I'm A Voracious Reader : Self-published Authors Appreciation Week: Annette Marie

Self-published and small press authors always seem to get a lot of shit, so a bunch of book bloggers decided to get together and share our love for the self-pubbed and small press authors who entertain us with awesome stories. I don't know why certain people out there in the book blogging sphere keep insisting on saying that self-pubbed = crap writing because, while I may have hit a dud or two, most of what I've read over the last decade have been pretty fucking good! So, go click any and/or all of our posts all week long over on Witty & Sarcastic Bookclub run by the fabulous Jodie. Many thanks to her for organizing this and for Anca Antoci over at Summon Fantasy for creating the banners and badge.

For the first day of Self-published Authors Appreciation Week, I'm completely behind. Because I've been super busy, I've done no drafts for posts or dug around in my Goodreads shelves for authors to highlight. The problem isn't finding ones to pimp, but figuring out which ones out of the many. Because I have a LOT of authors I love who aren't attached to the MegaBook Companies.

I decided to highlight an author I found through Kindle Unlimited. She self-pubs but under who own publishing company called Dark Owl Fantasy. She has a plethora of books to choose from and does not appear to be slowing down at all. Thank the Book Gods.

I have not read her Steel and Stone books or the Red Winter Trilogy. What I have gobbled up (and continue to do so as new books come out) are her Guild Codex books of which there are currently four series (Spellbound, Demonized, Warped, and Unveiled) intertwined. Reading orders can be found HERE. There are also some Guild Codex comics coming out. OMFG! I can't wait for those! I've read thirteen of the books in this universe so far. Here's the list of my reviews *cracks knuckles and neck*:

Three Mages and a Margarita

Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors

Dark Arts and a Daiquiri

Two Witches and a Whiskey

Demon Magic and a Martini

Taming Demons for Beginners

The Alchemist and an Amaretto

Slaying Monsters for the Feeble

Druid Vices and a Vodka

Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped

Lost Talismans and a Tequila

Damned Souls and a Sangria

Delivering Evil for Experts

There are a couple of short stories in there I haven't read yet, and one book that came out in June that I picked up in Kindle Unlimited but I haven't had the opportunity to crack it open. There's also another book coming out next month, in August. I may wait and read them both together.

The writing is great, the world is awesome, the dialogue snappy, and the characters are fantastic. There's mystery, danger, magic, humor, and sexual tension that is present, but does not overwhelm the stories. I cannot recommend these books enough for total world submersion and a much needed getaway from real life. The book hangovers are totally worth it.

Annette Marie is the author of YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter, and sassy UF series The Guild Codex.

Her first love is fantasy, but fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She proudly admits she has a thing for dragons, and her editor has politely inquired as to whether she intends to include them in every book.

Annette lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it’s not quite that bad). She shares her life with her husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar.

When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.