Booksellers, publishers, librarians, and agents are encouraged to look at the 74 self-published titles below. Each appears with a list of retailers that are selling the book and a description provided by its author. Some of these writers are waiting to be discovered; others have track records and followings 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
Breakfast with Butch
Scott F. Deem. AuthorHouse. $16.99 paper (188p), ISBN 978-1-4634-1737-6; $9.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4634-1739-0
Amazon
After 28 years of marriage, Seymore “Butch” Busczkowski’s life has been turned upside down. With no plan, Butch finds unexpected support from an old friend.
Butterfly Wish: A Doomed Interracial Love Affair Set in Post War South Korea
D. Davidson and R. Marcano. BookBaby. 99¢ e-book, ASIN B06W2G3Y9D
Amazon, BN.com, Google Play, Scribd
Two Air Force veterans in their 70s return to East Asia seeking some forgiveness and closure. They are haunted by the dark world of sin and exploitation that corrupted their lives in South Korea in 1963.
The Invasion of Normandie: A Novel of Celebrity
Jeff Polman. Grassy Gutter Press. $11.99 paper (208p), ISBN 978-0-692-97299-1
Amazon
When a world-famous pop singer/actress is sent to a rehab retreat in Colorado, two teenage fans from nearby Nebraska inadvertently find themselves sheltering her in their tiny town.
The Late Life Bloom of Rose Rabinowitz
Ronald Pies. CreateSpace. $7.20 paper (104p), ISBN 978-1-5412-9244-4
Amazon
The unfolding love story of two people tormented by their past.
The Old World Dies
Kyle Jarrard. Lune de Ville. $9.99 e-book, ASIN B07815W1BQ
Amazon
A comic satire on the decline of France and the melodramatic adventures of a dreamy painter of nudes and his colorful models and spinster benefactors.
On Robin Lane
Brenda Dodson. Toplink Publishing. $15.99 paper (346p), ISBN 978-1-947938-43-4
Amazon, BN.com
Loretta Lynn Davis grows up in Madison, Tenn.—a town known only for the fact that its Main Street divides Tennessee from Virginia.
Mystery/Thriller
A Clean Death
Adriaan Verheul. Adriaan Verheul. $24.95 paper (320p), ISBN 978-0-692-04769-9
Amazon
A banker looks for the killer of his father in this thriller about guns, corruption, moral dilemmas, and the folly of international intervention in a war-torn country overseas.
The Cockroach Society
Fred Dowd. Xlibris. $19.95 paper (271p), ISBN 978-1-5245-2387-9
Amazon, BN.com, Xlibris
An attorney from China delivers a letter to Catherine from an old friend. It thrusts Catherine and those she loves into extraordinary circumstances with worldwide repercussions.
Grievous Bodily Harm: A Toni Day Mystery
Jane Bennett Munro. iUniverse. $20.99 paper (278p), ISBN 978-1-5320-2756-7; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5320-2757-4
Amazon
An Idaho pathologist is once again propelled down a dangerous path after a new hospital administrator unleashes a diabolical plan and she is accused of his murder.
Halfway to a Vineyard
Anthony Mays. Amazon. $2.99 e-book, ASIN B074HZP9C8
Amazon
Sam thought he left the dangers of a military career behind when he moved his family to Humboldt County. Little did he know living in a vineyard would present its own threats.
Mark to Murder: Death in Budapest
Moris Senegor. CreateSpace. $20 paper (368p), ISBN 978-1-976099-07-6
Amazon
An urgent plea from an old friend sends Mark Kent to Budapest, only to discover the friend dead in his hotel and with a dangerous past that could kill Mark as well.
A Murder of Saints
Chris Miller. iUniverse. $20.99 paper (370p), ISBN 978-1-5320-3133-5; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5320-3134-2
Amazon
A police detective wrestles with his conscience while attempting to stop a killer avenging his sister’s death.
Optimizing America
Jarl Jensen. Jarl Jensen. $15 paper (332p), ISBN 978-1-981578-32-0
Amazon, Apple iBooks, Kobo
When a self-made billionaire’s ideas begin to catch fire with the masses, the billionaire finds himself swept up in a presidential campaign that threatens not only his public standing but his life.
Survival of the Sparrows
Pete Conrad. Lulu. $14.95 paper (340p), ISBN 978-1-387-37145-7; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B078X43R75
Suicidalflower.com
When their rural Georgia town is commandeered by an invading multinational army and the threat of nuclear war looms, a resourceful retired couple struggles to survive.
SF/Fantasy/Horror
Becoming the Dragon
Alex Sapegin. Litworld. $10 paper (178p), ISBN 978-992573851-9; $6.95 e-book, ASIN B077SFF619
Amazon, Kobo, Litworld, Smashwords
After stumbling into a portal, Andy is transported to another world, where he must fight to survive and undergo the ancient ritual to become a dragon.
Glamorous: A Grace Bishop Novel
Denise Bossarte. CreateSpace. $3.99 e-book, ASIN B0789VMX5B
Amazon
A serial killer preys on homeless girls. Grace must use her supernatural powers to put an end to his murder spree, even if she ends up in the crosshairs.
Identity
Cynthia Kumanchik. CreateSpace. $9.99 paper (230p), ISBN 978-1-5482-7935-6
Amazon
Optimal, a biogenetics company, offers a miracle serum that can supposedly help citizens escape their miserable lives through a change of identity.
The Second Death
Scott Devon. Archway Publishing. $33.95 hardcover (222p), ISBN 978-1-4808-5104-7; $16.99 paper (222p), ISBN 978-1-4808-5106-1
Amazon, BN.com
A rock ’n’ roll odyssey as one ordinary man lives an extraordinary afterlife on the “Highway to Hell,” searching for the “Stairway to Heaven.” Book one in a three-part series.
The Silver Horn Echoes: A Song of Roland
Michael Eging and Steve Arnold. iUniverse. $4.99 e-book, ASIN B076CTKTXZ
Amazon, BN.com, Books-a-Million, Google Play
When the Frank kingdom is threatened, a hero must rise to save all he loves from ruin. Revisiting an age of intrigue and a fateful decision in a lonely mountain pass—Roncevaux.
Terralepus
Kathleen M. Hamilton. Dorrance Publishing. $36 paper (194p), ISBN 978-1-4809-3996-7
DorranceBookstore.com
In space, Jackie, Jasmine, and Max overcome murderous monsters and unfriendly planets. As Jackie fulfills her dream to explore the galaxy, Max hopes to rekindle his romance with her.
Witch Tower
Lawrence King. CreateSpace. $12.99 paper (272p), ISBN 978-1-5335-0862-1
Amazon, BN.com
New professor Mac Mackenzie accepts a job at Miskatonic University. Is he ready for extracurricular activities that include witchcraft?
Romance/Erotica
A Heart Across the Ocean
Shelley Kassian. Shelley Kassian. $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9959680-3-5
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
A ward of King Louis XIV travels to New France to secure a husband. Difficulties must be faced after the marriage, when the new husband learns his wife’s secret.
Uncharted: A Survival Love Story
Julie Johnson. Johnson Ink. $3.99 e-book, ASIN B0774KN1KJ
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
When their plane crashes, Violet and Beck are stranded on a deserted island. As the months slip by, they struggle to survive and to deny their forbidden attraction.
The Unexpected: Wives Who Have Affairs and the Husbands Who Love Them
Chris Dawson. Toplink Publishing. $15.99 paper (383p), ISBN 978-1-948262-60-6
Amazon, BN.com
These stories recount some of the dozen reasons a wife will stray outside her marriage and have a sexual affair with a man or in some cases a woman.
The Visconti Devils
Ria Dimitra. Aventine Press. $14.95 paper (212p), ISBN 978-1-59330-941-1
Amazon, BN.com
An artist painting a tarot deck, the Yale library curator who inspires her, and a mysterious art collector—love, mystery, and evil converge in a romantic fantasy.
Nonfiction
7 Types of Queens, Kings Desire
King Kevin Dorival. Kevin Dorival. $28.99 hardcover (240p), ISBN 978-0-9855648-3-4; $15.99 paper (236p), ISBN 978-0-9855648-0-3
7queens7kings.com, Amazon, Apple iBooks
A tool for people to read before they decide to commit to a relationship or marriage. Discover what type of queen or king you are.
50 Years Later: Why the Murder of Dr. King Still Hurts
Earl Ofari Hutchinson. Middle Passage Press. $9.95 paper (150p), ISBN 978-1-881032-01-4
Amazon
Hutchinson assesses the FBI war against King, the half century of change after King’s murder, King vs. Trump, and much more.
Beauty Is a Beast
Peggy Bland. RoseDog Books. $56 paper (358p), ISBN 978-1-4809-7604-7
RoseDogBookstore.com
Peggy was bright and beautiful and a disaster in love. When she took steps to be positive and love herself, she finally took control of her life and found true love. Never compromise.
Better Days Ahead: Step into the Abundant Life God Promised You
Andreas Jones. Andreas A. Jones. $4.99 e-book, ASIN B078NC8TN3
Amazon
A book dedicated to those who have the desire to maximize this opportunity called life and create more joy, happiness, and fulfillment.
Brides and Customs Around the World
Amar Pardesi. Dog Ear Publishing. $49.95 hardcover (256p), ISBN 978-1-4575-5766-8
Amazon, BN.com, Google Play
Captain Ronald Campbell of Bombala Station, Cambalong: His Military Life and Times
Ivor George Williams. AuthorHouse. $32 paper (76p), ISBN 978-1-5462-8080-4; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5462-8079-8
Amazon
This book offers a window into the life and times of Captain Ronald Campbell, who served in the British military. Campbell’s service speaks to the hardships of life in the 19th century.
A Colonial Williamsburg Love Affair: Tales, Takes, and Tips from a Lifetime of Visits
Debra Bailey. Intropak Publications. $17.95 paper (306p), ISBN 978-0-9995722-0-7
Amazon, BN.com
Why do we love certain places and not others? Through her 50-plus years of visits to Colonial Williamsburg, the author answers this question and provides tips for a great visit.
Confessions of a Bar Brat: Growing up in Rosendale, New York
Judith A. Boggess. Epigraph Books. $28 paper (413p), ISBN 978-1-944037-66-6
Amazon
Narrated by a six-to-12-year-old abused girl growing up in the early 1950s in the most hell-raising bar on Main St., Rosendale. Told visually with salty language and hard-drinking humor.
Descending Mount Sinai: Navigating in a Post-Christian World
Ken Kinton. WestBow Press. $11.95 paper (112p), ISBN 978-1-5127-9734-3; $7.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5127-9733-6
Amazon
Looking at the contemporary issues surrounding politics, society, and church, Kinton offers solutions and outcomes using a biblical lens.
First Aid on the Farm: Natural and Conventional Treatments
Alfred Lee Anduze. iUniverse. $16.99 paper (44p), ISBN 978-1-5320-1947-0; $5.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5320-1948-7
Amazon
An essential medical information guide to emergency conditions that may be encountered on a farm in the tropics and elsewhere.
#FMJ Trust Transition Trade: How Successful Traders Said It, Did It and Lived It
Jane Gallina. Jane Gallina. $27.95 paper (260p), ISBN 978-1-77302-887-3; $9.99 e-book, ASIN B0716SH83R
Amazon, BN.com, Chapters, Indigo, Ingram
Trading biographies of some successful female day traders of the world.
Great Objectives
Robert D. Finch. Pageturner. $18.99 paper (500p), ISBN 978-1-948304-16-0
Amazon, BN.com, Chapters, Indigo
The book discusses the methods of arriving at plans and weighs some of the ethical and moral problems an individual or a society might face at the present time.
Holding Together the Falling Apart: Age: The Final Frontier
Richard Angres. CreateSpace. $9.95 paper (36p), ISBN 978-1-983947-58-2
Amazon
A short, humorous book of advice about the aging process. It consists of 10 suggestions that will help people avoid injury as they get older.
I Want to Be a Teacher: An Auto-Teachography in Three Parts: Student, Professor, and Administrator
Cathine G. Scott. Archway Publishing. $19.99 paper (114p), ISBN 978-1-4808-2623-6; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4808-2624-3
Amazon
The author, a lifelong educator, shares lessons learned teaching students of all ages at home and abroad to help teachers and prospective teachers succeed in the classroom.
Jesus and Muhammad: Their Messages, Side-by-Side
Louis St. Michael. Rising Myrrh Press. $9.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9996146-1-7
Risingmyrrhpress.com, Amazon
The core messages of Jesus and Muhammad, presented by topic and side by side, along with life and religion histories. For the nonreligious and followers of any faith.
Life in the Eyes of Thatha
Radha Krishna Rao Yarlagadda. Dorrance Publishing. $13 paper (136p), ISBN 978-1-4809-4945-4
DorranceBookstore.com
An intimate memoir of triumph and adversity, filled with grandfatherly wisdom. Yarlagadda came to America, worked hard, had a family, and created his own American dream.
Life Lessons from the Hive
M.J. Miller, illus. by Jason Barnett. Ingram. $12.95 paper (196p), ISBN 978-1-979304-02-3; $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-692-99018-6
Amazon, Ingram
This humorously illustrated book parallels life in the hive and life as a Christ-follower, introducing us to the inner workings of a beehive, without the threat of getting stung.
A Lord’s Treasure
David S. Longworth. David Longworth. $9.99 paper (106p), ISBN 978-0-9996809-0-2
Amazon
Longworth delivers financial wisdom in the first volume of his A King’s Wisdom series of parables set in a medieval fantasy world.
The Nun and the Bum: A Journey, a Communion, a Birth
Adele Azar-Rucquoi. Balboa Press. $18.99 paper (282p), ISBN 978-1-5043-8894-8
Balboapress.com, Amazon
A love story of Aneesa and Andrew. A nun falls in love with her pastor, leaves the convent, leaves him, and embarks on a peace-making journey.
The Ownership Cycle: Success in Any Situation, Any Role, Anytime... and Helping Others to Do the Same
Soh Jian Yi. Partridge Singapore. $16.08 paper (241p), ISBN 978-1-5437-4183-4; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5437-4185-8
Amazon
This book explains how optimal planning, observing, reacting, and learning are bound by five key aspects and a self-perpetuating cycle. Illustrates with examples to ensure you are at your best.
Pause and Reflect
Ofelia Aguinaldo Dayrit-Woodring. Dorrance Publishing. $21 paper (328p), ISBN 978-1-4809-3835-9
DorranceBookstore.com
Filled with Christian inspiration and wisdom, the author’s personal story and reflections are intended to encourage and move you. We all can make the world a better place.
Quantitative Ethnography
David Williamson Shaffer. Cathcart Press. $24.99 paper (496p), ISBN 978-0-578-19168-3
Amazon
This book integrates data mining, discourse analysis, psychology, statistics, and ethnography to create a new science for understanding human behavior from Big Data.
The Quest for King Arthur
James Frost. Toplink Publishing. $15.99 paper (158p), ISBN 978-1-948262-62-0
Amazon, BN.com
This book examines the debate over King Arthur from a variety of perspectives in an attempt to find the truth.
Renew My Heart, O God: Daily Devotions for Healing Your Heart
Jeffery J Horacek. Christian Faith Publishing. $30.95 hardcover (466p), ISBN 978-1-63575-372-1; $19.95 paper (466p), ISBN 978-1-64028-071-7
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com
A devotional dedicated to bring you hope, encouragement, healing, and the renewal of your heart by meeting you in the midst of life’s pain with the message of the love of Christ.
Seizing the Essence: A Value Cosmology for the Modernist
Hamilton Priday. Xlibris. $19.99 paper (160p), ISBN 978-1-4257-7731-9; $9.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4628-2782-4
Amazon
Priday presents a new concept of reality based on an absolute source whose negation of nothingness divides being from awareness to actualize man as a value-sensible agent in a differentiated world.
Sunday Best Dishes: A Cookbook for Passionate Cooks
Jorj Morgan. Dorrance Publishing. $29.95 paper (348p), ISBN 978-1-4809-4049-9
DorranceBookstore.com
The author’s collection of friendly and elegant meals will bring readers’ families to the kitchen for a special and creative celebration.
The Telling Image: Shapes of Changing Times
Lois Stark. Greenleaf Book Group Press. $27.99 hardcover (200p), ISBN 978-1-62634-471-6
Amazon, BN.com
How do humans make sense of the world? In answer to this timeless question, Stark takes the reader on a journey to unveil a hidden key: shape itself.
They Took My Prostate: Cancer, Loss, Hope
JP Mac. Cornerstone Media. $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9912519-6-4
Amazon
An unemployed writer races the clock to cancer surgery before his health care expires.
To the Fire of Normandy and Beyond: Behind Enemy Lines during World War II
Frank Kozol, with Neil Kozol. Archway Publishing. $19.99 paper (544p), ISBN 978-1-4808-4302-8; $8.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4808-4304-2
Amazon
The author, who served in the U.S. Army during World War II, is the eyes and ears for the reader on what it was like to leave home and go off to war.
Travels with Vamper: A Graybeard’s Journey
George Critchlow. First Edition Design Publishing. $14.99 paper (206p), ISBN 978-1-5069-0527-3
Amazon, BN.com, Google Play
During the course of a two-month solo road trip, Critchlow draws on personal experience, memories, and humor to reflect on the things that divide America.
The Unintended Consequences of Not Living Fully: Truth Is Sacred
Martha J. Martin. Treaty Oak Publishers. $14.95 paper (219p), ISBN 978-1-943658-25-1
Amazon
Hard truths propel the author into a dark-night-of-the-soul journey. Fortified by music and yoga, Martin tells her story of PTSD, spiritual awakening, and healing with raw honesty and spirited humility.
With Gratitude: Barker Steel and the People Who Made It Work
Robert B. Brack. Archway Publishing. $23.99 paper (384p), ISBN 978-1-4808-4654-8; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4808-4656-2
Amazon
Brack recalls how he helped build Barker Steel Co. into one of the largest independent fabricators of reinforcing steel in the Northeast. An entrepreneur’s story.
Children’s/YA
Alligators Make the Best Moms
Steve Swinburne, illus. by Louis Guillette. West River Press. $73 paper (32p), ISBN 978-0-9981478-1-9
Swinburne.live@gmail.com
An informative introduction to the parental care by mother alligators. Grades K–3. Photographs.
Cascading Petals
Jane C. Brady. Huntson Press. $13.99 paper (264p), ISBN 978-1-77506-763-4
Amazon, BN.com
Jewel Hart is a senior in high school, and bullying has defined her life. Will tragedy destroy her, or can young love save her?
The Cloud
Jack A. Hancock. iUniverse. $13.99 paper (160p), ISBN 978-1-5320-0975-4; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5320-0976-1
Amazon
In the year 2110, something strange is happening on Earth. The color yellow has mysteriously disappeared, taking with it much of the sun’s warmth and leaving Earth in peril of freezing.
Hell to Pay
Daisy Ozouwain. Archway Publishing. $11.99 paper (136p), ISBN 978-1-4808-5450-5
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, IndieBound, Kobo
In this fantasy novella, when an African king makes a bargain with a goddess, he passes the supernatural powers he gains on to his oldest daughter, who is bound for the New World.
Ideal High
Valerie Ipson. Riverside Park Press. $14.83 paper (424p), ISBN 978-0-9864246-1-8
Amazon, BN.com, Ingram
The student body vice president at Ideal High must learn the truth about the fire that killed the student body president and six of their friends.
Idiot: Dear Kami
Holly Smith. Little Portland Press. $6.50 paper (125p), ISBN 978-0-692-05154-2
Amazon
A coming-of-age story about a girl who beats the odds and moves between two worlds from a drug-addicted mother to a nurturing adoptive family.
The Immundus
Christina Enquist. Odolf Mingan Publishing. $17.50 hardcover (204p), ISBN 978-0-9994140-0-2; $9.99 paper (206p), ISBN 978-0-9994140-1-9
Amazon
Nia witnesses something she shouldn’t have, which changes everything, forcing her to decide not only what kind of person she wants to be but also how far she’ll go to save humanity.
It’s the Coach’s Fault
Lauritz Raymond Ingram. Lulu. $32 paper (400p), ISBN 978-0-24495310-2
Lulu.com
A look at the phrase “it’s the coach’s fault” as it relates to life. It’s about learning that there is more to life than “just” basketball and more to basketball than “just” basketball.
King Judy
David Clow. CreateSpace. 99¢ e-book, ASIN B078KKWKJT
Amazon
The most unlikely heir to the throne of Arthur is Judy Avery, a modern-day archeologist. If she doesn’t believe the unbelievable, she won’t survive.
Leeway
I.O. Jones. CreateSpace. $19 paper (496p), ISBN 978-1-976147-80-7
Amazon
Keena Clarke juggles ceramics, schoolwork, and managing the cheerleading squad despite having severe anxiety, but her newfound attractions to boys and girls threaten to overwhelm her.
Lily Pond
Shelley Daniels Lekven. Claytown Press. $17.99 hardcover (32p), ISBN 978-0-9988666-0-4
Amazon, Ingram
A little frog lies in bed one night daydreaming about her future with all its possibilities and promise of adventure.
Lord Computesalot, Ruler of Aurora Bullyalis, and His Secret Quest to End Bullying
Regina Davis and Carolyn Royer Spencer. AuthorHouse. $20.99 paper (40p), ISBN 978-1-4817-1163-0; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4817-6373-8
Amazon
This fantasy tale shows children how ridiculous and hurtful bullying is and presents it in a different perspective by having the adults bully each other.
Me, My Dog, and a Sheep
Melissa Mullamphy, illus. by Andrew Thomas. Dog Ear Publishing. $17.95 hardcover (50p), ISBN 978-1-4575-6090-3; $14.95 paper (50p), ISBN 978-1-4575-5982-2
Amazon
A close family deals with a dilemma with love, the support of caring professionals, and a big-hearted dog who did not give up.
Mo and Jo in London
Claire Brady. AuthorHouse. $22.88 paper (36p), ISBN 978-1-5246-8289-7; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5246-8290-3
Amazon
Mo and Jo are two boots who travel the world’s major cities for fun and adventure. The pair are bound for another exciting journey in England.
Politically Homeless: A Five-Year Odyssey Across Three Continents
Mary Terzian. AuthorHouse. $23.95 paper (402p), ISBN 978-1-5049-1311-9; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5049-1310-2
Amazon
The story of a young girl’s love for education and how her determination to fulfill her dream propels her toward independence.
Special Food for Sam: Allergies
Nicole Audet, illus. by Mylène Villeneuve. Dr. Publishing. $9.99 paper (26p), ISBN 978-1-989041-04-8; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-989041-44-4
Amazon, BN.com
Felix and Booboo, his magical stethoscope, have a mission. They have to bake safe cookies for Sam, who is allergic to eggs, nuts, and cow milk. The Felix and Booboo series has eight books.
Zappity Zip, Just That Quick!
Judi Schleppenbach, illus. by Cynthia McManigal. Xlibris. $21.99 paper (32p), ISBN 978-1-5144-1063-9; 99¢ e-book, ISBN 978-1-5144-1064-6
Amazon
Aria feels the allure of a special box. The magic in that box takes her on fantastical journey with Mother Earth, enjoying festivals and meeting new friends around the globe.
