Featured Indie Book: Secretsincity (Deray Ogden)

Featured Indie Book on Indie Author News: Thriller Secretsincity by Deray Ogden.

Secretsincity is a contemporary tale about a violent past told in urban language by an urban street kid who meets an aging survivor of the Holocaust.

The Book has been published via Xlibris Australia and is available as eBook and Paperback - 363 pages - released in December 2012.

About the Book

Street dweller and graffitist, BRINEY RUZA, has created a bizarre trackside game of secrets as a bit of cheeky fun for city commuters. But after a near-death train surfing incident, walls, her public canvas, begin using Briney and her art to release the secrets they were built to contain.

One family-related secret leads Briney and her ratbag boyfriend ZAC to Terezín, a small Czech fortress town once a Jewish Ghetto under Nazi control during WWII. Here she hopes to find her mother who deserted her at the age of eight. But first she encounters Ghetto survivor, Evzen Kravitz, a troubled, scruffy old man with little tolerance for today’s youth, who, for his own devious reasons, holds the key to this particular secret.

A chance meeting with a Czech girl, ZOJA, a Goth in that most gothic of cities, Prague, brings Briney’s sexuality into question. Meanwhile, Zac comes under the influence of a group of skinheads. These new relationships turn out to have direct and devastating connections to the traumatic past of the Ghetto, the Nazis, one particular camp ‘policeman’ – a Roma Kapo – and back to present-day Melbourne.

Nowhere are there more secrets than within the walls of Terezín, and Briney is drawn deep into the conspiracies surrounding the Holocaust, her own family and the ongoing corruption and rise of neo-nazism. Not all involved will come out alive.

Click to Read an Excerpt

Featured Indie Book: This Most Amazing (Jenny Benjamin)

Featured Indie Book on Indie Author News: Historical Paranormal Romance This Most Amazing by Jenny Benjamin.

Not only are two time periods and love stories intertwined, This Most Amazing grapples with questions of the human soul and the bonds of family through generations.

The Book has been published via Armida Books and is available as eBook and Paperback - 300 pages - released in April 2013.

About the Book

What if you went to bed and lived another person's life in your sleep? What if your ancestors’ stories could be replayed in your dreams?

In This Most Amazing, fiery Dahlia, a poet embarking on new love, experiences scenes from the life of Vincenzo, an Italian soldier who, in 1797 Italy, deserts Napoleon Bonaparte's army. Thus, she blazes into the unknown, living through an alternate reality tethered to a life hundreds of years ago. How will she reconcile her own life path with Vincenzo's?

Alternating narratives between Vincenzo and Dahlia, the novel shifts between Italy in 2012/2013 and 1797. In 2012, Dahlia leaves to teach poetry in Italy and throws herself into the local culture and language. During this time, she begins to have dreams about Vincenzo’s life that resemble movie scenes. While her boyfriend is in the United States and she is in Italy, they both grapple with their new relationship and Dahlia’s paranormal flashbacks to the past.

Click to Read an Excerpt

Featured Indie Book: The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx (Linda A. Cadose)

Featured Indie Book on Indie Author News: YA Mystery Adventure The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx by Linda A. Cadose.

The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx appeals to two audiences: those who want to read a fun mystery adventure and those teachers and students who want to know more about ancient Egypt. The Book contains a great deal of information about ancient Egyptian culture, history and archaeology.

The Book has been published via Authorhouse and is available as eBook and Paperback - 111 pages - released in January 2012.

About the Book

American archeologist Dr. Cliff Post and his friend Egyptian archeologist Dr. Abdul Saad discover a hidden chamber in the right paw of the Great Sphinx. Inside they find an ancient supercomputer left there thousands of years ago by ancient aliens. A terrorist group seeks to obtain possession of this supercomputer.

The Hidden Chamber in the Great Sphinx is the first in a series featuring the adventures of American archeologist, Dr. Cliff Post.

Click to Read an Excerpt

Fetaured Indie Book: The Pact (CN Bring)

Featured Indie Book on Indie Author News: Mystery / Suspense / Faith Novel The Pact by CN Bring.

The Pact is a fast paced mystery of a woman of faith and valor, a SEAL team and a vast cast of characters inspiring the celebration of heroes.

The Book has been published via the Independent Publisher Bad Day Books and is available as eBook and Paperback - 322 pages - released in April 2013.

About the Book

Commander Celia Kelly is a perceptive Naval Intelligence Officer rebuilding her life after the tragic loss of her husband. The suspicious suicide of a fellow Officer has Celia questioning the mission she’s been assigned.

With the help of a one of a kind secretary, by the book assistant, and a Navy SEAL, Kelly discovers she’s been set up. Digging relentlessly, nothing is as it seems.

Someone is after twenty million dollars that disappeared when Kelly’s husband went MIA and now that someone is after her!

With surprises at the turn of every page, the original characters and three dimensional plot lines keep the suspense going until the very end.

Click to Read an Excerpt

Featured Indie Book: The Devil's Flower (Lisa Collicutt)

Featured Indie Book on Indie Author News: Paranormal Romance The Devil's Flower by Lisa Collicutt.

"Darkness descended over the freeway." The opening line sets the tone for a dark, paranormal ride into the world of a bike gang.
The Devil's Flower is jam packed with action, motorcycles, and sizzling hot, tattooed people—some with wings. And if that isn't hot enough, the romance will melt you.

The Book has been published via Noble Romance and is available as eBook and Paperback - 385 pages - released in December 2012.

About the Book

Killing isn’t exactly on Rosalie Lockwood’s list of things to do when she runs away from home. But despite her search for peace; guns and motorcycles become her latest fashion accessories as Divine interference leads her to Steele, co-leader of the Fallen Paladins motorcycle club.

Leathered and tattooed, Steele’s presence scares off most people he comes in contact with—but not Rosalie. She’s immediately drawn into the dangers of his biker world—and into his heart.

While Rosalie is busy learning how to shoot a gun and ride a motorcycle, Steele is busy avoiding her and his budding feelings for her. He wants her out of his life and away from the dangers he represents. But when some of the gang turn on her, he has no choice but to tell her his secret.
He and Rosalie are immortal enemies, each with one purpose in life—to kill the other.

Once the truth is revealed, Rosalie must prove to Steele and his brethren that she’s not the killer they fear by saving their souls. But in order to do that, she must become soulless herself.

The Dark and Light Realms collide as Rosalie chooses between life, death, and the ever-after to become that which she is fated to destroy.

Click to Read an Excerpt

New Indie Book Release: The Pact (CN Bring)

New Indie Book Release:
The Pact - CN Bring -
Mystery / Suspense / Faith (April 2013 - 322 pages)

- "I loved this book!!!! I always liked mysteries, Agatha Christie was always a favorite, but CN Bring is now my favorite mystery writer! The Pact was just the beginning of the most awesome series ever! I love the characters. You think you know who the bad guys are and by the time you reach The Lie and then The Truth you are amazed and shocked at how wrong you were!!!! It is edge of your seat good!!!!!" - Reader Review


About the Book

Click to Read an Excerpt

Commander Celia Kelly is a perceptive Naval Intelligence Officer rebuilding her life after the tragic loss of her husband. The suspicious suicide of a fellow Officer has Celia questioning the mission she’s been assigned.

With the help of a one of a kind secretary, by the book assistant, and a Navy SEAL, Kelly discovers she’s been set up. Digging relentlessly, nothing is as it seems.

Someone is after twenty million dollars that disappeared when Kelly’s husband went MIA and now that someone is after her!

With surprises at the turn of every page, the original characters and three dimensional plot lines keep the suspense going until the very end.

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Link to the eBook The Pact on Amazon with Excerpt

New Indie Book Release: Growing Pains of a Teenage Werewolf (Skelton Rickerby)

New Indie Book Release:
Growing Pains of a Teenage Werewolf: Michaelmas 9 - Skelton Rickerby -
Teenage (Paranormal) Romance (April 2013 - 103 pages)

- "I'm going to say this straight out - this has the makings of an amazing werewolf series. Skelton Rickerby knows how to write.[...] and it has me hooked. Seriously, I want more and I do not want to wait (as of this time, if you subscribe to the author's mailing list you can get Part 2 for free). Write more NOW!" - Reader Review


About the Book

Click to Read an Excerpt

Blood will have blood. Romeo and Juliet. Two teenagers madly in love. Growing Pains of a Teenage Werewolf follows two adolescents madly in love facing the usual problems of growing up. Young love never burned so brightly, so beautifully or so dangerously. Think of Romeo and Juliet but with a difference. Think of Judy Blume’s Forever.

Mark Clanthorpe and Mercedes Eventide are, on the face of it, ordinary teenagers. However, if you saw them on the street you couldn’t miss them. Both boy and girl are astonishingly beautiful with movie star looks and figures to match. Mark is tall for his age and apart from his beauty he appears to be a normal 13 year old except that he is very clever. Mercedes, like many 12 year old girls, could be anything from 13 to 25. She too is exceptionally clever. The other thing these beautiful people have in common is that they are the off spring of single parents both living with their respective mothers.

Indie Author Interview: Joyce Shaughnessy

Author Interview with Joyce Shaughnessy - Author of the Romantic Historical Fiction The Unsurrendered.

Joyce Shaughnessy lives in Midland, Texas with her husband, Dennis.
They have two married daughters and four beautiful granddaughters, ages 4 through 16. They own a large collection of WWII books, and Joyce used many as a reference, even adding to them during the research of her books.
She has recently become a writer of short stories which will be published in anthologies and a novella.

Interview with Joyce Shaughnessy

Author Joyce Shaughnessy

Alan Kealey (Indie Author News): What is your (writing) background?
Joyce Shaughnessy: I have written and published three historical fiction novels in a series. The third is The Unsurrendered, which came out in February, 2013. The first two are A Healing Place, published in 2010 and Blessed Are the Merciful in 2011. I have since written three short stories which will be published later this year in anthologies. They were a complete release for me because they required no research. One is horror and the other two are humorous. I have also participated in a Round Robin YA time travel book, just published, Some Day, Some Time, Some Where. It’s difficult giving up complete control of the finished piece, but I love writing, so how could I say no to the opportunity?

Who are your favorite writers, your favorite books, and who or what are your writing influences?
Without question, my favorite writer is Nelson DeMille. He combines mystery with compassion and humor. A close second is Herman Wouk. I love Up Country by DeMille and Wouk’s War and Remembrance. I think Wouk and DeMille have both influenced my writing. I admire Wouk for his determination to portray historical facts with interest and empathy through fictional characters. DeMille is obviously determined, no matter what, to portray his characters with compassion. I hope he writes to an old age. I would hate to think that I couldn’t read another new book of his. I think that the reader can see whether the writer is dedicated to and loves his/her craft. I confess to loving James Patterson for pure escape, although I haven’t read anything in the last year except for research or for my blog. When I have a breather, I intend to sit down and read Up Country for the fourth time.

"Once I had published my first book, I knew I was hooked and would never stop trying."

When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?
I know that I’ve wanted to write for years, but I never had the confidence in myself to try it. Once I had published my first book, I knew I was hooked and would never stop trying. I like to think I grow after each writing project. I heard an interview with Herman Wouk who is in his late eighties and is still writing and publishing. I hope to be doing the same.

Tell us about your writing process. Do you have a writing routine?

New Indie Book Release: Identity Theft (John Abramowitz)

New Indie Book Release:
Identity Theft (Hunter Gamble) - John Abramowitz -
Urban Fantasy Legal Thriller (April 2013 - 187 pages)

- "Identity Theft is a carefully plotted story with both snappy dialogue between characters and interesting interior monologues from the main character(who, by the way, has a great, self-deprecating sense of humor). Combining interests in the arcane and the law, the author has written a story with punch and surprises that will keep readers pushing the arrow forward to read the next page. It is a fun, exciting tale, and I highly recommend it." - Reader Review


About the Book

Click to Read an Excerpt

A man walks into the Texas Capitol. Shots ring out. A young aide lies dead. The killer's excuse? He was under a spell.

Sounds like a job for Hunter Gamble, right?

Wrong. After his disastrous "victory" in the trial of Samuel Pollard, Hunter has turned his back on defending oppressed vampires, mages, and zombies. Having accepted a position at his father's giant litigation firm, he's trying the glamorous cases, working in a corner office, and making a six-figure salary--and hating every minute of it.

As Hunter plots his exit strategy, he finds himself inexorably drawn to the case of the Capitol shooter, who is an old friend from law school. As he works to clear his friend, Hunter discovers that there is much more at stake in this case than whether one man was under a spell. Before long, he finds himself pulled into a magical conspiracy dating back to before the Unveiling--and with a singularly cold-blooded wizard at its heart.

The clock is ticking. The search for answers is on. And the author of Atticus for the Undead invites you to come along for the thrill ride--and get the magic back.

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Link to the eBook Identity Theft on Amazon with Excerpt

Featured Indie Book: Why Leadership Sucks (Miles Anthony Smith)

Featured Indie Book on Indie Author News: Non-Fiction (Leadership and Small Business Management) Why Leadership Sucks: Fundamentals of Level 5 Leadership and Servant Leadership by Miles Anthony Smith.

"Miles uses the first person throughout to personalize the account, which is based upon not only his perspective, but his successful experiences as such a leader. As he explains, a leader role is less forgiving, with organizational leaders held to a much higher standard and less able to recover from mistakes. While Miles' book isn't the only guide available, it is the most succinct, hard-hitting survey on the market, linking personal ideals and ethics to business and spiritual pursuits alike." - Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review

The Book has been self-published via Amazon, B&N and others and is available as eBook and Paperback - 206 pages - released in October 2012.

About the Book

Do you wish you were in leadership? Or are you frustrated with being in leadership?

Why does leadership suck?

It sucks because real leadership is hard and requires selfless service. It sucks because the buck stops here, meaning it is ultimately the leader’s responsibility to deal with all of the crap. It requires less effort to “lead” in the harsh, dictatorial, selfish way that is so prevalent today instead of balancing our hard and soft nature. The alternative is servant leadership or Level 5 leadership. This kind of leadership is uncomfortable, humbling, self-denying, painful, and counter-intuitive; nonetheless, it is the only kind of leadership that brings lasting results, genuine happiness, and true self-fulfillment.

So, why should you read the book "Why Leadership Sucks"?

1. To help you understand why you are frustrated.
2. To challenge what you have learned about leadership.
3. To give you practical action steps to practice on your leadership journey.

You are invited to join the Author on your leadership journey together.

Click to Read an Excerpt

Featured Indie Book: The Unsurrendered (Joyce Shaughnessy)

Featured Indie Book on Indie Author News: Romantic Historical Fiction The Unsurrendered by Joyce Shaughnessy.

"In this historical novel, the fictional love story between Jacob and Carla is a fine tale, especially when they adopt a young man whose village has been burned and the inhabitants murdered by the Japanese. But it is the historical setting and details that made me literally gasp on more than one occasion. I thought I knew something about WWII, but I was wrong. I knew nothing about the Unsurrendered soldiers and fighting bands of guerillas in the Philippines. Everyone should read this book. Thank you, Joyce Shaughnessy, for opening my eyes to this dark period in American/Filipino/Japanese history. "- Reader Review

The Book has been self-published via Xlibris and is available as eBook, Paperback and Hardcover - 388 pages - released in February 2013.

About the Book

American forces are unprepared for war when Japan attacks both Pearl Harbor and the Philippines in December 1941. A spontaneous resistance movement springs up throughout the islands among Filipino civilians of all ages and sexes, and among the American and Filipino soldiers who remain unsurrendered or who escape imprisonment after the falls of Bataan and Corregidor. American military intelligence agent Jacob Martin and Carla Santos, his Filipina wife, join the Unsurrendered partisan group as it slowly assumes control over more of the existing rival guerilla units on Mindanao and trains them to fight behind Japanese lines. Their group grows even larger with thousands of patriotic male and female Filipinos, many of whom are enraged by Japanese atrocities. Read and meet many historical characters as Jacob and Carla fight to save their country from being occupied and complete destruction.

The author, through intense research, manages to bring many colorful historical characters to life throughout the book with their interaction with Carla and Jacob. The author manages to bring to life part of WWII which has only been mentioned but not publicly expanded upon. There were over 260,000 Filipino-American partisans who fought behind Japanese lines, and along with the aid of such patriots as General Douglas MacArthur, Lt. Commander Chick Parsons, Colonel Wendell Fertig, Captain Ray Hunt, and Dr. Emigdio Cruz, helped to bring the Allies to victory. These patriots struggled and won against tremendous odds, and it is their patriotism and spirit that the author manages to convey through The Unsurrendered.

Click to Read an Excerpt

Featured Indie Book: Truth's Blood (Tyler Roberts)

Featured Indie Book on Indie Author News: Dystopian Action/Adventure Truth's Blood by Tyler Roberts.

"I’m a great fan of history and enjoy the lessons it can teach, though I’m perpetually confounded by the inability of mankind to learn from and apply histories lessons. Ultimately this is what led to the idea for the book. I took the lessons history teaches and applied them to the present day United States to write a fictional story about what could happen to the U.S. in the near future. "- The Author

The Book has been published via iUniverse and is available as eBook and Paperback - 481 pages - released in December 2012.

About the Book

In the waning years of the American Empire the governments reckless spending has brought the nation to its knees and the United States can no longer pay its debts. China has come seeking payment in real assets and they mean business. Select cities have been nuked, power has been cut and chaos reigns. Burned out houses occupy neighborhoods like rotting teeth in the mouth of crack addict.

Cliffson Lang is called away to help his eldest son who is attempting to escape the fires and mobs overrunning Seattle. While away from home his other son is kidnapped and placed in a work camp.

Truth’s Blood is the Lang family’s story of survival as the United States experiences the disintegration of society and foreign occupation.

Click to Read an Excerpt

Featured Indie Book: Leave of Absence (Tanya J. Peterson)

Featured Indie Book on Indie Author News: Contemporary Literary Fiction Leave of Absence by Tanya J. Peterson.

"I wrote Leave of Absence with a purpose. I’m bothered by the negative stereotypes and stigma that exist toward those who experience mental illness, so I created a novel that challenges those misperceptions. Leave of Absence humanizes the vague concept of “mental illness.” This is very much a character-driven story, and as readers connect with the characters, they will empathize with them and their struggles."- The Author

The Book has been published via Inkwater Press and is available as eBook and Paperback - 327 pages - released in April 2013.

About the Book

Leave of Absence is a story of loss and a story of strength.

Oliver Graham is utterly bereft and laden with guilt in the aftermath of the traumatic deaths of his wife and son. He struggles with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, and complicated mourning. Penelope Baker wrestles with Schizophrenia and the devastating impact it has had on her once happy and successful life.

Believing she is no longer loveable, she thinks the only thing she has left to give to her fiancée William is his freedom. Oliver and Penelope form a deep friendship that might be the key to their recovery.

Readers join them on their tumultuous journey through pain, struggle, and triumphs.

Click to Read an Excerpt

Featured Indie Book: Split Blood - The Ancient Codex (Louise Herman)

Featured Indie Book on Indie Author News: YA Urban Fantasy/Romance Split Blood - The Ancient Codex by Louise Herman.

Split Blood: The Ancient Codex is a Young Adult Urban Fantasy Romance novel and documents the trials and tribulations witch, Faith goes through as she battles with her new life of magic, forbidden love and testing friendships.

The Book has been published via Amazon and is available as eBook and Paperback - 333 pages - released in December 2012.

About the Book

When Faith’s mother starts organising the second stage of her arranged marriage to wizard, Damien, Faith knew she needed to escape, so she used her school as a place to retreat.

Throughout her after school duties, she meets the intense, alluring Rohan, who changes her life forever.

With his ice cold skin, transfixing eyes and enchanting voice, Rohan took hold of Faith’s heart and soul as soon as they looked at each other.

She knew it was wrong.

They were from two different circles and if the Elder’s found out, the consequences would be catastrophic for all involved, but the more time they spent together, the stronger they’re love grew, until one day someone sees them...

Will their love be strong enough to combat their conflicting mythical needs? And what will they do when Faith is dealt a life threatening blow that forces her to make a heartbreaking decision?

Click to Read an Excerpt

New Indie Book Release: Black Adagio (Wendy Potocki)

New Indie Book Release:
Black Adagio - Wendy Potocki -
Horror / Occult (April 2013 - 488 pages)

- "As a fan of Wendy Potocki, I was excited to discover her latest novel, Black Adagio. I'm happy to report that once again the lady, who've I've dubbed the Mistress of Mayhem, does not disappoint! [...] Guess you'll just have to buy the book to find out what I was going to say, which I recommend you do. You won't be disappointed! " - Reader Review


About the Book

Click to Read an Excerpt

Melissa Solange is presented the chance of a lifetime. Chosen as a member of a new dance company, she works tirelessly perfecting the one element of ballet she's never mastered—the adagio. As she rehearses, a dark force watches. Resurrected by the surprise addition of a classic ballet to the repertoire, the sinister work is thought to be cursed—destroying anyone who attempts to dance it.

When the production's lead dancers begin to disappear, the old warning is taken more seriously. A death worshipping cult called The Innocents is blamed, but she is not so sure. They may be the scapegoat for an ultimate evil living in the woods of Holybrook.

Desperate for an answer, she searches for what lurks in the shadows of the old trees before she becomes the next victim of the Danse Macabre.

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Link to the eBook Black Adagio on Amazon with Excerpt

About the Author

Author Wendy Potocki

Wendy Potocki lives and writes in NYC. If that isn't scary enough, she writes in the genre of horror. She feels creating good horror is an art form. She religiously devotes herself to pursuing it over hill and dale -- and in the crevices of her keyboard.

Named one of the Top Ten "New" Horror Authors of 2012 by Horror Novel Reviews, she has six self-published novels: The White Lady Murders, The Horns of September, The Man with the Blue Hat, Adduné: Part I. The Vampire's Game, Adduné: Part II. The House of Cards, and Black Adagio. Book trailers for many of her works may be found on her official website http://www.wendypotocki.com/. Her next planned projects are Thrill, The Witch's Stone, The Virgin, and ZaSo, a Gothic tale of horror.

In her spare time, she loves to go for long walks, drink Starbuck's Apple Chai Lattes, make devotional offerings to her cat named Persephone and be stilled by the grace, beauty and magic of ballet.

Connect with Wendy Potocki via Twitter: @WPotocki
and the Author's Website.