@NOTEBKBLOGAIRY’S #INDIEROAR CHALLENGE – DAY 9: MY TOP 5 INDIE AUTHORS
I’ve been following the Indie Roar Challenge and I have to admit, today’s challenge is a tough one. Choosing my top five indie authors is no easy feat for me. For the past few months I have been exclusively reading indie authors and each one seems better than the last. However, I think I have narrowed it down. Keep in mind, my favorite genre is horror or thrillers. That eliminates a lot of really good writers.
Anyway here it goes: my five favorite indie writers. (And maybe an honorable mention or two.)
1)
Mark Fine has written one of the best books I’ve read by any author, indie or not. “The Zebra Affaire” is an eloquently written love story set against the background of apartheid in South Africa. With stunning descriptions of the country and characters Fine drew me into a world I knew nothing about. His skill at foreshadowing events to come is brilliant. He uses words the way the great artists used paint, layer upon layer of color and design. If there is one indie book I would recommend above all others this one is it.
2)
“The Assassin Who Couldn’t Dance” took me completely by surprise. Glen Barerra has created characters that practically step out of the book. Loaded with action, surprises, and a quiet passion that touches the heart, this book kept me turning pages well into the night. With a plot right out of today’s events, Barerra lays out a tale that will keep you gasping until the end. Then you’ll want more!
3)
Charlie Flowers is one of the most prolific indie writers I’ve had the pleasure of reading. He has created a series of books around some pretty amazing characters. Rizwan Sabir and his fiancée/wife Holly (Bang Bang) Kirpachi lead a pack of the wildest female fighters ever. I mean EVER! Fighting terrorists and extremists, Riz Sabir blows up more buildings and shoots more bad guys than James Bond ever did. I am currently in the middle of the fourth book in the series and I’m taking my time. I’m afraid I’ll get to the end of the series before he writes the next one and that would be very frustrating.
4)
Anita Kovacevic has written one of the most subtly scary books I have ever read. “The Threshold” is like poetry with poison beneath the surface. Her descriptions of people and places are so vivid it’s like watching a film to read this book. A gripping story with plenty of surprises it left me right where it needed to, wanting more.
5)
Wolf Schimanski has written two parts of a trilogy that are “Meter of Deception” and “Meter of Corruption”. Original, violent, hot, and unexpectedly gritty these books set the stage for what I suspect will be a grand finale. His variety of characters is incredible. The most unique is Mikhail also referred to as The Monster. The title fits him well. His recurring appearances always signal something really bad is going to happen. That’s a good thing as it gives me the opportunity to grit my teeth before diving into the horrors about to unfold.

Now to the Honorable Mentions.
The first is Neil Newton who has written an amazing book called “The Railroad”. The characters in this book fall into two categories, you either love them or hate them. A book that hints at the evils of child abuse and a broken legal system it actually seems to be the story of one man’s journey from selfishness to selflessness. It’s a beautiful story with a moving insight into the human condition. Newton would have been in my top five but he also happens to be my husband. Don’t hold it against him. He can really write a fascinating and disturbing tale.
Michelle Medhat has written two books that are connected, “The Call” and “The Shift”. She has done something I would never have considered possible. She combines terrorism based on today’s violent world with science fiction. And it works! Creative, tough, and no holds barred action kept me turning these pages all night as well. She promises there is another book to come. I hope so. I have fallen in love with her characters.
Geoff Nelder created a nightmare science fiction story called “Aria”. The only hint I’ll offer is that it is unforgettable. Read it! You’ll be stunned. His characters are varied and stand out from one another. I will say the evil one (you’ll figure it out) is actually rather sexy. It makes it difficult to hate him. But that makes it even more real. It’s enough to make a person lose her mind. Whoops. Too close.
Ted Tayler has created a character I’ve unabashedly fallen in love with. “The Olympus Project” is book one in “The Phoenix Series”. Colin Bailey is the hottest new hero to come out of fiction in a while. Renamed Phoenix by the secret organization that drafts him into their service, Bailey is the best vigilante I’ve ever salivated over. Obviously there is no lack of characterization in this book. It’s action packed, sexy, unpredictable, and current.
I could go on with Benedict Martin’s “Charlie Robot”, Ulla Hakanson’s “The Price of Silence”, Jean Gill’s “How Blue is My Valley, the Real Provence”, Suzi Albracht’s “The Devil’s Lieutenant”, Dave Adair’s “Random Lucidity”, and Lexa Harpell’s “To Mum, Gifts from Your Soul: Gifts that Inspire Love and Gratitude” but even that would only be the tip of the iceberg.
Indie authors are rising up from the mists of storytelling. With them they are bringing tales of love, romance, war, violence, life, and death. I still have my favorite writers who are tied to publishing houses that pay big bucks to advertise their work and sell their wares. But I have a lot of respect for the so far unknown who often write after hours at work, at school, raising families, and living the everyman life. To that group I raise my glass in a toast to their courage and determination and I say, Write On!