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Visit the SPAAW 2026 Hub to see what other Self-Published Appreciation Posts are out there.

In Books, Fiction, Miscellany, News/Misc., Science Fiction, Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week

(updated 7/22/26)

From the first moment that people did the strange thing of asking me to talk about their books on my blog, I’ve been impressed by the quality of a lot of what’s been published by authors going out on their own, taking all the risks, shouldering all the responsibility, and doing all the work to get their words, their dreams, their blood, sweat, and tears on to the page (paper or electronic). This should be celebrated—it’s definitely appreciated, as we’re trying to show this week.

As part of this week-long celebration, I’m continuing my habit of highlighting the self-published works that I’ve blogged about over the last few years (or meant to blog about, but at least read)—just a sentence or two. Hopefully, this’ll be enough to make you click on the link to the full post. Beyond that, it’d be great if I inspired you to add a few of these to your TBR. Also, be sure you check out the other posts over at the SPAAW Hub.

Today I’m focusing on Self-Published Science Fiction. Old tropes in new garb, fresh ideas, and a creativity that astounds. These authors are well worth your time and money.

bullet Hit the Ground Running by Kate Ashwin—a cyberpunk heist novel with a sense of fun. A group of revolutionaries try to do a little good for the holidays in a futuristic corporate city. (my post about it)</span
bullet Wistful Ascending by JCM Berne—if I start talking about this, I’m not sure how to stop. There’s a retired super-hero/super soldier working a menial job on a space station. There’s a revenge story. There are aliens that look like talking bears. It’s just so much fun. (my post about it)
bullet The MOST Powerful Christmas by JCM Berne—Rohan and friends save Christmas for Santa (my post about it)
bullet Eyes of Empire by JCM Berne—Rohan decides to take his life in a new direction (or at least recognizes the one he’s on) as the first arc in the series concludes. Also, he fights cat people. (my post about it will go live in a day or two)
bullet Return of the Griffin by JCM Berne—Rohan has to return to Earth to battle monsters that might be too much for him and the collective might of Earth’s superheroes. Rohan also has to battle the legacy he left behind when he left. (my post about it)
bullet Blood Reunion by JCM Berne—Rohan struggles to stay alive and protect the citizens of Wistful from a the most powerful vampire I’ve read about. Oh, and he has to deal with his father on the station, too. It’s debatable which is harder for him to deal with. (my post about it)
bullet Shadow of Hyperion by JCM Berne—Rohan is called upon by Earth again for some help with a challenge that will take Rohan and a new ally to Earth, to other locations nearer Wistful, and to reckon with their bloody pasts. (my post about it is forthcoming)
bullet The Elites by Matt Cowper—a Batman-esque figure rebuilds a government-sponsored team of heroes. They take on super-villains of all stripes and even an alien invasion.
bullet The World Savers (my post about it)
bullet Rogue Superheroes (my post about it)
bullet Nightfall (my post about it)
bullet Children of the Different by S. C. Flynn—a very different kind of YA take on post-apocalypse life in Austrailia. (my post about it)
bullet Mushroom Blues by Adrian M. Gibson—a murder mystery set in the island nation of Hōppon, populated by fungal people and occupied by humans. A human detective and a fungal patrol officer are teamed up to investigate the murders of several fungal and half-breed children. A little SF, a little Police Procedural, a whole lotta good. (my post about it)
bullet Full Metal Superhero by Jeffery H. Haskell—a young technical genius who lost the use of her legs in the accident that cost her parents their lives creates an Iron Man-esque suit and starts fighting crime in the hopes of being recruited into an Avengers/Justice League-type team. I’ve frequently talked on the blog (and even in this series of posts) about being frustrated that I haven’t caught up with a series. This one really gets to me. There’s also a spin-off series that looks great.
bullet Arsenal (my post about it)
bullet Unstoppable Arsenal (my post about it)
bullet Super Powereds: Year 1 by Drew Hayes—The first in a series about a group of freshmen in a college-level Super-Hero Training program. (my post about it)
bullet Bounty Inc. by Adam Holcombe—a fairly priveldged young man dumps all his inheritance into founding the galaxy’s first conglomeration of bounty hunters, and proceeds to hire a few. Inadvertently, he creates a small family that will have to pull out all the stops to save each other. It’s full of action, heart, and more than a few chuckles. (my post about it)
bullet Darkside Earther by Bradley Horner—this is a series about a privileged group of teens trying to get through school and into adulthood while on a space station orbiting Earth. Their parents are the elite of humanity and are trying to mold their children into very different types of leaders.
bullet Darkside Earther (my post about it)
bullet Degrading Orbits (my post about it)
bullet Saul by Bradley Horner—a professor of nanotech tries to save his daughter in the middle of a global catastrophe. (my post about it)
bullet Billy in Space by Harry L-B—Billy has been given telekinetic abilities, and instead of becoming the government agent he’d aspired to, he’s become a human forklift in a spaceship’s warehouse. Not glamorous at all, but it’s a job. Then an alien race attacks his ship. Then space pirates do, too. And then things get bad. You’ll also witness a really bad first date. I should stress that this is a comedy. (my post about it)
bullet Proxies by James T. Lambert—Jair Howard has some big challenges ahead of him–he has to deal with his mother, he has to fix his relationship with his girlfriend, he has to prove someone hacked into the military’s computers, then he has to prove it wasn’t him–oh yeah, and prevent interstellar war. His mother might be the biggest problem, really. I just finished reading the book and haven’t finished my post, but you’ll want to give it a look.
bullet Duckett & Dyer: Dicks For Hire by G.M. Nair—This story felt like the love child of Dirk Gentley’s Holistic Detective Agency (the Douglas Adams version) and Comedy Central’s Corporate, but sweeter. A pair of old friends-turned multi-dimensional P.I.s tackle a missing persons case. (my post about it)
bullet Serengeti by J.B. Rockwell—a damaged warship—and the AI who operates it—attempts to rejoin the fleet.
bullet Serengeti (my post about it)
bullet Dark and Stars (my post about it)
bullet AI Theist by Michael J. Svigel—The world’s most advanced and powerful AI struggles with its(?) conscience and gets religion. (my post about it)
bullet Please Return to the Lands of Luxury by Jon Tilton—an MG Dystopian thriller. There’s a fantastic world here—a very plausible one, too. The story is hard to sum up in a sentence or two, but this would be a great read for an MG reader who’s able to read some unpleasantness (and a lot of wholesome and hope-filled moments, too). (my post about it)
bullet The FATOFF Conspiracy by Olga Werby—Americans have lost the war on obesity and all but the elitist of the elite are dangerously obese (while tucking away a good portion of that fat into a pocket dimension), in pain, struggling, dying young, and yet eating almost constantly. (my post about it)
bullet Genrenauts by Michael R. Underwood—Parallel to our world are various worlds populated by fictional characters in a wide variety of genres (Western, SF, Romance, etc), and when things go wrong in the stories, things go wrong in our world. n this world, there are a number of teams of story specialists who shift to the other worlds to fix the stories and set things back on course here. The first two novellas in this series were published by Tor, but after that, Underwood took it over himself.
bullet The Cupid Reconciliation (my post about it)
bullet The Substitute Sleuth (my post about it)
bullet The Failed Fellowship (my post about it)
bullet Genrenauts: The Complete Season One Collection—a compendium of all the novellas/stories in Season 1. (my post about it)
bullet The Data Disruption—a Season One Prequel (my post about it)
bullet The Wasteland War—Season Two kicks off (my post about it)

If you're a self-published author that I've featured on this blog and I didn't mention you in this post and should have. I'm sorry (unless you're this guy). Please drop me a line, and I'll fix this. I want to keep this regularly updated so I keep talking about Self-Published Authors.

Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week circle logo and the Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow in front of an open book

Image by OpenIcons from Pixabay
The 2026 Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week Logo was made by Witty and Sarcastic Book Club

The Irresponsible Reader On…Self-Published Children’s & Picture Books (a look in Grandpappy’s Corner)

Visit the SPAAW 2026 Hub to see what other Self-Published Appreciation Posts are out there.

In Books, Fiction, Grandpappy's Corner, Miscellany, News/Misc., Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week, YA/MG/Children's Books

(updated 7/23/26)

Today I’m wandering over to Grandpappy’s Corner to focus on Children’s and Picture Books. I don’t know how I ended up on the radar of Children’s and Picture Book authors—particularly so many from Israel in the early days. But I’m just glad I did, these are guaranteed dashes of brightness and diversity to my reading schedule.

bullet Life Lessons by Titan as told to Melaney Taylor Auxier—Illustrated by photos of the dog himself, Titan teaches about friends, making mistakes, eating well, being grateful, that sort of thing. (my post about it)
bullet Panda Pat and the Rat Called Cat by Neil Ballard, Steven Nosov (Illustrator)—a story of friendship and second chances (my post about it)
bullet Snobbity Snowman by Maria Bardyukova & Quiet Riley, Jr.—Snobbity is a snowman with an attitude (at least at the beginning). I loved the art. (my post about it)
bullet Elephant Wind by Heather L. Beal, Jubayda Sager (Illustrator)—A scientist explains a tornado to a daycare class. (my post about it)
bullet Hurricane Vacation by Heather L. Beal, Jasmine Mills (Illustrator)—Lily and Niko are visiting their family when a Hurricane Watch is issued, so they join their family in preparing the house for the storm and getting ready to go to a shelter. Along the way, they learn about what a hurricane is as well as all the ways that people can protect themselves, themselves, and so on. (my post about it)
bullet Tummy Rumble Quake by Heather L. Beal, Jubayda Sager (Illustrator)—A daycare class learns about earthquakes and earthquake safety. (my post about it)
bullet Bearded by Jeremy Billups—A Bearded Bear and a Red-Haired Little Girl go on adventures all over the world with an assortment of different animals. I love this art (and have a print of one illustration hanging on my office wall). (my post about it)
bullet Bearded Too by Jeremy Billups—A fun and fitting sequel to the above. (my post about it)
bullet Sea This and Sea That by Jeremy Billups—Set in a “crowded, hectic and gruff” city under the sea, with one quiet spot—The Sea This and Sea That Below the Seashore. Missus Bluffington gives a couple of kids (and the reader) a through her very unusual place, full of all sorts of sea creatures, sea plants, fish, and an octopus that shows up in some unusual places. (my post about it)
bullet Mike Nero and The Superhero School by Natasha Carlow, Kyle Stephen (Illustrator)—It’s Mike’s first day at a new school—he meets his principal and some incredible children and learns a little about the superpower he has within himself—and those inside other students, too. (my post about it)
bullet Little Aiden – A Feelings Book for Toddlers by Albert and Anna Choi, Bettina Braskó (Illustrator)—A parent assures Aiden that the wide range of emotions that he’s feeling throughout a day are okay. It’s okay to be happy or scared or confused. (my post about it)
bullet Little Aiden – A Love Book for Toddlers by Albert and Anna Choi, Bettina Braskó (Illustrator)—A parent assures Aiden of their love for him in various moods and in the midst of a range of activities—not all of which are the kind that a parent likes to see/endure, but none of which changes their love. (my post about it)
bullet Little Aiden: A Big Kid Book for Toddlers by Albert and Anna Choi, Bettina Braskó (Illustrator)—Aiden’s a little older now than he was in the first two books, and he’s learning how to be a little more independent. With mixed results. (my post about it)
bullet Be Brave, Little Puffy by Arline Cooper—A puffer fish gets tired of being a puffer fish and tries out life with other kinds of fish. (my post about it)
bullet What’s in Your Howl? by Douglas Gamble, Illustrated by: Steve Humke, Terri Isaacson—a great look at trying to understand each other (my post about it)
bullet Kitties Are Not Good To Eat by Cassandra Gelvin—A board book/electronic equivalent full of cat photos and handy tips like the title. (my post about it)
bullet Kay-9 The Robot Dog by J.M. Gulmire—a young man who can’t even have a hypoallergenic dog makes a work around (my post about it)
bullet Vernon the Vegetarian Lion by John Hughson, Ali Smith (Illustrator)—Vernon tries out vegetarianism. It goes as well as you’d think. (my post about it)
bullet Meeting of the Mustangs by Cathy Kennedy—This is for kids older than the rest on this list (7+ was my guess). A story of a wild mustang growing up. (my post about it)
bullet The Fed-up Cow by Peta Lemon, Maria Dasic Todoric (Illustrator)—Hilda the cow tries out the lives of other animals before learning to accept herself. (my post about it)
bullet Noam’s Monstersby Shai Levinger, Kaustuv Brahmachari (Illustrator), Ephrat Abisror (Translator)—Written by a Clinical Psychologist, this is about a boy struggling with anxieties and fears. Hopeful yet honest. (my post about it)
bullet George the Bannana: Book One by Elliott Linker—A graphic novel by a local 3rd grader (probably a 4th grader now, actually) about a crime fighting banana and his sidekick/best friend Elliott. (there’s a very good sequel that I haven’t had the time to write about yet, too) (my post about it)
bullet George the Bannana: Book Two by Elliott Linker—George faces off against more dastardly types (my post about it is forthcoming)
bullet The Defender by Elliott Linker—George gets a new, powerful ally. Just in time to take on a whole new opponent. (my post about it is forthcoming)
bullet Moshe Comes to Visit by Tehila Sade Moyal, Fatima Pires (Illustrator)—A young boy discovers that everyone is afraid of something. (my post about it)
bullet Bear with Bear by Hagit R. Oron, Galia Armeland by Hagit R. Oron, Galia Armeland (Illustrator)—A young boy tries to choose a pet. (my post about it)
bullet Bravo and Elphie by Hagit R. Oron, Or Oron (Illustrator)—Ephie and her pet have some struggles at the playground. (my post about it)
bullet Elphie and Dad go on an Epic Adventure by Hagit R. Oron, Or Oron (Illustrator)—An imaginative dad turns running errands with his son into an epic adventure. (my post about it)
bullet Elphie Goes Trick or Treating by Hagit R. Oron, Or Oron (Illustrator)—The title pretty much sums it up. (my post about it)
bullet Elphie Meets the End of The World by Hagit R. Oron, Or Oron Misgav (Illustrator)—Elphie is playing hide and seek with Phante and Phante’s older brother comes in talking about how he saw on the news that the world ending. Eliphie doesn’t take the news well and runs home to hide. Mom and Dad try to comfort and assure him. But it doesn’t really take—so they decide that if the world is going to end, they might as well make a party of it. That seems to work, and in the end, drives home the lesson that every day—even our last—ought to be enjoyed as a gift. (my post about it)
bullet Under the Barnyard Light by Carla Crane Osborne, Brandon Dorman (Illustrator)—a quiet night’s chores (my post about it)
bullet Buddy the Knight and The Queen of Sorrow by Peter David—A valiant teddy bear knight, who is devoted to protecting his Person from the monsters from The Realm-Under-The-Bed, has spent years defending a little girl named Mieya from these fearsome foes. He’s frequently assisted by his companion, a stuffed tamarin—a mandolin-playing bard. Esteban not only fights at Buddy’s side, but his songs frequently tell the tales of Buddy’s victories. These two (and allies they’re yet to meet) take on the ultimate foe. (my post about it)
bullet Practice Makes Perfect by Michael Portnoy, Adelia Drubetski (Illustrator), Freda Zolty Kovatch (Translator)—Madam Fly’s two sons are musical geniuses, or something like it—because she’s convinced they should put on concerts despite having no experience with playing whatsoever. Experience and the crickets who run the local music shop try to teach them an important lesson when it comes to music (or just about anything). (my post about it)
bullet The Incredible Ordinary Hero or The Brave Bystander by Aida Rascanu, Beatrice Magrini (Illustrator)—a double-whammy of a lesson for the readers/audience. First, there’s a discussion of what it means to be a hero (doing things that are heroic) and there’s a little first aid lesson—age-appropriate, mind you—to help parents/teachers train up young ones. (my post about it)
bullet How Did the Hippopotamus Get There? by Sohrab Rezvan, Kyana Mitchell (Illustrator)—the answer to this question is not what you’d expect (my post about it)
bullet Lulu and the Missing Tooth Fairy by S. E. Richey—an incredibly cute story about…well, a missing tooth fairy and tooth fairy-ish creatures all over the world. (I apparently somehow never posted about this, but it’s so good I have to share a link for it)
bullet Trouble With Truffles by S. E. Richey—an incredibly cute and informative story about truffle hunting. (I apparently somehow never posted about this, but it’s so good I have to share a link for it)
bullet Red Stripes VS Miles the Mutant Mouse by Amy Rice and Kyson Rice—5-year-old Kyson came up with the story about a super-powered cat defending his city from a giant (and very hungry) mutant mouse, with an assist from his mother on the illustrations. (my post about it)
bullet The Flying Frog and the Kidnappers by David Yair, Ilana Graf (Illustrator), Natalie Jackson (Illustrator)—4th in a series of 11 (so far, anyway). This series for beginning readers is about Quack, a flying frog, who helps some siblings fight crime. Obviously, in this case, they’re up against some kidnappers. (my post about it)

If you're a self-published author that I've featured on this blog and I didn't mention you in this post and should have. I'm sorry (unless you're this guy). Please drop me a line, and I'll fix this. I want to keep this regularly updated so I keep talking about Self-Published Authors.

Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week circle logo and the Irresponsible Reader Grandpappy's Corner Pilcrow (an older looking anthropomorphized pilcrow) in front of an open book

Image by OpenIcons from Pixabay
The 2026 Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week Logo was made by Witty and Sarcastic Book Club

The Irresponsible Reader On…Self-Published Urban Fantasy

Visit the SPAAW 2026 Hub to see what other Self-Published Appreciation Posts are out there.
Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week circle logo and the Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow in front of an open book

In Books, Fiction, Miscellany, News/Misc., Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week, Urban Fantasy

(updated 7/23/26

Today I’m focusing on Self-Published Urban Fantasy. Magic-users of various stripes, creatures that’ll push your imagination, and more dragons than show up on my Self-Published Fantasy list, believe it or not. There’s a lot to dig into here.

bullet Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron—A nice-guy dragon learns how to get by in a dragon-eat-dragon world with the help of a human mage on the lamb from the mob. (my post about it)
bullet Spirelli Paranormal Investigations: Episodes 1-6 by Kate Baray—a fixer for the paranormal community and debunker of paranormal frauds takes on an assistant, just in time for some real hairy cases (apparently I haven’t written about this one yet)
bullet Justice Calling by Annie Bellet—a magic user on the run, living among a bunch of shape-shifters, is accused of killing some. She works to clear her name, save her friends, and stay off the radar of those hunting for her. (my post about it)
bullet Vale Investigations by Cristelle Comby—a P.I. who is the emissary of Hades’ daughter on Earth investigates mysterious deaths and other happenings.
bullet Hostile Takeover (my post about it)
bullet Evil Embers
bullet Bad Little Girls Die Horrible Deaths and Other Tales of Dark Fantasy by Harry Connolly—a collection of short stories that I still think about. (my post about it)
bullet Twenty Palaces by Harry Connolly—I loved this UF series, but sadly was one of the few who read it. After the publisher declined to keep going with it Connolly has published a prequel and a sequel—with more on the way.
bullet Twenty Palaces—the prequel to the whole thing (my post about it)
bullet The Twisted Path (my post about it)
bullet The Iron Gate—catches up with our heroes and throws them into a life-changing situation (even for people in their…circumstances), a great way to resume the series. (my post about it)
bullet Ella Grey Series by Jayne Faith. A minor demon hunter in a slightly-futuristic Boise finds herself tangling with some major powers.
bullet Stone Cold Magic (my post about it)
bullet Dark Harvest Magic (my post about it)
bullet Demon Born Magic (my post about it)
bullet Blood Storm Magic (my post about it)
bullet Soul Fraud by Andrew Givler—stories about someone selling their soul to a demon are as old as fiction, but a demon forging a signature? Well, that’s a little different. Our victim teams up with some supernatural heavy hitters to fix the situation–while extraordinarily great things are happening to him otherwise. (my post about it)
bullet Bloodlines by Peter Hartog—an Urban Fantasy/Science Fiction/Detective mashup in a world that looks not dissimilar from Scott’s Blade Runner, powered by magic, and that has pan-dimensional aliens walking around. (my post about it)
bullet Pieces of Eight by Peter Hartog—the sequel to Bloodlines and continues to expand our understanding of this world while delivering a great story. (my post about it)
bullet Fred, The Vampire Accountant by Drew Hayes. The misadventures of a vampire accountant and his increasingly diverse and lethal band of friends trying to make their way in the world.
bullet The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant (my post about it)
bullet Undeath & Taxes (my post about it)
bullet Bloody Acquisitions (my post about it)
bullet The Fangs of Freelance (my post about it)
bullet Deadly Assessments (my post about it)
bullet Undeading Bells (my post about it)
bullet Out of House and Home (my post about it)
bullet Posthumous Education (my post about it)
bullet All Accounts Settled (my post about it)
bullet Terra Chronicles by JC Jackson. Another SF/Urban Fantasy mix (I didn’t realize how many of these I read until I did this post) about the adventures of an Elven arcanist and her paladin partner working for a Law Enforcement agency.
bullet Twisted Magics (my post about it)
bullet Shattered Illusions (my post about it)
bullet Twice Cursed (my post about it)
bullet Conjured Defense (my post about it)
bullet Mortgaged Mortality (my post about it)
bullet Divine and Conquer (my post about it)
bullet Cutthroat Cupcakes by Cate Lawley—a candy maker discovers she’s a witch when she’s arrested of murder by magic. Fun ensues. (my post about it)
These next three series are hard to talk about, they’re sort of one series, sort of separate (actually, there are four threads, but I haven’t gotten to the last one yet)…
bullet The Guild Codex: Demonized by Annette Marie. A woman with plenty of theoretical and no practical magical knowledge finds herself bound to a rare and very powerful demon.
bullet Taming Demons for Beginners (my post about it)
bullet Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (my post about it)
bullet Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped (my post about it)
bullet The Guild Codex: Spellbound by Annette Marie. A bartender with an anger-management (and therefore staying employed) problem finds herself working for a Mage Guild.
bullet Three Mages and a Margarita (my post about it)
bullet Dark Arts and a Daiquiri (my post about it)
bullet Two Witches and a Whiskey (my post about it)
bullet Demon Magic and a Martini (my post about it)
bullet The Alchemist and an Amaretto (my post about it)
bullet Druid Vices and a Vodka (my post about it)
bullet Lost Talismans and a Tequila
bullet The Guild Codex: Warped by Annette Marie, Rob Jacobsen. A former two-bit criminal gets pulled into helping the MPD police magic users.
bullet Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors (my post about it)
bullet Hellbound Guilds & Other Misdirections (my post about it)
bullet Pure of Heart by Danielle Parker—a sole werewolf and her family try to keep her secret under wraps and keep her wolf side from hurting anyone in this small Colorado town. (my post about it)
bullet Electric City Switches by M.D. Presley—the third Inner Circle novel throws more new concepts at the reader–and they’re all great. We get some good backstory and some better action and magic on display. (my post about it)
bullet Rites of Passage by M.D. Presley—An atypical magic system fuels this intricate UF series debut (my post about it)
bullet Ghost Stations by M.D. Presley—Corbin finds himself in NYC and spending time with a group of rich teens (as magic as he is) who go hunting for makers of a new drug wreaking havoc on the magic subculture. (my post about it)
bullet Time-Marked Warlock by Shami Stovall—a PI/Warlock is pulled out of retirement by a twelve-year-old who needs her mother’s killer and father’s kidnapper brought to justice. Adair Finch’s abilities include the power to reset time up to 24 hours previously–and he’s going to need to make several attempts at almost every interaction he has while on the hunt just to stay alive. (my post about it)
bullet Chronos Warlock by Shami Stovall—Finch is back, forced to work for an old client to find a missing woman and to solve the murder of a social media star.(my post about it is forthcoming)
bullet Ree Reyes series by Michael R. Underwood. Ree’s a barista and comic shop worker with ambitions of becoming a screenwriter. She inadvertently finds herself in a world of magic powered by Geekomancy “A style of magic where your love of pop culture becomes the source for amazing abilities – from bringing props to life to borrowing amazing skills from your favorite movies.” These were originally published by others, but Underwood has the rights back and is putting them out in new editions.
bullet Geekomancy (This came out before the blog, so check out my Goodreads review)
bullet Celebromancy (This came out before the blog, and I apparently didn’t write anything about it)
bullet Attack the Geek (my post about it)
bullet Hexomancy (my post about it)
bullet The Nameless Restaurant by Tao Wong—an unspeakably good restaurant (with lousy service) that caters to the supernatural set. The descriptions of the food will make you wish you lived in a UF world more than anything else on this list will. (my post about it)
bullet Arcane Casebook series by Dan Willis—This series is set in the 1930s about a P.I. who practices rune magic. Think Depression-era Harry Dresden mixed with Al MacBharrais.
bullet In Plain Sight (my post about it)
bullet Ghost of a Chance (my post about it)

If you're a self-published author that I've featured on this blog and I didn't mention you in this post and should have. I'm sorry (unless you're this guy). Please drop me a line, and I'll fix this. I want to keep this regularly updated so I keep talking about Self-Published Authors.

The 2026 Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week Logo was made by Witty and Sarcastic Book Club

A Murder Most Fungal by Adrian M. Gibson: Survival Does Not Equate to Freedom

In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Science Fiction, Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week

A Murder Most Fungal

by Adrian M. Gibson

DETAILS:
Publication Date: June 16, 2026
Format: e-Book
Length: 232 pg.
Read Date: July 6-8, 2026

…for all the damage the Coprinian humans have done to his homeland of Hōppon, they have introduced the fungal peoples to marvels of their colonial culture: Orchestras and operas, films and theater, new genres of music and literature.

What’s A Murder Most Fungal About?

Following the events of Mushroom Blues, the occupation forces have really clamped down on the Hōpponese (aka fungals). Life seems truly miserable for most of them.

But some of them get some perks, a life that’s slightly less oppressive. For example, the chef and his kitchen team who prepare the food for the Military Governor, Duncan MacArthur. MacArthur is of the opinion that to understand his enemy (and that classification tells you a lot about his attitude towards the fungals), he must understand their culture—and the easiest way to do that is by eating their food. So day after day, Pocho Jiro and his small staff prepare the best meals possible for MacArthur and his staff and commanders—and his personal taster (because you can’t trust these people). It should be noted that MacArthur is the only one who tries to enjoy the food, the rest of the humans spend their mealtimes complaining about the food and insulting the cooks (when they’re not ignoring them)—although one new officer arrives who might share MacArthur’s interest partway through the book..

Then one of the many resistance groups threatens the life of Pocho’s only remaining family. Get this intelligence for us and we’ll let her live. And then they come back with another task—kill MacArthur.

The Food

There is harmony in these component parts, in the commingling of delicious flavors that he knows MacArthur and his guests will soon experience. If only things in a kitchen were that easy… Food never holds grudges, nor does it talk back. Food does not disrupt the flow of the song, and instead makes its rhythms possible.

Okay, I don’t have an adventurous palate—there is no way that I’d eat 98% of the dishes described in this book, I know that. But I tell you what—when I read the descriptions of the food that Pocho and his team prepare, the care they put into it, and the way that Gibson and/or Pocho describe it? I wish I could give it a taste, or even just smell and see the meals.

Even better is the way the book depicts the preparation of the food, what it means to the people working in the kitchen to do so, or even just the procurement of the ingredients. It’s just magic. It’s why people watch cooking shows—yeah, I have no idea what the things on Iron Chef or Alex Versus America or whatever taste like—but I love watching them prepare the food. This is like that, but better (if only because the chefs have had time to think about the courses and prepare them without a ridiculous time restriction).

Really, Gibson could abandon the whole Hofmann Report report to just write about fictional chefs (or maybe the occasional passionate fry cook) and I’d be in for it. Sure, Tandri or Viv can brew a heckuva cup of coffee—but Pocho’s fungalfin dishes are works of art.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

If we keep it to humans strictly—the book tells us nothing good. But there is some hope for the species if we treat the fungals Hōpponese as representatives of humanity (as the book wants us to believe).
The humans in the book are utterly despicable—and there are maybe two with a trace of decency (and one of them you have to wait for almost the entire book to encounter). They are hateful toward the Hōpponese, speak of them as animals in their presence (while barely acknowledging that presence), and harass them (at best) constantly.

Now, the Hōpponese, on the other hand. They resent their chains, resent the occupiers, and do what they can to survive under the occupation. Some try to do more than survive—but it has to be done in secret, worried about exposure. We get glimpses of their rich culture from before the occupation—which just makes the current state all the worse.

Then there are the those fomenting rebellion, and well, they’re basically what you think.

If nothing else—we get the idea that those who see people as people who treat them with respect and decency (even if they find themselves on opposing sides of a war/occupation), and those who don’t…well, they’re inhuman at best.

So, what did I think about A Murder Most Fungal ?

the restaurant industry is one that drowns in vices and addictions. Alcohol, drugs, sex, long hours, infidelity; Pocho has seen it all, done it all. But the worst offender is obsession. The addiction to pouring everything you have into an idea, a dream, a project, a craft. Pocho’s experience has taught him that his addiction to cooking has given him everything he ever wanted— success, recognition— but left little room for anything else. Friendships. Family. Love.

As good as I thought Mushroom Blues was, this is better—didn’t Gibson get the memo that second novels are supposed to be a drop in quality? Pocho is just a brilliantly conceived character, and his friendship with/mentorship of Mori is fantastic. I really wish that the circumstances of the novel let us see more of that before we had to get to the nastier stuff. But Gibson gives us enough of a taste of it that we can imagine the preceding years for their friendship—and the rest of the found family. Which makes it worse when things come to disrupt it.

I don’t think I have a criticism of this book—just glowing compliment after glowing compliment. The closest I can come is that I wanted more of everything that wasn’t the plot. More of the street market and Pocho shopping for food, more time in the kitchen with his staff—just them interacting with him and each other. The day to day stuff.

Maybe a little bit with the one officer who seemed to truly want to understand and appreciate the Hōpponese culture and language—let us see him get through to Pocho and start to form some kind of understanding. That’d have raised the stakes for the end game, too.

But that’s just me wishing for more frosting on an already wonderful cake. (and here is where we all understand my struggles keeping my A1C in check).

This is a great SF novel (I think that’s where to categorize these Fungalverse books). It’s a gripping thriller. It’s a fantastic character study of a man with great passions stuck in horrible circumstances. It’s really something you need to read.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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SPAAW ’26: M. D. Presley Engages in Shameless OTHER-Promotion

Visit the SPAAW 2026 Hub to see what other Self-Published Appreciation Posts are out there.

I had a longer intro written for this series of posts, but it ended up too long. (If you’re curious, it makes up a couple of paragraphs in my Welcome to Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week post). Here’s the compressed version:

One of the things that’s impressed me over the years is seeing the way that Self-Published Authors all tend to support each other. They don’t come across as competitors, you’re colleagues—teammates, almost. Once again this year for SPAAW, I’m exploiting that.

As an expression of that, I’ve asked some authors to promote 1-3 self-published works by someone else—to just give me a quick elevator pitch for them to help get the word out. Several of them replied with those lists (a few have resisted the call for particular titles and have just talked about some other authors–which is close enough for me). Naturally, I’ve asked them all for a quick bit about one of their books/series, too—they should get some attention as well, don’t you think?

An image of a pair of speech bubbles. The upper one reads 'M. D. Presley Engages in:' and the lower reads Shameless Other-Promotion' with the Self-Published Author Appreciation raven circle in the upper left corner, and the Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow Icon in the lower left corner.

Other-Promotion:

The City that Would Eat the World

by John Bierce
The City that Would Eat the World by John Bierce. This is progression fantasy for people who aren’t prog fantasy fans like me. Insanely intricate and well thought out worldbuilding that also happens to be a thoughtful inspection of our current economic reality. Plus, it’s loads of fun, especially for fans of Pratchett.

Website ~ Bluesky ~ Buy the Book on Bookshop.org

The Redemption of Howard Marsh series

by Bob McGough
A down and out magician who can only use his powers when he’s drugged up (a methgician, if you will) reluctantly solves small crimes out of his storage unit in rural Alabama. He’s not saving the world, but hopefully might save himself along the way. The author has done a great job making this fictitious county feel more real than a lot of real cities in other urban fantasy. Plus, possum familiar and zombie turkey. Need I say more?

Website ~ Linktree ~ Buy the First Book on Bookshop.org

Soon Enough

by Magnus Watt
(series: Thin Places). Authors pitch new UF on the subreddit all the time, but this one hooked me by invoking ghost tours in Edinburgh (I highly recommend them!. What starts out as a failed comedian actually seeing a ghost on one ends in a century old war among the Scottish supernatural community. Watt mixes myth, mundane life, and even fairies in a way that feels very unique. This is very much a debut novel, and has some growing pains because of it, but in some ways it epitomizes the indie scene in that we get to watch a new talent develop right before our eyes.

Website ~ Instagram ~ Buy the Book on Bookshop.org

A Bit of Self-Promotion by M. D. Presley
(technically, I copied and pasted from his pinned Bluesky post here, he’s been so busy I didn’t want to point out to him that he didn’t give me anything for his own work.)

Electric City Switches

Armed with only a pen, Corbin must disarm deadly enchantments left by his mentor’s ex while uncovering what she stole and why in this stand alone mystical mystery.

Includes ghosts, gods, and a… whip sword?

Website ~ Bluesky ~ Buy the Book on Bookshop.org

Be sure to check out these books and show these Self-Published Authors some appreciation! They’re available at the links above or at the retailer of your choice!

Feel free to head over to my Bookshop.org page to see all the books I’m featuring this week (this may spoil some of the other lists, you’ve been warned). At least as many of them that Bookshop.org sells, anyway.

Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week circle logo and the Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow in front of an open book

Image by OpenIcons from Pixabay
The 2026 Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week Logo was made by Witty and Sarcastic Book Club

SPAAW ’26: Nikki McCormack Engages in Shameless OTHER-Promotion

Visit the SPAAW 2026 Hub to see what other Self-Published Appreciation Posts are out there.

An image of a pair of speech bubbles. The upper one reads 'Nikki McCormack Engages in:' and the lower reads Shameless Other-Promotion' with the Self-Published Author Appreciation raven circle in the upper left corner, and the Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow Icon in the lower left corner.

Other-Promotion:

The Cozy Cottage Series

by Liz Delton
What do you get when you mix a cottage that grants wishes, a cast of charming characters, and a cat? A really delightful reading experience. Each book in the cozy cottage series follows a different character who discovers the magical cottage with its resident cat and makes something wonderful of it. A witch helping people with her brews. A young man curating a library for the locals. And the newest installment sees the cottage taking on the role of a tea shop. If you need a cozy escape from the real world, these books a delightful.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Buy the First Book on Bookshop.org

Beyond the Humming Downs

by Ellen Starsmore
A well-written, immersive fantasy tale of Adehl and Roh, a pair of star-crossed lovers willing to fight for their unexpected bond despite the odds stacked against them. With magic based on the concept of ellir, the energy within the world, and a richly imagined culture built around it, the setting is as engaging as the characters. If you enjoy an inspiring romance with plenty of nail-biting tension and excellent world-building, look no further.

Website ~ Bluesky ~ Buy the Book on Bookshop.org

A Bit of Self-Promotion by Nikki McCormack

The Warden’s Son (series)

At five years old, Kasiel was found with the pointed ends of his ears cut off. Despite that brutal start, he’s lived twelve peaceful years with the man who took him in. Keeping his hair long over his mutilated ears helps him hide the fact that he is Vanrian, a child of the enemy. Or so he believes until the day mercenaries arrive hunting for him. An epic fantasy series for readers who love psychic magic, creature companions, and found family set against the backdrop of a land torn by war between those who have magic and those who do not.

Website ~ Bluesky ~ Buy the First Book on Bookshop.org

Be sure to check out these books and show these Self-Published Authors some appreciation! They’re available at the links above or at the retailer of your choice!

Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week circle logo and the Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow in front of an open book

Image by OpenIcons from Pixabay
The 2026 Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week Logo was made by Witty and Sarcastic Book Club

SPAAW ’26: Paul Regnier Engages in Shameless OTHER-Promotion

Visit the SPAAW 2026 Hub to see what other Self-Published Appreciation Posts are out there.

An image of a pair of speech bubbles. The upper one reads 'Paul Regnier Engages in:' and the lower reads Shameless Other-Promotion' with the Self-Published Author Appreciation raven circle in the upper left corner, and the Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow Icon in the lower left corner.

Other-Promotion:

Jewel of The Stars. Season 1 Episode 1: The Remnant

by Adam David Collings
He has a sci-fi series called Jewel of the Stars. Imagine Battlestar Galactica meets Love Boat.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Buy the Book on Bookshop.org

A Bit of Self-Promotion by Paul Regnier

The Agency of Magic and Mythical Creatures

I published a middle grade fantasy last year called The Agency of Magic and Mythical Creatures. It’s a portal fantasy where 12 year old twins Kyle and Kenzie get pulled into a fantasy world. They must survive mythical beasts and dark magic to find a way back to their world.

Website ~ Instagram

Be sure to check out these books and show these Self-Published Authors some appreciation! They’re available at the links above or at the retailer of your choice!

Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week circle logo and the Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow in front of an open book

Image by OpenIcons from Pixabay
The 2026 Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week Logo was made by Witty and Sarcastic Book Club

HC Chats with Michael R. Fletcher about Self-Publishing and some other stuff

Visit the SPAAW 2026 Hub to see what other Self-Published Appreciation Posts are out there.

On July 22, 2026

In Uncategorized

Each year–at least each year that I remember–one of the things I try to talk about is the Publishing side of Self-Published Authors Appreciation. The Authoring bit gets all of the attention–and it’s easy to understand why. But–as I say in the videos this week–it’s the Publishing side that makes me admire and appreciate these authors more. This week I’ve been able to convince 4 (maybe 5–we’ll see how the week goes) authors to sit down with me and talk about their approach to the parts where they take their creative efforts and get them into the hands of the readers.

This evening, I’m chatting with Michael R. Fletcher, man of many genres, multiple series, and quite the experience in Self-Publishing. I enjoyed the conversation a lot and I appreciate his depth of experience. I hope you enjoy this chat almost as much as I did:

Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week circle logo and the Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow in front of an open book

Image by OpenIcons from Pixabay
The 2026 Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week Logo was made by Witty and Sarcastic Book Club

Eternal Blades by Vlad V. Imakaev: A Tale of Wielders and Watchers

Visit the SPAAW 2026 Hub to see what other Self-Published Appreciation Posts are out there.

On July 22, 2026

In Fantasy, Fiction, Literary Locals, Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week, YA/MG/Children's Books

Eternal Blades

by Vlad V. Imakaev

DETAILS:
Series: Maks Kolba, #1
Publication Date: October 5, 2025
Format: Paperback
Length: 252 pg.
Read Date: June 20-22, 2026

What’s Eternal Blades About?

In the middle of a nasty snowstorm, Maks Kolba tries to drive home from work and comes across dragon and a winged warrior of some sorts in the middle of an epic combat. He can’t believe his eyes, but he also has to get out and see what’s happening. He perhaps got a little too close—but no matter.

He wakes up the next day in his room—completely unscathed, but with a voice in his head. He’s apparently replaced the winged warrior in their multi-dimensional war against that dragon and its ilk.

Poor Maks now has to get used to this seemingly-permament voice in his head (think Roen and Tao) as he tries to understand his new abilities and powers, learns to combat his foes, successfully get the police to stop asking questions about that night in the storm, and to try to figure out what he’s going to do after he graduates from high school.

Senior years are just never easy…

Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?

I met Imakaev at the Nampa Library’s Book Fair and not only was it a fun chat, his book seemed like it’d be plenty of fun.

I kept with it because it was a fast and engaging read—it didn’t take itself too seriously and had some fun with things—but it still treated the stakes as important. It was just an entertaining read.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

One of the things I appreciated most was the way a bunch of people got together to address a looming calamity. These people had little in common (some were open antagonistic toward each other), not all of them believed in the supernatural forces before their eyes—or that there was anything good that possibly could come from them. But a threat was there, and obvious, and they were able to set all of that aside to work for a common goal, and form some sort of bond over it. Bonds that might be tested—probably will be—and some may not stand up to the pressure. But still—a common goal was faced.

It’s easy to focus on division right now. It’s nice to see an example of the alternative—and a nice reminder that humans frequently act that way.

So, what did I think about Eternal Blades?

This was fun! A solid action-adventure for younger YA readers* with some cool supernatural aspects.

It’s easy to like these characters—even those who are a bit prickly. The supernatural system is pretty cool. The action scenes are well excuted and will keep you turning the pages as fast as you can. It took me very little time to decide that I could’ve read this in one sitting if I just had the time.

It feels like I should have a lot more to say, but…I really don’t. It’s a great intro to this universe, we get just enough of the supernatural world to entice and satisfy for the purposes of this book and to still have questions, and, welllll…basically, I want more of these, and I want them soon.

* Or readers who don’t get hung up on that kind of thing.

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Literary Locals logo

Image by OpenIcons from Pixabay
The 2026 Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week Logo was made by Witty and Sarcastic Book Club

SPAAW ’26: JCM Berne Engages in Shameless OTHER-Promotion

On July 22, 2026