Indie Awesome: part one

A year ago, you’d have been hard-pressed to find books by indie authors on my Kindle.  It wasn’t that I was actively avoiding them, but more they weren’t even on my radar.

Then I started my own publishing journey.  I realized there are great indie writers out there I was overlooking  — with over a million books on Amazon it’s too easy to slide down the charts if you don’t have a big marketing budget.  And as a reader, it’s too easy to just choose the top sellers rather than dig down a little bit further to find gold.

Thank God for book bloggers.  They do that digging for you.  Most of my fave finds come directly from their suggestions. 

I’ve read several indie books this past year.  There are some I hated, some I liked, some I loved.  This is not an all-inclusive love list.  That  would be too long (sorry!).  In fact, I even will have to break this list up, so you’ll get four more titles at a later time. All on this list surprised me, inspired me or just really got to me:

Chasing the Star Garden (The Airship Racing Chronicles) by Melanie Karsak

Okay. I’m already cheating with this list.  I haven’t technically finished reading this book yet.  But I’m halfway through and I freaking ADORE it.

I’m not normally a big steampunk novel fan (I do like the cool gadgets), but Melanie Karsak just made me one.  The writing and the world building are stellar.  And the characters, too — Lily is a kickass air jockey and like no other character I’ve ever encountered. Karsak has written a fully rounded novel that engulfs me in 3D every time I turn a page.

Fairy, Texas by Margo Bond Collins

This novel reminded me why I ever started reading and writing YA:  It’s fun.  That’s all there is to it.
 
Margo Bond Collins takes me back to high school and fills the halls with mysterious winged creatures — not angels for once! The dialogue in this novel is outstanding, as is Bond Collins’ use of romantic tension.  You can leave me in a room with Mason or Josh anytime, babe.

Deer In Headlights (Good Gods Series #1) by Staci Hart

A totally modern take on Greek gods and how they pass eternity, this book by Staci Hart blew me away. It’s innovative, intelligent and funny.

Yes, there’s a lot of sex in this novel.  Yes, Hart totally got me me hot and bothered.  But the thing is, this book is soooooo much more than that.  And the kicker?  She even got those Greek myths I’ve always forgotten to stick in my brain.    

Rapeseed by Nancy Freund

The story of an American expat in England dealing with secrets that threaten to pop up, this book isn’t what I usually read — it’s much more literary.  But it’s accessible, enjoyable, and beautiful.

The writing is fantastic. Really.  Freund’s fiction borders on poetic at times. It’s the kind of book that if you start highlighting pretty turns of phrase, you’ll end up with a novel that’s as yellow on the inside as it is on the cover!

So those are my first four.   If you follow my blog, you’ve seen some of the novels I read earlier that I fell in love with  — Until the End of the World by Sarah Lyons Flemming,  Someone Different by Kate Hanney,  and Where Bluebirds Fly by Wendy Storer, among others.

And what about you?  What are some books by lesser known indie authors you’ve discovered and would like to share with the world?