And now for the news!
Some highlights from this month in the world of self-publishing, specifically new releases written by self-publishing authors and published by independent presses! Today we’ll be featuring brand-new releases in the Outskirts Press Bookstore!
Linda Klein Means knows the world and what it can be like. Born on a farm in Illinois and survivor of a number of family struggles, she spent time in Venezuela, Brazil, and France, sampling the world’s treasures and encountering a number of her own misadventures. This collection of literary essays deals with issues as diverse as grief, uncovering a family legacy of racial policing, tackling unconscious prejudices, growing up alongside a sibling with Down Syndrome, and negotiating one’s own peace with the past and all that comes along with it. Means’ background in news writing—she started in college as a reporter and editor, then moved on to write for The Wilmington (Del) Morning and Evening Journal, The Chicago Tribune, and US News and World Report—lends this collection a pith and appeal for readers of both news reporting and personal memoir.
- If You Could Change the Ending: New Endings for Old Fairy Tales for Parents and Children by Moshe Sonnheim
Every now and again, a person really … needs … a good ol’ fairy tale. But not every fairy tale is created equal, and sometimes what a person needs and wants is an update on the original. Enter Moshe Sonnheim, stage left. Sonnheim’s revelatory collection of fairy tales for parents and children brings in the age-old appeal of dark forests, magic mountains, hidden castles, and talking animals, and adds a modern sensibility. These fairy tales are designed to provide both pleasure in inverting your expectations and in stimulating a child’s imagination. Fairy tales may be vehicles for conversations about morality, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be fun and current in their application! In an added pop of bonus fun, Sonnheim pairs each fairy tale with relevant pictures and bird songs.
“Everyone has neighbors,” writes Becky Condon in her book pitch: “Neighbors are an obvious arrangement in cities or towns. Good or bad, tidy or messy, quiet or noisy, nice or mean; there are all types.” And for those who move from the city, the country often symbolizes space and solitude, peace and healing. What they often forget about is … the neighbors. In her novel, Condon follows a young family who finally realizes their dream of owning land and operating a farm, building a dream house in what they think is paradise. And then … along came the neighbors: neighbors with sticky fingers for things that are not theirs, and with no respect for boundaries or property rights. Using all the means at their disposal, these neighbors from Hell attempt to usurp the family’s rightful place on their hard-earned land in a battle that may cost them everything. “Sometimes,” writes Condon, “you have to stand and fight.” This new release makes a perfect summer read.
Reality is a tricky beast, isn’t it? In this special book of science and philosophy, retired aerospace engineer Allan Arnold brings all of his experience on the Apollo command and service modules as well as USAF satellite and space systems to bear on the subject of reality. His grasp of project management and engineering lays the groundwork for a rigorous inquiry into the basis for the human perception of reality, and enables him to deliver a book that’s both a pleasure to read and structurally compelling. He asks tough questions, such as: Can you trust your senses? What does it mean to live in the world with the bodies and brains that we possess? What is our place on this planet surrounded by mostly empty space? What does our atomic structure have to do with reality? This book marries big-picture science with the sense-making possibilities of philosophy. How We Perceive Reality is thought-provoking and a delight to read, perfect for readers of Carlo Rovelli and Neil deGrasse Tyson.
As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry.This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Monday to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.
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