Book List - Books I have Edited

The following is a partial list of books that I have personally worked on that have been successfully published. You can order these books through Amazon.com and see for yourself the quality of my work. I have also provided some reviews from Amazon.com or other sources. To order any of the books, click on either the book's text link or the picture itself. You'll then be rerouted to Amazon.com. Please bookmark this page before you do so you can safely find your way back.
	How Willy Got His Wheels by Deborah Turner and Diana Mohler. Illustrated by Rhonda McHugh. I worked a great deal on this book and was involved on every level. I worked with the story, the characters, improved the voice, made suggestions for the artwork and subsequent revisions, worked closely with the graphic designer to layout the book, and was also involved in the printing and blueline stages. This book subsequently won the Children's Book of the Year for 1998 against stiff competition (over 100 competitors), including an entry from the American Humane Society.
This book was very rewarding to work on. It has touched a lot of people and children especially seem to be touched by it. It's just one of those projects that you feel lucky to have been involved with. Here are some reviews on How Willy got his Wheels that were posted on Amazon.com: *Buzzy's Book for 04 / 08 / 98* (Buzzy's is an internet book reviewer) This book is charming, funny, sweet and most of all, inspirational. This true story of a very special little dog would warm the heart of even the most life hardened soul. I don't know when, if ever, I've been this touched by a children's book. And here I sit, the mother of three small boys. Willy's [new family includes] Deborah, who adopts him from an animal hospital, and his new siblings, Sweet Pea a Chihuahua and Marshmallow the fluffy cat. This energetic group will keep you chuckling long after the story engraves itself on your heart. Though this is essentially a children's book, it has a far ranging, even universal, appeal. How can we not all thrill to a story of huge courage in the face of challenge. An essential story for any book collection whether it be in a home, public library, or a school. A story of love & courage for all ages, January 8, 2000 Kimberly Borrowdale Under the Covers Book Reviews ...Filled with bright, gorgeous watercolor illustrations that even pre-readers can appreciate, HOW WILLY GOT HIS WHEELS is the story of a loveable and courageous little dog. Written for age levels 5-10, it's a book that everyone from toddlers to adults can enjoy on many levels. Authors Turner and Mohler have done a tremendous job of showing life from a physically disabled viewpoint without preaching or patronizing. Here's hoping we will get to hear more of Willy's adventures in the near future! A touching story of a little dog's courage., October 25, 1998 Reviewer: A reader from Westminster Ca.U.S.A. As an uncle to a disabled 6 year old I must say I have yet to see another book make my nephew smile so much. This book is very well written and the drawings are fantastic. This is a must read for all children with or without handicaps. It not only teaches children how to cope with disabilities, but also how to respond to others with such problems.
(No Cover Image Available)	WWW, Shadow of the Chameleon was one of the first books that I worked on that made in the doors of a publisher and eventually into print. I was the copy editor and also performed some developmental editing on the final draft before being it went off to the publisher. It was rather exciting for a young editor to see something make it past the doors of a publisher, be accepted, and then make it into print. It's a charming story about a young boy, WWW, who wants to be a detective and is sure there is something peculiar going on in his apartment building.
A Review from Amazon.com: EXCELLENT MYSTERY!!!, August 28, 1999 Reviewer: A reader from Wichita, Kansas This fun book is filled with twists and turns and has an exciting and SURPRISING ending. My son read this and so did I. The young hero (WWW) is real without being predictable and his two sidekicks are more than just reasons for dialog --they are fully-developed and interesting in their own right. I certainly hope there will be another one of these!
	Fun Stuff to Do with Your Best Friend by Nancy Furstinger. This is my most recent book with Doral Publishing, and was a lot of fun to work on. It's a book about activities that kids can do with their dog. I did all of the interior layout and editing, including scanning the illustrations and touching them up. (Pencil illustrations, which these were, are dreadful to work with from a scanning point of view.) I also made suggestions regarding the content and flow of the various chapters, suggested new material for the author to write, and added bits as necessary, which was rare for this author.
No reviews are currently available. (Hey, it only came out in August!)
	Lend Me an Ear: The Temperament and Training of the Hearing Ear Dog is an entertaining but highly informative book about assistance dogs for the hearing impaired. I edited this book from raw manuscript, smoothed out the author's voice, scanned in and touched up nearly 100 photos, laid out the book, sent it off to the printer, and checked the bluelines.
Here are some reviews on Lend Me an Ear that were posted on Amazon.com: Perfect!, April 25, 2000 Reviewer: mollyofish from New York As someone who is interested in training dogs for the deaf and handicapped, this book was the perfect find. It spells out exactly what to look for and how to train hearing ear dogs. Thank you so much for this book! An exciting and valuable find, November 2, 1999 Reviewer: Joan Froling from Partners Forum From The "Partners Forum" The magazine of the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners. Lend Me An Ear by Martha Hoffman breaks new ground and would be an outstanding addition to the library of anyone with an interest in the assistance dog field. This trainer who is affiliated with the San Francisco SPCA Hearing Dog Program has evaluated hundreds of shelter dogs over the years. She believes hearing dogs are born, not made. She discusses what evaluation tests she administers in what order and how to interpret the behavior each candidate displays. If you love books which can expand your knowledge about dogs in general and assistance dogs and teamwork in particular, this one from Doral Publishing is a valuable and exciting find.
	Ready to Serve, Ready to Save - Strategies of Real-Life Rescue Missions was a hard edit. It was actually written by about two dozen authors, which I did my best to make all sound as though just one person had wrote it. There were also some very tricky photographs. One, I had to turn about 15 degrees, add a window pane, took a leg off of one dog, reversed it, and then put it on another dog (whose own leg was missing due to tilting the picture), added some rags, a table leg, and brought a face out of the shadows. The cool thing was that when I was done, you couldn't tell.
Some reviews for Ready to Serve that were posted on Amazon.com: The Pet Gazette Review This book conveys what it is like to be a rescuer. It also offers an insightful look at the Search & Rescue personnel and the psychological impact on those rescuers. This book will excite and amaze those who are first learning about the work of S/R professionals. RIVETING! Reviewer: A reader from Northeast, USA In her follow-up to READY, The Training of a Search and Rescue Dog, Susan Bulanda has created a fascinating book filled with accounts of search and rescue missions by the people who experienced them. In story after story, richly detailed accounts not only provide information that will be helpful to those doing search and rescue but will intrigue the rest of us who read newspaper accounts and listen to TV reports of dogs being used to search for someone and wonder how they do that. This book answers that question and so much more. READY TO SERVE, READY TO SAVE is a MUST READ.
	The Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen : A Definitive Study was a tough job. It seemed everything that could go wrong did go wrong and with everyone involved in this project. The cover artist quit on the print broker halfway through the job, the next artist's computer caught a virus and she lost everything, the original editor was inexperienced, and layout was difficult due to the older pictures. But everyone gutted it through and this turned out to be a very well-received book. My level of involvement was to come behind the original editor, scan and touch up the pictures, perform the layout, and create an index.
Some reviews: (From Amazon.com) A "must" for owners, trainers, and breeders., March 4, 2000 Reviewer: Midwest Book Review from Oregon, Wisconsin Valerie Link and Linda Skerritt have collaborated to write the definitive reference book on the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen. Based on their painstaking and meticulous research into the background and breeding of this superb French Hunting Hound (which is quickly becoming widely accepted in both America and Britain), The Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen: A Definitive Study is a benchmark publication and clearly qualifies as the reference standard on the breed, and the indispensable guide for PGBV owners, aspiring owners, breeders, and dog show judges.
	Last Assignment by Steve Herman. Steve is an American journalist living in Japan. He's written a novel based loosely on his travels and personal experiences. What started out as a project to give to friends and relatives as Christmas presents has turned into a fascinating and exciting read. The main character is caught in a tryst with a Chinese woman and promptly exiled from Communist China (yes, this sort of thing really does happen). He believes he's been framed and sets out to find who it was that did it. It's an intriguing read that shows a lot of the Far East as the main character travels from China to Japan to the U.S. to Japan to the Philippines and other places. This book is currently not available for sale. November, 2000.
Some reviews: “Steven Herman’s characters and plots are fiction. But while no woman ever stalked me from New York, I can confirm with enthusiasm that Herman’s report on the adventures of a foreign correspondent in East Asia mirrors the true stuff. I was a United Press International report, editor, and executive in Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines, Hong Kong, and New York from 1952 to 1985, and memories of real people, scenes, and events flooded back while I read Last Assignment.” – Albert E. Kaff, writing in Overseas Press Club Bulletin, June 2001 issue. “Steven brings a unique voice and his world-traveling experience to his writing, having spent half his adult life in Asia.” – Don Fitzpatrick in ShopTalk, the Internet daily newsletter for the TV news industry. (From Amazon.com) Great Book! Thoroughly Enjoyable!, May 24, 2001 Reviewer: K. Davenport from Oregon I have just had the pleasure of reading "Last Assignment" by Steven Herman. I found it to be worlds above the usual, run-of-the-mill novels that seem to be currently flooding the market.
	How Willy got his Wings by Deborah Turner and Diana Mohler is the continuing adventures of little Willy. It teaches children the importance of facing up to your fears and remembering that with a little belief, you can conquer anything. Spring 2003.
Upcoming Books
(No Cover Image Available Yet)	The Mud Princess by W.M. Thorsson is a wonderful book for children (and adults!) of all ages. It will show the importance of a person's inner self and also accepting people for who they are. It is presented in fairy tale style. This book is currently not available for sale. Expected release date: Spring, 2004.