S E P T EMBER 2018

Your guide to self-publishing

How to Write Better Book Marketing Copy •
First Lines from BookLife Authors • Ask the Editor •
Indie Scouting Report • 87 New Titles Listed

Bringing
History into
the Light
An author’s debut YA
novel focuses on a
little-known side of
Abraham Lincoln
BY MATIA BURNETT

I
n author Lee Wind’s novel, Queer as a
Five-Dollar Bill, closeted teen Wyatt
str uggles for self-realization in the
homophobic small town of Lincolnville, Ore.
His life takes a confusing turn after an
errant kiss leads him to “accidentally” date
his best friend, Mackenzie. Though Wyatt
doesn’t want to hurt her, “he’s not feeling
what he knows he’s supposed to feel,” Wind
says.
In the midst of these circumstances, an
assignment about Abraham Lincoln leads
 ® INDIE SUCCESS
Wyatt to a life-changing discovery: letters between
Lincoln and his friend Joshua Fry Speed suggest
that the two were in love. Wyatt makes a splash by
publishing his findings online, and a storm of con-
troversy ensues as his community rages against
the possibility that a revered historical figure
could be gay.
Wind has long worked to further diversify the
publishing industry as director of marketing and
programming at the Independent Book Publishers
Association. He also has a blog called I’m Here.
I’m Queer. What the Hell Do I Read?
The literary resource represents Wind’s ongoing
efforts to guide readers through the difficulties he
himself faced as a teen; Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill
is his #OwnVoices story. Wind himself first learned
of Lincoln and Speed’s relationship at a talk by actor
Randy Harrison and delved into his own research.
“I became convinced that
Abraham and Joshua
were in love,” he says.
“And I kept thinking,
if I’d known back
when I was 15 that
Abraham Lincoln
was in love with
another guy, it
would have
changed my
whole life. He’s
on Mt. Rushmore.
He’s on the penny.
He’s on the $5 bill!”
Initially, Wind wrote about his discovery in a
nonfiction book, The Queer History Project: No Way,
They Were Gay?, which focuses on Lincoln and gay
figures throughout history. His aim was to break
through the inaccurate and reductive ways that
history is taught, and the focus on cisgender white
men in particular: “Learning about Abraham and
Joshua can be a crack in that facade that lets all
this light from our real diverse history come shining
through.”
The book was picked up by a Big Five publisher
about four years ago but then sidelined and never
published. Despite the setback, Wind didn’t despair.
He had already started writing the novel that
would become Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill. After
completing it, rather than go the traditional pub-
lishing route, he crowdfunded on Kickstarter.
Within six days, Wind had received the funds he
needed to publish the book. He fundamentally
believes in the “democratization” of the industry
that self-publishing offers—notably, by offering
marginalized individuals more opportunities to
tell their stories.
These days, Wind thinks a lot about an Anne Lamott
quote from Bird by Bird, her book about writing:
“Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island
looking for boats to save; they just stand there
shining.”
For Wind, it serves as a powerful metaphor. “A
lot of my understanding of history, of LGBTQ his-
tory, is not what some people want to hear,” he says.
“But I can’t worry about them. My job is to shine a
light on what I’m passionate about—to tell these
stories. If you’re interested, come closer and I’ll tell
you all about it. If you’re not, no worries; do your
thing and watch out—there are some rocks over
there.” ■

A lot of my under-
standing of LGBTQ
history is not what some
people want to hear. My job
is to shine a light on what I’m
passionate about.
54 B O O K L I F E , S E P T E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 8

Q&A SPONSORED
BookLife Talks with
Aimee Cabo Nikolov
Abuse survivor Nikolov, whose story
made national headlines, inspires with
her account of resilience and healing.
What is the story behind Love Is the
A n s w e r, G o d I s t h e C u re— w h a t
inspired you to write it?
My memoir tells the true story of how
faith and unconditional love helped me
to face sexual abuse and domestic vio-
lence and to persevere against all odds.
I was inspired to empower people who
are suffering from abuse so that they
seek help early and don’t feel alone.
The Miami New Times covered the
events that form the heart of your
memoir under the headline “The
Case from Hell.” How did it feel to see
your life story in the headlines? To
what degree was writing a memoir a
way for you to reclaim and recast
your experience on your own terms?
The New Times told my mother’s side of
the story at the time of the trial. My
memoir allows me to tell the full story
to a wider audience, as it actually hap-
pened, in my own words. Although the
New Times reported that my stepfather
was found guilty of sexually abusing
me, a second judge refused to set the
ruling aside five years later.
When and how did you undergo the conversion
that inspired the second half of your title, “God Is
the Cure?”
I was told to write a book when I was 15 years old.
Prayer became a source of strength for me. I was able
to sober up and live a life in which I felt closer to God.
Now, at 43, feeling close to God is what has helped
me to write and to start the healing process.
Why or how do you think this book is particularly
relevant now, in the era of #MeToo?
I wrote Love Is the Answer, God Is the Cure to tell
®
people that they are not alone and that God loves
them. Also, I am hoping that the transparency of my
story will aid others in seeking help earlier than I did.
Speaking up is the main step in the healing process.
How do you make sure you are telling
“the truth,” or how do you refresh
your memories when writing?
I looked up articles and court tran-
scripts, and I spoke to many witnesses
from that period. I also reviewed the
transcripts of my recordings of my
stepfather admitting to everything he
did to me.
Who is your ideal reader and why? It
could be a particular person, or a kind
of person, or someone imaginary. Or,
if you could pick anyone to give this
book to, who would it be and why?
Sexual abuse and domestic violence
are incredibly prevalent. One in four
women will experience domestic vio-
lence during her lifetime. One in four
girls and one in six boys will be sexually
abused before they turn 18 years old.
According to a 2015 Children’s Bureau
report, roughly 17 million women and
men suffer from abuse each year. As
these statistics show, everyone is my
ideal reader; we need to be there for
each other.
Even if you were not abused, my
book may help you to notice the signs
and to be able to prevent or stop it from
happening to someone else. You can
encourage potential victims to speak
out and prevent further instances.
People have already contacted me to tell their story
of how Love Is the Answer, God Is the Cure has
helped them.
What is the one thing you most want to tell readers,
other writers, booksellers, publishers, or agents
about you or your book?
I’m sharing my experiences so I can be there for as
many people as possible. I believe in helping others.
This book is my way to do that.
For more information, visit booklife.com/nikolov
B O O K L I F E .C O M 55
 ® COVER ART

Cover Redesign
This month, Michelle Argyle at Melissa Williams Design
reimagines the cover of Loose Ends, by indie author
Caroline Taylor.
To submit a book for a free cover redesign, email us at booklifeeditor@booklife.com.

Original Cover

The original
photo of the
house did not I avoid the
look like it was original cover’s
on fire, but I cluttered feel
enhanced the by using bright
feel of a fire by yellow on the
increasing the title to help
brightness in draw the eye
the windows right where I
and adjusting want it.
the colors of the
clouds and sky.

The fire is a
very strong
component of
the first cover,
so I stuck with
the same
element in the
Using a clever
redesign but
angle in the
made it part of
title and playing
the title.
it off the angle
of the house
above gives
the cover a
dramatic, three-
dimensional
feel.

56 B O O K L I F E , S E P T E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 8
 Q&A SPONSORED
®

BookLife Talks with

Christopher Lentz
The making of a film, a friendship... and a fatal attraction.

C H R ISTOPH E R L E N T Z
MY FRIEND
Marilyn
A NOV EL

THE GRE AT A MERIC A N DESTINATION SERIES

Lentz introduces his Great American Destination Jane Friedman

Series with a story of friendship and self-empowerment

Consider
featuring Marilyn Monroe and the illustrious Hotel
del Coronado.

the Reader
What’s the story behind My Friend Marilyn—what
inspired you to write it?
I was intrigued by the idea that the most beautiful
woman in the world—who was also terribly insecure—
could befriend a plus-size, small-town girl who was
very confident in her own skin. Some Like It Hot also
When marketing books,
happens to be one of my favorite films. It inspired think—and write copy—like
me to set this story at the Hotel del Coronado, where
part of the film was shot in 1958 and where my wife a reader
and I spent our wedding night.
BY JANE FRIEDMAN
Why or how do you think this book is particularly
relevant now?

O
Marilyn would’ve turned 92 this past June. What she verexposure: every writer has experienced
lived through is still relevant. Though Hollywood has this problem. You work on a manuscript for
changed a lot, it hasn’t changed enough. Just look at so long that your perception of it dulls. You
today’s headlines. become blind to its weaknesses and ignorant of its
strengths.
Who’s your ideal reader and why? Though that’s a well-known phenomenon when
My Friend Marilyn will appeal to fans of Marilyn it comes to editorial perception, overexposure is
Monroe, Some Like It Hot, plus-size heroines, Old less acknowledged by marketers. When you’re
Hollywood, and the equally famous Hotel del marketing what feels like your 100th thriller—as
Coronado, as well as to fiction readers in general. an author or for a publishing house—you might feel
like you’ve run out of things to say. You’re bored
For the complete interview, visit booklife.com/lentz by your go-to descriptions and want to break out
of the box and offer a fresh take. But this can be a
dangerous strategy.

58 B O O K L I F E , S E P T E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 8
 Q&A SPONSORED
BOOK MARKETING
One of the most compelling panels I attended at
BookExpo 2018 was “Preorder Sales Secrets from
BookLife Talks with
the Publishing Pros.” It included book marketers
from HarperCollins, Kensington, Macmillan, and
Kathryn Kaufmann
Penguin Random House. An overarching point of
the panel was that running preorder campaigns
helps publishers gauge what marketing appeals
succeed with the target readership. Preorder cam-
paigns act like the canary in the coal mine: bad
results indicate that the marketing direction or
metadata could be wrong.
For one example, a marketer admitted that her
department didn’t want to call an upcoming vam-
pire book, well, a vampire book. Because the depart-
ment was coy in the marketing and advertising
copy, and avoided using that label, reader response
was poor. The publisher received the message loud
and clear: if you have a vampire book, say it’s a
vampire book. Subtlety is not your friend.
But the problem can r un deeper than that.
Publishers and authors themselves, even if they
agree to say it’s a vampire book, will sometimes
use sophisticated language to describe the book. Readers will fall in love with Daisy in this romantic
The motivation, of course, is not to turn off readers; comedy follow-up to Marriages Meant to Be.
instead, this is frequently a misguided effort.
Readers often talk about books in more direct, What is the story behind Dating Daisy Fields—why
straightforward ways. and how did you write it?
Firebrand Technologies and Kadaxis completed The stories I shared about my dating experiences
a research study in 2016 related to keyword use. during a marathon dating run cracked people up.
“An editor might use these keywords to describe a One day, I grabbed a pen and wrote “Dating Daisy”
mystery suspense novel: ‘noir atmosphere,’ ‘urban on a yellow legal-size piece of paper that I still have
settings,’ ‘world-weary protagonists,’ ‘harsh real- today. The notes I scribbled that day became my first
ism,’ ‘psychological depth,’ ‘wistful poetry,’ ‘atmo- chapter. Years later, I began blogging short stories
spheric,’ ‘urban landscape,’ ‘violent portrait,’ ” they about Daisy’s dating experiences. I got such great
found. “While these are all accurate and beautifully feedback that I turned these stories into a novel.
crafted phrases, readers of the genre are more
likely to search for less sophisticated terms like Dating Daisy Fields and your first book, Marriages
‘bad guys,’ ‘FBI,’ ‘action-packed,’ ‘surprise ending,’ Meant to Be, both concern how people meet roman-
and ‘courtroom drama.’ These keywords provided tically. What makes courtship such a catalyzing
by the reader are very different from the more subject for writing for you personally?
sophisticated keywords provided by the marketing I believe in divine timing and that everything happens
department, and they provide insights into how for a reason in life and in love. I’ve always been fasci-
readers think about a book.” nated with how the universe works. It doesn’t matter
So, how do you figure out how readers would how far apart we are geographically; it seems that,
describe your book? As the above-mentioned report sooner or later, the lines come together and the dots
recommends, for already-released titles, go straight connect.
to the source: reader reviews, wherever you can
find them, most likely Amazon or Goodreads. For For the complete interview, visit
new titles, if you have the resources to run a pre- booklife.com/kaufmann
order campaign, test your marketing copy and
different types of ads to determine what language

B O O K L I F E .C O M 59
 BOOKWOKS_HALF_V_0715_Layout 1 7/24/15 10:10 AM Page 1

® BOOK MARKETING
appeals best to readers. common with hers. While her cozy series is indeed
There are other methods and tools that can help set in Silicon Valley, her main character is a profes-
you if the above options come up short. If you have sional organizer turned amateur detective; mean-
well-researched comparable titles—and a high level while, other work bearing that description tended
of confidence that there’s significant reader over- to be dark in tone, with characters working at tech
lap—you can look at a comp’s recent reader reviews firms.
for descriptive language relevant to your work. Though it’s possible to study other book descrip-
Also, visit comparable titles on Goodreads, and look tions to figure out the best copy-writing practices
for the genres list on the right-hand side. These
are the shelves that readers are using for your
Calling all
for your genre, be careful. Publishers themselves
aren’t always talking in the reader’s tongue, and
book. Some of them will be custom descriptions.
Look for perceptions here that might affect your
Indie Authors
may use blurbs and accolades to sell a title (for
good or ill). And bestselling titles have their own
positioning. momentum, where word of mouth overpowers what
Another of my favorite experiments: see what
other titles surface in a Google or Amazon search
What can BookWorks do
the professional marketing copy says. So look to
the readers themselves for assistance in perfecting
for how you frequently describe your work. Recently, for you:
your pitch to them. ■
I analyzed an author’s description of her books as
a “Silicon Valley mystery series.” When I searched Jane Friedman teaches digital media and pub-
for this phrase on both Amazon and Goodreads, ● Help
lishing at the You FindofYour
University Reader
Virginia and is the
the work that surfaced had little to nothing in former publisher of Writer’s Digest.
● Post Excerpts from Your Book
Q&A SPONSORED for Peer Review
BookLife Talks ● Get a Featured Author Cover
with Walter Marks Medallion for Your Book
The Emmy Award–winning
songwriter of “I’ve Gotta ● Chat With Our Experts
Be Me” turns to writing
detective novels with his ● Showcase and Sell Your Books With
Detective Jericho series. can BookWorks do
What Direct-to-Retailer for you:
Links
You’ve won an Emmy Award for music and have
written Broadway shows, a novel, a screenplay ● Find
• Help you the
FindBest
Your Editors,
Reader Designers,
that was produced by Merchant Ivory, and songs
that have been recorded by such artists as Sammy
• PostIllustrators,
Excerpts fromMarketers,
Your Book forandPeer Review
Publicists in the Business
• Get a Featured Author Cover Medallion for
Davis Jr. and Michael Jackson. What inspired your
turn toward noir? What does crime fiction allow Your Book
you that these other creative forms do not?
• Chat
AndOur
With
that’s just for starters
Experts
I’ve always been fascinated by the 1920s and ’30s, Let us help you Prepare, Publish and Promote
particularly the crimes and mysteries of that period. • Showcase and Sell
your books. Your Books
We show you how With
to make
My film The Wild Party is actually a musical murder Direct-to-Retailer Links
indie publishing easier and, yes it’s true —
mystery, inspired by the Fatty Arbuckle scandal of • Find the Best how
Editors, Designers,
Hollywood’s silent film era. to make it fun. Illustrators,
Writing fiction is a late-in-life endeavor that Marketers, and Publicists in the Business
gives me the opportunity to dig into human behavior
on a more granular level. It allows me to be more
personal and circumspect, which in turn teaches me
more about myself. It’s also fun. JOIN NOW!
For the complete interview, visit booklife.com/marks
bookworks.com
60 B O O K L I F E , S E P T E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 8
BOOKS TO WATCH ®

Scouting Report
In this month’s roundup of the best-reviewed BookLife
titles, we highlight a steampunk novel, a work of historical
fiction, a mystery, a memoir, and a pictorial history of the
station wagon.

★ The Electrical Hard Cider Abbey

Menagerie K.P. CECALA
MOLLIE E. REEDER
Synopsis: Odo LeRoi, a
Synopsis: This delightful young monk, is transferred
steampunk novel follows to an abbey in West Virginia,
impoverished magician where he encounters an
Sylvester Carthage and his eclectic cast of hard cider–
assistant, Arbrook Huxley, brewing monks and stumbles
as they compete to perform upon a corpse.
for the future queen of PW’s Takeaway: Cecala
their fantastical land, crafts a quirky mystery
despite the danger lurking behind the scenes. with two unlikely sleuths and an exceptionally
PW’s Takeaway: Fantasy and steampunk fans will appealing setting. Readers will be eager for
be amazed by this magical tale of mystery, illu- more adventures from the endearing duo.
sion, and friendship. Comparable Title: Cristina Sumners’s Crooked
Comparable Title: Stephanie Garber’s Caraval Heart
Sample Line: “Holding the book in his lap, Sample Line: “Once the body had been removed
Sylvester turned another page and continued to and taken back to the abbey, Emerick and Odo
dream.” remained in the woods.”
Read the Review: Read the Review:
publishersweekly.com/9780692124284 publishersweekly.com/9781721125746

Looking A Christian Love and

Backward
WILL BODINE AND
JOHN JORDAN
Synopsis: A picto-
rial history and
celebration of the
glories of the station wagon.
PW’s Takeaway: Sporting gor-
geous color photographs, this
well-researched tribute will
charm nostalgic car enthusiasts.
Comparable Title: Phil Patton’s
20th Century Classic Cars
Read the Review: publishers-
weekly.com/9780692594209
Life Without Mutiny
Father God ANNE GEORGE
LEANNE GOFF Synopsis: A stimu-
Synopsis: Goff lating journey to
details her experi- mid-19th-century
ences growing up India.
without a father figure. PW’s Takeaway: The convincing
PW’s Takeaway: An uplifting story setting and rich descriptions
that will be welcomed by bolster the vibrant cast of
Christian readers. characters.
Comparable Title: Kate Bowler’s Comparable Title: Sujata
Everything Happens for a Reason Massey’s The Widows of
and Other Lies I’ve Loved Malabar Hill
Read the Review: publishers- Read the Review: publishers-
weekly.com/9781482313291 weekly.com/9781732269811

B O O K L I F E .C O M 61
 ® FIRST LINES
First Lines
Our monthly look at some of the best
first lines from BookLife authors
This month we’ve got multiple wives, naked
Thomas Jefferson, and more. To submit a first
line, email booklifeeditor@booklife.com.
Anne and Louis
ROZSA GASTON
“He was mad to make her his wife. Too
bad he already had one.”
T. Jefferson’s Chant
RONALD PAUL SPEAKES
“Thomas Jefferson came naked out of
Lake Michigan, the waves choppy
about his ankles.”
62 B O O K L I F E , S E P T E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 8
Forever More
MICHELE DELUCA
“As passings go, he told me his was a
good one.”
The Competition
CECILY WOLFE
“Matias had warned her to be careful
what she wished for.”
The Dragon’s Harvest
JASON F. BOGGS
“In the haze of twilight, the world first
saw the shimmering images loom on
the horizon.”
The Song of Sadie Sparrow
KITTY FOTH-REGNER
“In all her eighty-six years, Sadie
Sparrow had never been as miserable
as she was this dreary Saturday after-
noon.”
WRITING ADVICE ®

Ask lie around for hours, but you have

to lay something (a book) on
the basket on the table. Often,
in the past, I have lain the

the
something (the table). Here’s how basket on the table.”
it works. The confusion creeps in
Lie (as in, to recline) is an because the word lay is both

Editer irregular, intransitive verb.

That means it does not take
an object. It is something you,
A veteran editor yourself, do. The present tense
is lie, the past tense is lay, and
answers your writing the past participle is (have)
questions lain. “I often lie on the dock
after a swim. Yesterday, I lay
BY BETTY KELLY SARGENT on the dock for an hour. Often,
in the past, I have lain on the
Dear Editor: dock all afternoon.”
the present tense of the transi-
tive verb lay and the past tense
of the intransitive verb lie. But
don’t worry about that too
much. Just remember to lay
your glasses on your bedside
table before you lie down to go
to sleep.

I still get confused about the

difference between lie and
lay. Can you explain the
correct usage?  —Tom S.
Lay (as in, to place or put) is
a regular, transitive verb. That
means it requires an object. Betty Kelly Sargent is the
The present tense is lay, the founder and CEO of BookWorks.
past tense is laid, and the past

Y ou are not alone, Tom. Lots

of people have this problem.
Think of it this way: you can just
participle is (have) laid. “I’m
going to lay the basket on the
kitchen table. Yesterday I laid
If you have a question for the
editor, please email Betty Sargent
at booklifeeditor@booklife.com.

B O O K L I F E .C O M 63
 PAID LISTINGS

® PW SELECT LISTINGS

New Titles from

Self-Publishers
Booksellers, publishers, librarians, and agents are encouraged to look at the 87
self-published titles below. Each appears with a list of retailers that are selling
the book and a description provided by its author. Some of these writers are
waiting to be discovered; others have track records and followings and are doing
it on their own. If you are a self-published author interested in listing titles in this
section, please visit publishersweekly.com/pw-select for more information.

Fiction
Antebellum Struggles
Dickie Erman. Dickie Erman. $9.99 paper
(255p), ISBN 978-1-981051-45-8; $2.99
e-book, ASIN B07DFQLL8Q
Amazon
This tale of plantation
life in the 1850s is set
in and around New
Orleans. The charac-
ters intertwine in a
tapestry rich in inci-
dent and suspense.
Deadly Highway:
Super Highway Beta 1.0
J. Stewart Willis. Xlibris.
$19.99 paper (286p),
ISBN 978-1-5434-
8226-3; $3.99 e-book,
ISBN 978-1-5434-
8227-0
Amazon, BN.com, Google
Play, Kobo
This book describes the interworking of
a tech company developing a major pro-
posal. It addresses the competitive
nature of the employees and their wives
as they maneuver for success.
The Death of Sherlock Holmes &
Other Stories
Mark Conte. CreateSpace. $12.99 paper
(192p), ISBN 978-1- families that become one. Cliff is a Navy
985859-47-0 nuclear scientist who is eventually sta-
BN.com tioned at the Pentagon when his new
A collection of short wife is swept up into intrigue and espio-
stories previously nage.
published in national
magazines, including Fat Camp
“The Morning Bird,” Linda Ann Rentschler. Linda Ann Rentschler.
which won Honorable Mention in the $12.99 paper (292p), ISBN 978-1-5211-
PEN America short fiction award. 7958-1
Amazon
Decoding the Butterfly Promise: When overweight
Regaining Our Sacred Power women attend a resi-
Gail Siler. Toplink dential program called
Publishing. $15.99 paper Sunrise, they are
(360p), ISBN 978-1- coupled with gor-
948262-48-4 geous men in a para-
Amazon, BN.com dise-like setting where they receive
Introduced to an unique counseling.
ancient couple who
have lived and loved The Fourteenth of
beyond time itself, Gail offers up her September
heart to become a coconspirator with Rita Dragonette. She
them in an unbelievable task. Writes Press. $16.95
paper (376p), ISBN 978-
An Enemy Within: 1-63152-453-0
My Bucket List Amazon, BN.com
Theda Yager. WestBow A story that speaks to
Press. $13.95 paper the poignant clash of young adulthood,
(152p), ISBN 978-1- feminism, and war and offers an inquiry
5127-9566-0 into the domestic politics of protest.
Amazon
This novel is about two

64 B O O K L I F E , S E P T E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 8
 PAID LISTINGS

PW SELECT LISTINGS ®

A Girl’s Guide to Chicago Living on Troll Mountain Protectors of the Black Prince
Kelly Russell. CreateSpace. $19.99 paper Judith Olson. Xlibris. $15.99 paper (64p), Curtis Stephen Burdick. Gene-Freak
(232p), ISBN 978-1- ISBN 978-1-5245- Publishing. $9.95 paper
73211-820-1; $9.95 4502-4; $3.99 e-book, (206p), ISBN 978-0-
e-book, ISBN 978-1- ISBN 978-1-5245- 692-16248-4
73211-821-8 4501-7 Amazon, BN.com
Amazon, BN.com Amazon In 1191, longbowmen
Based on the true story The tales and experi- are sentenced to
of a girl in her 20s who ences of three children death in the Holy Land
packs her bags and during their childhood but offered escape by
follows her lifelong dream of moving to while growing up in Norway. an enslaved African prince if they vow to
Chicago. help him return to his home in Africa.
Marsha’s Story
Goldminecity and Apartheid Tressa Armstead. Toplink An Unlikely Alliance: Who Would Have
Helmut S. Helmut Publishing. $11.99 paper Thought This Would
Schonwalder. $13 paper (112p), ISBN 978-1- Happen on My Italian
(288p), ISBN 978-1- 948779-81-4 Vacation?
5211-0998-4 Amazon, BN.com Theda Yager. WestBow
Amazon This novel is taken from Press. $17.95 paper
Accompany Sepp on the life and death of (216p), ISBN 978-1-
his adventures and the author’s friend. Though based on 973608-91-2
encounters as he reality, the story takes an unexpected Amazon
works room service and takes care of twist. Sarah Nell Bonhoeffer, an American
VIP guests in their suites during a pre- school teacher, is on an Italian vacation
television era in South Africa. The Misbirth when things go terribly wrong and she
D.B. Moffatt. Beachhouse becomes stranded in Italy.
The Inheritance Books. $18.95 paper
Christine Sleeter. (398p), ISBN 978-1- Unraveled
CreateSpace. $12.95 59630-103-0 Tami Boyer. iUniverse.
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Stories the Friar of the
Dwight L. Wilson. Mountain Urbantasm:
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We Call It Fall
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Euclid S. Osborne.
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This novel tells a story of loss and
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Poetry
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Betina Kerstin. Troubador Publishing. $12.76
paper (84p), ISBN 978-1-78901-320-7;
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David M. Boyer. Mo & Min
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A journal of a year that
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66 B O O K L I F E , S E P T E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 8
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black hole, a fleeting flying thing in the sheriff’s deputy and a police detective
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A year after the 2016 election, Chicago Purity is torn from
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Q&A SPONSORED

BookLife Talks
with Rhonda Gatlin
Gatlin’s follow-up to Granny’s Cobbler: A Counting
Book takes readers back to Hartford, Ala., to
teach a “legacy of love.”

What is the story behind Aggie’s Purple

Hands—what inspired you to write it?
When I was visiting my grandparents as a child
one summer, I wanted to help my extended fam-
ily make scuppernong jelly. I was given a job that
I was proud to do, but I didn’t realize that it
would turn my hands purple. I was devastated.
My papa arrived and saved the day with a pair of
gloves. His presence and this gift gave me such a
feeling of joy and security. In writing Aggie’s Purple
Hands, I wanted to share the family feeling of this
true story with children who might otherwise never
experience it.
How did you come to collaborate with illustrator
Eduardo Kraszczuk?
I met Eduardo via Mascot Books, my publisher for
Aggie’s Purple Hands. When I gave him a picture of
me at six years old, he produced a sketch that was
pure Aggie. It was just what I had wanted: cartoonish
and very colorful. We developed each additional
character from family pictures I sent to him. Eduardo
understood my characters and sometimes enhanced
them with his own ideas.
For the complete interview, visit booklife.com/gatlin

B O O K L I F E .C O M 67

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Carolynn heads for
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Diane Shute. She Writes Press. $9.95 e-book,
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Ruth C. Howard. Xlibris.
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These are thoughts
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God Had a Plan: The Biographical
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Orlan E. Thomas. iUni-
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The Lessons I Learned: Bring Back Old- family sexual abuse, and addiction but
School Communication to Succeed in always turned to love and to God. The
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paper (140p), ISBN 978- Love Songs: The Lives, Loves, and
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72 B O O K L I F E , S E P T E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 8
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I Want a Pet: A ‘P-E-T’ Siblings must find their Sam: The Cat Without a Tail
Warren Bolton, illus by Brandon Randolph. way back to reality with Gloria Lintermans,
AuthorHouse. $16.99 paper (24p), ISBN the help of an old sto- illus. by Kristina Tosic.
978-1-5462-2394-8; $3.99 e-book, ISBN ryteller and shaman. Blooming Twig Books.
978-1-5462-2395-5 Twelve encounters $19.95 hardcover
Amazon with malevolent char- (36p), ISBN 978-1-
This book talks a little about allergies, acters teach life les- 61343-120-7
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addresses the Going to Free the Others tance of diversity and self-worth.
issue of pets Lynette Collins. Xlibris. $29.88 paper (68p),
and children, ISBN 978-1-5434-0520-0; $4.99 e-book, Seth the Dog
and, most of ISBN 978-1- Gustaf Lagerkrans.
all, encour- 5434-0519-4 AuthorHouse. $20.99
ages children Amazon paper (38p), ISBN
and adults to use their imaginations. This book 978-1-5462-1751-0;
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Kayne. $8.89 paper explore more than just the park?
(28p), ISBN 978-1- My Pet Peeve
980866-96-1 Renée Rodgers Barstack. Xlibris. $15.99 The Shadow of the Unscratchable:
Amazon, BN.com paper (24p), ISBN 978-1-5245-8280-7; Harley Discovers Rome
A picture book about a young girl who $3.99 e-book, Jerilyn McIntyre, illus. by
wakes up feeling blah for no reason. ISBN 978-1-5245- Ken Shuey. Bristlecone
LaLa’s mom teaches her to turn her 8281-4 Peak Books. $7.99 paper
mood around with the flip of a coin. Amazon (124p), ISBN 978-0-
One day Molly 9893753-8-2
Legend of the Christmas Candle finds a little kitten Amazon
DeeAnn Schumacher, illus. by Emma Stuart. hiding in the barn Harley is an adven-
Dog Ear Publishing. $8.99 paper (32p), ISBN and intends to turous black cat, and
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com, Amazon, M. Michaelides. iUniverse. $33.99 paper
BN.com (108p), ISBN 978-1-5320-3772-6; $3.99 Where Dragonwoofs Sleep and the
A family of e-book, ISBN 978-1-5320-3773-3 Fading Creeps
hedgehogs Amazon A.J. Massey. A.J. Massey. $9.99 paper (248p),
receives unex- Queen Sofia, ISBN 978-1-980944-39-3; $2.99 e-book,
pected rewards on Christmas. This story King Savitar, and ASIN B07DJ5PPPL
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Lost in a Story Beyond Reality and Time They have many awakens one night in
Joseph H. Krasinski, illus. by Ethan Harris. rainbow children, a fantastical dream
Christian Faith Publishing. $16.95 paper and Anthea is one world where snow
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Amazon, BN.com, Books-a-Million ture in her star-shaped ship. addictive. ■

B O O K L I F E .C O M 73
 ® REVIEWS
Fiction
Death by Armoire:
A Palmetto Antiques Mystery
Albert A. Bell Jr. Claystone, $16.95 ISBN 978-1-
5453-2023-5
Lawrenceville, S.C., writer Maureen
Cooper, the emotionally intelligent and
well-rounded narrator of this series launch
from Bell (The Gods Help Those and six other
mysteries set in Ancient Rome), is grap-
pling with mixed emotions after the acci-
dental death of her “cheating ex-husband,”
Troy, a week earlier. Troy, who ran the
Palmetto Antiques Gallery, along with
their daughter, Rebecca, was found with his
head crushed under an armoire. Despite his
infidelity, Maureen is taken unawares by her
lingering feelings for him. When she stops
by the gallery and finds that it has been
burgled and that someone has been rum-
maging through the armoire’s drawers, she
begins to suspect foul play. Bell doesn’t take
the plot too seriously, as shown by a com-
ment made by a friend of Maureen’s: “This
sounds like one of those movies my mama
watches, with the woman playing amateur
detective who gets into some really stupid
situations.” Fans of Barbara Allan’s antiques
series will look forward to the next book.
First Crush, Last Love
Elizabeth McKenna. Elizabeth McKenna,
$0.99 e-book (314p) ISBN 978-1-5483-7173-9
McKenna uses alternating perspectives
to chart the winding roads that bring two
soulmates to discover true love in this
sweet, if superficial, novel. Jessie Baxter
knew her high school crush on Lee Archer
was real love—even if he didn’t. No matter
what she did, Lee saw her as a trusted friend
but not a romantic prospect. When Lee fled
his violent stepfather, Jessie was bereft, and
she married the first man to show her any
attention. While her marriage crumbles
under the weight of her husband’s drinking,
emotional immaturity, and abuse, Lee
forges a career in the Chicago PD. Fate, in
the form of a 10-year high school reunion,
brings them back together, forcing both
Jessie and Lee to reconsider all that might
have been between them. The choice of
1989 as a setting is never explored or justi-
fied, coming across primarily as a justifica-
73a B O O K L I F E , S E P T E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 8
tion for an uncomfortably stereotypical
storyline about Jessie’s gay brother con-
tracting HIV. Though the reunion of these
long-lost sweethearts is earnest and
rewarding, the lack of nuanced emotional
development robs this story of real impact.
A Higher Education: A Modern
Retelling of ‘Pride & Prejudice’
Rosalie Stanton. Wright & Pryce, $3.99
e-book (500p) ISBN 978-0-9994372-2-3
This charming contemporary retelling of
Pride and Prejudice alternates perspectives
between avid feminist Elizabeth Bennet
and old-money Fitzwilliam “Will” Darcy,
both 20-something college freshmen who
had put their educations on hold to deal
with family crises before returning to
school. Lizzie’s faith in love was shattered
by her parents’ divorce, and Will assumes
any woman expressing interest in him is a
gold digger. When they meet at a frat party
that neither particularly wants to be at, they
butt heads with all the wit and chemistry
that fans of the original would expect. Will
is pleased to finally meet a woman willing
to give him a piece of her mind, but Lizzie
is poisoned against him by the lies of fellow
student George Wickham. Still, she cannot
resist her attraction and enters into a sexual
relationship with Will that she believes is
casual, while he falls deeper into love. This
is a steamy take on Austen, with a brash,
fiery Elizabeth and a protective, romantic
Darcy who will have romance readers falling
in love with their classic story all over again.
Limbo
Laura Koerber. Laura Koerber, 99¢ e-book
(156p) ISBN 978-1-946044-17-4
Koerber (The Dog Thief and Other Stories)
paints a quietly sweet portrait of the after-
life through a series of interconnected
vignettes. Trey, a middle-aged Texan, and
Alyse, the youngest and most recent arrival
in Limbo, spend most of their days in their
small, unnamed town playing poker in
Lily’s run-down saloon and floating aim-
lessly around on “walks.” Like many of the
inhabitants of Limbo, Alyse has many ques-
tions about why she ended up where she is,
as well as a multitude of regrets about her
past life. Over time, the reader is introduced
to the rest of the town: the Preacher, known
only by his title and his loose understanding
of the Bible; the garden-loving Chinese
Lady, isolated from her white neighbors by
an impassible language barrier; Lily, the
self-proclaimed mistress of the saloon and
a shameless card shark; Warren, a sardonic
ex-professor; and Warren’s dog, Dean. At
first the white characters’ racism sometimes
seems to be supported by the narrative, but
this is mitigated later on as each nonwhite
character narrates a chapter and is portrayed
as a full person with flaws and desires.
Koerber weaves a slow, captivating explora-
tion of life, death, and the place of kindness
and forgiveness in the salvation of the spirit.
The Rogue’s Seduction
Lauren Smith. Lauren Smith, $3.99 e-book
(224p) ISBN 978-1-947206-02-1
Regency London praises Perdita Darby’s
perfect manners and friendly conversation,
but her pristine reputation is also her down-
fall when unpleasant Samuel Milburn
shows an interest in her. Perdita begs
Vaughn, Viscount Darlington, for a fake
engagement during her family’s house
party, hoping to escape Milburn and the
rumors of his cruelty. Darlington, a
charming rogue with a powerful reputation
of his own, is happy to pretend, but plans
to seduce Perdita into actual marriage
because he needs a rich wife to save his
estate. The romance is formulaic, and
Milburn’s aggression is predictable, but
Perdita and Vaughn are surprising in how
they relate to their friends, their families,
and each other. They are sincere and innately
kind, and they avoid self-centered drama.
Vaughn promises Perdita a little bit of pain
with pleasure, but his bedroom play is
tender and exploratory, and their embraces
heighten the romantic tension. Each care-
fully crafted scene drives the plot toward a
satisfying ending. Occasional plot holes and
anachronisms barely detract from this
tender romance.
Rurik: A Royal Dragon Romance
Lauren Smith. Lauren Smith, $3.99 e-book
(274p) ASIN B0787YL72Y
For the invigorating third Brothers of
Ash and Fire paranormal (after Mikhail),
Smith turns her attention to Rurik, the
youngest of the three Barinov brothers,
who, as their designated battle dragon and
family protector, has sworn to never claim
REVIEWS
a mate. His plans are thrown into disarray
when he meets biochemist Charlotte
MacQueen, who’s supposedly in Moscow on
holiday. What he doesn’t realize is that she’s
on an unsanctioned mission for the
Brotherhood of the Blood Moon, the para-
normal hunting organization run by her
family, and she has every intention of
pumping Rurik for information to help
stop an imminent war among the dragon
families of Russia. But the two discover an
unexpected connection that swiftly ignites
into a full-fledged mating between them—
much to the dismay of their respective fami-
lies, who are being manipulated into con-
flict by mutual enemies. Now they must
find a way to preserve their relationship and
their loved ones. Right from the start, this
story is clever, sexy, and just a little dan-
gerous, with a sense of fun and solid world-
building. Though part of a series, it still
works as a standalone, offering up a satis-
fying, pleasurable romance.
Safari
Alexander Plansky. Meq Media, $9.99 trade
paper (232p) ISBN 978-0-9992399-0-2
Michael Crichton fans will appreciate
Plansky’s suspenseful homage to Jurassic
Park. Sydney Marlowe receives what seems
to be the opportunity of a lifetime when she
becomes one of four interns selected to work
as field researchers for two weeks for
SansCorp, a leading bioengineering com-
pany run by reclusive multimillionaire
William Sans. At Sans’s private game
reserve in Tanzania, bordering the Serengeti
National Park, Sydney and her three col-
leagues, whose duties include injecting
animals with advanced tracking chips, are
surprised to learn from their employer that
all the animals on his property—including
elephants, wildebeests, and lions—are
clones. Then, on an outing to tag some wil-
debeest, her group finds the eviscerated
corpses of seven antelopes, seemingly killed
by an unknown predator. After that grim
discovery, Sydney’s time at the Sans reserve
only becomes more hazardous. While
Plansky doesn’t present the science as plau-
sibly as Crichton, the fast pacing and the
author’s willingness to not pull punches
will make science fiction thriller devotees
eager for more of his work.
Sanctuary: A Legacy of Memories
T.M. Brown. Palmetto, $17.95 trade paper
(362p) ISBN 978-1-64111-073-0
Theo Phillips, the narrator of Brown’s
successful series kickoff, has just left his
position as chief editor at Cornerstone
Publishing and moved with his wife, Liddy,
to Shiloh, Ga. The couple find the locals
warm and welcoming, but Theo is curious
about a statue dedicated to Jessie Masterson,
who died three years earlier, in 2010, when
the Shiloh courthouse burned down.
Masterson, who was a coach and teacher at
the Shiloh high school, gave his own life to
save the mayor’s sons, Hank and Hal Archer.
But the circumstances of the tragedy remain
unclear, as neither Archer has given a
straight answer about what caused the fire
and exactly what happened before the
heroic rescue. Encouraged to do some dig-
ging by the editor of the local newspaper,
Theo predictably finds some secrets that
others would have preferred remained
hidden. Besides capturing the pace and feel
of a small Southern town perfectly, Brown
peoples it with well-developed characters.
Readers will look forward to Theo’s further
adventures.
ShadowWolfe
Kathryn Le Veque. Dragonblade, 99¢ e-book
(394p) ASIN B071HH5CQ3
Le Veque’s fourth de Wolfe Pack his-
torical focuses on Scott de Wolfe, oldest
son of Jordan and William de Wolfe, who
locks away his emotions and becomes a
feared soldier after the deaths of his wife
and young children. After a captain under
his command dies, leaving behind his
pregnant wife, Avrielle, and two young
children at a strategic castle in Cumbria,
Scott immediately takes his troops to pro-
tect the castle and its inhabitants. Soon
Scott must balance his growing feelings
for Avrielle and her children with his
responsibility to protect them from trai-
tors within the castle walls and aggression
from without, and the political necessity
of finding a new husband for Avrielle. A
streamlined plot provides the backbone for
a careful portrayal of varying reactions to
loss, from Scott’s iciness to Avrielle’s dis-
sociation and her brother’s resentment.
While the story beats are familiar and the
antagonists clichéd, the details of castle
®
and village life shine, and Scott’s bur-
geoning relationship with Avrielle and her
family is worth the time.
The Song of Sadie Sparrow
Kitty Foth-Regner. FaithHappenings, $15.99
(398p) ISBN 978-1-941555-35-4
Three women of different ages and spiri-
tuality come together at the Hickories
retirement facility in this touching novel
from Foth-Regner (Heaven Without Her).
Eighty-six year-old Sadie Sparrow is
beginning a new stage of life as she enters
a nursing home. As are Meg Vogel, a
58-year-old widow starting a new career
working as a caregiver at the Hickories,
and Elise Chapelle, who is facing the loss
of the beloved grandfather she has cared
for and is starting to contemplate her
single life as she approaches 30. As patients
and caretakers, the three women meet and
begin to learn from each other in unex-
pected ways. Downtrodden Meg enjoys
working at the center and is reinvigorated
by the lively, wise Sadie. Atheist Elise
reconsiders her faith as she receives Sadie’s
end-of-life wisdom. Told from many per-
spectives and stuffed with tangential sto-
ries, the novel’s pace resembles that of a
nursing home—slow and somewhat dis-
orienting for the visitor. But for some
readers, the eccentricity of the plotting
will add to the charm. Foth-Regner often
slips into weighty discussions of Christian
scripture that resemble Sunday sermons.
Christian readers, especially those familiar
with nursing homes, will enjoy this emo-
tional, winding novel, but those looking
for faster pacing or more plot will be disap-
pointed by the lack of narrative
movement.
The Tribulations of August Barton
Jennifer LeBlanc. CreateSpace, $8 trade paper
(174p) ISBN 978-1-5397-5811-2
LeBlanc’s coming-of-age tale about a ner-
vous new freshman at North Dakota State
University is an odd but charming blend of
modern college life with an old-fashioned
feel. August Barton, or Augie, moves into a
dorm and meets Isaac, his roommate—and
as is true of just about everyone except
Augie, Isaac is “cool.” Augie struggles with
bullies and the vicarious stress from his
mother’s second divorce and her tense rela-
B O O K L I F E .C O M 73b
 ® REVIEWS
tionship with her own mother, Augie’s
78-year-old Grandma Gertie, who auda-
ciously escapes from her rest home, provides
booze for a college party, and proudly pro-
claims, “I was the best prostitute North
Dakota had ever seen!” Gertie’s lively pres-
ence in her grandson’s life fills a void created
by his distracted mother, and this sheds
light on his decision to focus his degree on
gerontology. As Augie gradually evolves and
develops a friendship with Isaac, another
freshman at NDSU, Rose Varley, finds the
virginal Augie to be adorable. The romance
with Rose exemplifies the unusual time-
warp tone of the story when intense, con-
temporary sexuality is replaced by an old-
fashioned courtship. Though this and most
of the novel’s other elements are effectively
portrayed, the prose sometimes feels clumsy
and choppy. Augie’s personality is awkward,
altruistic, and funny, and it’s a pleasure to
watch him grow as he and the other enter-
taining characters live through a sweet, rela-
tively wholesome winter.
A Twist of Wyrd
PJ Friel. PJ Friel, $3.99 e-book (384p)
ASIN B07BKSKZKX
Romance blends with Norse mythology
in this fast-paced debut. PI Bryn is secretly
an Outlander, a being from another world
where Odin rules. Odin has trapped her on
Earth, where she has spent her life hiding
from the dark and hating the Outlanders
the dark reminds her of. After Bryn wit-
nesses an attempt on an Outlander mob
boss’s life, she finds out the attack is tied to
a murder she’s investigating as a PI. As she
works with the mobster’s bodyguard,
Trygg, they fall for each other, but both are
hiding secrets: Bryn wants no one to know
she’s a princess in the Outlander world, and
Trygg rescued her as a child and promised
to protect her. In addition, he struggles to
control his berserker rage, and she’s
ignoring her powerful magic abilities that
remind her too much of home. Trygg’s chiv-
alry sometimes borders on the chauvinistic,
but Bryn is always willing to knock him
down a peg. Readers looking for plenty of
steamy love scenes and a strong heroine who
refuses to be a damsel in distress will appre-
ciate this humorous, action-filled
paranormal.
73c B O O K L I F E , S E P T E M B E R 2 4 , 2 0 1 8
We the States:
An Alternate History Novel
Adam Sivitz. Palmetto Publishing Group,
$13.99 trade paper (292p) ISBN 978-1-64111-
075-4
American history buffs will be captivated
by Sivitz’s eerily believable story of an alter-
nate reality in which the original U.S.
Constitution is rejected and three countries
are formed instead of one. The roles of the
Founding Fathers are different, and George
Washington is not elected as the first presi-
dent. He stays at Mount Vernon with
Martha and their slaves, including his cook,
Hercules, and Martha’s maid, Ona Judge.
The two slaves make plans to escape while
the countries are established from “a nation
torn asunder, scattered in three”: The
National States of America elects a life-term
“supreme executive,” who becomes the
“Supreme Leader”; the Confederation of
Columbia is led by a president; and the
Republic of New England elects a prime
minister. The fictional wars and political
intrigue are ingeniously intense, with acrid
infighting between the emerging leaders
and threats from outside countries.
Expanded insights on historical personali-
ties include a temperamental Martha
Washington, a dictatorial Alexander
Hamilton, and a bombastic Aaron Burr,
while the story of Hercules and Ona’s escape
adds depth to the novel. This what-if tale
of a country’s formation is frighteningly
plausible, and its commentary about the
toxins of divisive politics is chilling.
Nonfiction
The Colorado
Christa Sadler. This Earth Press and National
Sawdust, $60 (270p) ISBN 978-0-692-98250-1
In this thoughtful companion to Murat
Eyuboglu’s 2016 documentary of the same
name, river guide Sadler (Dawn of the
Dinosaurs: The Late Triassic in the American
Southwest) traces the conflict-laden and cau-
tionary history of the Colorado River and
its basin, following its evolution from
untamed, free-flowing river to human-
engineered disaster area. Lavishly illus-
trated and beautifully produced, the book
provides a flat if broad overview of the riv-
er’s history as, variously, sustainer of Native
Americans, colonizing pathway for Spanish
missionaries, incubator for rampant devel-
opment, political and social cauldron, and
victim of climate change. Explorer John
Wesley Powell made the majestic Grand
Canyon and Colorado River famous in the
late 19th century, and proposed “common-
wealths” with boundaries based on an area’s
watershed instead of random development,
predicting “a heritage of conflict and litiga-
tion over water rights, for there is not
enough water to supply these lands!”
Policymakers ignored Powell’s prophetic
words, however, parceling out the “liquid
property” to the competing demands of
agriculture, urban growth, and industry,
with the result that resources are now
stretched dangerously thin even as climate
change worsens conditions. Sadler’s in-
depth exploration of the Colorado River and
its rich legacy offers a thought-provoking
if unsettling look at society’s destructive
exploitation of the water and its failure to
practice Powell’s concepts of conservation.
Living Beneath the Surface:
My Journey through Love, Loss,
and Forgiveness
Krista Bennett-Bruns. Xulon, $15.99 trade
paper (209p) ISBN 978-1-5456-1476-1
Chronicling the drowning death of her
four-year-old son (as well as many other
difficult experiences), Bennett-Bruns
unfortunately fails to translate her poignant
life into a memoir that offers practical spiri-
tual help to readers. Bennett-Bruns begins
by relating her battle with breast cancer,
five miscarriages, ongoing physical prob-
lems resulting from a bus accident, and the
childhood neuromuscular disorder that left
her unable to walk. On occasion, an inspi-
rational side to her tragedies emerges, such
as when she forgives the first responders
who failed to save her son. However, the
emotional heart of her story is often
obscured by extraneous detail—while at the
same time suffering from a lack of detail on
pertinent topics. The author also distances
herself from her audience by ignoring her
own advice. She warns the reader, “Do not
isolate yourself,” but admits she hid her
cancer prognosis from almost everyone,
purportedly because she wanted to rely
solely on God, not other people. Still,
readers interested in a complicated story of
REVIEWS ®

struggle and survival, and willing to look

past the narrative flaws, may enjoy Bennett-
Bruns’s tale.

B O O K L I F E .C O M 73d