Press Release Headlines

Seven Books That Will Convince You to Read Self-Published Authors

Shelf Unbound reveals the winners of its annual indie writing competition

DALLAS, Dec. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — A modern thriller with a Homeland Security agent as its protagonist and a vivid Mount Everest survivor's story are winners in the Shelf Unbound Competition for Best Independently Published Book. Death Never Lies by David Grace was named overall winner for its gritty, clever storytelling and rich character development. A new perspective on the Everest expedition made famous in "Into Thin Air," After the Wind: 1996 Everest Tragedy – One Survivor's Story by Lou Kasischke is the winner of the Pete Delohery Award for Best Sports Book. The winners and five finalists are featured in Shelf Unbound's December/January issue. With a circulation of more than 125,000, Shelf Unbound is an ezine that reviews independently published books.

Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141216/164801

View the slideshare with covers and excerpts: http://bit.ly/7greatindies

Five finalists include:

  • The Years of Zero: Coming of Age Under the Khmer Rouge by Seng Ty.  A survivor's account of the Cambodian genocide in the late 1970s, it follows the author from age seven, when he was taken from his middle-class home and thrust into a labor camp.
  • Three Scenarios in which Hana Sakasi Grows a Tail: Stories by Kelly Luce. Beguiling, surprising tales that feature a prognosticating toaster, a woman who grows a tail, and an unusual sex reassignment.
  • Sex, Love and DNA: What Molecular Biology Teaches Us About Being Human by Peter Schattner. An engaging look at how genetics and the environment affect our cells and shape our lives.
  • Camp Secret by Melissa Mahle and Kathryn Dennis. A fun and suspenseful book for kids about a secret training center for Junior Spies posing as a summer camp.
  • King's Crusade by A.D. Starrling. The unearthing of ancient scriptures revives a long-lost mystery, taking the heroine into a shadowy world of secret religious societies.

"Anyone who has yet to realize that the independent publishing revolution is producing some of the best books out there need only read any one or all of the books here to be convinced," said Shelf Unbound Publisher Margaret Brown. "They will make you stand up and cheer for self-publishing."

Bowker's SelfPublishedAuthor.com and Blurb, an independent publishing platform specializing in beautiful books, sponsored this year's competition.

About Shelf Media Group
Dallas-based Shelf Media Group publishes Shelf Unbound, a book review magazine presenting the best of independent publishing. Subscriptions are free at www.shelfmediagroup.com.

Contact: Beth Dempsey,
Email or 248-349-7810