September 07 , 2014
YA fiction takes top spots -- Sunbury Press bestsellers for August 2014
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. -- Sunbury Press has released the bestsellers list for August, 2014. Jim Remsen's young adult novel Visions of Teaoga was #1.
About Visions of Teaoga
The year is 1790 and Queen Esther, a notorious American Indian matriarch, travels under cover to observe a U.S.-Iroquois summit at the ancient Teaoga treaty grounds. Will she be able to pass on her wisdom – and warnings – to the Indian villagers before the hostile settlers discover her in their midst? Will troubled native girl Sisketung awaken to Esther’s truths and see how wrong-headed the brash settler girl Sarah was?
Moving two centuries forward, restless tweener Maddy Winter also visits Teaoga, now a quiet riverfront town on the Pennsylvania-New York border. She tunes in to the region’s dramatic lost history and soon encounters spirits in the wind. As she gains in wisdom, Maddy longs to take on Esther’s mantle of the “peace woman,” but will she find the courage to do right in her own life?
Drawing richly from the historical record, Visions of Teaogacaptures a world in upheaval. Readers sit at a native story circle and learn of the tensions and treachery besetting the Eastern frontier. As Maddy and her modern-day compatriots enter the story, they ponder how our history was recorded and by whom. The book is a perfect companion for middle-school history classes, with discussion questions and other supplemental materials provided on the author’s website, www.jimremsen.com.
| SUNBURY PRESS - Bestsellers for August, 2014 (by Revenue) | ||||
| Rank | Last Month | Title | Author | Category |
| 1 | NEW | Visions of Teaoga | Jim Remsen | YA Fiction |
| 2 | - | The Piano Bed | Anne Marie Drew | YA Fiction |
| 3 | - | Remember the Sun | Melanie Simms | Poetry |
| 4 | NEW | Going Home | Susan Marchisello | Thriller Fiction |
| 5 | - | What to Do about Mama? | Matthews & Blank | Self-Help |
| 6 | 14 | Pit Bulls | Anthony Julian | History |
| 7 | NEW | Petrified | Tanya Reimer | YA Fiction |
| 8 | 12 | Jesus the Phoenician | Karim El Koussa | History |
| 9 | - | Shadows in the Shining City | John Cressler | Historical Fiction |
| 10 | 6 | Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last | Mike Campbell | History |
| 11 | 5 | The Closer | Alan Mindell | Sports Fiction |
| 12 | - | Pythagoras | Karim El Koussa | Historical Fiction |
| 13 | - | The Phoenician Code | Karim El Koussa | Action Adventure |
| 14 | NEW | The Voice in my Ear | Ken Newman | Action Adventure |
| 15 | NEW | Dying for Vengeance | J . M. West | Thriller Fiction |
| 16 | - | The Sign of the Eagle | Jess Steven Hughes | Historical Fiction |
| 17 | - | Pit Bulls II | Anthony Julian | History |
| 18 | - | Fatal Snow | Robert Walton | Action Adventure |
| 19 | 1 | The Cursed Man | Keith Rommel | Thriller Fiction |
| 20 | 4 | The Lurking Man | Keith Rommel | Thriller Fiction |
Sunbury Press closed out its best August ever. Sales more than doubled last year's August. Year-to-Date, sales are up nearly 15%. Trade paperbacks led the way with a 20% year-to-date gain. Ebooks are down over 20% year-over-year. Hardcovers, reintroduced by the company in June, were nearly double eBook sales in August. Since June, hardcover sales have caught up to eBook sales. There is a clear trend for readers preferring print over digital platforms. Nook content sales fell over 50% in August. Is the end near?
Jim Remsen's Visions of Teaga was boosted by author activities. Anne Marie Drew's The Piano Bed was helped by author activities and an Amazon promotion. The poetry book about Sunbury, Remember the Sun, by Melanie Simms charted high thanks to author radio appearances. Sharon Marchisello's Going Home grabbed the clean-up spot due to author activities. What to Do about Mama by "The Barbs" returned to the list buoyed by their recent network TV appearance. Anthony Julian's Pit Bulls I & II continued to draw interest among dog enthusiasts. Tanya Reimer's Petrified performed very well thanks to interest in Canada and feedback concerning the cover design. Karim El Koussa had a hat trick with Jesus the Phoenician, Pythagoas, and The Phoenician Code all charting thanks to an export order to Lebanon. John Cressler's Shadows in the Shining City returned to the list due to anticipation about his appearance at the Decatur Book Festival. Mike Campbell's Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last held at #11 due to advance orders for his appearance before the 99's in Wichita, Kansas. Alan Mindell's The Closer stayed on the chart thanks to sales in the San Diego area. Ken Newman's The Voice in My Ear was helped by author activities. J. M. West's Dying for Vengeance charted despite only a couple days on sale due to interest in the Carlisle, PA area. Jess Steven Hughes' The Sign of the Eagle returned to the rankings as a result of author bookstore appearances. Robert Walton's Fatal Snow was helped by sales at Bob's Bagels. Keith Rommel's The Cursed Man & The Lurking Man clung to the last two spots due to sales at Rocky's Ace Hardware.
The company released eight new titles during the month of August:
| SUNBURY PRESS – New Releases for August, 2014 | ||
| Petrified | Tanya Reimer | YA Fiction |
| A Pale Horse & 40 Other Tales | Joe Tarone | Short Stories |
| Visions of Teaoga | Jim Remsen | YA Fiction |
| Going Home | Susan Marchisello | Thriller Fiction |
| How I Got Into Hollywood | Rommel & Knorr | Self-Help |
| The Voice in my Ear | Ken Newman | Action Adventure |
| Dying for Vengeance | J . M. West | Thriller Fiction |
| The Ghost Sisters and the Girl in Hallway B | Patricia Marcantonio | YA Fiction |