Booksellers, publishers, and agents are encouraged to take a look at the following listings of self-published books; some are from authors waiting to be discovered, others are from those with track records and followings who are doing it on their own.

Art

Capital Offenses: The Artwork of Stephen Barnwell
Stephen Barnwell. Antarctica Arts. $75 hardcover (140p), ISBN 978-0991321605
AntarcticaArts.com
A 10-year retrospective of the political art and satire of visual mischief maker Barnwell, whose work often blurs the line between political activism, humor, and observation.

Biography & Autobiography

Songs to Make the Desert Bear Fruit
Nathan Gauer. Cosmopolitan Tongues Press. $11.99 paper (266p), ISBN 978-0991410606; $5.99 e-book ASIN B00JLGS5NI
Amazon; BN.com
As a young man, Gauer attended a Lakota Sundance, an encounter with America’s past that forever shaped his relationship with its future.

Letting Go into Perfect Love: Discovering the Extraordinary After Abuse
Gwendolyn M. Plano. She Writes Press. $16.95 paper (176p), ISBN 978-1938314742; $9.95 e-book ISBN 978-1938314759
Amazon; BN.com
For readers overwhelmed by life’s challenges and wondering, “Why me?” Plano offers a pathway through unspeakable miseries and befuddling blessings to illuminate the extraordinary journey we travel.

A Slow Trot Home
Lisa G. Sharp. Wheatmark. $17.95 paper (213p), ISBN 978-1627870740; $7.99 e-book ISBN 978-1627870757
Amazon; BN.com; Ingram; lisagsharp.com
Sharp’s mother moved the family to a ranch in southern Arizona, trading paved roads, dependable electricity, and telephones for prairie grass, horses, and cattle. This memoir gives a glimpse of U.S.-Mexico border ranching, love and loss of land, and poignant reflections on Sharp’s mother and the land’s beauty.

The Oklahoma Gamblin’ Man
Gary Rex Tanner. Two Little Frogs Publishing. $21.50 hardcover (250p), ISBN 978-0989218658; $9.99 e-book ISBN 978-0989218610
Amazon; BN.com; garyrextanner.com
Rex Tanner lived a colorful life, sidestepping danger as he adroitly and fearlessly turned negative situations into positive solutions during a fascinating period of American history. With original songs and photos.

Body, Mind & Spirit

Think Your Life into Action
Brenda Basham Dothage. CreateSpace. $27.95 paper (115p), ISBN 978-1475155129; $7.99 e-book ASIN B00G5D6HI0
Amazon; BN.com
A positive self-image is necessary to benefit from the power of the mind, Dothage says. She offers a method to increase and maintain a positive self-image to produce life-changing outcomes.

To the Survivors
Robert Uttaro. CreateSpace. $12.95 paper (268p), ISBN 978-1490931661; $5.95 e-book ISBN 978-0991128709
Amazon; Ingram; BTOL; BN.com; Kobo
One man’s journey as a rape crisis counselor with true stories of sexual violence shared by survivors in their own words.

Business & Economics

How Do I Keep My Employees Motivated? The Practice of Empathy-Based Management
George Langelett. River Grove Books. $17.95 paper (228p), ISBN 978-1938416736; $7.99 e-book ISBN 978-1938416903
Amazon; BN.com
Learn how to skillfully empathize and become a manager who can effectively influence each employee’s attitude, behavior, level of motivation, and professional growth.

Get the Job: Optimize Your Resume for the Online Job Search
Pamela Paterson. CreateSpace. $15.95 paper (152p), ISBN 978-1489524980; $15.95 e-book ASIN B00CWZTP70
Amazon; BN.com
Online job systems can delete your résumé without anybody knowing you applied. Learn the top strategies you need to get past the HR robot and land the job you want.

Crafts & Hobbies

Quilty Fun: Lessons in Scrappy Patchwork by Lori Holt
Lori Holt of Bee in My Bonnet. It’s Sew Emma. $27.95 paper (116p), ISBN 978-0988174917
itssewemma.com
Presents complete instructions for Holt’s popular and viral Bee in My Bonnet Row Along quilt, along with 10 brand-new coordinating projects in four size options. Spiral bound.

Education

Spanish Fluency: Twin Words and Essential Vocabulary
Susan Elizabeth Nus. CreateSpace. $24.99 paper (358p), ISBN 978-1484987919; $9.99 e-book ASIN B00JSKM4YI
Amazon; BN.com
Nus shows a shortcut to fluency by targeting the essential, most frequently used Spanish words with an emphasis on humor. With ideas for increasing fluency through technology: apps, blogs, e-books, film, websites, music, media, and more.

Family & Relationships

Catawampus: The Fertility Process from a Man’s Perspective
Stuart A. Burkhalter. Hugenslop Press. $14.99 paper (122p), ISBN 978-0985336271; $4.99 e-book ISBN 978-0985336288
stuartburkhalter.com
The madness and confusion of fertility treatments and all that those treatments entail, but this time the husband is telling the story.

A Divorce Lawyer’s Guide to Relationships: Applying Legal Principles to Help You Find & Keep Your Soul Mate
Aubrey Burton Jr. Burton Firm. $14.95 paper (290p), ISBN 978-1496195975; $9.99 e-book ISBN 978-0615991221
Amazon; BN.com
An analytical framework, guided by time-proven and tested legal principles, to assist in virtually any occurrence in a relationship.

Healing Hearts: A Tribute to Katie
Jenny B. Kern. BookLogix. $16.95 paper (216p), ISBN 978-1610054553; $4.95 e-book ISBN 978-1610054577
Amazon; BN.com; jbkventures.net
A childless couple’s turbulent relationship was saved by the love of their life, Katie, who enlightened everyone about the giant heart of a small dog.

Fiction

Con Game
Terry Ambrose. Satori. $11.95 paper (314p), ISBN 978-0985954048; $3.99 e-book ISBN 978-0985954079
Amazon; BN.com
A million-dollar con gone wrong. A failed attempt at murder. A young girl on the streets. In this con game, only the strongest survive. Second in the License to Lie series.

River Talk
CB Anderson. C&R Press. $16 paper (236p), ISBN 978-1936196463
Amazon; BN.com; crpress.org
This story collection explores loss and desire, regret and hope among diverse characters in a small town. Everywhere we are reminded of all that a single life contains.

The Moral Line
Vanessa Bogenholm. AuthorHouse. $16.95 paper (208p), ISBN 978-1491872406; $3.99 e-book ISBN 978-1491872390
Amazon; BN.com
Alexandria becomes a high-end escort, and in this world finds unexpected laughter and friendship.

The Sword and the Well
Ann Chamberlin. Epigraph. $25 hardcover (290p), ISBN 978-1936940615; $9.99 e-book ASIN B00JSA218C
annchamberlin.com
The conclusion of a trilogy set in the early days of Islam. Three lives braid together: Muhammad’s best general, Khalid ibn al-Walid; a woman named Sitt Sameh hiding from the Muslim armies; and her 12-year-old daughter, Rayah.

Green
Keith C. Clark. CreateSpace. $16.95 paper (422p), ISBN 978-1493783137; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-1493783137
Amazon
African-American caddie Wish Fitzgerald’s dramatic journey to achieve his improbable goal of playing in the Masters, with the help of his childhood white friend.

I Am the Other, Book 1
Philippe de Vosjoli. Advanced Visions. $7.99 e-book ASIN B00JKML2EW
Amazon
A mysterious message appears globally on all communication devices, triggering humanity’s greatest fears and hopes. To add to the chaos, a psychopath is killing women.

She Sins at Midnight
Whitney Dineen. Kissing Frogs. $12.95 paper (280p), ISBN 978-1496150455; $5.99 e-book ASIN B00JV4PUVA
Amazon; BN.com
Lila Montgomery is a Hollywood assistant—and the secret author of a steamy romance novel. When she goes home for her high school reunion—and a bit of normalcy—an Oscar-nominated client follows her, and a media circus ensues. Dineen spent 18 years working with celebrity clients in Hollywood.

Spinning a Good Yarn
Ginger K. Glomstead. CBHE Publisher. $15.99 paper (208p), ISBN 978-0996094597; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0615985534
Amazon; BN.com
Chicagoan Shelia Johnson-McKenna finds herself torn between lust and love, betrayal and self-fulfillment. After divorcing, she rises to become a successful businesswoman pursued by a lost Irish love and her own desire for a deep lasting love.

13:24: A Story of Faith and Obsession
M. Dolon Hickmon. Rehoboam Press. $16.99 paper (376p), ISBN 978-0991106608; $5.99 e-book ISBN 978-0991106622
Amazon; BN.com
On the eve of a rock concert, a teenage fan disappears after committing murder. Reporters blame violent lyrics, but Det. William Hursel sees a deeper motive.

Go to Liberty
Patricia Hilliard. iUniverse. $17.95 paper (274p), ISBN 978-1491715901; $3.99 e-book ISBN 978-1491715918
iUniverse
A novel about a community’s effort to preserve a public park. Four women do what they can to stop the destruction of habitat by overdevelopment.

Field of Vision
Michael Jarvis. Field of Vision Books. $9.99 paper (373p), ISBN 978-0988538924; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0988538917
michaeljarvis.net
Photographer Jake Mayfield discovers passion and racial trouble on a beautiful Caribbean island, but soon finds his journey spiraling downward into paranoia and criminal tourism.

Desperately Ever After
Laura Kenyon. CreateSpace. $14.99 paper (284p), ISBN 978-1494953287; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-1494953287
Amazon
If our favorite fairy-tale princesses had the dreams, dilemmas, and libidos of the modern woman, what would happen when the wedding bells stopped ringing?

Goose Island Chill: A Kate Houlihan Novel
G.R. Kinra. G.R. Kinra. $12.95 paper (316p), ISBN 978-0991321308; $4.95 e-book ISBN 978-0991321377
Amazon; BN.com
In a small Texas coastal town, Kate Houlihan uses her crime-solving skills to relentlessly pursue an unknown assailant.

My Lady Viper: Tales from the Tudor Court
E. Knight. Knight Media. $15.99 paper (410p), ISBN 978-0990324508; $4.99 e-book ISBN 978-0990324515
Amazon; BN.com
The queen is dead. Long live the queen. In Henry VIII’s court, Lady Anne Seymour must choose between her family’s rise and the loss of her soul.

Mortal Acquaintance
Anthony Mendola. Quillslammer Publications. $12.99 paper (314p), ISBN 978-0979975653; $9.99 e-book ISBN 978-0979975622
Amazon; BN.com
Tony Banks is released from prison only to find that someone is killing those closest to him. As Tony tries to outsmart two hit men and uncover a murder in time to save the woman he is falling in love with, New York City becomes a deadly battleground.

Malrooneys (Tales of Basilica Hill)
T.M. Merremont. Cat Scratch Publishing. $14.99 paper (263p), ISBN 978-1496103543; $3.99 e-book ASIN B00DP6P9SO
Catscratchbooks.com
This tale knocks the props out from the usual crime novel with its oddball mix of myth and mayhem set in Boston’s pixilated Basilica Hill.

Red Bang
Brandt Monroe. Foo Publishing. $12.99 paper (485p), ISBN 978-0615973500; $4.99 e-book ISBN 978-0991627400
Amazon; BN.com
A warmhearted, humorous look at one family’s fight against the Stepford-like culture of today’s most comically flawed tech giants.

Hill People
James Riley. James Riley. $17.99 paper (302p), ISBN 978-0578091686; $4.99 e-book ISBN 978-1105837371
Amazon; Lulu.com
What happened to the residents of Cheronkin County, who vanished and were never seen again? One family’s account of the months before the mass disappearance.

Shiloh, Unveiled: A Thoroughly Detailed Novel on the Life, Times, Events, and People Interacting with Jesus Christ
Walter Joseph Schenck Jr. iUniverse. $45.95 paper (676p), ISBN 978-1491726433; $3.99 e-book ISBN 978-1491726426
Amazon
The leader of a failed revolution is executed in shame. This epic novel weaves multiple plots and complex themes personalizing the historic figures crisscrossing Jesus’s life.

South Heart
S.L. Schwab. S.L. Schwab. $11.69 paper (319p), ISBN 978-1492714958; $4.99 e-book ASIN B00JH2YDO6
Amazon
An action/thriller for teen and adult readers. How a good versus evil war, and its consequences, changes people, history, and the future.

The Ballerina & the Fighter: Book 1, the Ballerina Series
Ursula Sinclair. Isisindc Publishing. $8.99 paper (240p), ISBN 978-0985964603; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0985964627
Amazon; BN.com
Ivy travels through life dancing. Maze travels through life fighting. She is his point of illumination in the dark, tumultuous world he lives in. He promised himself he’d stay away, but Ivy needed him. But can she accept him as he is?

1914: A Novel
Charles B. Smith. CreateSpace. $21.99 paper (650p), ISBN 978-1494236007; $8.99 e-book ASIN B00J8KP1AM
Amazon
In the horrific and savage first months of the Great War, nine young men from different sides and different branches of the armed forces struggle to survive the slaughter.

Writer: Daughter of Time, Book 2
Erec Stebbins. Twice Pi Press. $16.99 paper (444p), ISBN 978-0986057182; $3.99 e-book ISBN 978-0986057120
Amazon; BN.com
A love story and sci-fi epic about the beautiful and terrible destiny of star-crossed lovers with a galaxy’s fate in their hands.

The Profiler’s Daughter: A Sky Stone Thriller
P.M. Steffen. Lion Dog Press. $21.08 paper (632p), ISBN 978-1493560332; $3.99 e-book ASIN B009TI5XZG
Amazon; BN.com
A grisly murder. A six-year-old eyewitness. A gun from the grave. In this psychological thriller that combines murder mystery, love triangle, and family intrigue, Sky Stone returns from her self-imposed exile to investigate.

The Strange Birth, Short Life, and Sudden Death of Justice Girl
Julian David Stone. For the Duration Press. $14.95 paper (408p), ISBN 978-0989831505; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-0989831507
Amazon; BN.com
In 1950s New York, a writer becomes a sensation with his hit TV show, Justice Girl, but chaos ensues when his leading lady tries to get him blacklisted.

Run with the Wolves, Volume 1: The Pack
T.C. Tombs. iUniverse. $22.95 paper (387p), ISBN 978-1462011339; $6.99 e-book ISBN 978-1462010929
Amazon; BN.com; Chapters Indigo
War looms, and monstrous wolves and other beasts roam the night. A young man survives the attack of a wolf pack, but is now afflicted by the full-moon madness that will soon transform him.

Teenage Mafia, Part One: What’s a King to a God
Henry F. Tyler III. Outskirts Press. $16. 95 paper (369p), ISBN 978-1478729402
Amazon; BN.com; outskirtspress.com
Good teens turned bad. Never judge a book by its cover. Six teens with bright futures decide to take a dark turn.

The Kramski Case (Tales of MI7)
J.J. Ward. FeedARead. $14.95 paper (352p), ISBN 978-1782998952; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-1301569113
Amazon; BN.com
When someone assassinates paparazzi in three countries, MI7 sits up. The killer appears to be a retired SVR field operative and former Kremlin protégé. Is he trying to rig a U.K. general election? Three agents from Britain, Russia, and the USA go on the counteroffensive.

To Live Forever: An Afterlife Journey of Meriwether Lewis
Andra Watkins. Word Hermit Press. $11.99 paper (305p), ISBN 978-0615937472; $4.99 e-book ASIN B00IA0MWMQ; BN ID 2940148267980
Amazon; BN.com; Kobo
Meriwether Lewis has been stuck in Nowhere since his mysterious death on the Natchez Trace two centuries ago. His last hope for redemption is helping nine-year-old Emmaline Cagney flee her madam mother in New Orleans to find her father in Nashville.

Rent (minus) Control: Turning Thirty
R.B. Winters. CreateSpace. $7.99 paper (190p), ISBN 978-0615957272; 99¢ e-book ASIN B00D23MFAU
Amazon; BN.com
On the edge of turning 30, Ryan, a cynical writer living in New York, is forced to come to terms with his friends and life while learning change isn’t the end.

Gardening

Grown in Gravel: The Study of Geological Agriculture, 2014 Edition
Richard Campbell. $20 e-book ISBN 978-0578142111
tosoilless.com
The latest book on the new science of geological agriculture, the science of growing crops in rocks. The 2014 edition includes research results from George Washington University and Tennessee State University.

Health & Fitness

Navigate Your Beauty: Smart and Safe Plastic Surgery Solutions
Rod J. Rohrich & Mary Crosland. RichMar. $29.95 hardcover (232p), ISBN 978-1939758422; $9.99 e-book ISBN 978-0996099516
navigateyourbeauty.com
A plastic surgeon and an advocate for women’s health tell how to look your best with and without plastic surgery. They discuss how to find the right surgeon to maximize your chances for a safe and successful outcome.

History

999: A History of Chicago in Ten Stories
Richard B. Fizdale. Ampersand. $79.95 hardcover (260p), ISBN 978-1467545280
Amazon; BN.com; bookstores
A comprehensive, heavily illustrated account of the wealth, greed, power, corruption, and even murder that accompanied the rise of the stunning building at 999 Lake Shore Drive. Fizdale includes largely unknown details of the lives of the boldface names of Chicago’s past—from the period just after the Chicago fire to the present.

Juvenile Fiction

The Lord of Salamander
T.H. Alexander. CreateSpace. $11.79 paper (266p), ISBN 978-1490977096; $2.99 e-book ASIN B00DTHL1KY
Amazon; BN.com
When 13-year-old Elijah Pendleton discovers he is the descendant of greatness, he begins a journey of legendary and mythic proportions to find the truth. Ages 8–12.

The Saeshell Book of Time, Part 1: The Death of Innocents
Rusty Biesele, illus. by Matt Curtis. Children of Sophista. $13.99 paper (90p), ISBN 978-0615925981
Amazon
Stefan, a seventh-grade artistic prodigy, and Tova, a 19-year-old life sciences genius, are forced to be the secret rulers of contemporary Earth. Ages 8–12.

Threads
Beth Brown. Belleyre Books. $9.98 e-book ISBN 978-0991665709
Amazon
Fourteen-year-old Ellis visits parallel timelines to learn the truth about her parents. What she doesn’t expect to find is the truth about her own life. Ages 10–14.

The Doomsday Kids: Liam’s Promise
Karyn Langhorne Folan. K Squared Books. $12.99 paper (259p), ISBN 978-0615966083; $3.99 e-book ASIN B00JAQH33W
Amazon; BN.com
Eight kids embark on a terrifying journey to survive a massive nuclear blast that destroys the world they once knew. Without food or transportation, their only hope of safety is to walk to a mountain cabin almost two hundred miles away. First in a series. Ages 11–16.

Every Turtle Counts
Sara Hoagland Hunter, illus by Susan Spellman. Peter E. Randall Publisher. $16.95 hardcover (32p), ISBN 978-1931807258
(800) 421-1561; Amazon; BN.com
Based on the extensive national effort to preserve the last of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, this is the touching adventure story of Mimi, a seven-year-old with autism, whose challenges, like the turtle’s, are many but whose determination is undaunted. Ages 5–8.

The JAX Chronicles: Initiation
Jen Lemons. Jen Lemons. $15 paper (290p), ISBN 978-0996000109; $9.99 e-book ISBN 978-0996000116
(925) 305-1207
An action-packed, coming-of-age story of a young girl overcoming her personal demons by entering the dangerous world of contract killers. Ages 15–up.

The Shadows Breathe
Kathleen Marentes. CreateSpace. $13.99 paper (602p), ISBN 978-1492862895; $3.99 e-book ASIN B00FKVHH78
Amazon
A young horse trainer steals a horse to save its life and goes on a journey that will test her courage and heart. Ages 10–up.

Buddy’s Fun Day
Henry Porada, illus. by Rosemarie Gillen. Tyrus Press. $9.99 paper (24p), ISBN 978-0615988528
Amazon; BN.com
Buddy’s friend has a sketch pad. Buddy convinces his friend to swap. Buddy continues to trade until he discovers the perfect conclusion: reading is fun. Ages 4–7.

A Quest of Heroes: The Sorcerer’s Ring, Book 1
Morgan Rice. Morgan Rice. $10.99 paper (234p), ISBN 978-1939416209; 99¢ e-book ASIN B00AFROVQC; BN ID 2940015808186
Amazon; BN.com; morganricebooks.com
First in an epic fantasy series that tells of a 14-year-old boy from the outskirts of the Kingdom of the Ring who rises as a warrior and discovers a special destiny. Ages 10–14.

The Crystals of Belvoir
Beverly A. Snell, illus. by Jeanne Romano. Zoe Publishing. $19.99 hardcover, ISBN 978-1467591003
crystalsofbelvoir.com
Barbara Rowett is thrown into a fairy cave during a car accident. She awakens in a different century, lost to family and friends forever. Ages 4–7.

A Word to Rhyme with Orange
Matthew Wilson, illus. by Jessica Chrysler. CreateSpace. $16.96 paper (42p), ISBN 978-1493767267
Amazon; BN.com
A boy goes in search of a new word so he can write a poem for a girl named Orange. Told in rhyme. Ages 4–7.

Daddy’s Little Girl
Peter Wilson, illus. by Carol Matsuyama. Peter Wilson. $8.95 paper (28p), ISBN 978-0981182308
daddyslittlegirlbook.com
A heartwarming tale of a father’s love and growing relationship with his daughter; the story follows Daddy’s little girl from infancy to maturity. Ages 4–8.

Juvenile Nonfiction

Dogs Don’t Care, Dogs Poo Everywhere
Lynn Chang. Lynn Chang Enterprises. $19.95 hardcover (40p), ISBN 978-0615922256
lynnchang.com
All about the dogs people love and their poo. See beagles, pugs, greyhounds, and more doing what they do best. Full of zany illustrations with an uproarious rhyme. Ages 5–9.

Through Charlie’s Eyes
Linda M. Hueftlein. Xlibris. $13.99 paper (24p), ISBN 978-1493122462; $3.99 e-book ISBN 978-1493122479
charlies-world.com
From a dog that has lost both eyes due to extreme cruelty comes a lesson to see not with our eyes but with our hearts. Ages 6–12.

The Stink Bug Invasion
Peter Matthews. CreateSpace. $7.50 paper (26p), ISBN 978-1484816646; $2.99 e-book ASIN B00HM9LPW4
Amazon
A picture book describing the life cycle of the brown marmorated stinkbug, an exotic species that invades orchards during the growing season and overwinters in houses. Ages 6–9.

Medical

Living Well with Chronic lllness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide
Richard Cheu. Dog Ear Publishing. $16.95 paper (218p), ISBN 978-1457513435; $9.95 e-book ISBN 978-1457517938
Amazon; BN.com
Overcome limiting thoughts and feelings to expand your life through personal transformation. Cheu provides pastoral counseling at medical facilities.

Nonfiction

Arizona Dream: A True Story of a Real Life ‘Ocean’s Eleven’
Adnan Ališic´ Dog Ear Publishing. $19 paper (436p), ISBN 978-1457529870; $6.99 e-book ISBN 978-1457529108
ArizonaDreamBook.com; Amazon; BN.com
After losing everything at gambling, Ališic´ commits an Ocean’s Eleven–style casino heist.

Midlife Cabernet: Life, Love & Laughter After Fifty
Elaine Ambrose. Mill Park Publishing. $12 paper (224p), ISBN 978-0988398078; $2.99 e-book ASIN B00JA26JE0
millparkpublishing.com
If you’re a feisty female tumbling down the far side of 50, grab a glass of cabernet (oh hell, grab the whole bottle), put on your rhinestone-studded reading glasses, and savor some witty words of wisdom in this collection of essays.

The Pleasure of Fiends: An Orthodox Study of Evil and the Meaning in the Jonestown Cultic Horror
David Conn. David Conn. $19 paper (540p), ISBN 978-0989912105
Amazon
A study of evil and the meaning in the Jonestown cultic horror. Conn began investigating cult leader Jim Jones years before the mass death and murder that took place in 1978-.

The Caleb Years: ...When God Doesn’t Make Sense
David Ingerson. Word & Spirit Publishing. $19.99 hardcover (296p), ISBN 978-1939570147; $9.99 e-book ASIN B00KGKMNL8; BN ID 2940149210367
Amazon; BN.com; thecalebyears.com
A compelling account of hope amid heartache as the author journeys through uncertainty after his son is born with several congenital anomalies‚ including heart disease.

Famous Ski Hills in Wisconsin (And Other Delusions of Grandeur)
Scott Jacobs. Dead Tree Press. $27.95 hardcover (173p), ISBN 978-1879652040; $9.99 e-book ISBN 978-1879652194
Apple iBooks store; Amazon; Baker & Taylor; BN.com; Ingram
It’s a short list—the famous ski hills of Wisconsin—that teaches one of life’s great lessons: things aren’t always what they are cracked up to be.

The Art of Social Climbing: A Guide for the Socially Ambitious
Lincoln Kerney. CreateSpace. $12.95 paper (112p), ISBN 978-1495441868; $9.95 e-book ASIN B00K1FIPGK
Amazon; BN.com
With humor, honesty, and off-the-cuff panache, an insider pulls back the curtain on the habits, tastes, and rituals of the old-money elite.

Being There: A Daughter’s Voice for Her Father’s Silence
Aimi Medina. CreateSpace. $8.99 paper (146p), ISBN 978-1492272366; $2.99 e-book ASIN B00IG9BRW2
Amazon; BN.com
A daughter takes the reader on a 19-month journey after her father suffered a massive stroke that left him incapacitated. She was her father’s voice.

Philosophy

Culture vs. Copyright: A Diary of a Naive Philosopher
Anatoly Volynets. Total Knowledge. $13 paper (143p), ISBN 978-0988955707
cvc.culturedialogue.org
Five first graders discuss intellectual property and the nature of culture in general and in the marketplace. Inspired, their teacher writes his own thoughts too.

Poetry

Bejeweled Poetry: Revelations Sensations Creations
M. Jewel H. Trafford Publishing. $19.55 hardcover (100p), ISBN 978-1490730462; $3.99 e-book ISBN 978-1490730509
(888) 232-4444; trafford.com
Journey through the mind, body, and soul of a conscious poet. Encounter the expression of emotions that harmonize with a heartbeat of rhythms.

Rime of the Modern Mariner: An American Odyssey
Stephen Kryska. Wise Media Group. $7.99 paper (150p), ISBN 978-1629670003; $2.99 e-book ISBN 978-1629670010
Amazon; BN.com; iBooks; Kobo
A yachtsman and his crew sail from Buffalo across the Great Lakes, heading for Chicago. The cruise degenerates into a philosophical trip of mythical proportions.

Reflections from a Broken Stream
Douglas Sinclair. Roslin Publishing. $18.95 paper (92p), ISBN 978-0992095604; $14.95 e-book ISBN 978-0992095611
(416) 367-3613
A collection of 45 poems that are a multilayered, deeply felt expression of what it means to be alive.

Religion

Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall...: No Place to Hide, No Place to Run
Pastor Sherri Black. Outskirts Press. $12.95 paper (157p), ISBN 978-1432799199
Amazon; BN.com
A Christian novel displaying saints and sinners in quest of finding righteousness. It takes readers to hard places and throws out a lifeline.

Elijah & the SAT: Reflections on a Hairy, Old, Desert Prophet and the Benchmarking of Our Children’s Lives
Heather Choate Davis. Stewart Press. $9.99 paper (246p), ISBN 978-0985350437; $5.99 e-book ISBN 978-0985350413
Amazon; BN.com
A combination of social commentary, biblical narrative, and real-time memoir that provides timeless answers to modern parenting problems.

Tactics, Trends, & Traits of the Enemy: Equipping the Believer to Fight Back
Jermaine Gadson. CrossBooks. $14.99 paper (215p), ISBN 978-1462736355; $6.99 e-book ISBN 978-1462736348
Amazon
The devil is cunning and deceptive, and he will stop at nothing to keep God’s people from reaching their potential in Christ. Pastor Gadson reveals how believers can arm themselves against his scheming ways.

What Is the Bible? Exploring the Bible: The Dickinson Series, Vol. 1
Rev. Anne Robertson. Massachusetts Bible Society. $11 paper (132p), ISBN 978-0615645353; $9.40 e-book ISBN
Amazon; BN.com
A resource for lifelong churchgoers as well as the casually curious. It teaches what the Bible is all about in an accessible way.

Science

The Meaning(s) of Life: A Human’s Guide to the Biology of Souls
M. CreateSpace. $9.99 paper (242p), ISBN 978-1499150179; $9.99 e-book ASIN B00JSZSJSI; BN ID 2940045845410
Amazon; BN.com
A literary work at the intersection of science, philosophy, and religion, looking at how recent biology is changing our traditional meanings of life.

Self-Help

Get a Job! 10 Steps to Career Success
Kathleen Brady. Inkwater Press. $13.95 paper (175p), ISBN 978-1592999187; $5.99 e-book ISBN 978-1592998265
(212) 518-7191
A holistic approach and practical advice on how to perform an effective job search to land your dream job and live the life you imagine.

Unconform: Only the Conscious Thrive
Penni Mannas Diefendorf. Truthredux. $7.99 paper (134p), ISBN 978-9881226969; $3.99 e-book ISBN 978-9881226952
Amazon
Everyone is unique and not to be rubber-stamped into existence. This book aims to give readers the boost and impetus to stop conforming for conformity’s sake and begin to think for themselves along fresh lines.

Magnificent... Married or Not: Reaching Your Highest Self Before, During, and After Divorce
Cloris Kylie. Balboa Press. $11.99 paper (220p), ISBN 978-1452593234; $5.99 e-book ISBN 978-1452593258
Amazon; BN.com
A practical guide to turn the pain of an unwanted separation or divorce into a springboard for a life of meaning.

Catalyst: How Confidence Reacts with Our Strengths to Shape What We Achieve and Who We Become
Steven Smith. Veracity. $9.99 e-book ISBN 978-0991568000
(801) 361-2144
Confidence is perhaps the greatest element of human achievement. This book reveals the social science of why confidence deserves a new definition and undivided attention.

Travel

Italy: Beer Country
Bryan Jansing and Paul Vismara. Dog Ear Publishing. $24.99 paper (188p), ISBN 978-1457526558; $9.99 e-book ASIN B00JR9NXC2; BN ID 2940149345182
Amazon; BN.com; italybeercountry.com
In 1996, a handful of men inspired a crusade—the Italian craft beer movement. This is the first book to present the movement’s humble roots and the passionate brewers whose dogged determination forged Europe’s most vibrant beer scene.

Fields of War: Battle of Normandy
Robert Muweller. French Battlefields. $29.95 paper (471p), ISBN 978-0982367735
frenchbattlefields.com
A visitor’s guidebook that presents the actual locations and the individual actions in the struggle to free France from German occupation in World War II. With detailed maps.