978-1-535315-40-1
age-old battle between angels and demons famous father. Jacob, once a baseball star at The intriguing first volume of Khubiar’s
for dominion of Earth, and possession of her the fictional Portland University, lost both espionage trilogy opens with Phillip
blood may be the key to victory. M. delivers his parents in a car crash; a year later, he’s Sherrod, a doctor working in a rural
a slickly paced, though fairly rote, para- trying to support himself and his siblings Appalachian county, treating attractive
normal tale overflowing with witty banter. with lousy jobs like the paper delivery 37-year-old Shahla Markow for a shoulder
It’s sure to appeal to fans of the television route. Though Jera worries that her band is injury she may have incurred while teaching
series Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire only “dive bar good,” an appearance at a self-defense to the staff of the federal prison
Slayer. local music festival leads to a record deal where she works. Shahla’s reticence con-
offer—but is it the right one? Jera’s trust vinces Philip that her job at the prison is a
Boston Metaphysical Society: issues make her relationship with Jacob cover. Their paths cross again in the ER
A Storm of Secrets rocky. When he confesses a family secret, after she’s attacked by an armed inmate,
Madeleine Holly-Rosing. Brass-T, $4.99 e- she becomes distractingly obsessed with it. whom she kills in self-defense. Phillip, a
book (262p) ISBN 978-0-9964292-6-9 Readers will be confused by her continual Christian, and Shahla, an observant Jew,
This halting novel of conspiracy and efforts to stay emotionally detached from begin dating, despite their religious differ-
magic, the first prose novel tied to Holly- Jacob despite him being a perfect boyfriend. ences, and they eventually get married.
Rosing’s Boston Metaphysical Society Still, the indie music scene reads as Shahla is forced to reveal more of her past
graphic novel universe (Boston Metaphysical authentic, the pacing keeps the story hum- after their home is visited by two Israelis.
Society: The Scourge of the Mechanical Men, ming along, and the big twist is one readers She admits that she once worked for the
etc.), brings readers through the door into won’t see coming. Israeli intelligence services, and explains
an intriguing alternate history setting but that an Israeli drug cartel head, whom she
fails to forge a new path beyond it. In this Days to the Gallows: A Novel of helped arrest 10 years earlier, has been
version of 1872, America is ruled by the Hartford Witch Panic released from prison, placing her life and
wealthy families known as the Great Katherine Spada Basto. Createspace, $12.99 Phillip’s in danger. Bloodshed follows, but
Houses. Jonathan is the leader of a great trade paper (278p) ISBN 978-1-5369-7804-9 Khubiar’s care in investing in the inner lives
house who is caught up in a business plot; Basto’s chilling debut serves as a provoca- of her leads makes this more than just
Samuel is a former Pinkerton detective, tive reminder of how the term “witch hunt” another action yarn.
haunted by his actions and trying to atone became part of the American lexicon. In
by working as a freelance detective; and 1662 Hartford, Conn., 17-year-old Hester Famous Last Words
Elizabeth is a medium just discovering her Hosmer follows her friend Ann Cole to Sara Hammel. Sara Hammel, $15.95 trade
power. As the characters move through watch an eerie moonlit gathering of some paper (384p) ISBN 978-0-692-07673-6
Boston, they are pulled into darkness and of their neighbors. In a subsequent prayer Journalist Hammel (The Underdogs)
tragedy. Unfortunately, readers will need an meeting, Ann claims that those at the gath- mines her years of reporting on celebrities
understanding of the broader world Holly- ering are witches, and the float-or-sink for this strong novel that stars a celebrity
B O O K L I F E .C O M 51b
® REVIEWS
reporter who just may be a murderer. down into a dense historical text. Though bonding over cooking, and simply under-
Hammel switches between Augusta light, this diverting novel is notable for its standing each other. For example, knowing
Noble’s work as a stringer for pop culture detailed and lively depiction of its setting. that Elena likes quiet, Cora comes to her
magazine CelebLife on a “quest to interview rescue when Elena’s teenage cousins turn
exactly 107 celebrities” and her past with The It Girl and Me her apartment into a dance hall. The only
her best friend, Caroline Rain. Augusta’s Laini Giles. Sepia Stories, $2.99 e-book point of conflict, Elena telling her family
interview quest is her chosen means to (438p) ASIN B01MV52EQV about Cora’s ADHD without permission,
recover her memory of what exactly hap- Giles (The Forgotten Flapper) provides an resolves quickly, while the suspense revolves
pened after she arrived in Caroline’s apart- intriguing look at the life of an impover- around Elena’s willingness to be in a non-
ment months ago to find her friend barely ished Kentucky girl who became best sexual relationship. The depiction of
alive after being attacked by one of the two friends with a famous actress and the mutual affection and familial acceptance
men in her life. Caroline’s boyfriend at the betrayal that ruined them both. Narrator results in a sweet love story, and readers
time, wealthy chocolate heir Joe Lannells, Daisy DeBoe, a bootlegger’s daughter, grew looking for tenderness without drama will
died at the scene, and it is possible that up poor in rural Kentucky before eventually be charmed.
Augusta’s memory loss conceals her own moving to California and landing a job in
culpability in his death. Her memory stub- 1927 as silent film star Clara Bow’s secre- Lorenzo’s Daggers
bornly refuses to return as she works for tary. Though the two grew up in similar Ron McGaw. CreateSpace, $14.99 trade paper
CelebLife, first in London and then L.A., circumstances, Daisy and Clara’s lives are (262p) ISBN 978-1-4818-8419-8
writing juicy stories and receiving pearls of worlds apart: Intelligent, pragmatic Daisy When a high school student mysteri-
wisdom and the occasional rude response manages Clara’s life and finances and stops ously disappears, history teacher Prester
from beautiful people ranging from royals people from taking advantage of her. John travels back in time to the Italian
to musicians and Hollywood A-listers. In However, the sexy, outrageously excessive Renaissance to find him in this smart, sus-
London, she meets and is charmed by fellow Clara continues to make reckless decisions penseful adventure story. The novel alter-
reporter Alexander Matten, who she learns with her money and her personal life (at one nates between modern-day New England
is also attracted to her and is an actual vis- point she gives her two dogs a diamond- and 15th-century Italy; it begins in 1478
count. Hammel wraps up the memory encrusted vanity case as a chew toy). Things Florence with an attempted coup, a violent
recovery and crime plotlines a bit abruptly, come to a head when Clara marries a man power grab by the Pazzi clan against the
but readers will enjoy Augusta’s attempt to who hates Daisy and subsequently fires her. ruling Medici family. The story then time-
understand herself. Thrown out with nothing after Clara prom- shifts to a prep school history class, when
ised to take care of her, Daisy threatens to teacher John is showing his students his
House Under the Hill blackmail her former friend, and soon after, antique daggers, and surly student Kirk
Rachel V. Knox. Rachel V. Knox, $6.14 trade the police get involved. Giles does a great job Renzo bolts out a window with one. John
paper (220p) ISBN 978-1-980931-01-0 of bringing old Hollywood to life, and her gives chase, but Renzo has vanished; John
Knox melds historical sources with fic- characters are so fully realized they nearly becomes a suspect in the boy’s disappear-
tional characters to create a pleasant work walk off the page. Based on true events, this ance, loses his job, and is harassed by
narrated by a house in Wales. The novel scandalous tale is marvelously entertaining. Renzo’s wealthy father. When a physicist
lacks a conventional plot; it intersperses speculates that Renzo has time-travelled to
moments from the lives of the real Kearley Learning Curves Renaissance Florence, John, intent on
family from the first decades of the 20th Ceillie Simkiss. Ceillie Simkiss, $2.99 e-book bringing the boy home, travels back to the
century with an extended story of a game of (70p) ASIN B07FDFMGKP same parallel universe by touching a “time-
hide and seek gone wrong in 1954. The In this middling debut novella by jour- tree” while holding the other dagger at a
house is Gwylfa Hiraethog, meaning nalist Simkiss, two female graduate stu- precise day and time, He discovers that
roughly “watchtower of longing,” and was dents at the University of North Carolina Renzo has become a powerful prince
christened by none other than Prime meet in class and develop a friendship that because of his prophesies about the future
Minister David Lloyd George, and is “the blossoms into love just in time for and does not want to leave. The story has a
highest inhabited house in Wales.” A Christmas. Through lackluster dialogue, lively tempo, including a close call with the
speech by Lloyd George features, as does a Simkiss delineates the differences between hangman’s noose and sparkling interactions
vignette of the Kearleys on the home front the two women: Elena, a curvaceous, Puerto with Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and
during the Great War. Gwylfa occasionally Rican lesbian in law school, comes from a Machiavelli. It ranges widely between the
imparts commentary on the residents of the large Catholic family, while Cora, short, history of Florence’s political rivalries and
moment or its increasingly dilapidated white, asexual, and enrolled in the business the riveting cultural contributions of the
state. Knox concludes with Gwylfa’s final school, hails from a small Methodist family era’s most famous artists and thinkers. This
thoughts from 2018 and a photo of the shell and has ADHD. The women’s attraction is a splendid narrative linking art, history,
of the house as it is today. Knox’s prose is grows steadily through library study ses- and the modern world.
buoyant and keeps the book from bogging sions, dancing in a surprise snow storm,
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the works of 16 gifted Jane Austen–inspired plete with ravenous lions, slimy black- ment in the ’60s. Silverstein’s observations
authors, whose short stories reimagine mailers, bloodthirsty terrorists, and so are rooted in his argument that “the adver-
adventures of Austen’s characters and glow much more. Too often Waite tells rather tising industry pushed brand management
with the beloved novelist’s timeless blend than shows. to new heights” by making a “real emo-
of romantic intrigue, witticisms, and biting tional connection” between consumers and
social commentary on life’s absurdities. The Starling products. He explains how Frosted Flakes,
stories, which complement Austen’s humor, (Love in Los Angeles, Book 1) for example, used cartoon characters to
irony, and spirited heroines, bring back Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese. Avian30, develop children’s affection for the product
characters who are both loved (Elizabeth $3.99 e-book (272p) ASIN B01MYVGLQE (which was “generally accepted to be the
Bennet) and loathed (Penelope Clay). Some In a bright start to a contemporary series, forerunner of the sugary cereal brands”). He
tales refer to love and loss, as in the well- McRae and Maltese (A Queen from the North) also explores how the powdered breakfast
crafted “Charlotte’s Comfort” by Joana set up a sizzling romance on the Los Angeles drink Tang used the popularity of NASA to
Starnes, which features Elizabeth Bennet’s set of a TV show. Young, freckled produc- pitch itself as “a space-age drink” after
practical friend, Charlotte, who is married tion assistant J. Alex Cook tosses a sassy line astronauts drank it in space. Perhaps the
to the vile Mr. Collins; many others convey at star actor Liam, and after they banter most interesting section is a year-by-year
the “serious business” of marriage in high with cameras running, the show runner list of the various consumer developments
society, as Eleanor Tilney notes in “A decides Alex should have a recurring part. from 1946 to 1964, the peak of the baby
Nominal Mistress”; and, in Lona Manning’s Alex’s turn in front of the cameras quickly boom: 1949, for example, saw the intro-
“The Art of Pleasing,” Penelope Clay is a leads to an unexpected—and unwanted— duction of Clearasil, Dunkin’ Donuts, and
naughty widow who is adept at the game of degree of fame. Meanwhile, show writer the television remote control. Silverstein’s
love. While these reimagined characters’ Paul Keane is very drawn to Alex, who has slim book is a delightful journey through
domestic situations vary—unmarried, mar- never dated anyone, and soon the two of a time that saw “the birth of the modern
ried, widowed, spinster—they are Austen- them are having mind-blowing sex. Alex, brand.”
esque in principle, desiring men who who grew up in homophobic Indiana and is
respect their intellect and strong character. nervous about his fans’ obsessed attention, ★ The Joy of Job:
Each author’s style matches the elegance of wants Paul to be discreet about their rela- An Investigator’s Perspective on the
the Regency period; Austen fans will be tionship, but Paul loves public displays of Most Righteous Man on the Earth
pleased. affection and thinks Alex worries too much. Maribeth Vander Weele. Sagerity, $24.99
After a fight just before Alex travels to shoot trade paper (138p) ISBN 978-1-7322-4081-0
Shadowed on location, Paul goes back to his ex and Journalist Vander Weele (Reclaiming Our
Thomas Waite. Marlborough, $14.95 trade Alex hooks up with Liam. But Alex still Schools) presents a novel interpretation of
paper (329p) ISBN 978-0-9850258-2-3 longs for Paul, calling and texting him and the story of Job in this work of trenchant
Waite’s so-so second technophile novel shaking their already fragile emotional analysis. For readers who have wondered
(after Terminal Value) follows the misadven- states. Nonstop drama will have readers why an uncaring God allowed Job, a faithful
tures of “tall, youthful-looking thirty- racing to the satisfying end of this very follower, to lose everything—apparently
three-year-old” Dylan Johnson and his enjoyable romance. just to test his faith—Vander Weele poses
girlfriend, Heather Carter. Currently the question: what if friends, servants, and
Nonfiction
unemployed, both made—and lost—a family abandoned Job not because of their
good portion of a fortune when they sold lack of understanding or compassion, but
their jointly owned mobile-computing con- because Job wasn’t a good person? With
sulting firm. The two now face the prospect Boomer Brands: Iconic Brands meticulous analysis of the text, Vander
of jail time and further hefty financial losses that Shaped Our Childhood Weele sheds light on aspects of the narrative
for their part in coercing a murder confes- Barry Silverstein. GuideWords, $12.95 trade and Job’s character that she believes have
sion out of their evil former partner, paper (192p) ISBN 978-0-9965760-3-1 been misinterpreted for millennia. Instead
Harvard MBA Rob Townsend, who was Silverstein (Let’s Make Money, Honey), a of being a righteous, innocent man, Job
once Heather’s “handsome blond boy- business writer and former marketing and emerges as someone who has mistreated his
friend.” Rob is about to be released from jail brand management consultant, explores the servants and family, cheated people in busi-
for lack of evidence in the murder of Dylan’s way in which brands “tunneled their way” ness, and puts his wealth above all else. In
best friend, computer genius Tony Caruso. into the consciousness of the Baby Boomer fact, Vander Weele suggests, Job seems not
Meanwhile, Dylan and Heather are generation. In 14 breezy but highly infor- to have had much of a relationship with
approached by a mysterious African mogul, mative chapters, Silverstein covers various God before his suffering. Vander Weele’s
who offers them a chance to do “important product categories that were popular during excellent exegesis offers refreshing insight
work... technology with a humanitarian the Boomer childhood years, from breakfast into an oft-shrugged-off Old Testament
heartbeat.” Soon Dylan and Heather are off cereals of the 1950s to early “green” prod- classic.
on a wild and at times convoluted ride com- ucts arising from the environmental move-
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The Messy Joys of Being Human: ferent from fiction, and extends beyond the observations about the meaning of
A Guide to Risking Change and book itself; many authors will want to use Gethsemane (oil press), the breaking of
Becoming Happier their books as brand extensions. Self- Christ’s body, and how the rivalry between
Helen Rosenau. Riverview, $17 trade paper publishing, Chandler and Palachuk Ishmael and Isaac extends to current conflicts
(264p) ISBN 978-1-7325337-5-2 observe, makes authors into entrepre- in the Middle East are particularly revealing.
Rosenau, a writer and visual artist, pas- neurs—if they aren’t already—with the Anyone interested in the Christian heritage
sionately advocates for readers to do the deep success of their book firmly in their hands. of Jerusalem will relish Moubarak’s tour.
reflective work she feels is necessary to live The authors weigh the pros and cons of self-
joyful lives. She divides her lessons into five publishing versus going with a traditional Phantoms of the Hotel Meurice:
sections: “Getting to Know Us,” which helps publishing house, and tackle profitability, A Guide to the Holocaust in Paris
readers assess their present situations and distribution, soliciting endorsements and Jeremy R. Mack. Tandem Lane Editions, $38
reflect on hopes for the future; “Our Messy reviews (they suggest that when readers (238p) ISBN 978-1-7326338-0-3
Joys,” which encourages readers to reex- privately reach out to praise a book, authors Psychoanalyst Mack does a solid job of
amine limiting beliefs; “Risking Change,” should “reply with gracious appreciation summarizing the war crimes of Vichy
which advises on how to makes changes and ask the reader to post a review online”), France against the Jews in this accessible
intelligently and with intention; “Learning selling on Amazon, and a plethora of other history. He begins with the history of
to Fly,” which counsels readers to stay on the how-to topics. Backed with case studies and French anti-Semitism, which predated
self-growth road and not succumb to worries; resources, this is a useful guide for nonfic- Nazism and the depth of which partially
and “You, Me, Us,” which exhorts the virtues tion authors aspiring to bestsellerdom. explains French actions between 1940 and
of living a life full of love. Along the way, 1944. Mack, using secondary sources, then
Rosenau shares her own insecurities and past ★ One Friday in Jerusalem: traces the promulgation of anti-Jewish leg-
missteps, such as her dedication to a Walking to Calvary; islation, including statutes aimed at
“visioning collage” filled with “worldly aspi- A Tour, a Faith, a Life enabling the French to seize Jewish assets
rations” like writing a New York Times best- Andre Moubarak. Twins Tours & Travel, $20 before the Germans could. Mack does not
seller. She also provides helpful instructions trade paper (240p) ISBN 978-0-9992494-2-0 mince words: he concludes that the “French,
for readers to dig deeper with writing Tour guide Moubarak’s engaging passively and actively, turned their country
prompts at the end of each chapter. “Chances thoughts and observations about Christ’s into... an outpost of Auschwitz, a supply
to grow are rarely easy or fun,” she writes, journey to Calvary will make readers feel as and delivery center for the murder industry
advising readers not shy away from hard though they are walking the streets of of the camp.” By the war’s end, he notes,
introspection. Though she provides no easy Jerusalem. Combining insights as a native more than 70,000 Jews living in France had
answers, Rosenau’s set of practices, inspiring of Jerusalem who grew up near the Via died. Mack makes clear that, despite public
prose, and questions for contemplation will Dolorosa (the Way of Sorrows) and as a statements by prominent politicians such
be of use to readers looking for guidance Palestinian Christian— a marginalized as Jacques Chirac and Emmanuel Macron
without demanding strictures. identity that, in his words, allows him to denouncing French complicity in the
identify with the also-rejected Christ— Holocaust, denial remains prevalent; for
The Nonfiction Book Publishing Moubarak brings both past and present to example, he notes, the website of the Hotel
Plan: The Professional Guide to life as he leads readers down the road of Meurice, which had served as the headquar-
Profitable Self-Publishing Christ’s last steps. His descriptive prose ters of the German Military Administration,
Stephanie Chandler and Karl W. Palachuk. (“The Old City of Jerusalem is a mosaic of has an extensive history section that, glar-
Authority Publishing, $19.99 trade paper ancient churches... Byzantine Greeks. ingly, skips 1940–1945. The author’s goal
(302p) ISBN 978-1-949642-00-1 Coptic and Ethiopian churches. African “to undo the obvious attempts on the part
Two independent-publishing gurus Christians... medieval Latin Catholic of the Parisians and the French to forget,
present a keen-eyed, thorough view of the churches from the Crusader era, and deny, disavow, and to try to remain obliv-
basics of getting a self-published book churches of the Franciscan Terra Sancta mis- ious of the events” of the 1940s is more than
written, designed, distributed, and publi- sion”) conjures the sights and smells of met. Illus.
cized. They know their stuff: Palachuk modern-day Jerusalem, with vendors
owns a technology consulting firm, the standing beside sacred locations. Photos River Queens: Saucy Boat, Stoat
Sacramento Small Business Server User round out the text, providing glimpses of Mates, Spotted Dog, America
Group, and a publishing business, the locations associated with the 14 stations of Alexander Watson. Orange Frazer, $27.95
Great Little Book Publishing Company, the cross. At each stop, Moubarak recounts (320p) ISBN 978-1-939710-85-7
while Chandler is a former bookstore owner personal stories tied to the themes as well Watson’s delightful memoir recounts
and the CEO of the company through which as pertinent insight into biblical and his- how he and his partner, Dale—both real
they (appropriately) self-published this torical accounts of what Christ encountered estate investors—bought a fixer-upper
book. They demonstrate that the strategy as he was put on trial, tortured, and forced 1950s wooden Chris-Craft boat for $14,500
of self-publishing nonfiction is very dif- to carry his cross to Calvary. Moubarak’s and sailed it from Oklahoma to Ohio. They
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began by overhauling the boat inside and “4 Gates to Peak Team Performance” animals appearing in a spirited art style.
out; after two years, it was finally seaworthy, (namely: safety, purpose, belonging, and Alliterative verses describe silly scenarios
and they traveled along various rivers (with peak performing). Andreatta’s enthusiasm and playful interactions between the sub-
an overland tow from the Arkansas River in may well prove contagious for her target jects: “Kaia the kind kitten/ kissed a koala
Little Rock to the Tennessee River) to their audience, encouraging them to apply her and a kooky kangaroo kissed a kiwi.”
Cincinnati home. Watson and Dale—the advice to their own workplace teams. Elsewhere, “Mia the messy meerkat/ mis-
River Queens of the title—have an enjoy- takenly made/ mushroom muffins/ mixed
able banter throughout, arguing who’s Your Kid’s Gonna Be Okay: with/ marshmallows.” Varjolie fills each
going to take the dog for a walk or how to Building the Executive spread with a feeling of improvisational
signal for help when their boat breaks Function Skills Your Child play while giving each of the animals its
down, but it’s really the folks they meet Needs in the Age of Attention own kooky personality. Readers may pick
along the way who steal the show: Alon, an Michael Delman. Beyond BookSmart, $15.95 up on some new vocabulary words and unfa-
aging mechanic who assists the men in the trade paper (236p) ISBN 978-1-73203-490-7 miliar animals while reading the tongue-
boat’s restoration; John Bartlett, a crazy Delman, founder of the student coaching twisting lines aloud (“Queenie the queru-
Cajun captain the likes of which “one does company Beyond BookSmart, offers a lous quetzal/ quacked quadrillion quotes/
not meet in Grandmother’s living room”; coherent and accessible approach to helping in Quebec”). Unexpected animal pairings
and a smattering of river rats, retirees, and kids function effectively in the “Age of (a tarantula, tiger, and turtle share one
good old boys. No matter who they Attention,” a period when everyone must spread) enliven this offbeat romp. All ages.
encounter, the two gay city slickers and their struggle to optimize “the most precious
dog charm and impress with their beautiful commodity we have: our time and our Posthumous
boat and their love of the “muddy water” attention.” He focuses on the executive Paul Aertker. Flying Solo, $9.95 paper (200p)
that runs through their veins. This is a heart- function skills that help students set and ISBN 978-1-940137-99-5
warming look into the heart of America. achieve goals, such as managing impulses In a bittersweet story about honoring a
and emotions, starting and staying focused loved one’s memory, 12-year-old Ellie has
Wired to Connect: on tasks, prioritizing, planning, orga- returned to the United States with her
The Brain Science of Teams nizing, and problem solving. Throughout, father after living in Paris. They are both
and a New Model for Creating Delman weaves in anecdotes from students adjusting to a new reality without Ellie’s
Collaboration and Inclusion he has helped as well as from his own chil- mother, who died of cancer in France. Ellie
Britt Andreatta. 7th Minding Publishing, $17.99 dren (for example, an app one of his daugh- knows that there is much of her brave, viva-
trade paper (184p) ISBN 978-0-9973547-5-1 ters initially called “dumb” proved very cious mother to be found in the children’s
Consultant Andreatta, who “creates sci- useful in helping her regulate time spent on stories she left behind—and that bringing
ence-based solutions for common work- her phone). In numerous “Something to her mother’s writing into the world will
place challenges,” devotes her spirited Try” sections, Delman equips parents and provide solace. But Ellie is unable to guess
primer to the significance of work groups kids with invaluable problem-solving the password that will allow access to her
today, when “nearly 90% of workers say resources: students with writer’s block can mother’s computer—a password that her
they spend one-third to one-half of each day try simply writing “blah blah blah” a few mother seems to have changed shortly
working in teams.” These teams are fre- times to get over the hump, those with before her death. Aertker’s narrative transi-
quently composed of members “from reading problems are given specific “active” tions between the present day and the fam-
another region, or even country, thanks to reading strategies, and kids struggling with ily’s time in Paris, including Ellie’s moth-
technology and web-based work tools.” To decision making can create a useful “deci- er’s diagnosis, treatments, and death.
underscore key points, Andreatta uses 14 sional balance sheet.” Thanks to his reas- Through the expansive, well-conveyed
case studies from successful or not-so-suc- suring tone, Delman leaves parents with a flashbacks, Ellie reflects on her family’s
cessful teams in workplaces both large and well-stocked toolbox of practical ideas to painful ordeal and her vividly portrayed
small. Andreatta employs simple lightbulb help their children organize and navigate mother’s eternal optimism in the face of her
graphics at the end of each section to mark their schoolwork, schedules, and lives. illness. While there are tear-jerking
points in “Your Learning Journey,” moments, Aertker’s novel doesn’t dwell on
Children’s/YA
declaring the importance of “engaging with the family’s sense of loss, instead focusing
concepts in a personal way.” Readers will on Ellie’s crystallized recollections and life’s
learn about the new model for group success steady drumbeat forward. Ages 9–12.
(“coordination, cooperation, collabora- Tongue Twisting ABCs
tion”), the neurochemistry associated with Joshua Savage, illus. by Claudia V. Varjolie. I Can Be Kind
teamwork, and the importance of mentor- Savage Publishing, $3.99 e-book (28p) Heather Lester, illus. by Amanda Appiarius.
ship. They’ll also learn about the “boosters” ASIN B01D7X77AC For Good Media, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-
and “threats” that either add or drain Savage’s quirky alphabet book features a 9992621-3-9
“energy” from group efforts, and about the friendly menagerie of active, wide-eyed A sensitive girl named Alice describes
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