Booksellers, publishers, librarians, and agents are encouraged to look at the 72 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
Adriana Corderu: Quest for Freedom
David Michael Palladino, illus. by Maxwell. RoseDog Books. $20 paper (208p), ISBN 978-1-4809-0615-0
Rosedogbookstore.com
In the 1980s, Communists control Eastern Europe, but young people, idealistic and courageous, are ready to fight back. Spirited Adriana joins the resistance.
Adriana Corderu: Western Odyssey
David Michael Palladino, illus. by Maxwell. RoseDog Books. $19 paper (270p), ISBN 978-1-4809-7498-2
Rosedogbookstore.com
Adriana Corderu is back, dealing with heartbreaking loss and new love. She travels the world while trying to escape from the Romanian Securitate and the dangers of her past.
Bits & Pieces
James R. Taylor III. Toplink Publishing. $15.99 paper (374p), ISBN 978-1-947938-51-9
Amazon, BN.com
Annabelle Wolfe is used to doing things her way. But in 1890 Ohio, doing things your way isn’t always easy.
Creole Moon: Book of Roots
S.T. Holmes. Toplink Publishing. $11.99 paper (185p), ISBN 978-1-948556-84-2
Amazon, BN.com
New Orleans at Mardi Gras is the perfect locale for a treasure hunt. This Mardi Gras festival is like none ever seen before.
Deadly Highway: Super Highway Beta 1.0
J. Stewart Willis. Xlibris. $29.96 hardcover (286p), ISBN 978-1-5434-8225-6
Amazon, BN.com, Google Play, Kobo
Workers compete as they prepare a major tech proposal. Adultery, blackmail, drugs, and death ensue.
Dog Tags & Wedding Bands
Joe Rosato, illus. by Gina Rosato. Dorrance Publishing. $10.15 paper (176p), ISBN 978-1-4809-5135-8
Amazon, BN.com
The story of two American Red Cross nurses who disappeared during the Vietnam War and are forgotten.
The King’s Daughter
Daniel Hendrix. CreateSpace. $16.95 paper (414p), ISBN 978-1-4820-8021-6
Amazon
A novel of the birth and death of a kingdom, the relentless ambition of the immigrant spirit, and the undying passion of young love during one of the most compelling times in American history.
Land of Hidden Fires
Kirk Kjeldsen. Grenzland Press. $12.95 paper (214p), ISBN 978-0-9984657-2-2; $6.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9984657-1-5
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, IndieBound, Powell’s
A young Norwegian girl helps a downed American pilot get to Sweden during World War II.
The Lion of the South
Jessica James. Patriot Press. $16.99 paper (320p), ISBN 978-1-941020-16-6
Amazon, Apple iBooks, Baker & Taylor, BN.com, Indigo, Ingram, Kobo, Overdrive, Smashwords
A tale of espionage and deception during the Civil War. The lives of two men and the destiny of a nation are held in one woman’s hands.
The Love Fool
Lorenzo Petruzziello. Inkshares. $14.99 paper (314p), ISBN 978-1-947848-19-1; $7.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-947848-20-7
Amazon, BN.com, Indigo, Inkshares
Set in Rome, the story follows the whirlwind antics of a publicist as he struggles to manage his first TV chef client, his new life, and an unexpected visit from his ex-girlfriend.
Manhattan Alien
B.K. Mhatre. Xlibris. $19.99 paper (322p), ISBN 978-1-5245-8684-3; $8.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5245-8683-6
Amazon
A young immigrant doctor from Asia pursuing his American dream meets a young medical student who transforms him from a nerd into a street-smart doctor.
Nightmare
Robert E. Ford Jr. Dorrance Publishing. $15 paper (178p), ISBN 978-1-4809-4569-2
DorranceBookstore.com
In Vietnam, Staff Sergeant Butler fights the odds to keep his men alive. At home, he must fight to keep his nightmares from destroying his life. Based on the author’s experiences.
Peculiar Savage Beauty
Jessica McCann. Perspective Books. $24 hardcover (414p), ISBN 978-0-9994602-0-7; $9.95 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9994602-1-4
Abebooks, Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
A young female geologist charges into drought-ravaged 1930s Kansas to heal the land and must adapt in a farm town that welcomes neither women in power nor changes to its way of life.
The Staff and the Sword
T.K. Kohl. Outskirts Press. $19.95 paper (313p), ISBN 978-1-4787-9184-3
Amazon, BN.com, Outskirtspress.com
In the jungles of Peru, Dr. Henry Jedidiah and his team discover ancient scrolls and tablets, which propel them onto a path toward an artifact stolen thousands of years ago.
Still Life
Olivia Shaw. Livi Shaw Solutions. $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-9999568-1-3
Amazon
A woman must discover the meaning behind a new virus affecting men before too many are infected for them to be stopped.
The Warramunga’s War
Greg Kater. Zeus Publications. $21.80 paper (304p), ISBN 978-0-648-16074-8
Amazon, Book Depository, Booktopia
A central Northern Territory Warramunga aborigine becomes close friends with an army officer during World War II. They become involved in intelligence and fighting spies and criminals in the Middle East and Australia.
Poetry
The Intuitive Wisdom of the Heart: A Collection of Poems of Encouragement
James P. Robson. Toplink Publishing. $11.99 paper (218p), ISBN 978-1-947620-95-7
Amazon, BN.com
This book is the author’s eighth containing poems about life and the human heart.
It Dawned on Me
Kellse T. Krick. Xlibris. $15.99 paper (76p), ISBN 978-1-5434-2945-9; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5434-2944-2
Amazon
A combination of thoughts put into poetry form. Some were written to describe an experience or situation, while others were written for fun and amusement.
Poetry in Pieces
Timothy John Bergel. RoseDog Books. $13 paper (116p), ISBN 978-1-4809-7652-8
Rosedogbookstore.com
A collection of children’s, religious, love, feeling, humor, and sadness poetry. There is happiness, sadness, and sometimes both in the same poem.
Words I Utter
Clyde Johnson. Clyde Bernard Johnson. $9.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-692-06754-3
Apple iBooks
This book is a recollection of metaphoric poetic expressions. The poems reflect to the spiritual context of the metaphors Johnson lived and continues to live.
Mystery/Thriller
The Endora Murders: Heart’s Home
Michelle J. Ciesielka. CreateSpace. $14.99 paper (159p), ISBN 978-1-978011-51-9; $4.99 e-book, ASIN B077XMM8GS
Amazon
In this crime thriller, a straitlaced young businesswoman encounters drug dealers, pornographers, and other seedy characters while on a dangerous mission to unearth the truth behind her brother’s accident.
Me, the World, and a Dog Named Steve: The Mini-expeditions
Wayne Cotes. CreateSpace. $10.99 paper (401p), ISBN 978-1-973355-10-6
Amazon
After a 27-year career in law enforcement and 30 years in both the Marines and Navy reserves, Jerod Grey was looking forward to retirement. Just after this next adventure.
The Prize
Geoffrey M. Cooper. BookBaby. $12.99 paper (240p), ISBN 978-1-5439-1217-3; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B076J9ZQ72
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com
In the world of cutting-edge medical research, competition between scientists racing to find a drug against Alzheimer’s leads to fraud, betrayal, and violence.
The Rogue Revolutionist
Robert L. Blackburn. iUniverse. $13.95 paper (178p), ISBN 978-1-5320-2277-7; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5320-2279-1
Amazon
In this political thriller, a revolutionist is suddenly thrust into a life-and-death struggle to survive after the government decides it wants to keep secret his computer program of the human mind.
Suburban Gangsters
Michael P. Dineen. Dorrance Publishing. $14 paper (160p), ISBN 978-1-4809-5189-1
DorranceBookstore.com
Patrick has been selling cocaine since he was a teenager. Maybe one more big sale and he can get out. But drugs and crime don’t pay. An edgy thriller based on the author’s life.
SF/Fantasy/Horror
The Backward Time Traveler
Parker Rimes. Jules Lewicki. $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9942581-2-0
Amazon
A psychic takes a pesky reporter back 200 years to help her alter science. But they clash with each other, and a Sioux healer senses their plan. He decides to kill it—and them.
Blood Moon: Diary of a Highland Massacre (Fate of the True Vampires, Book 3)
Christine Church. Grey Horse Press. $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-692-06309-5
Amazon
A deceptive massacre disguised by clan wars, a man sought as an experiment to cure vampirism—and a life drastically altered forever.
Dust to Dust
John Hudson. Outskirts Press. $15.95 paper (293p), ISBN 978-1-4787-4334-7
Amazon, BN.com
This debut novel examines human ambition gone wrong where fortunes evaporate, beliefs are challenged, careers are ruined, and lives are lost.
Edger
David Beem. Escapist Press. $2.99 e-book, ASIN B079VDP8NC
Amazon
A computer dork gets a superpower: accessing all human knowledge in a single thought. His kryptonite? In three days, that power will turn his brain to pudding.
Jewel
T.K. Rising. T.K. Rising. $12.99 paper (265p), ISBN 978-1-5499-5069-8; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B076QGCZR6
Amazon, Smashwords
In the multiverse, there are barren universes and Creators. Billions of years ago, Rivalen, a barren universe, builds a device to control life. That is, until Blue Star comes along.
Reconciliation: Heaven and Earth
Diane de Simone. Diane de Simone. $12.95 paper (322p), ISBN 978-0-9997558-0-8
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
Psychologist Martha Mathewson thought she knew who she was. But then, when she meets up with a small metal orb with ET intelligence, she has to face she’s clueless.
The Saint James Conspiracy
Jessica Murphy. iUniverse. $20.99 paper (390p), ISBN 978-1-5320-1760-5; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5320-1761-2
Amazon
The Dead Sea scroll he is translating compels a retired professor to visit the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The artifact he discovers there could bring modern Christianity to its knees.
Romance/Erotica
Conned
Charity Parkerson. Punk & Sissy Publications. $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-946099-28-0
Amazon
When Army learns his celebrity crush is appearing at a comic con, he snags a ticket. After standing in the world’s longest line, Army gets one fan experience he’ll never forget.
Deep Blue (The Pathway Series, Book 1)
Kristy McCaffrey. K. McCaffrey. $11.99 paper (316p), ISBN 978-0-9980907-5-7; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9980907-4-0
Amazon
Can filmmaker Alec Galloway keep Dr. Grace Mann safe as she free dives with great white sharks?
Dr. Brown: A Klondike Love Story
Kay Wright. CreateSpace. $10.75 paper (288p), ISBN 978-1-977752-40-6
Amazon
Dr. Nathan Brown somehow knew from the moment the fiery, red-haired Abigail Buchanan showed up at his Klondike cabin that their lives would be thereafter inextricably joined.
Heart of Dust
H.L. Moore. H.L. Moore. $3.99 e-book (185p), ISBN 978-0-648-27129-1
Kobo
Doran Ó Seanáin, gang leader, is trying to incite a revolution in Iole City and finds himself increasingly drawn to a mysterious man to whom he owes his life.
Ravenhurst, Vol. 1
Lorraine Beaumont. Lorraine Beaumont Books. $2.99 e-book, ASIN B01ATSF9C6
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
A once-forgotten
legend returns. Ravenhurst: locked within the gloomy confines of this ancient edifice is the key to unlock the door of time itself.
Nonfiction
2D Surgical Hospital: An Khe to Chu Lai South Vietnam
Lorna Griess. Xlibris. $15.99 paper (122p), ISBN 978-1-5245-6304-2; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5245-6303-5
Amazon
The author shares the remarkable experience of living and working in a mobile Army surgical hospital in South Vietnam.
The Age of Uterine Law: Writings from West Virginia
Carol Williams. One Omik Music. $14.95 paper (72p), ISBN 978-0-9711360-3-8
Amazon
The author became really angry after the 2016 election and started writing personal essays to represent that anger.
Alphabet Soup: How a Christian Woman Overcame
Anna Wright. Dorrance Publishing. $12 paper (98p), ISBN 978-1-4809-4889-1
DorranceBookstore.com
The author overcame PTSD and MPD through her faith in God. She wrote this book to help Christians realize they are not alone and not victims—they are survivors. God loves us all.
Becoming Jesus: The Making of a Prophet
Michael Berens. MJBerens Research. $9.95 paper (228p), ISBN 978-1-73204-050-2; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-73204-051-9
Amazon, Ingram
An exploration of how an obscure villager from Galilee became a charismatic prophet who would change the course of Western civilization.
Bible Letters to the Public Editor
Dan Arthur Pryor and Hal Arthur Pryor. Dorrance Publishing. $11 paper (68p), ISBN 978-1-4809-4535-7
DorranceBookstore.com
Letters with a Catholic viewpoint on pressing issues and the role of the church in society. Written to encourage and strengthen Christians to live a fully religious faith-based life.
Capturing the Magic: A Photographic Celebration of the Disneyland Resort
Holly Wiencek. Story Farm. $39.95 hardcover (288p), ISBN 978-0-9969441-1-3
Capturing-the-magic.com
Celebrate the wonder of the Disneyland Resort. Leave today behind as the author celebrates Walt Disney’s original land of enchantment and fantasy.
A Chicken in the Wind and How He Grew: Stories from an ADHD Dad
Frank South. Rattlesnake Publishing. $14.99 paper (258p), ISBN 978-0-9994878-0-8
Amazon, BN.com
The author wrote these stories during eight unusually tumultuous years in his family’s life as a way to try to understand what they were going through.
The Cuckoo Chronicles: Laughter and Perspective for the Ages
Jeff Low. Desert Springs Publishing. $85 hardcover (516p), ISBN 978-1-62407-343-4
Thecuckoochronicles.com
A warped collection of 125 bone-tickling short stories, perfect for when you need a daily or marathon pick-me-up.
God Versus the Idea of God: Divinity Is What We Think, Faith Is What We Experience
Thomas Richard Harry. Balboa Press. $18.99 paper (160p), 978-1-5043-8656-2
Amazon, BN.com, Balboa Press
A book about personal religious doubt. Written by a layman for the potential benefit of other laypersons, it asks, Is God, isn’t God, or does it really matter?
Good Intentions—Bad Consequences: Voters’ Information Problems
Phillip Nelson. AuthorHouse. $4.99 paper (172p), ISBN 978-1-5246-7379-6; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5246-7378-9
Amazon
There are voters who would like to do good but ignore the consequences of their attempts to do so. This book presents a new approach to understanding voter choice with important implications.
Jump Seat: 1963–1976; A Stewardess’ Memoir
Janet Angell. CreateSpace. $14.95 paper (145p), ISBN 978-1-5448-4568-5
Amazon
This is the story of a flight attendant who worked for a major U.S. airline as the industry was transitioning from propeller-driven airplanes into the jet age.
Learning and the Affective Approach
Acene Fleurmons. Xlibris. $19.99 paper (156p), ISBN 978-1-5434-2173-6; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5434-2172-9
Amazon
The author demonstrates the importance of affection, love, association, and integration for kids, preschoolers, and schoolers in their immediate environment and learning journey.
Life Is So Precious: Believe Your Impossible Is Possible
Alton E. Pete. Alton Pete. $17.87 paper (170p), ISBN 978-1-5245-2424-1
Amazon, BN.com
Life gives back what we put into it. The author, a retired war combat veteran, raises awareness of a number of imperative topics people are facing today.
Light in Jerusalem: A Memoir
Stuart Perrin. Blue Kite Press. $14.95 paper (165p), ISBN 978-1-985130-03-6
Amazon
This memoir is set in Jerusalem in 2006, a time of war between Israel and Hezbollah. It is about the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, meditation practice, and inner peace.
The Making of a Physician: This Was My Calling
Harry L. Graber. Xlibris. $19.99 paper (192p), ISBN 978-1-5245-1279-8; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5245-1280-4
Amazon
The stories in this book are shared for others to develop a greater appreciation of their own environmental experiences and consider them as influential factors in the decision-making of their lives.
The Parabola of Discipleship for the Churched and Unchurched
Kendall E. Coleman. CreateSpace. $34 paper (174p), ISBN 978-1-974506-09-5
Amazon
This is an account of a discipleship program run through the homeless ministry of a Chicago church.
Retro TV Lover Presents All the Single Girls
Jeanine Furino. Furino Productions. $21.95 paper (528p), ISBN 978-0-9996429-0-0
Amazon, BN.com
This is the story of the American single woman as she has been depicted on TV from 1950 to 2014 and how she has evolved along with the changing world she lives in.
A Simple Little Rule: Rediscovering the Golden Rule
Mike Ellerkamp. Balboa Press. $13.99 paper (180p), ISBN 978-1-5043-8149-9; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5043-8150-5
Amazon
Bring life to the Golden Rule with five supporting principles to enhance and enrich lives as professed through the ages. There’s a purpose for your life: discover it here.
Unaccompanied Children: Care and Protection in Wars, Natural Disasters, and Refugee Movements (Reprint of the 1988 Edition)
Everett Ressler. CreateSpace. $40 paper (572p), ISBN 978-1-983691-52-2
Amazon
A study about unaccompanied children in wars, natural disasters, and refugee movements. For policy makers, academics, and researchers.
Why Not Me: A Brave Journey with Cancer
Joseph C. Aurelia. Dorrance Publishing. $24.95 paper (92p), ISBN 978-1-4809-4427-5
DorranceBookstore.com
A doctor’s memoir about his beloved wife’s life and her death from cancer. Part love story, part caregiver’s guide, this is an intimate and honest account of marriage and grief.
Wildflowers and Train Whistles: Stories of a Coal Mining Family
Lillian “Sissy Crone” Frazer. AuthorHouse. $13.99 paper (131p), ISBN 978-1-5462-2656-7; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5462-2655-0
Amazon, AuthorHouse, BN.com
Sissy Crone, a coal camp kid, brings to life the faded past of her hometown through a collection of stories told firsthand of heartache and loss, balanced by glorious triumphs.
Will I Fly Again?
Sara Tula. Outskirts Press. $17.95 paper (309p), ISBN 978-1-4787-9352-6
Amazon, BN.com
A young girl makes life-changing decisions and overcomes numerous hurdles, including rape as a young girl and an abusive marriage, in the pursuit of her dreams.
Children’s/YA
Big Brother Book
William Hartley, illus. by Allison Donahue. Synergist Publishing. $49.99 hardcover (49p), ISBN 978-1-945735-00-4
Amazon
A scrapbook-style book that documents a child’s journey of becoming a big brother.
Big Sister Book
William Hartley, illus. by Allison Donahue. Synergist Publishing. $49.99 paper (49p), ISBN 978-1-945735-01-1
Amazon
A scrapbook-style book that documents a child’s journey of becoming a big sister.
The Blood King
Liz Long. Blue Fire Media. 99¢ e-book, ASIN B0798JJH35
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
Reina Torres joins Brighton’s KEY program, excited to finally contribute to the kingdom. Reina’s refusal to marry the king’s son, however, will mean punishment far worse than death.
The Boy Who Hated Christmas: A Christmas Story
Miriam Madison. AuthorHouse. $20.99 paper (36p), ISBN 978-1-5246-9427-2; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5246-9426-5
Amazon
This book is for children who like to read and parents who read to them. It is also about loss and ideas that can make a difference.
Change of Chaos
Jacinta Jade. MoshPit Publishing. $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-925739-48-0
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo, Smashwords
Siray is forced into an emerging war on her planet of Kaslon, where destiny forces her to become more than she is in order save her people.
Crossroads and the Dominion of Four
C. Toni Graham. Balboa Press. $39.95 hardcover (340p), ISBN 978-1-5043-9163-4; $21.99 paper (340), ISBN 978-1-5043-9161-0
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Books-a-Million, Powell’s
The Otherworld’s mythical beings are preparing for a deadly magical war, and four ordinary teens must master their newly acquired gifts to join the battle. Time is not on their side.
The Ghost Engine
Theresa Fuller. Bare Bear Media. $7.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-925748-00-0
Amazon, BN.com, Kobo
Ada Lovelace’s granddaughter is sucked into a computer, where she finds she’s not the only one fighting for equality.
Ice Escape
Beatrice Hale. Smashwords. $3.99 paper (126p), ISBN 978-1-311-92854-2
Smashwords
An adventure story of a plane crash and rescue in Iceberg Alley among the ice floes of the Arctic.
Justin’s Pet
Clairmarie Hanavan Field. Xlibris. $16.99 paper (24p), ISBN 978-1-5245-4878-0; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5245-4877-3
Amazon
It was a crisp autumn day, and Justin and his mother went on a trip to the library. That trip changed his life forever.
The Resolute Heart
Beatrice Hale. CreateSpace. $9.99 paper (184p), ISBN 978-1-5146-1469-3
Amazon
In 1805, Harry is press-ganged into the Navy. His wife, Mary, finds a spy in the gang and follows Harry. Together, they unmask a spy ring on Harry’s boat.
Secret Whispers
Jacqui Hyde. AuthorHouse. $15.18 paper (152p), ISBN 978-1-5246-7765-7; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5246-7764-0
Amazon
Visiting his aunt by the Welsh coast, George uncovers secrets and meets people from the past. He soon discovers a path to the future and what fate has in store for him.
A Special Day for Aki
Bette Jackman LoBue. Xlibris. $21.99 paper (26p), ISBN 978-1-5245-3882-8; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5245-3881-1
Amazon
Aki, a young Japanese girl, is celebrating Girl’s Day. She ends the day a bit wiser and a little more grown up than she was before.
