As Bob Hines imbued his wildlife subjects with vitality in his artwork, John D. Juriga brings life to Hines’s remarkable talent and career in his captivating biography, Bob Hines: National Wildlife Artist. Hines, a gifted self-taught artist, found his calling during the darkness of the Great Depression, turning to art as a means of sharing the richness in nature’s beauty.

His career brought him from designing the 1946 Federal Duck Stamp to joining the US Fish and Wildlife Service where he managed the competition for over thirty years, earning him the nickname of ”Mr. Duck Stamp Contest.” His collaboration with Rachel Carson and other luminaries placed him on the cusp of the environmental movement in the United States.

Celebrating the centennial of Hines’s birth, this richly illustrated volume will appeal to wildlife enthusiasts and Duck Stamp collectors alike, as well as those interested in the history of conservation in the United States.

April Michelle Davis copyedited this manuscript, preparing it for the author to be self-published. The manuscript was reviewed at the clause level, checking thematic organization at paragraph and sentence levels and checking for consistencies, errors, and omissions. Included was basic spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, and word usage.

You and Your Military Hero helps children learn positive coping skills during a loved one’s deployment. A friendly dog named Flipp guides the child on a journey toward positive thinking. Flipp encourages children to appreciate the moment even during challenging times. By practicing the activities in this book, children develop coping competencies that they can apply throughout their lifetimes.

April Michelle Davis proofread this manuscript before it was published. In the editing process, proofreading is the last step before a manuscript is published. The value of proofreading is to ensure consistency and eliminate egregious errors. April Michelle’s years of experience, knowledge of the English language,  and understanding of the Chicago Manual of Style shined through as she brought this manuscript to be published-ready.

 

Alcoholism and Catholicism: both are paradoxes. They capture life and death. Joy and suffering. Faith and doubt. Compassion and abuse. Death and resurrection.

In this inspiring autobiographical work, Annetta Sutton takes her readers on a journey of pure redemption. Through the alcohol abuse present in her family, marriage, and career, Annetta bore witness to the disease’s devastating wrath. Yet, she chose to be an instrument of peace, to guide others in rising from the ashes. Told through vignettes of her life, Annetta’s interactions with addiction touch on themes of abuse, sexual violence, diversity of faith, parenting and families, and much more. Catholic Alcoholic: A Witness to Addiction and Redemption is a testament to the might and perseverance of the human spirit.

April Michelle Davis spent a week proofreading this book immediately before publication. This is usually performed on a manuscript that has already been through developmental or copyediting and has already been laid out by a designer into page proofs. It provides a last review of egregious errors, such as basic grammar, punctuation, spelling, and inconsistencies, and any other errors that were inserted during the design process.

Local cartoonist Bob Schweikhardt’s Bird Dogs Lightly Done is 108 pages of cartoons, quirks, and stories of hunting dogs and more. Back in the 1940s, a boy who liked to draw rode his bike down to the Gambles store, plunked down a hard-earned forty-seven cents, and bought a box of 16-gauge shotgun shells. He borrowed his older brother’s English Setter (and his double barrel) and went bird hunting. He was hooked.

April Michelle Davis copyedited this manuscript, which is the last step in the editing process and the last time the manuscript will be reviewed before being laid out by the book designer. April Michelle’s experience and skill at correcting grammatical and stylistic errors helped to professionally prepare this manuscript for printing, and they also reflect her credibility with the author, publisher, and future readers.

Follow Big Brother’s lifetime interest in wheels as he explores beyond the comfortable boundaries of his family farm, rolling through neighboring towns, then nearby states, and finally all across the United States, he drives everything from a tricycle to a forklift. His love of wheels is more than a boyish hobby—it’s a ticket to the whole country.

But Big Brother carries another love with him through all his zipping and zooming: his family. He shares his passion with his brothers and sisters, and every adventure circles back to the ones he loves. With a new vehicle on every page, Big Brother Has Wheels will entertain kids hungering for wheels of their own. Young readers can follow Big Brother’s travels as he grows into each new set of wheels, while grown-ups will appreciate details that recall their own childhoods.

April Michelle Davis proofread this children’s book, helping to prepare it for young readers full of adventure!