The Indie Books & Authors Newsletter #11

Celebrating and promoting amazing indie authors! Find your next indie read!

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New Releases

War of the Nameless (The Relics of War Book 3) by A J Calvin

The god of death, called the Nameless by some, has been biding his time for millennia. His scheme to break free of his prison is nearing fruition, and with the aid of the Soulless bound to him, he seeks to regain his former power. The world has scorned him and it must face his wrath.

Emra Castledowns has gathered an army to combat the threat the Soulless pose. Beside her are Vardak, a skilled warrior, renowned amongst his people and the protégé of the god of war, and Ravin, the most powerful wielder of magic the world has ever produced. The wizards have allied with her, the Five Kingdoms have lent soldiers and arms, and even the gods—sworn to remain neutral during mortal conflicts—have begun to choose sides.

In spite of her army’s might, the power the Nameless begins to unleash is daunting. The death god is a threat to the existence of every kingdom, every race and nationality—even the Soulless who serve him are not immune to his thirst for revenge.

When We Come Back: More Stories by D H Schleicher

When We Come Back is the startling new collection where D. H. Schleicher explores both recent history and visions of the future through literary and speculative fiction. Some stories traverse how everyday people are impacted by events like the global pandemic, the Great Recession or the dot.com bubble. Other tales paint a dystopian world post climate catastrophe or a far-flung future where an evolution in AI produces surprising results. Across these stories, characters struggle to connect, find meaning, and move forward in the face of sometimes tragic and always shifting headwinds.

A Dish Best Served Cold by Marie Keates

A tale of lies, treachery, secrets and a plan for revenge.

Arthur, a small-time crook in a minor London gang, craves respect, power and money. Tasked with starting a protection racket in Southampton, he is confronted with a past he’d sooner forget. Then, a chance meeting sparks a plot to take revenge on the man who ruined his life. Will his plan succeed or will the web of lies and deceit he has woven bring about his downfall?

Gladys can’t understand what Clara sees in Arthur. She’s sure he’s up to no good, but Clara won’t listen. No one listens to her or tells her the truth. She learns everything by eavesdropping. Will her snooping prove her right or are the secrets she uncovers better left buried?

Bert has a reputation as a madman, but he wants a quiet life. When Blackshirts and crooks wreak havoc in the town, he knows his Romani family will soon become a target. Can he protect them or will an old enemy destroy everything he holds dear?

Accursed Son (The Martyr’s Vow Book 1) by Eric Avedissian

THE DEPARTED HAVE THEIR SECRETS

Armand Tarkanian is trapped in the ultimate dead-end job: embalming decedents under his abusive uncle’s watchful eye. Every day he goes through the motions, making death look beautiful while his life is anything but.

A car accident leaves him indebted to Berj, a mysterious man with rune-carved gold teeth and a penchant for worshipping old gods. Blackmailed and desperate, Armand feels more trapped than he was under his uncle’s thumb. But the embalmer harbors his own dark secret, a bloodline curse that allows him to communicate with the dead.

When the spirits show him how they were murdered, Armand must choose between fealty to the sadistic and manipulative Berj, or joining the Legion of the Lamb, a monster-hunting biker gang with their own agenda. What began as a dangerous game between secret societies has led Armand on a frightening quest to save the only family he’s ever known and a chance to get closer to the rebellious misfits who saved him.

Heartfelt and evocative, Accursed Son is a story featuring generational clashes, found families, and the rewards of tempting fate.

Alster Diamonds by Anna K Thomas

Hamburg, 1838 – Sophie Achtmann is the youngest, somewhat charmless daughter of an ambitious merchant family. She knows the role her family has assigned her: she must secure a good marriage and thus increase the Achtmanns' credit, like her older and more beautiful cousin. But Sophie fears she will never find a husband her grandfather will accept. And she is not the only one who despairs of the task assigned to her: Her brothers also struggle with their fate, each in their own way.

But then a young French abbot shows up in Hamburg who always has the right answers for each of them, who always seems to be there when needed. Sophie and her brothers become friends with Leander – not suspecting his true reasons, not suspecting that they are only a means to an end and that his real goal is a completely different member of the Achtmanns...

Alster Diamonds is a historical novel taking place in the German city Hamburg at the river Alster in the middle of the Nineteenth Century. Please read the content note first.

Hello Spain, Goodbye Heart (The Wandering Hearts Book 1) by LoLo Paige

Travel writer Dayna Benning tours Europe to write a feature story for a travel magazine. Along the way, she helps her bestie scatter her husband’s ashes. When Dayna accidentally sprinkles Alex Mendes with dried rose petals intended for the deceased, she senses a chemistry with the silver fox airline pilot. Just one catch—he wears a wedding band. Embittered by her divorce, Dayna refuses to be a homewrecker, like the woman who ruined her marriage. Alex and Dayna go their separate ways, but she’s mystified when serendipitous signs point her toward him at every turn. Determined to find out why, she learns Alex is a widower. Dayna hopes for a second chance at love…but her resentful heart stops her. Can she forgive those that broke her heart the first time? And for that matter, can she forgive herself for her failed marriage? Unless she finds a way to piece together her fragmented heart, Alex will forever remain a fantasy.

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News Round-Up

• Issue 1 of Prompted, the short story magazine from Reedsy, is available to download for free.

• The Curae Prize is open for entries from writers who are also carers and who are resident in UK & ROI. It’s free entry and the closing date is 1st March.

• Lee Hall has written a blog post musing on his 10th anniversary of joining Twitter, where he now has over 41,000 followers.

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Book Reviews

The Man and the Crow by Rebecca Crunden, reviewed by N S Ford

A magic-soaked short story, ideal for reading during your lunch break. In just 24 pages we are treated to a tale worthy of a novel and yet it somehow doesn’t feel too rushed. It begins with an odd flatmate, who is murdered by a mysterious scarred man who has been searching for her for hundreds of years. He has a companion, a crow, who is actually a warlock under a curse. The narrator draws us into the reasons for the curse and why the two are tracking down witches. I would like to read a novel based on this, which would allow for more character development.

The App by Stuart James, reviewed by Kerry at Herding Cats

It takes something pretty dark to spook me and the usual ghosties etc. manage to give me a few chills but nothing on this level. What frightens me more than anything are things that could easily be a reality but also the depravity and places humans will and do go to. The App completely uses these fears and really plays on the stuff that haunts my nightmares.

The story is extremely fast paced but easy to keep up with. This matches the whole vibe of the book. It really gets the adrenaline pumping and the pace works extremely well for keeping the reader on the edge of their seats. The present storyline is intense and like a car crash that you don’t want to look at but cannot look away.

The story is told through two timelines. In the present there is all the action, the chase and then terror but what really got into my head were the chapters set in the 80s. They document the life of a teen called Jonathan. This is where the true scare came into it for me – it’s that human capacity for the most awful thoughts, impulses and feelings that play on my mind for hours after I managed to put the book down.

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