Booksellers, publishers, librarians, and agents are encouraged to look at the 66 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
Codex: The Origin of Thought
Amerigo Consta. Amerigo Consta. $14.95 paper (275p), ISBN 978-1-0865-6829-5; $12.69 e-book, ASIN B082C59MG7
Amazon
This historical thriller spans millennia, focusing on the prodigies of an ancient international military order protecting the universal knowledge of old secrets about the origins of humankind discovered in the Holy Land.
The Dung Beetles of Liberia: A Novel Based on True Events
Daniel V. Meier Jr. Boutique of Quality Books. $16.95 paper (312p), ISBN 978-1-945448-37-9
Amazon, Apple iBooks
Based on true events, this is the tale of a young man’s fast-paced adventure, set in 1960s Liberia, exposing a sordid society that set the groundwork for future rebellion.
Forest Flight
Tim Maddox. Tim Maddox. $3.99 paper (53p), ISBN 978-1-6501-5380-3; 99¢ e-book, ASIN B08DHFZKSX
Amazon, BN.com
A nobleman’s daughter makes her way through the wilderness toward her father’s castle. At every step, her pursuers might appear. In the end, will she have the strength to make it home?
The Hawk and the Rabbit: Bear Island
J.T. Edelson, illus. by Theresa Chiechi. Charcoal Circle. $6.25 paper (38p), ISBN 978-1-7361323-0-2
Amazon
An illustrated action-adventure novella about identical twins Ella and Etta, who escape prison and go to Bear Island, only to find there is more to fear than being caught by the police.
The Rescue of Demistrath
Rose Stauffer. Xlibris. $16.99 paper (198p), ISBN 978-1-7960-9434-3; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-7960-9433-6
Amazon
Twenty-year-old Eva learns of a secret realm called Demistrath, where the magical inhabitants fight to save their world. Will Eva join them and embrace her destiny?
Secrets My Mothers Kept
Rebecca Tucker. Rebecca Tucker. $5.95 e-book, ASIN B08L2CFQCD
Amazon
Engineering student Austin discovers she’s adopted and struggles with her parents’ lies about her past, the search for her origins, and questions surrounding her identity. Book club discussion guide included.
Taming the Tida
Eslynne Smith. CreateSpace. $14.99 paper (349p), ISBN 978-1-4991-8118-0
Amazon, BN.com, Books-a-Million
An adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse unites the nation and the world behind the goal of eradicating pedophilia in this story about politics, religion, and a reality TV show.
Poetry
The Aftermath of Unrest
Natalie Nascenzi, illus. by Grant McGrath. Natalie Nascenzi. $36.99 paper (252p), ISBN 978-0-578-77766-5; $15 paper, ISBN 978-0-578-82006-4
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com
Set in New York City before and during the pandemic, Nascenzi’s story of hope, poetry, and fate uses a combination of poems, paintings, and essays.
A Celebration of Life
Ruth Anna Wright. AuthorHouse. $11.49 paper (84p), ISBN 978-1-4490-2255-6
Amazon
Wright shares a collection of poems that talk about her family, friends, coworkers, strangers, and acquaintances.
Waiting for Spring
Zoë Hickerson. CMD. $9 paper (168p), ISBN 978-1-954223-06-6
Amazon, BN.com, Google Play
This book is a selection of creative writings from the darkness of burnout, depression, and learning to walk into the light again.
With Every End There Is a New Beginning
Jane Makovicka. AuthorHouse. $14.95 paper (128p), ISBN 978-1-4685-6516-4; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4685-6514-0
Amazon
Makovicka intends her poetry to spiritually uplift readers facing difficulties in life and encourages others to never give up as they follow their dreams.
Mystery/Thriller
Don’t You Know Who I Am? A Rock n’ Roll Hollywood Tale
Robert Allen Miltenberg. Robert Allen Miltenberg. $9.99 paper (208p), ISBN 979-8-6926-0462-0
Amazon
The Orifice of the Oracle is a famous rock band 40 years past its prime. The band members’ exploits offer a satirical view of Hollywood through music, film, #metoo, and more.
Finding George Washington: A Time Travel Tale
Bill Zarchy. Roving Camera Press. $14.95 paper (396p), ISBN 978-0-9849191-2-3; $4.95 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9849191-3-0
Amazon, IndieBound
In 1778, Gen. George Washington disappears from the winter encampment at Valley Forge, only to turn up at a dog park near San Francisco Bay in the summer of 2014. Now what?
The Lord Chamberlain’s Daughter
Ron Fritsch. Asymmetric Worlds. $9.99 paper (150p), ISBN 978-0-9978829-7-1; $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-0-9978829-6-4
Amazon
Hamlet decided his father was murdered by his uncle Claudius. But did Hamlet get it right?
Rich White Americans
Virginia Dale. Austin Macauley Publishers. $16.95 paper (206p), ISBN 978-1-64182-839-0; $4.50 e-book, ISBN 978-1-64536-622-5
Amazon, BN.com
A plucky UC Berkeley junior faces down the psychopathic son of state Senator Norland, who collaborates with her white supremacist mother after she returns to Berkeley and falls in love with Albert Johnson, the university’s first Black professor of English.
Thread
J. Franklin Payne. J. Franklin Payne. $4.99 e-book, ASIN B08R5QYHVM
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Google Play, Kobo
The suicide of Kyle Stone’s father leaves him orphaned at age eight. The tribulation of war toughens him for the fight of his life in the boardroom and the bedroom.
SF/Fantasy/Horror
Bound
P.L. Sullivan. P.L. Sullivan. $6.99 paper (420p), ISBN 979-8-5779474-4-6
Amazon
Shennan and Adin: two minds joined in a single body. Bred as an elite soldier to protect First Contact Teams, they are thrown into a frantic pursuit of a sophisticated and deadly invader.
Burner
Robert Ford. Blurred Images. $11 paper (284p), ISBN 979-8-5667-2645-8
Amazon
Finding her dead husband’s burner phone was bad. The Polaroids were worse. But the secrets Audrey uncovers next might set her entire world on fire. Sometimes the scars are on the inside.
Horde: Zombie Apocalypse (The Chad Halverson Series #6)
Bryan Cassiday. KDP. $4.99 e-book, ASIN B08KFXPYSB
Amazon
Survivors of the zombie apocalypse holed up in a warehouse suspect that the zombie plague has mutated and is being spread by spores emitted by infected flesh-eating ghouls.
Luray
Dennis Haupt. Dennis Haupt. $24 paper (474p), ISBN 978-3-96956-002-0; $6 e-book, ISBN 978-3-96956-003-7
Amazon
Risk assessment agent Luray and her philosophical AI conduct a bizarre investigation involving aliens that politely declared war without even having an attack force.
Peacemaker
E.M. Hamill. Nine Star Press. $14.99 paper (243p), ISBN 978-1-951880-60-6; $6.49 e-book, ASIN B0855L137Y
Amazon, BN.com
Dalí Tamareia is tapped to negotiate the surrender of deadly bioengineered warriors who crashed into hostile territory, but they may not be the biggest monsters at the table.
Tales from an Odd Mind
Nom D. Plume. Nom D. Plume Enterprises. $9.99 paper (146p), ISBN 978-1-7348864-0-5
Amazon, Ingram
An immersive selection of stories, poems, and the beginnings of uncompleted tales, in a variety of genres (and voices), from fantasy and SF to contemporary realism.
Witches and Reapers
Kai Smith. Kai Smith. $3.99 e-book, ASIN B08NQMMDN3
Amazon
When the child of a godly creation is kidnapped, Marilynn will scorch the earth, hunting down the man who believes he is saving their daughter’s life.
Romance/Erotica
Love on the Basketball Court: Rivals
Scarlet Rose. Prometheus. $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-7360384-3-7
Amazon, Kobo
Two rival girls try out for the college basketball team, and one player will be cut. However, love sparks between them as they fight for the spot.
“Move In with Me.”
Sheryl Owens. Sheryl Owens. $12.95 paper (360p), ISBN 979-8-6225-6729-2
Amazon
Sixty-eight-year-old bachelor Elliot Banneker asks his girlfriend of five years, 65-year-old widow Dorothea Gaines, to move in with him.
Nonfiction
55 Reflections of a Searching Skeptic: Scanning the Depths of Spirituality and Mental Health
Rich Melcher. AuthorHouse. $29.95 paper (168p), ISBN 978-1-7283-1234-7; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B07TB57MN9
Amazon
Embellishing a wide variety of readings, Melcher integrates spirituality, mental health, and self-enrichment in this memoir.
Across the Creek: Black Powder Explosions on the Brandywine
Richard D. Templeton. Blue Rock Publishing. $24.95 paper (318p), ISBN 978-1-7351079-0-5; $9.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-7351079-1-2
Amazon, Bluerockpublishing.com
In detail, Templeton tells the tragic stories of the 235 men, women, and children who perished in black powder explosions at the du Pont powder mills in Delaware.
Adventures of a Serial Entrepreneur: Achievements over Adversity
Fred Duffy. Court Books. $8.67 paper (218p), ISBN 978-1-8382650-0-7; $2.99 e-book, ASIN B08LMXS96J
Amazon, BN.com, IndieBound, Indigo
The bio of a dynamic businessman whose career sees him score win after win against relentless danger, setbacks, and death threats.
After All...
Maria Trautman. Maria Trautman. $2.99 e-book, ASIN B08KBSH81R
Amazon
Trautman describes living with her loving grandmother before being raised by her cold-hearted mother and, later, her immigration to Canada to escape it all.
Alice’s Ego
Alice Sanza. KDP. $4.47 e-book, ISBN 978-1-716-98441-9
Amazon
Sanza is destroyed when her husband sets her up to lose everything in the divorce. Through it, she learns how people become addicted to narcissistic abuse and how alternative therapies can help.
Always One Step Ahead of the Storm: An 8-Year-Old’s Down Under Adventure
Phoebe Wilby. Xlibris. $15.92 paper (126p), ISBN 978-1-6641-1276-6; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-6641-1275-9
Amazon
In this memoir, travel with Wilby, her mum, and the rest of her family, as she takes readers along for the ride across the vast country of Australia.
Black Family Reunions: Finding the Rest of Me
Ione D. Vargus. Xlibris. $17.99 paper (214p), ISBN 978-1-6641-2175-1; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-6641-2174-4
Amazon
This book delves into the social and psychological benefits of having reunions, as well as some advice and guidance on the nuts and bolts of planning and holding a reunion.
Black Lives Matter: The Expectation of Justice in a Democracy
Everett Watson. KDP. $2.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-7923-5751-0
Amazon
Watson explores the contributions made to society by well-known individuals and organizations America to combat injustice, brutality, and oppression in America during the pandemic.
The Destiny and Signs of God: Spiritual Psychoanalysis
Ionel Rotaru. iUniverse. $28.99 paper (534p), ISBN 978-1-6632-0361-8; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-6632-0362-5
Amazon
Rotaru argues that the time has come to interact with the universe and communicate with the one who can give readers the best advice on how to fulfill their destiny.
Discipleship in the Postmodern Age
Daniel L. Kohn. Xlibris. $14.99 paper (96p), ISBN 978-1-6641-2633-6; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-6641-2632-9
Amazon
This book addresses the need to equip disciples to carry the message of Christ to a dying world. It shares practical insights for developing a discipleship ministry in the reader’s church.
The Early Years
Rachel G. Carrington. iUniverse. $18.95 paper (240p), ISBN 978-1-4917-6567-8; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-4917-6568-5
Amazon
In this memoir, when a young girl falls in love with a broken World War II veteran, the unlikely pair must overcome struggles and hurdle life’s obstacles. A true story of love, dedication, and God’s providence.
Favor: How Stroke Struggle and Surgery Helped Me Find My Life’s Purpose
Kawan Glover. Kawan Glover. $12.99 paper (234p), ISBN 979-8-6703-2125-9; $8.99 e-book, ASIN B08DTH5K21
Amazon
This memoir centers around a boy becoming a man and navigating life. His world is turned upside down by life-threatening adversity, but he perseveres and finds purpose.
A Guy’s Guide to Throat Cancer: Do’s and Don’ts for Recovery
Edmund A. Rossman III. Christian Faith Publishing. $19.95 paper (138p), ISBN 978-1-0980-1533-6
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Books-a-Million, Indigo, Ingram
Rossman shows how to make cancer treatments easier to go through and how to avoid complications. His approach also helps keep the spirit up for both the patient and his caregivers.
A Hard Day at the Orifice: Reminiscences of an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist
John M. Miller. Xlibris. $17.99 paper (378p), ISBN 978-1-7960-0973-6; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-7960-0972-9
Amazon
This very personal account provides unique insights into the training and life of a dedicated obstetrician and gynecologist, and fascinating stories relating the history of the profession.
A Higher Conversation
Neil David Chan. Austin Macauley. $24.95 hardcover (164p), ISBN 978-1-64536-381-1; $10.95 paper, ISBN 978-1-64536-382-8
Amazon, BN.com
Chan’s new book is all about metaphysics and metaphysical spirituality.
The High Sign
David S. Heeren. Urlink Print & Media. $10.99 paper (364p), ISBN 978-1-64753-158-4
Amazon, BN.com
Heeren explores what the celestial sign of Jesus’s Second Coming will be and why will it be important for Christians to recognize it when it appears.
A House with Holes: One Marriage Journey in a Charleston Renovation
Denise Mast Broadwater. Mountain View Press. $15 paper (185p), ISBN 978-1-951350-00-0
Amazon, BN.com
Broadwater relates what happened when she and her husband, seasoned renovators, fell in love with a broken-down cottage in historic Charleston, but the restoration was much more than they imagined it would be.
Into the Carpathians: A Journey Through the Heart and History of East Central Europe (Part 2: The Western Mountains)
Alan E. Sparks. Rainy Day Publishing. $29.95 paper (394p), ISBN 978-0-578-70570-5
Amazon, BN.com, Books-a-Million, IndieBound
A journey through a legendary landscape of Gothic castles, earth-shattering battles, and natural beauty.
Plotting to Stop the British Slave Trade: James Bruce and His Secret Mission to Africa
Jane Aptekar Reeve. AuthorHouse. $33.09 paper (708p), ISBN 978-1-7283-9624-8; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-7283-9626-2
Amazon
This biography about James Bruce reveals that the adventurous, game-changing traveler who went to Africa during the West’s Enlightenment period was not what he seemed to be.
Power of Me: Discover the Future
Keith Timewell. AuthorHouse. $12.90 paper (98p), ISBN 978-1-7283-5666-2; $4.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-7283-5665-5
Amazon
This book is designed to help readers help themselves and give readers confidence to be themselves and understand the power they have.
The Soul Grows in Darkness
Loren E. Pedersen. IngramSpark. $22 paper (292p), ISBN 978-0-595-33208-3
Amazon, BN.com, Powell’s
A psychospiritual journey in which Pedersen contends with outer life challenges through unbidden dreams and inner dialogues that lead his life into an unexpected spiritual path.
The Strong Ones: How a Band of Civilian Women Made Their Mark on the Army
Sara Hammel. Sara Hammel. $14.95 paper (358p), ISBN 978-0-578-79432-7
Amazon, BN.com, Books-a-Million, IndieBound
A ragtag band of civilian women volunteered for a U.S. Army strength study in 1995 and proved women can get strong enough to do the Army’s toughest jobs.
Surrender
Marylee MacDonald. Grand Canyon Press. $16.99 paper (363p), ISBN 978-1-951479-29-9
Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Books-a-Million, IndieBound
When the son she surrendered asks for the story of his birth, MacDonald must come to terms with his adoption and her own in this memoir.
Too Long Ago: A Childhood Memory. A Vanished World.
David Pietrusza. Church & Reid Books. $11.95 paper (312p), ISBN 979-8-6829-2328-1; $4.95 e-book, ASIN B08N9H5FV2
Amazon
A sardonic expedition into a small-town ethnic childhood, post–World War II America, and how to survive Rust Belt hard times.
The True Adventures of Gidon Lev: Rascal. Holocaust Survivor. Optimist.
Julie Gray, with Gidon Lev. Lightning Source. $16.95 paper (324p), ISBN 978-1-7352497-0-4; $9.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-7352497-1-1
Amazon, BN.com, Bookshop
The quirky, hopeful, and inspirational story of the unusual life of a Holocaust survivor and the writer who loved him.
Wounded Wounder or Wounded Healer: When Life Tumbles In, What Then?
Eugene C. Rollins. AuthorHouse. $13.99 paper (216p), ISBN 978-1-7283-6907-5; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-7283-7015-6
Amazon
Rollins illustrates that it’s what happens to people that’s important. Learn about the concepts of woundedness and healing.
Children’s/YA
BBLS Big Brother, Little Sister
Elena Southworth. Prodigy Kids Press. $11.99 paper (148p), ISBN 978-1-7357829-0-4; $6.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-7357829-1-1
Amazon, BN.com, Books-a-Million
Overly responsible big brother Matthew and his mischievous little sister, Aaliyah, are always battling it out in this take on sibling rivalry.
Cherry Princess
Tatjana Maksimenko. Lulu. $11.34 paper (38p), ISBN 978-0-244-23197-2
Amazon, BN.com
A bad witch casts a spell on a beautiful princess, and only love can save her. This love comes from the pure heart of a little girl who loved nature.
Clear Bear
Nina Marie Corona, illus. by Aodhan Gyory.
We Thirst Ministries. $18.99 hardcover (36p), ISBN 978-0-578-76880-9
Amazon, BN.com
A story about a bear with skin that is clear, making his bright, glowing heart visible for all to see.
Critical Thinking for Grade 2 and Grade 3
Bright Minds Publishing. Bright Minds Publishing. $44.99 paper (147p), ISBN 978-1-0895-9309-6
Amazon
This book provides a range of problems that can get a student to think and improve math, logic, and figurative and visual thinking skills.
Critical Thinking for Kindergarten and Grade 1: Supplemental Workbook for CogAT, OLSAT and NNAT and GATE Testing
Bright Minds Publishing. Bright Minds Publishing. $44.99 paper (112p), ISBN 978-1-7992-6155-1
Amazon
This book provides a range of problems that can get a student to think and improve math, logic, and figurative and visual thinking skills.
Little Ellie Isabellie Elephant: Day at the Pool
Tracy Hartley, illus. by Linda Solomon. Writers Republic. $12.99 paper (32p), ISBN 978-1-64620-144-0
Amazon, BN.com, Writersrepublic.com
Little Ellie realizes that it’s okay to be little as long as someone faces the problem and asks for help.
Neptune’s Window: First Glance
L.L. Lewin. Triple L Press. $9.99 paper (287p), ISBN 978-1-7354810-0-5
Amazon
In this YA mystery, a teenage medium, with the help of a few spirits, sets out to discover the truth about her mother’s death. But can she trust the spirits?
One More Year
Allison Ione Ballenger, illus. by Carlos Vélez Aguilera. Warren Publishing. $16.95 hardcover (28p), ISBN 978-1-7357280-9-4; $12.95 paper, ISBN 978-1-7358600-0-8
Amazon, BN.com, Bookshop
In this debut picture book, a big brother introduces his little sister to the magical characters she might encounter on her birthday each passing year.
Ralphie and Friends
Barbara Tufford. AuthorHouse. $20.99 paper (64p), ISBN 978-1-7283-6467-4; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-7283-6468-1
Amazon
Follow the adventure of a dog and his friends Foofy, Teeter, and Halley as they have so much fun in everything they do.
Riley’s Imaginarium
Lucy Prime. Lucy Prime. $4.69 e-book, ASIN B08KPN9VWY
Amazon, Kobo
A girl travels in her dream to an ancient city where people of the five watus can control the elements, and she learns how to do it herself.
Sol Invictus (The Eye of Ra #2)
Ben Gartner. Crescent Vista Press. $12.99 paper (300p), ISBN 978-1-7341552-3-5; $5.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-7341552-2-8
Amazon, Apple iBooks, Baker & Taylor, BN.com, Ingram, Kobo, Overdrive
Surrounded by clashing cultures on the ancient Roman frontier, siblings John and Sarah must fulfill their quest to unite the emperor with his enemy or risk being stuck in time forever.
A Summer to Remember with Ted Williams
Paul Korins. BookLocker. $14.95 paper (141p), ISBN 978-1-64718-251-9
Amazon, BN.com, BookLocker
Another time-travel adventure for Sammy—a stand-alone sequel to The Magic Typewriter. It’s 1960, and he’s sitting next to Ted Williams in the Red Sox dugout—and he’s the batboy.
Thomas the Turkey
Lindsay Ann Fink. Balboa Press. $9.99 paper (28p), ISBN 978-1-9822-5131-4; $3.99 e-book, ISBN 978-1-9822-5132-1
Amazon
A slightly frazzled-looking turkey named Thomas has lost all of his feathers. This interactive book invites readers to help Thomas find his feathers in time for Thanksgiving dinner.
