Top 5 Favourite #IndieReads

I have read my fair share of independently published books since self-publishing my own books, and although most of my recent reads have been traditionally published works from my brilliant local library, I can still remember which indie reads I enjoyed most. So, I’m listing my top five favourite indie books in this post. I won’t go into ranking them; that would be too difficult and not to mention unfair, as they’re all so different from each other. Now, without further ado, let’s get into it.

One) Amanda Hocking ~ the Trylle Trilogy (Teen/Young Adult Paranormal Romance)

I know Ms. Hocking is now traditionally published, but the Trylle books were originally self-published and they changed indie publishing forever. I adore these books (I have re-read them a bunch of times!) and definitely recommend them to readers of YA/teen fiction.

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Two) I.C. Camilleri ~ The Blake Soul (Contemporary Romance/Romantic suspense)

I’ve read my fair share of indie romance novels (its one of the genres I write in) but this book is one of the few that I can still remember actual scenes from, so that’s saying a lot. If you like your romance with a touch of suspense and the supernatural, check this book out.

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Three) Penelope Fletcher ~ the Rae Wilder Novels (Teen/YA Dystopian Paranormal Romance)

These books were one of the first indie books I’d read, before I published my own books, I think. I was really impressed by Ms. Fletcher’s writing, so rich and detailed, and the various mythical creatures in the books were all equally well-explored and portrayed. It was a good first impression of the indie publishing industry and made me feel glad that I was going to become an indie author myself.

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Four) Liliana Hart ~ Dirty Little Secrets (Crime/Mystery)

This is the first book in the JJ Graves series and I couldn’t put it down. Crime is the genre I’ve read most in my life, but this was the first indie crime novel I’d read and I was blown away by how good it was. Ms. Hart is a superstar indie author and this book makes clear why.

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Five) Robert J. Crane ~ Alone: Girl in the Box, Book 1 (Teen/YA Urban Fantasy)

I really enjoyed this book. It was well-written and full of action and drama. I loved the characters and the plot was great. I flew through it. And now that I’m talking about it, I feel like re-reading it...

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Worth Mentioning:

Penny Hooper ~ various works on her Wattpad and blog in different genres (Contemporary Romance, Supernatural, Mystery)

I’ve discovered this author’s writing quite recently. Our paths crossed on Twitter when I was promoting my contemporary romance book If I Say Yes during a free promotion I was running and she downloaded and read it, and I already am a fan of her writing style. I haven’t read her debut novel It’s My Mistake yet, but I really want to check it out based on the pieces of writing that I’ve read on her Goodreads blog.

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Natasha Preston ~ Silence (Teen/YA Contemporary Romantic Suspense)

This story was really interesting and kept me reading. I read it a while ago and I can remember quite a lot about it.

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D.S. Murphy ~ various works on Amazon in different genres (Teen/YA Paranormal Romance, Dystopian Fantasy, etc.)

This author writes in several sub-genres within the teen/YA space, and publishes extended previews of his series starters first, before releasing the full length versions of each series starter. I think I’ve read most of his samplers and the ones I liked best are Orpheum and The Scarlet Thread. Mr. Murphy also writes non-fiction to help authors write, publish, and market their books ~ these works are under his Derek Murphy author page.

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For his non-fiction:




Thanks for reading!

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Top 5 Fictional Witches of All Time

To celebrate the release of my new witch books, Bloodless and Bloodshed (Witch’s Blood Series), and of Bloodless being free to download across all e-book retailers, I thought I’d write a quick post on my favourite witches from the world of books, TV and film.

Amber from my Poison Blood and Witch’s Blood Series is my favourite fictional witch, of course. But before she came along, there were some pretty good contenders for that title, and in this post, I’m going to share my top five witches of all time.

In no particular order.......

First up, Hermione Granger from Harry Potter (Books by JK Rowling), though I always think of her as a wizard(!). Hermione is not only super talented but she’s also a hard worker with a great work ethic and so endearing with her soft spot for house elves.

Sabrina Spellman from Sabrina The Teenage Witch (American TV series). When this show first aired on TV, I hadn’t heard of the film (of the same name) that it was based on, but my classmates and I went crazy for it. It was funny, cute and who could resist Sabrina’s cheeky and lovable cat, Salem? Her aunts were pretty darn cool, too, and her love interest, Harvey, was everyone’s crush. Aww, those dimples....

Willow Rosenberg from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (American TV series); my favourite TV series ever growing up (and one of my top 3 faves of all time). Willow was just so adorable before she started dabbling in magic, and what a powerful practitioner she became! She’s sweet, quirky and with Buffy and Xander at her side, they were a great set of characters for that time.

The Halliwells from Charmed (American TV series). Apart from the final few seasons, this series was amazing amazing amazing. And another show in my top 3 favourites. Three sisters. Three powerful witches. Romance. Drama. Laughs. This series had it all. Apparently, the show is getting a reboot, so I’ll be keeping an eye out for that. No matter how good it’s going to be, Prue, Piper and Phoebe of the original series will be my favourite charmed ones. Oh, and Paige, too (played by the now infamous Rose McGowan).

Sarah, Bonnie, Rochelle & Nancy from The Craft (American movie). I loved this film in my teens and watched it every time it aired on TV. It was so cool and sassy and dark, the acting was amazing, and it had one hell of an ending. A high school teen movie with bite.

Honourable Mentions:

Samantha Stevens from Bewitched (American TV series). Who could forget the domestic witch Samantha and all the trouble she and her mother got into in this hit 70s comedy series?

Mildred Hubble from Worst Witch (Books by Jill Murphy). I’d never read the books but I loved the children’s TV adaptation of it when I was a kid. Millie was cute, a klutz, and downright entertaining. I believe there’s a reboot of it airing on a TV near you....

Mollie and Minerva from Harry Potter. No introduction or explanation needed for these two badass witches. Enough said. Love these ladies. And ooh, Bellatrix Lestrange, even though I hate what she does, I love the character.

So, that’s it. Agree or disagree on any of my choices? Maybe I missed a few? Either way, I hope you enjoyed this quick post.

Click this link to download Witch's Blood, Book 1 for free from Amazon:

>> YA paranormal romance <<

Click this link to download Book 2 from the Kindle Store:

>> teen urban fantasy <<

And here are the links if you shop at the below e-book stores:

iBooks

B&N Nook Store

Kobo

Here are the Goodreads links so make sure to add them to your to-read shelf:

Book 1  |  Book 2

#NewRelease Witch’s Blood Series, a YA Paranormal Romance

Hi guys, hope you're having a great summer!

Guess what? I finally have a new book to tell you about! Well, two books, actually.

That's right: the first two books in my Witch's Blood Series are out this week! They’re the follow-up books to my supernatural vampire romance series, the Poison Blood Series.

These two sets of YA paranormal fantasy books are part of my Magical Bloodlines Universe, for which I have another series planned. Whereas the Poison Blood Series revolved around vampires and slayers, and the Witch’s Blood Series is all about witches, wizards and sorcerers, this upcoming series will focus on completely different mythical creatures, and I’m very excited about getting stuck in. More on that another time.

First things first. The new books releasing this week: Witch’s Blood, Book 1: Bloodless and Book 2: Bloodshed are available at your favourite retailers for your reading pleasure 😊

I hope you enjoy these books as much as you did the Poison Blood Series. Please post a review to let me know what you thought and to help others discover my books. I would really appreciate it 😊

Click this link to the Kindle Store for Book 1:

>> YA paranormal romance <<

Click this link for Book 2:

>> urban fantasy <<

And here are the links if you shop at the below e-book stores:

iBooks
B&N Nook Store
Kobo

Here are the Goodreads links so make sure to add them to your to-read shelf:

Book 1  |  Book 2

#SoulmatesSaga Summer Sale

[Try saying that really fast three times :)]

Some of you may know that I try to run a Soulmates Saga sale every summer, and this year I've gone all out and listed the three books in this epic contemporary romance series at 99c/99p! That's essentially three books - a whole series - for the price of one. Hurry though, as this is a limited time offer.

Those of you that have read Chasing Pavements (Book 1) may be wondering why there are two more books after it, seen as it had such a perfect ending. Answer: yeah, Chasing Pavements had a lovely, satisfying ending, but these characters had more stories to tell, or rather, they hadn't told their whole story in Book 1. I hope you guys take advantage of this sale because Book 2, Make You Feel My Love is one hell of a sequel and Someone Like You is an epic third chapter in the Saga.

Links below to your favourite e-book stores:
Amazon
iBooks:
Nook:

As always, let me know what you thought by posting a review online, I'd really appreciate it.

Happy reading and have a great summer.

Love,

Neha xXx

And the first two books in my teen urban fantasy/YA paranormal romance series, the Poison Blood series, can be downloaded for free via:

Amazon US|  Amazon UK|   iBooks US & UK   |   B&N Nook Store   |   Smashwords

PB1 Book Details

Length: 29,000 words

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance / Teen Vampire Romance / Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy / Teen & YA Urban Fantasy / Young Adult Science Fiction & Fantasy / Supernatural Romance / Fantasy Romance / Sparkling Vampires

Mood: Dark / Humorous / Coming of age

Content: No violence / No explicit sex scenes / No erotica

Audience: Teen / Young Adult / New Adult / Adult

Recommended for: Readers that love all things related to the Chosen One, vampires, slayers and witches!

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#BookReview ~ The Dark Artifices Series by Cassandra Clare

Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2) by Cassandra Clare was my favourite read of 2017. So, I'm posting a quick review on this series (I read Book 1 in the series early 2017).

First up, the cover and blurb for Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1)

In a kingdom by the sea…

In a secret world where half-angel warriors are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word.

A parabatai is your partner in battle. A parabatai is your best friend. Parabatai can be everything to each other—but they can never fall in love.

Emma Carstairs is a warrior, a Shadowhunter, and the best in her generation. She lives for battle. Shoulder to shoulder with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Los Angeles, where vampires party on the Sunset Strip, and faeries—the most powerful of supernatural creatures—teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters.

When the bodies of humans and faeries turn up murdered in the same way Emma’s parents were when she was a child, an uneasy alliance is formed. This is Emma’s chance for revenge—and Julian’s chance to get back his brother Mark, who is being held prisoner by the faerie Courts. All Emma, Mark, and Julian have to do is solve the murders within two weeks…and before the murderer targets them.

Their search takes Emma from sea caves full of sorcery to a dark lottery where death is dispensed. And each clue she unravels uncovers more secrets. What has Julian been hiding from her all these years? Why does Shadowhunter Law forbid parabatai to fall in love? Who really killed her parents—and can she bear to know the truth?


The darkly magical world of Shadowhunters has captured the imaginations of millions of readers across the globe. Join the adventure in Lady Midnight, the long-awaited first volume of a new trilogy from Cassandra Clare.

My Review

This is a follow-up series to the bestselling Mortal Instruments (MI) books and follows a new set of characters which we were introduced to towards the end of the MI series. It's in the same Shadowhunter universe of course and, say what you will about authors writing loads of books based in the same 'world', but I think it's more than fine if you have a good story to tell.

To be honest, I don't see why Ms. Clare has been criticised for setting her novels in the same universe ~ don't crime writers write about the same detective over and over? Don't authors of contemporary fiction set their books in the real world over and over? So why can't Cassandra Clare write as many books as she wants exploring the Shadowhunter world, since it's such a massive and rich world and has so much potential?


Shadowhunter fans went crazy for Lady Midnight so I was really looking forward to this book.

My Rating: 4-stars

I really enjoyed this book and it answered a lot of the questions I had about a certain Shadowhunter law and I was glad we got to explore this concept in detail. The lead characters are likeable and the dynamics of their relationships with the secondary characters are very interesting.

The story unravelled slowly (it's a very big book!) but in a way that kept you glued to the pages. It was really nice that some of our favourite characters from previous books made cameo appearances and exciting to see how their lives have panned out since we finished their story arc.

It's not a quick read by any means, but I didn't find it a struggle to get through like I did with some of the other books based in this Universe. In fact, it was a pleasure getting to know these new sets of characters, and as usual with Ms. Clare's books, there were a lot of heartbreaking moments that drew you closer to them and their lives.

You do have to read all... 9 books that preceded Lady Midnight, or else you'll be a little lost at times and be spoiled for the previous two series if you decide to read them after Lady Midnight. The author suggests (in a BookTube interview) that you should read her books in the order they were published, so start with the first trilogy in the MI series, rather than The Infernal Devices series, even though that's set in an earlier time period (the 1870's).

Check out this book here.

Next up, my review for Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2)

I downloaded this highly anticipated sequel to Lady Midnight on my iPhone (on iBooks) and was really looking forward to getting stuck in. Cassandra Clare fans are loving this series, and I'd heard great things about this book, so I didn't want to wait any longer to read it, especially as the ending to Lady Midnight hinted at so much....

My Rating for Lord of Shadows: 5-stars (my best book of 2017)

So, this was only the third book in 2017 that I rated 5-stars, and boy did this book deserve it. If I could give it 6 out of 5, I would. Or 7, or 8. It had everything, and I loved it.

Lady Midnight was great, but Lord of Shadows was better. I don't know how the length of this book compares to its predecessor ~ I read Lady Midnight in hardback form, and Lord of Shadows in e-book format, but whereas Lady Midnight was a big long book and felt that way, and I found that it started off slowly, Lord of Shadows felt too short, like I should have dragged it out longer. It wasn't rushed or anything, actually the pacing was perfect.

I got more invested with the characters in this book and I liked how they developed and matured. And the added focus on the secondary characters, especially Ty and Kit, I really liked.

I should have guessed I'd like this book more than Book 1, as I've noticed a pattern with me and Cassandra Clare books: I always seem to like the second book in her series more than the rest. City of Ashes was my favourite from the Mortal Instruments series, Clockwork Prince was the one I enjoyed most of the Infernal Devices series, and now Lord of Shadows.

Check out this book here.

Thank you very much for reading this post. My books are available on: 
Apple Books, B&N, Kobo, Smashwords, and Amazon. My new book, Heir to the Throne (the first book in a new epic royalty fantasy trilogy), is out now, as is the sequel. More details here.