Booksellers, publishers, librarians, and agents are encouraged to look at the 70 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
2100
Jozef Van Keer. AuthorHouse. $28.99 paper (426p), ISBN 978-1-5462-7283-0; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5462-7284-7
Amazon
In the year 2100, U.S. citizens are hiding and fighting against a corrupt government that dictates how people live their daily lives. Can the new world order be reversed?
Cogrill’s Mill: An Energetic Witty Ride Through Life and Love in the Countryside
Jack Lindsey. Peatmore Press. $1.29 e-book, ASIN B005NACKBY
Peatmore.com
In this humorous tale, George Cogrill is forced to give half his inheritance, which includes his beloved water mill, to a gorgeous female photographer.
The Darkness at Dawn
Pamela Roberts Lee. Outskirts Press. $29.95 paper (558p), ISBN 978-1-977212-85-6; $5.99 e-book, ASIN B07TN7SQ5G
Amazon, BN.com
The year is 1600, and a young Puritan convert must learn to live in the wild new land of New England.
Guys in Their 20s in the ’60s: A Novel Inspired by Actual Events
Dennis S. Rasmussen. Access Media Group. $14.99 paper (274p), ISBN 978-1-948828-74-1
Amazon. BN.com
Twelve chronological stories told through the experiences of three former high school buddies.
Life Goes On
Douglas Shelton. AuthorHouse. $13.99 paper (194p), ISBN 978-1-72830-986-6; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-72830-985-9
Amazon
Buddy has already witnessed that two divers didn’t survive the diving mission. He freaks out when he’s appointed the next “expendable asset” of his diving company. Will Buddy succeed in his mission?
A Limey at Gettysburg: The Adventures of an Englishman During the American Civil War
Eric B. Dennison and Robert T. Mitchell. AuthorHouse. $18.67 paper (318p), ISBN 978-1-72838-909-7; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1 72838-908-0
Amazon
In this story based on true events in the American Civil War, English citizen Firth Brown sees the conflict from both sides.
Low Hanging Branches
Cee McAdams. Gatekeeper Press. $16.99 hardcover (260p), ISBN 978-1-64237-313-4; $11.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-64237-312-7
Amazon, Better World Books, BN.com, Books-a-Million
This is a collection of short stories for all ages, but some stories may or may not appeal to children or young adults.
Strong Boy, Weak Man
Earl Robert Key. ReadersMagnet. $11.54 paper (336p), ISBN 978-1-950947-10-2
Amazon
Michael DeAngelo Nicholas’s story begins in the poverty-driven culture of rural Mississippi, and Michael rushes to embrace a more promising lifestyle in glamour-lit, fast-paced Memphis.
Tatterdemalion: The Veracious Account of How Buffalo Bill’s Posse Hunted Jack the Ripper
Robert Crawford. Amazon. $10.99 paper (432p), ISBN 978-1-09-646688-8
Amazon
Most of Scott Carson’s young life has been spent in his folks’ basement in New York City. Then the prodigy gets a call from Buffalo Bill, who says, “Come to London with me to catch Jack the Ripper.”
Vienna
Jade Brown. Jade Brown. $12.99 paper (168p), ISBN 978-1-69435-391-7
Amazon
A story of discovering oneself within the fragments of another, all told from various narrations and all revolving around
a young woman named Vienna.
Where Have You Gone, Billy Mayfair?
T. Gerald Delaney. iUniverse. $8.50 paper (228p), ISBN 978-1-4401-8772-8
Amazon
A story of adventure and self-discovery set during the Civil War and the time of the Montana vigilantes.
Why Men Are Suspicious of Yoga
Robert Isenberg. Fairly Famous Press. $12 paper (217p), ISBN 978-0-692-07575-3; $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-692-12389-8
Amazon, BN.com
Stories about the experiences and fantasies of a daydreaming 20th-to-21st-century American as he works, plays, travels, relates, consumes, and tries to deal with the impossible worlds he encounters.
Poetry
Anxiphen
Octávio Dostroevitch. Xlibris. $15.99 paper (54p), ISBN 978-1-984568-51-9; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-984568-50-2
Amazon
A poetry book that dwells on death, love, peace, and life, as well as how each of these things needs the others to survive.
The Color of Love
Raymond Quattlebaum. AuthorHouse. $20.99 paper (50p), ISBN 978-1-5462-3117-2; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5462-3118-9
Amazon
Poems about the everlasting rotation of indescribable beauty, the true essence of God, and his testament to life.
Let’s Fly
Greg Grant. Stampa Global. $9.15 paper (66p), ISBN 978-1-951585-28-0; $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-951585-29-7
Amazon, BN.com
A book of poetry written by a disabled man, with poems ranging from dark to optimistic.
Moving Forward Through His Love and Grace
Joan E. Gettry. Christian Faith Publishing. $12.95 paper (80p), ISBN 978-1-64114-917-4
Amazon
An evocative collection of poems drawn from the richness of experience of a life well lived.
Mystery/Thriller
180 Days to November
Chase Wyn. AuthorHouse. $33.95 hardcover (300p), ISBN 978-1-5462-7802-3; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5462-7801-6
Amazon
Governor Thomas and President Stryker are running for reelection amid action involving murder, rape, Wall Street, and organized crime.
The Case of the Wrong Cream and Echoes from Cape Verde and America
Tiffany Silva. Xlibris. $20.17 paper (224p), ISBN 978-1-5144-6325-3; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5144-6324-6
Amazon
A story of a woman who has roots in three continents—Africa, North America, and Europe—and her fight against oppression, injustice, racism, and above all, male domination.
His Betrayals
Jerry Payne. Fulton Books. $17.95 paper (259p), ISBN 978-1-63338-951-9; $16.95 e-books, ISBN 978-1-63338-952-6
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Google Play
Like the hills of San Francisco where he made his name, businessman Kyle Stone will not be denied his destiny. Follow him through a series of obstacles laced with corporate intrigue.
Inside the Cold War
Norman L. Miller. AuthorHouse. $20.99 paper (304p), ISBN 978-1-72830-212-6
Amazon, BN.com
In this sequel to IceSpy, Miller returns to the turmoil surrounding the U.S. Bobsled Federation and shocking international intrigue.
The Lovestruck Detective: A Big Muddy Mystery
M.C. Anderson. BookBaby. $14.99 paper (264p), ISBN 978-1-5439-8324-1
Amazon, Baker & Taylor, BN.com, BookBaby.com
When a young, divorced lawyer asks Jack Archer to help her investigate the death of a gay antique store owner, he reluctantly agrees, oblivious to the danger of her charms.
Missing Pieces: A Novel of the Balkans
Thomas De Angelo. Fine Line Publishing. $14.95 paper (167p), ISBN 978-0-9749906-7-5
Amazon
In 1998 Croatia, the protagonist faces the centuries-old conflicts between Croats, Muslims, and Christians as she tries to solve a mystery involving a network of terrorist groups,
Origin of the Follower and His New Actions: About an Action Character with Unique Capabilities
John Durbin Husher. iUniverse. $20.99 paper (302p), ISBN 978-1-5320-1020-0; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5320-1021-7
Amazon
Axel Tressler is just your ordinary biology teacher at a California college—that is, until the U.S. Agency calls on him as the Follower to solve a major problem.
The President’s Daughter: A Madison Drinker Novel
James Gordon and Rebecca Doll. Sedgwick Manhattan. $12.93 paper (465p), ISBN 978-1-73421-270-9
Amazon
In a narrative of suspense, action, and family secrets, Madison Drinker will face the shadow of her own abusive past in the cloak-and-dagger world of political opposition research.
Saving Calypso
D.Z. Church. Bodie Blue Books. $14 paper (324p), ISBN 978-0-9983297-6-5
Amazon
When the wreckage of Calypso Swale’s car is found, the race is on to find her and destroy her revolutionary patent.
A Vintage Revenge: A Cortlandt Scott Mystery Thriller
Lee Mossel. Amazon KDP. $17 paper (400p), ISBN 978-1-69628-990-0
Amazon
Returning home after 30 years drops Denver PI Cort Scott into a murder investigation involving several old friends. He soon discovers things have changed from his youth.
SF/Fantasy/Horror
Animal Instincts: The Urban Jungle
S.L. Jackson. BookBaby. $2.99 e book, ISBN 978-1-73416-890-7
Linktr.ee/sljackson, Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
Join the Jackson family of rabbits as they navigate the landscape and try to figure out how to maintain their family values within a system filled with hate, envy, and jealousy.
Bob & the Afterdark
Rikki Hughes. Kindle Direct Publishing. $4.99 e-book, ASIN B07YM1498Q
Amazon
Aliens have crash-landed on an aging folk singer’s estate, and a man-in-black, a geologist, and a pig must unravel their motives and save the universe.
Eve of Snows (Sundering the Gods #1)
L. James Rice. L. James Rice. $5.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-73240-830-2
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
A young priestess unravels a centuries-old conspiracy layered in lies, betrayal, and murder to find demons and a holy war hidden in the promises of the gods.
Legend of the Storm Hawks (Rootstock Saga #1)
L.H. Leonard. Each Voice Publishing. $4.99 e-book, ASIN B0826XRYCY
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Google Play, Kobo
In a future Earth cycle echoing our own history, evolution and political intrigue propel characters struggling to adapt during the Joining and the Awakening. The world-building prelude to the Rootstock Saga.
Tales of the Peacemaker: Years in Peace
Ashley Hall. Xlibris. $19.99 paper (108p), ISBN 978-1-5434-4680-7; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5434-4681-4
Amazon
The third book in a series that describes the treaties and agreements made and friendships forged in the previous books.
Romance/Erotica
All About Eva: A Novel
Jayne Marlowe. Moonchild Press. $16.49 paper (288p), ISBN 978-0-578-54501-1
Amazon
Sexually frustrated Eva Cavell believes her size and race intimidate men. To compensate, she allows strangers to fondle her in dark theaters as she grapples with learning to love herself.
The Unforgotten World of Ava
Renee Scarrott. BookBaby. $14.99 paper (174p), ISBN 978-1-5439-9272-4; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5439-9273-1
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Bookbaby.com, Gardners Books, Kobo
A mystical love story of one woman’s journey to a lost world—a world that is a part of her in a way she could never have imagined.
Nonfiction
55 Reflections of a Searching Skeptic: Scanning the Depths of Spirituality and Mental Health
Rich Melcher. AuthorHouse. $29.95 paper (168p), ISBN 978-1-72831-234-7; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B07TB57MN9
Amazon
Embellishing a wide variety of readings, Melcher integrates spirituality, mental health, and self-enrichment in this honest and poignant memoir.
Apostasy Can Lead a Nation to Self-Destruct: Will America Mend Its Ways and Return to God?
Philip Wittig. ReadersMagnet. $35.95 hardcover (104p), ISBN 978-1-950947-00-3; $4.62 paper, ISBN 978-1-949981-56-8
Amazon
This book presents a comparative study of the ancient Hebrew Bible–era kingdom of Israel and the United States—two nations that are separated by nearly 30 centuries of history.
Because It’s Wrong: Bullies vs. Nazis
Lydia Greico. ReadersMagnet. $11.03 paper (178p), ISBN 978-1-950947-50-8
Amazon
This book is intended as a teaching tool for opening up the conversation about bullying. Bullying is on the rise, but few people want to talk about the subject as if it is taboo.
Blue-Collar Beauty: Confessions of a Plastic Surgery Coach
Michelle Emmick. MyCoachMD. $17.99 paper (260p), ISBN 978-1-73413-430-8
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com
Emmick shares her heartfelt stories of working inside the aesthetic industry with a different perspective on people wanting to look and feel their best.
Break the Language Barrier! Improve Your English and Improve Your Life
Carl W. Hart. Riverwoods Press. $14.95 paper (122p), ISBN 978-0-578-59448-4
Amazon, Ingram
Hart seeks to teach the reader how to avoid mistakes in English that may unknowingly cause embarrassment and limit social and/or professional advancement.
Built to Last: 100+ Year-Old Hotels in New York
Stanley Turkel. AuthorHouse. $29.95 paper (420p), ISBN 978-1-4634-4342-9; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4634-4340-5
Amazon
The 32 century-old hotels featured in this book have defied the passage of time for a variety of reasons, many explicable, some beyond explanation, all miraculous.
Disease Is an Expiation of the Sins
Mira Bajirova. Partridge. $21.45 paper (360p), ISBN 978-1-5437-5248-9; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5437-5249-6
Amazon
Bajirova explains why she believes that disease is an expiation of the sins and why the ultimate cure for all diseases is Ruqya, negative ions, and prophetic medicines.
Elephants in My Room
Christie Nicholls. Christie Nicholls. $9.99 e-book, ASIN B07ZXKN67B
Christienicholls.com, Amazon
Nicholls mines her past for honest, if not humiliating, stories of her formative years, her family, jobs, and romantic relationships that are at once extraordinary and absurd.
How to Keep Your Mind While Everyone Else’s Is Being Blown Apart by the Land Mines of Life
Eddie L. Naylor Sr. Xulon Press. $37.59 paper (428p), ISBN 978-1-60957-060-6
Amazon
Naylor presents his personal steps for unlocking secret, unique inner powers and the life energy potential inside each person.
I Was Hitler’s Baker
Glenn Peterson. Xlibris. $19.99 paper (224p), ISBN 978-1-79601-200-2; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-79601-199-9
Amazon
This book tells a story of friendship between Adolf Hitler and a baker. Riding the wave of Hitler’s growing popularity, Josef Putcamer opens two more bakeries. But Hitler goes too far.
Learning How to Heal a Broken Heart: Transforming Breakdowns into Breakthroughs
Marvin Scholz. Marvin Scholz. $23.50 hardcover (164p), ISBN 978-1-07-873952-8; $18.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-70032-331-6
Amazon, BN.com
A how-to book that Scholz hopes will give readers steps on how to heal from a romantic loss, disappointment, grief, and rejection.
Lost Life Recovered: An Odyssey
S.M. Ghazanfar. AuthorHouse. $13.99 paper (244p), ISBN 978-1-72831-332-0; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-72831-331-3
Amazon
Ghazanfar’s memoir follows his life as he’s abandoned by his family and overcomes insurmountable odds. He eventually recovers his lost life, earns a doctorate, and fulfills the American dream.
The Mind-Blowing Revelations of an Artificial Intelligence
Thor Ansell. Thor Ansell. $7.99 e-book, ASIN B082WKXTNL
Amazon, Angus & Robertson, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Kobo
The core of Ansell’s book is an interview with the AI “Boom,” which he created. Here, Ansell delves into storytelling, the meaning of life, and many other things.
My Homework: A Self-Study English Grammar Practice Book
Saleh Al-Shalaby. Partridge. $28.26 paper (518p), ISBN 978-1-5437-4061-5; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5437-4051-6
Amazon
Al-Shalaby’s workbook seeks to explain the most essential English grammar rules and includes dozens of exercises to master each one.
New Mountain, New River, New Home?
Margaret Eldridge. Stampa Global. $14.99 paper (252p), ISBN 978-1-951585-25-9; $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-951585-26-6
Amazon, BN.com
A history of the Hmong hill tribes from earliest records through their migration to Laos, French colonial times, the Secret War, their exodus to Thai refugee camps, and their resettlement.
Nigeria: A Failed State? Profound Treatise on a Crippled Giant
Robert Nwadiaru. Mascot Books. $19.45 paper (352p), ISBN 978-1-68401-576-4
Amazon
Nwadiaru describes how dwindling oil prices and the ubiquity of corruption in Nigeria’s bureaucracy has created palpable fear within the country.
On Freedom and Revolt: A Comparative Investigation
Carl Moyler. ReadersMagnet. $24.99 hardcover (202p), ISBN 978-1-949981-09-4; $14.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-949981-08-7
Amazon
Moyler presents a comparative investigation of two prominent and influential figures of the 20th century—Martin Luther King Jr. and Albert Camus.
The Origin of Disease: The War Within
Carolyn Merchant & Christopher Merchant. AuthorHouse. $28.99 paper (614p), ISBN 978-1-5462-5981-7; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5462-5979-4
Amazon
The authors introduce readers to their new vision for understanding chronic disease. They seek to put medical knowledge together in an original way and challenge readers to think of chronic disease based on the root causes.
The Persistence of Liberty: An American Philosophy
David Ross Netherton. Hermes Editions. $17 paper (214p), ISBN 978-1-948796-79-8
Amazon, BN.com
A series of essays illustrating the liberty of the American moment to form its own practical philosophy.
Physician Career Choice and Satisfaction: Empirical Studies of Practicing Physicians
Gerald Otis and Naomi Quenk. Amazon Direct Publishing. $17.98 paper (205p), ISBN 978-0-9835944-6-8
Amazon
This book addresses the problems of physician distribution across specialties, work settings, and
communities and the factors that are related to satisfaction in those career niches.
Revived Failure: Iran’s Reality After the American Withdrawal of the Nuclear Deal
Fazle Chowdhury. Mascot Books. $18.95 paper (232p), ISBN 978-1-64307-474-0
Amazon
An analysis of the complicated U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal—the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—implemented in 2016 to keep nuclear restrictions on Iran.
Syria on the Brink: US National Security and a Country in Turmoil
Christopher J. Hill. Cade Publishing. $12.99 paper (284p), ISBN 978-1-73386-682-8
Amazon
Hill looks at the current situation in Syria, how it developed, and how future tensions can be avoided, ultimately leading to a stable Syria and a peaceful Middle East.
A Time to Remember: Story of an American Family
Terry Bass. Xlibris. $61.99 paper (114p), ISBN 978-1-79602-097-7; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-79602-096-0
Amazon
Share the heartaches and hallelujahs of an American family in this account of 50 past Christmases. A story of family, endurance, celebration, faith, and love.
A Unique Life at Sea
Peter Skog. AuthorHouse. $64.86 paper (262p), ISBN 978-1-72838-805-2; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-72838-806-9
Amazon
Skog shares his experiences sailing in Antarctica as a longtime chief officer on board the MS Lindblad Explorer, the ship that pioneered expedition cruising in Antarctica.
Valley of the Shadow: An Account of American POWs of the Japanese
Whitney Galbraith. Xlibris. $34.99 hardback (532p), ISBN 978-1-984535-91-7
Amazon, Ingram, Xlibris.com
An account of the American POWs of the Japanese in the surrender of Corregidor and Colonel Galbraith’s essential role in it.
Who Can I Turn to Now?
James Rhoads. iUniverse. $13.95 paper (138p), ISBN 978-1-5320-0137-6; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5320-0138-3
Amazon
Rhoads shares his inspirational journey from prison and alcohol abuse to a happy marriage and love for life.
Children’s/YA
Captain Bad Breaker and the Cotton Candy Ship
L.L. Faer and E. Raven, illus. by Salvador Capuyan. Xlibris. $21.99 paper (26p), ISBN 978-1-79607-812-1; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B082VX7VQG
Amazon, Xlibris.com
A rotten to the apple core ex-pirate plots to steal the delicious and magical Cotton Candy Ship. Come aboard to see if six-year-old Captain Elaine and her cat-loving crew can stop him.
The Door to the Moon
Malisa Santigul, illus. by Jung Senarak. Malisa Santigul. $17.99 hardcover (32p), ISBN 978-1-73343-875-9
Amazon, BN.com
Taye wakes up to the sound of a boom and wonders what could it be. He decides to go and see. To his delight, he discovers a door to the moon.
I Hate My Teacher: 5th Grade Friends and Foes
Laura Simpson. KDP. $9.50 paper (169p), ISBN 978-0-578-55454-9
Amazon
This is the humorous conflict between a rebellious fifth-grade boy and his overly strict teacher. He plays tricks on her, and she plays them right back. Will it be peace or all-out war?
The Kitesurfing Kid: The Kitesurfing Kid Goes to New Zealand
Adrian Straight. AuthorHouse. $21.99 paper (54p), ISBN 978-1-5246-0463-9; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-5246-0464-6
Amazon
A rhyming adventure story in which local history and native language both enrich the story and act as an educational tool for the reader.
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 978-14817-6373-8
Amazon
This fantasy tale shows children how ridiculous and hurtful bullying is, presenting it in a different perspective by having adults bully each other.
The Drapkin Kids in Dreamland (Matchbox Dreams #1)
Douglas Schwartz. Matchbox Dreams. $7.99 paper (257p), ISBN 978-1-73431-991-0
Amazon
A series of 20 short stories built around two mice, named Harper and Remy. Later in the book, Millie will join in.
Penny and Friends
Jamil McGhee, illus. by Joel Jackson. Wheatmark. $10.95 paper (24p), ISBN 978-1-62787-770-1
Amazon, BN.com, Books-a-Million
This book has a twofold message: to teach children about the value of money and about friendship, and to show children that while learning to work together, they can appreciate one another.
Sadie: A Fairy’s Tale
C.M. Williams. Access Media Group. $9.99 paper (306p), ISBN 978-1-948828-53-6
Amazon
Sadie is an adventurous eight-year-old who spends the summers with her grandparents.
Tell, or the Adventures in the Middle
L.N. Mayer. Oslo & Bangs Publishing. $12.99 paper (300p), ISBN 978-2-9569463-0-4
Amazon, IndieBound.org
Forced out of his boarding school for making another boy disappear, William “Tell” Teller loses his medication and the protection it provides from a fantastic and nonsensical world.
The Twin Tooth Fairies
Marianne Murphy. Marianne Murphy. $15 hardcover (38p), ISBN 978-0-9989496-1-1
Amazon, BN.com
This book is about promoting good oral hygiene with a childlike sense of wonder. Murphy seeks to revolutionize the tooth fairy myth with Jameson the Tooth Fairy and Preston the Dark Fairy.
Vocabulary for Champions: Over 2,000 Words and Activities to Improve Your Reading, Writing, Speaking, Test-taking, and Resume-building Skills
Joe Oswald. Threshold Publishing. $24.95 paper (276p), ISBN 978-0-9709734-3-6
Amazon, BN.com
With core subject-area vocabulary and advanced reading vocabulary, Oswald presents his take to help readers prepare for the SAT, ACT, or GRE, or to improve résumés and job applications.
