Here are books published by BAIPA members in 2019 and 2020.
(Your book not on the list? Here’s how to get it here.)
2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
[2019]
John Byrne Barry, When I Killed My Father: An Assisted Suicide Family Thriller
Susan Bridges and William Bridges, Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes (40th Anniversary Edition)
Carolyn CJ Jones, The Art of Forgiveness: A Promise of Peace
James T. MacGregor, A Natural Mistake: Why natural, organic, and botanical products are not as safe as you think
Ed Mitchell, The Destiny Relic
Frances Rivetti, Big Green Country
Joseph T. Sinclair, Publishing with Diverse Media
Karl Sjogren, The Fairshare Model
When I Killed My Father: An Assisted Suicide Family Thriller
John Byrne Barry
What if your father asked you to kill him?
Psychologist Lamar Rose’s father is suffering from cancer and dementia, and wants his son to help him end his life. Lamar refuses, but his father keeps asking, and he relents.
Then, from the pulpit of the church at his father’s memorial, his sister accuses him of murder. When I Killed My Father is a page-turner with a conscience, about a man caught between what is compassionate and what is legal. Though the novel addresses heavy and provocative issues like mercy killing, dementia, and family strife, it’s entertaining and moves with the pace of a thriller.
johnbyrnebarry.com • [email protected]
✭✭✭✭✭ Wild Ride, Serious Subject
While clearly the underlying message is whether assisted suicide for terminally ill or demented people is a moral issue that deserves more open discussion, and the book is definitely a serious look at the subject, there are parts that are very funny. John Byrne Barry is a terrific author. He makes every character come to life. [Susan K., Goodreads]
Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes (40th Anniversary Edition)
Susan Bridges and William Bridges
[Revised anniversary edition, 2019.]
Whether it is chosen or thrust upon you, change brings both opportunities and turmoil. First published 40 years ago, named one of the fifty most important self-help and personal development books of all time, Transitions has helped hundreds of thousands of people cope with constant change in their lives by providing an elegantly simple yet profoundly insightful roadmap of the transition process.
With the understanding born of both personal and professional experience, William and Susan Bridges take readers step by step through the three stages of any transition: The Ending, The Neutral Zone, and, in time, The New Beginning. Bridges explains how each stage can be understood and embraced, leading to meaningful and productive movement into a hopeful future. A new discussion guide with reflections for readers, written by Susan Bridges, is aimed at today’s current individuals facing unprecedented change.
The advice in the book continues to apply and is perhaps even more relevant today. Transitions was the first book to explore the underlying and universal pattern of transition and remains the essential guide for coping with the inevitable changes in life.
wmbridges.com • [email protected]
A very wise book by a very wise man. This new edition is a celebration of William Bridges’ original insights and practical guidance. With incisive contemporary cases and immediately useful applications, Susan Bridges masterfully reintroduces his exceptional work to a new generation.
[Jim Kouzes, coauthor of the best-selling The Leadership Challenge]
The Art of Forgiveness: A Promise of Peace
Carolyn CJ Jones
If you are harboring resentment or anger, this book gently guides you to gratitude, compassion, and ultimately, forgiveness. CJ Jones’ proven YIPPEE Method of healing is thoroughly explored as the means to reach these feelings. Using her own story to illustrate how she forgave a thirty-year resentment toward her childhood, CJ sets an example of the ways in which you, too, can use forgiveness to find immense peace and freedom from resentment.
The story begins as a lovely day on the Bay. CJ is sitting in the cockpit of a sailboat moored at a marina, awaiting the appearance of her soulmate, the love of her life. When he shows up and relays he doesn’t care for her, CJ is devastated and shattered. All she can do is drink and cry for two months; she can’t even feed herself. Finally, knowing she is dying, she pleads with God to help her.
Join the tale of CJ’s healing and growth from her thirty-year drinking “career,” and a traumatic childhood, that ends in forgiveness.
carolyncjjones.com • [email protected]
You gain skills to grow beyond resentment to healing and forgiving. These tools bring peace to you and your relationships, especially the one with your mate, so you can resolve differences and live in harmony.
[Dr. John Gray, Ph.D., Author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus]
CJ illustrates her book with touching, personal stories of how she has used forgiveness to take her from a well of depression into a world of light. If you, or someone you know, would like to change your life’s outlook to one of openness, forgiveness and self-acceptance, then pick up and read this book. It will change your life.”
[Wil Dieck, Speaker, Author, and Psychology Professor]
It is the stories CJ shares in The Art of Forgiveness that reveal her humanity. In this sharing, she grants you permission to explore your own humanity without shame or humiliation, but rather, with curiosity.
[Iris Stallworth-Grayling, LMFT (Ret), Women’s Empowerment Mentor Coach]
This book is clear, fun, and powerful. CJ Jones uses her personal story of transformation to illustrate her YIPPEE Method of changing resentment into empowerment, and simultaneously shares expertise in the psychology and spirituality of forgiveness.
[Ivan Galperin, Student, Reader]
I found her story compelling and hard to put down! The Art of Forgiveness is a comprehensive guide to navigate you past resentments that may be preventing you from having peace.” [Pattie Meizis, Retired Entrepreneur]
The intimacy of her writing style draws you into the healing process that comes with forgiveness.
[Linda Diane Wattley, Entrepreneur]
Carolyn shares powerfully, deeply and authentically in her book as she takes us on a powerful and heart-felt journey through anger, resentment and into a place of forgiveness and peace. [Rebecca Hall Gruyter, Motivational Speaker, Community Leader]
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Book designer: Cris Wanzer (print), Steve Hutchins (ebook), Cover design: Tarane Sayler
A Natural Mistake: Why natural, organic, and botanical products are not as safe as you think
This authoritative book discusses why it is a mistake to assume that natural, organic,jtmacgregor.com • [email protected]
A thoroughly researched case for rethinking the idea that “natural” is always better” [kirkusreviews.com]
The Destiny Relic
Ed Mitchell
Hank Cameron, cousin to a U.S. Senator, is the most hated and most hunted man in the Middle East. Framed for stealing a religious relic that could inflame or end warfare around the world, he is isolated in Jordan. A dead or alive bounty has been issued for his capture. Agents of the Vatican, the Israeli Mossad, and Muslim terrorists, all want what he has. Where to hide? Who to trust? Can he survive? Will the world?
booksbyedmitchell.com • [email protected]
Imagine a war on terror that forces ordinary citizens to choose sides in a struggle fueled by religious zealots. Consider the impact of a single individual hated by all sides of the equation, from the Vatican to Muslim extremists and the Israelis. Then add an Indiana Jones-style tension over the discovery of a religious relic that could change the world, and which succeeds in angering everyone. Pair these elements with the dilemma of discoverer Hank Cameron, who finds himself immersed in conflicts that hold no easy resolution, for a thriller that comes out firing from the first chapter and excels in staccato, nonstop action throughout.
[Midwest Book Review, Sr Editor Diane Donovan]
Big Green Country
Frances Rivetti
Big Green Country is a gripping family saga that lifts the veil on a shrouded secrecy surrounding the ugly underbelly of the complex cannabis culture in present day Northern California.
Culling from her research as an independent journalist at home at the gateway to the region’s infamous Redwood Curtain, Rivetti paints a compelling portrait of the contemporary Green-Rush from one women-driven family’s perspective — the lure, the benefits, the potential for boom and bust, but most importantly, its impact on the human condition and the real and present danger posed to young women attracted by large cash earnings.
francesrivetti.com • [email protected]
Two young women’s trials of physical and mental abuse in Northern California’s infamous emerald Triangle makes the heart of Rivetti’s searing debut. When Mia and Jazmin left their homes to take seasonal jobs as trimmigrants in Northern California’s Sonoma County to earn some extra cash, they had no idea the short escapade would change their lives forever. Though violence, sexual abuse, and the illegal marijuana industry of Sonoma County form the central theme of the novel, subplots of Maggie and Bridget’s lives and their sisterly bonds along with issues of relationships, lasting friendship, and enduring family ties illuminate the story further. Rivetti’s research is meticulous, the writing assured, and prose crisp. She portrays Jazmin and Mia with understanding and empathy, making the reader root for the flawed but courageous teens as they prevail their personal traumas through sheer will and resilience. A must read.
[The Prairies Book Review]
Publishing with Diverse Media
Joseph T. Sinclair
publishingwithdiversemedia.com • [email protected]
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The Fairshare Model
Karl Sjogren
The Fairshare Model presents a way to reimagine capitalism at the DNA level, where ownership interests are set; a capital structure to be used when a company has an initial public offering. It balances and aligns the interests of investors and employees–capital and labor.
fairsharemodel.com • [email protected]
It’s time to reassess the alignment of interests in early-stage companies. How do you allow for the fact that investors are subject to valuation risk and have to “pay” now for assumed future performance that may never happen? How do you let founders and their employees keep more of their company? How do you get everyday people to share in the benefits of capitalism? How do you avoid insane valuations of companies going public? It may be time to look at the ideas set out in “The Fairshare Model.” [Sara Hanks, CEO, CrowdCheck, Inc. and Managing Partner, CrowdCheck Law, LLP. ]
Editors, designers, consultants, contributors: Karl M Sjogren, Ruth Schwartz, Lorna Johnson, Henry White, Erica Freeman, Karen Poeschel, Robin Rose and Matt Hinrichs✭
[2020]
JoAnn Smith Ainsworth, Expect Betrayal
Rob Badger & Nita Winter, Beauty and the Beast: California Wildflowers and Climate Change
Gary F. Bengier, Unfettered Journey
Richard Haiduck, Shifting Gears: 50 Baby Boomers Share Their Meaningful Journeys in Retirement
Janice Litvin, Banish Burnout Toolkit
Veronica Moscoso, El Rey Arthur (Spanish Easy Reader)
Veronica Moscoso, Halloween vs Dia de los Muertos (Spanish Easy Reader)
Ed Mitchell, Black Camel
Mike Van Horn, Aliens Crashed in My Back Yard (Book 1 of Trilogy)
Expect Betrayal
JoAnn Smith Ainsworth
At Livvy’s side is Naval Commander Trey Drew. The White House expects his down-to-earth attitude to keep their lead psychic and The Book safe. He has a personal interest in doing both. But, does Livvy have the skill to return the favor? Can she protect Trey from psychic whammies?
Trickier yet…can Livvy and Trey outwit the spies tracking them and reach Cousin Etta before she destroys the grimoire to keep it out of Hitler’s unholy hands?
joannsmithainsworth.com • [email protected]
“THE TWISTS AND TURNS of the plot will keep fans of soft thrillers drawn in.”—Affaire de Coeur Magazine “
AINSWORTH DEVELOPS a suspense filled, historically steeped race against time and evil….Ainsworth certainly makes the job of psychic sound exciting, and for readers of WWII novels, she gives a riveting story of espionage and treachery set in an era of polite national determination.” [Ana Manwaring, mystery author and reviewer]
“THE STORY IS VERY FAST-PACED suspense with plenty of twists and turns! Hard to stop reading!” [Elizabeth Ubrig, reviewer]
“IT IS THE (AMAZING) pace of the story that kept me reading and I relied upon it and trusted that the action would take me where I wanted to go. I could count on there never being a dull moment, and there wasn’t one. And I’m amazed that I found the spells and psychic sensings as dramatic as if guns and other weapons were involved.” [Charles Steiner, reviewer]
“I LOVED IT! YOU’RE true to your style.” [Amelia Akiyama, fan club founder]
“THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE series, the cautious and growing warmth between Trey and Livvy provides the canvas upon which the events of war are painted…. As they run from one relentless peril to another disaster, facing injuries and the threat of death, they pull together against the forces of Hitler’s Institute for Occult Warfare. One of the particular strengths of the series is Ainsworth’s attention to specific physical and historical details, setting the readers firmly in wartime Britain, and without slowing the fast pace. Additionally, the author blends the love story with the paranormal mystery, resulting in a thoroughly wonderful page-turner.” [Carolina Montague—author of Forever Green, Forever Hunted, Forever Endangered]
Cover by: ebooklaunch.com
Unplanned
John Cammidge
This fictionalised story is set in England during World War II. Frances Mary is 20-years old, single and driving from Leeds to the East Riding of Yorkshire in mid-August 1943, (carefully avoiding Luftwaffe aircraft returning to Germany) to live with her parents and manage the canteen at a nearby airfield under construction.
Simultaneously, the civil engineer in charge of the project, who lodges with her parents, is meeting with Bomber Command because of delays in opening the airfield for operational use by the Royal Air Force. Also attending the meeting is his American structural engineer, who will assist with the technical advice.
That evening a shocking event takes place and Frances Mary eventually discovers that she is pregnant. A furore erupts between her and her parents, and the lodger goes missing. Her parents want the baby adopted, but as she listens to Ave Maria during childbirth, she decides to keep her newborn. What follows are the bizarre consequences of that decision which affect both Frances Mary and the father of her child.
johnrcammidge.com • [email protected]
Beauty and the Beast: California Wildflowers and Climate Change
Rob Badger & Nita Winter
Experience California’s wildflowers as you’ve never seen them before in an exciting new award-winning coffee table book by conservation photographers Rob Badger and Nita Winter. Both art and science are seamlessly woven into this inspirational award-winning coffee table book that sparks hope and action.
“Beauty and the Beast: California Wildflowers and Climate Change,” co-published with the California Native Plant Society, is a thoughtful collaboration of many hearts and minds dedicated to protecting Nature’s beauty.
wildflowerbook.com • [email protected]
Beauty and the Beast is the story of an imperiled glory. Part of an inspiring documentary art project created by photographers Rob Badger and Nita Winter, it highlights California’s famed wildflower “superblooms” that, when conditions are favorable, herald the arrival of spring with a riotous display of color. Shimmering in vast waves across the landscape or revealing their intricacies in intimate portraits of a single bloom, the wildflowers were all photographed in natural light using harm-free methods that are shared in detail at the end of the book. Sixteen short, insightful essays by a diverse group of writers tell the stories of these imperiled wildflowers and inspire action with suggestions for helping to tame “the beast.”
The book celebrates California’s remarkable biodiversity. Home to more native plant species than any other state, its varied landscapes—cool north-facing mountain slopes, scorching desert terrain, bay estuaries, and beaches — are the result of millennia of tectonic upheavals. The resulting microclimates have sheltered ancient organisms that are now extinct everywhere else, though they are now under threat as overconsumption destroys natural habitats, pollutes, and wreaks havoc on ecosystems.
While Earth’s long and tumultuous evolution has always included periods of climate change, the book reveals that what is happening now is different. Sped up by human activity, climate change is occurring much faster than ever before, leaving plants without the time they need to adapt to changing conditions or migrate to environments better suited to them. Sensitive and thought provoking, Beauty and the Beast is a delight for the eyes and nourishment for the soul — a strong reminder of fragile beauty on the cusp of destruction, given in the hope that people will be moved to care and then to act on its behalf.
[Kristine Morris, Foreword Review Magazine, May/June 2020]
Co-Publishers: WinterBadger Press and the California Native Plant Society
Book Designer: Laura Lovett,
Editor: Rob Badger and Elisabeth Ptak
Printers: Global PSD;
Contributing Authors: Peter Raven, Will Rogers, Ileen Andersen, Ryan Burnett, Susan J Tweit, Jose Gonzalez, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Gordon Leppig, Genevieve Arnold, Mary Ellen Hannibal, Wendy Tokuda, Erin Schrode, Margaret Leinen, Amber Pairis, and Kenna Kuhn
Unfettered Journey
Gary F. Bengier
Set in a richly envisioned future world, Unfettered Journey is the story of an AI scientist who seeks to create robot consciousness and discovers the resilience of the human spirit. He travels to a small college to progress his quest, but instead finds love, a secret plot by unjust forces, and the answers to his fundamental questions—the nature of the conscious mind and free will. This book is a profound, many-layered journey. It is a love story and an adventure. It traces struggle and resilience in an imperfect world. It is a deep philosophical exploration, resetting the conversation at the intersection of science and religion, challenging you to begin your own journey to a purposeful life.
garyfbengier.com • [email protected]
An adventure for the mind on many levels, from the thrilling action scenes to the philosophical examination of society, the universe, and our role in both.
[Raissa D’Souza, External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute; Professor of Computer Science, UC Davis]
It’s a love story filled with memorable characters, with a plot that leaves you holding your breath at the dramatic conclusion.
[Chris Flink, Executive Director, the Exploratorium of San Francisco]
The novel explores deep questions at the intersection of physics and philosophy, with characters you will love.
[Alex Filippenko, Professor of Astronomy, UC Berkeley]
Unfettered Journey is a fast-paced adventure that simultaneously explores profound problems in the philosophy of mind.
[Carlos Montemayor, Associate Chair, Department of Philosophy, San Francisco State University]
Shifting Gears: 50 Baby Boomers Share Their Meaningful Journeys in Retirement
richardhaiduck.com • [email protected]
“Shifting Gears will whet your appetite with first-hand tales of retirement so varied your head will spin.”
“The wisdom in these pages helped me realize this about our golden years; they could be our best chance to understand ourselves, live exactly how we want, and maybe even do something amazing.”
“Richard dismantles the idea that retirement should ever be experienced from a rocking chair.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed Shifting Gears — it made me think about my upcoming shift.
Website help: Linda Lee. Coach and mentors: Sara Zeff Geber and Ruth Schwartz
What’s That Growing in My Sour Cream?
bradgraber.com • [email protected]
“Comedy that is Seinfeldian…when Seinfeld is at his best.”…Reedsy Discovery “You’ll find yourself laughing out loud…Graber has an eye for detecting life’s quirks and exposing them to the light of day…witty and poignant.”
Driftwood: Stories from the Margarita Road
Ever Dream of Running Away to Paradise? Fleeing boredom, bad marriages, and dead-end jobs, the runaway expats in Driftwood end up in Playa Paraiso—a lush, unspoiled village on Mexico’s idyllic Caribbean coast.
There they find the unpredictable, hedonistic, and sometimes frightening world of the tropics. At the center of this extraordinary group is Poppa, the irreverent and savvy owner of the local beach bar. He offers his fellow expats booze, advice, and the occasional helping hand as he tries to make sense of his own vagabond existence. Poppa tells the tales of these intriguing runaways, as together they encounter true loves, vicious drug dealers, charming rogues, clueless do-gooders, and a devastating hurricane.
Against a backdrop of stunning blue water and endless white sand, they experience the heart’s tug of war between the need for a place to call home and the desire for the freedom to roam. Travelers, wanderers, explorers, and dreamers alike will see themselves in these unforgettable characters, all the while craving an icy boat drink on a sprawling beach.
anthonyleehead.com • [email protected]
Banish Burnout Toolkit
Janice Litvin
This workbook takes you and your teams step-by-step through the journey of untangling your negative patterns to effect real behavior change for life.
JaniceLitvin.com • [email protected]
El Rey Arthur (Spanish Easy Reader)
Veronica Moscoso
This compelling Spanish language novella, told from a dog’s point of view, is based on the true events that turned Arthur, an Ecuadorian stray dog, into a global celebrity.
Arthur’s journey began when he attached himself to the captain of an extreme sports team who was competing in the 2014 Adventure Racing World Championship. It wasn’t easy but, in the end, Arthur was able to win exactly what he wanted…
With about 400 unique Spanish words and plenty of repetition, it tells a 4,120-word story about the bond between a dog and a human. A full glossary for each of the seven chapters is included plus illustrations.
veromundo.store • [email protected]
Halloween vs Dia de los Muertos (Spanish Easy Reader)
Veronica Moscoso
After experiencing the Day of the Dead in Mexico, Aleja, a Mexican-American teen, plans to throw a big Día de los Muertos party at her home in California. The tricky thing is that her best friend plans to throw a big Halloween party on the same day.
Aleja narrates this light-hearted story mostly in the present tense and with some past tense. It is an easy reader for high beginners and low-intermediate students. Ideal for level two Spanish learners. Halloween vs Dia de los Muertos can be used to start a conversation about Day of the Dead and the similarities and differences with Halloween.
With about 270 unique Spanish words and plenty of repetition, it tells a 3,400-word story. A full glossary for each of the seven chapters is included, plus illustrations for every chapter and photos of the Day of the Dead celebration.
veromundo.store • [email protected]
Black Camel
Ed Mitchell
After numerous terrorist cells in America are captured, Al-Qaeda’s leadership resorts to hiring an always-successful political assassin, the Black Camel. The mission: force America to pull out of the Middle East and Africa. As wide-scale attacks spread chaos across the USA, the FBI is compelled to employ an unconventional counterterrorism team. Can a street-smart FBI Special Agent and a jaded Israeli Mossad Field Officer stop the Black Camel? Or will the terrorist send them to their deaths and coerce America to surrender to Al-Qaeda’s demands?
booksbyedmitchell.com • [email protected]
✭✭✭✭✭ Ultra-realistic
A gripping, current-day terrorism thriller with an ultra-realistic plot and characters. I really enjoyed the technical knowledge of security-protocols and terrorism organizations which Ed wove into the story. As a big fan of Higgins, Ludlum, Clancy, Greeney and Silva, I found it an engaging read with a fresh style.” [Rob Watt, NetGalley]
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Aliens Crashed in My Back Yard (Book 1 of Trilogy)
Mike Van Horn
When an alien spaceship crashed on the hillside behind singer Selena M’s house, she decided to nurse the surviving alien back to health and send it home, instead of turning it over to the government. Why not? She was burned out on her singing career.
Turned out the alien was also a disheartened singer, and the two sang together to recapture their passion for singing. Then the government spotted the downed vessel, and came to take it away.
galaxytalltales.com • [email protected]
✭✭✭✭Poignant, funny first contact science fiction
Just finished the book. What a delight! Mr. Van Horn does a great job characterizing the main character, Selena M, a pop singer on the downside of her career, who meets the alien who crashes in her back yard.
Selena is assertive but doesn’t always know what she wants. She’s a successful singer, but she’s dissatisfied. Her whole life changes when she meets the alien she names ‘Breadbox’. The alien is near death and Selena helps nurse her back to health.
There is a universal translation device that eventually allows them to speak and they learn they have more in common than can be imagined. They’re both singers. They grow closer together as Breadbox reactivates Selena’s interest in singing and composer. In turn, Selena gives Breadbox a reason for living, even after the failure of crashing on the Earth. Complications occur and the novel really takes off.
I can hardly wait for the second one! [Andy Zach, Amazon]
Cover and illustration designer: Shane Colclough. Composer of Selena’s songs: Troy Lush. Vocalist: Mari Mack. Book designer: William Van Horn
[2021]
Boca by Moonlight, Brad Graber
Boca by Moonlight
Do men ever listen? Are their friendships real? How does a widower start over? ”
Reminiscent of the Golden Girls…spunk, humor…and so relatable.” — Reader’s Favorite
George Elden, a widower, lives on the grounds of the Boca Raton Resort & Club. When his friend Willy suddenly dies, he’s caught off-guard in this baby boomer cozy mystery. Why did Willy’s family stay away from the funeral? Why did the check to the mortuary bounce? And why did George and his buddies have to pay to bury him? More importantly, what can George learn from Willy’s life to escape making the same foolish mistakes?
2022 Jewish Book Council Selection From the award-winning author of The Intersect, After the Fall, and What’s That Growing in My Sour Cream? comes a tale of redemption. The story of a man coming to grips with his mortality and the complications of human relationships. Told with the wit, humor, and emotional power that Brad Graber brings to his novels.
bradgraber.com • [email protected]
“A simply riveting read from cover to cover…” — The Prairies Book Review
“A curious, intelligent, and playful reflection of life, loss, and the cracks of the past. A 5-Star must-read.” — Discovery