LESBIAN FICTION Publisher, Bywater Books, Celebrates 10th Anniversary!

Bywater Books Celebrates a Decade of Publishing Ann Arbor, Michigan, April 1, 2014 Bywater Books, the award-winning publisher of quality lesbian writing, celebrates a decade in the book industry and the receipt of its 20th prize for literary merit.

Bywater publishes approximately six books per year, both literary and commercial fiction for lesbians and all readers who desire fresh, distinctive voices coupled with captivating plots. Bywater has published 32 original works of fiction, 21 of which – or 66% -- have either won or have been shortlisted for awards. Its books are carried by all major distributors worldwide.

"Bywater Books has been a pillar in lesbian and independent publishing for a decade with a remarkable roster of authors who thrill us, move us, make us laugh, make us think, and most importantly, make us want to keep reading,” said Tony Valenzuela, Executive Director of the Lambda Literary Foundation. “Congratulations to Bywater for 10 great years of publishing!"

Bywater was founded in 2004 and is owned by Kelly Smith, founder of Bella Books and former owner of A Woman's Prerogative bookstore in Michigan; award-winning author Marianne K. Martin; and best-selling mystery writer Val McDermid. Michele Karlsberg of Karlsberg Marketing and Management, founder of Amethyst Press and winner of the Publishing Triangle Leadership Award, took on the role of marketing director in 2009 and became publisher in 2012.

As part of the celebration, Bywater will publish Tangled Roots, the prequel to the first book it published, the ground-breaking novel Under the Witness Tree by Marianne K. Martin. Under the Witness Tree was a Lambda Literary Award finalist. Author Katherine V. Forrest said “Marianne K. Martin achieves new heights with this lovingly researched and intelligent novel.”

Bywater is also announcing the opening of its annual Bywater Prize for Fiction, which awards $1,000 and publication to a novel-length work of merit.

“We’re committed to bringing the best of contemporary lesbian writing to our avid readers,” said Editor-in Chief Smith. “Our editorial team is dedicated to finding and developing outstanding writers who create books you won’t want to put down. We’ve already discovered amazing writers like Jill Malone, Sally Bellerose, and Hilary Sloin through the Bywater Prize and I’m excited to find the next fresh voice.”

For more information on the Bywater Prize for Fiction and Bywater Books, go to www.bywaterbooks.com.

Janis Ian to Record New Audio Book "When Women Were Warriors"

Guffey, CO, July 21, 2013– Dog Ear Audio is proud to announce that Janis Ian, singer, songwriter, author, multiple Grammy and Audie Award winner, will be narrating Book 1 of the highly acclaimed trilogy by Catherine M. Wilson, “When Women Were Warriors”.

“When Women Were Warriors” is an amazing piece of writing. The story is mesmerizing and to have
the incomparable Janis Ian narrate Book 1, is equally wonderful.’ states Karen Wolfer, owner and
founder of Dog Ear Audio.

"All the women of my family had gone to war... Now my turn had come...So it is the custom that a free woman leave her mother's house to bind herself and those of her blood to a neighboring clan, either by the sword or by the cradle." So begins the story of young Tamras, as she embarks on her journey to become a warrior's apprentice. But this epic story is not about battles and armor, but rather about relationships, coming of age and wisdom, and deep insights into the human experience.

Janis Ian had originally posted this review on Amazon.com: “On vacation with my trusty Kindle, I read through it in two days and was so taken with the characters that I ordered the second and third in the series.” She gave it five stars and the author took note. A few years later, the two met after one of Ian’s concert appearances. Says the singer “I was so excited to meet her, I blurted out ‘Hey, I just won a Grammy for “Best Spoken Word – Society’s Child”, and I’m looking for more narration work, if you ever want to make an audiobook....”

The author, Catherine M. Wilson is thrilled that Janis will be handling the narration duties: “I admire Janis both as an artist and as a person. Her remarkable career and personal history make her the ideal narrator for the story of Tamras, the reluctant hero." As Catherine says of her book, “…the hero’s journey is the story of a person finding her own path through life. By doing so, she encourages us all to live our own unique lives as fully as we can. But just like the rest of us, Tamras pays a price for going her own way, and one of the things that make her a hero is her ability and her willingness to pay that price.”

In the spirit of creative independence, Dog Ear Audio will be utilizing Kickstarter, the popular crowd-funding organization whose purpose is,”…to help bring creative projects to life.” Backers support the “dream to create something that they want to see exist in the world.” Once we reach our goal, a percentage of any extra funds will be donated to the Pearl Foundation (www.PearlFoundation.com). The Pearl Foundation was created by Janis in honor of her mother. “Knowledge is the greatest gift one can offer”, the website states, and its purpose is to offer scholarships to students who have been away from school for five years or more.

The direct Kickstarter link is: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1851755083/when-women-were-warriors-book-1-audio-book-product And to stay connected to this project, ‘Like’ Dog Ear Audio on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DogEarAudio.

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