Hello writing and reading communities! It’s time for the next instalment of Indie Recommends Indie and today I have author Paul Sheppard, author of the YA Fantasy series, The Wolves of Amelth (see book 1 on Goodreads and my review here), and recently, the horror novel, The Nightcrawler, that you will learn more about in today’s post. Let’s get started.
Hi Paul, thank you for joining me for this series! Since this is your first time on Armed with A Book, tell me and my readers a bit about yourself. 🙂
Hi Kriti, thanks for reaching out to me. I’m a writer and traveler currently based in Bulgaria. Six years ago, I quit a stressful job and moved onto a houseboat in the North of England to concentrate on my dream of becoming an author. Since then I have written and released several books with indie publishers. I mostly write Fantasy and Horror, but I also have a children’s series that I’m working on. When I’m not reading or writing, I spend most of my time homeschooling my son and working on our little homestead.
Do you primarily read indie books or big publishers books as well?
I would say that most of my recent reads have been indie, probably around the 70% mark. After a long day’s work, I enjoy listening to podcasts or watching book reviewers on YouTube; it’s a great way to discover new authors.
Paul’s Indie Recommendations
Where Dragonflies Dance by A. A Medina
Horror
Published 2020
Claybrook County Chronicles Book 2
Erik Haust was in an accident. When he awoke, not only was his twelve-year-old daughter missing, but so was his memory of that day. Almost two months later, and there is still no sign of his daughter, Melinda. Until she found him. Dragged through an emotional and painful minefield, Erik unravels the mystery of his daughter’s disappearance.
Why this book is loved:
The second book in the Claybrook County Chronicles, Where Dragonflies Dance hits you like a punch to the guts. This story deals with loss and the overpowering grief that follows a tragic event. It’s a beautifully written and haunting novella. The main character was in an accident. When he wakes, not only is his nine-year-old daughter missing, but so is his memory of that day. As a parent, that part of the story tugged on my heart strings and got me hooked early on. The action is constant, and the mystery unfolds as the story progresses.
The Treeborn Prophecies by Samuel Hunter
YA Fantasy
Published 2019
Standalone
The Great City is a beautiful treetop metropolis filled with twisted walkways, wooden huts and huge gnarled branches, and it is my home. Mine, along with the other ten thousand or so people that live on this world.
No one knows why the trees are so massive. Perhaps it is some ancient magic. Maybe they’re not trees at all. As long as they keep us far off the ground, safe from the things that lurk on the forest floor, most people don’t care…
…until a dark force threatens our very lives here in the giant canopy. A force so powerful that it will take a group of people with very unique capabilities to save us.
Why Paul recommends this book:
I don’t read a lot of YA fiction, but The Treeborn Prophecies was a single sitting read for both me and my 10-year-old son. Set in an immersive treetop world, with believable characters and magic systems, it hooked me from the first page. The story starts in a beautiful treetop metropolis where the inhabitants are happy, but fear to step foot on the ground where strange creatures are waiting to hunt them down. A small group of teens with unique abilities set forth on a quest to save the city when a dark force threatens their existence.
Presumption of Innocence by Stephen Penner
Thriller
Published 2012
David Brunelle Legal Thriller Series Book 1
Homicide prosecutor David Brunelle faces the most difficult case of his career. An innocent young girl is murdered in a heinous, unforgivable way. The only evidence against the killer is the full confession of his accomplice–another young girl he also victimized. But the accomplice is charged with the murder as well, which means she has the right to remain silent. And she’s so scared of the killer, she refuses to take a deal to testify against him. Brunelle can’t just let the murderer walk, but how can he get a conviction when he has no admissible evidence and the killer is protected by the PRESUMPTION OF INNOCENCE?
Why Paul recommends this book:
Presumption of Innocence is a legal thriller written by a professional attorney. The writing is concise and engaging, and the story takes you places you never expected to visit. The best part about this book is that it’s the first installment of a large series. In this book, the protagonist, Seattle homicide prosecutor David Brunelle faces the most difficult case of his career. Brunelle knows the murderer is guilty, but how can he get a conviction when he has no admissible evidence and the killer is protected by the presumption of innocence?
Heavenward by Olga Gibbs
Fantasy Romance (YA)
Published 2018
Book 1 of Celestial Creatures Series
When angels initiate a war, humans on Apkallu die.Deprived of human worshipping, angels resort to burning human souls to sustain themselves, when the ancient Qal of an assassinated archangel wakes up on Earth… inside a human, disturbing the precarious peace.Holding the key to all three realms, the allegiance of this archangel will mean eternal dominance in a game on a global scale.Set on the backdrop of high fantasy, “Celestial Creatures” explores taboo topics such as borderline personality and social effective disorder, effects of abuse and insecure attachment in young people and the inner world which is so rarely spoken about.
Why Paul recommends this book:
High fantasy with a celestial cast of characters, Olga creates a believable world that is completely out of this world. Some of the most imaginative world building I’ve encountered. In a world where angels resort to burning human souls to sustain themselves, options for survival are limited. The characters are well-developed and I found Ariel to be a refreshing heroine that broke away from typical reluctant hero trope.
The Last Letter by Tory Hunter & WB Welch
Horror
Published 2019
Standalone
The power has been out for a month, the roads are clogged with abandoned vehicles, and the dead roam the streets. In a quiet suburb on the outskirts of an unnamed city, the only survivors of this apocalyptic nightmare hide out in their homes with plywood on their windows and furniture blocking their doors.
For weeks, a young waitress named Laura is stuck in her attic and running out of food while the dead pile into her house, drawn to her scent. Down the street, her friend Morrigan, a firefighter before the world ended, has barricaded herself in her two-story home with her dog, unaware Laura is still alive.
When a neighbor named Jacob begins making supply runs and delivering them to the survivors on his street, he rescues Laura, secures her house, and offers to carry a letter to Morrigan. Thus begins a correspondence between friends and, together, they discover the dead might be the least of their worries.
THE LAST LETTER is a zombie story for people who don’t read zombie stories. Tense, emotional, and gritty, this series of letters explores how fast the dark side of human nature emerges when society collapses.
Why Paul recommends this book:
My favourite horror book of 2019. The Last Letter is a post-apocalyptic story told through a letter-exchange between two survivors. I love a good zombie story; I’ve probably read hundreds, and this novella delivered something new. In a quiet suburb on the outskirts of an unnamed city, two women are trapped in their homes and rapidly running out of supplies. Until Jacob arrives and starts making supply runs and delivering them to the scattered survivors. Things are starting to improve (slightly). Until Jacob’s behaviour gets weird…
After all these fabulous recommendations, here is Paul’s book that he wanted to highlight.
Paul Josund’s Book Spotlight
The Nightcrawler
Horror
Published 2021
First in a Series
Check out the Video Trailer here.
The problem with the end of the world is that it’s a gradual process. It keeps getting worse. It tests you until you break, just to see if you can put yourself back together. Caz and her father do what they must to survive the fall of humanity. Hunting when they can, and scavenging supplies from the derelict shells of a deserted city, they rely on each other to make it to the end of each day.The end of each day. A time when darkness falls and the monsters responsible for the collapse of society emerge to hunt.
People who enjoyed The Walking Dead would probably like this book. There are no zombies, but the main character would fit in well with Rick and his crew!
Paul
Find the book on Amazon. You can connect with Paul on Twitter and Goodreads. Learn more about him on his website.
Did you add any to your TBR today? Tell us in the comments!
Thank you so much for hanging out with Paul and me today as part of the fourteenth 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
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