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Small Press Bookwatch

Volume 2, Number 7 July 2003 Home | SPBW Index

Table of Contents

Reviewer's Choice Travel Shelf Health/Medicine Shelf
Parenting Shelf Biography Shelf Marriage/Divorce Shelf
Social Issues Shelf Political Science Shelf Fantasy/Sci-Fi Shelf
Education Shelf Business Shelf Self-Help Shelf
Poetry Shelf Metaphysical Shelf Fiction Shelf
Religion/Spirituality Shelf    


Reviewer's Choice

Dinosaur Cartoons
Charley Parker
Arclight Publishing
PO Box 437, 112 Maple Road, Wallingford, PA 19086
0966053214 $8.95 1-888-793-9593 www.dinosaurcartoons.com

Dinosaur Cartoons is a hilarious collection of over 100 dinosaur-themed cartoons drawn and captioned by Charley Parker. Every one of them is good for a chuckle and a smile every time. Delightful in its whimsy and its sassy drawings, Dinosaur Cartoons is a superb giftbook for dinosaur fans and paleontology enthusiasts of all ages!

I Got Game
Matt Beeuwsaert
Beez Art Books
PO Box 9143, Fountain Valley, CA 92728-9143
0972435808 $14.95 www.beezartbooks.com

I Got Game is an outstanding and highly recommended collection of humorous cartoon strips by Matt Beeuwsaert centering around Zac Ryan, a 15 year old basketball player delusions of basketball grandeur. Zac's dreams higher than the stars -- or at least higher than he can jump, but that doesn't stop Zac from trying. Witty, drawn with energy, and a vivaciously funny page-turner, everyone who ever aspired to athlete prowess and felt themselves destined for the majors will find a lot of truth embedded in the undeniably and irresistible humor.

Why I'm Against It All
Ken Wright
Raven's Eye Press
PO Box 4351, Durango, CO 81301
0970004427 $14.95 ravenseyepress.com

Why I'm Against It All is difficult to quickly categorize: it's a blend of social commentary, spiritual and environmental/ethical insights which reflects on ethics in environmental management. Ken Wright's essay form provides insights on new ways of observing nature, and new methods of understanding human nature. His interactions with others on his journey take the form of vignettes which blend interpersonal interaction with environmental reflections.

The Dream Of Being
Jack Haas
Iconoclast Press
144-3495 Cambie St., Vancouver, BC Canada V5Z 4R3
0973100753 $12.00 1-604-682-3269 ext. 8832 www.iconoclastpress.com

The Dream Of Being: Aphorisms, Ideograms, And Aislings by Jack Haas is a unique and unusual book of poetic paragraphs, enhanced with black-and-white illustrations of freestyle art, and embracing personal transformation as well as an esoteric evolution. The single (or few-paragraph) vignettes are not in a verse format, yet the rambling sentences evoke images and emotions similar to brief poems. The Dream Of Being is a very different type of inspirational work and highly recommended as an example of the art of poetry -- and the poetry of art. "Dreams end. What ends is a dream."

The Pekinese Who Saved Civilization
Sir Addison Silber Howell, Esq.
Howell Canyon Press
PO Box 448, Tonasket, Washington 98855
1931210071 $11.95 www.howelcanyonpress.com

The Pekinese Who Saved Civilization by Sir Addison Silber Howell Esq. (with a little help from his personal assistant/body slave Trisha ) is a rather unique work of philosophy about ways in which to approach and address both personal and global problems -- couched from a canine viewpoint. Black-and-white photographs of a beloved Pekinese pet, and a distinctive touch of humor, embellish this essentially sound, sometimes inspirational work, and is most especially recommended for lovers of dogs, philosophy, and life.

The "Read My Lips" Cookbook
Robert Swiatek
Infinity Publishing.com
519 West Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 194041-1413
0741413337 $14.95 www.amazon.com

The "Read My Lips" Cookbook: A Culinary Journey Of Memorable Meals by Robert Swiatek is a culinary remembrance of taste-tested recipes drawn from all over the eastern United States and includes such favorite fare as French-Style Beans, Coq Au Vin, Yellow Split Pea Soup, and more. A very highly recommended addition to any kitchen cookbook collection, Robert Swiatek's engaging personal remembrances thoroughly enhance this paperback volume of cherished, appetizing dishes, and makes for a cookbook which is as enjoyable to read, as it is fun and exciting to prepare from.

If This Soil Could Stop Bleeding
Worth Weller
DeWitt Books
207 South Maple Street, North Manchester, IN 46962
0966823141 $12.95 1-260-982-2613 www.dewittbooks.com

Photojournalist Worth Weller presents the land of Nicaragua, its troubles, and its recent history in If This Soil Could Stop Bleeding: Nicaragua During And After the Contra War. Black-and-white photographs, interviews, recountings of history and how this proud nation was brutalized by Cold War politics, errors in government, and other social, cultural, and economics ills that led to murderous internal strife create a fascinating account that is nearly impossible to put down. Addressing the past and present causes of poverty in Nicaragua today, If This Soil Could Stop Bleeding is a sobering and strongly recommended addition to International Studies collections in general, and Nicaragua History Studies reading lists in particular.

Prime Obsession
John Derbyshire
Joseph Henry Press
500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
0309085497 $24.95 www.jhpress.org

Prime Obsession: Bernhard Riemann And The Greatest Unsolved Problem in Mathematics by mathematician, linguist, and financial analyst John Derbyshire presents what is perhaps the greatest unsolved mathematical mystery of this day and age. The Four-Color Theorem was proven in 1976, and Fermat's Last Theorem was proven in 1994, but Riemann's Hypothesis concerning the distribution of prime numbers - affects casual questions as "is there any way to calculate how many numbers less than a given number are prime, short of actually counting them?" as well as much more subtle and complex issues of mathematics, cryptology, and science - remains an enigma, neither proven nor disproved. Prime Obsession teaches the literate and intelligent lay reader the basic mathematic knowledge necessary to understand Riemann's hypothesis, and then allows one to wonder and ponder the possibilities. Prime Obsession is an intrinsically fascinating work which is very highly recommended for anyone curious about this great unsolved mathematical mystery.

InvAsian
Marjorie Beggs, editor
Study Center Press
1095 Market Street, Suite 602, San Francisco, CA 94103
1888956062 $18.00 1-888-281-3757

InvAsian: Growing Up Asian And Female In the United States is an impressively presented collection of brief yet memorable anecdotes, life stores, and poetry, about personal trials, balancing family relationships with friendships, issues of sexuality, and life-and-death matters for American Asian women, including those who were born in America as well as those who immigrated to the United States from another land. A memorable, rewarding, and insightful read, InvAsian is a seminal work and a very highly recommended contribution to Women's Studies in general, and Asian/American Studies in particular.

Jazz Dance Styles & Steps For Fun
Helene Andreu
1st Books Library
2595 West Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404-2782
1403361746 $19.50 1-800-839-8640 www.1stbooks.com

Jazz Dance Styles & Steps For Fun by dancer, dance teacher, and choreographer Helen Andreu, is a quite practical, do-it-yourself instructional guide which is enhanced with black-and-white illustrations. Andreu draws upon considerably expertise to teach the reader how to enjoy jazz dance styles ranging from blues, to disco, to everything in between. Step-by-step instructions, tips for aerobicizing dance steps if one is after an intense workout, sample routines, and so much more, make Jazz Dance Styles & Steps for Fun an excellent and thoroughly "user friendly" self-help resource for serious dance students, aerobic exercise and physical fitness instructors, as well as casual folks simply looking to learn some new floor moves.

Urgent Whispers
Jerral Sapienza
LLX Press
PO Box 380, Eugene, OR 97440-0380
0971710708 $14.95 1-541-343-1202 www.llx.com/uw/

Urgent Whispers: Care Of The Dying by Jerral Sapienza is a spiritual self-help guide written especially and specifically for caregivers of the ill and the dying. Urgent Whispers is primarily an interactive book, asking the reader questions to explore internal and external issues, with space for jotting down brief answers, notes, and insights as one progresses through the self-discovery voyage. Also available in a spiral bound edition (0971710759, $14.950) is a meaningful and thought-provoking resource for hospice volunteers and the clergy, as well as a welcome addition to the growing library of literature in the area of Death & Dying for both professionals and paraprofessionals.

Intelligence, Internment & Relocation
Keith Robar
KikaR Publications
3767 S. 194, Seattle, WA 98188
1930662513 $17.00

Intelligence, Internment & Relocation: Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 by Keith Robar studies the subject of the forced relocation of Japanese-American citizens during World War II. Previously unpublished intelligence reports from the war years; sworn testimony from the Congressional Record; declassified wartime Japanese military and diplomatic communications; eye-witness testimony; and more, comprise informative source material for a comprehensive examination of the issue of why the American government imprisoned its own people for no committed crime. Attempting to present a balanced viewpoint, and containing extensive details concerning this dark phase in American history, Intelligence, Internment & Relocation is recommended reading for anyone seeking information on all sides of this critical issue of wartime American social and domestic policy -- especially when considering the current circumstances which have given rise to contemporary Homeland Security provisions.

Fictional Females
Eleanor Hochman
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
1401044557 $24.99 www.xlibris.com

In Fictional Females: Mirrors and Models, author, editor, and translator Eleanor Hochman, perceptively surveys and examines more than 160 American novels with female protagonists. All the titles selected were by 80 critically acclaimed authors (including both men and women), ranging from the post-Revolutionary period through the beginning of World War II. Offering a close analysis of changing conscious and unconscious perspectives of women and their role in society, Fictional Females offers a "reader friendly" wealth of depth and insight into evolving perceptions. Also available in a hardcover format (1401044565, $34.99), Fictional Females is a seminal and very highly recommended addition to Women's Studies and Literary Studies reference collections and reading lists.


The Travel Shelf

The Glaciers' Treasure Trove
Jacqueline Widmar Stewart
Lexicus Press
PO Box 1691, Palo Alto, CA 94301
0972748474 $19.95 www.lexicuspress.com

The Glaciers' Treasure Trove: A Field Guide To The Lake Michigan Riviera by Jacqueline Widmar Stewart is a full-color travel guide to the sights, lakes, vineyards, state parks and other attractions of the area. Locations, contact information, extensive descriptions and photographs on every page characterize and enhanced this exceptionally useful, on-the-go, "pocket portable" traveling companion. A spiral binding and sturdy allows this handy reference to weather extensive use while one enjoying the best a Lake Michigan vacation has to offer.

Back Roads Bicycling in Bucks County, Pa.
Catherine D. Kerr
Freewheeling Press
PO Box 540, Lahaska, PA 18931
0971461643 $14.95 www.freewheelingpress.com

Now in a newly revised and significantly expanded edition, Back Roads Bicycling In Bucks County, Pa. by Catherine D. Kerr offers more than forty scenic bike path and country road routes throughout Bucks county, Pennsylvania upon which avid cyclers can enjoy their hobby. Maps, landmarks, notes and points of interest, all presented in easy-to-read and easy-to-follow format make Back Roads Bicycling in Bucks County, Pa. a perfect guide for its quaint locale. Also highly recommended for avid cyclists are three other titles from Freewheeling Press: Mountain Biking In New Jersey (0971461635, $14.95), The Back Roads Bike Book (0965273318, $12.95), and Bike Journal (0965273342, $12.95)


The Health/Medicine Shelf

Get Well Now!
Tamara Doris, MA
Empowered Press Publishing
3201 Smathers Way, Suite 2, Carmichael, CA 95608
0972822941 $16.95 www.empoweredpress.org

Get Well Now! by wellness expert and author Tamara Doris is a powerfully written guide to obtaining and sustaining overall physical and mental wellness through improving one's diet, staying in shape with regular exercise, keeping one's attitude positive, controlling stress, opening one's heart to God, and in general harnessing the power of one's mind and natural immune system first and foremost. Get Well Now! is heartily endorsed as a practical self-improvement guide which is accessibly written for people of all ages and medical histories.

HRT: The Answers
Pamela Wartian Smith M.D., MPH
Healthy Living Books, Inc.
575 S. Long Lake Road, Traverse City, MI 49684
0972976736 $17.95 www.healthyliving.meta-ehealth.com

A welcome addition to Women's Health reading lists and reference collections, HRT: The Answers: A Concise Guide For Solving The Hormone Replacement Therapy Puzzle by Dr. Pamela Wartian Smith (Director of the Center for Healthy Living and Longevity), expertly examines all sides of the controversial medical issue of hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women. The dangers and benefits of ingestine hormones, a careful look at the risks related to breast cancer, and much, much more make HRT: The Answers very highly recommended reading for anyone curious about this therapy. As a disclaimer emphasizes, the information in HRT: The Answers absolutely cannot be used to prescribe treatment; it is for education only, and cannot replace the care of a qualified physician.

The Ultimate Creatine Handbook
Joseph A. Debe & Donna Caruso
Woodland Publishing
PO Box 160, Pleasant Grove, UT 84062
1580543553 $14.95 1-800-777-2665

The role of nutritional supplements in building muscle and increasing strength is complex and sometime controversial. The Ultimate Creatine Handbook: The Safe Alternative For Health Muscle Building focuses on the positive role of creatine to build strength and muscle tissue, improve sports performance, speeding work out recovery time, boosting energy production, its role as an anti-aging supplement, and more. Certified clinical nutritionist and chiropractic sports practitioner Joseph A. Debe (who was also a former weight lifter), with the assistance of health and nutrition writer Donna Caruso, provides a concise overview of safe and effective creatine use, a nutritional supplement that is a safe and effective alternative to the dangers of anabolic steroids. If you are involved with body building and other physically demanding and body stressing athletic activities, then give a close and careful reading to The Ultimate Creatine Handbook.


The Parenting Shelf

Family Bound
Carrie Ostrea
iUniverse.com, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595274293 $17.95 iuniverse.com

Family Bound: One Couple's Journey Through Infertility And Adoption by Carrie Ostrea is a revealing memoir offering personal insight into the difficulties of grieving due to infertility, of working with the adoption system, of adjusting to a new baby, and so much more. Offering very practical advice accompanied with real-life insights, and presented in a day-by-day journal-style format, Family Bound is recommended as revealing and insightful supplementary reading for anyone considering adoption.

Let My Children Go!
Wendy Titelman
Kinderlex Books, Inc.
PO Box 531883, New Orleans, Louisiana 70153-1883
0972902503 $22.50 www.amazon.com

Wendy Titelman's Let My Children Go! is the powerful and true story of a mother's fight to shield her daughters from sexual abuse, -- and the refusal of the Cobb County, Georgia, Superior Court to protect those children from their abusive father. Told with gut-wrenching emotion, Let My Children Go! is a sharp indictment against a legal system that all too often puts children back into the hands of the very ones that hurt and abuse them. Let My Children Go should be made mandatory reading for all county social workers, family counselors, and family court judges throughout the country.

The Crowded Nest Syndrome
Kathleen Shaputis
Clutter Fairy Publishing
c/o Author Services
5485 Repecho Drive, Sjhite L204, San Diego, CA 92124
0972672702 $13.95 1-858-560-0121 www.booksbypen.com

The Crowded Nest Syndrome: Surviving The Return Of Adult Children by Kathleen Shaputis is the warm and humorous testimony of one woman's struggle to cope when her adult children returned home. From the confusing press of chaotic living conditions; to watching $250 in groceries disappear in 24 hours; to sacrificing her vacation to entertain and raise grandchildren; to the frustration of being denied space to breathe, The Crowded Nest Syndrome is an engaging look at a very real balancing issue in today's hectic world -- and one that should be carefully read by every parent whose adult children are knocking at the door and wanting to come in for an extended stay.

Before Their Time
Roger E. Foxall, Psy. D.
Writers Advantage/iUniverse.com, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595268552 $16.95 iuniverse.com

Before Their Time: The Death Of A Child by psychotherapist Roger E. Foxall is a compilation of real-life stories of mothers who have had to cope with the loss of their child. Ways to cope with grief; means to remember without succumbing to pain; and heart-wrenching personal testimonies, comprise this sober and deeply unforgettable account. Before Their Time is especially recommended reading for anyone who has ever lost a child -- and their friends, family members, and counselors wishing to come to their aid in the midst of any parent's worst tragedy.

A Heart Traced In Sand
Steven Boone
Twin-Flames Publishing
PO Box 23503, Santa Fe, NM 87502
0970604602 $14.95 1-505-992-8221 www.Heartsand.com

Winner of the Pinnacle Book Award, A Heart Traced In Sand: Reflections On A Daughter's Struggle For Life by Steven Boone is a personal memoir and candid reflection of a father's love for his daughter. This is the story of Steven's Boone's teenage daughter Naomi in the last two years of her young life which would prematurely end from cancer. Touching and heartfelt in his faith in God's care and as a living testimony to the human spirit, Steven Boone's A Heart Traced in Sand is emotionally moving in its shared revelation, and is especially recommended reading for anyone having to deal with chemotherapy and faith within lives of themselves, their families, and their friends.


The Biography Shelf

Farewell To Salonica
Leon Sciaky
Paul Dry Books, Inc.
117 South 17th Street, Suite 1102, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
1589880021 $14.95 1-215-231-9939 www.pauldrybooks.com

Farewell To Salonica: City At The Crossroads is the autobiography of Leon Sciaky and tells of his having grown up in Salonica (now called Thessaloniki), in Greece. A remarkable view of a place where Sephardic Jews, Greeks, Turks, Macedonians, Albanians, and Bulgarians all met, traded, and went about their daily lives. A superbly written memoir, Farewell to Salonica is a heartfelt, highly recommended testimony to a memorable city and a cultural mecca.

Golden Light
James B. Kirk II
Down The Shore
Box 3100, Harvey Cedars, NJ 08008
0945582854 $25.95 1-609-978-1233 www.down-the-shore.com

The work of educator James B. Kirk II (which was posthumously completed by his son, writer and poet James B. Kirk III) , Golden Light: The 1878 Diary Of Captain Thomas Rose Lake reproduces the leather-bound diary of a 19th century sloop captain shortly before his death at age twenty-two from tuberculosis. Extensive annotations enhance the humble and simple entries, in this engaging slice of nineteenth-century marine life. Providing a vividly presented "window-in-time" through the mechanism of a personal memoir, Golden Light will be of considerable interest to students of 19th century Maritime History Studies.


The Marriage/Divorce Shelf

Happily Ever After
Meliss Bunce
August House Inc.
PO Box 3223, Little Rock, AR 72203
0874836743 $14.95 1-800-284-8784

Happily Ever After: Folktales That Illuminate Marriage And Commitment by Meliss Bunce is a heartwarming anthology of lore and love, offering tales and stories drawn from across history and around the world. Happily Ever After is enthusiastically recommended as a superb giftbook for weddings, anniversaries, and other celebratory occasions of love, romance, and marriage.

Supergroom!
Rusty Fischer
iUniverse.com, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595272428 $14.95 www.iuniverse.com

Supergroom!: 101 Ways To Be The Most Romantic Groom -- Ever! is an easy-to-follow self-help guide by Rusty Fischer which was specifically written for guys who are about to become husbands. Fischer offers simple and thoughtful ways that grooms-to-be can adjust to the complexities of the wedding ceremony, as well as enhancing the romance before, during, and after the honeymoon. Supergroom! is designed to consult on the fly; with each page offering a different brief yet enlivening tip or idea to endear the groom to his matrimonial beloved. There are 101 such tips, ideas, and suggestions in all. Bonus chapters offer advice on blended marriages (when one or both of the partners already has children from a previous marriage), and a great deal more. If you or a friend is about to "tie the knot", then get your hands on a copy of Rusty Fischer's Supergroom!

100+ Wedding Games
Joan Wai
The Brainstorm Company
11684 Ventura Blvd. #970, Studio City, CA 91604
0972835407 $11.95 www.TheBrainstormCompany.com

In 100+ Wedding Games: Fun & Laughs For Bachelorette Parties, Showers & Receptions, Joan Wai offers a wonderful wealth of crowd-friendly games perfect for entertaining at bachelorette parties, showers, receptions, and more. The games are organized in thematically appropriate sections: Speed Games (Armful of Babies, Toilet Paper Gowns, Mushy Love); Sit Down Games (Bridal Bingo, Honeymoon Hoots, Kiss & Make-Up); Memory/Word Games (Best Friend vs. The Groom, Love Letter, Wedding Scramble); Active Games (Capture the Bride, Gossip Session, Kiss the Pig); Fun Activities (Call for a Kiss, Address an Envelope, Pantry Introductions); Pranks (Hen Party, The Incredible Teddy, Jeepers Peepers); and an Appendix (Trivia Questions, Bridal/Guest Bingo Card, Prize Ideas). Many of these games are recommended for an all-gal gathering, but some are coed, and all are zany, simple, exuberant fun, and highly recommended!

Long Distance Relationships
Gregory T. Guldner, M.D.
JFMilne Publications
750 S. Lincoln Ave. #104-373, Corona, CA 92882
0972114807 $19.99 1-866-JFMilne www.jfmilne.com

Long Distance Relationships by Dr. Gregory T. Guildner is a ground-breaking guide to helping a personal and familial relationship survive the stresses of being apart. From listing a "separation inventory" of critical factors to look at; to strategies for separated couples to take advantage of when on the telephone; to advice for managing their emotions; to sharing sexual intimacy across long distances; to a serious discussion of such crucial issues a infidelity, Long Distance Relationships is insightful, thoughtful, real world practical, and very highly recommended reading for anyone who must deal with a long range, long distance relationship.

ABCs Of Divorce For Women
Carol Ann Wilson and Ginita Wall
Quantum Press
6395 Gunpark Dr., Suite Y, Boulder, CO 80301
0962679054 $18.00 www.carolannwilson.com

Collaboratively written by Carol Ann Wilson and Ginita Wall (professional specialists in marital and divorce finance issues), ABCs Of Divorce For Women is a very straightforward and practical guide specifically intended for women who are having to navigating the complexities and financial pitfalls of divorce in America. Individual chapters discuss and explain matters such as alimony and maintenance, child support, property division, tax issues, and a great more. The no-nonsense advice about serious money matters make ABCs Of Divorce For Women an absolute "must-read" for any woman going through the complex emotional, financial, and legal processes of separation or divorce.


The Social Issues Shelf

The American Way
William R. Pekarek
Word Association Publishers
205 Fifth Avenue, Tarentum, PA 15084
1891231898 $9.95 1-800-827-7903 www.wordassociation.com

The American Way: Comments And Musings On All Things USA is a collection of essays by William R. Pekarek (an experienced and opinionated American with a flair for avoiding self-servicing sophistry and hyperbolic rhetoric), about politics, religion, the economy, drugs, dating and marriage, raising children, leaving a legacy, and much, much more. These brief yet persuasive insights offer the reader intrinsically fascinating, intellectually enriching, occasionally iconoclastic perspectives on the good, the bad, and the ugly in American culture and society today.

Celling America's Soul
Judith Trustone, et. al.
Infinity Publishing.com
519 West Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 194041-1413
0741414333 $19.95 www.amazon.com

Celling America's Soul: Torture And Transformation In Our Prisons is a heart-rending examination and sharp experience-based criticism of America's prison system, which punishes the incarcerated, yet fails miserably at their rehabilitation, which has a high recidivism rate, and which subjects inmates to horrific abuse and violence -- often by other inmates and sometimes by the guards and prison administration. Anecdotes and personal testimonies enhance this severe wake-up call crying out for immediate reform and humanitarian changes in a social issue which is become every more critical as the nation's prison populations continue to soar in numbers and public expense.


The Political Science Shelf

The Independence Party And The Future Of Third-Party Politics
William McGaughey
Thistlerose Publications
1702 Glenwood Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55405
0960563059 $18.95 www.thistlerose.org

The Independence Party And The Future Of Third-Party Politics: Adventures And Opinions Of An IP Senate Candidate is the memoir and personal testimony of William McGaughey, who ran for the U.S. Senate on behalf of the same party that backed Minnesota's former governor, Jesse Ventura. Very highly recommended reading for Political Science students, as well as political activists of all parties and reform movements, The Independence Party And The Future Of Third-Party Politics offers a thoughtful and thought-provoking "insider view" of the wheels of contemporary American politics and offers a persuasive rationale behind the motivational struggle for political change.

The Privacy War
Ron Felber
Croce Publishing Group, LLC
PO Box 339, Montvale, NJ 07645-0339
0971953899 $16.95 www.crocepublishing.com

The Privacy War: One Congressman, J. Edgar Hoover And The Fight For The Fourth Amendment by Ron Felber is a raptly involving account of Neil Gallagher's rise and fall in American politics. The tumult of the 1960's is uniquely mirrored in Gallagher's volatile career, which was ultimately brought low by an influx of forces which included the enmity of J. Edgar Hoover, a powerful man who defied presidents and conducted a secret war against anyone who would dare challenge the nation's security apparatus. The Privacy War is very highly recommended reading for students of Political Science and 20th Century American History -- and it is particularly relevant reading in today's political climate of Homeland Security and the rapid abridgements and erosions of personal rights under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution.


The Fantasy/Sci-Fi Shelf

The Demon Plague
Joreid McFate
Be-Mused Publications
PO Box 841, Ravensdale, WA 98051-0841
0970486863 $17.95 1-866-886-9109 www.Be-Mused.com

The Demon Plague by Joreid McFate is an original and compelling novel of murder and time travel, in which a woman inherits an unknown amulet and becomes transported into the brutal days of the Salem witch trials. Terror and cruelty (both demonic and human), stalk the pages of this thrilling and suspenseful narrative. The Demon Plague is especially commended to the attention of horror fantasy enthusiasts.

Milky Way Marmalade
Mike DiCerto
Zumaya Publications
1105 Nueces St #3 Austin TX 78701-2129
1894942213 $22.00 www.zumayapublications.com

Milky Way Marmalade by Mike DiCerto is an unusual and whimsical science fiction adventure that brings together a collector of exotic meats, a blue android, a purple-eyed woman, a dog with a secret, a bizarre quest to save the Wisest Substance in the Universe (known as the mythical L'Orange), and perhaps also all life as well. A loopy, riotous, and high-spirited, original space romp, Milky Way Marmalade is a lot of fun and documents author Mike DiCerto as someone to keep track of!

The Sorceress Of Atunluck
Aaron Dean Hall
1st Books Library
2595 West Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404-2782
1403331723 $30.45 www.1stbooks.com

Aaron Dean Hall's The Sorceress Of Atunluck is the fantastic story of Zeffa, a young woman who must hone her inner strengths, gifts, and magics to defend her homeland against a ruthless race of dark elves. Magic, danger, monstrous obstacles, and the crucial importance of self-improvement in the face of peril, make for a gripping work of deftly written high fantasy. The Sorceress Of Atunluck highly recommended reading and marks Aaron Dean Hall as an author of considerable storytelling ability.

Witchblood
Timothy Whitfield
Black Death Books
c/o KHP Industries
PO Box 558, Effort, PA 18330
0967922054 $16.00 khpindustries.com

Timothy Whitfield's Witchblood is an occult fantasy-horror novel set in the city of Pittsburgh in 1901. A vile graveworm awakes amid the poisonous fumes of industrialization. A disheveled, albino angel with clipped wings may be humanity's last hope against the creeping onslaught of corruption, yet she herself is on the brink of becoming another victim to the evil. An absorbing saga of darkness and light, Witchblood is an original and deftly woven novel that will particularly appeal to horror fantasy enthusiasts.

The Liberal Masters
David L. Hale
Elderberry Press
1393 Old Homestead Drive, Second floor, Oakland, Oregon 97462-9506
1930859406 $24.95 www.elderberrypress.com

David L. Hale's The Liberal Masters is a political satire cloaked and colored in the imaginative trappings of adroitly written science fiction. When planet Tyrannia, home to the "superior" Liberal Tyrants, invades and enslaves America, only two people are left standing in their way. Exposing the flaws of some contemporary liberal viewpoints and perspectives, The Liberal Masters a "socially relevant" science fiction adventure in the tradition H.G. Wells. The Liberal Masters makes for a wry and intriguing, tongue-in-cheek read.


The Education Shelf

What Every Superintendent And Principal Needs To Know
Jim Rosborg, et al.
Education Communication Unlimited
PO Box 6405, Santa Maria, CA 93456
0970862164 $24.95 1-800-563-1454 www.superintendents-and-principals.com

What Every Superintendent And Principal Needs To Know: School Leadership For The Real World by educational administrators Jim Rosborg, Max McGee, and Jim Burgett, is a highly practical instructional and advisory resource of school leadership ideas and techniques, complete with in-depth advice on what works and what doesn't. From allying with unions; to emphasizing ethics in every action; to selling business plans to the Board; and more, What Every Superintendent And Principal Needs To Know truly lives up to its title -- and then some!

Learning Disabilities
Addie Cusimano
Achieve Publications
1216 Scobee Dr., Lansdale, PA 19446
www.achievepublications.com
0615120539 $17.95 1-800-431-1579

Learning Disabilities: There Is A Cure by educator Addie Cusimano (a specialist in the field of reading) is an instructional guide specifically written for parents, educators, and physicians concerning practiced and proven techniques to overcoming the extra challenges of dyslexia and other learning disorders that affect students across America. A first-rate consultation book drawn from an extensive field of practical experience and offering time-proven methods that work, Learning Disabilities is very highly recommended reading for anyone charged with the responsibility of educating a child with a learning barrier.

Early Gifts
Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, et al.
Prufrock Press, Inc.
PO Box 8813, Waco, TX 76714-8813
1882664914 $24.95 www.prufrock.com

Collaboratively compiled and edited by Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, Lisa Limburg-Weber, and Steven Pfeiffer, Early Gifts: Recognizing And Nurturing Children's Talents is a splendid and useful resource written especially for the parents of gifted children. A variety of expert authors cogently address a wealth of practical and in-depth ways to help develop talents in science, language, mathematics, athletic abilities, and more, all while keeping in mind family and psychological considerations. Expert advice, anecdotes, insights, and more make Early Gifts a first-rate consultation resource and an impressive addition to personal reading lists and professional Parenting Studies reference collections.

My Teacher Rides A Harley
Gary Dulabaum
Maupin House Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 90148, Gainesville, FL 32607
0929895568 $23.95 1-800-524-0634 www.maupinhouse.com

My Teacher Rides A Harley: Enhancing K-5 Literacy Through Songwriting is a thoughtful guide by educator, songwriter and musician Gary Dulabaum to learning how to write and share songs in kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms, in order to enhance each student's literacy skills. An accompanying audio CD of sixteen sing-along songs for students complements the guidelines, recommendations, encouragement, and techniques for creating fun and enjoyable songs to share. Enhanced with occasional black-and-white illustrations by Michael Tonn, My Teacher Rides A Harley is an excellent and highly commended resource for classroom teachers, reading instruction specialists, and home schoolers.


The Business Shelf

The Lawyer's Guide To Marketing On The Internet
Gregory H. Siskind, et al.
ABA Publishing
750 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611
1590311183 $79.95 1-800-285-2221

Now in a thoroughly updated second edition, The Lawyer's Guide To Marketing on the Internet is a practical introduction to getting the most out of the Internet, and collaboratively written by Gregory H. Siskind, Deborah McMurray, Richard P. Klau for professional attorneys. Individual chapters address designing a professional web site, ethical issues online, developing an internet marketing plan, optimum use of e-mail, and a great deal more. Highly recommended for lawyers and paralegals everywhere, The Lawyer's Guide To Marketing On The Internet is an indispensable guide for making the most out of internet opportunities as affecting the development of a successful legal practice.

Planning With A Heart
Dr. Barbara Leuin
Infinity Publishing.com
519 West Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041-1413
0741413035 $18.95 1-877-289-2665 www.buybooksontheweb.com

Planning With A Heart by Barbara Leuin (Founder and President of Leuin Management Group, Inc.) is a business planning book written especially and exclusively for women. Individual chapters address the unique psychological and discrimination barriers women face in team-building; in creating a solid marketing strategy; in finding reliable investors; in managing negative influences, and a great deal more. A positive and encouraging resource, Planning With A Heart is enthusiastically recommended for women either contemplating an entrepreneurial venture or who are in positions of management responsibility with established companies.

Take Me To Your Leader$
Samuel G. Manfer
ALMERSA Publishing
20 Richmond Hill, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677
0972281703 $19.95 www.SamManfer.com

Take Me To Your Leader$: A Step By Step System To Substantially Increase Sales By Establishing Executive Relationships by speaker, consultant, and sales seminar leader Samuel G. Manfer, is a solid and accessible guide to the business skill and art of selling more with less effort. From tips to build one's confidence; to learning to recognize who has power; to networking for maximum benefit, and more, Take Me To Your Leader$ is a truly first-rate and highly recommended guide to overcoming obstacles that stand in one's way to successful meet and work with a corporate executive.

All Anybody Needs To Know About Independent Contracting
Shelly Waxman, J.D.
Writers Club Press/iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595262724 $21.95 www.iuniverse.com

Written by business attorney Shelly Waxman for the non-specialist general reader, All Anybody Needs To Know About Independent Contracting is an informed and informative guide to capitalizing on the Employment Revolution to escape the traps of wage-slavery and excessive taxes. From the necessary requirements to fulfill for independent contractor status, to tax saving tips, to protocols for setting up one's business, All Anybody Needs To Know About Independent Contracting is commended as being a practical, easy-to-follow, effective resource for readers of all educational or business backgrounds.

You're In Charge... What Now?
Gerald M. Czarnecki
Griffin Publishing Group
18022 Cowan, Suite 202, Irvine, CA 92614
1580001092 $17.95 1-800-472-9741

You're In Charge... What Now?: Seven Essential Steps For Work Leader Success by Gerald M. Czarnecki (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Deltennium Group) is a bulletin-point oriented instructional guide for business managers, which emphasizes such tenets as assigning people to the tasks that best suit them; learning to think for oneself; rely on one's own judgement; setting one's expectations high for optimal performance, and much, much more. A positively charged and energetic guide to promoting a productive and upbeat work environment, You're In Charge...What Now? is especially commended reading for those new in positions of managerial corporate responsibility.


The Self-Help Shelf

What Every Woman Wants Men To Know
Dr. V. Michael McKenzie
Elite Books
1278 Schenectady Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11203
0971550204 $16.95 1-888-533-2665 www.skoob.org

What Every Woman Wants Men To Know by psychologist Michael McKenzie is a wonderfully accessible guide to navigating the complexities of a relationship. Written especially for men who are sometimes confused by the mystique and emotional differences of women, What Every Woman Wants Men To Know ranges the whole gamut of relationship issues from learning to identify and change unrealistic expectations that can sabotage a relationship; to improving personal listening skills and emotional honesty; to 20 keys that improve a partnership with a significant other. What Every Woman Wants Men To Know is very highly recommended reading for bachelors and married men alike!

Mastering Emotion For The Uninvited
Edward A. Kemmerlin
Adverbage, Ltd.
c/o Author Services
5485 Repecho Drive, Suite L204, San Diego, CA 92124
0954172310 $15.00 www.adverbage.com www.masteringemotion.com 1-858-560-0121

Mastering Emotion For The Uninvited by social activist Edward A Kemmerlin is a powerful and insightful self-help book that carefully guides the reader down a path to uncover more about themselves, and revealing how to gain control over personally overriding emotions that thrust anger, hurt, and depression when simple happiness is plainly within reach. From learning to identify and avoid "triggers" of unhappiness, to teaching one's children to enjoy life, Mastering Emotion For The Uninvited is a first-rate resource and very highly recommended reading for anyone seeking personal self-improvement and cope with compulsions to perfection in detriment to their personal sense of worth and contentment.

Natural Body, Natural Shape
Barbara B. Moroney
Swing-Hi Press
16213 E. Mercer Circle, Aurora, CO 80013
0972433546 $14.95 www.naturalbodyshape.com

A confidently recommended addition to personal self-help, self-improvement reading lists and reference collections, Natural Body, Natural Shape: Develop A Strong Self-Image, Good Health, & Ageless Grace & Beauty Through Yoga by Barbara B. Moroney is an invaluable and superbly organized self-help instructional guide to transforming one's life both physical and emotionally. Balancing the human needs for health and fitness while guarding against unrealistic body expectations, and embracing the healing and life-changing power of yoga, Natural Body, Natural Shape is very highly recommended reading for improving anyone seeking to enhance and improve their physical well being, emotional strength, and positive psychological outlook on life.

The Mechanics Of Consciousness
Boston Carter
Awaken Publishing
PO Box 25648, Seattle, WA 98125-1148
0972925910 $15.95 www.2211company.com

The Mechanics Of Consciousness & Four Ways To Wholeness by shamanic behaviorist Boston Carter is an unusual self-help guide that reveals four paths to learn more about one's deepest inner workings. A very highly recommended instructional guide for taking a intensely personal metaphysical journey to the core of one's self and soul, The Mechanics of Consciousness is a welcome addition to self-help, self-improvement, self-realization reading lists which offers the means to obtaining profound and insightful personal revelations.

Restore Your Magnificence
Dr. Joe Rubino
Vision Works Publishing
PO Box 217, Boxford, Massachusetts 01921
0967852994 $15.95 1-888-821-3135

Restore Your Magnificence: A Life-Changing Guide To Reclaiming Your Self-Esteem by Joe Rubino is a superbly presented and "reader friendly" self-help instructional which is enhanced with a series of psychological and emotional exercises geared toward better understanding oneself and freeing oneself from the morass of low self-esteem and self-sabotage. A powerful and uplifting guide to improving one's outlook and capabilities, Restore Your Magnificence is a welcome and recommended addition to personal self-help, self-improvement reading lists and reference collections.

Why Not Start Living Your Life Today
Eric Delabarre
Seven Publishing
PO Box 1123, Santa Monica, CA 90406-1123
0972357874 $14.95 www.sevenpublishing.com

Why Not Start Living Your Life Today Eric Delabarre (a professional writer and director of television and film) is a superbly presented self-help guide which focuses the reader's attention upon life and its challenges, rather than detrimentally dwelling upon life's distractions, anxieties, and stresses. Simple exercises, solid advice, and shining inspiration that arises from a thoroughly "reader friendly" text, make Why Not Start Living Your Life Today a can-do, upbeat testimony and a welcome addition to Personal Growth, Self-Help, and Self-Improvement reading lists.

Mission Possible
Maureen F. Fitzgerald
Quinn Publishing
PO Box 72030, 4479 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V6R 4P2
0973245107 $14.95 www.thefitzgeraldgroup.ca

Maureen F. Fitzgerald's Mission Possible: Creating A Mission For Work And Life is an impressively written and thoroughly "user friendly" self-help guide to creating a personal mission statement to guide one's search for a rewarding career, strengthen one's character, and improve the quality of one's life. Guided activities, encouraging advice, and an emphasis on learning how to plan to achieve fill the pages of this personally motivating and highly recommended "go-getter" self-help book.


The Poetry Shelf

The Tower Of Diverse Shores
Leonard Schwartz
Talisman House Publishers
Box 3157, Jersey City, NJ 07303-3157
1584980311 $14.95 www.amazon.com

The Tower Of Diverse Shores is an evocative collection of brief yet absorbing free-verse poetry by Leonard Schwartz which deftly embraces the natural world and the hidden depths within seemingly incidental experiences. "Experiment warms you like a rose; / the great circus sprinkles you with dust / the self can neither pick over nor wall off. / And the philosopher is charged with a divided silence."

The Origins Of Tragedy & Other Poems
Kenneth Rosen
CavanKerry Press Ltd.
6 Horizon Road No. 2901, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
0970718667 $14.00 1-201-670-9063

The Origins Of Tragedy & Other Poems is a collection of free-verse poetry by Kenneth Rosen that looks at the transient nature of life with an unassuming riposte against the struggles, hardships, and minor victories that everyone must face. "A spark. Did all lamps need to be lit? Or just / Those doused by raindrops or errant drafts? / They seemed sad, these doomed men who knew / How to give fog its soft perfume, and the facts / Of our life their necessary, tender, but fatal glow."

Learning And Being
Pilar Tan, MD
Bright Light Publishing
PO Box 4030, Roselle Park, NJ 07204
0972389415 $13.95 www.learningandbeing.net

Learning and Being: Thoughts On Overcoming Problems And Living Fully by Pilar Tan is a collection of poetry that meditates upon the states of human nature and the means to better understand, change, and evolve. Each verse begins with "I have learned" and dwells upon a fundamental truth. "I have learned / that we must strive to continuously grow / to achieve happiness. / A peach tree needs time to grow / before it bears fruit." An absorbing and uplifting work that celebrates the triumph of the spirit, Learning And Being is intrinsically rewarding and highly recommended reading.

Echoes In Hemlock Gorge
Douglas Worth
Higganum Hill Books
PO Box 666, Higganum, Connecticut 06441
0963518585 $12.95 1-860-345-4103 rcdebold@connix.com

Douglas Worth's Echoes In Hemlock Gorge is a collection of free-verse poetry that roams back through America's history to the unfettered 1600's. Vividly bringing the land and struggles of the past to life, immersive to the senses and inspiring to the mind, Echoes In Hemlock Gorge is offers a singularly poetic, picturesque, and impressionable presentation of a yesteryear America. Sinking Canoe: This chilly morning I noticed/a half-submerged lump of log/that made me think/of an overturned canoe,/in its decay still supporting/a tiny forest--/how beautiful the intricate/spray of green stems and leaves/still shooting up, swaying/their sunlit arms and faces/in praise to father Sky,/and how sad to be rooted/in the rot of that sinking canoe--/like my people, I thought,/my gaze blurring as I turned/and climbed slowly, weeping/to sit and sway on my rock.

Where The Spirit Speaks To Its Own
Barry Long
Barry Long Books
Warkwick Associates (publicity)
6230 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 251, Los Angeles, CA 90048
189932416X $22.95 www.barrylong.org

Where The Spirit Speaks To Its Own: The Passion Of Spiritual Awakening by Barry Long is an authentic testimony of spiritual awakening and the realization of God's love showcases through his personal poetry. The simple, free-verse poems embody consciousness stretched throughout millennia, in this most inspirational collection of insights and personal growth. Pale Frog: Pale frog/Cramped still in tadpole garments/Waiting for the kiss of life/To turn you into Prince Charming./Perhaps the wicked witch herself will die/And loose your spell/Or the maiden princess/Who Shares your garden but fears the pond/May awake/Bathe Naked/And Smile Just once in love and passing/At your uncomeliness.


The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Medium, The Mystic, And The Physicist
Lawrence LeShan
Helios Press
c/o Allworth Communications
10 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010
1581152736 $19.95 www.heliospress.com

The Medium, The Mystic, And The Physicist: Toward A General Theory Of the Paranormal by psychologist, educator, and author Lawrence LeShan is a New Age book that persuasively presents evidence of psychic abilities, and seeks to draw together the views and science of mediums, mystics, and physicists alike. A extended contemplation of holistic theory, The Medium, The Mystic, And The Physicist transcends the tendency that people of different religious, spiritual, and scientific viewpoints and experiences have all to often been shortsightedly led to scorn one another. Accessibly written for the non-specialist general reader, The Medium, The Mystic, And The Physicist is a unique and very welcome contribution to Psychology and Metaphysical Studies reading lists.

Twin Flames
Antera
Twinsong Press
PO Box 513, Mt. Shasta, CA 96067
0972552804 $16.95 1-530-926-2886 www.Twinsong.us

Twin Flames: A True Story Of Soul Reunion by Antera (who has been in contact with her spirit guide since she was a small child and who changed her name in 1995 when she received her spiritual name "Antera" through meditation) is a powerful, new age memoir of reunion and love that transcends the centuries from antiquity down to the modern day. Divinity, the aid of spirit guides, and an inspirational testimony about the power of relationships fill this moving metaphysical narrative. Thoughtful and thought-provoking, Twin Flames is a welcome addition to New Age spirituality reading lists.

Oh My God! Are You Talking To Me?
Peniel G. G. G.
Metropolis Ink
5629 Windstone, Cave Creek, AZ 85331
0958054371 $16.95 www.metropolisink.com

Oh My God! Are You Talking To Me? is an intimate presentation of one person's simple, open, and honest conversations with Jesus Christ -- a reciprocal dialogue between Jesus and Peniel drawn from extended conversations which have been going on for the last 23 years, and which are laid out in a question and response format with Jesus' comments in bold type and Peniel in plain type for easy distinction by the reader. Inspiration and enlightenment in the form of casual discussion form the basis and presentation of a truly thoughtful and thought-provoking account. Recommended for students of Christian Metaphysics, Oh My God! Are You Talking To Me? is filled from cover to cover with multifaceted, insightful, instructional, and explanatory messages.


The Fiction Shelf

The Witness
Ken C. Cross
TurnKey Press
Phenix & Phenix (publicity)
2525 W. Anderson Lane, Suite 540, Austin, TX 78757
097238068X $10.95 www.turnkeypress.com

Deftly written by Ken C. Cross, The Witness is an exciting "what-if" tale of Tim Johnson, an ordinary man who learns that he is a witness chosen by God for the Biblically prophesied apocalyptic events resulting in the end of all time. An eye-opening fable that blends Biblical prophesy with dramatic suspense, and poses intriguing questions about the progress of society itself, The Witness is a superbly constructed fiction that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.

Godless Medicine
Dr. Michael F. Wright
TurnKey Press
Penix & Phenix (publicity)
2525 W. Anderson Lane, Suite 540, Austin, TX 78757
097400300X $14.95 www.turnkeypress.com

Godless Medicine is a chilling novel by Michael F. Wright about ruthless revenge. A terminally ill Vietnam veteran targets Ty Harrison, an unpopular senator who pushes bills that reduce health care for veterans, gives animals the same rights as people, and seeks to end health care for everyone over the age of ninety. The veteran's horrific scheme to make the senator pay for his political policies makes for a hauntingly woven and horrific suspense story -- one that could appear on the pages of any contemporary news story today in a real life scenario.

Surreal Eternity
Gary Stewart Branfman
TurnKey Press
Phenix & Phenix (publicity)
2525 W. Anderson Lane, Suite 540, Austin, TX 78757
0974003034 $16.95 www.turnkeypress.com

The debut novel of Gary Stewart Branfman, Surreal Eternity is the thoughtful and thought-provoking story of two people, each of whom has lost their beloved spouse far too early. A Jewish woman and an Arab architect must each strive to cope with handling their children without help from a beloved partner, and when their destines are drawn together, a cacophony of danger and action threaten all they know and love. Surreal Eternity is commended as a burning and impressionable story of love and adjustment amidst the whirlwind crush of deadly events backdropping the Israeli/Arab tensions in the West Bank.

Secret Games
Michael Jett
Gardenia Press
Phenix & Phenix (publicity)
PO Box 18601, Milwaukee, WI 53218-0601
0972234942 $16.95 www.gardeniapress.com

Set amidst the ruthless battles and politics of the Vietnam War, Secret Games by Michael Jett is the story of the struggle over a captured CIA agent. The CIA wants him back, while the Pentagon is prepared to eliminate him; their clashing policies put Major James Ross in the middle of a deadly game. A dark and brutal drama, Secret Games is a well written novel of espionage, betrayal, and romance within the context of one of America's most divisive wars.

Barefoot in the Stubble Fields
Mary Frailey Calland
Gardenia Press
PO Box 18601, Milwaukee, WI 53218-0601
0972234950 $26.95 1-866-861-9443 www.gardeniapress.com

Set during the years of the Great Depression and World War II, Barefoot In The Stubble Fields by Mary Frailey Calland is the story of a young woman whose father is struggling desperately to eke a living, and who must send her to a wealthy city aunt after the death of her mother. A skillfully written "coming of age" novel, Maggie Fahey's journey to womanhood amid the trials and conflicts of people, nations, and families makes for a rewarding and entertaining reading.

Last Kiss
Richard Staley
Pilgrim Publishing
PO Box 49544, Charlotte, NC 28277-0080
0972678212 $13.95 1-704-341-0311 www.pilgrimpublishers.com

Last Kiss by Richard Staley is the superbly written story of Patrick, an ordinary man who is always busy with his life... perhaps too busy to give one last kiss to one who is near and dear to him. Yet an extraordinary angel shows Patrick the importance of never taking people for granted in this often chaotic and ever-changing world. Last Kiss is commended as an especially thoughtful, original, and heartwarming novel.

Harem Sister
Michele Fontaine
Wadjet Publishing
253 Molimo Drive, San Francisco, CA 94127
0615121462 $17.99 1-415-586-4154 www.haremsister.com

Set in the Persian Empire of 500 B.C., Harem Sister is the story of Amat, a woman beset by challenges. When Amat's family is killed and she is drawn in to the deceptive pleasures of harem life, she must heed warnings and wisdom to find the self-determination and wherewithal to live her own life. A strong and sensual tale of will and resolve, Harem Sister is an original novel which is based in part upon a past-life experience of the author and so will be of especial interest for students of past-life regression and metaphysical studies.

The Ponder Legacy
Robert O. Barclay
Beaver's Pond Press, Inc.
5125 Danen's Drive, Edina, MN 55439-1465
1931646724 $14.95 1-952-829-8818 www.BeaversPondPress.com

Set in a quiet American community, The Ponder Legacy by Robert O. Barclay, is the story of a neighbors who grow up together. A hidden love may yet blossom between Marianne and Matthew, but when Marianne tires of waiting she announces that she will sell her home and move to another city -- an act that bring chaos and scrambling as Matthew must confront his hidden feelings or see her go once and for all. The Ponder Legacy is very strongly commended to those who would appreciate a particularly heartwarming, thoughtful, and deftly written tale of midwestern romance.

False Prophets, Tramps & Thieves
Laura Campbell and Lynda Campbell
1st Books Library
2595 West Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404-2782
1403300534 $14.50 1-800-839-8640 www.1stbooks.com

The collaborative effort of Laura dn Lynda Campbell, False Prophets, Tramps & Thieves is a bizarre melding of fantastic events and real-life worries. When an ordinary young woman suffers the brunt of an unjust $300,000 lawsuit, she must take to the road. Anne Davis searches for answers to the betrayal of her own family in new age counterculture, and walks the physical and spirit realms in this upbeat and recommended adventure flavored with a dash of romance and the drive to blaze new paths.

Second Generation
Susan Scutti
iUniverse.com, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595268803 $19.95 iuniverse.com

Susan Scutti's superbly written novel Second Generation relates the story of two women in their early twenties who find themselves in a state of crisis. Meredith Lamm is undeniably attracted to the wrong men, while Diana Ferro rents her womb as a surrogate mother for the money that she hopes will fund her dream. Both Meredith and Diana have issues haunting them and which clamoring for resolution before either of them can come to understand or take full control of their lives. Simply put, Second Generation is this captivating novel and well worth reading.

The Reluctant Messenger Of Science And Religion
Stephen W. Boston, Ph.D. and Evelyn McKnight Boston, Ph.D.
iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595268218 $17.95 www.iuniverse.com

The collaborative effort of Stephen and Evelyn Boston, The Reluctant Messenger Of Science And Religion is an original and enthralling novel about two people caught amidst revelations that threaten both their personal lives and the world itself. Paradoxes between conflicting world religions, the seeming contradictions between science and faith, inspiration and desperation, all meld into a tautly written saga that makes for rapt, involving reading from beginning to end.

Mirrorfish
Timothy G. White
Milo House Press/GMA Publishing
3206 Avenue P 1/2, Galveston, TX 77550
1592680194 $15.00 www.gmapublishing.com, trwhite@utmb.edu

Mirrorfish by writer and psychotherapist Timothy G. White is an original and superbly written novel about the elusive and the mysterious. A secret Mirrorfish could be the key to wonder or to misery, obsession or enlightenment. One man risks his children to know the Mirrorfish's secrets, while another seeks its magic so that he can breach the emotional gulf that divides him from his grandchildren. An involving story of love, hopes, desire, and the quest for redemption, Mirrorfish is enthusiastically recommended and imaginatively rewarding reading.

Walter Falls
Steven Gillis
Brook Street Press
PO Box 812413, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02482
0972429506 $21.95 www.brookstreetpress.com

Walter Falls by Steven Gillis is an exceptionally well written novel of how greed and jealousy can lead even solid middle-class citizen to his downfall. Yet though the road to redemption is harsh and rocky, it can be traveled - if one has what it takes to make the trek. Walter Falls is highly recommended as a powerful and moving saga of the human condition.

Punk Chicken and Other Tales
Stephen Lestat
Lompico Creek Press
PO Box 1403, Felton, CA 95018-1403
0961931124 $16.95 1-831-335-7696

Punk Chicken And Other Tales by Stephen Lestat is an impressively written and deftly humorous anthology about people who live on the streets of America, and yet who aspire for the great dream, but often have to settle for simply surviving while making their way day to day, lucky to just break even. Punk Chicken And Other Tales is enthusiastically recommended as a wry, tongue-in-cheek collection of short stories that draws the reader into real-life problems, as well as those of squirrels or shoulder-riding rats!

Texas Moonshine
Jude Liebermann
Lee Books
2855 Alta View Drive 107, San Diego, CA 92139
0966065328 $10.95 www.judesplace.com

The sequel to the highly recommended "Mexican Sunsets," Texas Moonshine by Jude Liebermann is a thoroughly engaging and entertaining novel of a woman who has inherited psychic gifts as well as fighting spirit from her family. Monique Hunter is enjoying her life at college when her fateful meeting with a dreamy movie star triggers disaster, as she must confront a ruthless man from her mother's past out to destroy all that she loves. Texas Moonshine is a tensely written and reader thrilling saga of human conflict and resolution.

The March Of The Fireflies
Eric Thomas Felton
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
1401078117 $31.49 www.xlibris.com

Eric Thomas Felton's The March Of The Fireflies is an engaging novel about an improbable and eccentricity-filled Minnesota summer. An old man strives to finish his life's work before the fourth of July, a young boy dreams of playing in the big leagues, and one woman knows nothing of love while a man has been severely scarred by betrayal. A thoughtful, picturesque and complex interplay of perspectives and interactions, The March Of The Fireflies marks author Eric Felton as a gifted authority with a genuine flair for imaginative humor.

The Downsizing of Hudson Foster
Harlin Hailey
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
0738833622 $30.99 www.xlibris.com

A Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book award winner in the "Mainstream/Literary Fiction" category, The Downsizing Of Hudson Foster by Harlin Hailey and published by the "print-on-demand" Xlibris Corporation, is a wry novel that looks askew at life in the big city as experienced and perceived by Hudson Foster. This deftly written story of one man's struggle to hold on to simple values in a morass of cutthroat competition, greed, sleaze, and a false glamour reminiscent of a cheap casino, makes for an involving tale that contrasts the press and needs of humanity with the steamroller dehumanization of corporate and institutional demands. Very highly recommended reading.

Academic Animals
Lois Roney
Xlibris
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
1401002463 $28.79 www.xlibris.com

Academic Animals: A Bestiary Of Higher-Education Teaching And How It Got That Way by medievalist scholar and educator Lois Roney is an informed and informative, fact-based, 277 page fiction which looks at higher-education teaching and likens the personality categories and behavior traits of professors to various animal types. Despite the tongue-in-cheek animal approach, the issues addressed are quite serious, and Academic Animals is recommended reading for students or educators looking for insights on how to best get along with the folks in charge of instruction and grades, as well as non-specialist general readers who enjoy a good novel written with an iconoclastic flair. Academic Animals is also available in paperback (1401002471, $18.69) and as an eBook (140100248X, $8.00).

Kachima Spirit
Marilyn Meredith
Hard Shell Word Factory
PO Box 161, Amherst Jct., WI 54407
075990099X $10.95 www.hardshell.com

Kachima Spirit by Marilyn Meredith is a haunting novel about Madeline Kennon, a young widow and her two children, all of whom share a home in Ojai, California, that is haunted by ghosts. One spirit (formerly an Indian maiden), seeks to send warnings through dreams. Highly recommended to fans of the genre, Kachima Spirit is a superbly crafted story of mystery, danger, hidden warnings and real-life threats from unexpected directions.

Plucked And Burned
Sylvia Tomlinson
Redbud Publishing Co.
PO Box 4402, Victoria, TX 77903-4402
097202932X $19.95 www.redbudpublishing.com

Superbly written and very highly recommended reading, Plucked And Burned by Sylvia Tomlinson is a fictionalized drama of the struggle between a community and the spreading tentacles of a poultry processing plant that threatens to overwhelm them all. Powerful, dramatic, and gripping to the last page, Plucked And Burned offers up an impressive portrayal of plant workers, contract growers, and ordinary citizens caught in the bulldozer-like path of big business.

Life In The Last Lane
Barbara L. Mahoney
Isabella Publishing
25 Isabella Street, Stoneham, MA 02180
0972269207 $11.00 1-781-665-9296 1-781-665-1722 (fax)

Life In The Last Lane is an engaging novel by Barbara L. Mahoney and tells the story of three elderly women who are living in a senior center in a small New England town, and their center's director Pat. There is a thriving community around them all, including an aging gangster, a hit man, a hospital chaplain, a long-undiscovered murder, and hectic husbands! A flavorful story with just the right seasoning of humor, Life In The Last Lane is a lively and wonderfully entertaining read.

The Englishman's Wife
Louis Sanders
Serpent's Tail
255 West 108th Street - Suite 9D1, New York, NY 10025
1852426926 $14.00 1-917-493-3601 1-917-493-3598 (fax)

The Englishman's Wife by Louis Sanders is a deftly literate novel which explores the dark aspects of jealousy and paranoia that so often oppress human relationships. When John, a freelance writer, is unable to find work, vicious ruminations and suspicions of infidelity congregate within his mind, drawing inevitably and corrosively to ruthless conclusions. The Englishman's Wife is commended to sophisticated readers as being a superbly crafted and tensely gripping story of psychological suspense. Also highly recommended is Louis Sanders' debut novel, Death In The Dordogne (185242673X, $13.00).

Gudrun's Tapestry
Joan Schweighardt
Beagle Bay Books
3040 June Meadows Road, Reno, NV 85909
0967959136 $24.95 www.beaglebay.com

Gudrun's Tapestry by Joan Schweighardt is a sweeping novel set in the era of fifth century against a background of the depredations perpetrated by the invading armies of Attila the Hun. Gudron is a woman with a cursed sword who must set out to protect her people, the Burgundians. Along the way Gudron discovers her ability to love the man who may be her deadly mortal enemy. An emotional and sweeping epic tale, Gudrun's Tapestry is original, exceptionally well written, and documents Joan Schweighardt as a gifted and skilled storyteller with a flair for historical fiction.

Solomon's Men
Glenn Starkey
WordWright.biz
PO Box 1785, Georgetown, TX 78627
1932196072 $19.95 1-512-260-3080 www.WordWright.biz

Solomon's Men by Glann Starkey is a genuinely suspenseful novel about an expert thief drawn into an extraordinary tangle. Greg Valdez's heist of a modern day Templer's pouch (which contains the true burial Shroud of Jesus), initiates a cascade of power struggles with the life of Greg's closest loved ones in the balance. Exciting and unpredictable, Solomon's Men is highly recommended as an original action/adventure thriller.

The Twelfth Vulture of Romulus
Boris Raymond
The KLYO Press
PO Box 33053, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3L 4T6
0973053402 $15.75 http://www.dal.ca/~braymond/

Set in the year 448, The Twelfth Vulture Of Romulus: Attila And The Fall Of Rome is an epic saga by Boris Raymond of people who lived, died, and fought during the collapse of the western Roman empire. Corruption, sexuality, conquest, bitter strife, and much, much more in what must have seemed like the end of civilization to the people of that era, fill the pages this complex, magnificently presented, expertly written, and enthusiastically recommended 604-page novel which comes complete with an appendices of Principal Characters; Rulers and Germanic Tribes; and Roman Place Names.

Cocktails With God
David Triemert
One Light Press
PO Box 97, Afton, MN 55001
0972744614 $19.95 1-651-436-5959 www.onelightpress.com

David Triemert's Cocktails With God is primarily a novel about Buddy Wilde, an ordinary man who suffers a ruptured brain aneurysm, and finds himself embarks on a journey with his spirit guide to meet the Almighty face-to-face. Thoughtful, relaxing, and unique in its portrayal of a behind-the-scenes afterlife, Cocktails With God is an intriguing read that also includes twenty-two cocktail recipes ranging from "Screaming Bloody Mary", to "Act of God", and "Guilty Catholic", to "Red Sea Margarita"; "Blessed Sacramenthe"; and "Bible Thumper".

The Adventures Of Jecosan Tarres
Laura Lond
Xulon Press
10640 Main Street, Suite 204, Fairfax, VA 22030
1591605296 $13.99 1-866-909-2665 www.xulonpress.com

The first volume of a trilogy, The Adventures Of Jecosan Tarres, Book 1: The Journey by Laura Lond is a superbly written novel with strong moral values which is suitable for readers as young as ten, yet deliberately written to appeal to readers of all ages. Following the life of a young man orphaned at the age of eight, and his struggles to enter the king's service and help prevent war breaking out in his country, The Adventures of Jecosan Tarres brings to life fantastic settings and crucial problems along with the travails of growing up and coming of age.

The Cornstalk Man
Daniel Crocker
Green Bean Press
PO Box 237, New York, NY 10013
1891408321 $12.00 1-718-965-2076 www.greenbeanpress.com

Set in a small town in 1970 Missouri, The Cornstalk Man by Daniel Crocker is an original novel of Lorraine "Mamma" Thompson, a single mother struggling to raise three children. Yet Lorraine suffers from bipolar disorder (in a time before her mental illness was widely understood), so that her erratic mood swings make life increasingly perilous for herself, her children, and those around her. The Cornstalk Man is a deftly written, poignant, emotional, and profoundly involving novel.

Gangsta: An Urban Tragedy
K'wan Foye
Triple Crown Publications
PO Box 7212, Columbus, Ohio 43205
0970247214 $15.00 1-614-323-6939 www.triplecrownpublications.com

K'wan Foye's Gangsta: An Urban Tragedy is a suspenseful novel of Lou-loc, a skilled assassin of the Crip gang who tires of the street life and considers a better way to live his life. Lou-loc follows his aspiration of becoming a writer, while at the same time a ruthless sociopath gang buddy of his by the name of "Gutter' is striving to become a king of crime with the gang culture. Threat of death is lurking close to hand for Lou-loc, and those who have lived by the gun are constantly under the gun's ominous shadow. Gangsta is a raptly engrossing, deftly woven tale which marks K'wan Foye as a writer of significant storytelling skill.

The Tragedy of Miss Geneva Flowers
Joe Babcock
Closet Case Books
PO Box 16116, St. Paul, MN 55116
0972048405 $15.95 www.closetcasebooks.com

The Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book grand prize award winner, Tragedy Of Miss Geneva Flowers by Joe Babcock and published by Closet Case Books, is a thoughtful and reflective novel arising from the theme of what it is like to grow up as a young homosexual man in America. Sixteen-year-old Erick Taylor dreams of being star, has problems with his Catholic school and its bullies, and is uncertain about his personal identity and future. When Erick meets a drag queen, he is drawn into the world of gay nightlife in Minnesota -- yet threatening consequences await his inexperienced exploration. A powerful novel of struggle, risk, and steep prices paid by those who are different from most others, The Tragedy Of Miss Geneva Flowers is almost impossible to put down.

Harvest Of Illusion
George C. Wallach
HighSight Publishing
5102 East Cheery Lynn Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85018-6627
0972898905 $19.95 1-602-224-7945 www.harvestofillusion.com

Harvest Of Illusion: A Spiritual Adventure by George C. Wallach is a highly entertaining and enthusiastically recommended novel set late in the twenty-first century. The attention engaging story is about the power of spirituality to transcend the mundane routines that can blind one to infinite possibilities beyond one's immediate life and ordinary physical needs. An open-minded metaphysical story that embraces the concepts of reincarnation and life beyond our own solar system, Harvest Of Illusion is an engaging and absorbing narration which is especially recommended to the attention of those with an interest in New Age spirituality, metaphysics, reincarnation, and reincarnation. Harvest Of Illusion marks George C. Wallach as a deftly talented and original storyteller of considerable expertise.

Summer in Mossy Creek
Deborah Smith, et al.
Belle Books
PO Box 67, Smyrna, GA 30081
0967303540 $14.95 www.BelleBooks.com

Book three in the "Mossy Creek Hometown" series, Summer in Mossy Creek is the collaborative effort of twelve women (Deborah Smith, Sandra Chastain, Debra Dixon, Martha Shields, Anne Bishop, Kim Brock, Patti Henry, Judith Kim, Bo Sebastian, Shelly Morris, Susan Goggins, and Carolyn McSparren) and offers the reader a wealth of unique, original, brief, and homespun tales, each of which arises from life in Mossy Creek, Georgia, a warm-hearted mountain town of simple joys, emotional gatherings, and wistful nostalgia. An immensely rewarding joy to read, Summer In Mossy Creek will compel those new to this series to seek out the earlier two volumes, Mossy Creek (0967303516, $14.95) and Reunion At Mossy Creek (0967303532, $14.95) -- and leave those already familiar with this outstanding series to eagerly await the next volume related the adventures of the folks who live, work and love in the community of Mossy Creek!


The Religion/Spirituality Shelf

The Medium, the Mystic And the Physicist
Lawrence LeShan
Helios Press
10 East 23rd Street, #510,, NY, NY 10010
1581152736 $19.95 heliospress.com

It's hard to easily categorize this title: a blend of psychology, physics, and spirituality written by a research psychologists, this develops his ideas on parallels between views of modern field theory and world-views of mystics. His focus on 'facts that do not fit' offers new insights on human abilities and potentials, describing the experiments which lead to his change of view, and his theory of the paranormal. An intriguing study backed with scientific percision.

Sacred Balance
David Suzuki & Amanda McConnell
Greystone Publishing
1700 4th St., Berkeley CA 94710
1550549669 $30.00 www.amazon.com

The Sacred Balance: A Visual Celebration of Our Place in Nature is a beautiful exploration provides a visually-oriented display of photographs, both electron micrographs and satellite photos, which are paired with Suzuki and McConnell's text to explore life's miracles. Suzuki identifies seven basic Earth elements which create and maintain the balance of life on Earth, adding an ecological and spiritual analysis which is revealing and invigorating.


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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