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?
Other-Promotion:
The Last Champion of Earth
by Donald I. Templeman
Going in, I expected something closer to Frank Peretti, but it turned out to be something entirely different. It’s essentially a dystopian story set in a hedonistic world stripped of faith and morality, forced to reckon with the arrival of an alien harbinger prepared to unleash God’s wrath upon humanity.
It’s definitely a slow burn with multiple intersecting storylines, but everything ties together in a unique and satisfying way by the end. Templeman explores themes of sin, death, justice, and the meaning of life in a way that never feels overly preachy or simplistic, and the alien antagonist is deeply unsettling. In terms of world-building, it reminded me somewhat of Brave New World, though with a more redemptive arc.
Website ~ Facebook ~ Buy the Book on Bookshop.org
In the Lair of Legends
by David Buzan
The novel follows a Native American soldier during the Civil War era who must survive a train robbery involving Union gold by a renegade general in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains and fight his way to freedom. Along the journey, he encounters a cryptid threat that adds another layer of tension.
What I enjoyed most about Dave’s writing was the strength of the premise and his cinematic storytelling style. His action sequences are genuine white-knuckle rides and feel like they belong on the big screen.
Website ~ Twitter ~ Buy the Book on Bookshop.org
A Bit of Self-Promotion by Glen Gabel
Manitou
The crash was only the beginning. When a cartel plane goes down in North Idaho, forest ranger Roy Farmer finds a severed limb in the wreckage—and a growing trail of brutal deaths through the wilderness and nearby town. Corruption festers, a cartel war erupts, and something in the forest is hunting them all.
Website ~ Facebook ~ 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.
Visit the SPAAW 2026 Hub to see what other Self-Published Appreciation Posts are out there.
Image by OpenIcons from Pixabay
The 2026 Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week Logo was made by Witty and Sarcastic Book Club
Read Irresponsibly, but please Comment Responsibly