Conversations With Kav – Celebrating Indie Authors Day + Giveaway

It’s the fourth Sunday of the month and time for our new blog tradition – celebrating our independently published authors! I’m trying to read more indie books and have been thrilled to get all kinds of great recommendations from you guys so I thought it would be fun to set aside one day a month where we can chat about indie books as a way to support these hardworking, often overlooked authors.

Topics Up for Discussion

  • what we’re reading
  • new release alerts
  • recommended authors

Indie Author Spotlight

From time to time, I thought it would be fun to shine a spotlight on an indie author I am particularly enamoured with and this month it’s:

She is a new-to-me discovery thanks to Best Reads friend recommendations. I can’t remember who told me about her first…might have been in a Bingo entry line up? Or on one of our indie conversation days – anyway, whoever you are, THANK YOU! I blitzed through these five books in one month and I’m intending to finish the Danger in Destiny series in November.

Her books are fast reads, about the length of a Love Inspired novel, some might be a bit shorter. They are chockfull of faith and drama and suspense/mystery though I’d categorize the ones I’ve read so far as contemporary romances with a significant suspense/mystery subplot. Great characterization that gets me emotionally invested in the story and intrigue and action scenes add an extra oomph to the reading experience. The perfect escape read when you want a shorter novel without forfeiting the satisfying depth of a longer one.

It’s Been a Good Indie Reading Month for Me – about 50% of the books I’ve read have been indie and there’s still a week to go.

Let’s Start the Conversations:

And now it’s time for a chat. What indie books have you been reading this month? Already on your TBR just waiting to be noticed? New Indie Releases you are looking forward to? Share in the comments

AND LEAVE THE TITLE AND AUTHOR OF AN INDIE BOOK (CHRISTIAN FICTION OR CLEAN ROMMANCE) THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO OWN AND IF YOUR NAME IS DRAWN, THAT’S THE BOOK YOU WILL WIN.

Giveaway Opportunity:

US – paperback or ebook (check to make sure the book you choose has the edition you want, some seem to only be in ebook format.)

Canada – paperback, ebook or audible (if available) and also confirm that the book comes int he format you want

International – ebook if you have a US kindle account

You suggest an independently published Christian Fiction (or Clean Romance) already in print and leave the title and author in a comment and you will be entered in the giveaway. If your name comes up, then that’s the book you will win. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday Oct 31 2026.

55 thoughts on “Conversations With Kav – Celebrating Indie Authors Day + Giveaway”

  1. Good morning, Kav and Best Readers, the best indie I read this month was Avenging Angel by Madison Love, part of her Southern Knights Protector series.

    The indie I would like to read is Planning for Nickie, by Tasha Hackett, the second book in the Holidays in Hadley Springs series. I never got around to it last year and here it is up for a Christy this year in the short form category. It’s time to turn up the Christmas reading!

    Putting on my intrepid reporter hat, I’m looking forward to November, new indie holiday releases coming from Susan L. Tuttle, Courtney Walsh, Kimberly Kirland Absher (2), Rachel Scott McDaniel, Ashley Clark, and Gabrielle Meyer. A debut author I saw Laura Frantz promoting is Alison Treat. I’ll definitely be checking out When Sleigh Bells Ring, beautiful cover on this historical coming out Oct. 27th. (so far, only ebook edition)

    Happy Sunday reading to all! tracey14567 atgmail.com

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      1. Angel Protector sounds pretty suspense-y intense for you, Tracey! I definitely have to read it now too. 🙂

        I’m with you on Planning for Nickie — it’s on my 26 in 26 list so I have to get it read this year for sure! And then catchup up on Tasha Hackett’s other books! I think she cowrote a Christmas one that’s just come out.

        Thanks for all your upcoming release suggestions…and for checking out what formats they are available in. I’m going to keep the list close by and check every so often. For some reason, indie books don’t become available in paperback until the release day. It must be an Amazon rule of some sort. Very annoying though. Good luck, Tracey!

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    2. Kav, Avenging Angel is pretty suspense-y and intense for sure. But I had read 8 of her other suspense so I knew how far she would go with her descriptions and such. This is book 3 of 4 in this series but it can be read as a standalone. Even though there are a few reoccurring characters it’s minimal. But if you want to maximize the reading experience you can always start with Finding Faith, then Saving Grace next. The second book came out 6 months ago and I’ve been waiting on pins and needles for this one. Now to wait for April for book 4, the one thing about series. I’m not good at waiting for the next book!

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  2. Good morning all! I just read a debut to a new series by Danna Demetre called Beyond Betrayal. Lotsa wisdom filled spiritual nuggets for marriages that are in trouble (mine isn’t), but 3/4 of the book takes place in Italy with 4 best friends & I loved that part. She writes Italy like no other! The rest of the series is set in Italy also, with a new plot but same friends.

    Read The Lady of Red River Valley by Gabrielle Meyer. Interesting stuff about Canada’s history!

    Read When Winter Came to Dunn Cottage by Joanna Davidson Politano & some by Dora Hiers that were a bit too sweet for my tastebuds. Lol

    Book I’d like to win is: The Heir’s Beloved by Rhonda Dragomir

    Thanks, Kav! dianalflowers at aol dot com

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    1. I do love to armchair travel with my fiction and you’ve mentioned some globe-trotting ones! I haven’t heard mention of Danna Demetre before, so thanks for the introduction. And, woohoo, my library has actually ordered The of Red River Valley and Gabrielle Meyer’s other indie novels so that’s exciting! The Heir’s Beloved does look interesting and another new-to-me author as well! Gah! Just when I think I’m catching up and getting oh-so-knowledgable about indie authors I realize…I’m not! Bwahahaha! Good luck, Diane!

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  3. I have quite a few Melanie Snitker books on my kindle but haven’t read any yet. I’ll have to pull one to the top of my list soon.

    I read a few indie’s this month. I’ve been enjoying my promo Kindle+ 😊

    Forbidden to Fall by Martha Keyes, When Winter Came to Dunn Cottage by Joanna Davidson Politano, Autumn Kissed by Deborah Hathaway, What Could Go Right? By Jessica Wakefield, To Educate an Earl by Gabrielle Meyer, Feels Like Home by Courtney Walsh, Mail-Order Lady by Misty Beller, A Most Unfortunate Happenstance by Esther Hatch, and Miss Beresford and the Beast by Mimi Matthews. I’ve also enjoyed the Maple Lake Collection of books by various Sunrise Publishing authors (not Indie).

    I’m looking forward to continuing the series by Gabrielle Meyer and Misty Beller, and new books by Courtney Walsh, Susan Tuttle, and Rebecca Hartt.

    My pick would be a copy of The Lost Are Found Box Set by Rebecca Hartt, publishing Oct 27.

    Have a wonderful rest of your day to All! Sandyavery at comcast dot net

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    1. Ohhh, yes, do get to one of them sometime soon. I’m listening to another one – first in a series – contemporary romance with light suspense thread – right now. Great quick escape reads. You’ve had quite the reading month so far, Sandy. Maybe it continue! Good luck!

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  4. Kav, on Insta the other day I heard Courtney Walsh tell about her new Christmas novel coming out Nov 30 – Lights, Camera, Christmas – and it sounds like lots of fun. The indie book I’d like to win, though, is still the same – Lori Benton’s A Scattering of Light. You’d think I’d give up and buy it! LOL

    ckbarker at gmail dot com

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    1. Check with your library! Ours is terrible about ordering indies but does have A Scattering of Light in AUDIO only. It’s kind of odd, but I made note of it. Maybe the audio has a more library-friendly vendor. Who knows?

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      1. Just checked our interlibrary loan and no one in our system carries it. Probably because it’s indie. I might have to make a purchase suggestion if I don’t win it soon. Haha 🙂

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      2. That’s a bummer! It is on Kindle+ (formally Kindle Unlimited). I’m sure there’s a month free trial if you haven’t used it in a while. I’m almost afraid to go down that rabbit hole (and never used it). 🤣🤣🤣

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  5. Kav, Thank you sharing your wealth of Indie Author information. I had no idea of how much I was missing out on.

    A Scattering of Light – Lori Benton.

    psalm103and138atgmaildotcom

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  6. I haven’t heard of Melanie Snitker! Always fun to find a new-to-me author! I’d choose Uneasy Street by Becky Wade. 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway!

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  7. I’ll be honest, I had one book selected to post, but after reading up on the book others had said they had read – especially Tracey’s, I’m now saying if I were fortunate enough to be selected, I would LOVE the opportunity to read AVENGING ANGEL by Madison Love. 😊

    Thank you so much for the chance.  Have a wonderful and blessing week.

    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  8. I’m not a big indie reader. Harder to find good quality books. Im thankful for people like you that find them for me. Lol

    When Winter Came to Dunn Cottage by Joanna Davidson Politano looks like a good one.

    Dianemestrella at gmail

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  9. I have recently read When Winter Came to Dunn Cottage by Joanna Politano.

    I would love to win Lori Benton’s A Scattering of Light.

    paulamarys49ATgmailDOTcom

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  10. I’m not really stellar about keeping up with indie authors, but I trust  Kav to help us navigate them.  I find it confusing because some authors are hybrid, so how do you really know?   It is also frustrating that for the most part, the library won’t order them (I’m not sure why).  Sometimes they just get the audio(something I’m not adept at because of my hearing issues I need to be able to read along).

    I just recently finished reading An Overdue Match by Sarah Monzon, The Bird of Bedford Manor by Michelle Griep and A Bookshop for Christmas by Heidi Chiavaroli (INDIE!).  Now I’m reading The Heiress and the Woodsman by Christine Hill Suntz, and re-reading The Stories We Carry by Robin W. Pearson for November book club.

    Thank you for the encouragement to pick up a Melanie Snitker title, I’m familiar with her work but have not read any of hers yet.  I do have a few on Kindle though (she is generous!).

    Sometimes I wonder if I should just get a month’s trial of Kindle Unlimited (now Kindle+) and catch up on the indie authors.  I expect that would be cheating, though.

    I would choose Anchor Cove by Toni Shiloh for this drawing.

    perrianne (DOT) askew (AT) me (DOT) com

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    1. Ohhh, sounds like you have a great book club based on their November selection! Wish I could find one like that close to me. You’ve had a great reading month, Perrianne and a week still to go. My library is the same way about indie books though they have started to order bigger name Christian Fiction authors’ Indies. Those hybrid authors you speak of who publish both traditionally and independently.

      I now lots of people who have done the trial Kindle+ with no intention of continuing to paid subscription. I’m sure they lure a lot of readers in to subscribing that way, but lots more who don’t. They must feel it’s worth it to offer the trial so I say, go for it! 🙂 Good luck, Perrianne!

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      1. It’s been a great reading month! Plus I met my Goodreads goal for the year. I’ve never done the Kindle+, so we’ll see.

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  12. An indie book I’m really looking forward to reading is January’s The Sweetheart Deal by Becky Wade. On my TBR pile are Joanna Davidson Politano’s The Life She Forgot and When Winter Comes to Dunn Cottage.

    A few of my favorite indie authors are Toni Shiloh and Courtney Walsh. Some favorite authors who are traditionally published that also are venturing into the indie world are Karen Witemeyer, Amanda Cabot, Deborah Raney, Heidi Chiavaroli, and Pepper Basham.

    pmkellogg56[at]gmail[dot]com

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    1. I’m excited that Courtney Walsh is going to have a Christmas story coming out in the near future. Woot! Are you entering a title for the giveaway, Pam? Not sure if you meant The Sweetheart Deal to be your entry, but the book needs to be published already.

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      1. Whoops, I guess I need to read more closely. How about Who Touches the Mountains by Deborah Raney for an already published indie book.

        pmkellogg56[at]gmail[dot]com

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  13. I think the only indie book I’ve read lately is When Winter Came to Dunn Cottage by Joanna D. Politano. I always love her books.

    The Maid and the Mistletoe by Deborah M. Hathaway has caught my eye. It sounds intriguing. I’ve read several of her books and enjoyed them.

    whthomas13 at yahoo dot com

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  14. I’m way behind on this Sunday conversation just reading this Monday morning. I sure enjoyed reading all your comments and realising that I’ve actually read some of the indie books from authors you’ve mentioned but didn’t know they were indie. I’m also adding so many new titles and authors to my TBR list. Love your comments and all your suggestions.

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    1. I’ve started to pay more attention to the publishing side of the books I’m reading. Love supporting indie authors and I also want to start sourcing small Christian publishers as well who don’t get as much attention as the bigger publishers. Reading is always an adventure.

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  16. I’m not good at finding Indie published books. I just finished The Ties That Bind by Jane Bayly Vaughan and not sure if it’s indie or not. I choose A Scattering of Light by Lori Benton leliamae54(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Yes, The Ties That Bind is indie published. I find it so frustrating when authors create press names instead of just saying ‘independently published’ in the book details. It makes it so hard for readers to figure out if a book is indie. Grrr. lol Good luck, Lucy!

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  18. I don’t know how to find Indie publishers. Carry Me Away (Blue Wren Shallows #2) by Dorothy Adamek – Crabapple House Publishing will be my choice to continue series. Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House lanehillhouse(at)gmail(dot)com

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  19. Hey Kav, I was on amazon checking my book list this morning and saw that Tasha Hackett had added Planning for Nickie to KU (which has now become Kindle+) I went ahead and downloaded it so you can withdraw my name and give others the chance to win. Love the indie discussion though. Seems all the indie authors I follow are on kindle+ except for Jorgia Yates and I’m caught up on her. Happy reading!

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  20. The most recent indie book I wish I could give more than 5 stars is You Again by Jen Atkinson. It’s an amnesia story, which is a trope that, when done well, is one of my favorites. I loved the perspective from the male main character.

    I still need to add The One With the Kiss Cam by Cindy Steel to my shelves!

    colorvibrant at gmail dot com

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  21. I’m just getting into Indie authors. I find it hard to locate them and their releases. My choice would be When Winter Comes to Dunn Cottage by Joanna Davidson.Politano. I loved the first book in this series! It was so good and kept me guessing until the end. I’m really looking forward to this next book set in a Christmas setting!

    Alison Boss
    nj(dot)bossman(at)gmail(dot)com

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