Hello friend. Happy Friday! Today’s Indie Recommends Indie post features L. N. Holmes, author and co-founder of the Small Spec Book Awards that recognizes and promotes independent and small press authors writing exceptional speculative fiction. She has many awesome books to recommend in a variety of genres. Let’s dive in! 🙂
Welcome to Armed with A Book, L.N.! Please tell me and my readers about yourself!
Thank you, Kriti! I’m grateful to be included in this fantastic series. What a wonderful way to find your next read. I’m a writer as well, but I took up writing because I loved reading, so it feels right to pay homage to other writers who’ve inspired me.
In addition to being a writer, I’m also the founder of the Small Spec Book Awards (SSBA). The mission of the SSBA is to recognize and promote independent and small press authors writing exceptional speculative fiction. We also hope our efforts will aid readers in finding superb books. We just started the awards this year and we already have thirty-two nominees. I can’t tell you how excited I am to showcase and celebrate all of these authors and presses in one place.
Do you primarily read indie books or big publishers books as well?
The majority of the books I’ve read have been published by the Big 5. If I had to estimate, I would say that roughly 80% of books I’ve read have been published by Big 5 publishers, 19% by small and independent presses, and 1% by self-published authors.
There are several reasons I’ve read more from the big publishers. One is that most of my local bookstores and libraries primarily or exclusively carry Big 5 published books. Another reason is that I am a querying author, so I have to find big, recognizable titles to compare my book to because agents usually like to make deals with Big 5 publishers or their affiliates. Finally, it’s taken some time and some digging to find the majority of small/indie press and self-published authors that are out there because of the lack of advertising.
However, it’s because I stumbled on some amazing, independent presses and their authors that I started the Small Spec Book Awards (SSBA). I wanted more people to know about the fantastic work small and independent press authors were creating. There is a literal gold-mine of stories being buried by bad algorithms and a lack of marketing funds. I wanted to do something to change that.
L. N.’s Indie Recommendations
Strange as This Weather Has Been by Ann Pancake
Genre Literary Fiction, Family Life Fiction
Published Year 2007
Standalone
A West Virginia family struggles amid the booms and busts of the Appalachian coal industry in this “powerful, sure-footed, and haunting” novel with echoes of John Steinbeck (New York Times Book Review).
Set in present day West Virginia, this debut novel tells the story of a coal mining family—a couple and their four children—living through the latest mining boom and dealing with the mountaintop removal and strip mining that is ruining what is left of their hometown. As the mine turns the mountains “to slag and wastewater,” workers struggle with layoffs and children find adventure in the blasted moonscape craters.
Strange as This Weather Has Been follows several members of the family, with a particular focus on fifteen–year–old Bant and her mother, Lace. Working at a motel, Bant becomes involved with a young miner while her mother contemplates joining the fight against the mining companies. As domestic conflicts escalate at home, the children are pushed more and more frequently outside among junk from the floods and felled trees in the hollows—the only nature they have ever known.
But Bant has other memories and is as curious and strong–willed as her mother, and ultimately comes to discover the very real threat of destruction that looms as much in the landscape as it does at home.
I was exposed to Ann Pancake’s haunting novel about Appalachia and mountaintop removal mining in an undergraduate creative writing class. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I later interviewed Ann about the novel for Change Seven Magazine.
What struck me about the book is that Ann is an activist who is clearly trying to portray the devastating effects of mountaintop removal mining through her fiction, but her narrative didn’t devolve into a political tirade. She gave us an achingly beautiful story—an intimate look into a family affected by this type of mining—and that connection with humanity, combined with her expertise on the topic and her gorgeous writing, made me care even more deeply about this issue and the people affected by it.
As a writer myself, I enjoyed the way Ann moved between the first and third person point of view. Most writers pick one point of view and stick with it for the whole novel, so I was impressed when she chose both and made it work.
I would recommend this book to anyone who cares about the environment and anyone who cares about the people of Appalachia. When is the last time you’ve read an Appalachian author instead of another voice from New York or Los Angeles? If you can’t remember, start by picking up this book.
The Gloaming by Melanie Finn
Genre Literary Fiction, Suspense Thriller
Published Year 2016
Standalone
In rich, compelling prose, Melanie Finn perfectly captures a world of consequences, and the characters who must survive them. Pilgrim Jones’ husband has just left her for another woman, stranding her in a small Swiss town where she is one day involved in a tragic car accident that leaves 3 school-children dead. Cleared of responsibility though overcome with guilt, she alights for Africa, where she befriends a series of locals each with their own tragic past, each isolated in their own private way in the remote Tanzanian outpost.
Mysteriously, the remains of an albino African appear packaged in a box, spooking everyone—sign of a curse placed by a witch doctor—though its intended recipient is uncertain. Pilgrim volunteers to rid the town of the box and its contents, though wherever she goes, she can’t shake the feeling that she’s being followed.
The Gloaming is a thrilling, haunting new work of guilt, atonement, and finally, hope.
This book grabbed me by the throat. I found it during the time I was studying for my MFA. To me, The Gloaming by Melanie Finn is a work of genius. It’s a downright crime that more people haven’t read it.
For one thing, Melanie’s prose is incredibly precise. When she describes something it feels so exactly correct, so shockingly brilliant. As a writer, I admire the heck out of that. I also loved how she took the familiar—and ridiculously BORING—literary trope of MAN HAS AFFAIR WITH OTHER WOMAN and twisted it up into something new and original. While I don’t want to spoil anything, this story is completely unconventional when it comes to plot and I absolutely loved that.
I couldn’t stop reading this novel and loathed when I had to put it down to return to my responsibilities. I probably drove my classmates nuts gushing about it. Since finishing the book, I’ve read two more titles by Melanie Finn, but The Gloaming remains my favorite.
My review can be found here: https://frictionlit.org/the-gloaming-by-melanie-finn/
I would recommend this book to EVERYONE. Sorry, I fan-girled a little there.
Melanie Finn has been compared to Patricia Highsmith, J. M. Coetzee, and Graham Greene, if that gives you any semblance of an idea. People who like thrillers and literary fiction, but who are also incredibly tired of the cookie-cutter stories pumped out by the Big 5, would probably love this book. Readers will need to take a leap of faith and try something new, but I have a feeling you won’t regret the ride.
They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib
Genre Nonfiction, Essays
Published Year 2017
Standalone
Whether he’s attending a Bruce Springsteen concert the day after visiting Michael Brown’s grave, or considering public displays of affection at a Carly Rae Jepsen show, Abdurraqib writes with a poignancy and magnetism that resonates profoundly. In the wake of the 2015 Paris nightclub attacks, Abdurraqib recalls how he sought refuge as a teenager in music, at punk shows, and wonders whether the next generation of young Muslims will be afforded that same opportunity. While discussing the everyday threat to the lives of Black Americans, Abdurraqib recounts the first time he was ordered to the ground by police officers.
Described as “a collection of death-defying protest songs for the Black Lives Matter era*,” in these searing, unforgettable essays, Abdurraqib reflects on everything from Chance The Rapper and Nina Simone to Allen Iverson and Serena Williams, from summer crushes to the thrill of common joys in children. In his thoughtful consideration of music, culture, and daily life as a lens through which to view our world, Abdurraqib proves himself a bellwether for our times.
[*Walton Muyumba, Chicago Tribune]
I started reading this book right after Melanie Finn’s, The Gloaming, and I couldn’t even believe my luck. I don’t normally read essays about pop culture (I have trouble identifying actors, and I’ve only been to a handful of concerts) but something about Hanif and his writing drew me in. I’m so glad I took a chance on something different and read this book.
Hanif’s writing is beautiful, contemplative, convincing, and wise. He takes these huge, unwieldy topics and runs them through the sieve of his poetic language and personal experience, straining out the toxic seeds of culture wars and leaving us with the shimmering fruit jam of real human connection. My silly metaphor aside, he writes these essays through the lens of music and pop culture, and—while most writers write to a genre’s conventions—Hanif is not scared to buck any conventions, when he wants to.
Honestly, this book felt like I found a friend in the literary landscape, one I could open up to and trust. Hanif’s writing is like a person gently taking your chin and turning your head, guiding your gaze to fall on that thing that’s been right in front of you this whole time.
I also might love that Hanif is from Ohio, my home state. OHIO AGAINST THE WORLD.
I have a mini review of this book on my blog: https://lnholmeswriter.wordpress.com/2018/01/25/january-mini-reviews/
Really, all Americans should be reading this. I think it should be required reading in colleges and universities. There’s too much here about our current (and past) political climate to ignore.
Of Blood & Light by Camilla Monk
Genre Romantic Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Published Year 2023
Series
Arthuriana, Victoriana, And Capybaras: Welcome To Thule!
A girl with a secret . . .
In the back of an ambulance, River Greer counts each breath her little sister takes until the final one: Sage’s body is giving up, ravaged by a mysterious illness. The late-night rush to the ER, however, turns into a surreal nightmare when River is abducted and ferried across the universe to the fabled Thule: a world beyond worlds, where Victorian mores collide with magic and Arthurian legend.
. . . meets a knight on a mission.
There, His Grace Hadrian Landevale of Caid is fighting losing battles of his own: to recover Isolde, his runaway wife, and against the blight that threatens the ichor, the source of all life on Thule. To add insult to injury, the captured fugitive Thule’s pathfinders just brought back from Earth is not his duchess but an eerie doppelgänger.
When it becomes clear that someone will go to any length to silence River, Hadrian offers his protection to this enchanting, obstinate stranger . . . whose secrets might be the key to saving Thule’s most precious treasure: the light in its blood.
I found this book on NetGalley and was intrigued. Of Blood & Light seemed to take so many science fiction, fantasy, and romance tropes and mash them all up together. I had to find out if it worked.
This book is definitely daring. Camilla isn’t afraid to place Pokémon figurines in the same scene as Arthurian legends. She’s going to hand you both steampunk-like machinery and changeling magic. There are aliens, portals, gods, and dinosaurs. There’s the handsome, brooding duke, the forced proximity trope, and capybaras. She’s even going to offer you a new, original language.
I think Camilla pulls off this story by anchoring us in River, the protagonist. We get to enjoy this wild ride through River’s experiences, agreeing with her as she reacts to the world with open-mouthed incredulity. She is also a really interesting character, and I enjoyed reading about her close relationships with her family members. Combine that with Camilla’s wonderful descriptions and sensory details and I was hooked.
My review is here: https://lnholmeswriter.wordpress.com/2024/10/22/review-of-blood-light-by-camilla-monk/
My interview with Camilla is here: https://lnholmeswriter.wordpress.com/2024/10/30/interview-with-camilla-monk/
I recommend this book to readers of romantic fantasy who crave something unexpected and hilarious.
Blood & Whiskey by Meredith Allison
Genre Historical Thriller, Organized Crime Thriller
Published Year 2018
Book 1 in the Scalisi Family Saga
Murder and bootlegging were never part of a 1920s It Girl’s plans for stardom. But when gangsters destroy her family, she’ll put on her greatest performance yet as she exacts revenge, one man at a time.
Mia Angela Scalisi lives a cushy, luxurious life as the headlining act at a popular, gangster-owned Chicago supper club. But it’s not the silver screen, and all she wants is to be the Italian Lillian Gish.
With her big brother Nick on the cusp of securing a huge bootlegging deal guaranteed to make him rich, he’ll be able to use his contacts and influence to make Mia’s dreams a reality.
But in an instant, life as Mia knows it and all her dreams shatter forever.
Now, the only thing that matters is finding the men responsible and teaching them a lesson in the power of blood…
By spilling theirs.
Set against the backdrop of the glamorous 1920s, Blood & Whiskey is the first thrilling installment of the Scalisi Family Saga.
Other books in this series include Book 2, Princes of the Lower East Side and the prequel novella collection, Blood Comes First.
Straight up, this is my friend’s book. Now that we got that out of the way, let me tell you why I love it.
I had the privilege of being a beta reader for this book, and I felt so lucky to have early access. Mia, the protagonist, is a great character. She’s a singer, sister, gangster, killer: a multifaceted woman of fiery temper and fierce loyalty. It’s tragic to watch Mia’s singing aspirations be swallowed up by the darkness of revenge, but eventually we see the rise of a gangster boss from the shadows of murder and it’s a fantastic transition.
I also loved the way that Meredith incorporated and fictionalized real gangsters from the past to be part of Mia’s story. Mia endeavors to build an empire amidst the likes of Tom Dennison, Dean O’Banion, and even the Capones. The historical aspects of this book, especially the roaring 20s culture and fashion, were really interesting and enjoyable.
My short blurb can be found here: https://lnholmeswriter.wordpress.com/2018/10/03/september-mini-reviews/
To me, this book is like The Godfather meets Queen of the South. All the gangster and historical aspects but with a vengeful woman running the crime syndicate. I think readers of both books/shows would really enjoy Blood & Whiskey.
Book Spotlight
Space, Collisions
Fiction, Stories (magical realism and literary fiction)
Published Year: 2018
Space, Collisions is a micro-chapbook containing three brief stories. In “When Continents Collide,” a man waits on the shores of the Outer Banks for the collision of the North American and African continents. “Trace” focuses on the intimate secrets shared between one pining woman and her self-destructing lover. In “Spacefall,” two scientists take a break from work to drive to the countryside and bask in their friendship. Each installment in this short collection offers motifs of physical distance and intimate connection. Overall, the stories emphasize the common longing to overcome the space that divides.
Space, Collisions is part of the 2018 Summer Micro-Chapbook Series at Ghost City Press.
If you enjoyed reading “The Ceiling” by Kevin Brockmeier or love flash fiction, you might enjoy this tiny book of stories.
You can purchase Space, Collisions on the Ghost City Press website or at 2 Dads and a Bookstore.
Connect with L. N. on her website, X, BlueSky, Instagram and Goodreads.
Thanks for hanging out with us today! 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!
Check out this post about Small Spec Book Awards and their Fantasy nominees here.
If you are an indie or small press author who is an avid reader and wants to be featured, connect with me social media or express your interest through my contact form. This is a fantastic way to bring attention to fellow indie authors as well as your own book. 🙂
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