Booksellers, publishers, librarians, and agents are encouraged to look at the 57 self-published titles listed below, with descriptions provided by their authors. Some of these writers are waiting to be discovered; others have a track record and a following and are doing it on their own. If you are a self-published author interested in listing titles in this section, please visit publishersweekly.com/pw-select for more information.
Fiction
Cold Havana Tomb
Mark A. Dean. Aspy Press. $9.95 paper (256p), ISBN 978-151430411-2; $3.95 e-book, ASIN B00Z85CEH4
Amazon
Burying Uncle Manolo’s ashes in Havana was not supposed to end in a searing examination of Martha Warren’s life choices. But staring down into his tomb, she learns a terrifying truth.
The Dark Side of Glory
Richard McMahon. Telemachus Press. $14 paper (360p), ISBN 978-1-940745-74-9; $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-939927-46-0
Amazon, BN.com, Ingram, Smashwords
The biographer of a respected Army general discovers a concealed murder, a secret mistress, a baffling mystery, and a tragic love in a world of surprises where nothing is as it seems.
Forgotten Soldiers
Warren Martin. Little Elephant Publishing. $16.99 paper (360p), ISBN 978-0-9854727-0-2; $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9854727-1-9
Amazon
A cold war POW/MIA mystery surrounding an Air Force captain shot down in Vietnam and the untold story of why he never returned home.
Hiatus
Belangela G. Tarazona. CreateSpace. $10 paper (188p), ISBN 978-87-93239-12-8; $2.50 e-book, ASIN B00WWUQXA2
Amazon, BN.com
A moving tale of repression, regret, and redemption.
Hot Box in the Pizza District
Thomas Keech. Real Nice Books. $24.95 hardcover (272p), ISBN 978-0-9836990-2-6; $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9836990-7-1
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
Tim and his two 20-year-old housemates search for sex and love and meaningful work, but their search is distorted by the aftereffects of wrenching betrayals, past and present.
Men Against Women
Laura McKinny. Stones Throw Press. $19.95 paper (349p), ISBN 978-0-9962351-0-5
Amazon
The year 1984: Morgan, a cop and single mom, transfers to Los Angeles’s 77th District, where she finds animosity on the force due to a secret club called Men Against Women.
Tub of Spiders
Jennifer Patterson and David Rowell Workman. Lemon Press Publishing. $15.99 paper (246p), ISBN 978-1-936617-26-5
Amazon, BN.com, Powell’s
Sara has become the object of Russ’s obsession after a horrible event, one more that contributes to the psychopathic behavior that makes him into the killer he is.
Waiting and Other Stories
Joseph Richardson. CreateSpace. $9.95 paper (190p), ISBN 978-1-5121-9609-2; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B00XZ6M08Q
Amazon, BN.com, Books-A-Million
A collection of short stories that range from the life of a young inner-city boy to stories from the early 1930s, when the writer lived on a small central Florida farm.
Mystery/Thriller
Cathedral of Salt
Anthony LaRose. CreateSpace. $7.99 paper (197p), ISBN 978-1-5120-7684-4; 99¢ e-book, ASIN B00XIFFDOM
Amazon, BN.com
Hungover and fresh from the floor of a Colombian jail, an FBI forensic pathologist must invoke all of his expertise to help solve a mysterious murder in the Cathedral of Salt.
Double Identity
Jaye C. Blakemore. Outskirts Press. $29.95 hardcover (360p), ISBN 978-1-4787-5393-3; $21.95 paper (502p), ISBN 978-1-4787-5380-3; $3.99 e-book
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Flipkart, Kobo, Oyster, Scribd, Smashwords, Txtr
Identical twins and secret lives... Romance, deceit, murder, and revenge... After bizarre twists of circumstances, the twins finally experience dual lives come together as one.
Here After
Sean Costello. Red Tower Publications. 99¢ e-book, ASIN B00QBA31V8
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo, Page Foundry, Scribd
Following the death of his 10-year-old son, physician Peter Croft embarks on a search for a missing child, pitting himself against an adversary whose own obsession defies all reason.
Illusion of Splendor
J.D. Easley. Waterton Publishing. $17 paper (350p), ISBN 978-0-615-68604-2; $5.99 e-book, ASIN B00L2LLKUK
Amazon, BN.com, Ingram
A thriller that takes the reader on a journey from the illusion to the heart of splendor.
The Italian Rose
Christina Mitchell. Papillon Publishing. $9.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9961282-0-9
Amazon, BN.com, Smashwords
Angelina witnesses a brutal massacre. Compelled to avenge the dead, she enters the killer’s home and finds she has only a few options to prevent her own death or something far worse.
The Mountain Place of Knowledge
Marshall Chamberlain. The Grace Publishing Group. $22.99 paper (404p), ISBN 978-1-4935-5435-5; $1.99 e-book
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo, Smashwords
The burial chamber of a Mayan sorceress is uncovered atop a sacrificial pyramid in western Belize. Ancient texts in the chamber reveal a secret entrance to the inside of a mountain. A flash of mysterious blue light brings death to a U.N. official, and investigators are sent to Belize to discover the source and locate the secret mountain entrance. An adventure into plausible reality.
Paradise Undercover: The Adventures of the Caribbean’s Top Private Investigator
Fernando Fernandez, PI Covert Intelligence. $15.95 paper (348p), ISBN 978-0-9861059-0-6
Amazon, BN.com
Dressing up as a priest, chasing a phantom airplane across the Caribbean, tracking down the family of a mysterious foreigner—it’s all in a day’s work for Fernando Fernandez, PI.
Psycho-Tropics
Dorian Box. Friction Press. $15.99 paper (462p), ISBN 978-0-692-37135-0; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B00T10KNL6
Amazon, BN.com
A high school reunion unburies the past, launching a laidback surfer on a twisted journey of mayhem and mystery through the Sunshine State in search of a missing woman.
Sahara
Angella Ricot. AuthorHouse. $19.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-4969-2415-5; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4969-2414-8
Amazon, BN.com
Sahara’s entanglements trigger a domino effect of political games and dangerous liaisons that will turn the White House upside down.
Seared
Sandra Gustafsson. CreateSpace. $12 paper (310p), ISBN 978-1-5119-4431-1; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B00VDJQ0DS
Amazon, BN.com
Helena is incarcerated, but what has she done? A psychological thriller that depicts a broken woman’s desperate attempts to create a life worth living.
Window of Exposure
Roccie Hill. CreateSpace. $20 paper (238p), 978-1-5053-4409-7; $4.99 e-book, ASIN B00VVHPU8I
Rocciehill.com, Amazon, BN.com
When terrorists capture an American CEO in France, former F-16 pilot Kate Cardenas leads the Defense Intelligence Agency team in a covert operation to rescue the businessman.
Witches Protection Program
Michael Phillip Cash. Chelshire. $11.99 paper (238p), ISBN 978-1-51141134-9; 99¢ e-book, ASIN B00YANTA4K
Amazon, BN.com
In a tongue-in-cheek alternate reality, witches cast spells and wreak havoc in modern-day New York City.
SF/Fantasy/Horror
Artificial Absolutes: A Jane Colt Novel
Mary Fan. Red Adept Publishing. $16.99 paper (376p), ISBN 978-1-940215-03-7; $5.99 e-book, ASIN B00BJBW5B6
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
A friend’s kidnapping and a murderous plot targeting her brother send Jane Colt on a search for the truth that takes her across the stars, through cyberspace, and into the Fringe.
The Bleeding Heart
Amy Giuffrida. CreateSpace. $12.99 paper (316p), ISBN 978-1-5119-2782-6; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-311-87371-2
Amazon, BN.com, Smashwords
Brooklyn is a talented artist with an obsession for blood, one that she satiates at her uncle’s tattoo shop. Then Daniel comes into her life, bringing desire of a different kind.
The Caloris Rim Project
Glenn P. MacDonald. FriesenPress. $17.99 paper (352p), ISBN 978-1-4602-4685-6; $5.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4602-4686-3
Friesen Press, Abebooks, Alibris, Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Indigo, Kobo
Maj. Frank Rawdon is a pawn in a power struggle full of riddles, alien prophecy, and forbidden ambition out of the Tower of Babel. In 2250 C.E., the future of the past is unstoppable.
February 29th
Frank McCaughey. CreateSpace. $10.49 paper (278p), ISBN 978-1-5087-2856-6; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00U00DE8K
Amazon
A quirky and chaotic tale of twin brothers Frank and Jimmy, whose simple lives start to unravel when Frank’s big mouth gets them in trouble with a mysterious shopkeeper.
Gwendolyn’s Sword
E.A. Haltom. E.A. Haltom. $13.99 paper (354p), ISBN 978-0-9963073-0-7; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00KBAK6H6
Amazon, BN.com, BookBaby, Ingram
Cornwall, England, 1193. A woman defends the manor during Prince John’s rebellion and discovers she is rumored to be the heir to King Arthur’s sword, Caliburn.
A Light Within
Dana Alexander. Dana Alexander. $11.95 paper (228p), ISBN 978-0-692-20512-9; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00O2N43N6
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo, Page Foundry, Scribd
Loyalty beyond life itself... Desire that whispers to defy an oath... At risk is all they’ve ever shared and a future they hope to keep.
Lux et Tenebrae: The Three Siblings, Vol. 1
Jesse Wolfe. CreateSpace. $13.95 paper (192p), ISBN 978-1-5087-2009-6; $4.99 e-book, ASIN B00UB7IFO0
Theurbanwriter3.com, Amazon
A supernatural thriller about three siblings, their ties to one another, those they meet, and their supernatural heritage.
Night of the Fae
(Ana Martin Series, Vol. 1) Lyneal Jenkins. Jenton Publishing. $13.99 paper (370p), ISBN 978-1-50047689-2; $2.99 e-book,
ASIN B00A5S66N2
Amazon, BN.com, Smashwords
After being saved from certain death, Ana is drawn into the secret world of the Siis. Can she survive? More importantly, can she do it with her mind intact?
Romance/Erotica
Beyond a Darkened Sky
Dana Alexander. Dana Alexander. $11.95 paper (282p), ISBN 978-0-615-93844-8; $2.99 e-book
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo, Page Foundry, Scribd
What if the life you live were only a facade, your dreams a true reflection of your identity, and what if those worlds collided?
Candidate: A Love Story
Tracy Ewens. Tracy Ewens. $11.05 paper (276p), ISBN 978-0-9908571-3-6; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B00XTJGGPW
Amazon, BN.com, NetGalley
Kate is doing public relations for Grady’s father, a U.S. senator. Tensions between Kate and Grady grow until there is no denying they are falling in love behind the facade they both need to keep in place.
Dragon’s Guide to Slaying Virgins
Isabelle Saint-Michael. Otherworld Romance. $16.99 paper (452p), ISBN 978-0-9908665-9-6; $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9908665-8-9
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Powell’s, Smashwords
Half romance, half fantasy, this novel with a female lead has humor, tragedy, love, revenge, betrayal, and loyalty. Contains steamy love scenes and rousing battle scenes.
Nonfiction
The Ambitious Woman: What It Takes and Why You Want to Be One
Esther Spina. Next Century Publishing. $21.95 hardcover (222p), ISBN 978-1-62903-901-5; $9.99 e-book
Estherspina.com, Amazon, BN.com, Readerslegacy.com
Contemporary illustrations of women who have lived ambitious lives and what we can learn from them. Women with passion, confidence, and consistency in their everyday lives.
Before, Afdre, and After (My Stroke... Oh What Fun)
Maureen Twomey. Maureen Twomey. $16.95 paper (316p), ISBN 978-0-9863315-0-3; $8.95 e-book
Amazon, BN.com, IndieBound
When Twomey was only 33 years old, she had a huge stroke—one that took away her ability to read, write, walk, and even speak. But she wasn’t about to go down without a fight.
Catching the Wind
Norman Yee. Xlibris. $48.38 hardcover (726p), ISBN 978-1-4990-1882-0; $32.25 paper (726p), ISBN 978-1-49901883-7
Amazon. BN.com, Devia Bookshop, USP Book Centre, Xlibris
An inspiring and humorous memoir of a civil aviation veteran’s family, work, and spirtual life after his dramatic encounter with God. Yee hopes the book helps readers catch the wind of success.
The Crazy and the Damned: An OCD Memoir; A Story of Hope and Victory
Robert Lanni. Robert Lanni. $13.95 paper (146p), ISBN 978-0-9963715-0-6
Ocdmemoir.com, Amazon
This memoir chronicles the author’s victory over obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Offended: Be Offended Not Offensive, a Blog to Book
Nicholas Andrew Stewart. Blurb. $15.63 paper (26p), ISBN 978-1-320-12105-7
Amazon
A self-help book that aims to provide people with helpful thoughts when dealing with the effects of offensive communication.
YHWH Exists
Jodell Onstott. Emmanuel Academic Publishing. $59 hardcover (1,184p), ISBN 978-0-9753375-0-9
Amazon
Onstott uses scientific and archaeological evidence to prove the events in the Bible valid while demonstrating that ancient Israel’s constitution provides solutions to modern political issues.
Children’s/YA Fiction
The Adventures of Daniel: Introduction
Rene Ghazarian, illus. by Sebastian Schug. AuthorHouse. $19.99 paper (30p), ISBN 978-1-5049-0895-5
Amazon, AuthorHouse, BN.com
Would you like to make a new friend? His name is Daniel. Daniel has a cute dog named Sparky. Let’s meet Daniel, Sparky, and Daniel’s family. First in a series of five books.
Alex and the Messy Monster
Vanessa Newman, illus. by Sarah Masse. Blurb. $29.95 paper (32p), ISBN 978-1-320-66226-0
Blurb
Five-year-old Alex does not think that messes amount to anything. Yet he must meet, negotiate, and tame a monster to have peace and happiness.
Ascendant (Book One of the Ascendant Trilogy)
Rebecca Taylor. Ophelia House. $11.99 paper (452p), ISBN 978-0-9797353-1-8; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B00VFDC0QS
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Books-A-Million, Kobo, Powell’s, Tattered Cover
Winner of the 2014 Colorado Book Award (for young adult literature). Charlotte must try to solve a stone puzzle box—a clue to her family’s strange past and her mother’s disappearance.
The Battle for Darracia
Michael Phillip Cash. Chelshire. $19.99 paper (542p), ISBN 978-1-5118-3154-3
Amazon
Struggling with his identity, 19-year-old Prince V’sair must harness the power of the secret to a warrior’s heart in order to overcome his uncle Staf Nuen’s lust for supremacy. This volume combines the first three books in the series.
Crossbone Children and the Orphans of Avalon
Greg Ellis. G.J. Ellis. $2.99 e-book, ASIN B00UE9IBB2
Amazon
In the 17th and 18th centuries, England sent orphans to the country’s colonies because of labor shortages. This group became feared pirates.
The Desire for a New Beginning
Norma Liza Olivas. Norma Liza Olivas. $13.99 paper (238p), ISBN 978-1-4951-3224-7
Normalolivas.com
After a tragedy, Katherine is desperate to restart her life. Suddenly drawn into a vampire war, Katherine discovers her true strength as she fights to protect her mother and boyfriend.
Elvis the Penguin
Kara Casanova, illus. by Anne Lipscomb. The Casanova Group. $12.95 paper (44p), ISBN 978-0-9861763-0-2
Elvisthepenguin.com, Amazon, BN.com
A penguin with a pompadour wants to sing and perform like his famous namesake, Elvis Presley.
Emerge: The Awakening
Melissa A. Craven. Midnight Hour Studio. $12.99 paper (424p), ISBN 978-0-9909819-9-2; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9909819-7-8
Amazon
Allie Carmichael has always believed life is simple: you’re born, you live, you die. After the violent Awakening of her immortality, she discovers those rules have never applied to her.
Kobee Manatee: A Wild Weather Adventure
Robert Scott Thayer, illus. by Lauren Gallegos. Thompson Mill Press. $16.99 hardcover (32p), ISBN 978-0-9883269-4-1
Amazon, BN.com
Kobee Manatee wants to surprise his sister Kim on her birthday. But he and his friends Tess and Pablo must travel through the mighty Atlantic Ocean. Will they have a safe trip?
Kung Fu Kitty: Laying Down the Law
Lauri Bortz, illus. by Michael Gentile. Abaton Book Co. $9.99 paper (80p), ISBN 978-0-9816550-1-7
Abatonbookcompany.com, Amazon
A retelling of Exodus set in ancient China, where formerly enslaved cats attain a homeland and learn to live peaceably under the guidance of a wise and loving kung fu master.
The Lethian
Rufi Angel. Rufi Angel. $11.99 e-book, ASIN B00ZY4JU80
Thelethian.com, Amazon
In seeking a way to avenge her family, Sharie becomes the first disciple of Jeremiah, a Lethian martial artist. In her pursuit, she learns what it means to be truly strong.
Mind Over Bullies: A MOB Forms
D.K. Smith. Khamicom. $13.50 paper (378p), ISBN 978-1-5118-2563-4; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00ZMCBQEK
Amazon
A group of unlikely heroes will try to solve a citywide mystery and teach a few bullies a lesson or two along the way.
The Oak Tree
J. Steven Spires, illus. by Jonathan Caron. Inspired Books. $18.99 hardcover (32p), ISBN 978-0-9858469-4-7; $12.99 paper (32p), ISBN 978-0-9858469-5-4
Jstevenspires.com, Amazon
A timely story of love and family in the midst of a storm that tells of resilience in the face of total disaster.
The Pharaoh’s Cat
Maria Luisa Lang. Maria Luisa Lang. $7.99 paper (184p), ISBN 978-0-9963352-0-1; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00ZYJUONU
Amazon, BN.com
A stray cat in ancient Egypt suddenly finds himself with human powers joined to his feline nature and becomes the pharaoh’s constant companion.
Picture of Grace
Josh Armstrong, illus. by Taylor Bills. Josh Armstrong. $17.09 hardcover (34p), ISBN 978-0-9862370-0-3; $1.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9862370-2-7
Amazon, BN.com
Six-year-old Grace honors her grandfather in a special way, and in doing so, learns an incredible secret about his final painting.
Saving Annie’s Mountain
Children of Wind Dance Farm, illus. by O’Ryan. Cold Run Books. $18.99 hardcover (38p), ISBN 978-0-9790808-1-4
Amazon
A protest in West Virginia coal country takes on new meaning when four children meet a feisty old woman who witnessed the original battle for miners’ rights in 1921.
Space Creatures
Barbara Weisberg, illus. by Kate Arnold. CreateSpace. $10.99 paper (42p), ISBN 978-1-5009-4121-5
Amazon, BN.com
What does it mean to be an Earthling in a vast universe? In this picture book, a brother and sister—Earthlings—introduce the reader to their world.
33 Degrees
Vincent Robert Annunziato. CreateSpace. $3.49 e-book, ASIN B00VXACR1Q; $12.99 paper (226p), ISBN 978-1-51415406-9
Amazon
Cast down a hole by his parents, Javin cannot figure out why. Surviving alone on wit, strength, and guile is not easy in a world where it is too warm to die and too cold to live.
The Thirsty Camel
Peter McDonald, illus. by Lore Ruttan. Dog Ear Publishing. $14.95 paper (284p), ISBN 978-1-4575-3240-5
AbeBooks, Alibris, Amazon, Biblio, BN.com, Books-A-Million, Powell’s
The Thirsty Camel thought he had seen everything on the caravan trails from Cairo to Juba to Isfahan. But after he met the dark-eyed boy, he acquired all sorts of uncamel-like skills.
Children’s/YA Nonfiction
E Is for Election Day
Gloria M. Gavris, illus. by Shawn McCann. Checkers Book Press. $17.95 hardcover (32p), ISBN 978-0-9962881-0-1; $8.95 paper (32p), ISBN 978-0-9962881-2-5
Eisforelectionday.com, Amazon, Follett School Solutions
An educational A-to-Z tour of the sights and sounds of the American electoral process to engage children in the excitement of politics, voting, and democracy. For grades 3–5.