Picking gifts for the people in your life can be stressful and chaotic. Especially when you have a grab-bag or Secret Santa situation. How do you know what to choose?
Books. Gifting a book is almost always a winning choice.
I don’t know about you, but walking into a bookstore is both heaven and hell for me. I love all the possibilities, all the different genres and gorgeous covers promising to whisk me away to a magical land or into a whirlwind (imaginary) romance. But all the possibilities can be a bit overwhelming, too.
So. Many. Choices.
There are a ton of options out there and even looking through various best-seller lists or celebrity recommendations can be overwhelming. How on earth do you find something good by an author you’ve (likely) never heard of before? If you don’t want to freeze like a deer in the headlights – like I do almost every time – let me throw out some titles for you.
Following is a collection of books from different genres, written by people I personally know, who are self-published or published by small or indie presses that don’t have the marketing clout of one of the major publishing houses.
Take a look!
Stephanie R. Caffrey is one of my very favorite people and we have been on this publishing journey together for nigh on SIX YEARS (along with the next author on my list, Jamie Seitz.) Stephanie writes romantic suspense and does such a terrific job with witty banter and high-stakes danger that you’ll be on the edge of your seat, breathless with laughter, love, or fear. Her London Detective Agency duology was published earlier this year with outstanding reviews, and she’s working on an FBI-based series next, so be sure to follow her!
Jamie Seitz is another amazing, favorite human I’ve been writing with for years, and who has been through the writers’ wringer with Stephanie and me. She writes YA and Middle Grade books with so much heart, humor, and insight that you’ll want to devour everything she writes and still beg for more. Weight of Water was sent forth into the world just this fall and people are LOVING it. If you’re looking for Judy Blume-level coming-of-age stories, gardening tips and stories, or a glimpse into the humorous side of marriage, you need look no further than Jamie.
Janine Amesta and I met through the Writing Community on Twitter several years ago and she is one of my favorites. Not only is she a gifted teller of kissing stories, but she is also a funny and encouraging voice for me and the writing community. Her Love in El Dorado series is a delight – one of them an extremely timely Christmas love story – with great reviews, gorgeous settings, and spicy romance that will get your heart racing! (Seriously, keep a glass of ice water nearby when reading.)
Mary Lee Painter and I are lucky enough to have found the same amazing agent in Katie Salvo and Metamorphosis Literary Agancy, and now get to work with the same fabulous publishing house, Satin Romance. We live almost spitting distance (I know – ew, gross) from each other, but haven’t met – YET. The Other Fork in the Road had me laughing and cringing with the characters from the first page. I love a good “forced proximity/opposites attract” love story, and Mary Lee has written a GREAT one! Her next book is due to release in the spring of 2025, so keep an eye on this one.
I am lucky enough to know many other talented authors with terrific books available, even if I haven’t read them all yet. Inspirational romance, memoir, poetry: If you don’t see something listed here that tickles your fancy, comment below or send me an email with the genre or type of story you’re looking for and I will give you a suggestion* based on my own personal knowledge of the book and/or the author.
*If you’re local, check out Reading In Public in Des Moines, where they are offering to curate a selection of books perfect for that hard-to-buy-for reader on your shopping list! Fill out their online form with your budget, the number of books you’d like to gift, genres to include or topics to exclude, and let the staff do the rest!
