Booksellers, publishers, and agents are encouraged to look at the 41 self-published titles listed below, with descriptions provided by their authors. If you are a self-published author interested in listing titles in this section, please visit publishersweekly.com/pw-select for more information.

Fiction

Deep Fried and Pickled: The Rachael O’Brien Chronicles, Book 1

Paisley Ray. Paisley Ray. $2.99 e-book (415p), ASIN B00AABHU70

Amazon, Audible

Rachael O’Brien’s freshman plans seem simple: attend a Southern college and meet cute guys. Unraveling an art fraud scheme conflicts with Rachael’s to-do list, sending her on a misadventure.

The Mother of Invention

Nina Miller. Wasteland Press. $14.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-68111-028-8

Amazon, BN.com, Ingram

This novel explores issues of friendship, loss, aging, the risks of fracking, illness, marriage, and all set in a college community.

Not to Mention a Nice Life

Sean Murphy. Bright Moments Books. $14.99 paper, (360p), ISBN 978-0-9898805-1-0

Amazon

A sardonic take on the demands and dubious spoils of our postmodern rat race. It’s a compelling, comical look at what we sacrifice in order to scale—or straddle—the corporate ladder.

Once We Were Friends

Bryan Mooney.

CreateSpace. $9.99 paper (269p), ISBN 978-1-5115-3266-2

Amazon, BN.com

A writer looks back to growing up in the Midwest—growing up with a serial killer. His best friend, and then he had to track him down... It all went back to the summer of ’59. If only...

Pianist in a Bordello

Mike C. Erickson, illus. by Katelyn Schirmer. Try-Rhyme Publications. $1.99 e-book (284p), ASIN B00SC6RSAO

Amazon

This is the funny, satirical, story of a man named after Richard Nixon whose colorful life sucks him into politics.

Song of the Shaman

Annette Vendryes Leach. MindPress Media. $13.95 paper (258p) ISBN 978-0-9894912-0-4

Amazon, Apple iBooks, Audible, BN.com, Kobo,

A single mother’s mystical son takes her from the streets of New York City to the shamans in the rain forests of Central America to discover a hidden past she never dreamed existed.

A Veil of Fog and Flames

Lori Hart Beninger. OnTrack Publishing. $14.95 paper (363p), ISBN 978-0-9856897-3-5

Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Copia, Kobo,

A book about two young lives in San Francisco in 1851, their stories woven into the fabric of a city that forges—and breaks—rules as it pleases.

Wai-nani: Voice from Old Hawai’i

Linda Ballou. Star Publish. $19.95 paper, ISBN 978-1-932993-88-2

Apple iBooks, Audible

Wai-nani transports you into the wild heart of ancient Hawaii.

Poetry

Treasures and Travails: An Anthology

Chuma Mbaeyi. Xlibris. $15.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-5035-6861-7; $24.99 hardcover, ISBN 978-1-5035-6859-4

Amazon, BN.com

A collection of poems exploring popular themes of love, romance, hope, despondency, conflict, contradictions, and the inspiration that comes from nature.

Mystery/Thriller

1884 No Boundaries: A Story of Espionage and International Intrigue

A.E. Wasserman. Archway Publishing. $23.99 paper (367p), ISBN 978-1-4808-1652-7

Amazon, BN.com, Ingram

An Englishman and his lovesick German friend are thrown into a life-or-death pursuit of spies, killers, and assassins.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: A Jenna James Legal Thriller

Linda S. Prather. Linda S. Prather. 99¢ e-book (351p), ISBN 978-0-9859183-4-7

Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Draft2Digital, Kobo.

Assistant DA Jenna James took an oath to uphold the law, administer justice, deter crime, and ensure the safety of the community. Lies, deceit, and murder tempt her to cross the lines.

A Book About a Film

Calen Sifferman. CreateSpace. $13.40 paper (268p), ISBN 978-1-5085-9593-9

Amazon, Baker & Taylor, Ingram

A thriller about the Cornfield People, a secret society that knows the meaning of life and what comes after death.

Dead Money Run

J. Frank James. CreateSpace. $13.25 paper (302p), ISBN 978-1-4910-9379-5

Amazon

Lou Malloy meets a young and beautiful PI, Hilary Kelly, and together they fight to keep their freedom and $15 million in mob money, and to find those responsible for his sister’s death.

Missing Melissa

Alretha Thomas. Diverse Arts Collective. $2.99 e-book, ASIN B00XKNBZQC; $9.95 paper (312p), ISBN 978-0-692-41610-5

Amazon

A young woman in search of her missing twin discovers the unimaginable.

Nightfall: A Chase Dagger Mystery

Lee Driver. Full Moon Publishing. $26 hardcover (308p), ISBN 978-0-9888683-6-6

Amazon, Ingram

The body count is rising. Chase Dagger sees a connection to Paul Addison, who wreaked havoc during a full moon on a Friday the 13th. But Addison died in a fire. Or did he?

O’Henry: A Josh Ingram Novel

T.G. Brown. Thriller Reads. $2.99 e-book (432p), ISBN 978-1-928029-00-7; $10.75 paper (432p), ISBN 978-1-928029-01-4

Amazon

O’Henry, a serial killer who once plagued New York City, has resurfaced. Josh Ingram has no way of knowing that his journey will put his closest of friends in harm’s way.

The Oracle of Baal: A Mick Chandra Mystery (Mick Chandra Mysteries, Book 4)

Rebecca Yount. Rebecca Yount. $3.99 e-book (298p), ASIN B00JKT2YUQ

Amazon, BN.com

In the Oracle of Baal, Scotland Yard Det. Insp. Mick Chandra must expose a self-help group as a cult.

SF/Fantasy/Horror

Assassins Wall

Amanda Dubin. Amanda Dubin. $4.99 e-book (288p), ISBN 978-0-615-94865-2

Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Google, Kobo

In a Paris train station, Lexi Peters makes a startling discovery that sends her on a life and death journey, bringing together a group of people who all have a secret.

Day of the Dragonking

(Book 1 of the Last American Wizard)

Terry Irving, illus. by Tom Joyce. Ronin Robot Press. $13.99 paper, ISBN 978-0-9860873-4-9; $2.99 e-book (306p), ASIN B00UZUAL9U

Amazon

Mystics release magic into America. Steve Rowan—an unwilling wizard—is drafted to fight them in a D.C. where the Tarot lives, statues walk, and elves sit in the Oval Office

The Ghost Box: A Reagan Moon Novel

Mike Duran. Blue Crescent Press. $10.89 paper, ISBN 978-0-9909077-1-8; $3.99 e-book, ASIN B00PFV0QRG

Amazon

Hardboiled PI Reagan Moon must stop a brilliant occultist from opening a dimensional portal in downtown L.A.

Romance/Erotica

Forever Grace

Linda Poitevin. Michem Publishing. $12.99 paper, ISBN 978-0-9919958-3-7

Amazon, Apple iBooks, BN.com, Book Depository, Chapters/Indigo, Kobo

Sean McKittrick’s neighbor is hiding something. Sean’s cop instincts kick in, but as he digs for the truth, the line between professional concern and personal interest becomes blurred.

If Tomorrow Never Comes (Harper Falls, Book 2)

Mary J. Williams. Mary J. Williams. $2.99 e-book (288p), ASIN B00YISB98M

Amazon

Love has a way of catching up with you. Dani and Alex are getting a second chance at their happily ever after. Now they just have to be strong enough to take it.

Inspirational

A Season of Miracles: Artful & Poetic Devotions

Aliza McCracken. Aliza McCracken & Associates/Grace Publishing Group. $29.95 paper, ISBN 978-0-9667291-5-3

BN.com, Russo’s Books

In this delightful vignette of drawings and poems, Aliza shares her faith in the creative process, and her love for others. Aliza’s gracious prose celebrates everyday miracles!

Nonfiction

The Becoming Years 18 to 28: The Ten Years It Takes to Get Over Being a Kid

George Wray AlphaGraphics. $24 paper (332p), ISBN 978-0-990-3721-0-3

Thebecomingyears.com, Amazon

This conversational book is for keen and striving young people between ages 18 and 28—and for those wandering and wondering.

Good Decisions Most of the Time: Because Life Is Too Short Not to Eat Chocolate

Danielle Brooks. Aviva Publishing. $9.99 e-book (418p), ISBN 978-1-938686-62-7; $27.59 hardcover (418p), ISBN 978-1-938686-63-4

Amazon

Discover fun informative facts about foods, enjoy over 40 delicious recipes, and become empowered to self-govern more effectively around food.

Manners in Rwanda: Basic Knowledge on Rwandan Culture, Customs, and Kinyarwanda Language

Joy Nzamwita Uwanziga. Inkwater Press. $25.95 paper (368p), ISBN 978-1-62901-254-4

Amazon

This book is light in tone, often humorous, and includes everything you will meet in terms of challenges and general wonderment when embarking on a surreal journey to Rwanda.

The Simple Questions: Slice Open Everyday Life

Jean Yeager. WestBow Press. $11.95 paper, ISBN 978-1-4908-7124-0

Th3simplequestions.com, Amazon, BN.com, Kobo

Powerfully written and creative, the 45 chapters or “slices” in this book are evocative, insightful, poetic, crisp, whimsical, and affirm the universal human spirit.

Time Flies

Alexander Kaufman. Intervale Publishing. $17.99 paper (230p), ISBN 978-0-692-38640-8

Timeflies-book.com, Amazon, BN.com

A collection of short stories.

UFO Space Craft Identification Manual: How to Contact a UFO Space Craft for Information and Knowledge

David Campione, illus. by Joseph Campione. CreateSpace. $6.95 paper (96p), ISBN 978-1-5055-6789-2

Amazon

How to contact friendly UFO space craft and protect yourself while in vehicles, homes, boats, airplanes, or just walking or jogging. 53 illustrations.

Bio/Autobio

Assume the Position: Memoirs of an Obstetrician & Gynecologist

Richard Houck. CreateSpace. $7.99 e-book (413p), ISBN 978-1-5076-6117-8

Amazon, Audible

The life story, education, training, and medical and personal life of an obstetrician and gynecologist are presented in vivid detail and punctuated with lively patient vignettes.

Humans, Dogs, and Civilization

Elaine Ostrach Chaika, illus. by Janet Croog. BookBaby. $15.95 paper (265p), ISBN 978-1-63192-679-2

Amazon, Baker & Taylor, BN.com, Ingram

Without dogs, there would be no civilization. This is also a memoir of my life with dogs. Their exploits prove or disprove scientific findings.

Life, Love, and a Hijacking: My Pan Am Memoir

Wendy Knecht. CreateSpace. $10.99 paper (208p), ISBN 978-1-5025-2349-5

Amazon BN.com

This book is an insightful, hilarious, sometimes-seat-gripping look at the adventures of an ebullient flight attendant, who flew for the world’s most iconic airline, Pan Am.

The Road Behind Me: The Lie of Hannah

R.J. Cook, illus. by Glenn Maida. iUniverse. $12.07 paper (128p), ISBN 978-1-4917-3291-5; $3.99 e-book (100p), ASIN B00LHPXHQQ

Amazon, BN.com, Books A Million

A true story of lost love, a cross-country journey, and a late-in-life epiphany, all during the time of Nixon, Woodstock, and Vietnam.

Southern Fried Fiction: How the Insidious Onset of Depression Derailed a Successful Man’s Life

Stuart Hotchkiss. CreateSpace. $19.95 paper (304p), ISBN 978-1-5076-6580-0

Amazon

With plans to put a bullet in his own brain, former Time Inc. publishing chief Stuart Hotchkiss has an epiphany that turns his life around.

Sugar Burn: The Not So Hot Side of the Sweet Kitchen

Ryan Kurr. CreateSpace. $13.95 paper, ISBN 978-1-5077-1041-8; $7.99 e-book, ASIN B00QOH8CJY

Amazon

After leaving a career in the insurance industry and then one in massage therapy, Ryan Kurr decides to follow his dream of becoming a pastry chef.

A Woman in Love: A Memoir of Sexual Development, Spirituality, Loss, and Love

Elizabeth Stall. CreateSpace. $9.99 paper (154p), ISBN 978-1-5119-8395-2

Amazon

This is the true story of a woman’s sexual development, from her first kiss as a child to her failed marriage and her experience of the beautiful sex that comes from great love.

Children’s/YA Fiction

Amanda Lester and the Pink Sugar Conspiracy

Paula Berinstein, illus. by Anna Mogileva. The Writing Show. $9.99 paper (386p), ISBN 978-0-9860304-8-2

Amazon

When arch-villain Blixus Moriarty surfaces in the English Lake District, Amanda Lester must face her greatest fears and stop him from carrying out his biggest conspiracy ever.

The Four Elements and the Tablet of the Ancients

Nick Lang. Bookpal. $15.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-74284-468-8

Amazon

Two stories woven into one adventure that transcends time and culminates with one ending and one beginning.

Night Rumbles

Nancy Janes. Rockrose Press. $12.99 paper (244p), ISBN 978-0-692-31407-4

Amazon

Nineteen-year-old Brad wakes up in a strange town filled with smoke and mist. The sky glows as if on fire. His memory is gone, but he knows he doesn’t belong here.

Polarity in Motion

Brenda Vicars. Red Adept Publishing. $5.99 e-book (266p), ISBN 978-1-940215-37-2

Redadeptpublishing.com, Amazon

First her nude photo hits the Internet. Then everyone thinks she’s lying when she claims to have no idea where the photo came from—everyone, that is, except Ethan.

Silverwood

Dietz Vollrath. Wicked Pig Publishing. $11.99 paper (275p), ISBN 978-0-692-44433-7

Amazon

Eleanor hunts through an ancient library to crack a secret code. But solving the code leads to trouble, and she races to hide what she finds from an evil group known as the Forgotten.