Welcome to Issue 27 of the SUPERIOR BOOK PRODUCTIONS newsletter!

I’m happy to announce the release of my sixth novel Spirit of the North: a paranormal romance. Since my last two books My Marquette and King Arthur’s Children have been non-fiction, Spirit of the North is my first novel in three years, and yes, it is linked to my other novels with some of the characters from my first novel Iron Pioneers making reappearances, but it’s also a stand-alone novel and unlike my other fiction, which tends toward realism, this one has supernatural elements and a ghost story! Here’s a little information about it from the back cover:

“In 1873, orphaned sisters Barbara and Adele Traugott travel to Upper Michigan to live with their uncle, only to find he is deceased. Penniless, they are forced to spend the long, fierce winter alone in their uncle’s remote wilderness cabin. Frightened yet determined, the sisters face blizzards and near starvation to survive. Amid their difficulties, they find love and heartache—and then, a ghostly encounter and the coming of spring lead them to discovering the true miracle of their being.

Spirit of the North: a paranormal romance is available from my website www.MarquetteFiction.com as well as other online stores and in e-book format. Enjoy!

Tyler R. Tichelaar

New Books

As the sponsor of the Readers Views Literary Award for Best Historical Fiction, I am delighted that Vivaldi’s Muse by Sarah Bruce Kelly has won for 2011. I admit I know very little about Vivaldi or opera, but I love historical fiction, and Kelly has done a fabulous job of recreating the world of early eighteenth century opera in Venice, Vienna, and other significant musical cities of the time. Rather than rely on sweeping historical scenes and lots of detail, Kelly blends her research into the story in what feels like an effortless portrayal of the life of priest-turned-composer Vivaldi and the woman who was his pupil and Muse, yet never his lover, Annina (Anna) Giro.

To read more, visit Vivaldi’s Muse

In Mothers of Molestation Survivors, Kim Johnson asks, “Who are the mothers of molestation survivors?” She asked this question herself to numerous mothers of molested children, as well as many mothers who had themselves been molested in childhood. As a licensed clinical social worker, Johnson has counseled many families through dealing with the after-effects of sexual child abuse. While she realizes the focus should be on the child, she also came to understand that the mothers needed help too, while few resources existed for them. Mothers tend to blame themselves, to feel it is their fault their child was harmed. Johnson removes the blame by dispelling false beliefs, such as that a mother should know when her child is being abused. She also reveals that mothers of molestation survivors (MOMS as she calls them) have often been abused themselves.

To read more, visit Mothers of Molestation Survivors

Unwanted is the story of Devina Jacobs, a black girl born in the South during the Great Depression. The author, Delores Justice, who is herself Devina Jacobs, tells her own story, but has changed the names to protect those she loves. But Unwanted is far more than a memoir—it’s a time capsule, a page from American history that provides a personal and introspective cultural look into African-American history, the drug culture of the 1960s and ’70s, and how one woman survived against all odds—at times through luck and other times by sheer determination. Readers quickly come to sympathize with Devina, and while they might not always approve of the decisions she makes, they never cease to cheer her on, hoping she will get herself past the mistakes to create a better life for herself—and despite many obstacles, she doesn’t let her readers or herself down.

To read more, visit Unwanted

A lot of health books are out there that will teach you how to eat nutritious foods, to exercise properly, to handle stress, or a mixture of all of these. What makes Living Your Vibrant Life Today stand out among all these books is its author’s years of experience and extensive research that have resulted in the practical, common sense advice he provides. Armando Lobato’s personal stories of his involvement in sports, ranging from motocross to wrestling, his experiences working in the corporate world, and his years of personal attention to exercise and nutrition all make Living Your Vibrant Life Today a sort of mini-encyclopedia of advice and information.

To read more, visit Living Your Vibrant Life Today

Kurt Eby’s new book, Getting an ‘A’ Without Trying sounds too good to be true, and at first, it even seems a bit far-fetched, but readers will quickly find that Eby not only has a method to his “madness” but he has actually developed a very logical and simple way of memorizing information through associations that can easily result in earning A’s in school. As Eby points out early, even though higher education tends to emphasize critical thinking, first you need to know the material before you can think about it critically, and most “knowing” is simply memorizing facts and figures. Eby’s method teaches you a revolutionary and fun way to do just that.

To read more, visit Getting an ‘A’ Without Trying