Papst smears the competition — “Capital Murder” leads Sunbury Press bestsellers

Sunbury Press has released the bestsellers list for April, 2015. Chris Papst’s expose on the financial collapse of Harrisburg, Capital Murder, took the top spot., followed by the Bethel AME church history Along the Bethel Trail.Flying Pants, by Lola James, claimed the third spot.

SUNBURY PRESS – Bestsellers for April, 2015 (by Revenue)
Rank	Last Month	Title	Author	Category
1	23	Capital Murder	Chris Papst	Investigation
2	NEW	Along the Bethel Trail	Friends of Bethel AME	History
3	—	Flying Pants	Lola James	Childrens
4	—	As the Paint Dries	Carrie Wissler-Thomas	History
5	16	Call Sign Dracula	Joe Fair	War Memoir
6	26	Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last	Mike Campbell	History
7	NEW	The B Team	Alan Mindell	Sports Fiction
8	—	Rising Hope	Marie Sontag	Historical Fiction
9	25	The Wolf of Britannia, Part I	Jess Steven Hughes	Historical Fiction
10	24	Jesus the Phoenician	Karim El Koussa	Religious History
11	—	There Is Something About Rough & Ready	Lawrence Knorr et al	History
12	5	Rising Sun Descending	Wade Fowler	Thriller Fiction
13	18	Pit Bulls	Anthony Julian	History
14	NEW	Keystone Tombstones Anthracite Region	Farrell and Farley	Biography
15	NEW	Keystone Tombstones Susquehanna Valley	Farrell and Farley	Biography
16	8	The Complete Story of the Worldwide Invasion of the Orange Orbs	Terry Ray	Paranormal
17	9	The Sign of the Eagle	Jess Steven Hughes	Historical Fiction
18	—	Indian Villages and Place Names in Pennsylvania	George Donehoo	History
19	—	Freemasons at Gettysburg	Sheldon Munn	History
20	—	The Wolf of Britannia, Part II	Jess Steven Hughes	Historical Fiction
21	1	H Is for Hershey	Heather Paterno	Childrens
22	12	Winter of the Metal People	Dennis Herrick	Historical Fiction
23	30	That Night at Surigao	M Ernest Marshall	History
24	3	The Fossils of Blackberry Hill	Kenneth Gass	Paleontology
25	—	Bows, Bullets, and Bears	John L. Moore	History
26	—	Pioneers, Prisoners, and Peace Pipes	John L. Moore	History
27	—	Forts, Forests, and Flintlocks	John L. Moore	History
28	—	Cannons, Cattle, and Campfires	John L. Moore	History
29	—	Traders, Travelers, and Tomahawks	John L. Moore	History
30	—	Rivers, Raiders, and Renegades	John L. Moore	History

April has been a historically weak month for Sunbury Press. The company had its 2nd best April ever. YTD Sales are up 77% from last year. Hardcover books have grown to a 36% share of sales. EBooks have now slipped to less than 3.9% of sales. Trade paperbacks remain steady at 54%.

Chris Papst’s Capital Murder grabbed the top spot thanks to advance sales and author activity. Along the Bethel Trail, by the Friends of the Bethel AME, was also helped by advance sales. Lola James’s childrens book Flying Pants soared to #3 due to author events. Carrie Wissler-Thomas’s As the Paint Dries was boosted to #4 by ongoing sales at the Art Association of Harrisburg. Call Sign Dracula, the Vietnam memoir by Joe Fair, continued to chart at #5 thanks to steady sales in bookstores. Mike Campbell’s Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last, soared to #6, up 20 spots, thanks to ongoing interest in the lost aviatrix. Alan Mindell’s new horse racing novel, The B Team, debuted at #7 thanks to support from his reader base. Rising Hope, Marie Sontag’s first volume in the Warsaw Rising Trilogy, charted at #8 due to author activities. Jess Steven Hughes nabbed 3 spots: #9 with The Wolf of Britannia Part I, #17 with The Sign of the Eagle, and #20 with The Wolf of Britannia Part II. Hughes benefitted from multiple books at his regular bookstore events. Karim El Koussa’s Jesus the Phoenician rose to #10 from combined sales of the paperback, ebook, and hardcover editions. There Is Something about Rough and Ready, by Lawrence Knorr, Steve Troutman, Elaine Moran, Cindy Baum, Christine Hipple, and Jeanne Adams returned to the rankings at #11 thanks to sales in the Rough & Ready area. Wade Fowler’s novel Rising Sun Descending slipped to #12 the month after his Sunbury Press Store event. Anthony Julian’s ever-present Pit Bulls moved up a few spots to #13 because of ongoing interest in the subject matter. The Joes, Farrell and Farley, grabbed numbers 14 & 15 due to regional interest in with two of their newly-released books: Keystone Tombstones Anthracite Region and Keystone Tombstones Susquehanna Valley. Terry Ray’s popular The Complete Story of the Worldwide Invasion of the Orange Orbs stayed on the chart at #16 thanks to ongoing interest in the UFO phenomenom. George Donehoo’s classic Indian Villages and Place Names in Pennsylvania joined the rankings at #18 due to sales in the up state. Sheldon Munn’s Freemasons at Gettysburg climbed to #19 due to orders from Gettysburg retailers in advance of Memorial Day. Heather Paterno’s H Is for Hershey slipped to #21 following her event at the Hershey Historical Society. Dennis Herrick maintained #22, slipping 10 spots, with his Winter of the Metal People. The book is popular in New Mexico. Ernie Marshall’s That Night at Surigao climbed 7 spots to #23 thanks to interest in the last fight between battleships in WW2. Kenneth Gass’s The Fossils of Blackberry Hill preserved #24 thanks to author activities. John L. Moore grabbed the remaining spots #’s 25 to 30 with 6 of the 8 books in his Frontier Pennsylvania Series: Bows, Bullets, and Bears, Pioneers, Prisoners, and Peace Pipes, Forts, Forests, and Flintlocks, Cannons, Cattle, and Campfires, Traders, Travelers, and Tomahawks, and Rivers, Raiders, and Renegades.

The company released nine new titles during the month of April.

SUNBURY PRESS – New Releases for April, 2015
Charlie Caw	Paul Argentini	YA Fiction
Capital Murder	Chris Papst	Investigation
Keystone Tombstones Philadelphia Region	Farrell and Farley	Biography
Along the Bethel Trail	Friends of Bethel AME	History
The Fossils of Blackberry Hill	Kenneth Gass	Paleontology
Keystone Tombstones Susquehanna Valley	Farrell and Farley	Biography
The B Team	Alan Mindell	Sports Fiction
Keystone Tombstones Anthracite Region	Farrell and Farley	Biography
The Best of Keystone Tombstones	Farrell and Farley	Biography

For a list of Sunbury’s best-sellers, please see the Sunbury Press web site:
http://www.sunburypressstore.com/BESTSELLERS_c3.htm
For a complete list of recent and upcoming releases, please see:
http://www.sunburypressstore.com/COMING-SOON_c47.htm

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Children’s Trifecta — Solomon Screech Owl and Flying Pants take off — Sunbury Press bestsellers

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — Sunbury Press has released the bestsellers list for January, 2015. The late Beth Lancione’s Solomon Screen Owl Goes to the Galapagos was #1, followed by  Solomon Screech Owl’s First Flight. Lola James claimed the third spot with Flying Pants. All were childrens books benefitting from Children’s Day at the Sunbury Press Store.

About Solomon Screech Owl Goes to the Galapagos:
In the second of Solomon Screech Owl’s stories, Sollie travels, with help from some whales, to the Galapagos Islands, where he meets birds that seem very different from himself. As he gets to know them better, he comes to understand that they all have more in common than he first thought.

About the author & illustrator:
Beth and Kathy, with their husbands Mel Lancione and Gary Haney, visited the Galapagos Islands in 2005 and saw, at very close range, all of the fascinating creatures that Sollie encounters in this book.

Beth said, “A fellow traveler once told me, ‘If you go only one place in your life, go to Galapagos.’ I agree. I’ve been to many other places, but Galapagos is my favorite. I definitely wanted to show Sollie, and all of our readers, the wonders of these special, unique islands.”

Kathy said, “The Galapagos Islands are home to some of the earth’s unique birds and animals. There are few places in the world where you can have an upclose and personal interaction with wild creatures.

The Blue-Footed Boobies captured our imaginations, along with the iguanas, tortoises, and many other birds. We want to share our love of Galapagos with you.”

SUNBURY PRESS – Bestsellers for January, 2015 (by Revenue)
Rank	Last Month	Title	Author	Category
1	—	Solomon Screech Owl Goes to the Galapagos	Beth Lancione	Childrens
2	—	Solomon Screech Owl’s First Flight	Beth Lancione	Childrens
3	—	Flying Pants	Lola James	Childrens
4	4	As the Paint Dries	Carrie Wissler-Thomas	Art History
5	—	Jesus the Phoenician	Karim El Koussa	Relgious History
6	—	Shadows in the Shining City	John Cressler	Historical Fiction
7	2	Geology of the Mahanoy, Mahantongo and Lykens Valleys	Steve Troutman	Earth History
8	9	Call Sign Dracula	Joe Fair	War Memoir
9	11	Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last	Mike Campbell	History
10	NEW	Beagle Tales 5	Bob Ford	Pet Humor
11	—	Petrified	Tanya Reimer	YA Fiction
12	1	Pit Bulls	Anthony Julian	History
13	—	Going Home	Sharon Marchisello	Thriller Fiction
14	18	Winter of the Metal People	Dennis Herrick	Historical Fiction
15	—	Emeralds of the Alhambra	John Cressler	HIstorical Fiction
16	3	Visions of Teaoga	Jim Remsen	YA Fiction
17	—	The Trevorton, Mahanoy and Susquehanna Railroad	Steve Troutman	History
18	—	Tulpehocken Trail Traces	Steve Troutman	History
19	—	The Phoenician Code	Karim El Koussa	Action Adventure
20	—	Whimsy and Wry	Guy Graybill	Literary Fiction

Sunbury Press had its best January ever, up nearly 3x from last January, and 4.5% from December. It was the first time in 5 years that January sales topped December. Hardcover books grabbed the top 4 spots in the bestseller rankings, dominated by the Children’s category. Trade paperback sales were double hardcover sales, and remain the most popular format. EBooks have slipped to third, amounting to only 5% of all sales. Hardcover sales were over 6x the eBook sales. EBook sales were up over last month, however, by nearly 20% thanks to price increases implemented after Christmas.

The three children’s books were helped by the standing-room only Children’s Day event at the Sunbury Press Store — more successful than the 10th Anniversary Party with Keith Rommel, Brahm Gallagher, and Bang. Ten Percent of all sales from that day were donated to help the Lanciones following the death of Beth, the author of the Solomon Screech Owl series, and her husband Mel. As the Paint Dries, Carrie Wissler-Thomas’s history of the Art Association of Harrisburg, co-authored by Michael Barton, held at #4 due to demand at the Art Association. Karim El Koussa’s Jesus the Phoenician(#5) and The Phoenician Code (#19) took two spots on the list due to export orders to Lebanon. John Cressler’s due, Shadows in the Shining City and Emeralds of the Alhambra grabbed #6 and #15 due to author events. Steve Troutman’s Geology of the Mahanoy, Mahantongo and Lykens Valleysheld at #7 thanks to author activities. Troutman also charted at #17 with The Trevorton, Mahanoy, and Mahantongo Railroad and #18 with Tulpehocken Trail Traces. Joe Fair’s Vietnam memoir Call Sign Dracula climbed the rankings to #8 thanks to author appearances. Mike Campbell’s Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last inched up to #9 due to continued national media attention for the search for the aviatrix’s plane. Beagle Tales 5 debuted at #10 thanks to Bob Ford’s following. Petrified, the YA novel by Canadian Tanya Reimer, returned to the chart at #11 thanks to sales north of the border. Tony Julian’s Pit Bulls, available in both trade paperback and hardcover, slipped to #12 following a strong Christmas showing. Sharon Marchisello’s Going Home grabbed lucky #13 thanks to sales in the Southland in advance of her events. Winter of the Metal People, by Dennis Herrick, moved up to #14 thanks to author activities. Jim Remsen’s Visions of Teaga slipped to #16. Guy Graybill’s Whimsy and Wry rounded out the list, thanks to author activities.

The company released five new titles during the month of January

SUNBURY PRESS – New Releases for January, 2015
Malaformed Realities Volume 1	Thomas Malafarina	Thriller Fiction
Beagle Tales 5	Bob Ford	Pet Humor
Courting Doubt and Darkness	J. M. West	Thriller Fiction
The Bookseller’s Secret	Catherine Jordan	Thriller Fiction
How to Achieve Peace of Mind	Dorsman & Davis	Mindfulness

For a list of Sunbury’s best-sellers, please see the Sunbury Press web site:
http://www.sunburypressstore.com/BESTSELLERS_c3.htm
For a complete list of recent and upcoming releases, please see:
http://www.sunburypressstore.com/COMING-SOON_c47.htm

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Nine year-old author releases her first book!

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — Sunbury Press has released the humorous adventure “Flying Pants” by Lola James.

About the Book:
Flying Pants is a whimsical story about a magic potion gone awry and the pants that got away.

About the Author:
Lola James is 9 years old and lives in a small town in Pennsylvania. She enjoys writing, drawing, soccer, and spending time with her family and friends. She is also the youngest member of a local knitters group, and an honor student. When she grows up she would like to be an art teacher or a fashion designer. She wrote the book Flying Pants when she was 8 years old. Lola jotted down a few sketches with words on them and showed her mother who laughed so hard at how funny it was. Lola and her mother took the little book to her art teacher and they worked hard on making it into a real book that others could enjoy.

Flying Pants
Authored and illustrated by Lola James
List Price: $19.95
8.5″ x 8.5″ (21.60 x 21.60 cm)
Color on White paper
26 pages (hardcover)
Sunbury Press, Inc.
ISBN-13: 978-1620065440
BISAC: Childrens / Humor

For more information, please see:
http://www.sunburypressstore.com/Flying-Pants-97816200654…

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