Top 10 Indie Books for Indie April!

Of late I have been spending a lot of time on Twitter. No, no, I am not wasting my time reading tweets with infuriating tags like “Women Are Trash” and bashing every single one of them for posting such nonsense (although, I wish I could do that!!). Indeed, over the past week, I have gained more than 1000 followers on Twitter and I am happy to say that they are all Writers and Authors. This is the most awesome, amazing, and supportive group of people I have ever seen in any social media. These people, all Writers, are available at your beck and call in the #WritingCommunity whether it is advice you need (writing related or not!), a beta-reader, editor, reviewer or simply a shoulder to cry on when one of those (much dreaded) rejection letters arrive after week/month/year long querying!

I was in awe when I saw how earnestly the writers support each other to promote their books and writing. Being a newbie to the #WritingCommunity and Twitter in general, I was intrigued when I saw the tag #IndieApril. I followed tweets with using the tag to learn more and found out that Indie April is the month for promoting Indie writers and/or independent publishers.

I am sure this is probably a thing in other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram as well but this was the first time that I came across something so wonderful. Obviously, I wanted to do my bit to support the Indie Authors. So, I posted a tweet asking for suggested books from Indie authors that I could buy for my April Reading List. The idea was to choose 10 Indie books from 10 different genres for my Top 10 Tuesdays feature.

Well, I got so many many recommendations and suggestions that it took me a while to choose. Needless to say, my reading schedule is swamped for the next 3 months at the very least! I have selected one book from each of the 10 genres. Full disclosure – these are books that I found interesting after reading the blurbs and have become part of my April reading list. I cannot review them until I have read them!

Without further ado, here’s my pick for #IndieApril….

1. Science Fiction

Of course, I had to start with science fiction. No book list of mine is ever complete if I do not have science fiction added to it. There were quite a few interesting submissions that I was finding it hard to make a choice on which one I would put on here. After pondering for a while, I chose to go with Old Man Odyssey by Kyle Fleischhacker.

“History speaks of the human condition becoming excruciatingly long as a 286-year-old hunter and his best hunting tool, his cyborg son, ventures into treacherous land on a planet in the forgotten corner of space. They find themselves in a fight to save the universe as Seven Ancestors threaten to destroy the Mars evolution of mankind.”

2. Fantasy

Fantasy is one of the most popular genres for reading as well as writing! I was overwhelmed by the number of submissions from fantasy writers. Each one so interesting that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the books! After much deliberation, I decided to feature Arcana of the Crimson Era: Red Moon by Sein Ares. Read the first few lines from the synopsis and tell me if you do not find this intriguing!

 ““Those who sin die by the way they sinned!”
Looking back, I wonder. The sinister events that forced Elizabeth to follow these words set in stone, would she have done it, had she known, the repercussions of her actions?”
3. Psychological Thriller

I am a sucker for psychological thrillers and if it keeps the pace then count me in on the journey! I was looking forward to the submissions for this genre and I was not disappointed. I can’t wait to read Catatonic by Alyssa DiCarlo. Read the blurb and you will know what I mean…

“Life at Stillwater Sanitarium was exceedingly boring for a complete catatonic in her mid-twenties. Typically, Adelaide Lynch kept to herself. Always sitting in the same corner, reading the same book, strutting the same holey pair of socks. For nearly two years, the woman managed to become completely invisible. That is, until a broad-shouldered, greasy-haired man with a creepy complexion arrives. For the first time in years, Adelaide may have finally found her voice.”

4. Poetry

To be honest, I was not sure if I would get any submissions in this genre but was pleasantly surprised to find more than a few submissions. For my reading in this genre, I chose Rooted by Cassandra Chaput. Reason?

I am a big supporter focusing on mental health, self-improvement and healing from heartbreak…cue my blog’s name!

Rooted is a collection of poems that

“focus on mental health, love and heartbreak, self-improvement, and self-love.”

5. Nonfiction

Of all the submissions that I received for the nonfiction category, I knew the moment I saw J.D. Simmons’ Lately Lesbian, that it was my pick for this category. For one, I have not read anything in the LGBT nonfiction category and two this year I am pushing myself out of my comfort zone and reading different books that portray views I am not aware of.

Lately Lesbian is a book about a good southern girl, Jenna who

“predictably married Paul and believed in happily ever after. Although Jenna played by all the rules, she had no idea the tragic turns that her life would take–the tragic death of her first baby, and the unexpected loss of a second baby. There would be more heartbreak. Would Jenna ever be blessed with a child that she wanted with all her heart? Would Paul step up and become the husband and partner she only dared to dream of? Then out of the blue, Jenna crossed paths with a young woman and her life changed in ways that she never could have imagined. For too many years, Jenna drifted through life searching for answers to understand her undeniable attraction to this woman and uncover her true authentic self. Denial reigned supreme until one phone call changed everything.”

6. Romance

OK, I am not a big fan of Romance novels, so this one is definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone. But then again, for someone who claims is not a romance fan, my favorite author is Jane Austen and favorite book is Pride and Prejudice! Well….

Of the many submissions I received I decided to go with Her Lucky Charm: A Second Chance Romance by Amelia Kingston because I believe in second chances!

“At twenty-eight, Samantha Cane was well on her way to achieving everything on her thirty-year plan. A great job. A beautiful apartment. An uncomplicated life. She was months away from becoming the youngest partner at her prestigious law firm and finally having everything she thought she wanted.

Then Connor Grayson was thrown back into her life.”

7. Literary Fiction

Good literary fiction books are hard to find, sometimes hard to read yet hard to put down! My prediction for J.R. Alcyone’s Five Fathoms Beneath is that it is going to be in the hard to put down category.

Five Fathoms Beneath is “An inspiring and thought-provoking literary novel about the invisibility of mental illness, overcoming obstacles, and the power of hope. 

A twist on Loren Eiseley’s famous essay, “The Star Thrower,” Five Fathoms Beneath blends a realistic medical backdrop with a dash of magical realism to tell the heartbreaking yet ultimately life-affirming tale of a man’s quest to find his life’s meaning.” 

Trigger Warning: Five Fathoms Beneath is a realistic story about suicide, an important public health issue. The novel may contain scenes and descriptions which are upsetting to some readers.

8. Thriller

Surprisingly, there were very few submissions in the thriller genre. However, Ellipsis by Nikki Dudley, was more than enough to make up! Read the blurb and you will agree with me!

““Right on time,” Daniel Mansen mouths to Alice as she pushes him to his death. Haunted by these words, Alice becomes obsessed with discovering how a man she didn’t know could predict her actions. On the day of the funeral, Daniel’s cousin, Thom, finds a piece of paper in Daniel’s room detailing the exact time and place of his death.
Ellipsis is a disturbing thriller stemming from what is left unsaid, what bounces around in the mind and evaporates when trying to remember. Can there be a conclusion when no-one seems to know the truth?”

9. Mystery

Mystery is another one of my favorite genres. I received more than a few suggestions for this as well. The Third King: Coronation by Brian D. Campbell is what caught my interest for this month’s reading.

The Third King: Coronation is about

“Ben Gilsum, a gifted math and history major at John Brown University in Arkansas is recruited by a private-government contractor to be an Intelligence Analyst. He decides to seek membership in a local secret society to volunteer time for his new community and make social connections. The organization is founded on twelfth-century scripts that reveal a scene shared in every Christmas tale has a remarkable ancient twist. During his initiation into the organization Ben learns that anyone connected to power or influence in Washington DC is currency and nearly everyone he meets in his new home is connected in some way to exploit him.”

10. Historical Fiction

When Author Beth Caruso told me that her book One of Windsor: The Untold Story of America’s First Witch Hanging is based on real life events that happened in the earlier days, I knew I wanted to read this one! Thus, One of Windsor became my pick for the Historical Fiction category.

“Alice, a young woman prone to intuitive insights and loyalty to the only family she has ever known, leaves England for the rigid colony of the Massachusetts Bay in 1635 in hopes of reuniting with them again. Finally settling in Windsor, Connecticut, she encounters the rich American wilderness and its inhabitants, her own healing abilities, and the blinding fears of Puritan leaders which collide and set the stage for America’s first witch hanging, her own, on May 26, 1647.”

While these are my picks for the above-mentioned genres, I am also reading a couple of other books as a part of read and review! Watch this space for some reviews!

What about you? Would you read an Indie Author’s book? If yes, which of these genres would you be interested in reading? Let me know in the comments!

Disclaimer – This is not a paid promotion. This is simply one writer trying to support few other writers! The links will take you to the respective author’s amazon page if you decide to buy any of these books.