AUSTIN, TEXAS / AGILITYPR.NEWS / December 20, 2021 / Kirkus Reviews honors Bruce McCandless for both fiction and nonfiction titles in annual list of best indie books
Author Bruce McCandless III received the rare honor of having multiple titles appear in Kirkus Reviews’ Best Indie Books of 2021. The December 15th issue of the popular book industry trade magazine included McCandless’s July nonfiction work, Wonders All Around: The Incredible True Story of Astronaut Bruce McCandless II and the First Untethered Flight in Space, and September’s In the Land of Dead Horses (both titles from Greenleaf Book Group Press).
“I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news,” McCandless said. “The recognition is wonderful, but the best part is knowing that my work resonates with readers. Writing can be a thankless endeavor, and you never expect for something like this to happen. I set out to tell stories, and I’m so grateful to Kirkus and everyone else who reads them.”
Wonders All Around tells the story of McCandless’s father, the subject of one of the most iconic photographs in American history. Millions recognize the image of McCandless II floating in outer space, and the book offers a thoroughly engrossing history of McCandless II’s career with NASA and his contributions to America’s space program. Kirkus calls it, “an absorbing testament to perseverance in pursuit of empyrean ambition” and “a fine evocation of the NASA experience—in the sky and on Earth.”
In the Land of Dead Horses chronicles Texas Ranger Jewel Lightfoot’s pursuit of a resurrected horror from another age—a manifestation of the Mayan god of darkness, unearthed from its subterranean crypt on the outskirts of the Chihuahuan Desert and set loose on an unsuspecting world. Set against the backdrop of Central and West Texas in 1908, McCandless weaves a rich tapestry of culture, mythology, and blood-curdling mayhem.
Kirkus describes In the Land of Dead Horses as "a paranormal whodunit that offers a gripping battle between good and evil."
“Everyone at Greenleaf is proud to see Bruce earn two coveted spots on the list,” said Corrin Foster, Director of Marketing at Greenleaf Book Group. “And to have two titles that show such range as a writer–a family biography and a genre-bending work of fiction–is truly a testament to Bruce’s talent.”
Visit www.BruceMcCandless.com to learn more about Bruce McCandless III’s writing and pick up your copies of Wonders All Around and In the Land of Dead Horses.
About the Author:
Bruce McCandless III is the author of the Amazon bestseller Wonders All Around: The Incredible True Story of Astronaut Bruce McCandless II and the First Free Flight in Space, a memoir released in July of 2021 and tabbed as one of Men’s Journal’s Best Books of 2021. Set against the backdrop of NASA and the Space Race, Wonders All Around is first and foremost a relationship story about a family caught up in a father's ambitions, disappointments, and struggle for professional redemption.
Dubbed Austin’s Poet Laureate in 2000 by the Austin American-Statesman, Bruce has published poems, stories, and essays in The Seattle Review, The Asian Wall Street Journal, Pleiades, Bayou, and other journals. He is also the author of the novels Sour Lake and The Black Book of Cyrenaica, as well as a modern fairy tale for pre-teens called Beatrice and the Basilisk.
With his daughter Carson, he wrote Carson Clare's Trail Guide to Avoiding Death (And Other Unpleasant Consequences), a book of poems for middle-schoolers that Indie Reader gave a perfect 5.0 score and that Kirkus Reviews calls an "amusing and friendly handbook" with "delightful verse and surprisingly useful tips."
More about Greenleaf Book Group
Greenleaf Book Group is an independent publisher and distributor located in Austin, Texas, dedicated to empowering authors. Greenleaf’s hybrid publishing model is uniquely positioned to offer the benefits of both traditional publishing and self-publishing. To learn more about Greenleaf, visit www.greenleafbookgroup.com.
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