This page is dedicated to the work of those independent (Indie) authors who put everything they have into their work and then have the monumental task of promoting and marketing it in a very competitive market place which is often dominated by the top five publishing houses.
More and more authors are taking the indie route as opposed to traditional publishing so they have more control over their output as well as a quicker route to the customer.
Here you will find an honest account of the books I have read from Indie authors.
The Coal Miner’s Son
By Patricia M Osborne
The Coal Miner’s son is the second book of the trilogy surrounding the Granville family.
In the first – The House of Grace – we met Grace Granville and learnt of her story from being the daughter of Lord Granville, to a coal miner’s wife and beyond. An extension of the traditional rags to riches tale with an independent and formidable, but also lovable and flawed heroine which draws you in and refuses to let you go until the very last word.
In the Coal Miner’s Son, the story cleverly transfers to Grace’s son George. The timeline overlaps the previous book as we learn of the life that Grace missed due to him being claimed by his grandfather and returned to Granville Hall without his mother or his sisters.
Patricia manages this transition in perspective seamlessly. At the end of book one we were left with the knowledge of Grace’s journey and of her dreams but, although George was always there in the background, we didn’t know the details. By returning to George in this second book and hearing his story in his own words, we grow, see and feel every step of the way as he finds his way through the strange new world in which he now resides. Moving through the 1960’s and 70’s, he gradually unravels the truth about how he was taken from his family and the coal mining village he loved, to his new life of opulence and splendour that is so unfamiliar and unnatural to him.
Patricia is currently writing the last book of the trilogy – The Granville Legacy – and I for one, cannot wait to see how Grace and George’s journey’s are brought together and the story reaches its ultimate conclusion.
The Coal Miner’s son can be found on Amazon here as well as on Patricia’s website – Patricia’s Pen here
Patricia has also recently published her first poetry collection – Taxus Baccata which can also be purchased from her website.
Rebecca’s Choice
by Heidi Gallagher
Rebecca’s Choice is Heidi’s debut novel. It is based in the late 1800’s and situated in a specific house in Wales that Heidi herself knew well during her own childhood.
This in-depth knowledge of her childhood playground shines through the multi-faceted layers of emotion, tragedy and hope that Rebecca experiences while she tells us her story.
Written in first person and with an authentic narrative voice, we are soon pulled into Rebecca’s life as she grows and matures over a span of seven years. It feels almost diary-esque in the intricate way in which it is written and staying within her point of view throughout. No head-hopping here thankfully.
The tale opens on Rebecca’s wedding night to the older Geoffrey De Roussier. Her first time living at Trederlerch (pronounced Tre-DEL-lerch) and Heidi succeeds in bringing out Rebecca’s naivety and nervousness about what the night may have in store for her.
We then continue to learn of her world through pregnancy and motherhood, grief and loss, circumstance and hope. We grow with her and, through the emotive storytelling and gradual revealing of the situations Rebecca experiences, are led to the ultimate choice that she must make.
Love or duty? Which would you choose? Would you agree with hers?
You’ll have to read it to find out.
I really enjoyed this excursion into Rebecca’s life. It is skilfully written and anyone who enjoys reading historical womens fiction would be mad to miss this book.
Available on Kindle unlimited or in paperback from Amazon here
Who’s Smiling Now? by Joy Wood.
Our protagonist is Laura Foley. Her character is well-rounded and expertly fleshed out. We learn not only what is going on around her, but also how she is feeling throughout the story. An angel she certainly is not. Her flaws are right up there with those characteristics that make her so intriguing and vulnerable.
Her main flaw we find out right at the beginning of the tale and that is of her five day holiday fling with the irresistible Mr Colin Laity.
The first few chapters show us this romance but, unlike Joy’s previous four novels, doesn’t take the explicit route. This could have been a risky departure for those who have read and loved her previous novels, but I feel that it works here for the sex to be happening off the page. Laura’s story is intense and forbidding, to use explicit imagery may have the effect of lessening the impact of the terrors that lie in wait while Cohan slowly reveals his intent for her.
Cohan Laity is a very successful author. He knows what he wants and he doesn’t stop at anything to get it. He is not concerned with how other people feel about his wishes or whether they agree with him. If they should cross him he does not stint in his retribution.
His portrayal as a narcissist is very realistic. To everyone he meets he is lovable, funny and perfect boyfriend material. As he weaves his way into the very heart of Laura’s family, his image is upheld and believed even through the most heartbreaking of circumstances. Only Laura sees who he really is and there appears to be little she can do to stop him.
‘Who’s Smiling Now?’ is a well crafted novel from an experienced pen. Joy has obviously spent time researching her characters with her own time and knowledge as a nurse adding extra layers and bringing added realism to Laura and her family’s experiences. The warmth of a family’s love for each other the perfect counter balance for the threat and horror of Cohan’s campaign.
This book is a must for anyone who enjoys reading psychological suspense novels.
Joy has written four previous novels- ‘For the Love of Emily’; ‘Chandjori House’; ‘Knight and Dey’ and ‘April Fool.’
‘Who’s Smiling Now?’ can be purchased direct from Amazon here
Piskie Dreams 