Self Published Authors

Short Story: Fire at Her Fingertips by Rebecca Crunden

2023-01-08T21:49:09Z

You don’t have a name. You don’t have a home. You have only the fire at your fingertips – until the day you meet her.
[Goodreads]

self_published @ 2022-12-16T23:35:00

2022-12-17T04:35:32Z

https://soopllc.com/blog/book-ideas/the-last-atlantian-by-pearl-mcnamara/

I've written a Fantasy Novel under the Pen Name 'Pearl McNamara' and submitted it to Something or Other Publishing. If it gets 1000 votes, they'll Publish it. Click on the link to vote, please, and thank you in advance!

#IndiePride - Spotlight LGBT+ Indie Books in June

2022-04-28T13:45:06Z

I'm going to be doing book spotlights on my blog and Twitter for LGBT+ books and authors in the indie/self-published community in June and figured I'd link it here in case anyone wants to check out some great books or pick up a few to review themselves ^-^

For the books being spotlighted, check out this link on my blog or this goodreads list :)

You can also check out more links from indie authors in this Twitter thread, or see some of my reviews/recs I've already put together on my blog.

A Mage's Guide to Human Familiars by AJ Sherwood

2022-02-25T16:42:56Z

Disclaimer: I'm not the author.

Author: AJ Sherwood

Links: Amazon, Goodreads

Summary: One mage, Bel Adams – needs a familiar, gun shy about being rejected by one again.

One familiar, Nico di Rossi – Army Ranger, needs a change of pace and a new purpose in life.

Plus one familiar, Garen Dallarosa – Secret Service, needs his ex-lover Nico back.

One second chance – all for the taking.

Available in: paperback, Kindle

Genres: fantasy, m/m/m

Notes about book/series: This is m/m/m polyamory. There's a lot of light-hearted humour, but one of the characters (Nico) is a bit of a caricature because of it. I enjoyed the book, but keep it for when you're not in the mood for multi-layered characters.

All Roads Lead to This by Kay Claire

2022-02-21T16:53:27Z

Disclaimer: I'm not the author.

Author: Kay Claire

Links: Amazon, Goodreads

Summary: Cedric and Rueben have been best friends since sixth grade, and cannot imagine life without each other - Cedric was there for Rueben when he came out to his family, and Rueben was there for Cedric through every step of his transition.

Now, both twenty-four and working at the same plant shop, their boss gets an opportunity to receive some extremely rare plants she's wanted for years, except there's a problem: the plants need to be collected in person from across the country, and she cannot make the journey herself. Rueben, ever helpful, is quick to volunteer him and Cedric to travel across the country in her place.

Cedric is apprehensive about the trip, both because he hates sudden changes to his routine, and because he may or may not have a few secrets he hasn't told Rueben about. Secrets like the fact that he might be in love with his best friend...

All Roads Lead to This is a low angst HEA m/m romance that involves a road trip across South Africa, sharing a bed, heavy pinning, and childhood friends to lovers tropes. Roughly 85,000 words long.

Available in: Kindle

Genres: romance, m/m

Notes about book/series: This is major m/m, where one of the guys is trans. There's also a non-binary minor character.

This book mentions Covid safety measures, which I liked, but heads up in case you want to avoid the topic entirely.

Deception by Naomi Aoki

2022-02-10T16:48:18Z

Disclaimer: I'm not the author.

Author: Naomi Aoki

Links: Amazon, Goodreads

Summary: Two men and one woman with the power to destroy them both.

Detective Morita knew loving the Kominaka Yakuza Boss—Ieyasu Tonagawa—he'd once been tasked with bringing down wasn't going to be easy. A balancing act with dangerous consequences if it ever came tumbling down. But he had it under control. Walked the thin line separating the two halves of his life with a surefootedness that bordered on arrogance.

Then she walked into his life—Detective Suyama, his new partner.

But Suyama had secrets of her own.

Dangerous secrets that had the power to destroy Morita and Ieyasu.

And yet as their world crumbles around them, Morita and Ieyasu find themselves falling in love with the dangerous woman.

Deception is a 60k Yakuza x Police Detectives Romance that ends with a cliffhanger.

Available in: Kindle

Genres: romance, m/m/f

Notes about book/series: Be gay, do crime! That's not what I usually go for, but it was well done, except for some grammar mistakes.

Lunar New Love by Ophelia Silk

2022-02-06T16:53:26Z

Disclaimer: I'm not the author.

Author: Ophelia Silk

Links: Amazon, Goodreads

Summary: How about a fake dating trade-off?

Minh has a problem. They've accidentally told their grandmother they'd come with their partner for Tết Holiday - Vietnamese Lunar New Year - this Saturday, and it's too late to take it back. Not only has Minh not been to a family gathering since their disastrous coming out three years ago, they also don't have a partner to show up with. The solution? A fake partner. And of all the people Minh knows, the perfect match turns out to be Cass Beauregard, the one member of their friend group they can't get along with.

Cass has a goddamn problem. The day she dumped her cheating boyfriend, she challenged him to an eventual double date to show him just how fast she could find somebody else and how much she didn't need him. But now said double-date is on Sunday and Cass still doesn’t have a new partner. The solution? Minh Loisel-Tran and their own problem. When they ask her to fake date them for Têt Holiday, Cass agrees on the one condition that they do the same for her the next day.

Minh and Cass are polar opposites: one too soft and the other too brash. There is no way one weekend of fake dating is going to go well... or is there? Minh and Cass might not be as incompatible as they thought. Will this little deal be just a parenthesis in their usual disagreements, or could it lead to something more?

Available in: Kindle, Kindle Unlimited

Genres: romance, nb/nb

Notes about book/series: The story takes place in France, in Orléans and Paris to be specific, so of course I had to read it. It has a beautiful writing style.

Minh is agender (they/them) and Cass is genderfluid (either Cassandra, she/her, or Apollo, he/him). It's still very rare to encounter nb/nb stories.

SPSFC semi-finalists announced!

2022-02-03T21:14:14Z

Self-Published Science Fiction Competition

Indie Author Interview Roundup

2022-01-14T09:00:18Z

a bunch of interviews with indie/self-published authors!

Sword Dance by AJ Demas

2021-12-23T16:53:38Z

Disclaimer: I'm not the author.

Author: AJ Demas

Links: Amazon, Goodreads

Summary: Five years ago, Damiskos’s brilliant military career was cut short, leaving him with a permanent disability and scars that are not all physical. Adrift and still grieving, he tries to find meaning in an unsatisfying job.

Work takes him to the remote seaside villa of an old friend, where, among an odd assortment of guests, he meets the eunuch sword-dancer Varazda. Enigmatic and beautiful but distinctly prickly, Varazda is the antithesis of the straightforward and serious Damiskos. Yet as they keep getting in each other’s way at the villa, their mutual dislike is complicated by a spark of undeniable attraction.

Then the villa’s guests begin to reveal their true characters and motives—no one here is what they seem—and Damiskos finds himself at the centre of a bizarre web of espionage, theft, and assassination. Varazda may need Damiskos’s help, but not as much as Damiskos, finally awakening to a new sense of life and purpose, needs Varazda.

Sword Dance is the first book in the Sword Dance trilogy, an m/nb romance set in an imaginary ancient world, with murderous philosophy students, sex acts named after fruit, and love blossoming in the midst of mayhem.

Available in: paperback, Kindle

Genres: historical, m/nb

Notes about book/series: This is historical fantasy, as in there's no magic, but the story takes place in a fictional world based on Ancient Greece. The political intrigue reminded me of Nightrunner by Lynn Flewelling.

The spy is a genderfluid eunuch (he used to be a slave, but is now free) and there is major m/nb.

I'm definitely going to keep reading this series. Note for later: AJ Demas also publishes fantasy as Alice Degan.

Worm in a Jar by B. Pigeon

2021-11-28T16:48:52Z

Disclaimer: I'm not the author.

Author: B. Pigeon

Links: Amazon, Goodreads

Summary: Witch-in-training Malee hadn’t intended to summon a shadowy, shapeshifting demon into her apartment, and she certainly never wanted to bind herself to such a creature in her blood.

But it’s too late now to reverse the magic she’s done, and the demon, who she calls Worm, appears harmless and helpless anyway. Malee agrees to send them back to their home, a task that she soon realizes might lie outside of her range of magical abilities. On top of that, she isn’t quite ready to trust Worm completely, and harboring a demon is a dangerous secret for a witch to keep...

Available in: paperback, Kindle

Genres: novella, fantasy, f/nb

Notes about book/series: This story has a casual, everyday vibe to it. It reminded me of the lovely Euphoria Kids by Alison Evans.

Malee is sapphic. Worm is non-binary, with they/them pronouns. For more LGBT Quick Reads, check out my rec list.

Renegades by EM Lindsey

2021-11-25T14:56:28Z

Disclaimer: I'm not the author.

Author: EM Lindsey

Links: Amazon, Goodreads

Summary: Soren Green is a good man. An ex-MMA fighter, single father, and a lawyer helping to better the lives of LGBT teens. But his life isn’t as simple as it seems, and things get turned a little upside down when he stumbles on a troubled man on the side of the road, making his way through a snowstorm. Soren knows one of his biggest problems is his bleeding heart, but how can he turn away when he was once that man out in the cold?

Kane Winters once had it easy. Rich parents, silver spoon, everything at his disposal. But Kane was never a lucky man, and nothing is proof of that more than his abusive boyfriend dying in a freak accident, and his uncontrollable anger sending him into a tailspin. He returned to Fairfield with a chip on his shoulder, felony on his record, and no hope of recovering himself as the man he once was. Kane was certain that he was condemned to this life—cold, alone, and unloved. Then, in the middle of a storm, a stranger pulls over to offer him a ride. Kane took a blind leap once, and it almost destroyed his life, but he’s not so sure the bald man with the walking cane and kind eyes would be anything like his ex.

Will the two men figure out a way to make it work, or will their pasts continue to leave them to a future without hope?

Renegades is the first book in the series, Breaking the Rules- an Irons and Works spin-off. Each book contains no cheating with an HEA.

Available in: paperback, Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, Audible

Genres: romance, m/m

Notes about book/series: This is Book 1 of Breaking the Rules, a spin-off of the Irons and Works series, which I haven't read. There's a big found family in the background, which is obviously from the main series, but I didn't feel confused at any time. The only thing is that I would have liked more focus on the teens, but maybe I'll find this in the sequels.

Kane suffers from PTSD related to past domestic abuse. Soren has a fractured spine and uses a cane, a walker or a wheelchair, depending on his condition. Based on the other characters, it seems that EM Lindsey is definitely an author to follow for m/m and disability intersectionality. In the same vein, I also recommend Nicky James' books: Love Me Whole (dissociative identity disorder) and The One That Got Away (paranoia, but this time somebody is actually out to get him).

Announcement

2021-11-15T14:47:59Z

Hello, everybody! I'm your new co-mod. We're now up-to-date with post-tagging. Tell me if you need additional tags on your posts.

a friending meme!

2021-11-14T13:39:39Z

here!!

a new writing community!

2021-11-09T00:36:18Z

writingpromptch

Signal Boost

2021-11-08T08:28:04Z

If any of you are on Tumblr, check out selfpublished by b-a-pigeon!

Also, I'm profiterole-reads on there, for your daily LGBT SF/F book needs. :-)

The Oracle Stone by Talli Morgan

2021-10-20T12:00:00Z

Disclaimer: I'm not the author.

Author: Talli Morgan

Links: Amazon, Goodreads

Summary: SOME LEGENDS NEVER DIE.

JEKKU AJ’ERE can see everything from the start of time to the end, and it’s an agonizing curse. His only chance to bargain for freedom is to find the Oracle Stone, a magic artifact that was split into four pieces and hidden centuries ago.

LILYA NOOR wants to forget her past and be immortal, so she agrees to a blood oath that will grant her eternal life if she delivers the Oracle Stone to her Master of Magic. Failure is not an option, but what if the stone offers a better deal than simple immortality?

VAELTAJA IEVISIN has one chance for redemption: the Second Savior. Presenting the Savior and the lost Oracle Stone to his gods will end his banishment, but the Savior isn’t at all what Taja expected, and neither is the stone. And how much is forgiveness worth, anyway, when the gods are never satisfied?

There are higher powers at play, and Jekku, Lilya, and Taja must pull themselves together or risk losing everything to the vengeful spirits trapped in the stone. But it’s hard to save the world when you can’t trust anyone, including yourself, and certainly not the gods.

From debut author Talli L. Morgan comes a page-turning epic fantasy filled with magic, mythology, and high-stakes adventure.

Available in: paperback, Kindle

Genres: heroic fantasy, m/m

Notes about book/series: The author weaves a complex tale, but introduces the various elements little by little, so it's really easy to get into the story. I especially love that there are Gods as characters, like in Warriors of Estavia by Fiona Patton.

There's major m/m (super cute! <3), a major aro female character and a semi-major non-binary character (they appear in the second half of the book).

Catch and Cradle by Katia Rose

2021-09-29T11:52:55Z

Disclaimer: I'm not the author.

Author: Katia Rose

Links: Amazon, Goodreads

Summary: Thou shalt not date thine teammates.

The UNS Women’s Lacrosse team doesn’t have an official policy against inter-teammate relationships, but those words might as well be carved into stone tablets in the middle of the field. After witnessing way too much drama in the past, Captain Becca Moore is intent on keeping her players’ love lives out of the locker room.

Becca has no time or tolerance for any distractions from the game. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Hope Hastings has been since the day she showed up for tryouts: one walking, talking, charismatically dorky and way-too-kissable distraction.

Hope knew she was headed straight to the danger zone from the moment she saw Becca’s flame-red hair and surly captain smirk. She’s spent the past two years writing off her attraction as a harmless crush, but starting a new semester fresh out of an awful relationship makes Hope realize just how far from harmless the heat between her and Becca really is.

The friendships of a tight-knit team and their shot at the title are all lying on the line, but as Hope and Becca get closer to bending rules they’ve sworn never to break, they realize they’ve put their hearts on that line too. Losing has never been an option, but winning might cost more than they’re willing to pay.

Catch and Cradle is a New Adult F/F romance from Katia Rose that’s filled with all the hilarity and heartache of finding your way through college while discovering love, friendship, and what it means to be yourself.

Available in: paperback, Kindle

Genres: sports, romance, f/f

Notes about book/series: This is such a light-hearted friends-to-lovers sports romance. There's a touch of angst, but really nothing big.

Hope has dyslexia. I'm actually surprised that I haven't seen this kind of rep before, since it's a pretty common disability. In addition to the f/f, there's a non-binary character, with they/them pronouns.

TERF Wars by Dharma Kelleher

2021-08-01T11:56:28Z

Disclaimer: I'm not the author.

Author: Dharma Kelleher

Links: Amazon, Goodreads

Summary: The Fight For Justice Has Never Been More Personal

On the eve of her bachelorette party, bounty hunter Jinx Ballou has been hired to arrest a fugitive accused of brutally assaulting a transgender woman in a public restroom. What Jinx didn’t anticipate was the powerful media machine her fugitive controlled.

As Jinx and her team zero in on the bail jumper, she finds herself in the middle of a war of misinformation and deep-faked videos designed to further harm an already vulnerable community. After years of avoiding social media's limelight, Jinx can stay silent no longer and comes out swinging.

TERF Wars takes readers on an action-packed thrill ride that dives deep into the issues of identity and intersectionality, oppression and accountability.

As one of the only openly transgender authors in crime fiction, Dharma Kelleher delivers a heartfelt tale that will leave readers cheering for more.

Available in: hardback, paperback, Kindle

Genres: thriller

Notes about book/series: I was aware this was a Book 4, but I couldn't resist the title. I enjoyed it a lot, so I'll catch up with the beginning of the series in the near future.

Most of the book was action-packed, but there was also cool content like Jinx going to a convention and doing cosplay.

Jinx is a trans woman. There are other trans women, a non-binary character, minor m/m and f/f. There are a number of POC, as well as a woman with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Content warnings: transphobia, murder of a Black trans woman, rape attempt (unrelated to Jinx being trans)

Scarlet Dandelions: The Zither and the Sword by Fynn Chen

2021-07-15T15:42:31Z

Disclaimer: I'm not the author.

Author: Fynn Chen

Links: Amazon, Goodreads

Summary: A peace treaty between two countries. Two princesses from different lands. A taboo love.

Set in the fictitious Eastern Asian world, Scarlet Dandelions is the coming-of-age historical romance novel between two Princess Zhenwan and Princess Yexuan. This is a story laced with elements of heart-rending sacrifices from political games, camaraderie between unlikely individuals in the establishment of a secret organization, and an unconditional love that binds the souls of our two main characters.

Princess Zhenwan never wanted to be anywhere else except her homeland; a vast field of green lands and of endless blue skies with the accompaniment of her royal siblings and doting father, the Great Khan of the Bo’er Empire. Yet, due to a series of political arrangements and self-sacrifice, the princess from Bo’er wounded up in a palace of a foreign land and became the companion of their sickly princess, Princess Yexuan who enjoys nothing but solitude. It seemed as if fate had wanted to bring the two Princesses, who clearly belonged to two different worlds, together.

Little did Princess Zhenwan know that, over the numerous years, her feelings for the courtly Princess Yexuan would morph into something that was more profound than a mere companion should have.

How did the two princesses find themselves impossibly entwined with one another? How will their encounters shape their ideals and influence their emotions? How will they overcome the adversities of an unconventional relationship?

Available in: Kindle

Genres: historical fantasy, f/f

Notes about book/series: Since I've recently watched several Asian BL shows, I was especially happy to run into this f/f novel for a change. There's also an f/f secondary pairing.

EBOOK SALE FOR BBNYA

2021-07-13T23:02:09Z

Link.

The One That Got Away by Nicky James

2021-07-09T11:52:41Z

Disclaimer: I'm not the author.

Author: Nicky James (Love Me Whole, which I talked about here)

Links: Amazon, Goodreads

Summary: Someone is following me. I’m not imagining it. I’m not crazy.

Charlie Falkingham is convinced someone is after him. There are signs. There are clues, but no one believes him. After living through a childhood horror, Charlie suffers from a severe paranoia disorder, among many things, and the Hamilton Police have labeled him The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

When the only person on the force who ever listened to Charlie’s concerns retires, who can Charlie reach out to for help?

Arrogant and young, Officer Takoda Dyani has a chip on his shoulder a mile wide. He’s rude and brash and doesn’t play well with others. He has more enemies than friends, and he doesn’t care. When his senior officer assigns him to be Charlie’s consultant, Takoda knows it will end badly. He doesn’t have time to coddle a prissy rich boy.

However, if he can’t calm Charlie’s paranoid delusions and act civil for once, he’ll lose his job.

But are they delusions?

The longer he knows Charlie, the more Takoda realizes, something isn’t right.

Is someone stalking Charlie, or is Takoda getting too wrapped up in Charlie’s fragile world?

Available in: paperback, Kindle

Genres: thriller, romance, m/m

Notes about book/series: This is my second book by Nicky James and she's really great at writing at the intersection of m/m and mental health. Note that Takoda is an asshole at the beginning of the book, but Charlie digs that he's not being coddled for once, so that works for them. If you prefer a gentle approach, you can go for Love Me Whole instead. Also, A+ to Charlie's dad for being supportive instead of giving Takoda the shovel talk! lol

The thriller aspect was good too. I guessed something, but the tension was strong anyway. It made me want to read more gay thrillers, but I'm wary of queer deaths. Don't worry, there's nothing of the sort here.

Content warning: undetailed mentions of childhood trauma

The Home I Find With You by Skye Kilaen

2021-06-15T11:35:59Z

Disclaimer: I'm not the author.

Author: Skye Kilaen

Links: Amazon, Goodreads

Summary: A polyamorous romance about building a new life after the world falls apart.

Life in rural Colorado fifteen years after the second U.S. Civil War is perilous. Van and his girlfriend Hadas only recovered from the attack that killed Van’s wife because their community helped them heal. The warmth Van and Hadas share isn’t the love he lost, but it’s precious. He’s content.

Clark survived the war, but his family fractured and now his relationships are in ruins... which must be his fault, or everyone wouldn’t say so. Figuring he can’t destroy ties he doesn’t create, he relocates to start over, zero interpersonal complications welcome.

When Van and Clark meet, though, it’s nothing but complicated. Clark can’t stop wanting quiet, loyal Van no matter how the electricity between them misfires, and Van craves more than hookups from the charismatic newcomer. Hadas and others start coaxing Clark out of his emotional isolation, but when violence threatens the town, Van and Hadas must leave him behind to defend it.

To bring them safely home, Clark must decide whether Van’s love, Hadas’s friendship, and the belonging he’s found are enough to overcome his fear of once again letting down those he cares about.

A high heat, hurt-comfort, post-collapse M/M romance novel with D/s elements, polyamory, open relationships, and a guaranteed HEA. Full content warnings are available on the author’s website for those who need them: skyewritesromance.com

Available in: Kindle

Genres: post-apocalyptic, m/m/f

Notes about book/series: I don't read a lot of post-apocalyptic fiction, but this one is pretty quiet, which is more to my taste. There are some bandit attacks, but it's also about living in the countryside with limited technology, taking care of animals and crops...

There is m/m/f in a V formation, plus some other m/m branches. The main m/m pairing has some light D/s, but there's not too much explicit content.

People introduce themselves with their pronouns. There's a non-binary character, with they/them pronouns.

Trans Wizard Harriet Porber and the Bad Boy Parasaurolophus + Spells, Snow & Sky

2021-06-08T11:55:43Z

Disclaimer: I'm not the author.

Author: Chuck Tingle

Links: Amazon, Goodreads

Summary: Trans wizard Harriet Porber is a master spellsmith who's found herself in a bit of a pickle. After finishing wizard college, Harriet made a name for herself by creating a hit viral spell, but has since failed to craft a follow up. Now Harriet’s agent, Minerma, is breathing down her neck, suggesting that Harriet take a trip to an island off the coast of England for inspiration.

Hoping for some peace and quiet to clear her head, Harriet Porber arrives to find that her new neighbor, an angsty bard named Snabe from the band Seven Inch Nails, is already there making a racket. This parasaurolophus spellcaster is a bad boy through and through, and with his incredible powers of metamagic, Snabe reveals that this layer of reality is much more than it seems. Could Harriet and Snabe really be characters in a parody romance novel?

Soon enough, these two are discovering they have more similarities than differences: both trans, both strong, and both hoping to create a new spell that will change the world. But with the addition of two devious sentient motorcycles to the mix, Dellatrix and Braco, things start to get complicated.

Now trans wizard Harriet Porber is caught up in a tale of magic and mystery where nothing is as it seems, except for one universal truth: love is real.

Available in: paperback, Kindle

Genres: parody, fantasy, trans m/trans f

Notes about book/series: This is the biggest crack I've ever read, as well as the biggest F*** You to JKR's transphobia! Behind the crack porn, there's an actual plot, and more importantly a message about open-mindedness.

Thanks for the heads-up to tabular_rasa!

----------
Disclaimer: I'm not the author.

Author: Coffee Quills

Links: Amazon, Goodreads

Summary: Sky needs breathing room. Keeping a photographer on a short leash is, in her opinion, an act of cruelty. Fleeing Florida and landing in Hokkaido might just be the act that saves her sanity, even if it dooms her romantically.

Yuki wishes to leave Japan. Not forever, but to at least travel the world for a while with a lover at her side. The hard part is figuring out how a being of ice and snow can survive outside of Hokkaido's winters.

Nyssa needs to find her runaway girlfriend. Too bad she doesn't want to be found and has turned off her phone. When Nyssa receives a panicked farewell though, all her wants center on arriving in enough time to save her love.

It's going to take honesty, communication, and some heart-felt apologizing for things to be okay between everyone... but Sky's not going to settle for just "okay" when, with a little push, there's happiness on the horizon for all of them.

A fluffy, cotton candy paranormal romance where being poly is the solution, not the problem!

Available in: Kindle

Genres: novella, magical realism, f/f/f

Notes about book/series: This is a relaxing magical realism story, and I'm especially happy it stars a yokai. :-)

Signal Boost

2021-06-04T16:02:50Z

The novel Cute Mutants Vol 1: Mutant Pride by SJ Whitby, which I talked about here, is free on Kindle for the next five days! \o/

This is my favourite queer superhero novel series! ♥ I'm a little behind (I've read 3 books out of 4) because this author is incredibly productive, but I can't wait to read more. Come share the love with me!