It’s no secrete that traditionally published books have a long history of pushing books that lack representation. Are you looking for more relatable characters? Below you will find a list of books, in various genres, featuring characters who are real and raw and will leave you gasping.

With this list you would be hard pressed trying to find the difference between these books and books published from a big-5 traditional publishing company. But the biggest difference is that we chose to keep all of our rights instead of signing them all away for a quick grand. Its more work for us, but you will find that indie/ self-published authors are a bit more grounded and in tune with their art and able to take wider turns when it comes to the uniqueness and freshness of stories.

So lets get into this list of amazing and truly inspired novels.

Corporeal Tourism; Or, the Flip – LGBTQ+ contemporary Lit.

Hawk has a story to tell in this beautiful novel exploring gender dysphoria and coming-of-age in a contemporary low fantasy setting. This is the first of a series but can also be enjoyed as a stand-alone. I can personally guarantee that books two and three have been written, but I don’t know when they will be published. This is both lighthearted and heavy as it deals with deep issues of identity and, what I call, toxic-positivity in a Freaky-Friday type situation.

I spilled coffee on my first copy (which Mel would have approved of) the book was okay until my dog ate it. So, I bought a second copy and ended up giving that one to my sister.

This book is available for Kindle and paperback on Amazon.

Blurb:

Melora Galatea Rhinehold-Burke is a teenage girl born with the feature — or perhaps the bug — that causes her to “Flip” into the body of fellow teenager Jack Morgan, intermittently and seemingly without cause. Over time, she discovers a set of “rules” for her consciousness’s trips into Jack’s body and life. The most significant is that Jack’s consciousness inhabits her own body all the while.

The more Mel “Flipped” into Jack, the more she began to prefer the experience as Jack over her own life, feeding her longing for the Flip. Jack, on the other hand, resents, dreads, and fears the Flip — the bane of his existence.

One day, a key “rule” in the phenomenon is violated, sending Jack and Mel on a collision course as they cope with their situation against a backdrop of contemporary gender discourse, fight to understand themselves as individual entities, and face their uncertain futures.

All Is Quiet In The Cosmos – LGBTQ+ Sci-fi

Emerson sold me at the words “space siren.” All is Quiet in the Cosmos is a thoughtful sci-fi romance.

Emerson recently changed the cover. Here is the old edition.

Altair is a siren prince with the most unfortunate curse. Anyone who hears even the smallest vocal sound from him is instantly paralyzed and Altair is forced to kill them with a dagger that materializes in front of him. At the age of six he was exiled and abandoned by his father on an inhospitable planet where he survived for 20 years alone in his torment.

Zen is a reluctant soldier serving his mandatory 5 years enlistment in the military on first Earth. His “mishandling” of some major information leads him down a dangerous path.

This book is available for Kindle and paperback on Amazon.

Blurb:

In a world of silence…
An abandoned prince with a dark past and an even darker ability learns that his curse may unlock the secrets to ending an age-old war.
But at what cost?

And in a world of violence…
A disillusioned soldier finds that all isn’t as it seems. Is the war he’s fighting even worth it? Who is the true enemy?

In Emerson’s debut novel, All is Quiet in the Cosmos, two young men are caught in the middle of a struggle entirely too big for them. They hold the keys to stopping the bloodshed, and, finally, bringing peace to a war-torn universe. But will they succeed?

The Fractured City– Female Lit.

Kate Jenkins and Morgan Moreau bring you this beautiful LGTBQ+ friendly political romance about a new queen trying desperately to correct some of the harmful policies set forth by her farther among a court full of spoiled rich people who are benefiting from said harmful practices.

Collette hold her own well, and even has a secrete the rest of the court members are not privy to. The court, however, will do whatever they need to to stop her. Let the political juggling begin.

You can find more information about the series here: https://www.legendsofcoralia.com/

This book is available everywhere books are sold in e-book, paperback, hardcover, and audio.

Blurb:

She might be the queen, but mounting pressures from the old guard prevents Collette from making real change in Coralia.

Following the death of her father, Collette dreams of peace and prosperity for her people. She wants to stop the Merscales trade and grow the economy through international cooperation. The nobility wants to maintain he status quo.

When an important visit from the Nereid emissary is overshadowed by the brutal murder of Wrenn Almeida, Collette finds herself accused of murder by Wrenn’s sister, Rhoslyn. As tensions rise between herself, her half-brother Zephraim, and Rhoslyn’s supporters, the queen finds that her only choice is to flee the kingdom. Her allies—a trio of mercenaries, her aging guard captain, and her half-human lover—must stop at nothing to protect her.The Fractured City is the debut novel in the epic Legends of Coralia fantasy series. This book contains LGBTQ+ themes, violence, revenge, discussions of genocide, language, and sexual content.

Born of Fire– fantasy

Born of Fire is book one of the completed Myths and Whispers series. Blood and water is the second book. These books are beautifully written with a focus on sensory eliciting prose.

You can find more information about the series here: https://rrcarter915.wixsite.com/mythic-publishing

This is a fast paced fantasy set in our world with found family and lots of love. Jax is impossible not to root for as he unravels magical mysteries.

This book is available for Kindle Unlimited, hardcover, and paperback on Amazon.

Blurb:

The nightmares are back.
Years after the deaths of his parents, the dreams that haunted Jax have returned.
He’s about to discover why, by being burned alive, just like they were.
When the flames subside, the man left standing isn’t the same one who burned.
The Numen allows him to see the Whispers.
Jax is a Myth, a descendant of a lost bloodline, born to fight the darkness hunting humanity.
Guided by others like him, he reaches Mythaven, a magical sanctuary cut into the Colorado mountains.
His new friends need his help, but Jax must conquer the demons of his past before he can save the future.
Fantasy and reality are two sides of the same page.
The lore is real, witches, werewolves, nymphs, and even dragons exist amongst us.
Hidden throughout time, they’ve been fighting, dying, for humanity.
When myth becomes truth, can Jax make it through his own story?

The Masks We Wear– urban/portal fantasy

Yes, this is a little shameless self-promotion. Marketing is hard. I’ve worked so hard on bringing you a high quality book that I am bragging about it.

This book features everyday people living with a secret and a surprising worldwide conspiracy that no one knows about because everyone is keeping a secret. In this ensemble cast, like Avengers meets Supernatural, you will meet a neuro-divergent male lead, LGBTQ+ characters, and many more realistic and well developed unlikely heroes set in the Pacific Northwest.

I already did a deep dive here: A unique take on the classic urban fantasy

This book is currently available for Kindle, the paperback is available to order anywhere books are sold, a dyslexic-friendly hardcover is coming soon TBA, and the audiobook is currently in development and should be available by the end of October 2024.

Blurb:

Mythological creatures live among us in secret–even to each other–fearful of what humans would do to them if discovered.

Beau is a genius Gnome with ambition; his inventions could change the world, if only his common sense could keep up. Meep is a Lynx, with inhuman gymnastics skills and a desire to do something more meaningful with her life than serve coffee.

With the appearance of one bizarre stranger in their mundane little town in the Pacific Northwest, the destinies of Beau and Meep collide in the most unexpected ways. They must question everything they think they know and team up with witches, goblins, and fae—who are also hiding in secret—to save the world as they know it. The problem is, the further they wander into the dangers that lurk in the shadows, the more they realize a startling truth. Is anyone what they seem to be?

Choosing a good indie book can be hard. There are, unfortunately, many out there that are unedited, uninspired, or just not good. But, like me and my book, there are many high quality indie/ self-published books that are great quality because the authors took the time and effort to produce high quality art for their readers.