Hello writing and reading communities! It’s time for the next instalment of Indie Recommends Indie and today I have author K. J. Harrowick. It’s been a while since she have been on the blog – it was Feb 2020 when we chatted about writing communities on Creator’s Roulette. Let’s hear from her about her recent book and indie recommendations.
K.J., thank you for joining me for this series! It is so good to host you again! Before we get started, tell my readers a bit about yourself. 🙂
I’m a fantasy and science fiction author with a strong passion for blending grimdark worlds and futurist technology with threads of romance and revenge. I’m also the co-creator of Writer In Motion, a recurring WriteHive panelist, and have written articles for Science in Sci-Fi, Rewrite it Club, and Winterviews. With an unhealthy obsession for dragons, tacos, cheese, and beer, I work my gatory ways as a freelance web developer and graphic designer on a broad range of client projects before falling down the occasional rabbit hole. My debut series, The Hidden Flames Artifact, brings dragons, sex, swords, and spaceships together in an epic mashup adventure starting with Bloodflower.
Do you primarily read indie books or big publishers books as well?
I read widely across the board. Because my tastes are so specific, the stories I fall in love with the most are difficult to find. I search for stories with unique worlds I can sink my teeth into, page-turning tension that has me up late for ‘just one more chapter,’ and a slow-burn romantic entanglement that keeps my thighs pressed together.
So to answer your question, it depends on what I find out there. But to be honest, my favorite stories tend to come from Indie authors or DAW Books. These days I probably read 70% (indie) / 30% (trade).
K. J.’s Indie Recommendations
Beneath the Shadow Dark by Melissa Polk
Dark Fantasy
Published 2021
Standalone
Only in a land of darkness would they find their way.
But it is no easy thing to serve a dark god.
On a desert planet, the faithful inhabitants of the surface worship a goddess who grants them prosperity, as well as the unrelenting light of a sun that never sets. But beneath them, an eons old struggle for power rages between her banished siblings.
When tragedy strikes Jos’ family, they are cast out of their home and deemed unworthy of the goddess’ light. Mad with grief, Jos invokes the long forgotten gods of the dark—and receives an answer. After bargaining their soul to restore their family’s honor, Jos is led into the subterranean world of the Shadow Dark by an emissary of the dark god, who is as mysterious as he is alluring.
Among the wonders and curiosities of the dark underworld, Jos discovers many unexpected things: rebellion, friendship, purpose, and a love that struggles to survive a divine war. Jos becomes irrevocably tangled in the machinations of deities as their every choice could alter the tenuous balance of the entire planet.
Why this book is loved:
This book murdered me in all the best ways, Melissa Polk ripped my heart out of my chest, jumped around on it like she was making wine from grapes, and slammed it back into my chest with a lot of evil laughter.
And I love her for it.
This is the book I’ve been searching for. It’s been almost twenty years since a story gutted me this much, and still soothed my soul with such gorgeous prose and a fantasy world that had me packing my bags to descend into the Shadow Dark.
I don’t care what Polk writes in the future, she has me as a reader for life. Read my full review here.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves lush fantasy worlds with dark and twisty turns. And of course a broody love affair you can’t help but ache for.
The Starborn Heir by D. J. Bodden
Science Fiction
Published 2021;
Book 1 in Zack Lancestrom Series
An ancient secret. A legacy betrayed. A path to the stars.
Zack was bred and raised to be the heir to a planet, but he’s decided he’s not the chosen one. He wants to get offworld, see the galaxy, and track down a piece of lost technology from his family’s past.
He’ll need to steal a shuttle, get past the orbital defenses, and rendezvous with a smuggler on the star system’s outskirts. But he can’t do it alone—he’s going to need a crew. Gathering a band of misfits from the colony’s underworld, Zack strikes out toward the desert. The government is close on his heels, but Zack is willing to fight the gangs, make deals with aliens, and use illegal technology in wildly unsanctioned ways to blast his way to the stars. And if he can do a little good along the way, so much the better.
Zack and his crew have a whole planet after them. The only way out is up.
From D.J. Bodden, bestselling author of Viridian Gate Online: The Illusionist and the Black Year Series, comes a brand new science fiction adventure series set in the massive and ever-expanding FiveFold Universe.
Why K. J. recommends this book:
I first found the review for this story on Bookish Valhalla (bookishvalhalla.org) thanks to Alexi. It sounded right up my alley and I think it took me all of three minutes to have it on my kindle.
This fast-paced science fiction had me hooked on its characters right away, and the dire way Zack’s world operates spoke of a dystopian, grimdark system barely holding itself together.
I wrote a review for this book, but it’s since disappeared off Goodreads (likely when my accounts got merged). But I will say, the star spiders are just wonderful. I absolutely fell in love with them and can’t wait to continue the series.
This book is great for anyone who loves a good science fiction adventure, especially one set far away from Earth with bizarre creatures, creepy star spiders, and factions who all aim to deceive one another.
Tiny Mix Tapes of the Soul by Ken Napzok
Memoir
Published 2012
Standalone
Does music rule your life? Have you ever had trouble dating someone because of the music they like? Do you feel guilty for liking pop music, but are tired of apologizing for it? Have you ever worried that the most important, life changing song you’ll ever hear is still out there for you to find? You are not alone. From 2002 to 2006, writer/ comedian Ken Napzok tackled these topics and more on the independent music webzine Tinymixtapes.com with a confessional, humorous, and down to Earth style that is more of a peak into the modern pop culture driven life of a music fan than it is straight forward music journalism.
His style, with heart and soul placed proudly on his sleeve, makes readers feel as though they have found a new friend. Now, after four years of articles, essays, and confessions, Ken brings his collected works and several new pieces to one place with the anthology Tiny Mix Tapes of the Soul.
Ken Napzok spent three years as a rock radio personality at K-Bear 95 in Pismo Beach, California before leaving the “biz” for Los Angeles. After logging time in the glamorous world of screenwriting and sketch comedy, Ken left it all for the many stages of Los Angeles’s stand-up comedy circuit… because apparently driving two hours for non-paying gigs in front of ten people is just that much more fulfilling. This is his first book.
Why K. J. recommends this book:
I absolutely devoured this book and couldn’t put it down.
From the first page I connected to Ken’s voice, probably because I was such a late bloomer in my own life. Ken starts off light-hearted with his opening words, but as I immersed myself into each of his essays, I found them alive with pain, struggle, and a raw depth that can only be found as we step on the ledge of life.
I expected to see bits and pieces of the kid I remember from childhood, and instead found that Ken’s journey paralleled my own early adult years in so many ways. The struggle for love, the dark moments where the only lifeline left is a song (or in my case a story), and the duality of a life lived under a family’s shadow while you try to forge your own sacred path. It was like watching the core of my soul travel a different route through life filled with music and Hollywoodisms (something I know zero about, BTW).
If you grew up somewhere between the 70s and 90s, this book is ripe with nostalgia. So many of the band names brought me right back to my childhood and the remembered love of anything from Aerosmith to Madonna to Beastie Boys. Between the music and an utterly hilarious tale about the music snob buying back CDs is a heart-warming journey of dark, raw pain and how one man kept fighting for his place in the world until he held a spark of hope for the future. See full review here.
This book is for everyone. It’s a sleeper book that has flown under the radar, and yet is filled with a dynamic, emotional tale of one man’s journey through the dark spaces of life.
The Great and the Small by A. T. Balsara
YA Fantasy
Published 2017
Standalone
Deep below the market, in the dark tunnels no human knows exist, a war has begun. Led by the charismatic Beloved Chairman, a colony of rats plots to exterminate the ugly two-legs who have tortured them in labs, crushed them with boots, and looked at them with disgust for as long as anyone can remember.
When the Chairman’s nephew is injured and a young two-leg nurses him back to health, however, doubt about the war creeps in. Now the colony is split–obey the Chairman and infect the two-legs with the ancient sickness passed down from the Old Ones, or do the unthinkable…
Why K. J. recommends this book:
It’s not often I can say I’ve read a grimdark YA story, but I think I can finally add this to my list of lines. This book is very dark, and I loved it. Balsara doesn’t mess around with the themes, and gets right to the heart of what it feels like to watch those closest to you die, whether you be human or rat. Because of this, I found myself rooting for so many of the characters to survive, and yet not all of them did. It was the perfect blend of heart-wrenching that transports readers into the sewers below the city.
I loved this book. The voice was beautiful, and I love the struggles both Fin and Ananda have to face. And not only the blurb reminded me of NIMH, but so many themes paralleled that childhood nostalgia I still hold onto.
If you haven’t picked up this book yet, do it. It’s a beautiful, tragic story, and the artwork interspersed within is stellar – offering the same feel and beauty as the Myst Trilogy did. Read the full review here.
Honestly, if you loved reading (or even watching) The Secret of NIMH as a kid, this story has many of the same vibes. It’s got that perfect blend of adventurous with dark and creepy vibes to keep you turning the pages.
Fatal Boarding by E. R. Mason
Science Fiction
Published 2011
First in The Adrian Tarn Series
“I have never believed in going strictly by the book. My six-foot-two frame has an assortment of scars and marks that readily attest to that. It’s the main reason I’ve never been offered a higher position on a big-draft. But, when things really go to hell, I’m always the first one to get the call. They trust me with their lives, but not their jobs.”
–Adrian Tarn, Chief Security Officer, Starship Electra
Why K. J. recommends this book:
I can’t believe I never wrote a review for this story, but I will never forget how much I fell in love with it.
Bringing in his skills as a pilot, the author digs deep into the world of Adrian Tarn. This character is a sassy overgrown child who loves to be in the cockpit. With his genius best friend A.J. at his side, they get “the call” to board an alien ship and crash head-first into a fun and sometimes creepy adventure.
I would say this story is for true science fiction lovers who need a few more starships and aliens in their lives.
After all these fabulous recommendations, here is K. J.’s book that she wanted to highlight.
K. J. Harrowick’s Book Spotlight
Bloodflower
Science Fantasy
Published 2021
Born into a world of futuristic technology, ecologist Jàden Ravenscraft wields starship fuel like magic but she’s losing control of her power. Marked as a dangerous weapon, she’s trapped in hypersleep for 4000 years and wakes in the backwoods of a terraformed moon. Now she’s determined to find her reincarnated lover and escape back to the stars before her power takes control… or she is found.
Because one life is not the end.
The man she loves has lived more than twenty lives without her, and Jàden’s alone in a world of swords and sorcery. When exiled prison guard Captain Jon Ayers shields her from an attack, Jàden seizes the chance for safety and human connection. Using her magic, she ties her energy to Jon, forging a bond to keep him close to her side.
But Jon is hunted by mercenaries for the pendant he carries, a key to the gateway between worlds, and their bond stirs a desire neither can ignore. Jàden is faced with the hardest choice of her life: between Jon and her reincarnated ex. Saving one lover will destroy the other, and the wrong choice will land her in chains she can never escape.
Goodreads
IndieStoryGeek
BookSirens (Review Copy)
Readers who enjoyed Altered Carbon, The Expanse or Polaris Rising might like this book.
K. J.
And if you want a taste of what’s to come in Bloodflower, check out two prequel short stories in The Hidden Flames Artifact series:
- Light Beyond the Glass – part of the Portal World anthology: This Wicked Darkness (Find it on Goodreads)
- City Without Light (Read on K. J.’s website)
Find the book on your favorite retailer here. You can connect with K. J. on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Goodreads. Check out her website and sign up for the newsletter here.
Did you add any to your TBR today? Tell us in the comments!
Thank you so much for hanging out with K. J. and me today as part of the fifteenth 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. This is a fantastic way to bring attention to fellow indie authors as well as your own book. 🙂
Banner Photo of library by Alfons Morales on Unsplash
Be First to Comment