Welcome to Issue 59 of the SUPERIOR BOOK PRODUCTIONS newsletter!
It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years since I published my first novel, Iron Pioneers: The Marquette Trilogy, Book One. It remains one of the happiest events in my life that led not only to my becoming an established author but also being asked by many authors to help them with their books and so Superior Book Productions was also formed.
Therefore, I decided I would come out with a ten-year anniversary edition of the novel, which has just been released. This new edition, besides sporting a new color for its cover, also contains a historic map of Marquette inside and a new Preface about the creation of Upper Michigan Literature which has truly flourished in the last decade.
If you haven’t read my novels, Iron Pioneers is definitely the one to start with. You can get an autographed copy at my website at a special discounted rate: http://www.marquettefiction.com/iron-pioneers.html
Enjoy!
And be sure to check out all the other great new books this month below.
This Month’s Great Book Quote:
“T
he book to read is not the one that thinks for you but the one that makes you think.”
— Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird
(April 28, 1926 – February 29, 2016)
R.I.P.
Ryan John Phillips sought happiness through fame as a hockey player, but his hockey career just wasn’t meant to happen. He sought happiness through partying, but again, he only found himself lost and unhappy as a result. He sought happiness through easy money, which led him in the exact opposite direction when he turned to drug-trafficking and ended up arrested and placed in prison.
Turning his life around was not easy for Ryan. He had incredibly supportive parents, his daughter’s mother stood by him, and yet, he had to find his own way in life. He continued seeking something that would bring him happiness, turning from drugs and partying to various forms of work and, ultimately, deciding to film a travel show or travel documentary.
To read more, visit Return to Happiness.
Recently, Natalie Kawai published the book Conversations with Mother Goddess: Finding Everlasting Peace and Natural Radiance in Your Life, which is one of the most interesting books I’ve ever read about religion, spirituality, the ego, and consciousness, although Natalie might say that she didn’t write it so much as channel it. Yes, she channels the Mother Goddess and has presented her conversations with her in her book.
Now I’ve had the chance to have a conversation with Natalie about how that is possible, about her book, and how we can all find greater happiness and meaning in our lives by understanding the information Mother Goddess has to share.
To read more, visit Interview with Natalie Kawai.
Anyone who has risked his or her life, experienced being away from home and family, and loyally served this country in the armed forces deserves to be welcomed back into civilian society with open arms. However, a lot has changed in the world for a soldier between the time he or she first enters the military and when it is time to return to civilian life. The process is not always easy and several potential obstacles must be overcome to make a successful transition.
Former U.S. Army Sergeant Michael Bluemling, Jr. has been there. He knows what it is to leave the military with an honorable discharge and feel pride in having served his country, only to find he was not fully prepared for civilian life. He learned many things the hard way during his transition with very little guidance; therefore, he has written this book, Bridging the Gap from Soldier to Civilian, to provide other soldiers with a roadmap to success as they make a similar transition.
To read more, visit Bridging the Gap from Soldier to Civilian.
Stephania Gibb is a mother and grandmother who knows what it is be a first-time parent with a newborn and precious little knowledge on how to care for that crying little bundle of joy. She has also watched her daughters-in-law struggle through parenting issues as well as her sons, not to mention countless other friends and family members. She has listened to first-time parents express confusion and frustration over conflicting advice from doctors, nurses, parenting books, and so called experts. So, finally, she decided it was time to have her own say on the topic of parenting.
Early in her new book Don’t Throw Your Firstborn (or yourself) Off the Balcony, she states up front why she has written this book:
“Hundreds of books have been written for mothers regarding babies and how to raise and nurture a child. But how many are written by a mother who has raised her own children and observes how most of her grandchildren are being raised?” Furthermore, Stephania adds, “A lot of the books written are done so by medical doctors or pediatricians—but are they parents?”
To read more, visit Don’t Throw Your Newborn (or Yourself) Off the Balcony.
Daughter of Destiny: Guinevere’s Tale Book One is the latest addition in the plethora of Arthurian novels being published every year. In it, author Nicole Evelina allows Guinevere to tell the tale of Camelot from her own point of view. Evelina states that she was inspired to write this book after reading Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon and loving it but hating how Bradley depicted Guinevere in the novel. In Evelina’s version, Guinevere is far from the frightened Christian girl of Bradley’s novel. Instead, she is the strong-willed daughter of a Roman-descended king and a mother who was part of the Votadini tribe. Guinevere’s maternal family are believers in the old religion of Avalon, and so Guinevere is sent there to study, where she learns beside several other well-known characters from the legends, including Viviane and Morgan.
To read more, visit Daughter of Destiny
The tale of Brutus, the great-grandson of Aeneas of Troy and the legendary founder of Britain, has long been the subject of historical speculation and national pride for the British. As a lover of all things Arthurian, I’ve long been fascinated by the story of Brutus as well as the debate that has ensued over his historicity. Consequently, I was thrilled to receive a review copy of Anthony Adolph’s new book Brutus of Troy and the Quest for the Ancestry of the British from publisher Pen & Sword.
For a long time, I have wondered “Is the story of Brutus true, and if not, why has it been so popular and mattered so much to the British?” Anthony Adolph sets out to answer those questions in Brutus of Troy. Complete with genealogies, how Brutus is related to King Arthur, and an analysis of every text depicting Brutus, this book provides answers that are hard to argue with.
To read more, visit Brutus of Troy.
