Hello friend. Today’s Indie Recommends Indie post features author Shelly Campbell. I have had the pleasure of hosting her with Allison Alexander when we chatted about their book, Making Myths and Magic: A Field Guide to Writing Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Let’s learn about Shelly and her favorite indie books:
Shelly, thank you for joining me for this series! Since this is your first time by yourself (I look forward to multiple appearances!) on Armed with A Book, please tell me and my readers a bit about yourself. 🙂
Thanks so much for having me on Indie Recommends Indie. I’m Shelly Campbell, a fantasy/sci-fi and horror author who is proud to have several of my books published by some fantastic Indie publishers. It’s been a dream come true for a girl who—at a young age—wanted to be an air show pilot, a pirate, or a writer. While I have piloted a Cessna 172 through spins and stalls, and sailed up the east coast on a tall ship barque—mostly without projectile vomiting, I’ve found I enjoy writing more than anything else. It’s easier on the stomach too!
It’s been such a treat to work with dedicated small presses who champion their authors, and truly magical to see readers excited about my books. I can’t wait to share some great Indie reads that have kept me up far too late at night.
Do you primarily read indie books or big publishers books as well?
I had to go take a peek at my shelves to answer this one! Around 60% of the books I read are indie published. That percentage is significantly higher than in the past before social media networking heightened the visibility for books that I would have never found otherwise. I find that I’ve networked with more authors than I did when I was not yet published, and it’s impossible not to add to my TBR pile when I browse through my social media feed. So much book eye candy out there.Â
Shelly’s Indie Recommendations
The Rosetta Man by Claire McCague
Alien Contact Sci-fi
Published 2015
Standalone—for now.
Wanted: Translator for first contact. Immediate opening. Danger pay allowance
Estlin Hume lives in Twin Butte, Alberta surrounded by a horde of affectionate squirrels. His involuntary squirrel-attracting talent leaves him evicted, expelled, fired and near penniless until two aliens arrive and adopt him as their translator. Yanked around the world at the center of the first contact crisis, Estlin finds his new employers incomprehensible. As he faces the ultimate language barrier, unsympathetic military forces converging in the South Pacific keep threatening to shoot the messenger. The question on everyone’s mind is why are the aliens here? But Estlin’s starting to think we’ll happily blow ourselves up in the process of finding that out.
Estlin Hume has a problem. His unique psychic/telepathic connection with animals tends to make them gravitate to him—squirrels in particular think he’s shiny. He’s been kicked out of three universities and every type of urban and suburban living quarters, retreating with his mob of squirrels to a dilapidated farm house he inherited from an uncle. But Estlin’s reclusive life is about to change when a colleague and friend from New Zealand recruits him to assist in a first contact situation with two alien life forms that are decidedly more animal-like than human.
This book was such a fun mix of genres, hard but accessible sci-fi, political thriller and comedy. The first few scenes were so engrossing; they propelled me through the rest of the book. This is Claire’s debut novel and she didn’t hold back. The Rosetta Man has a large cast of characters and one of the most creative plotlines I’ve ever read. It’s chocked full of believable science, politics and refreshingly unique alien life forms. McCague weaves it all together into something fantastically fun—which is not something I expected out of a hard sci-fi/political thriller. I stumbled a bit on the last few pages where the plot took a left turn and the book ended without any sort of dĂ©nouement, but I’ve read that Claire has plans for a sequel, and I would not hesitate to buy it when it comes out and dive back into this world. Â
With its endearing mix of humour and science fiction, I’d recommend The Rosetta Man for anyone who enjoyed Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Of Metal and Earth by Jennifer Lane
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Published Year: 2019
StandaloneÂ
Seven ordinary lives are changed by their extraordinary relationships with a little green Jeep in Of Metal and Earth, a tale of restoration and redemption.
James survives a fierce Vietnam battle by hiding beneath his Jeep. He loses his friends and returns home alone, surviving the town’s pity by hiding in the bar. Emotionally scarred, he only finds the determination to lift himself up when he realizes what remains to be lost. He buys a little green Jeep, like the one that gave him shelter in the war, and hopes it will lead to salvation again. But the fortune it brings tarnishes, and James is left to sacrifice the thing that gave him hope for the people who need him most.
Over the next thirty years, the Jeep changes hands, passing between friends, family, strangers, and lovers. A single mother who buys a car for her reckless son nearly destroys a friendship with a man who silently loved her for two decades. An insecure youth at the start of his career learns that the most important lessons are the ones you never set out to learn. A family torn apart by their differences finds that love can be the hardest road to take. And a city architect must choose between the easy way to restoration or a difficult path that could save more than a rusty old Jeep.
Readers of Mitch Albom, Nicholas Sparks, Jeep owners everywhere, and viewers of This is Us will enjoy this heart-warming tale of restoration and redemption, a must read book for anyone inspired by the resiliency of the human spirit.
Seven lives are changed by their ownership of a little green Jeep. This unique story starts with James, a young war vet who—upon arriving home—buys a little green jeep similar to the one he hid beneath to survive a fierce Vietnam battle. Over the years, the jeep changes hands and restores it’s owners as they restore it.
Of Metal and Earth is so aptly named. Reading this book is as satisfying as the smell of digging into deep dirt, and as multi-textured as rusting metal. Jennifer does an incredible job of breathing life into each character and letting us in on their personal journeys as the Jeep pushes each of them to tackle life from a different angle. I love how the vehicle and its lovingly tended glove box journal become a message in a bottle passed from person to person with each one layering their history on the next. This book is fresh and nostalgic at the same time. Like a restored car, take your time enjoying this read, because they just don’t make them like this anymore.
I recommend this read to anyone who has ever loved an old vehicle and for those who love searching for serendipitous connections in life. If you love a feel good story, Of Metal and Earth will stick with you.
The Thirteenth Hour by Trudie Skies
Genre: Fantasy/Steampunk
Published Year 2021
The Cruel Gods #1Â
When the saints fail, the sinners step up.
Cruel gods rule the steam-powered city of Chime, demanding worship and tribute from their mortal subjects. Kayl lost her faith in them long ago, and now seeks to protect vulnerable and downtrodden mortals from their gods’ whims. But when Kayl discovers powers that she didn’t know she had—and destroys a mortal’s soul by accident—she becomes Chime’s most wanted.
Quen’s job was to pursue sinners, until the visions started. Haunted by foreboding images of his beloved city’s destruction, Quen hunts soul-sucking creatures made of aether who prey on its citizens—and Kayl is his number one target.
To ensure Chime’s future, Kayl and Quen must discover the truth of Kayl’s divine abilities before the gods take matters into their own hands.
For a city that bows to cruel gods, it’ll take godless heathens to save it.
Cruel gods rule the steam-powered city of Chime, each one ruling one of the twelve worlds. Mortals from these worlds access Chime at their designated hour when the massive city clock tower portal opens between their world and bustling Chime. Kayl is out to protect those who are downtrodden and at the mercy of their god’s whims. Quen hunts soul-sucking creatures made of aether with Kayl is his number one suspect.
This is one of my favorite reads of the year. Skies distills a complicated world into an aether-fueled fantastical tale that grips you from page one and doesn’t let you go. Full of found family, mercurial gods, and the city that is a conduit for them all, The Thirteenth Hour is a multi-faceted read with incredible world-building that never bogs down the pace. Kayl is a hilarious and relatable heroine. Quin is her perfect foil. Like a great cup of tea, this book hit the spot, and I have a feeling it will be a comfort read I return to again and again. Superb job and I cannot wait for the next in the series!
I recommend this book for anyone who loves world-building done well. Trudie gets so much across about her fascinating worlds without ever slowing down the break-neck pace of the story. It’s compelling and inspiring.
đź“– Check out my review of The Thirteenth Hour here. đź“–
Ever the Hero by Darby Harn
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian
Published Year: 2020
Ever The Hero # 1
Superheroes are big business. Imagine not being able to afford them.
Kit Baldwin just wants to make rent. The only work she can find in the ruins of her devastated city is scavenging for alien technology. When she finds a powerful alien weapon, her discovery pays off more than she could have hoped: it draws the attention of the most powerful of the superhuman Empowered, Valene.
Valene hears everything, everywhere. She suffers for it, and as they begin a precipitous romance, Kit believes she can use the weapon she’s scavenged to mitigate Valene’s pain. If she can’t, Valene will retreat to the soundlessness of space. Without Valene’s compassion, the stricken city is left to the mercy of Valene’s ruthless father, who denies the assistance the city needs unless it can pay for it.
As Valene’s condition worsens, Kit becomes more desperate and unleashes the full power of the alien weapon. In an instant, she is transformed into a being of cosmic power. She can acquire the knowledge and energy of anything – or anyone – she touches.
Superheroes are big business. Imagine not being able to afford them.
Kit Baldwin scrounges through the ruins of her devastated city scavenging alien technology to sell. When she finds an abandoned alien weapon, it attracts the attention of the city’s elite superhero, Valene, as well as that of her ruthless father—the man whose superhero corporation won’t lend their help to the lawless city unless it can pay for it.
Darby’s writing is absolute poetry. Kit has a hard time making connections, but Harn does a superb job connecting us to her and the crumbling world around her. Ever the Hero raises such prescient questions about how big money could capitalize on anything, including heroes, and how many times, regular people are the most heroic of all. Harn has built a gritty, unforgiving world that is full of unexpected slivers of warmth and depth. This was a fascinating, fast-paced, yet lyrical read about what commercialism at its worst might look like.
Anyone looking for a fresh twist on superheroes should give Ever the Hero a try. Incredible read.
The Patch Project by Brittni Brinn
Genre: Post-apocalyptic
Published Year: 2018
The Patch Project # 1
When most of the world inexplicably disappears overnight, only small patches of civilization remain.
May and Isak live on what used to be Holly Street. Since the Event, however, they have found themselves totally isolated, surviving day to day on what they can find in their pantry and their memories. May thinks that everything is going fine: apart from Isak’s weird disappearances and the humming only she can hear, they maintain a safe and secure existence surrounded by wasteland. Until one day, the phone rings…
After the Event, the convenience store became Ed’s home. Used to the busy life of a video game designer, the sudden lack of people and landscape around him is hard to deal with. Then, one day, he discovers that he can manipulate electronics using only his mind…
Pinot and Miller are on the run. They wander through the wasteland looking for supplies or anything smashable. Driven by Miller’s fear of retribution, they head west. Everything changes for Pinot when they come across an abandoned power station…
An introspective story about survival, identity, and memory, The Patch Project explores the need for connection and purpose in a sterile post-apocalyptic world.
When most of the world inexplicably vanishes overnight, only small patches of civilization remain. May and Isak live on what used to be Holly Street. This book is post-apocalypse gone quiet. Voids have swallowed large chunks of the world after the Event. Everyone left is isolated and slowly discovering that the Event didn’t just impact the world around them, it’s given them each new and unique abilities. How do you connect with other survivors in a sterile, mostly-abandoned post-apocalyptic world, and more importantly, is connection worth the risk?
The contrast between the stark, blank world and the rich humanity of these characters made for a wonderful, poetic read. Absolutely absorbed me. Wonderful examination of how a diverse group of people stripped down to their core adapt after the world has seemingly ended, and how differently it impacts them all. A poignant reminder of how earnestly we seek human connection in even the bleakest of settings.
Fans of Station Eleven will love The Patch Project. It’s poetic and starkly beautiful.
Shelly’s Book Spotlight
Voice of the Banished
Grimdark Fantasy
Published Year: 2022Â
Book #2 of The Marked Son series
Voice of the Banished is the sequel to the grimdark fantasy Under the Lesser Moon, set in a Stone Age fantasy world where dragons once led wandering tribes across the wastelands, away from storms, toward hunting grounds. But the hallowed dragons have shunned their followers for generations now. Akrist is an eldest son, raised as sacrifice to appease the Goddess and win back her dragons. The ritual happens when the dual moons eclipse. His escape changes everything.
Betrayed, broken, and banished, Akrist is left to wander the wilderness in search of his lost love, Yara. But he’s not alone. Against all odds, he has bonded with Nardiri, one of the world’s last dragons.
In a cruel, unforgiving world, Akrist must navigate what it means to be marked as both a Speaker—a leader chosen by Nasheira herself—and an outcast. Haunted by the sacrifices of first-born sons, he fears the world cannot be changed, even with a dragon’s help. If he does nothing, the cycle of sacrifice will begin again when the moons touch.Â
Find this book on Goodreads and IndieStoryGeek.
Readers of Jean M. Auel’s Earth’s Children’s books and Robin Hobb’s The Rain Wilds Chronicles might enjoy Voice of the Banished.
If you’d like to learn more about Shelly’s upcoming books, review copies connect with her on her website, Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads. Learn about her non-fiction book in this interview.
Did you add any books to your TBR today based on this post or did you see any you have already read? Tell us in the comments!
If you are an indie or small press author who is an avid reader and wants to be featured, sign up using the form on the Indie Recommends Indie home page. This is a fantastic way to bring attention to fellow indie authors as well as your own book. 🙂
Thanks for hanging out with us today!
Banner Photo of library by Alfons Morales on Unsplash
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