Picking Their Brains: Authors' Top Reads of 2018

We've all heard the advice that writers should read to become better writers, but where to start? What are writers reading? I've asked a few indie authors what their favorites reads were this year and here's what they had to say. Many thanks to these fine authors for sharing their recommendations:

Best: For me it is a tie between Richard Nell's Kings of Paradise and Straight Outta Fangton by Charles Phipps —Michael R. Baker, author of The Thousand Scars

I only read three books this year, and really enjoyed all of them: CT Phipps's I was a Teenage Weredeer, ML Spencer's Darkmage, and Rob Hayes's Where Loyalties Lie. Still hoping to finish AM Justice's A Wizard's Forge over the holidays. —Matt Gilbert, author of The Dead God's Due

The Ember Blade by Chris Wooding (Total shocker, I know lol). Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence. Paternus by Dyrk Ashton. —Rob J. Hayes, author of City of Kings

Fantasy: Godblind by Anna Stevens. Non Fiction: On Writing by Stephen King. Historical Fiction: Men of Bronze by Scott Oden. Added bonus... Worst book I’ve read (apart from mine) Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell...DNF —Paul S. Lavender, author of The Eighth God

Two books stand out from the last year - Orconomics by J Zachary Pike (currently doing well in SPFBO) and The Green Man's Heir by Juliet E McKenna. —Martin Owton, author of Exile

I dove into an anthology of Penny Dreadfuls this year with classics like Diary of a Madman and Sawney Beane. I love this kind of work because of the different flavors of diction that they provide. Read some Charles Phipps. The stuff I got ahold of for him was a kind of slapstick horror mixed with blood-pumping action. That is not a super accurate description but for the last few months I have been trying to categorize his work unsuccessfully. This is the best I can do right now. I read Bone by Jeff Smith this year, if you haven't, you should. And look for ML Spencer she is a woman in fire. —Jesse Teller, author of Song

My favorite read this year was definitely Darkmage by M.L. Spencer, though I really enjoyed Fae: The Wild Hunt by Graham Austin-King, American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, I Was a Teenage Weredeer by Charles Phipps, and a re-read of Firestarter by Stephen King. —Richard Writhen, author of Hiss of the Blade

Picking Their Brains: Book Cover Design

I had a wonderful time interviewing cover designer Jenny Zemanek earlier this month, so the topic I chose for Picking Their Brains is book covers! Indie authors had lots to say about this. I actually have three author spotlights coming up that go into more depth on the topic. Here are a few brief thoughts on cover design to get the ball rolling.

"I used thebookcoverdesigner.com, loads of different artists and prices ranging from cheap to not so! I paid about $35 US for mine tops. My only regret is the font I chose for the covers, but then it’s kind of become my thing. I’m already looking into changing them but it won’t be for several years." —Paul S. Lavender, author of Tales from Ashen Falls

"I’m not published, but I have done mock covers for when I want to post about anything I’m working on such as this one:

I think they give you something to work toward. As for what should go into it, something that feels emblematic of the story to you. If you can also get something that will draw attention and you get folk interested in reading it, then that’s extra motivation too."
 —Drew McVittie, The Scribblings

"I did something similar a while back as a rough up, to see if public domain images in a 'historical' style was feasible with IT skills I haven't used in a decade on some archaic software. It also looked better when running a scriv compile for my phone. Don't rupture anything." —S.D. Howarth, World of Sanctuary

"My first covers were a job lot. £60 for all three. Then I spent some time with paint and put some text on the art and called it done. I'm honestly amazed I sold even 1 copy. They looked awful. They were unprofessional. In the current market everyone would skip right on past. Your book is your child. It's a little bit of you you're pushing out into the world and hoping people will read and like. Why not give it the best chance of success you can? That includes hiring a great artist and a top notch cover designer. It doesn't have to cost thousands, but it should probably be costing you hundreds. Oh, and Shawn King is the best cover designer out there. Hire that man now!" —Rob J. Hayes, author of The Ties That Bind series

Which books would you be most likely to pick up? 

It sounds like a common temptation for indie authors to create their own covers, but it doesn't always work out and can be difficult to create one you're happy with!

More cover design advice coming as we continue exploring this challenging arena...

Cover Design Spotlight with Author Matt Gilbert

Cover Design Spotlight with Author Ulff Lehmann

Cover Design Spotlight with Author Scott Kaelen

Review: Blackest Knights Anthology

Honor is just a word.

Throughout fiction, there have always been heroes who have fallen from grace. Champions of honor, decency, and order who have become villains through some traumatic event or a deep personal flaw. Blackest Knights is a collection of 19 tales by some of independent fantasy's best authors that follow a collection of those heroes who fell to temptation. From tales of bloody-handed hypocrites to space pirates, you'll find some truly fascinating works within.

Contains fiction by: David Niall Wilson, C. T. Phipps, James Alderdice, M. L. Spencer, Paul Lavender, Ulff Lehmann, A. M. Justice, Matthew Johnson, Matthew Davenport, Frank Martin, Allan Batchelder, Martin Owton, Richard Writhen, Jesse Teller and Michael Suttkus.

5 of 5 stars! 

Sometimes you need a reading palate cleanser, a book to reset your mind and ignite your enthusiasm once again. This anthology did that for me. Phipps has done a wonderful job compiling this collection. The theme works really well. The flow from one story to the next feels natural, with just enough variation to keep it interesting without feeling disjointed. It feels like a set of stories and not a random collection, each dark and entertaining, with a great variety in pacing and style. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

There are 19 stories from 15 different authors. Some humorous, some filled with tension, it's a perfect mixed bag of styles and approaches to the theme.

Some of the stories that stood out for me were: "Red" by ML Spencer, "The Structural Engineer" by Ulff Lehmann, "The King and the Witch" by Frank Martin, "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" by Allan Batchelder, "Honor is Just a Word" by CT Phipps, and "The Land of Rott and Cur" by Jesse Teller.

I highly recommend this for any fans of dark fantasy who are interested in sampling the works of some of the best indie authors you'll find. I applaud Phipps and all the contributing authors for this excellent addition to the current selection of quality fantasy anthologies.

You can find it here on Amazon or here on Goodreads.

Review: Tales from Ashen Falls by Paul S. Lavender

Monsters are on the rise and Gods walk the streets of Ashen Falls in four stories that serve as a prelude to The Eighth God.

Melress and The Fading Man
A young half-elven boy is kidnapped by a children's nursery rhyme.

The Doves Head Inn
Someone wants to get their hands on The Doves loot, but they have to get past two bouncers to do it.

Melress Investigates
Something is killing residents of Ashen Falls, and a young Melress is found standing next to a body. Can the Battle Mage find the real culprit?

The Scarecrow
It's a foggy night in Ashen Falls, and soon monsters walk the streets led by a man with one thing on his mind - revenge!

4 of 5 stars

Entertaining and funny! I previously read The Eighth God, so I had some familiarity with Mr. Lavender's world and the characters. I think it would work fine to start with this collection as well. Tales from Ashen Falls is a quick and enjoyable read. These stories center around a pub in the city Ashen Falls and the unlikely paths that cross within it. The tales connect to each other a bit, each one building on the circumstances and outcomes of the previous. The sparse writing style features cursing and cheeky banter. It's grim, violent, downright nuts, and the characters don't shy away from mocking themselves and their woes.

You can find it here on Amazon and here on Goodreads.