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Welcome to SIBA’s Galley Giveaway—our alert of review copies available to booksellers. To help you harvest a great crop of Southern literature, SIBA and participating publishers are giving away the galleys below to southern indie booksellers on a first-come, first serve basis. If you are interested in any of the books below simply email the publisher to request a copy. Supplies are limited, so act quickly!

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N.B. These are review copies only, and not for resale.
--Your friends at SIBA

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Auraria: A Novel by Tim Westover
QW Publishers
July 10, 2012

Water spirits, moon maidens, haunted pianos, headless revenants, and an invincible terrapin that lives under the mountains. None of these distract James Holtzclaw from his employer’s mission: to turn the fading gold-rush town of Auraria, GA, into a first-class resort and drown its fortunes below a man-made lake. But when Auraria’s peculiar people and problematic ghosts collide with his own rival ambitions, Holtzclaw must decide what he will save and what will be washed away.

Taking its inspiration from a real Georgia ghost town, Auraria is steeped in the folklore of the Southern Appalachians, where the tensions of natural, supernatural and artificial are still alive.

ISBN: 978-0-9849748-0-1 | List: $17.95 | Paperback | 398 pages

“Envision Lewis Carroll on a romp through the mountains of Georgia, discovering a land of shimmery mystery and spirits, humble monsters, quirky characters, singing trees and vengeful fish. This whole world has sprung from Tim Westover’s brain yet remains firmly and lovingly the real thing, the actual Georgia landscape echoing with folk traditions of the southern Appalachians. The best part is that Tim Westover can really write. I’d give an Aurarian pot of gold to do what he’s done with language in the service of imagination.”
Josephine Humphreys, Hemingway/PEN Award Winner, author of Dreams of Sleep and Rich in Love.

“Mr. Westover brings my beloved Georgia to life, complete with spells, haints, and moon maidens. Not since Wendell Berry has an author woven such a beautifully intricate southern community.”
Ann Hite, author of Ghost On Black Mountain.

To request an advance review copy, e-mail arc@QWPublishers.com.

Bid Whist at Midnight by Marva Washington
iUniverse
ISBN-13: 978-1-4502-7670-2 (soft cover)
978-1-4502-7671-9 (hard back)
$23.95 (paperback) | $33.95 (hardcover) | February 2012

New Romance Novel Grounded in 1960s Social Change

Author Marva Washington offers a coming-of-age romance novel of cultural significance

Although Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth and Zora Neale Hurston had their hand in shaping the United States into what it is today, the social changes of the 1960s wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the college students and grassroots activists taking up the charge. With her new book Bid Whist at Midnight (published by iUniverse), Marva Washington delivers the coming-of-age story of four young women caught up in the enormity of the Civil Rights Movement.

In the socially turbulent 1960s, Sardis, Grace, Dorcus and Taletha become fast friends attending college in South Carolina. But the solace they feel in their supportive and fun-loving group is rocked when a tragedy strikes and the life of one of the young women is cut short.

Washington takes readers on a trip through time, back to the Civil Rights Movement of the ‘60s and forward in time 20 years when Sardis, Grace and Dorcus reunite in Charleston and revisit one of the worst nights of their lives – the night of the Orangeburg Massacre. What they find is that they are still haunted by guilt, but their reunion reminds them of the power of their friendship, allowing them to come to a place of forgiveness, love and a long-awaited farewell to a friend.

Bid Whist at Midnight is a strong romance novel in its own right, but it gains its legs in its social commentary looking back at the ‘60s and the cultural concerns facing black people at the time. “We learn from the past so that we will not repeat it in the future,” explains Washington. It is a historical and sociological study of a volatile period in American history that provides a view and a voice not previously written.

For review copies or interview requests, contact
Marketing Services
Tel: 800-288-4677
Fax: 812-961-3133
Email: promotions(at)iuniverse(dot)com
(When requesting a review copy, please provide a street address)

Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Publisher
April 10, 2012
ISBN: 9780547712079
Retail Price: $24.00
Hardcover, 288 pages, 5 1/2 x 8 1/4

http://www.hmhbooks.com/blueasylum/

“Blue Asylum is a gripping story of love and madness in the midst of the Civil War—I couldn’t put it down!” —Kathleen Grissom, author of The Kitchen House

“Blue Asylum casts a spell that keeps the reader turning pages as if in a trance.” —Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey, author of A Woman of Independent Means

“Deftly interweaving past and present, Hepinstall sets the struggles of her characters against the rigidity of a traditional Southern society and the brutality of war in an absorbing story that explores both the rewards and perils of love, pride, and sanity itself.”—Publishers Weekly

Amid the mayhem of the Civil War, Virginia plantation wife Iris Dunleavy is put on trial and convicted of madness. It is the only reasonable explanation the court can see for her willful behavior, so she is sent away to Sanibel Asylum to be restored to a good, compliant woman. Iris knows, though, that her husband is the true criminal; she is no lunatic, only guilty of disagreeing with him on notions of justice, cruelty, and property. 

On this remote Florida island, cut off by swamps and seas and military blockades, Iris meets a wonderful collection of residents--- some seemingly sane, some wrongly convinced they are crazy, some charmingly odd, some dangerously unstable. Which of these is Ambrose Weller, the war-haunted Confederate soldier whose memories terrorize him into wild fits that can only be calmed by the color blue, but whose gentleness and dark eyes beckon to Iris. 

The institution calls itself modern, but Iris is skeptical of its methods, particularly the dreaded "water treatment." She must escape, but she has found new hope and love with Ambrose. Can she take him with her? If they make it out, will the war have left anything for them to make a life from, back home?

Blue Asylum is a vibrant, beautifully-imagined, absorbing story of the lines we all cross between sanity and madness. It is also the tale of a spirited woman, a wounded soldier, their impossible love, and the undeniable call of freedom.

Sending finished books while supplies last.  For a copy please contact Ayesha Mirza at ayesha.mirza@hmhpub.com

Herbivoracious
A Flavor Revolution with 150 Vibrant and Original Vegetarian Recipes

By Michael Natkin

Michael Natkin’s Herbivoracious and its 150 recipes herald a new generation in meatless cooking and vegetarian cookbooks. This is grown-up vegetarian food, visually stunning on the plate (as seen in more than 80 color photographs), intensely flavored in a way that will appeal to readers with a sophisticated and adventurous global palate, health-conscious in a natural but not preachy manner, and above all, reflecting the author’s own prodigious originality and creativity in the kitchen—exactly the traits that have made his blog the go-to destination for new and tasty ideas in vegetarian eating.

Natkin, a vegetarian himself, provides lots of advice on how to craft vegetarian meals that amply deliver nutrients, and the imaginative menus he presents deliver balanced and complementary flavors. The many dozens of vegan and gluten-free recipes are clearly noted, too, and an introductory chapter lays out the simple steps to outfit a globally inspired pantry of seasonings and sauces that make meatless food come alive.

Email mhutchins@harvardcommonpress.com to request a review copy

Noble Cause: A Novel of Love and War
by Jessica James

“It is a book that I think could have the impact of a ‘Gone With the Wind.’’ ” –   Jonathan A. Noyalas, Assistant Professor of History and Director for Civil War Studies, Lord Fairfax Community College

Honor and conviction clash with loyalty and love in this award-winning Civil War novel that pits brother against brother.

Winner of the coveted John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction, Noble Cause is often compared to Gone with the Wind for its vivid descriptions and emotional and moving love story.

Gallantry and honor are put to the test when Confederate cavalry commander Colonel Alexander Hunter discovers the woman he promised his dying brother he would protect is the Union spy he has vowed to his men he would destroy. Readers will discover the fine line between friends and enemies when the lives of these two tenacious foes cross by the fates of war and their destinies become entwined forever.

Widely praised by historians for its balanced portrayal of the War Between the States, Noble Cause is equally extolled by romance readers for its poignant love story.

Called “a riveting piece of historical fiction” by the Midwest Book Review, Noble Cause takes readers across the rolling hills of Virginia in a page-turning tale of courage and love. It is a book to be read and re-read and remembered forever.

Review copy request patriotpress@live.com

Noble Cause by Jessica James
ISBN: 9780979600043
Hardcover, 384 pages
$26.99Publisher: Patriot Press

Awards:

• 2012 Finalist Foreword Magazine Book of the Year in Romance category (Winners to be announced in June)
• 2011 John Esten Cooke Award for Southern Fiction
• 2011 USA "Best Books 2011" Finalist in Historical Fiction
• 2011 Next Generation Indie Award for Best Regional Fiction
• 2011 Next Generation Indie Finalist in Romance category
• 2011 Next Generation Indie Finalist in Historical Fiction category
• 2011 NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award

The Stress Pandemic by Paul Huljich
Mwella Publishing (July 2012)
Paul Huljich, wellness expert

http://www.stresspandemic.com/

THE STRESS PANDEMIC IS REAL, AND UNCHECKED STRESS HAS REAL CONSEQUENCES.
TAKE CONTROL OF STRESS BEFORE IT TAKES CONTROL OF YOU.

Do you feel anxious or on-edge a lot of the time? Do you suffer from stress but feel powerless to stop it? Do you have trouble sleeping, lack energy or patience, feel frequent sadness or tension, or experience even larger stress-related health problems?

Many people would answer yes to these questions. The modern world is a breeding ground for stress, it comes in many forms and has a variety of causes, but any kind of stress can greatly inhibit life and take a serious toll on both the body and mind.

Written for the growing number of people wishing to free themselves of mild, moderate or severe stress, Stress Pandemic draws upon organic food pioneer Paul Huljich’s experience with stress-related illness, outlining a practical and effective approach to beating stress and achieving complete wellness. Huljich’s strategies address the underlying habits and tendencies that cause stress, and offer a comprehensive lifestyle solution designed to deliver complete wellbeing.

By learning and following Huljich’s uniquely powerful and integrated approach to wellness, readers can live stress-free, in a natural and holistic way.

Paperback: 978-8-615-48920-9
$16.95

eBook: 978-0-9848204-1-2
$9.99

Self-help, Health & Lifestyle and Motivation
288 pages

About the author: Paul Huljich co-founded Best Corporation, a pioneering organic foods company of which he was Chairman and Joint-CEO. In leading the company to great success, during which its value grew to more than $100 million, he eventually developed a number of severe stress-related conditions. Ultimately, he was diagnosed by several psychiatrists in 1998 as suffering from bipolar disorder as a result of years of unchecked stress. Despite seeking the best care available Huljich was informed that there was no cure and that he would inevitably relapse. Aided by exhaustive research, Huljich ultimately succeeded in mastering stress, overcoming his conditions and achieving a healthy, positive way of life by developing and implementing his nine-step overall wellness plan. Since the year 2000, Huljich has not taken any medication related to his conditions, suffered any relapse nor needed any further treatment regarding any kind of mental illness. He has fully cured himself and he has never felt better. His previous book, Betrayal of Love and Freedom, a novel based in part on his experiences, addresses the subject of mental wellness. He has been featured in Psychology Today, interviewed by more than 100 radio shows nationwide, had numerous television appearances and featured in more than 120 newspapers. Paul is the father of three sons: Mark, Simon and Richard. He resides in New York City for most of the year and visits his homeland, New Zealand, regularly.