Disclaimer: This list is based on my own opinions. I was not manhandled in any way by the authors. :)
So... here's the BEST INDIE BOOKS I've read last 2015 - in no particular order.
If you're a devourer of books like I am, these will satisfy your palates.
ONE MORE
by Lance Haynes
by Lance Haynes
The original cover of One More showed an aurora borealis and I thought it was sci-fi. The backdrop of the story is, but the story focuses more on the personal journey of Richard Evans. Failed dreams and a marriage that was about to fall apart has pushed Richard into the dark clutches of depression. Nothing he did ever turned out right. And you know how achievement is important to men. There were too many losses and failures... too much for a man to bear. While on a job in Nevada, he has an epiphany. He still had his family, a wife who loved him, and two sons. He wanted to make things right by them. He had to go home.
But just as he was preparing to go home, The Darkness happened. There was a solar flare that brought the world into chaos. Electricity went out. The Internet crashed. People were going crazy. But... he had to make the 2000 mile journey home.
On the way, Richard encountered situations that would test a man's morals and his humanity. His adventures and the people he meets make up the story of One More. It's a story of hope, perseverance, our "humanness", the goodness of people, and one man's determination to do one thing right in his life. It's a touching story that stays with you way after you're done reading. You won't be able to put it down. You'd want to stay with Richard, until he gets home.
Lance Haynes is a truly exceptional writer. What makes this self published book more amazing is that it's self edited. And yet, I found no glaring error in the book. Some people are just born to write. The writing is tight, not peppered with words that do nothing for the story. He describes scenes and emotions beautifully, using a range of words that show a wide vocabulary - and not just words taken from the Thesaurus to sound intelligent. The words flow, and the cadence adds to an enjoyable reading experience.
One More begins this way. Desolation with Grandeur. Hah, hooked me right away.
SHE DIES AT THE END
by A.M. Manay
by A.M. Manay
Talk about an Anne Rice in the making.
She Dies at the End is the story of November Snow, a young woman who can see the past and the future, a Seer. Her powers had brought her nothing but trouble. She felt different and even spent time in institutions. Add to that a terrible mother, and visions of her death. She lived in a carnival where she did readings for customers. It was the only home she had.
One day, the people in her visions came to visit. They've heard of her powers and wanted to see if it was genuine. November knew they weren't normal people. They were creatures of the night, vampires who have graced her dreams for so long they felt like friends. They invited November to go with them. With no prospect of a better life, she went. That was the beginning of November's new life. Weird and unnatural as it was, it felt more like home, being with these creatures. She belonged... and well, everyone wanted her for her ability. Not always a good thing, but better than being unwanted and made to feel like a freak.
What I loved best about this book are the characters. A.M. Manay has created distinct and unforgettable characters with personality and depth. Very well developed. You will miss them. Reminiscent of Anne Rice's books, the world of She Dies at the End is dark and attractive. There's romance, and battles, as rogue vampires, werewolves, and fairies clash with vampire royalty for control. The romantic angle is discreet and tantalizing, nothing corny or cheesy about it. Totally delicious. And it's not a young adult book either. Its not that... simple. (I'm being kind to other simple books.)
The story begins this way:
A.M. Manay's words just flow. Definitely an exceptional writer. Hard to create a fantasy world believable to adults. The dialogue is natural and her writing, tight. I'm very particular about tight manuscripts as self published authors tend to ramble, and forego Editors. There are so many points to rave about in this book. If you love supernatural stories, this is a book that you MUST include in your collection. She published a collection of back stories that added to the sumptuousness of the whole November Snow series. She Sees in her Sleep. Enough said. Go get this book. A gem for sure. :)
AN AMAZON'S EQUAL
by Fionna Guillaume
I've had this book for quite some time and didn't start reading it until yesterday. I didn't expect that I'd enjoy it so much! And that's mainly because of the story's setting. I love mythology, ancient history, and I've never read a novel about the lives of the Amazons. It deserves to be in this list.
What a storyteller! The story grabbed me right away. This wonderful book began with the events that led to the creation of this all-woman society. Called the Euphemindras, these band of women warriors lived for centuries in peace deep in the forest. They were progressive, protected by the Goddess. Carefully guarding their way of life, they trained as warriors as soon as able. The offspring of the Euphemindra were always female, even their animals - a blessing from the Goddess. (or a curse?)
What I enjoyed is the way the author imagined what an Amazon's life would have been like. It was totally believable. How did they procreate? They had a Men's Tent where they took care of the men they chose to capture, from the armies and caravans that attacked their city. That's where they did naughty things. The women can come and go anytime they like, but no one can fall in love.
Pyrena, the heroine did. After winning a siege, she took home Astratos to add to the Men's Tent. Nothing unusual about that. They all did it at some point. As his captor, she was tasked to break him in on how to properly pleasure a Euphemindra, after which, she can release him for her other sisters to try. But, Pyrena and Astratos fell in love. It was forbidden. And so now, you must get this book to see what happened.
I don't really like pure romance novels, even with a little erotica, but when it's wrapped up this way.... 2 nights of blissful reading. The romance and erotic scenes in this book were dessert, not the main course. Just the way I like it. In fact, near the end, I skipped over some erotic scenes so I could get back to the story.
I enjoyed living with my Amazon sisters in the fantasy world this author created. And the ending was truly epic. Loved it.
In the beginning...
CLOBBERING the PROCRASTINATION MONSTER
by Cary David Richards
Being a freelance writer, I'm very wary of non-fiction books. There are business minded people who are hiring less than qualified writers to write all kinds of non-fiction books and flooding the Amazon marketplace with them. Useless books, offering nothing to the reader. This is not one of them.
Cary David Richards' books are very informative. You get many 'hey, i'm like that' moments. His recommendations are actionable and you get tidbits of realizations that could help you see yourself better. You know you need to identify the roadblocks first before looking for solutions. Clobbering the Procrastination Monster has many tips on how you can be more productive. It's light reading, and non-preachy. The author helps you identify the reasons you're such a lazy daisy. And then he suggests actions to correct it.
The author introduces his book this way.
He's kind of my benchmark when it comes to writing non-fiction. I love his voice. Light and funny. And the cover is just fabulous. Reminds me of Slimer. :) If you're into self-help books, try this.
LUKE & BELLA: Two Streets Over
by Pandora Spocks
by Pandora Spocks
Pandora Spocks is a classy romance and erotica writer. I'm not really a romance reader, outgrowing that phase many years ago, but I enjoyed reading every one of her books. Luke & Bella was what got me convinced. Have you ever wondered why people were so attracted to BDSM? This sexy but taboo and whispered about concept of domination and submission? Many people are interested in the topic, judging from the success of Fifty Shades of Grey. But only in secret. Me included. I've never really delved into the world of BDSM to try and understand the WHYs behind it.
I now understand the emotion and purpose behind Knee Time from this story. It was attractive and fascinating. And I have a better appreciation now of why some people are into it, and why some would try it if they had the opportunity.
Pandora Spock's characters are always professionals. Independent, strong-willed women, and attractive, accomplished men any woman would be happy to submit to. (Hold your horses, women's lib) Bella Grant, a journalist, and Luke McGillicutty, a photographer, were thrown together when they were both assigned to a new travel program. There was attraction, hyped up by the beautiful places they had to travel to for the show. But Luke had a secret. He was a Dom and he wants to make Bella his Sub. Will a woman like her agree to be dominated?
Even though it's erotica, there's nothing smutty about this book. As I mentioned, Pandora Spocks writes with class. Her writing is crisp, intelligent - it's hard to describe how a writing can be intelligent, you just feel it - and totally enjoyable. She's in a class of her own in the romance/erotica genre. If E.L. James was a better writer, she'd have written Fifty Shades like Pandora Spocks - and it would have been a better book.
This book is HOT. Definitely not for Young Adults. (Kiddies... shoooo! Stop reading.)
Here's a sample:
What did I tell you? And that wasn't even an actual scene, she was just dreaming... hahaha. It's an awesome read - erotic romance, travel adventures, and a more intimate look at BDSM.
MORIUM and MORIUM: DARK HORIZONS
by S.J. Hermann
This review is for the 2nd edition of Morium and 1st edition of Morium: Dark Horizons.
Morium was one of the first five books I read when I joined the self publishing industry. S.J. shared a copy of his book with me, and I was impressed with the writing style, and the story. So impressed that I offered to edit books 1 and 2 for free, and do the covers (not what you see here), and the formatting.... Morium was my first baby. It was a finalist in the Best Self Published Book 2015 awards given by BooksGoSocial.com. Not bad for a debut novel. My work on this book proved to me that a good story when polished and packaged properly, can go places and be recognized. It gave me the idea for The Book Khaleesi.
Morium was one of the first five books I read when I joined the self publishing industry. S.J. shared a copy of his book with me, and I was impressed with the writing style, and the story. So impressed that I offered to edit books 1 and 2 for free, and do the covers (not what you see here), and the formatting.... Morium was my first baby. It was a finalist in the Best Self Published Book 2015 awards given by BooksGoSocial.com. Not bad for a debut novel. My work on this book proved to me that a good story when polished and packaged properly, can go places and be recognized. It gave me the idea for The Book Khaleesi.
Morium is the story of 3 teenagers, Nathan, Alexandria and Stacy. All of them bullied through High School, each with their own personal angst and issues, and their own ways of dealing with them. Aside from the bullying, their home life was far from the perfect life that teenagers expect. Their friendship was the only good thing in their lives.
One day, Nathan and Alexandria saw a light in the forest and they went to investigate. There were green rocks that looked like meteor debris. Of course they touched it. When they reached home, they discovered that they've acquired powers. Powers that could help them correct the 'wrongs' in their lives. Powers that will enable them to avenge the humiliation they've experienced in the hands of the bullies. How will they use it?
The story revolves around these teenager's battle with their raging emotions, their friendship and the disturbing but all too real effects of bullying. The author describes the coping strategies of Alexandria in graphic detail. Most of the bullying incidents in Morium are based on the experience of the author. He knows what it's all about. This book could be an eye-opener for parents, and a good read for teenagers who are trying to cope with bullies themselves.
Morium: Dark Horizons continues the struggle of these teenagers. Their powers have grown, and Alexandria and Nathan move further apart as they use their gifts in different ways. One wanted revenge, but the other discovered that there are other ways to be happy. Nathan has become uncontrollable, and it was up to Alexandria to convince Nathan to change his mind, and save their friendship.
The story begins with a letter from Alexandria to her father:
Morium is a relevant story for our times. There are many cases of suicide among teenagers caused by bullying, and this book tackles the issue without fear.
WOUNDED ANIMALS
by Jim Heskett
When it comes to Mystery Thrillers, Jim Heskett's book, Wounded Animals is the best I've read so far. A stranger turns water into wine, and leaves a warning for Tucker Candle. Don't leave for that business trip, or I won't be able to protect you. That hooked me right away. Who is this stranger? But Candle doesn't believe in magic or miracles. So, he goes on the trip anyway.
And that's when his life started spiraling out of his control. When he returned from his trip, his pregnant wife was missing.. and there was blood in his home. Whose? Then people around him started dying. What was going on? Heskett takes the reader skillfully through the mystery with his crisp and sometimes humorous writing style. It's a book you won't be able to put down.
Poor Tucker Candle. You won't believe how his quiet life suddenly fell apart... and he doesn't even know why. Except maybe... maybe that stranger wasn't a loony after all.
The book begins like this:
That's it for my Best Indie Books of 2015.
Hope you enjoy them, as I have.
Share this list with your book loving friends and support these talented self published authors.
and if you would be so kind... Please take the time to leave a review.
Happy Reading!
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