2018 Jan
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NEW WORLDS:
AUTHORS EXPLORING THE BOUNDARIES OF SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY
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PUBLISHER SPOTLIGHT: LEE & LOW BOOKS
8681010004
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AUTHORS ON THE MOVE: JEN LANCASTER
CONTENTS
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issue 17 New Worlds:
Authors Exploring the Boundaries of Science Fiction and Fantasy
20 Authors on the Move:
Jen Lancaster
22 Publisher’s Spotlight: Lee & Low Books
On the Cover Photo Credit: Aaron Burden
Review Columns
Features
04 06 07 10 14 15 18 24
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Romance Horror General Fiction Book Club Picks Mystery/Thrillers Science Fiction/Fantasy Nonfiction YA & Children’s Books
International Awards Breakout Novels of 2018
Media 28
Rock N’ Roll Savior Kurt Baker
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EDITOR’S NOTE Editor in Chief: Rebecca Vnuk Graphic Designer: Courtney Pugh REVIEW TEAM Robin Bradford Craig Clark Erin Downey Howerton Alan Keep Megan McArdle
Andie Paloutzian Becky Spratford Kaite Mediatore Stover Magan Szwarek Henrietta Verma
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Justin Hoenke SUBSCRIBER INFORMATION Contact Naomi Blackburn, 361-356-1819 x402 or naomi.blackburn@patomimediagroup.com for subscription assistance. Please include name, address, and phone number on inquiries. Individual and bulk subscriptions are available. For information, see indiepicksmag.com/subscribe. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Patomi Media Group, PO Box 533 Sugar Grove, IL 60554 ADVERTISING Advertising Sales Naomi Blackburn Advertising in IndiePicks is an opportunity to showcase your book to a national audience of readers and librarians who support independent publishers and authors. For information on advertising rates, please contact Naomi Blackburn, naomi.blackburn@patomimediagroup.com PATOMI MEDIA GROUP President & Publisher: Naomi Blackburn Vice President of Operations: Erin Matty Vice President, Distribution: Patrick Blackburn IndiePicks Magazine is a book review publication (available in e- and print monthly subscriptions) dedicated to independent publishers and authors. Part of the Patomi Media Group, IndiePicks was founded in 2017 by publisher Naomi Blackburn.
I’m delighted to introduce you to the third issue of IndiePicks Magazine. Our goal is to celebrate the uniqueness and diversity of independent publishing houses and those who have chosen the nontraditional publishing route to bring their books to market. Our magazine and website focus on reviews, as well as interviews, articles, and other entertaining columns related to topics in the indie-media world. This issue, you’ll notice we’ve got a theme going on: “Diversity in Publishing.” Diversity, to us, is more than just a buzzword. I think you’ll find that if you are looking for diversity in ideas, in authors, in genres, you’ll find no one is managing it better than independent publishers. As you scan through the reviews in this issue and read features such as our “Publisher Spotlight” with Lee & Low Books, the “International Awards” feature, and our “New Worlds: Authors Exploring the Boundaries of Science Fiction and Fantasy” list, you’ll see there is much to celebrate in the indie world when it comes to championing a variety of viewpoints. Please take a moment to visit our website, indiepicksmag.com. There, you’ll find bonus review content, sneak peeks of print features, and blog posts. And if you’d like to know more about us, please check out the FAQ section of the site, which features everything you need to know about subscriptions, advertising, details on our social media accounts, and instructions regarding how to submit for review. We’re so glad you want to take this journey into the world of independent publishing with us. If you have questions, comments, or ideas about what you’d like to see featured in the magazine, please feel free to contact us at indiepicks@patomimediagroup.com. Rebecca Vnuk Editor in Chief, IndiePicks Magazine
Our review team consists of readers’-advisory librarians who review with an eye towards making suggestions to collection development librarians as well as to general readers.
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AUTHORS ON THE MOVE:
jen lancaster by Rebecca Vnuk
Jen Lancaster is the best-selling author of memoirs (including Bitter is the New Black and Pretty in Plaid), women’s fiction (such as Here I Go Again and Twisted Sisters) and YA fiction (The Gatekeepers). She recently went out of her comfort zone to take the non-traditional route to self-publish a return to her memoir roots, Stories I’d Tell in Bars. Here, she tells IndiePicks readers all about her path to self-publishing and what she thinks is next on the horizon. Lancaster’s memoirs and novels alike have, up until now, been published by Big Five publishing houses. As a long-time fan of hers, I was quite curious to know what led her to take Stories I’d Tell in Bars out on her own. “In early 2017, I gained a new agent and a new publishing house. But I had to walk away from a deal with a Big Five publisher,” she explains. “They wanted something I didn’t really want to write.” Lancaster has a huge following on social media, and she heard loud and clear from them that they wanted her to return to her snarky and humorous memoirs. “With this many books under my belt, I know who I am as a writer, and I know what my audience likes,” she says. “My agent and the publisher were telling me, ‘You’re showing us Old Jen L., we want New Jen L.’ Well, I don’t know what that means! I know my readers are constantly asking me for more memoirs, so why were the publishers so far behind that curve?”
“Traditional publishing is someone guessing what people want for dinner in two years, while indie publishing is what’s on the menu right now.”
When asked what some of the pros and cons were to striking out on her own, she replies, “It’s been the best
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experience of my publishing career. I’m responsible for my own decisions and accountable to myself. And, Stories I’d Tell in Bars sold more copies in its first two weeks than any of my 14 traditionally published books.” (Stories I’d Tell in Bars is available in e-book via Amazon, Barnes and Noble.com, and Apple iBooks. The paperback is also available.) She goes on to state that, “It’s been an interesting experience cutting out the middleman. Most of the publicity here has been word-of-mouth, and it’s been great. Working with Amazon and Apple, I can get copies out to fans faster than I would have expected.” But it hasn’t been without a learning curve. “I realized immediately that when self-publishing, you MUST get an outside copyeditor. It’s not enough to think you’re a good enough writer, and you can’t just have your friends look it over for you. A professional will find things you never knew were there.” I was also eager to know more about Lancaster’s writing process. “For me, the most important part of the process is to always have a piece of paper within reach. What I’ve been learning in the Second City class I’m currently taking—and which I’ve already lived—is that the second inspiration hits, write it down. Or voice record or note in your phone or whatever works for you.” She tells the story of her trip a few years ago to South by Southwest, where she had been invited to speak on the topic, “Balance Is Bullshit.” “Ostensibly,” she says, “they wanted to know how I juggled multiple writing projects. Let me tell you how much the tech people were impressed with my paper note cards and manila file folders. I have not been invited back.” In terms of ideas, she notes that many of them come from dreams. “My dreams are generally boring, as they’re often a literal rehash of my day. But occasionally, there will be some topic front of mind that my subconscious shapes unexpectedly. For example, a few years ago, my husband was organizing his high-school class reunion and it was a total goat rodeo. He spent so much time complaining about it that this subject worked its way into my dreams and that’s what
fiction, my favorite thing to write is whatever’s next.” And what is next? “It’s hard to say!” she exclaims. “Agents say one thing, publishers say another, my fan base says something else entirely. Do I put the same product out to the same places who will pitch it to the same audience but somehow expect different sales?” She is vehement that this is exactly why hybrid publishing is where it’s at for her. “Self-publishing is a great way to maintain control. Everything in publishing is so uncertain, and if it’s up to me, I can quickly adapt. Traditional publishing is someone guessing what people want for dinner in two years, while indie publishing is what’s on the menu right now.” “When I first started my blog, which spawned my first memoir, I had hoped to get a newspaper column out of it. Instead, I gained a whole career as a memoirist, then novelist. Who knows what happens next?” She’s not sure what the future holds, saying that, “This has been a great experience, and I’m not opposed to going totally indie again.” inspired Here I Go Again, a magical realism novel about high- school mean girls, time travel, and Whitesnake.” She jokes, “P.S., his reunion went well and it was my first book to ever receive three starred reviews. Hooray for goat rodeos!”
Visit jenlancaster.com for more information about Jen and her books, and follow her on social media: facebook.com/AuthorJenLancaster; and twitter.com/altgeldshrugged.
Outside of dreaming up crazy scenarios, she tells me that most of her ideas come from simply paying attention. “Every writer is a skilled observer of human behavior,” she notes. “What makes them a pro is the discipline to turn what they see into pages.” She elaborates, “When I have a project due, writing becomes my day job. I’m up at my desk—the only place I can write—by 9:00 AM, and I work until I reach a stopping point. I can’t work in coffee shops because I’m too busy minding everyone else’s business. My reward for hitting word count is a shower. And, yes, there have been days I’ve cooked dinner in my pajamas. But I’ve never missed a deadline.” When asked the difference between writing fiction and writing memoirs, Lancaster explains that, “Nonfiction is so much easier than fiction because it’s simply putting my spin on events as they transpired. I don’t have to get into anyone’s head but my own. For me, fiction is a much greater challenge as I need to understand not only the plot but also the characters’ motivation.” She dives further, noting that, “When writing a novel with more than one narrator, like I did with The Gatekeepers or The Best of Enemies, I kept a style sheet on each narrator, noting the proclivities of their speech. One might favor short, declarative sentences, while another might ramble. One might refrain from cursing, while another’s thoughts may be entirely blue. While I prefer
Photo Credit: Jolene Siana
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CHILDREN’S TOP PICK
by Erin Downey Howerton
Two writers come together to write a story of classmates in the image of their younger selves in Can I Touch Your Hair?Hesitant to tackle an assigned project together, the younger Irene and Charles are a study in contrasts: one shy and white, the other talkative and black. But as they write the series of poems that makes up the book, they learn of surprising similarities and deep differences between their
a desire to continue writing and learning together. This thoughtful journey through the hearts of two elementary schoolers is brought to life by married illustrators Sean Qualls and Selina Alko using acrylics, colored pencil, and collage, observing in the end notes that the mixed media artwork reflects their own collaboration. This deeply heartfelt book embraces children’s curiosities and growing awareness of the world around them, and will spur lots of dialogue around dinner tables and in classrooms. As Irene and Charles discover through their writing, having these conversations is the key to new understandings. An important and notable book on race and culture. [Ages 9-12] NOBODY HERE BUT US CHICKENS
Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko. (Carolrhoda Books, $17.99, 9781512404425) I Got a Chicken for My Birthday by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Sarah Horne. (Carolrhoda Books, $17.99, 9781512431308) Miriam’s Secret by Debby Waldman. (Orca, $10.95, 9781459814257) A Sky Full of Stars by Linda Williams Jackson. (HMH Books for Young Readers, $16.99, 9780544800656) Wrestling Dreams by Colt Cabana and Sam Weisz. Illustrated by Erica Weisz. (Trism Books, $14.95, 9780988833876)
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lives. Charles struggles with soul food traditions as a new vegan, the indignities of kids touching his hair without permission, and rejection from peers who value black styles but not the people who originated them. Irene observes the homogeneousness of her church, mysterious rejections from her black classmates, and hearing about police violence secondhand from her father, who doesn’t want her to watch the news. Moments of reconciliation ring true for this age group—the children reach out awkwardly to each other, not always knowing how to say what’s in their heart. Despite setbacks and misunderstandings, Irene and Charles bond over a shared love of writing and their favorite author, Nikki Grimes, and end the book with a hopeful nod towards the future, expressing
In I Got a Chicken for My Birthday, an unexpected birthday gift from Abuela Lola sends Ana into a tizzy. Tickets to her favorite amusement park would have been better than this demanding, strange chicken! The reader soon realizes that the unexpected fowl is part of a family tradition, and that the chicken recruits all the family pets to help him build an amusement park from scratch just for Ana. The over-thetop concept is enhanced by Horne’s zany, colorful illustrations that showcase this enterprising chicken as he hammers and bulldozes the park to life. The story ends with a clear invitation for a sequel, as the reader realizes that the chickens Abuela Lola gifts are able to accomplish things that are truly out of this world! A delightfully wacky read. [ages 3-7]
DEPRESSION-ERA FICTION In Miriam’s Secret, city girl Miriam is sent to live with her grandparents, Bubby and Zayde, on their upstate New York farm while her parents travel to fetch young relatives from Europe. Although at first things are unfamiliar and unsettling, Miriam soon gains her footing and confidently begins to explore her new environment. Waldman’s warm, loving depiction of a Russian Jewish family during the Depression is a cozy read that will be treasured by young readers, many of whom will relate to the fish-out-of-water element of her story. Miriam’s comforts, such as family traditions, chatting with the transient men who work with Zayde, and the new kittens in the barn help her adjust to her temporary circumstances. Miriam’s faith informs her decisions, especially when she is confronted by an ethical dilemma. As Passover approaches, Waldman weaves religious traditions into the narrative and uses the holiday to drive the plot forward, giving Miriam an opportunity to form an unexpected friendship. As she learns that the best way to overcome the feeling of being an outsider is to invite more people into their circle, Miriam discovers that
with force. Jackson seamlessly weaves the political together with the personal, addressing Rose’s underage pregnant cousin, Rose’s determination to finish school, and her longing to know her father. A multi-faceted look at the choices young black youth faced in 1955 Mississippi. [Ages 10-14]
art compliments the story, a bright and cheerful watercolor rendering of Colt’s world both in and out of the ring. Young readers will remind themselves that Colt didn’t give up on his big dream, and neither should they. [Ages 4-9]
A NEW FAVORITE
her long wait is also an opportunity to grow. [Ages 8-10] CIVIL RIGHTS FICTION A Sky Full of Stars picks up where Jackson’s previous novel, Midnight Without a Moon, left off. Rose Lee’s community is still reeling from the Emmett Till murder and other crimes against blacks in Mississippi. Her friend, Hallelujah, prods their fellow middle-schoolers to march and protest, but cousin Shorty thinks violence and fear is the more effective route. With another cousin in jail for retaliating against a white employer and her uncle dead from the shock, Rose knows that things are bad and about to get worse. Jackson’s portrayal of the pre-Civil Rights era South is raw and honest, and readers will see the cruelty of the angry white community leaders as they take out their frustration with the NAACP and the black community in front of Rose and her classmates. The tension ratchets higher as Rose is forced closer to another pivotal decision in her life—to fight for civil rights with words and principles, or
“Please kayfabe,” reads a sign on young Colt’s clubhouse wall. Instantly, little wrestling fans will know that this kid speaks their language. In Wrestling Dreams, we meet a young Colt Cabana before his career as a professional wrestler. Seen as too rowdy by the adults around him, Colt struggles to put together his own crew of babyfaces and heels so they can live out their wildest dreams of performing in front of a screaming crowd. It’s not just a love letter to wrestling, it’s also a touching tribute to Colt’s mom, who supports her little wrestler every step of the way. When the big opportunity arrives, Colt straps on his dad’s (formerly forbidden) tie and jumps into the ring. Readers will cheer and race to try out their own wrestling moves after reading this one. Erica Weisz’s
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