The Self-Published
Stars of 2014
Welcome to PW’s first-ever Indie Starred Reviews Annual. Over the last 12
months, we’ve reviewed hundreds of self-published titles in a wide variety
of genres. In this issue of PW Select, you’ll find all the books that received
starred reviews in 2014, as well as interviews with some of the indie authors
whose books earned high praise from our reviewers.
Fiction
13:24:
A Story of Faith and Obsession
M. Dolon Hickmon. Rehoboam, $16.99
paper (376p) ISBN 978-0-9911066-0-8
Hickmon unleashes a shocking blitzkrieg of murder, conspiracy, and child
abuse in this disturbing, breathlessly
plotted murder mystery. When 14-year-
old Chris Pesner murders his mother and
her boyfriend, Andrew, the media blames
heavy metal band Rehoboam’s violent,
Merging biblical
tales, psychology,
and social criticism, Hickmon
stares into the distressing abyss of child
exploitation with daring honesty. Designed to provoke, scenes of underage
abuse avoid the pornographic by focusing on psychological damage—thus
rousing pity and disgust, not titillation.
Eschewing easy answers for moral complexity, this thriller is unsettling entertainment that offers catharsis.
A Journal of the Crazy Year
Forrest Carr. CreateSpace, $13.99 paper
(276p) ISBN 978-1-5003-0095-1
Fresh thinking and feeling animate
this heartfelt postapocalyptic novel. John
Cruz’s awakening after four years in a
catatonic stupor is part of a worldwide
healing of the insane. On the other hand,
mentally healthy people are losing their
minds, falling into comas, succumbing
to vicious madness, or engaging in bestial cannibalism. The cause might be the
recurrence of a global pandemic from the
early 1900s, or a huge comet passing
through our solar system. All John cares
about is saving as much of his newly
recovered home life as he can, and he’s
willing to gun down any number of “
cra-zies” to that end. When his beloved wife
becomes a zombie-like flesh-craving
fiend, however,
John faces new practical problems and
moral dilemmas.
The book is stuffed
with untrimmable
character-driven di-
alogue, and Carr’s
sincere investment in the concept of
people groping their way through hell on
Earth makes his story a fascinating read
all the way to its chilly, barely hopeful
conclusion.
The Ambitious Madame
Bonaparte
Ruth Hull Chatlien. Amika Press, $17.95
paper (484p) ISBN 978-1-937484-16-3
When young Betsy Patterson marries
dashing but irresponsible Jerome
Bonaparte—the brother of Napoleon—
she dreams of an exciting new life at the
French court. Instead, her brother-in-
law’s hostility leads to her bitter strug-
gle to legitimize herself as a Bonaparte.
Meticulously researched, engrossing in
detail, and full of the customs, values,
and prejudices of
the era, Chatlien’s
novel brings to life
crucial moments
in history along-
side Betsy’s quest
for recognition.
The chaos of Na-
poleon’s reign and
maritime hostili-
ties engross without overshadowing
Madame Bonaparte’s heartaches and
small triumphs. Chatlien doesn’t flinch
from exposing our hunger for wealth
and power, and confronts difficult
themes such as slavery and domestic
INDIE STARRED REVIEWS 2014
