Buy Indie
Where to find even more great indie books by Substack authors
Works are categorized by genre. Within each category, they are alphabetized by author. If applicable, sub-genres are listed beside works. For details about a specific work, refer to product information on a vendor's website. The Library is not responsible for the content contained in links. We earn nothing from your clicks or purchases.
(N) Novel / (NA) Novella/ (NT) Novelette / (B) Nonfiction Book/ (S) Short Fiction Collection/ (P) Poetry Collection/ (GN) Graphic Novel/ (CB) Comic Book
Looking for more ways to support indie authors? Check out this curated list of Substack authors and their books from The Storyletter (affiliate link). With each purchase, you support indie writers, artists, publishers and creators:
Contemporary
Lilies Bloom, Lies Fester | C. Elyse | Chick Lit (NA)
All families are dysfunctional. In consequence, the distance between truth and fiction is marked and marred by habits of discretion, and birth order. But what happens when secrets coveted and shared by and between family, the people worthy of trust, begin to weigh down perceptions and distort the space between truth and the context of the damage caused? The youngest of four, Adeena McGoine, is fiercely independent, resilient, and anxious as she travels cross country to visit her ailing oldest sister. What will she learn about family? Can Adeena truly go home again? When do collective efforts to protect the innocent become overshadowed by pretense? Will this trip forever change Adeena’s perception of the truth? Lilies Bloom, Lies Fester is a contemporary novella about habits of discretion, birth order, and the damage caused by the secrets coveted and shared between family members.
Double Decker | Chris J. Franklin | Urban Fiction (NT) Amazon UK
On the morning of a strike by London Tube workers, a man finds himself left with no choice but to commute by bus where he ends up next to an irritating passenger he soon becomes determined to silence - by any means necessary...
Woman of Valor | Lynne Golodner | Contemporary Fiction (N)
Sally Lieberman chose to become an Orthodox Jew in her twenties because it was comforting, calming and full of community and family. It didn’t hurt that religious observance brought her to the man of her dreams—her patient, sexy husband, Barry. Ten years in, Sally has everything she ever wanted, a passionate marriage with three children and a best friend she can count on. She loves everything about her chosen life. Until her son is abused at school, and she’s shocked by her husband’s response. That’s when Sally’s first love finds her online and wants her back—something she dreamed about long before she became a religious wife. It would be easy to abandon the community that is abandoning her—but she’s not the same person she was when she first fell in love with John. Sally is caught between two worlds. Can she give up the life she’s built with Barry? Experience the sensory-rich, food-filled Orthodox community of Skokie, Illinois in WOMAN OF VALOR, and step inside Sally Lieberman's loving family along with her often-difficult, yet surprisingly-inspiring way of life—even when everything seems stacked against her. Ask yourself what you would do if you had a second-chance with your first love.
Cray Cray Nayshun | John Omaha | Comedy (N)
Cray Cray Nayshun exposes the essence of America today as the lead character, the stand-up comedian Barry Wild, uncovers truths about himself. The novel follows Wild on an eleven-city circuit of the United States called the Cray Cray Nayshun Tour. Wild draws his shtick from psychotherapy and psychology. Each of the novel's chapters begins with Wild appearing at a comedy club in a different state. The themes differ from state to state. As he tours, Wild meets or encounters people with different forms of craziness. The format provides a structure for observations on the cities, their history, their people, and the evolving tragedy of the American experiment.
Till Death Do Us Part | Melonie Shelton | Adult Fiction (NA)
Falling in love is exciting and full of expectations. First marriage, then the baby. You know, the girls' fantasies and dreams. Susan had high expectations. She knew nothing would be perfect, but that was her goal. John, Susan and their baby, living the dream. The dream was not supposed to include another woman or the early death of their child. Their daughter, Rachel, was supposed to be with them forever. The goal of perfection ended. Accidental death, court proceedings, suicide, and depression didn’t mix well. Susan’s dreams were shattered. She thought she would never have her life back or any dreams. They say that things happen for a reason. Susan never wanted to think there was a good reason for anything that she had experienced. They also say love is blind. Dying inside, how could love ever come back in her life? Love sweep’s Susan off her feet. Unexpected love, true love fills her heart. She feels undeserving, but allows him in.
Literary
Of Pisco and Peru | Randy Duke | Literary, comedic/gonzo travelogue (N)
OF PISCO AND PERU is a 'Fear and Loathing in Lima' meets 'Heart of Darkness' gonzo travelogue. On the advice of his booze-addled life coach, ne'er-do-well Doug ghosts his job and heads to Peru, where he meets Auntie M, a singing tour guide who's everything he's not. As the odd couple traverses the beaches, Andes, and byways, Doug's South American dream lurches into a New World nightmare, and that's when things take a turn towards the insane.
A Footnote to Plato, a novel | Tina Lee Forsee | Campus novel (N)
A Footnote to Plato takes place in 2012 at a tiny liberal arts college in Vermont. Philosophy professor Dr. Isaac Fischelson finds himself embroiled in a student drama that leads to a false accusation of sexual harassment and an investigation intended to force him out. He faces a disgraceful end to his long career unless he retires immediately. But Dr. Fischelson refuses to be, as his students like to say, an epic failure. Zeb is a promising math student who has resorted to dealing coke to pay for college. He lives on a failed hippie commune with his toxic mother, who seems intent on bankrupting her son, both materially and spiritually. Zeb tries his best to escape her world, but what he really needs is a bit of luck. The two meet in the Maintenance Committee and soon form a Socrates-Plato bond. When Zeb offers to help the professor put together an online lecture series, Dr. Fischelson decides to take him and a small group of students to Greece to film it. It's an opportunity of a lifetime for Zeb and Dr. Fischelson's last chance to save his reputation--and maybe leave behind a legacy.
Cave of Secrets | Lynne Golodner | Romantic suspense, Scottish, Magical realism (N)
On a rainy hike by Loch Lomond, Eve Waldman stumbles upon a perfectly preserved journal in a hidden cave. The time-worn lettering details the illicit affair of two Jewish lovers that sent a shiver of shame through a Scottish family — and echoes down the bloodlines. Born of Highland aristocracy, Mac Monteith prefers to spend his days behind the bar of the family pub, rather than live the life his parents desired for him. Then Eve walks through the door, stirring more than Mac’s long-dormant heart. When Eve traces the cave documents to the Monteith line, scandals and secrets spill out from all sides. Eve remains committed to the truth, but when being truthful means hurting the man she loves, she is forced to make a bigger choice: righting the wrongs of the past, or building the future she’s yearned for. A contemporary romance with hints of magical realism, Cave of Secrets is about family heritage, intergenerational trauma, and finding the courage to be honest with ourselves — and those who love us. This book hit #1 on Amazon in Jewish fiction, gay fiction and British & Irish literature!!
When Trees Fall: Book One of the Wood and Water Saga | Dale Mahfood | Historical (N)
Cailin is a naïve, adventure-seeking girl living in a Jamaican Great House. Archie is a teenage boy with a chip on his shoulder. Sharpe is a young man with divided loyalties, living as an outsider in a poor hillside village. Yet, all three long for the same thing—a father’s approval. But the man who has the power to give it to them won’t…or can’t. Behind his back, his property workers call him a tyrant for allegedly murdering a worker in the past, and his family walks on eggshells when he returns home from his drunken visits with his mistress. All while Cailin, Archie, and Sharp’s unfulfilled desires spiral into rejection, mistaken affections, and murder. Set in a seaside village during the final year of World War II and Jamaica’s first general election, When Trees Fall is the first novel in Dale Mahfood’s Wood and Water series. If you enjoy well-drawn, relatable characters and a compelling story you don’t want to put down, you’ll love this first installment in Dale Mahfood’s series.
For Love Of God | Robin Reardon | Literary, Queer (N)
Book 1 of the Blessed Be series (Book 2, For Love Of Self, is available now. Book 3, the final entry, will be released in 2024)
It’s Manhattan, 1983. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is going strong at the 8th Street Playhouse. HIV/AIDS is still called “the gay plague.” The Twin Towers still stand tall. And Spencer Hill is convinced God has called him to the Episcopal priesthood. There’s just one problem. He’s gay. As he’s struggling with this challenge, he meets Donald Rainey—a playful, flirtations, even salacious actor—playing the part of Puck. Donald captures Spencer’s imagination, and then his desire, and then his heart. Then something else pulls at Donald. Although it’s akin to Spencer’s calling toward God, it’s something that troubles Spencer deeply and challenges the love he and Donald have found for each other. Is this a test of the relationship? Or is God telling Spencer he is on the wrong path?
For Love Of Self | Robin Reardon | Literary, Queer (N)
Book 2 of the Blessed Be series (Book 3, the final entry, will be released in 2024)
A beautiful young man, dancing naked at the edge of a pond, is not what Spencer Hill expected to see. It’s 1987, and he has been assigned a ministerial post in a Unitarian Universalist parish in Assisi, Vermont, close to the Canadian border—a far cry from his hometown of New York City. So a “sky clad” wood sprite takes him very much by surprise. As Spencer makes friends and enters into a love affair, he begins to explore the fraught relationship he’d had with his late father. And in his efforts to reach out to The Forest, a nearby Pagan community, he uncovers a dark secret the Assisi townsfolk don’t want to talk about.
Historical
A Perfect Explanation | Eleanor Anstruther | Historical, Autofiction (N)
Exploring themes of ownership and abandonment, A PERFECT EXPLANATION is a fictionalised account of the true story of Enid Campbell (1892 - 1964), granddaughter of the 8th Duke of Argyll. Interweaving one significant day in 1964 with a decade during the interwar period, this novel gets to the heart of what it is to be bound by gender, heritage and tradition, to fight, to lose, to fight again. In a world of privilege, truth remains the same; there are no heroes and villains, only people misunderstood. Here, in the pages of the extraordinary book where the unspoken is conveyed with vivid simplicity, lies story that will leave you reeling. Also at: Amazon UK, Amazon US
The Second Queen of Hirta | David Finlay | Historical (NA)
Rachel MacCrimmon is a young woman who lives on Hirta, the only inhabited island in the Hebridean archipelago of Saint Kilda, in the 19th century.
Although hardly anyone realises this, and Rachel would never believe it, she is extraordinarily talented. By a strange turn of events, she is given the opportunity to write her memoir - something no other Hirtan would be capable of - and does so in English, a language she would not understand if she heard it spoken. She tells of her early life on Saint Kilda, which is harsh and dangerous, and made even more difficult by the terrifying Minister, but is also full of love and mutual respect. She then breaks off to tell the fantastical story of a former Saint Kildan who briefly returns to the island after a series of adventures which include mining for gold in Australia and fighting in the American Civil War. After he leaves, Rachel's life becomes a tragedy, yet she is somehow able to find comfort even in her darkest hours.
GOLD! The Kincaid Saga, Book One | Thomas Greenbank | Historical Fiction/Family Saga (Australia, 1975-2005) (N)
Murder, greed, and betrayal come to a head in GOLD!, the family saga set in the Western Australian gold mining industry from 1975 to 2005. Malcolm Kincaid, a self-made man and ruthless businessman, will stop at nothing to build his business empire, even if it means sacrificing his own family. Rachel, his one-time fiancé and mother of his child, is forced to work with the man she has grown to despise. Unaware of his true parentage, their son Lachlan rises through the ranks in the company while Rachel struggles to protect him from Malcolm's influence. Over three decades, Malcolm Kincaid uses, abuses, and dominates associates and family alike, crushing all opposition in his pursuit of wealth and power. When he allows the pollution of an Aboriginal settlement’s water supply however, he faces justice of a kind he could never imagine. If you enjoy tales with intrigue and family secrets you'll love GOLD!, a story of loyalty, retribution, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Grab your copy now and hang on — it may be a bumpy ride! Also at Draft2Digital
Speculative
Managed Paranoia | Finlay Beach | Speculative, Thriller (N)
"Managed Paranoia" is a thought-provoking near-future thriller that ventures into speculative fiction. This narrative skillfully intertwines personal struggles with an impending authoritarian regime, prompting readers to question faith, love, and freedom. The well-crafted world-building and insightful exploration of societal overreach underscore the narrative's plausibility and hint at the potential risks of unchecked power. "Managed Paranoia - Book One" unfolds with the steadiness of a sailboat navigating stormy seas, offering a compelling read that sets the stage for the unfolding saga.
The Obsidian Druid: The Age of Aikana Book One | Caroline Barnard-Smith | Fantasy (N)
Three monstrous tumari escaped the labyrinthine dungeon beneath the sea. One ripped apart the frozen homeland of the Asrai, staining the ice crimson with their blood. One blundered its way into the ancient forest of Nymed, and one rose in the city of Armoria, crushing buildings and bone beneath its great webbed feet. Only Dewer—ageless High Lord of the city—knows the truth behind the creatures’ wanton destruction, and he hasn’t trusted anyone with his secrets for over one hundred years. Gwin, a moon-blessed Asrai with the ability to freeze flesh, arrives in Armoria determined to raise an army against the man who slaughtered her family. When she discovers that city guard, Vanth, harbours magick of her own, she knows she would make a powerful ally, but Vanth would rather see Gwin hang than turn traitor. The twin moons of Joria are turning. For a century, the night has shone silver in Mamai’s cold light, but when Aikana comes to the fore, the world will dazzle beneath her violet glow. The Changing of the Moons heralds a time of unrest and upheaval, and Vanth has a devastating decision to make.
Wind Down the Chimney and Other Eerie Tales | A.C. Cargill | Horror (S)
Presenting ten tales with elements of mystery, horror, whimsy, fantasy, touches of romance, and some technology run amuck. From the story of a young newlywed couple targeted by a ghost in their chimney, a club of six where one member goes beyond just discussing how to commit a simple murder in a complicated way, a pair of virtual reality goggles that give the wearer a rather deadly experience, a privately owned library where you aren’t just fined when a book is overdue, to a mystery man who leads a young woman into a dangerous situation, each story stretches reality beyond the norm. And a few of these tales will leave you with that shivering feeling that the story isn’t quite over.
The Stardust Alliance and More | A.C. Cargill | Science Fiction (S)
Presenting six stories involving science and its interaction with the human psyche. Included are elements of mystery, horror, whimsy, fantasy, touches of romance, and some technology run amuck. From the story of a group of elder humans hoping to ride to the stars, an AI system taking its programming too literally, and a young woman who can really take charge, to a story that will have you watching the night sky in case an ovoid spaceship appears, each story stretches reality beyond the norm and shows how our qualities as humans have to take charge. And a few of these stories will leave you with that shivering feeling that the story isn’t quite over.
The Wiccan Tales | A.C. Cargill | Fantasy (light) | (N)
Lady Krystaline Mondall, head of the Mondall Wiccan coven and living on her ancestral Mondall Estate southwest of London, England, deals with challenges when she accidentally unleashes an ancient demon on the world. It’s a game of release, capture, release, and so on, as Krystaline battles, with the aid of her coven members and the silver Sword of Deliverance, not only that demon but a rival coven bent on gaining control over it to rule the world. As romance blossoms between Krystaline and the newest member of her own coven, the chase for the demon takes them to the USA and back to England. It’s an up-and-down adventure for fantasy fans.
Alien People | John Coon | Science Fiction (N)
Book no. 1 in the Alien People Chronicles science fiction adventure series
The discovery of a distant probe bearing a message of peace inspires alien explorers to journey to a mysterious planet called Earth. Will first contact bring new understanding … or take a deadly turn?
Dark Metamorphosis | John Coon | Science Fiction (N)
Book no. 2 in the Alien People Chronicles science fiction adventure series
A brutal abduction reveals a dark plot to destroy survivors of the Earth expedition. Can they fight deceit and evade assassins to reveal the dreadful truth?
Among Hidden Stars | John Coon | Science Fiction (N)
Book no. 3 in the Alien People Chronicles science fiction adventure series
A tyrannical ruler seeks an ancient relic that imparts god-like powers to use as a world-conquering weapon. Will a rebel couple find the hidden relic first and finally defeat their oppressor’s reign?
Under a Fallen Sun | John Coon | Science Fiction (N)
A science fiction thriller novel set in the Alien People Chronicles universe
A Texas town has fallen under siege from an alien menace. Four college students are trapped inside the small town, battling for their lives. Can they defeat these invaders who seek to conquer Earth?
Hollow Planet | John Coon | Science Fiction (NA)
A science fiction novella set in the Alien People Chronicles universe.
A barren planet holds a startling secret tied to its distant past. Will uncovering evidence of an ancient alien race forge a new alliance? Or will discovery exact a deadly cost for these explorers?
Oceanus | Hanna Delaney | Science Fiction, Thriller
Gripped by an inescapable pull of gravity, the SS Demeter floats helplessly in orbit around a newly discovered earth-like planet. The crew have vanished leaving all but one man behind. Survivors on the planet find themselves separated and forced to face the substance of their own dreams and nightmares. Unbeknownst to them, they are being watched. Oceanus tells a classic story of betrayal, forgiveness, love and deception. Oceanus is a futuristic thriller inspired by William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. If anyone is to find their way back home, the truth must be revealed. Also available at B&N
And So It Begins | TK Eldridge | Paranormal romance/romantic suspense (NA)
Jolene is the name she uses now - but she's had many names. Joan, Josephine, Johanna...yet she's always been just "Jo" to those she let get close. Name changes are part of one's existence when one is an intelligence operative - and when one is a vampire. One of the founding members of S.I.N. - the Supernatural Intelligence Network, Jo spends her days helping to keep supernaturals under the radar of the general public - among other things. When a new man appears in her life, Jo has to decide if they'll stay enemies - or work together to keep the world safe from an old evil with a new face.
Find everywhere else
And in the Dark They Are Born | Garrett Francis | Post-apocalyptic (N)
A deaf teenager and a middle-aged scavenger navigate a post-blackout America occupied by warring tribes. Also at Bookshop.org
The Lorebook (a novel) | R.L. Glover (ThatOldDm on Substack) | Speculative Fantasy (N)
A tale of mythic fantasy and adventure set on the continent of Ar'rin, where a lost book of lore could reveal the locations of powerful magical secrets lost since the fall of a Great Kingdom. This story begins in the small town of Tommen's Rest where a young sage and an adventurous rogue uncover a tomb in the hills nearby after winter's frost fades under the warm spring rains.
Soultaming the Serpent | P.M. Hammond | Fantasy, Queer (N)
The last dragon died half a century ago, and Jun Weaver still dreams of the rain that hasn’t fallen since. Her mundane life takes a turn when she encounters Aurel, who she suspects may be the one who holds the key to restoring balance and is destined to find the elusive serpent from the prophecy. Joined by Casey, Jun’s closest friend and the village brewer, the three embark on a journey to unravel the prophecy's intricacies, figure out what the serpent's role truly is, and why the dragon is the only reason it rains, not knowing they are being watched. Follow our trio as Jun discovers a love of adventure, Casey’s devotion takes an unexpected turn, Aurel spills his secrets like dust in the sand, and the three of them discover the true power of their bond.
From the Ashes | Laura R. Hepworth | Speculative; Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling, Young Adult/New Adult | (N)
A young artist desperate to be free. For nearly seven years, Lael Verane has lived under the ever watchful eye of her stepmother. Forbidden from leaving the grounds of the estate and locked away whenever visitors come to call, Lael's only solace is in her art. There's just one problem: due to another of her stepmother's strange restrictions, art is not welcome at Avarill. A prince on a mission. Agents of the Crown have been dying and elves are disappearing from across Rynn. Prince Nathyn Trysele is determined to find out why. His only clue? A letter from the deceased spymaster, but he's convinced that the answers he seeks are buried somewhere in the Caeth night-markets. But not everything is as it appears and, in a kingdom where art guilds and magic collide, deadly secrets lie buried that could tear the kingdom apart. From the Ashes is a Cinderella retelling and the first in a series of interconnected standalones. It is a story of adventure, mystery, and discovery in a high fantasy world of magic, creatures, princes, elves, and mysterious art guilds and filled with humour, intrigue, deception, and clean romance.
Miss Gemquist and the Pearl of Peking | Laura R. Hepworth | Speculative; Scifi/Fantasy, Steampunk, Young Adult/New Adult | (N)
One note, one pearl, and one family secret. Miss Loralai Gemquist, the 23-year-old daughter of famed gemologist Jacob Gemquist and granddaughter of Lord Bramwell Gemquist, The Baron of Aethleton, thought that her life couldn’t get more difficult than surviving the London Season and the schemes of her match-making aunts. But when she discovers an anonymous note, her life will never again be the same. Thrust into a world of shadows, secrets, and intrigue, she’ll be forced to use all her wits, intellect, and knowledge of gemstones as she tries to prevent a war when a priceless, Chinese pearl is stolen. Along the way, she’ll meet some unexpected allies and make some dangerous enemies as she learns who she can trust, but just one false step and it will be more than her life on the line. The first book in a late-Regency/pre-Victorian series where a jeweller finds herself swept up into a world of international espionage, secret societies, and, perhaps, even finds a hint of romance.
Ada's Children | Lawrence Hogue | Post-Apocalyptic (N)
An AI tries to save humanity, even if humanity doesn't want to be saved. 2040s, Minneapolis: Carol Marsh struggles as her world falls apart—AIs take over her teaching job, a racist government deports her best friends, and climate change threatens the planet. When an artificial intelligence takes power to save both Earth and humanity, Carol doesn't protest—until she has to make a choice she could never have imagined. The far future, a place known only as the Land: Sila lives a life blessed by the Goddess Ada, Mother of the Five Peoples. As the first female hunter in her tribe’s memory, she has her pick of mates and hopes to one day become Chief of the Hunt. If only Jun, her best friend, would stop questioning the Goddess’s rules! When Sila comes to share Jun’s doubts, they set out to find the answers Ada has kept hidden: Who were the Ancient Ones, and what happened to their incredible civilization? Ada's Children is a literary post-apocalyptic novel in the tradition of William Gibson and Emily St. John Mandel, depicting a future that is at once utopian and dystopian.
The Sunset Sovereign: A Dragon's Memoir | C.D. Houck | Fantasy, Slice of Life (N)
For the past thousand years, the dragon Vakandi has watched the people of Vakfored grow from a wandering band of refugees to a glorious city of art and magic. Under his protection, the city has survived monsters, floods, and wars all without building an army, dam, or even a wall. But time changes everything, and now the citizens of his beloved city want him dead. Vakandi spends his last day telling his assassin why he loves them and why it's his time to die.
The Beginning of the End (Bloodlines, Vol. 1) | Emily S Hurricane | Apocalyptic (NT) (F)
Daphne Rhodes would tell anyone: being ‘the one’ sucks. At least, she would if there was anyone left to tell. She’s the one who’d survived. The one with the magic immune system that saved her. The only one left on this whole miserable planet. Daphne spends her days alone and craving answers as to why it had to be her. Why did she have to watch everyone she’d ever known and loved die a horrific death? On her mother’s deathbed, Daphne learns long-hidden family secrets that send her on a quest across Canada to not only discover where she came from, why she survived, and who she is…but what she is, as well. Volume 1 of the Bloodlines Series.
Pallas | Lisa Kuznak | Science Fiction (N)
For Kylan Bence, hauling freight through the Belt is lonely work, and when his ship malfunctions, loneliness might kill him. Stranded on the asteroid Pallas, in view of a concrete dome long thought abandoned, he chances a distress signal—and gets a response. As he enters the settlement, a secret paradise greets him. Lush and vibrant plants, real food, clean water—and a population desperate to keep him inside… with everything else kept hidden in the soil, the air, and under the skin.
The Highwayman Kennedy Thornwick | Lisa Kuznak | Fantasy (N)
Framed for murder and horse theft, Tommy Fellham is stuck in Magelock Penitentiary, rotting like a bad pickle in too small of a crock. Capital punishment was banned, how convenient—instead of getting hanged, he spends his time learning how to fight, steal, gamble, and drink. There isn't much else to do with himself until his best friend and teacher, the notorious highwayman Kennedy Thornwick, confides in Tommy his plans to escape.
When Tommy receives a visitor who promises fortune at the expense of a newly built bank, that settles it. He has to help Kennedy. But what Tommy doesn't account for is how much the prison has shaped him, and not only will he have to get used to magic outside the walls, but come to terms with who he has become… All while trying to avoid the mage hunters after the price on his head. Kennedy might have been too good of a teacher.
Chronicles of the Cure | Darcy Haldane | Horror, Fantasy (N)
Book 1 of Chronicles of the Cure
Nightwalker Anastasia Romanov has searched for human connection, since her entire family was shot to death execution style in front of her. She thought she’d found it with her Michael Matson until their relationship went sour. She traced every revolutionary survivor, and their descendants as they spread across Europe, and North America. She found peace on her terms, away from the nightwalker community. Her lover and friends were in her life because they cared about her, instead of her family name. Her job with the British museum used both her encyclopedic knowledge of lived history, and was sufficiently low profile to stop people from answering questions. She used the vampire health clinics for feeding appointments. Everything was under control until a black envelope arrived summoning her back into a world of intrigue. Follow her as she fights to protect those she cares for, while fighting for the future of the Nightwalker community.
Take Me There: A Speculative Anthology of Travel | Edited by Winston Malone, Multiple Authors | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Literary (S)
Embark on a journey across the realms of genre with "Take Me There," a specially curated anthology of 24 stories from emerging, visionary indie authors from around the world. Each tale is a gateway into the human experience, a portal leading readers into new and undiscovered territory. From interplanetary space travel to the deep recesses of the mind, this collection takes readers on adventures spanning time and space and everything in between.
Inquisitor’s Promise | Michael P. Marpaung | Science Fiction, Space Opera (N) Kindle $2.99; Print $17.99
Young Inquisitor Aeneas Aquilanus made two promises: one to his dying father, the other to his beloved Galatea.To his father, Aeneas promised to finish his last mission to unify the Holy League and rally them against the apocalyptic threat of the Grey Globe. To Galatea, he promised the aspiring lady knight to become her lord and Inquisitor. But politics in the 74th century can be violent and complicated. The Five Factions of the Holy League had long seen each other with suspicion. Can they put aside their differences to save Earth? Even his promise to Galatea is not without problems for Aeneas as he has four additional girls who are in love with him. Each of these five girls are faction princesses, women who have close connections to each of the Five Faction's leaders. Love and politics are an explosive combination, but the Inquisitor shall remain true to his pledged word.
The Santara Commentaries, Book 1: The Padri | Michael P. Marpaung | Fantasy, Military Fantasy (NA) Kindle $2.99
The Santara Archipelago is the homeland of the Yakobinians - the Sons of Yakob and the Chosen of El Shaddai, the God of the gods. But the Age of the Holy Kingdom is long gone. For over five centuries, the Yakobinians chafed under the dominion of distant Tionghoa. The wandering tactician Yu woke up with no memory, only to be rescued from his captors by King Aron of Dun-a-din, the last heir of the priest kings. From there, he was wrapped up in a war for freedom. But there’s more to the Padri War than meets the eye.
Honey And Salt | David Perlmutter | Speculative (NA)
The story is narrated by Olivia Thrift, a.k.a. the Manitoba based pre-teen super-heroine Captain Fantastic. After filling us in about her background, she then proceeds to speak about her first meeting with the members of the Canadian Consortium of Super-heroines, all of whom are her age or slightly older and based in different parts of Canada. She is particularly thrilled to meet her idol Gerda Munsinger, a.k.a. Muscle Girl, also a Manitoban by residence, and even more so when Gerda befriends her. However, the joyousness of the occasion is marred when Captain Fantastic's arch-enemy Gridiron Girl arrives and tricks Captain Fantastic into literally fighting a losing battle with her. In doing so, Olivia loses the personal confidence required to sustain her heroic persona, and becomes meek and helpless, saved only from death by the timely intervention of Muscle Girl. It is discovered that a villainous race of men known as the Merch are responsible for this, as well as the kidnapping of the members of the Consortium en masse when Gerda and Olivia are otherwise engaged. As a consequence, Muscle Girl is forced to call the aid of her colleagues in the International League of Girls with Guns- The Brat, an alien only resembling a toddler; Power Bunny, a truly animated rabbit; Cerberus, the all-mighty Princess of Puppies; and Candy Girl, the Titan of Teens- to help her and a temporarily powerless Olivia set things right. Yet it will not be an easy task. And before it is over, they may all succumb to multiple kinds of weakness that will destroy them permanently....
Let's Be Buddies | David Perlmutter | Speculative (NA)
Major Hamilton Pomeranian, once a highly decorated Star Soldier, has been discharged for a recently gained injury. Now forced into a non-military life, she is uncertain about what to do until reconnecting with Jefferson Ball, an old army buddy, and agreeing to assist her at her "job"- not realizing exactly what that will involve until it is too late...
Nothing About Us Without Us | David Perlmutter | Speculative (NA)
Animated cartoon characters. Many are beloved, yes. But many more are simply ignored, filed away and destroyed when they are no longer needed. Until now. This is their story.
Orthicon | David Perlmutter | Speculative (NA)
The United States government discovers, to its horror, that the creatures featured in animated cartoons are not fabrications but real beings. Fearing the social and political consequences of the discovery being made public, they proceed to exile them off Earth to another planet. However, things do not go according to plan...
The Singular Adventures of Jefferson Ball | David Perlmutter | Speculative (NA)
There never was a heroine like Jefferson Ball. And, thankfully, there may never be. She is, simply, the most powerful humanized female dog in a universe full of them. Faster, stronger, more attractive to boys. Unbeatable as a lover. Unfortunately, her brains are not up to this quality, but don’t tell her that. About the only one who can is Major Hamilton Pomeranian, the diminutive ex-soldier who is Jeff’s best friend and conscience. When she gets too big for her limited clothing, Hamilton tells her what for. And it’s usually only after that point that they are able to escape from whatever convoluted situation they find themselves in. This collection will have readers both laughing and awestruck at the events that happen. And, hopefully, you will be one of them.
Split Decision | David Perlmutter | Speculative (NA)
Jefferson Ball, the mightiest female dog in a universe full of them. Jody Ryder, the mightiest female robot dog in said universe. When they clash, everyone will hear it....
Sweet Silius Island Honey | Alex Scott | Fantasy (N)
It's the best honey in town! But where does it come from? How does it taste so good? It must be magic. In fact, it is magic. That's why a young man named Owen and a witch named Wanda are setting sail to the perilous Silius Island, searching for the source of this enchanted honey. But will the bee people that inhabit that island consider themselves friends or foes?
Tidelands | Gareth Southwell | Sci-fi/Fantasy | (N)
In a flooded city on the brink of collapse, the arcology provides a high-tech haven – for those who can afford it. Here, safe in her pampered confinement, Eva longs for escape. But each day she is made to play The Game, a mysterious virtual environment that seems more designed to monitor and test than to entertain. Outside, life is a different story, where unregulated tech spawns nightmares to rival those of fairytale and folklore – ghosts and monsters, the no-longer-human and the never-should-have-been. Here, Squirrel is a memory thief, eking out a fraught existence in service to the criminal gangs that trade in illicit gene hacks, blackmarket augments and – her speciality – stolen secrets. But with skills she didn’t know she had, Squirrel steals a secret its owners would do anything to keep hidden. And as her new-found talents attract the attention of bad people keen to utilise them for their own ends, her only route out leads to the arcology itself, to Eva, and the answers that will upend both their lives.
Also available at Books2Read
Contracts & Chaos | Joseph Wiess | Fantasy (N)
Book 2 of Tales from Crann Na Beatha
All Balgair wanted to do was get home. He didn't plan on meeting a broken woman and bonding with her or confronting a mad god who wanted to feed off of his bond. The last thing he wanted was to stay in Eola, but the town needed a Reeve, and Balgair was perfect for the job, whether he liked it or not. It all came down to Contracts and Chaos.
Voyage on the Dawn Breaker | Joseph Wiess | Fantasy (NA) $12
After a battle at the Three-Rivers-Fort, Rhyslin Darklade the Draoidh falls unconscious. While he is out of action, A' Mathair Nan Coille, the goddess of Crann Na Beatha, works to set him up with the kingdom that she's always wanted him to have. When he wakes up, the old draoidh quickly puts an end to her plans, but he can't escape the events already set in motion. The Princess of the Ciad-Ghin, Flur, desperately wants to go with him, even if it is as a war prize. Ilyriatri, the Ciad-Ghin queen of the desert people, wishes to travel with him, thinking him one of the legendary Ciad-Fhir. Vuuroena, Ilyraitri's Daughter, has seen Rhyslin in her dreams for eight years and sees him as the one who will save her from her future. These three women must come to grips with what he is, and he will find himself growing to care for each of them.
No Ordinary School | Arthur Yeomans | Young Adult, Science Fiction (N) $14.99
No Ordinary School is a charming coming-of-age story with mystery, romance, and science fiction: The offer seemed too good to be true. Mark, a mathematical genius but a social misfit from a struggling family, is offered a place at a special school that promises to make him rich. Paired with a shy "social guide" and a brash computer genius, Mark’s new life seems wonderful until strange data leads the trio to uncover a dangerous mystery about some of the other students. Mark must use his intelligence to navigate this perilous situation and grow up in the process.
Thriller & Mystery
The Good Killers | Todd Brasel | Thriller & Mystery (N)
Ben Rossi, ex-combat medic searching for a mysterious patient, infiltrates a criminal gang. His only way out is a female thief with a burning desire for revenge. Rossi's search for this patient entangles him in a criminal organization, a fight for his life, and an alliance with a dangerous female thief. To survive, Rossi must resist his instinct for compassion and learn to think—and act—like a criminal.
Dead & Buried | TK Eldridge | Supernatural Mystery (N)
Detectives Kennedy and Donovan were partners for years. Then one of them died. And yet, they're still partners. Kennedy has to solve Donovan's death while his partner's ghost helps him. Sort of. Kennedy has to hide how he's figuring it all out so he can keep his badge and solve the murder - before he ends up dead and buried, too. First in a completed six-book series. Paperback | Find everywhere else
Bishop | TK Eldridge | Mystery, Romantic Suspense (N)
Book Three in the Chess Club Mystery series
For Logan McMann, family was complicated. He'd left Lakeridge, North Carolina and never considered moving back - until his chosen family asked for his help. Hudson Hayes had lost his family and nearly his life. Neither Logan nor Hudson want the situation they're stuck in, but they are both needed to help take down the organization behind the deaths of Wes Davenport - and Hudson's sister and nephew. Find Everywhere Else
Knight | TK Eldridge | Mystery, Romantic Suspense (N)
Part Two in the Chess Club Mystery Series
Chase Payne is on the right track to letting go of his past. He left his job to go back home, not just to bury a friend, Wes Davenport, but to hold a promise he fully intended to keep. Corruption, scandal, terror, and loss have plagued Lakeridge for too long, and the region's top FBIS agent has asked the Chess Club to work together to fix the mess. For Chase, that means putting his past demons to rest and focusing on the future. Considering he’d never felt he deserved any kind of future, this homecoming challenges him in ways he never saw coming. Not to mention the competition with Lieutenant Cassidy Redbird for sheriff. On more than one front, Chase really has his work cut out for him. But how much of his past can he let go of, and what happens if he can't? Paperback | Hardcover | Find Everywhere Else
Rook | TK Eldridge | Mystery, Romantic Suspense (N)
Book One in the Chess Club Mystery Series
Billionaire logistics magnate Grant Foster hasn't been back to Lakeridge, North Carolina, in over a dozen years. Not since his father's funeral.
Now he's back for another funeral - one for his old high-school friend, Wes Davenport. Most people wouldn’t understand why Grant and Wes would be friends, but their high school Chess club became family until their teacher was murdered two weeks before graduation. That had broken something, and they all scattered far and wide - except for Wes, who'd stayed in Lakeridge.
Now Wes is dead, and the Club is returning to bury their friend - and help figure out who killed him. For Grant, coming home brings back a lot of memories and a lot of pain. All the money in the world can't fix that, or the loneliness in his life. He'd let himself forget what family truly meant, and being back with his Club brothers is a sharp reminder. Will coming back heal what's broken in him or break him worse than before? Paperback | Hardcover | Everywhere else
The Void Beyond the Walls | Relvin Gonzalez | Thriller & Mystery (N)
He had killed dozens. Then NASA hired him. Faced with the threat of solar flares, the government assembles a team to terraform Mars and hire Dean Turner, a leading construction worker from Texas, as the mission's fourth member. And he is about to leave behind the product of his urges—dismantled bodies hidden inside walls—and find in the stars the only cage that will contain him. Special Agent James Cole longs to make a name for himself. But he is sent to a remote location in Texas to sift through cold case files. James connects unsolved cases across the US and discovers that his prime suspect is two hundred million miles away from Earth. Dean Turner and Agent James Cole, now separated by the cold vacuum of space, seek what has eluded them.
Picton Street | James King | Thriller & Mystery (N)
After a winter of discontent gives birth to a summer of love, how many years will it take Jack Kenright to solve the mystery. It’s the autumn of 1975 as Jack Kenright sets out on his evening walk. A cold and hungry girl huddles on a park bench, as an angry storm brews in the hills. Jack feeds and takes care of her for two days, then she mysteriously disappears. Will his search for her be in vain? It seems so, until nine months later a letter with no contact details arrives from Daisy. She must be alive, but can Jack find her? A successful banking career in the City of London gives him the opportunity to start his own business in his hometown, Bristol. It flourishes until changes in the law lead to a serious error of judgement and conflict with his biggest client. Manipulated and sucked into a criminal underworld, his life is threatened, his business and future in jeopardy. Then, after eighteen years of turmoil, Jack discovers why he never found Daisy. Will the revelation change his life?
The Book of Answers | Darrow Woods | Classic Mystery (N)
The Book of Answers is the first in a series of mysteries in the life of Rev. Thomas Book. Tom’s a bit stuck in his life, two years into grieving the death of his wife, Carrie. He's the assistant pastor in the church where he'd once been the student minister. Circumstances serve to get him unstuck in almost every part of his life when dead bodies appear in all the wrong places. He gets drawn into the investigation with the help of his snarky best friend, who is also the local funeral director, a mysterious, not-as-retired-as-he-appears former undercover cop, and what could be the church ghost. Along the way, he's almost killed, makes friends with a cadaver dog, and takes baby steps toward romance with the dog's handler. The Book of Answers was nominated for a Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence. The author, Darrow Woods, is a member of Sisters in Crime and Crime Writers of Canada and writes a substack newsletter called reluctant sleuth. He is also working on the sequel to The Book of Answers and another series involving retired journalists who can't stay away from a good or bad story.
Romance
The Greeting Card Girl's Christmas | A.C. Cargill | Sweet Christmas Romance (N)
Stacy Frost lives her life upside down, shutting out Christmas to focus on card designs for June. On Black Friday, she meets up with Uber driver Jack Anjill who loves Christmas and has his car decked out to show it. Over the next month, she tries to avoid him and his car, but every time she needs a ride, he shows up. While she struggles to keep her focus and meet her deadlines, her attraction to Jack grows, much to the dismay of her mother who wants Stacy to rekindle her romance with a local college professor. Winter weather in eastern Colorado and Jack’s habit of forgetting to charge his electric car all steer Stacy toward a way to turn her life right side up.
Don't Move Out / Don't Go Outside / Don't Fly Home / Don't Leave Town / Don't Check Out | Rhiannon D'Averc | Gay erotica (N)
A gay romance series covering the following tropes: enemies to lovers; forced proximity; gay awakening; strangers to lovers; friends to lovers; fake boyfriends; bad boy redemption; and a little hint of sub/dom. All are steamy with strong heat levels. The books are all set in the same universe with a group of friends, but can be read in any order or as standalones.
Young Readers
Faire Exchange | Alex Scott | Middle Grade Fantasy | $6.99 ebook, $12.99 paperback (N)
Tsarina "Rina" Algruent—that's Lady Rina to you—has been sent from the Realm of Faerie to a fifth grade class in our world as part of a new exchange program. But while kids at other schools are enchanted with their new guests, Rina's behavior is so cursed it threatens to cause an interdimensional incident. The teachers are powerless to stop her from terrorizing her classmates with her magic. Can fifth grade find a way to restore order?
Feast of the Sisters | Alex Scott | Young Adult, Christian, Horror (N)
An ancient evil has set the table in sisters Jo and Vicki’s small Tennessee town. Moths and butterflies stalk the vampires’ would-be victims while an unseen tempter lures Vicki further toward a feast where she is on the menu. When Vicki disappears, gentle and sensitive Jo vows to do whatever it takes to save her-even tracking Vicki through the haunted lair and secret tunnels of a notorious, immortal killer. Will Jo and her friends stop the feast before it happens, or will they become its guests of honor? Publisher link
Thresholds of the Grand Dream | Alex Scott | Middle Grade, Fantasy (N)
Every night, every kid at Sonia Obata's middle school has the same dream. But the Grand Dream isn't quite the paradise it seems--it's about to collapse, destroying the minds of the children within it! To stop it, someone needs to shut the Dream down, and with the power of the Baku's Fang, Sonia sets out on a journey through the dream world to do just that, and rescue her friends. Other formats
Annabel Pickering and the Sky Pirates: The Fantastical Contraption | Bretigne Shaffer | Fantasy (N)
What is the Fantastical Contraption? What secrets does it hold inside? And what about it convinced the Queen to abduct Annabel Pickering’s parents? Thirteen-year-old Annabel Pickering loves her ordinary life riding her pony, reading novels, and riding the trains and flying machines high above the city. And she ALWAYS crosses the street before she gets to the weird old house where the crazy spinster and her niece live. All she has to worry about are the school bullies until she witnesses her parents being abducted from their home. To save them, she will fly with pirates, get into a deadly sky battle with the Queen’s armies, and brave a prison escape…all with the help of the most unlikely allies. Steampunk pirates meet Harry Potter in a middle grade fantasy adventure set in an alternate 19th-century England.
Rosie and Mr. Spooks | Alexa Tuttle | Picture Book; Holiday, Animals-Friendship | $14.99
It’s Halloween night, and little Miss Rosie savors the spooky feeling in the air. But when a tiny purple spider plops in her hot cocoa, Rosie is scared out of her wits! She runs through the house, desperately trying to escape the tiny menace. Just when there’s nowhere left to run, Rosie comes face to face with the spider and discovers sometimes things aren’t as scary as they seem… You'll love "Rosie and Mr. Spooks" if you also love:
Reading along with rhythmic, rhyming prose | Searching for hidden objects | Cutesy (not scary) Halloween stories
The Vegas Golden Knights: Defenders of the Ice | Alexa Tuttle | Picture Book Graphic Novel; Fantasy/Adventure/Comic Book, Sports | $24.95
Join the people of the Desert Kingdom of Las Vegas on their epic adventure from misfits to Golden Knights as they discover the enchanting power of their very own “desert ice”! This fantastical re-imagining of how the Vegas Golden Knights hockey team came to be captures the magical bond between the people of Las Vegas and their Golden Knights so that VGK fans can continue to relive the magic of our epic first season.
The Great and Mighty Benjamin Teller | Tracy Edward Wymer | Young Reader, Realistic Fiction | $8.99
Benjamin Teller can see almost everything he’s ever seen from high atop his favorite tree, which he named Old Sparky. But when Ben’s ophthalmologist breaks the news that he could be completely blind in as little as one month, Ben realizes he needs to see what’s beyond Old Sparky while he still can.
The Bobtails Meet the Preacher’s Kid | Arthur Yeomans | Historical, YA | $14.99 (Free on Kindle Unlimited)
A poignant story about four orphans and their widowed aunt who takes them in. Set on a dairy farm in Northern Vermont in 1889, Bobtails follows the children's journey through grief, jealousy, and, finally, settled love with a new family and friendships.
Graphic Novel & Comic Book
The Panda Chronicles, Books 1-10 | Anne Belov | Humorous (CB)
Panda satire is alive and well in The Panda Chronicles. Join Bob T. Panda and his cartoon friends from the popular blog, "The Panda Chronicles" as they prove that it IS all black and white! Be the bear! Meet Bob T as a young panda! Get to know the wily panda kindergarten! Have some cake! As the series continues, meet young Mr. Wu of the Pandiego pandas, Princess Pinky and her brothers, not to mention The Meihems and Six and Sebben of Pandalanta. Discover why pandas are considered the most political of animals (it’s probably not what you think!) and when pandas meet politics, PANDAMONIUM is sure to follow. Books 1-3 are suitable for children 8 and up (and adults who like a good bamboo joke) and books 4-10 have more popular culture and political references, so more for teens and adults. For one stop shopping, visit Panda Chronicles: The Books at www.yourbrainonpandas.com to find the individual links.
Pandamorphosis | Anne Belov | Humorous (GN/PB)
Think playful pandas and you have a “what if” tale of transformation that will transport readers into a moonlit night of wishes and fantasy. Pandamorphosis, is a visual adventure that explores the unintended consequences of getting what you wish for. Follow a night of magic adventure as a young girl’s passion for pandas, her pet kitty, and pandas on the loose create fun and mayhem. Pandamorphosis is a wordless picture book, suitable for young children and for anyone who loves pandas.
Urban Yogini: A Superhero Who Can't Use Violence. Vol I: The New Face of Terror | Bretigne Shaffer, artists Santi Biondolillo and Elijah Espada (GN)
Graphic novel about a young woman who is transformed into a superhero who is bound by the law of Ahimsa, and takes on the police state.
Short Fiction Collection
Rejected Messages | Evelyn K. Brunswick | Science Fiction (S) $3.99
Seven interconnected speculative stories, including the short novel in 2 parts ‘QTS-19’/’Mirror Mirror’, which has echoes of Shakespeare’s Tempest, in which an Exopsychologist called Shari’ana is tasked with deciphering a primitive space probe and the messages it carries. The more she discovers about this species, the more worried she becomes. But then she is told that species is about to arrive at the Centauri system, and she is the only one qualified to conduct diplomatic relations. This collection also contains a number of non-fiction essays, mainly about SETI-related issues, including a decipherment of the famous Wow! Signal. After reading that decipherment, you will not only no longer believe you are alone, but you will know that those other intelligences know everything there is to know about this world.
The First 100 (A Collection of One Hundred Word Stories) | Erica L. Drayton | Short Stories (S)
On May 1, 2023, I challenged myself to write a 100-word story every single day. This collection brings together the first hundred of those stories.
Tales of the Zeitgeist | Chris J. Franklin | Contemporary Fiction/Humour (S)
A collection of ten short stories, exploring life in the modern world. Fast-paced, and full of unexpected twists and turns, these are the tales of the zeitgeist. Often quirky, sometimes thought-provoking, but always laced with humour... Amazon UK/Amazon US
Scarlet Yearnings: Stories of Love and Desire | Scarlet Ibis James | Contemporary Fiction; Romance (S)
In Scarlet Yearnings: Stories of Love and Desire, Scarlet Ibis James explores the raw truths of love through twelve unforgettable short stories featuring Black women and people of multi-ethnic origins. Will you relate to the girl longing for her father in The First Time She Met Her Father, or find your own struggles echoed in I Love My Husband But…? Perhaps the surreal digital romance in Love in Cosmic Times will take you somewhere unexpected. Are you ready to uncover the beauty, complexity, and resilience of the human heart? Buy Scarlet Yearnings today and discover where your story intertwines.
The Weight of the World | Winston Malone | Science Fiction, Mixed (S) (P)
The 34 stories and poems within vary in genre and style, ranging from medieval comedy to dystopian feel-good to cosmic horror, all revised with never-before-seen prefaces that detail the stories' origins. The collection includes fan favorites, such as "My Dog Barks at Ghosts in the Park," "Raptor," "Nudging the Apocalypse Just a Tad to the Right," "The Weight of the World," "The Last Laugh," and "If You Only Knew What Lived in Your Shoe." Exclusive to this edition are three newly-revised short stories: "The Spire," written in 2018; "Conduit," first published online in 2012; and "Mimicry," re-written in 2023 and unpublished. In addition to the unreleased chapter in the Raptorverse poem series, “Raptor 4.”
The Orchard Hounds | S.E. Reid | Speculative (S)
Cosmic consequences. Watchful wildlife. And an island that has its own twisted sense of justice. The thirteen tales in this debut collection cross genres between horror and suspense, gentle fantasy and redemptive thrills. There are hauntings, there are beasts. There are transformations, there are miracles. You may even find yourself pulled backward in time. The more you read, the deeper you'll go.
Nothing Sacred: Outspoken Voices in Contemporary Fiction | Bernard Schweizer & James Morrow | Literary (S)
Exploring uncharted literary territory, Nothing Sacred: Outspoken Voices in Contemporary Fiction offers the reading public a compilation of spellbinding stories on topics as diverse as crumbling male privilege, moonshine whiskey brewing, language policing, immigrant experience, sexual transgression, and plain heresy. The book features Lukas Tallent, Michael Robert Liska, T.N. Eyer, Alex Perez, Lou Perez, Jonathan Stone, Tia Ja’nae, Mikra Namani, Miguel Syjuco, James Morrow, Joshua Wilson, and Steven Fromm.
harvest | Noah Rymer | Sci-Fi, Gothic, Horror (NA)
A collection of eleven tales whose common thread is a certain Gothic metaphysicality, harvest is a witches’ brew of science-fiction, folk superstition, the unexplainable and the inexplicable. Furnished with junky assassins, memory thieves, ancient rituals and walking corpses, harvest is a vivid hallucination compressed into a swift 140 pages of high strangeness.
Poetry Collection
And My Blood Sang | Maia Brown-Jackson | Poetry, Collection (P)
My poetry is about the perseverance of the self and the strength we can summon; the inevitability of becoming broken and beaten; the reminder that we are connected and we are exquisite; that our scars show where we did not die: and that when we are underestimated, bloodied, and battered, we will rise again. It is the journey from the trauma of abuse and sexual assault to healing, not shying away from the anger or grief or ugliness that arise on that path. And it culminates in my time volunteering in Iraq, where I worked with and for the Yazidis, and their refusal to be broken despite surviving a genocide reminded me of the good in humanity.
Drowning Dragon Slips by Burning Plains | Khải Đơn | Nonfiction (P)
Drowning Dragon Slips by Burning Plains ventures through the land of abundance, "the rice bowl" of the country in the Mekong Delta, where mothers have to leave their children home, seeking a living in exhausting sweatshops when the land exhausts itself in extensive rice plantation, salt intrusion and continual droughts. The poetry collections explore the meaning of being a woman in a land robbed of its innocence, being a child witnessing the future dimmed in the land of rice and fruit. Her questions intertwine the fate of the land with the fates of unrelated forces faraway who are buying exported rice from the sinking regions in climate change. Through a collage-like approach of personal history and fables, Khải Đơn's poems tell tales of the old bombs turning into mangoes, rice germinating out of bullet holes, and every woman losing her way home.
At the River: Poems of Love and Laughter with God | M.A. Hastings | Poetry (P)
At the River: Poems of Love and Laughter with God nurtures body, mind, and spirit as M. A. Hastings puts into poetic form her thoughts about spirituality, climate change, sexuality, deconstruction, politics, religion, social justice and more. Toggling between poignant and witty word play, her poems will brighten your day while making you think. Through laughter, tears and quiet conviction, these poems will speak to the beat of your heart. You will begin to feel the connectedness we have with each other and nature, remembering “Mother Earth is us; beings birthed of Love’s breath in the dust.
Arrivals & Departures: Journeys in Poems | Reena Kapoor | Poetry (P)
Arrivals & Departures is writer and photographer Reena Kapoor's debut poetry collection. Her poems take the reader on journeys through a multitude of places, time periods, and emotions. From the nostalgia of one's homeland, to the suffering and resilience of women who experienced India's 1947 Partition, to parenthood, to life's other simple pleasures, Arrivals & Departures draws readers into new worlds and allows them to find themselves within.
Godly Inspirations for the Troubled Soul | Lisa C. Miller | Poetry (P)
Is your soul crying out for peace and quiet because you are overwhelmed by the noise of the world and troubled by what you see and hear. The answers you seek may be within the pages of this book. Have you ever wondered; Am I special? May I have a moment of your time? Take a chance and open this book. Within these pages you will find out what makes an ordinary life powerful, rich and special? It is not what you think it is. May you be blessed and encouraged as you read "Godly Inspirations for the Troubled Soul."
Inspirations from Heaven's Gate | Lisa C. Miller | Poetry (P)
This is a poetry book full of bible verses sprinkled throughout the book. This was written with the whispered power of the Holy Spirit to help the lost and broken souls of humanity. It is my hope this book reveals the beauty and simplicity of life and Christ love for us. This book takes you on a journey of which when you return you will be different, stronger in spirit and character. It is a book of hope, encouragement and inspiration. As a Christian, I believe people need words, so their world is beautiful. Everyone can benefit from the power of words. So I leave the words on the page for everyone to use. This book should be a great tool in strengthening your Christian Life. When you enter its pages, may you receive many blessings from reading: "Inspirations from Heaven's Gate."
Nightly Inspirations from the Heart of God | Lisa C. Miller | Poetry (P)
This book contains inspirational prose and poetry meant to encourage and uplift the human spirit. I write from the heart with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I write for the lost or broken souls to show them they are not alone. We are all on a journey and should encourage each other daily.
Nonfiction
Living Into the Truth: A Daughter's Journey of Discovery | Annette Marquis | Memoir, Queer (B)
In this memoir, Annette Marquis takes readers on a journey of self-discovery as she unravels the complex web of family secrets that have shaped her identity. From her early childhood questions about her red hair to her struggles with sexuality and self-acceptance, Marquis candidly shares her experiences of growing up in the shadow of her parents' hidden past. Through a series of revelations and personal challenges, she learns to embrace her authentic self, find forgiveness, and stand up for her beliefs. Living Into the Truth is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of living one's truth.
Holding On To Her Identity: Losing My Wife To Alzheimer's | Sammie Marsalli | Health, Health Wellness, Alzheimer's Disease (B)
One of the greatest fears of Alzheimer’s home caregivers is that their loved ones will lose complete recognition of them. This was the one thing I was so terrified of when my wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She could forget who she is and lose all sense of self. If that happened, she wouldn’t recognize me, her three kids, or any member of her family anymore. This was my horror because many of us assumed this was a common occurrence with Alzheimer's without any information. I was scared to death. Holding on to her identity, protecting it in any way I could, was my obsession. She couldn’t speak but understood everything. Every minute of every day, I began tireless interaction with her as her 24/7 home caregiver. I knew she might forget who she was at any time. Professional help is always welcome, but it cannot be available in real-time when radical behavior changes occur. Only home caregivers can respond to emergencies when they happen. Readers will have an inside look at how an Alzheimer’s home caregiver created activities and therapies to make sure his wife knew who she was and who each family member was.
Forever Five - Adventures of The Ladybug Hunter | Patricia Meier | Grief, Parenting, Spirituality (B)
This is a mother’s journey from the darkness back to the light. The spirit of intent in sharing this story is to provide hope for others who find themselves in similar dire straits, to provide hope during the hard times, and to let you know there is life and joy to be had again at the end of this dark night.
The New Now | Russell Smith | Nonfiction (B)
The New Now / Manifestos, Reinventions & Declarations is an insightful, free-thinking, and uplifting Neo-Beatnik collection of manifestos and essays about the New Now we’re living through. Deeply embedded, wrongheaded, calcified cultural norms are being pushed against as never before, and we can understand how societal shifts happened in past centuries – within months, days, or hours, and when a tipping point was finally reached. While holding onto heart-centered awareness, humor, and our humanity – we highlight what’s being done to push back against stolen human rights, book banning, and extremist censorship in this updated & expanded edition. Fast forward several years past 2020 (when we released the earlier version of this book), and our world is in turmoil, with a global surge in unbridled authoritarianism, and the gun violence epidemic and the Climate Crisis ramping up, there’s much more at stake when it comes to building the future we want to live in. The New Now offers insights into how we can shift our perspective. During these globally unbalanced times, this book contains ideas on regaining our balance and moving forward in a joyfully grounded way – while staying in touch with our deepest selves using creativity, camaraderie, and wonderment.
Depression; Sucks - How to turn the Depression Demon into a Creature of F#@king Beauty | Fiona Tate | Health and Wellbeing (B)
Depression; Sucks is about how to create a fulfilling life with depression rather than chasing an elusive and unrealistic recovery. It includes worksheets, personal stories, celebrity inspiration and general advice on many ways to manage Depression. It should be used in conjunction with other successful treatments.
The Artist's Mind : The Creative Lives and Mental Health of Famous Artists | Kathryn Vercillo | Art and Mental Health (B)
Kathryn Vercillo explores the complex relationship between art and mental heath, including not just art as therapy but also how mental health symptoms impact creative process, content, medium, productivity, self-perception and reception by others. In this book, she applies that lens to short biographies of famous visual artists known or believed to have had complicated mental health histories. From the influence of anxiety and hallucinations in the work of Yayoi Kusama to the impact of trauma on to the work created in and about psychiatric care by Richard Dadd and Louis Wain, this book explores how mental health helped, hindered, or otherwise may have impacted famous creative works.
Truth and Generosity: How Truth Makes Language Possible | Neal Weiner and Tina Lee Forsee | Philosophy (N)
It doesn't matter whether you're conservative or liberal, religious or skeptical, the very fact you are able to understand the words you're reading right now—that we can communicate through language—means we must share a vast body of beliefs. While language may shape the way we think about the world to some small extent, it makes much more sense to say truth shapes language to a very large extent. Truth is the condition that makes language possible.
I cannot believe how BIG this has gotten! This is amazing. You TWO have done an exceptional job organizing all of this. You'll probably be in the top 50 next year on LIT and FICTION lists.
Thanks for reminding people of all the books to discover on Indie Books!