Indie Author Magazine Featuring Darcy Pattison


Book Description

It's the start of a new year, and to celebrate, we're pulling together the best organizational and outlining strategies to set you on the path to success in 2023. Whether you're looking to recharge and reset with resolutions to protect your health or are ready to reach for the stars with your book sales, IAM has the tools you need to prepare for your best year yet. Read three key articles: ✓ Five Plotting Methods You Can Use in Your Daily Life ✓ The Daily Habits of Seven-Figure Authors ✓ Prosperity: Outlining Your Future as a Prosperous Writer You'll also meet Darcy Pattison, a children's author and publisher who formed her own publishing house and built her brand with the youngest readers in mind. The award-winning owner of Mims House aims to start conversations in her genre with every book she publishes. "I really try for excellence," she says. Plus: Our Sassy, Advice-Giving Aunt, ★ Indie Annie ★ Encourages an Author Who Worries Their Time to Publish May Have Passed How Your Characters' Needs Can Make Them More Human The Secret to Unlocking the Action-Adventure Genre Martelle's Motivation: The Rising Tide A Tale of Three Presses: Lessons in Finding A Path to Your Dream Publishing House What's Your Author Value Statement? How and Why to Change Your Mindset in 2023 Otter.ai: An Author's Starting Place for Speech-to-Text Software Ten Tips: Fiverr New Year's Resolutions Every Indie Author Can Set for a Healthier 2023 An In-Depth Look Back at Everything 20Books Vegas 2022 2023 Author Events to Mark on Your Calendar for the New Year




Nefertiti, the Spidernaut


Book Description

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: Most spiders spin a web and passively wait for prey to come to them. Jumping spiders, by contrast, actively hunt by jumping to catch their food. What if a jumping spider was sent to the International Space Station? When it jumped, it would simply float. No one knew if the spider could hunt in a weightless environment. This nonfiction picture book for elementary kids chronicles the amazing voyage of Nefertiti, the Spidernaut to the International Space Station and back. She’s a Phiddipus johnsonii, or Johnson jumping spider, native to western United States. Her colorful anatomy—red, black and teal—made for stunning photography and video. In 2012, Nefertitti clocked a record-breaking 100 days in space, during which time she circled Earth about 1584 times, traveling about 41,580,000 miles.




Eddie's War


Book Description

World War II. Hitler is threatening to take over the world. Eddie Carl thinks America should stop him-it's just plain right. But Eddie's just a kid, and the farm in Ellisville, Illinois, is a long way from the fighting. Ellisville: where the big news stories are gophers in the graveyard and the new bank alarm. But then America joins the war and Eddie's brother Thomas goes off to fly a bomber. Suddenly the war doesn't seem so far away. And Eddie faces more grown-up problems at home: A fire at the Strothers' place, and his gypsy friend accused of arson. Grampa Rob, all stubborn and mean. Grama Lucy with her secrets. And that redhead Sarah, who definitely likes him-unless maybe she hates him. Somehow Eddie's in the middle of it all, trying to figure out what's right. Let Thomas fight World War II. Eddie's war is right here in Ellisville. Eddie's War is a lyrical collection of prose vignettes linking Eddie, his family, and a small-town cast of Ellisvillians. Poignant and funny, this World War II story tells how a distant war affects the life of one boy in the Heartland.




One Amazing Thing


Book Description

An acclaimed novel by the author of The Mistress of Spices, and Before We Visit the Goddess. Jhumpa Lahiri praises: "One Amazing Thing collapses the walls dividing characters and cultures; what endures is a chorus of voices in one single room." Late afternoon sun sneaks through the windows of a passport and visa office in an unnamed American city. Most customers and even most office workers have come and gone, but nine people remain. A punky teenager with an unexpected gift. An upper-class Caucasian couple whose relationship is disintegrating. A young Muslim-American man struggling with the fallout of 9/11. A graduate student haunted by a question about love. An African-American ex-soldier searching for redemption. A Chinese grandmother with a secret past. And two visa office workers on the verge of an adulterous affair. When an earthquake rips through the afternoon lull, trapping these nine characters together, their focus first jolts to their collective struggle to survive. There's little food. The office begins to flood. Then, at a moment when the psychological and emotional stress seems nearly too much for them to bear, the young graduate student suggests that each tell a personal tale, "one amazing thing" from their lives, which they have never told anyone before. And as their surprising stories of romance, marriage, family, political upheaval, and self-discovery unfold against the urgency of their life-or-death circumstances, the novel proves the transcendent power of stories and the meaningfulness of human expression itself. From Chitra Divakaruni, author of such finely wrought, bestselling novels as Sister of My Heart, The Palace of Illusions, and The Mistress of Spices, comes her most compelling and transporting story to date. One Amazing Thing is a passionate creation about survival -- and about the reasons to survive.




The Nantucket Sea Monster


Book Description

Read Along or Enhanced eBook: Do you believe everything you read in the newspaper? Early in August 1937, a news flash came: a sea monster had been spotted lurking off the shore of Nantucket Island. Historically, the Massachusetts island had served as port for whaling ships. Eyewitnesses swore this wasn’t a whale, but some new, fearsome creature. As eyewitness account piled up, newspaper stories of the sea monster spread quickly. Across the nation, people shivered in fear. Then, footprints were found on a Nantucket beach. Photographs were sent to prominent biologists for their opinion. Discussion swirled about raising a hunting party. On August 18, news spread across the island: the sea monster had been captured. Islanders ran to the beach and couldn’t believe their eyes. This nonfiction picture book is a perfect tool to discuss non-political fake news stories. Back matter discusses the freedom of the press guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Quotes from Thomas Jefferson make it clear that fake news has always been one of the costs of a free press. A Timeline lists actual events in the order they occurred. A vocabulary list defines relevant words.




Ever By My Side


Book Description

“The lessons that these animals taught me have been subtle, startling, and inspirational, playing a small but vital part in helping to shape the person you see with the stethoscope around his neck.” —Dr. Nick Trout New York Times bestselling author Nick Trout has captivated readers by taking them behind the scenes into the heartwarming—and sometimes heartrending—world of veterinary medicine. In Ever By My Side, Nick turns the lens inward to offer a funny, moving, and intimate memoir about how the pets he has had throughout his life have shaped him into the son, husband, father, and doctor he is today. Using his relationships with those beloved animals to tell his life story, Nick shares the profound lessons he’s learned about friendship, loyalty, and resilience. The result is a moving story that speaks not just to animal lovers, but to any reader who appreciates the bonds we have with our loved ones, be they animal or human, and the lengths to which we go to nurture those bonds. Nick waxes nostalgic about his boyhood in a working-class British suburb, where a large German shepherd named Patch was the perfect companion to a scrawny, bookish boy in a neighborhood full of bullies. He writes about his relationship with his father, the man who nurtured Nick’s dream of becoming a vet, even though he couldn’t have imagined the career would lead his only son 3,000 miles away. He describes wooing his future wife and stepdaughter and (perhaps most difficult of all) their ornery cat. And he offers a poignant chronicle of his daughter’s devastating diagnosis of cystic fibrosis and how a little yellow Labrador retriever played an important role in bringing joy to their family when they needed it most. Alongside Nick’s warm reflections, the pets in these pages come alive as irresistible characters in their own right and showcase the power of animals to offer a lifetime of consolation, guidance, and abiding affection. Tender, wry, and ruminative, Ever By My Side is a tribute to the power and beauty of ordinary life and a celebration of how pets make it all the sweeter and richer.




Self-editing for Fiction Writers


Book Description

Two professional editors share with expertise and proven techniques for turning manuscripts into published works of fiction.




In My Mosque


Book Description

Don’t miss out on this beautiful celebration of Islam and mosques as spaces for spiritual gathering! Step in and discover all the rituals and wonder of the mosque in this lyrical debut picture book from M. O Yuksel, with gorgeous artwork from New York Times bestselling illustrator Hatem Aly. A great conversation starter in the home or classroom, this book is perfect for fans of All Are Welcome and The Proudest Blue. No matter who you are or where you’re from, everyone is welcome here. From grandmothers reading lines of the Qur’an and the imam telling stories of living as one, to meeting new friends and learning to help others, mosques are centers for friendship, community, and love. M. O. Yuksel’s beautiful text celebrates the joys and traditions found in every mosque around the world and is brought to life with stunning artwork by New York Times bestselling illustrator Hatem Aly (Yasmin series, The Proudest Blue, The Inquisitor’s Tale). The book also includes backmatter with an author’s note, a glossary, and more information about many historical and significant mosques around the world. "This personable, sensory love letter to a range of children’s mosque experiences will engage new learners and resonate with those already familiar." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) "This marvelous, welcoming book on mosques, Muslims, and Islam is a must, offering foundational knowledge on the world’s second largest religion." —School Library Journal (starred review) "Young readers are welcomed to a mosque brimming with faithful family, friends, and community. Both text and art convey some tenets of Islam and emphasize the mosque's role as a place for faith and celebration." —Horn Book "Joyful characters describe what happens in simple, poetic language. Both a celebration of and an introduction to the mosque." —Kirkus "Joyful celebration of mosques around the world. Themes of family and friendship prevail, along with references to spirituality." —Providence Journal A School Library Journal Best Book of 2021 · A Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2021 · An ALA 2022 Notable Children’s Book · A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection · Society of Illustrators Original Art Show Selection · A New York Public Library 2021 Summer Recommendation Reading List Pick · A 2021 Nerdy Book Club Award Winner for Best Nonfiction Picture Book · A 2022 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List title · An Ontario Library Association Best Bets Top Ten List · A Wisconsin State Reading Association 2022 Picture This Recommendation · A CCBC 2022 Best Choice of the Year · Winner of the 2021 Undies Award for Fanciest Case Cover · A 2022 Notable Book for a Global Society · Also Featured on: USA Today, PBS.org, Bookriot, Chicago Parents, The Horn Book!




Electronic Communication Across the Curriculum


Book Description

This collection of 24 essays explores what happens when proponents of writing across the curriculum (WAC) use the latest computer-mediated tools and techniques--including e-mail, asynchronous learning networks, MOOs, and the World Wide Web--to expand and enrich their teaching practices, especially the teaching of writing. Essays and their authors are: (1) "Using Computers to Expand the Role of Writing Centers" (Muriel Harris); (2) "Writing across the Curriculum Encounters Asynchronous Learning Networks" (Gail E. Hawisher and Michael A. Pemberton); (3) "Building a Writing-Intensive Multimedia Curriculum" (Mary E. Hocks and Daniele Bascelli); (4) "Communication across the Curriculum and Institutional Culture" (Mike Palmquist; Kate Kiefer; Donald E. Zimmerman); (5) "Creating a Community of Teachers and Tutors" (Joe Essid and Dona J. Hickey); (6) "From Case to Virtual Case: A Journey in Experiential Learning" (Peter M. Saunders); (7) "Composing Human-Computer Interfaces across the Curriculum in Engineering Schools" (Stuart A. Selber and Bill Karis); (8) "InterQuest: Designing a Communication-Intensive Web-Based Course" (Scott A. Chadwick and Jon Dorbolo); (9) "Teacher Training: A Blueprint for Action Using the World Wide Web" (Todd Taylor); (10) "Accommodation and Resistance on (the Color) Line: Black Writers Meet White Artists on the Internet" (Teresa M. Redd); (11) "International E-mail Debate" (Linda K. Shamoon); (12) "E-mail in an Interdisciplinary Context" (Dennis A. Lynch); (13) "Creativity, Collaboration, and Computers" (Margaret Portillo and Gail Summerskill Cummins); (14) "COllaboratory: MOOs, Museums, and Mentors" (Margit Misangyi Watts and Michael Bertsch); (15) "Weaving Guilford's Web" (Michael B. Strickland and Robert M. Whitnell); (16) "Pig Tales: Literature inside the Pen of Electronic Writing" (Katherine M. Fischer); (17) "E-Journals: Writing to Learn in the Literature Classroom" (Paula Gillespie); (18) "E-mailing Biology: Facing the Biochallenge" (Deborah M. Langsam and Kathleen Blake Yancey); (19) "Computer-Supported Collaboration in an Accounting Class" (Carol F. Venable and Gretchen N. Vik); (20) "Electronic Tools to Redesign a Marketing Course" (Randall S. Hansen); (21) Network Discussions for Teaching Western Civilization" (Maryanne Felter and Daniel F. Schultz); (22) "Math Learning through Electronic Journaling" (Robert Wolfe); (23) "Electronic Communities in Philosophy Classrooms" (Gary L. Hardcastle and Valerie Gray Hardcastle); and (24) "Electronic Conferencing in an Interdisciplinary Humanities Course" (Mary Ann Krajnik Crawford; Kathleen Geissler; M. Rini Hughes; Jeffrey Miller). A glossary and an index are included. (NKA)




A Review of the Literature on Sexual Assault Perpetrator Characteristics and Behaviors


Book Description

"Sexual assault continues to be a pervasive problem, both for society in general and within the military community. To assist the Air Force in its continued efforts to combat sexual assault within its ranks, we reviewed the existing empirical literature on the characteristics and behaviors of adult perpetrators who commit sexual assault against other adults. Our search was not limited to studies of military populations. While a vast majority of the existing literature has focused on sole male perpetrators who assault female victims, we identified some research on other types of perpetrators, including female sexual assault perpetrators, men who perpetrate assault against other men, and perpetrators who participate in group sexual assault. This body of research indicates that adult perpetrators are diverse in terms of their demographics, background characteristics, and motivations. Moreover, research indicates that sexual assault perpetration is likely influenced by a combination of factors, including an individual's developmental and family history; his or her personality, including attitudes/cognitions; and environmental factors, including peer attitudes and alcohol consumption. The complexity of factors that influence sexual assault perpetration and the multiple pathways that lead to an attack make it difficult to predict whether an individual is prone to commit sexual assault. While predicting sexual assault perpetration is problematic, we identified a number of factors related to perpetration that may be relevant for intervention efforts and offer recommendations for the Air Force"--Publisher's web site.