Hello writing and reading communities! It’s time for the next installment of Indie Recommends Indie and today I have my author friend Kota Rayne. Kota runs Inked in Gray Press and just the other day we chatted about publishing an anthology.
Kota, thank you for joining me for this series! It is always so much fun to have you on the blog with me, whether it is to discuss publishing, books or WriteHive. 🙂 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.
Hi, I’m Kota, and I’m a fan of using too many exclamation points, talking way too candidly about mental health, and hiding out in hoodies even though it’s 100 degrees out. I am an editor, ex-street kid and social worker. My favorite genre to read is non-fiction. I love history, especially focused on its intersection with psychology and rebellion.
Do you primarily read indie books or big publishers books as well?
I read a good mix of both, with a big sway towards indie. I would honestly say it’s 80% indie and 20% big press. I read a lot of queer romance, especially when I need that escape (which has been a lot lately due to the state of the world) and literally all of those books are indie. I don’t think I’ve ever read a big publisher romance novel. I read a lot, and what I read is also from every genre – from litfic to epic fantasy, romance to non-fiction, hope punk to BDSM erotica. So when you asked me to put together these recommendations, quite frankly I froze with indecision. Picking only 5 books was extremely difficult. So what I did was try to pick favorites from across genres, even though I have so many.
Kota’s Indie Recommendations
Rebel (415 Ink) by Rhys Ford
Gay Fiction
Published 2021
Series: 415 Ink Series
Book Number: 1
The hardest thing a rebel can do isn’t standing up for something — it’s standing up for himself.
Life takes delight in stabbing Gus Scott in the back when he least expects it. After years of running from his past, present and the dismal future every social worker predicted for him, Karma delivers the one thing Gus could never—would never—turn his back on; a son from a one-night stand he’d had after a devastating break-up three years ago.
Returning to San Francisco and to 415 Ink, his family’s tattoo shop, gave him the perfect shelter to battle his personal demons and get himself together… until the firefighter who’d broken him walked back into Gus’s life.
For Rey Montenegro, tattoo artist Gus Scott was an elusive brass ring, a glittering prize he hadn’t the strength or flexibility to hold onto. Severing his relationship with the mercurial tattoo artist hurt but Gus hadn’t wanted the kind of domestic life Rey craved, leaving Rey with an aching chasm in his soul.
When Gus’s life and world starts to unravel, Rey helps him pick up the pieces, and Gus wonders if that forever Rey wants is more than just a dream.
Why Kota recommends this book:
I read this story years ago, and for me it’s a favorite I always come back to. I love this book because it’s not just about finding love, but about learning to stand up for yourself and overcome your personal demons so they don’t affect the relationships you have with those you care about. The book has some really raw moments in it, and the author does a fantastic job of pulling you into a story with characters that are so authentic it’s like you are in the room with them. Even the side characters are so fleshed out, you want to read their story too.
I would recommend this to anyone who’s a fan of queer romance with a backdrop of found family and emotional drama. If you like queer romance, then definitely give this one a read.
Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akhtar
Epic Fantasy/Middle eastern literature
Published 2020
Series: Gunmetal Gods
Book Number: 1
They took his daughter, so Micah comes to take their kingdom. Fifty thousand gun-toting paladins march behind him, all baptized in angel blood, thirsty to burn unbelievers.
Only the janissaries can stand against them. Their living legend, Kevah, once beheaded a magus amid a hail of ice daggers. But ever since his wife disappeared, he spends his days in a haze of hashish and poetry.
To save the kingdom, Kevah must conquer his grief and become the legend he once was. But Micah writes his own legend in blood, and his righteous conquest will stop at nothing.
When the gods choose sides, a legend will be etched upon the stars.
Why Kota recommends this book:
Like the description says, it is definitely Game of Thrones meets Arabian Nights. I love history, and this author’s use of historical events to tell us a story about grief and bravery. I loved the author’s voice in this story, his words a bit of sass and poetry. You expect epic fantasy to be slow and boring, but this author gives us engaging dialogue and fantastic worldbuilding without slowing down the narrative. I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s portrayal of real, flawed characters, but still showing an appreciation for middle eastern culture, something my grandfather made sure to inspire in me as well, so it felt like I was sharing a moment with him as I read.
If you like epic fantasies, definitely read this one. If you like GoT-style but first person, this is your jam. Other great books in this genre are Stagsblood Prince by Gideon Wood, Lost Mage by Ben Alderson, Children by Bjørn Larssen, and The Brass Machine by Isaac Grisham.
Between Enzo and the Universe by Chase Connor
Gay Romance
Published 2020
If Enzo listed his problems, being single wouldn’t be anywhere near the top of the list. It might not even be in the top twenty list of problems that he faces on a daily basis.
His grandmother is dead. His parents are dead. His sister and brother are dead. He has no money. No friends. No job. He’s all alone in a country that will always seem strange. Soon, he might not even have a home.
And he’s so angry. At life. Himself. God. The universe. Everyone.
Except for the man he sees in the market. Something about the man with the red hair (who only speaks English) tells Enzo that the universe might not be completely against him for once.
‘Between Enzo & the Universe’ is a story about a boy who emigrates from France with his family to Canada in the hopes that a better life might be found. Enzo arrives in Canada as a boy with a happy, healthy family…and ends up a young man with no one left in the world. How does the universe apologize for that?
Enzo meets an American at the autumn festival and over the course of a night, they will share their dreams, their passions, and the events that made them the people they are. They will eat, laugh, talk…and come to realize that they both share a dream for the future.
Why Kota recommends this book:
This is just a beautiful story, with so much emotion. It’s a story about someone can endure so much pain and tragedy, and still have the courage to live, giving kindness a chance, and not being so utterly shut down at life, like I would (and have) been. I love all of Chase’s stories for many different reasons, but this one in particular was honestly one I was scared to read at first because of how much it was going to make me cry, and symbolic I knew it was going to be. But then I read it and felt so seen in those really emotional moments, and how well he used words to create an unforgettable story about hope and perseverance, among other things.
I recommend this to anyone who loves queer romance stories. Other favs include Dean Cole, Ash Knight, Saxon James, Tal Bauer, Max Walker, Aiden Bates, etc.
Coyote Songs by Gabino Iglesias
Crime Fiction
Published 2018
Standalone
In Gabino Iglesias’ second novel, ghosts and old gods guide the hands of those caught up in a violent struggle to save the soul of the American southwest.
A man tasked with shuttling children over the border believes the Virgin Mary is guiding him towards final justice. A woman offers colonizer blood to the Mother of Chaos. A boy joins corpse destroyers to seek vengeance for the death of his father.These stories intertwine with those of a vengeful spirit and a hungry creature to paint a timely, compelling, pulpy portrait of revenge, family, and hope.
Why Kota recommends this book:
OMG this book. This book is a must read. I was raised with a lot of help from my immigrant grandparents, and though they came from a different country, the underlying theme that the American dream is a myth sold to us in exchange for our freedom is one I am familiar with. I can’t say enough good things about this book, but it is powerful as hell, in your face, and viciously honest. Gabino is a powerful writer, his passion and heart is evident in every word written. This is a work of fiction and horror, but it’s also very much not.
Those who love crime fiction and horror will love this one, books like The hollow places, The only good indians, or authors Beau Johnson, Hailey Piper and Shane Hawk.
Descendants of Time and Death by Winnifred Tataw
Fantasy, Magical Realism
Published 2020
Series: The Gods’ Scion
Book Number: 1
It has been a year since the Reign of Ryton, the Demon King, came to an end. Leaving Rodrick to face the burden of the tyranny he left behind. Yet this time he is not alone. After foreseeing massive deaths on the horizon, Lady Death seeks out the twenty-year-old prince’s aid in stopping what seems like an unavoidable war.
With the help of his older brother Rayden as his companion, the princess Arcelia, and Queen Riva for support, Roderick agrees to take on the monumental task. But the Diar Brothers are in for a wild ride of intrigue and betrayal when they meet a tyrant and a terrorist both fighting for control of a country that had already suffered under their father’s reign. Secrets are revealed, promises broken, and trust is questioned. Rayden and Rodrick are going to have to race against time if they want to stop the war. Their journey will test every limit of their relationship and everything they’ve ever known.
Why Kota recommends this book:
I bought this book during one of those Twitter share your cover things because I fell in love with the cover and title. Yes, I write and read a lot about death, and time, and things that petrify me down to my soul. I’m a bit of a masochist like that. Then I realized it was book 2, and had to go back and read book 1. I love them both. On the surface, it looks like your typical prince and politics story, but it goes much deeper than that. I was roped into the story that moved at a decent clip. I loved how this story addressed some hard hitting issues such as abuse and addiction, family strife. What I also loved is how relatable this fantasy story was despite the setting. I felt that I knew the characters as members of my own family and friend group, especially how the author addressed the strained relationship of the prince and his brother.
After all these fabulous recommendations, here is one of Kota’s books that she wanted to highlight.
Kota’s Book Spotlight
What Remains: An Inked in Gray Anthology
Edited by Dakota Rayne, San G Crow
Contributing Authors: David-Christopher Harris, Andy Dibble, DL Shirey, Damir Salkovic, LT Ward, Maxwell I Gold, R.A. Busby, Thomas Canfield, Ben Armstrong, Lawrence West, Nicholas Barner, Sharon Frame Gay, Valerie Hunter, Dan Eveloff, Timothy Johnson
Speculative Fiction
Published in 2021
Victory at all costs. Even at the price of our own life, the desire to survive transcends all rational thought.
What Remains brings together fifteen tales of horror, fantasy, and science fiction. From sacrificing loved ones or oneself, to doing what it takes to keep them alive, these stories shake the soul, rip out its insecurities and flay them on the page.
Careful who you trust. Some quandaries have no right answer when we cannot save what we love most—or when isolation, desperation, and betrayal leave you no choice.
Take the journey with us to see What Remains when civility, decency, and sanity have all but fled.
Readers who enjoy thought provoking collections based in horror, or the Autumn Nights Anthology would like this book.
Want to read this book? Get it on Amazon.
I enjoyed Inked in Gray’s first anthology, The First Stain, very much and look forward to reading this one! You can check out the review here.
Thank you so much for hanging out with Kota and me today as part of the third 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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