I’ve really missed doing Friday Favorites, and since no one was currently hosting it, Cait @ Functionally Fictional decided to jump into the gap. Each week, she provides a prompt, and I get to talk about my favorite books that fit the topic. Feel free to join in – the more the merrier!

I have to be honest here, I don’t read a lot of indie books. This is mainly because I have limited income and rely heavily on the library and ARCs for access to books, and there aren’t very many indie books to be found in those places. However, through social media, I’ve managed to connect with some incredible indie authors who are not only amazing people, but have kindly offered copies of their books. And when I find a good indie author, you better believe I’m a fan for life. Here’s some of my favorites:

1. Cait Marie. Not only have we built an incredible friendship since our first Twitter exchange, I have also fallen in love with her books. All of them. And now that I’m her proofreader and personal namer of (some) characters, I know that I’m going to get a chance to read every single one of her books. My current favorite of her series? The Lost Legends.
2. Hannah Murray. I originally connected with Hannah on Twitter, where I marvel at her hilarious and witty tweets. She was kind enough to give me a copy of Honey and the Hitman, and I’ve been dying to read more ever since! I’m super excited since I just received an ARC of her upcoming book, In His Hands.
3. Gina L. Maxwell. Another author I’ve connected with on Twitter is Gina. She’s too funny yet down to earth at the same time. I’ve read a few of her books, and they are incredible. It’s hard for me to pick just one of her books to say is my favorite, since I love each one more than the last. Pan and Hook are a unique and intriguing take on Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, and she’s got a new book called The Dark King coming out in the autumn! Can’t commit to a full-length book? She’s got a series of “steamy shots,” short stories that are HAWTTT!
4. Anela Deen. She reached out to me through my blog and gave me a copy of the start of a fantasy trilogy, Beneath Cruel Fathoms, and although it took me a while to get to it, I was completely sucked into this book. Now to get my hands on the rest of the series, because I need to know what happens next!
5. Deck Matthews. Another author I’ve connected with through Twitter (it’s really a fabulous place to “meet” authors), and in a stunning display of generosity, he gave me a copy of his fantasy series, The Riven Realm, starting with The First of Shadows. It was incredibly creative and a great series!
6. S.J. Schwaidelson. This author actually reached out to me through my blog, where she offered me a copy of The Pomegranate, a historical fiction featuring a Jewish MC, and set in a time and location that I don’t see very often. When provided with that, combined with Schwaidelson’s great personality, there was no way that I could resist, and I absolutely LOVED the book.

I always try to hype books that I love as much as possible, especially when it’s by an indie author. So if you haven’t heard of these authors/books, I strongly suggest that you take a peek at them! Who are some of your favorite indie authors?