Hello friend. Today’s Indie Recommends Indie post features author Sean McCutchen and he shares his favorite indie reads. His latest book, Battle in the Avenue, is a thriller that I am looking forward to reading and you can learn more about it at the end of the post.
Welcome to Armed with A Book, Sean! Since it’s your first time on the blog, can you please tell me and my readers about yourself?
Thanks for having me! I am a long-time lover of books and have dabbled in writing off and on my whole life (maybe someday I’ll put those early poems my mom kept on my website… maybe).
My favourite author is Michael Crichton and I absolutely love a thriller that keeps you guessing. As I’ve gotten older, I have wanted to expand my knowledge and experiences so now I’ve gone to a rotational reading queue. I’ll do something for fun (Sci-Fi, thriller, etc), then something off-normal for me (Lit Fic, Comedy, Hist Fic), then learn something new culturally (non-fic bio/memoir/event). It helps introduce me to things I wouldn’t have tried otherwise.
Do you primarily read indie books or big publishers books as well?
I’m at about 75% / 25% ratio of big pub to indie right now. For my current life stage (I have young kids), if I’m sitting then I’m writing so I consume a lot of books via audio right now. I manage to get in a few physical copies now and then but as I’m sure is true for every bibliophile, my TBR list only grows. I would love to see audio accessible to more indies but I know it requires a large commitment of either time/equipment or money. I’ve read there is a huge market for audio, so hopefully more indies can jump in with that as well.
Sean’s Indie Recommendations
Rinn’s Crossing by Russell Heath
Thriller
2020
Standalone
They had been friends who fought side by side for better things. Now both were running from crimes neither could have imagined of themselves . . .
On a remote Alaskan island, Rinn van Ness commits a minor felony. His former lover is arrested for the crime–and a murder someone tried to pin on him.
Out on bail, Kit Olinsky fights a scorched-earth battle in the state legislature to save the Alaska she loves. She can only win if she betrays her friend Dan Wakefield, a Tlingit fighting desperately for what was promised to his people a generation ago. In the back rooms of the legislature, Senator Billy Macon manipulates Alaska’s grimy politics with vindictive mastery in his drive to the governor’s mansion.
Like a lone wolf, Rinn slips out of the forest to protect Kit, never suspecting that he has more at stake than a lonely prison cell.
I picked this book up looking for stories set in the woods for a project I’m working on. I’m glad I did as the tension is spectacular. Russell Heath (author) also seems to have a love of the outdoors with a wealth of knowledge and experiences that shine in his world building and details.
The novel weaves a suspenseful tension between politics, Native Americans, big oil, and basic humanity. Set in Alaska and although fiction, I got some real insight into the impact policy made in the region and the lengths those in charge will go to further their agenda. The book starts off slow but builds strongly and delivers a roller coaster of a ride until the end. You are certainly cheering for the heroine to survive and even trample those that would see her kept down. I’m thinking what The Pelican Brief did in Louisiana, this one does in Alaska.
Gods and Conquerors by Aaron Kane Heinemann
Science Fiction
2017
Standalone
James Verne and his crew have travelled almost a thousand years to visit life on a distant planet.
But when they arrive to find their destination a smoking wasteland, desolate and uninhabited, their hopes of encountering a new civilisation are left as damaged as their ship.
Stranded with dwindling supplies and no contingency plan, their morale is held up by only one redeeming fact: they are Conquerors, and they have made it this far. So they begin their search for life, and in doing so, discover that the people of this planet knew more about Earth than the humans knew about themselves, and that they might not be so alone in this world after all.
Gods and Conquerors is a story of redemption, survival, and the relentless search for hope in a seemingly hopeless world.
I had to include a Sci-Fi book with my recommendations and there are so many amazing indie Sci-Fi novels out there! I found this when it was included with my first book in a blog post about undiscovered gems. I decided to give it a try and it was a good read that although has elements of Sci-Fi, still stays grounded in the character’s interactions and the situations feel very real.
The book ties in revelations about being human based on the experiences while living on another planet. Although I found there to be a few extraneous metaphors, the writing was beautiful and flowed well. This isn’t as “science-y” as The Martian but I got similar vibes from the struggle to survive and maintain one’s humanity. If you are looking for a Sci-Fi book that it appears like nobody has ever heard of, then give it a try. It might reveal something to yourself and give you a deeper appreciation for our thoughts, hopes, dreams, and struggles.
Shadow Child by Joseph Citro
Horror/ Thriller
Published: 1998
Standalone
To outsiders, the deep, impenetrable forest that blankets Vermont’s Green Mountains gives the state its peaceful and verdant mystique, but those same dark woods hide a secret from pre-history that reaches menacingly into the present. Joseph A. Citro’s widely read publications about the more haunting history, legends, and lore of New England have earned him a reputation as an expert on themes of the supernatural. In this book (first published in 1987), however, he deftly melds real-life ancient ruins, a keen eye for the social fabric of small-town Vermont, and a soaring imagination to fashion a gripping tale of a family’s life-or-death struggle to save their farm from an enemy far more devastating than banks, taxes, or land developers.
Eric Nolan is a man already too familiar with death. His brother’s long-ago disappearance, the loss of his parents, and his wife’s recent demise in an auto accident have left him near the edge physically and emotionally. In desperation he returns to his boyhood haunt, the family farm in rural Antrim, Vermont, now occupied by his cousin, Pamela, her husband, Clint, and Luke, their four-year-old son. But any solace Eric might find there is short-lived. Something terrible is going on in the woods on Pinnacle Mountain and it seems to be centered around a mysterious stone structure that, a local historian believes may be the relic of an ancient race.
The mystery deepens as people begin to vanish one by one, first a village policeman, then a local hermit, a researcher, and finally Clint himself. As baffling and violent incidents continue it becomes harder to deny that a powerful and malevolent force is at work in the Green Mountains, a force that has targeted young Luke. Though it defies Eric’s every rational instinct, he must ultimately confront a reality he can neither accept nor deny. As he and the others struggle to quell the rising tide of evil, the siege escalates to a brutal battle for life itself. Citro twists every shock possible out of this finely crafted gothic thriller that tests the limits of legend and belief.
I’ve been looking forward to spooky season this year and plan to revisit this one in October. I first read this book when I was a teenager and deep in the Green Mountains by a fire (which if you can manage then you’re already set, but take this one with you to add to the experience). From what I recall, Shadow Child delivers a creepy, gritty tale that will haunt you with every breeze through the dark trees. I loved everything about it and can still remember the chill the description of the red eyes in the woods caused. The tension and suspense are masterful.
If you love a good thriller that borders on horror without being over the top (looking at you Stephen King fans), then I suggest picking up this book. Unless you ever want to walk in the woods alone at night ever again, but who is doing that anyway!
Angeline by Angelica Markus and Julianne Snyder
Historical Fiction/ Urban Fiction
Published: 2022
Standalone
Angeline Moretti is a woman of two different lives. A stunning actress by day and a party girl by night. In the time of the roaring twenties, New York City is hustling and bustling. Angeline has no time to settle down, but for a woman with two lives there are two men who desperately yearn for her heart. The wealthy and charming James Howard, and the speakeasy bad boy Link Cartwell.
Be prepared to enter a world of legendary flappers, fabulous parties and dashing gangsters. Once you’ve stumbled into Link’s Wonderland, you can never go back!
I picked this up based on a find through Instagram in hopes that I could recommend it to my sister (she loves everything set in the 20’s). It also helped that it recently came out in audiobook and I wanted to include a historical fiction indie selection here.
The setting of this book is what brings this to life but the quick-wit and charm of the characters are what sets this book apart. The tension of prohibition and bootleg gangsters felt real while the pacing stayed strong. It is a short book which I admire as I don’t care for things being dragged out. Even with the length, the characters had good depth and there was plenty of time for decent twist. The length, setting, and time all reminded me of The Great Gatsby, so if you’re a fan (like my sister!) then I suggest giving it a try.
The Dragon Hunters by James Russell (Link Choi, Illustrator)
Childrens/ Fantasy
2012
Book 1 of 3 The Dragon Brothers Trilogy
Away across the oceans,
where few have dared to roam,
upon a wondrous island,
a family made its home.
Living on an island means life is full of adventure for brothers Flynn and Paddy. So when a dragon swoops out of the sky and nabs their beloved dog, Coco, Flynn and Paddy know it’s up to them to bring her home. That night, they pack their bags, make some terrible sandwiches, and set off on an epic adventure…
I had to include a children’s book as I am currently exposed to quite a few. When I became a parent, I wanted to introduce my children to the vast experiences and deep joy that literature can bring. I wanted to expose them to a variety of genres in the hopes that they would find a deep love of books in the same way I did.
The Dragon Brothers trilogy is one of our household’s most beloved books that I plan to keep long into my Grandfather years. The writing is funny, whimsical, and stokes the imagination. The art is astounding and gorgeous (there’s even a map!). Flynn, Paddy, and their dog get into some great adventures and the setting reminds me of my childhood love of The Rescuers Down Under. I highly suggest this tale that comes all the way from New Zealand and will fly right into your hearts (even when you have to read it a thousand times in a row).
Sean’s Book Spotlight
Battle in the Avenue
Thriller
Published: Sept. 8, 2022
Almost two decades after the collapse of fossil fuels, civilization is precariously held together by an alternative energy source rising in cost. In order to avoid another Fuel Wars, three long lost family members must each find their own answers to the betrayal that tore their family apart.
Orphaned for as long as he can remember, Owen Bradley grew up searching for an answer to his isolation. Now, a graduate student studying alternative fuels, Owen receives a mysterious package. The cryptic riddle inside sends him on a harrowing journey across Chicago in search of his family and the lineage he didn’t know existed, if he can outrun those that would stop at nothing to profit from a lucrative new energy source.
Clare Furmore strives to fill the cracks left in justice from the loosely rebuilt world following the Fuel Wars. Clare’s drive stems from her attempts to escape the painful memory of the car wreck that took her parents when she was young. Now, a job has come along that sets her on a collision course to discover the truth from that day, if Clare can face the one monster she has suspected her whole life and put a stop to his tyrannical rule.
Dr. James Stevenson is betrayed by his lifelong friend and business partner. He is then forced to watch as his prediction comes true and humanity tears itself apart in the wake of the Fuel Wars. Then, a new fuel is discovered and the world stabilizes, but how long will it last? James learns that the fuel is only temporary but not all is lost, there is still something worth the fight. A journey of retribution is ahead, if he can solve the world’s energy crisis and come up with a plan to take down one of the most powerful men on the planet.
Battle in the Avenue is a fast-paced story of a family seeking to discover the truth in a world on the edge of destruction.
Find it on Goodreads and IndieStoryGeek.
Readers who enjoy Hunger Games and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo would like this book.
Connect with Sean on Twitter and Instagram.
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!
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Thanks for hanging out with us today!
Banner Photo of library by Alfons Morales on Unsplash
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