Tag: SPAAW ’26

(updated 7/20/26)

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 General Fiction (for lack of a better term)—there’s some Lad Lit, a dash of historical fiction, some humor, a couple of things I don’t know how to categorize beyond “Fiction”, and a bit more. Hopefully, you can find something that tickles your fancy.

bullet Dispatches from a Tourist Trap by James Bailey—Jason (see below) and his mother move from Seattle to a small town in the middle of Washington to stay with her parents as she establishes a life away from her husband. Hilarity and conflict ensue. (my post about it)
bullet The First World Problems of Jason Van Otterloo by James Bailey—an epistolary novel (through emails) from a 13-year-old whose life is turned upside down in 2003 Seattle. A lot of heart and a few laughs. (my post about it)
bullet This Is Who We Are Now by James Bailey—he doesn’t just write YA, Bailey attacks coming-of-Middle-Age, too. This not-so-young man, deals with changes to his parents’ lives, his younger siblings’ successes (and struggles) and coming to grips that his life may not end up just the way he wanted it to.
bullet The Glamshack by Paul W. Cohen—A lifestyle reporter’s obsessive love for a woman and the havoc it wreaks on his life. (my post about it)
bullet Ways And Truths And Lives by Matt Edwards—this is tough to summarize in a sentence, but let me try, because this is more about the internal life. James Dall is a struggling writer and reporter, who is still trying to figure out what he thinks about life, love and meaning. This is about him on the verge of making a big move for his life and career, and those things that move him to it.
bullet The Chronicles of Iona: Exile by Paula de Fougerolles—The first novel in a series about the founding of Iona. Some historical fiction with a hint of Fantasy. (my post about it)
bullet Love Stories by Robert Germaux—based on actual events, the story of a love that might have been, and one that is. (my post about it is forthcoming)
bullet Not Awkward by Matthew Hanover—a young man attends the funeral of his ex’s father and gets roped into staying during shiva in the days leading to his wedding. Nah, not awkward at all. (my post about it)
bullet Not Dressed by Matthew Hanover—Hanover’s (seemingly) effortless charm makes this “romantic comedy of how love goes wrong—and right—when you’re a twenty-something still figuring out how to adult” a real winner. (my post about it)
bullet Not Famous by Matthew Hanover—Hanover’s first novel is about a guy who falls for a socially awkward musician. It will steal your heart. (my post about it)
bullet Not Prepared by Matthew Hanover—a bachelor takes in his eleven-year-old-goddaughter when her mother skips town, and maybe finds love, too. Great stuff. (my post about it)
bullet The Flight of the Pickerings by John Grayson Heide—a heart-warming story about an older couple dealing with dementia and the end of their life together get their world turned upside down when their rebellious teenage grandson comes to live with them. (my post about it)
bullet Didn’t Get Frazzled by David Z. Hirsch, MD—a bildungsroman following a 20-something through his 4 years of medical school: from Gross Anatomy to the verge of residency. (my post about it)
bullet Love and Other Monsters in the Dark by K. B. Jensen—I could probably put this on most of my Self-Published Fiction lists, so I’ll limit it to this one. It’s sort of the same genre as The Twilight Zone—SF, Fantasy, Horror, Crime. Sudden Fiction and Short stories that’ll knock your socks off. (my post about it)
bullet XYZ by William Knight—A mature, old-school programmer has to start his career over at a 21st Century Startup as his family life falls apart in every way imaginable. Clearly a comedy. (my post about it)
bullet Dirt Road Home by Alexander Nader—A lot of charm fills this YA(ish) Coming of Age story about a teen forced to move from Detroit to a small town in Tennessee before graduation. (my post about it)
bullet Coffee and Condolences by Wesley Parker—A widower tries to begin recovering from the deaths of his wife and children by reconnecting with his step-sister and maybe finds love. (my post about it)
bullet Detours and Do-overs by Wesley Parker—A sequel to the next on the list. This follow-up had a lot of heart. (my post about it)
bullet Headphones and Heartaches by Wesley Parker—A teen finds home, safety, and love in a Foster Home, but is torn about leaving his mother behind. One sentence doesn’t do it justice, I simply loved this one. (my post about it)
bullet The Worst Man by Jon Rance—Ollie’s desperately in love with the girlfriend/fiancée of the man who’s been his best friend since childhood. And now he has to be the best man at the wedding he wants to derail. (my post about it)
bullet The Summer Holidays Survival Guide by Jon Rance—an out-of-shape teacher tries to prepare for a half-marathon while surviving the summer with his three kids, a marriage on the rocks, and his father (with dementia) moving in. (my post about it)
bullet However Long the Day by Justin Reed—A Depression-era take on The Prince and the Pauper, an impressive debut (my post about it)
bullet The Crescent and the Cross by Kurt Scheffler— the story of The Battle of Tours (in 732) and events leading up to it, told through the lives of people close to Charles Martel and Charles on the one hand and a couple of the leaders of the Muslim forces involved in the Arab invasion of France. (my post about it)
bullet In Ten Years by Ian Shane—The reductionist description is “A 21st Century When Harry Met Sally“. We watch a couple of college friends over 18 years start to figure out that they’re in love. Hilarious and sweet. (my post about it)
bullet Postgraduate by Ian Shane—When your life falls apart, why not take your college radio show and turn it into an Internet radio show? And then, why not attend a reunion with the old college radio gang, including “The One That Got Away” (because you foolishly dumped her)? (my post about it)
bullet Radio Radio by Ian Shane—A maverick DJ is forced to get creative when a corporate radio management team takes over his station. A love letter to what radio used to be as much as anything else. (my post about it)
bullet The Museum Guide by Nicole Sharp—”A snapshot of life, love and third grade field trippers” in a natural history museum. (my post about it)
bullet The Jackals by Adam Shaw—A local band on the verge of making it big/big-ish falls apart after high school due to a love triangle that shouldn’t have happened. When one member of the band dies, the group has to get together for a funeral and to clean up his stuff. (that’s a bad summary, but best I can do in a sentence) (my post about it)
bullet KA-E-RO-U Time to Go Home by B. Jeanne Shibahara—I’m so glad the blurb contains a one-sentence description because I couldn’t write one: “Desert-dweller Meryl travels to Japan, returns a WWII flag, and brings home an understanding of life that opens her heart for the unexpected.” (my post about it)
bullet Lingering by Melissa Simonson—It’s sort-of SF, sort-of a Thriller, but not really either, so I put this here. This is a novel about grief, about dealing with death—while telling the story about an effort to design an AI to mimic a dead loved one in order to help a survivor cope. (my post about it)
bullet We Be Dragons by Michael Weitz—It’s a trip back to the mid-80s in an Idaho small town. A group of boys spend the summer playing D&D, working, and thinking about girls. A local woman succumbs to Satanic Panic and tries to shut them down. As a bonus, we get several chapters from the game’s POV. (my post about it)
bullet Leveled Up Love by Tao Wong & A. G. Marshall—It’s LitRPG-ish, it’s also a Rom-Com. You mash the two of those together and you get this entirely entertaining and sweet read. (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.

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

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

We Be Dragons by Michael Weitz: A Nice Bit of 80s Nostalgia

By HCNewton

On July 20, 2026

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Literary Locals, Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week

We Be Dragons

by Michael Weistz

DETAILS:
Publisher: Rook & Rook
Publication Date: May 23, 2025
Format: Paperback
Length: 438 pg.
Read Date: June 15-18. 2026

What’s We Be Dragons About?

It’s 1986 in Weston, ID, a small town in Northern Idaho, near Moscow (interestingly, that actual town in Idaho with that name is on the southeast corner, and is probably smaller). It’s practically idyllic—wholesome town, solid community where everyone knows everyone and looks out for each other. We focus on a group of six teens in the summer before their senior year, one of the last chances they have to make money for college. Their big concerns are getting to an AC/DC concert, trying to come up with the nerve to ask out a girl, overbearing bosses, and keeping their cars running. Well, and their D&D game.

Which, to their surprise, is becoming controversial—someone in the large church just outside of town has decided to buy into all the hype surrounding the game right then—that it’s Satanic, involves actual demons and spells, and will lead children to a life of destruction, drugs, and deviancy. She’s trying to rile up the city against this kind of thing—and they’re about to become the poster children for this effort.

The book focuses on John Brewer, the DM for the game, who loses his job at the beginning of the summer—thanks to some changes in town. He ends up having to scramble for a job helping with the harvest efforts (and the run-up to them) for a farm a little way out of town, where he and Toff, another member of the group, live during the week.

There are three types of chapters in this book, and I want to attack each of them in turn.

The A Story

There’s the everyday life chapters—the slice of life, the coming-of-age stuff. This is perfectly fine. I do wonder if John acts a little too immature for someone of h is age and place in life (especially compared to his friends). But then again…at that age, how many of us acted like we were supposed to?

The main conflict in these chapters if between John and his boss who is antagonistic toward him from the instant he hires John. Toff tries to keep John and his temper in check (and it mostly works). Jim Henley, the farmer in question, attends the same church as the anti-D&D crusader, but that doesn’t seem to be all of it. There’s something else afoot.

Mrs. Henley and the other adults on the farm seem to be fine with Toff and John—they’re friendly and helpful, taking the boys under their wings to show them what to do. Their basic decency really makes you wonder about Jim.

The Gaming Nights

Then we get the chapters where we see the gang as a D&D session begins or ends. I really loved these chapters—it feels so right. This is what a gaming session should be like—although some of these chapters feature the abrupt interruption of the anti-D&D campaigners breaking up the games in various ways. Those interruptions are not what a gaming session should be like, but the way that the teens and John’s mom react are really good.

Paulette Dickerson keeps interrupting the games—ignoring common manners and private property laws in an unbelievable, yet completely believable, way. Sometimes with an audience, sometimes with just a henchman/hanger on. The police get involved more than once.

These chapters sold me on the book more than anything else—it’s the core of the book. I enjoyed watching the reactions to Paulette and her antics. But more than that, it’s just watching the way the boys play.

The Game POV

If the core of the book is the gaming nights, then the chapters which are told about the game—from the POV of the characters—are the cherry on top. It’s basically scenes from a fantasy novel. We don’t see Truck, Charlie, or Nick—we see the characters Kryger, Domo, Bellator, and the rest—plus all the monsters and hazards that John throws at them.

These chapters are just perfect. I mean, I might not love them if they were in a proper Fantasy novel (I’d need to see more to form an opinion). But in this format? Just love them.

My sole complaint is that there aren’t enough of them.

So, what did I think about We Be Dragons?

I liked the book. I thought the anti-D&D stuff ended well. I thought the character arcs were pretty well resolved. I’m not 100% that the A Story chapters told a story that needed to be told, or had a satisfying/worthwhile conclusion. But, I’m not annoyed by that—and the pluses of this book outweigh that.

It took Weitz a little while to settle into the book—he was trying too hard initially to set the stage, I think. Two detailed descriptions of oil changes in the first 20 pages seems a little overkill. But once he settled into things, that went away. He nails the setting—granted, I didn’t move to the area until 5 years after the events depicted here, but his description jibed with my memories. Once we move past the opening chapters, the writing was smooth and while you wouldn’t ever call this a fast-paced novel, it reads like one.

The two antagonists of the book—Paulette Dickerson and Jim Henley—were a bit too thinly drawn to take seriously. I don’t get where Henley is coming from or his capricious treatment of his workers—why did any of the adults stick with him? Was work that hard to find in the community? Paulette is a good representation of the worst of the Satanic Panic of the time. But she feels as solid as a Hollywood backdrop. I just didn’t believe her (I believed people’s reactions to her, though).

All that said—this is a nice way to spend some time. Weitz does a good job of taking you back to the 80s (especially if you’re familiar with smaller rural towns), and reminding the reader about high school friendships—and, for some of us, that group of geeky guys they could spend quality time with.

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.

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 large letters 'Literary Locals' and in smaller 'The Irresponsible Reader' are at the bottom of the image. An image of a book opening and snow-capped mountains rising from between the pages, a stalk of some sort of grain is next to each side of the book, like parentheses.

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

The Museum Guide by Nicole Sharp: A Literary Stroll through Lives and a Museum

By HCNewton

On July 20, 2026

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Literary Locals, Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week

The Museum Guide

by Nicole Sharp

DETAILS:
Publication Date: June 1, 2024
Format: Paperback
Length: 50 pg.
Read Date: May 2, 2026

What’s The Museum Guide About?

This is a very small novella, so I have to be careful not to say too much. The text on the cover describes the book very well: “A snapshot of life, love and third grade field trippers.”

We follow museum docent Martha Stein as she guides a class of third-graders through a natural history museum. Third-graders + museum = barely-controlled chaos, and we do get to see Martha and the teacher try to maintain that. But as Martha takes them around, the narration pauses to watch a security guard, an event planner, a museum visitor, someone working on a display, and so on.

We see where they are that day—their emotions, the goings on in their life, just a quick glimpse—as if they’re displays at a museum we’re strolling through.

So, what did I think about The Museum Guide?

I’m more afraid to say much here than I was above. This feels like one of those things that the more you talk about it, the worse the subject is for it. To come back to this well one too many times, it’s one of those beautiful displays in a museum that it’s best to just stand and take in rather than to try to talk about. (there’s a scene in Walter Mosley’s Ghalen that captures this wonderfully, where a man just stands in front of a painting for hours, unable to really talk about what he’s seeing)

This novella has none of the zaniness of Sharp’s other work, or really almost any other characteristic of it. However, it does have the same quality of writing, story-telling, and character. How she’s able to draw so many strong characters in a mere fifty pages is something else.

If anything, it’s assuring to see that she has another gear—as delightful as her typical gear is.

I was completely immersed in this and was utterly charmed by it. It was over too soon for my taste (although I couldn’t tell you how it could be expanded/extended without losing something).

The Museum Guide is a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon, and I’d encourage you to get it.

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.

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 large letters 'Literary Locals' and in smaller 'The Irresponsible Reader' are at the bottom of the image. An image of a book opening and snow-capped mountains rising from between the pages, a stalk of some sort of grain is next to each side of the book, like parentheses.

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

SPAAW ’26: Z.B. Steele Engages in Shameless OTHER-Promotion

By HCNewton

On July 20, 2026

In Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week

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 'Z.B. Steele 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 Price of Power

by Michael Michel
Fantastic character work, gorgeous imagery and a setting where ASOIAF meets x-men, Price of Power has it all. For fans of multi-pov works with an emphasis on character building, this one is for you

Website ~ Twitter ~ Buy the Book on Bookshop.org

The Price of Fear

by Miles Lyon
A stunningly powerful voice, this grimdark framed narrative doles out raunchy humor, visceral action, and scintillating dialogue in equal measures. For fans of EOTV & First Law.

Website

The Whisper that Replaced God

by Timothy Wolff
One of the best–if not the best–novellas I’ve ever read, this unreliable narrative features a semi-insane assassin in love with a prostitute who hates him and marked by a god hated by all. Not for the faint of heart, but anyone who can digd unreliable narrators will love this.

Twitter ~ Buy the Book on Bookshop.org

A Bit of Self-Promotion by Z.B. Steele

Whispers of the Storm

My flagship series is Song of the Damned with Whispers of the Storm being the first entry.
A framed narrative where Abercrombie meets Rothfuss, Whispers of the Storm centers on Redlin, an infamous hero-turned-villain on the way to his execution. As he travels to the noose, he chronicles his life as a boy sold to a military academy, his rise to fame, and his fall to infamy

Website ~ Linktree

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.

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: Adam Holcombe Engages in Shameless OTHER-Promotion

By HCNewton

On July 20, 2026

In Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week

An image of a pair of speech bubbles. The upper one reads 'Adam Holcombe 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 Envoys of War

by Dave Lawson
A test of loyalty turns into a chaotic hairbrained scheme that requires the coordination of several individuals with questionable intents. Great characters, great bickering, D&D feels.

Website ~ Linktree ~ Buy the Book on Bookshop.org

His Ragged Company: A Testimony of Elias Faust

by Rance D. Denton
Making westerns weirder with a heaping handful of warlock magic, people filled with sand, and fast shootin’ shoot outs. An immersive, wild experience.

Website ~ Instagram

Fortune’s Fool

by Angela Boord
An Italian renaissance inspired story about a woman with a metal arm out for vengeance and love. This duel timeline story comes together to tell an amazing story about Kyrra, once the daughter of a noble house, now a mercenary.

Website ~ Instagram ~ Buy on Bookshop.org

A Bit of Self-Promotion by Adam Holcombe

Bounty Inc.

A lofty dream that only a vast inheritance could achieve. Good thing Wyn’s wealthy father died. Launching the galaxy’s first bounty hunting organization requires the assistance of a strange and diverse group of dangerous individuals, and of course a really cool slag cannon. The cannon is important.

Website ~ Bluesky ~ Buy 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!

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

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