Hello writing and reading communities! It’s time for the next instalment of Indie Recommends Indie and today I have author Dan Fitzgerald with me. You might remember him for our conversation on Creator’s Roulette last year or more recently, the cover reveal for his latest book, The Living Waters. We have covered a lot of Fantasy in the previous posts in this series and today, anyone looking for romance recommendations is in for a treat! Ariel and I have been discussing doing a romance challenge instead of the horror one this year so I will definitely be back with reviews of some of these books. Anyway, without further ado, let’s meet Dan!
Dan, thank you for joining me for this series! It is a pleasure to host you again. I know you but some of my readers might not if they are visiting Armed with A Book for the first time. Tell us a bit about yourself. 🙂
Thank you so much for having me, Kriti! I’m a fantasy writer with indie press Shadow Spark Publishing, and I also help them with social media and a few other things. I’m an avid amateur photographer, and I always take my camera with me on my little nature walks here in Washington, DC. I am a French teacher by trade, and languages are another passion of mine. I practice yoga several times a week, which helps keep me centered and hopefully life-proofs my body a bit. You will see all of these interests reflected in my books.
Do you primarily read indie books or big publishers books as well?
I read almost exclusively indie books these days. It’s been over 2 years since I read a trad pubbed book. Not that many of them aren’t great–they’re traditionally published for a reason! But I find such interesting hidden gems in the indie book community, often things you won’t find much from the big publishing houses, like the books I’m here to showcase.
Today, I want to talk about books with a romantic focus, which is a relatively recent passion of mine. A couple of years ago, I’d hardly read any romance or romantic fantasy, and now most of the books I read have a strong dose of romance. It’s influenced me as a reader and a writer, and I want to give props to some of the indie authors who have given me so much joy and helped me learn and grow my own craft.
Dan’s Indie Recommendations
River Magic by M.A. Phillips
Magical Realism / Romance
Published in 2020 by Shadow Spark Publishing
Book 1 of the Rituals of Rock Bay series
Budding clairvoyant Lacey Moran seeks to understand her dreams and find her life’s purpose along the St. Lawrence River. If only her visions of silver arms and Cian O’Connor’s blue eyes were easier to understand! The pieces begin coming together when she encounters a mermaid in the river, joins a group of Druids, and opens herself to romance with an old friend.
Can Lacey overcome her doubts, or is she in over her head?
Why this book is loved:
I love this book because it’s so cozy, so heartfelt, and so real. It’s the story of a modern-day Pagan who finds love and mystery along the St. Lawrence River. It’s a slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance, but it’s also the story of a young woman growing into her understanding of the world through Pagan practices. Oh, and it has a really cool mermaid the likes of which you’ve never seen before! This was the perfect book to read in bed at the end of a long day, and it showed me what romance could do for me as a reader. It was so comforting to know things would work out, and that certainty allowed me to sink deeper into the story and the world Phillips has so lovingly crafted. And Phillips knows how to find the right balance between sweet and spicy. If you like cinnamon rolls, you’ll die for Cian!
Read this book if you like romance with a little magic, and if you’re a Pagan, or merely curious like me, you’ll find the exploration of these themes fascinating!
The Fate of Stars by S.D. Simper
Fantasy Romance
Published 2020
Book 1 of Sea and Stars series
A devout mermaid. A disgraced princess. A feud as ancient as the gods
Worlds collide when Tallora is kidnapped from her ocean home and forced to be a pet to a tyrannical foreign empire. Her only hope for rescue lies with a sworn enemy–Princess Dauriel, infamous for her stone heart and conflicted past. But when Dauriel’s kingdom comes to the cusp of war, could their uneasy alliance be the key to defeating a common foe? Or will their growing feelings for each other lead them to ruin?
From the world of FALLEN GODS comes a tale of ancient magic and cutthroat politics–and finding redemption through love.
Why Dan recommends this book:
Speaking of mermaids, S.D. Simper’s lesbian fantasy romance The Fate of Stars features an enemies-to-lovers romance between a mermaid named Tallora and a warrior Princess named Dauriel. I’m going to cut straight to the chase and say I loved this book because of Dauriel. She was such a strong character, deeply flawed, strong and fragile at the same time. As the tension between the two slowly melts into familiarity, and ultimately love, Dauriel’s complexity carries the day. The heat level is just right, giving you the goods after an agonizingly long buildup, and the fantasy plot and the romance are paced really well.
Read this book if you like enemies-to-lovers, complex characters, and, well, lesbian mermaids. Read the second book (Heart of Silver Flame) if you want more drama, higher heat, and not a little heartbreak.
A Sea of Pearls and Leaves by Rosalyn Briar
Fantasy Romance
Published 2020
Standalone
Princess Ingrid of Norella Isle does not want to get married. So, her priestess girlfriend, Lilura, devises a wicked plot to deter suitors with a nearly impossible marriage contract: should Ingrid die first, her husband must be buried at sea beside her.
The plan backfires when all seven suitors agree, and the king announces a competition for Ingrid’s hand. Ingrid must keep her head above water as she deals with the suitors, a jealous girlfriend, and the news of two murdered priestesses.
As the suitors are eliminated, one man stands out: the quirky and anxious Prince Soren who charms both Ingrid and Lilura.
When Lilura goes missing, Ingrid and Soren must piece together who has murdered the priestesses and why before it’s too late.
CW: This novel contains violence, sexual situations, and adult language.
Why Dan recommends this book:
This delightfully lyrical fairytale re-imagining features magical leaves, pearl dust, a bisexual princess, and a number of delightful twists on fairytale and romance tropes. What I liked most about the book is the language. Briar has an ethereal touch with words, casting a spell on the reader from the very first page. I especially connected with Lilura, the princess’s lover (great name too!). And if you like cinnamon rolls, Briar has a doozy in Soren, the love interest with a heart of gold. I won’t spoil the ending, but suffice it to say, the complexities of relationships explored in this book take it well outside the realm of what you’ll commonly find in traditionally published books, which was incredibly refreshing.
Read this book if you love lyrical prose, twists on classic fairytales, magic with a light touch, and queernormative romance with a spicy kick.
The Boss by J Calamy
Romance
Published 2021 by Nine Star Press
Book 1 in the Under Red Sky series
Nicholas Erickson is happy to be the smallest cog at the US Embassy in Singapore, a big step up from prison. Nick lives with a terrible secret: he killed a family of three in a traffic accident, for which he was imprisoned and became a pariah back home. The only threat to his second chance is the truth—and Nelson Graves.
Shipping Magnate Lord Nelson Graves is secretly the head of crime syndicate Red Sky, making him the biggest arms dealer and drug boss in Southeast Asia. Graves is tired, lonely, addicted to opium, and trying to get his imploding crime syndicate back to business. There is a traitor in his organization and an old enemy is back on his tail.
A romance builds between hot-headed, reckless Nick and unhappy, ruthless Graves. But nothing is that easy. Shoot-outs, bombings, and vindictive exes prove Nick’s past and Graves’s present may be a lethal combination.
Why Dan recommends this book:
I love this M/M crime romance because of the characters. Nick is described as being ready to “fight a traffic sign for a single corn chip.” I mean, what more do you need to know? And Graves…I could write an entire essay on Graves. He’s a disabled veteran with major injuries and a prosthetic limb, but that doesn’t stop him from being a force of nature in the Singapore crime world–and in the bedroom. Both characters are bisexual, and they discover a scorching-hot safe space in each other’s arms. J Calamy brings the heat, but also deep emotional connections that are not at all simple. Imagine eating a Carolina Reaper pepper, then cooling off with a pitcher of frozen margaritas, only there’s a worm in the bottom of the pitcher, and you realize you have to eat it but it might just make you hallucinate.
Read this book if you like blistering M/M romance with complex characters against a backdrop of crime, regret, and PTSD.
Crown of Aster by Emmaline Strange
Fantasy Romance
Published 2021
Standalone
When Adair first catches Nathaniel’s scent in his forest, he’s curious and aroused. He’s never smelled anything like it, and though the faun has been avoiding entanglements with humans for decades, he thinks the time might be ripe to make an exception.
When Nathaniel first sets eyes on Adair, he’s terrified–and, to be honest, a little aroused. Learning that the forest near his village is full of mysterious fae folk has Nathaniel’s head spinning, and finding out the handsome faun now intent on courting him is the heir to the fae kingdom is, quite frankly, a lot to handle. However, their attraction is mutual and undeniable, and Nathaniel finds himself falling hard for the mysterious forest dweller. As they grow closer, Nathaniel learns that the trees he’s lived beside his entire life are full of secrets, magic—and danger.
A dark new presence in the woods threatens the fae folk and the humans alike, turning the gentle fae wild and violent, Adair among them. For Adair and Nathaniel to protect their shared world, they must discover who is behind this force of wild magic before Adair and his kin are too far gone to save.
Why Dan recommends this book:
I love this high-heat M/M fantasy romance because of the perfect balance between tender romance and brain-melting sex scenes. The growth of the relationship between the human and the faun is delicate and touching, and when they finally get together, sparks really fly. Strange explores the human and animalistic sides of love in an authentic way, and there’s just enough of the magical/fantasy elements to keep that side of my brain occupied. But I came for the romance and that’s why I stayed, and why I loved this book.
Read this book if you like it hot, sweet, and magical all at the same time.
Bonus Recommendation:
Legacy of the Brightwash by Krystle Matar
Romantic Grimdark Fantasy
Published in 2021
Book 1 of the Tainted Dominion #1 series
​​Follow the law and you’ll stay safe. But what if the law is wrong?
Tashué’s faith in the law is beginning to crack.
Three years ago, he stood by when the Authority condemned Jason to the brutality of the Rift for non-compliance. When Tashué’s son refused to register as tainted, the laws had to be upheld. He’d never doubted his job as a Regulation Officer before, but three years of watching your son wither away can break down even the strongest convictions.
Then a dead girl washed up on the bank of the Brightwash, tattooed and mutilated. Where had she come from? Who would tattoo a child? Was it the same person who killed her?
Why was he the only one who cared?
Will Tashué be able to stand against everything he thought he believed in to get the answers he’s looking for?
Why Dan recommends this book:
Legacy of the Brightwash is my favorite read of the last two years, but fun fact, I almost didn’t make it past the first chapter. I’m calling it romantic grimdark because, though the romantic element is very strong, the central mystery in the book is dark AF, involving dead and mutilated children, and Matar puts that right in the opening chapter. I’m so glad I got past the initial shock, because what follows is as moving a story as I have read in a long time. I could write for hours on why I love Brightwash but it comes down to characters, authenticity, and romantic tension. Tashué and Stella, not to mention the stellar supporting cast, are living, breathing people, and never for a moment did I wonder if they were real. They just are. The authenticity of the world is a thing of beauty, familiar yet unique, like slipping into a dream you’ve long forgotten but one you’re in it you can’t believe you were ever not there.
And let’s talk about the romantic tension. Stella and Tashué each have a ton of baggage, and their complicated individual histories put them at odds in several ways, even as their smoldering chemistry draws them together with the force of charging bulls. This tension pulls the reader through the story, and not to denigrate the larger plot, which is vast and fascinating and super well done, but what kept me glued to the pages late into the night was this: When will they kiss? When will they kiss again? When will they bone? How will the tension between their life choices play out in their relationship? How can they possibly stay together? But what force could possibly keep them apart?!?
Read this book if you have a brain, and a heart, and don’t mind them being battered about like a child much too small to ride on a wooden rollercoaster.
After all these fabulous recommendations, here is Dan’s book that he wanted to highlight.
Dan Fitzgerald’s Book Spotlight
The Living Waters
Sword-free fantasy
Published on Oct 15, 2021
by Shadow Spark Publishing
When two painted-faced nobles take a guided raft trip on a muddy river, they expect to rough it for a few weeks before returning to their life of sheltered ease. But when mysterious swirls start appearing in the water, even their seasoned guides get rattled.
The mystery of the swirls lures them on to the mythical wetlands known as the Living Waters. They discover a world beyond their imagining, but stranger still are the worlds they find inside their own minds as they are drawn deep into the troubles of this hidden place.
The Living Waters is a sword-free fantasy novel featuring an ethereal love story, meditation magic, and an ancient book with cryptic marginalia. It is the first book in the Weirdwater Confluence duology; the second book, The Isle of a Thousand Worlds, comes out January 15 2022.
If you need a break from grimdark and like the comfort of The House in the Cerulean Sea and the mystery of The Starless Sea, with a dash of ethereal romance, you might enjoy The Living Waters.
Dan
You can buy it in ebook via all the usual vendors, and paperback on Amazon, and a stunning hardback version (signed or unsigned) is available as well. Buy links here.
Connect with Dan on his website, Twitter and Instagram. Dan has a Spam-Free Author Newsletter that you can sign up at https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/j3n8a8. He can also be reached via email: danfitzwrites@yahoo.com.
Bloggers interested in an ARC of the sequel, The Isle of 1,000 Worlds, can hit me up on any of the contacts listed above! It’s a *spicy* romantic fantasy featuring an alchemist couple in their 60s, as well as some of the characters from The Living Waters. ARCs will be available in December, and the book comes out in January 2022.
Dan
Have you read any of these books or are they on your TBR? Did you add any to your TBR today? Tell us in the comments!
Thank you so much for hanging out with Dan and me today as part of the twelfth Indie Recommends Indie Series. I hope you are enjoying the series so far and are looking forward to future posts. 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. Looking forward to connecting with you.
Banner Photo of library by Alfons Morales on Unsplash
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