Indie & Small Press Fiction Releasing in January

I’m starting a new monthly blog series today with a look at some of the indie and small press titles that are releasing in January. Sometimes it’s hard to find out about these titles, because authors don’t often have a long lead time ahead of the publication date. So, I’m hoping that these posts each month will put some books and authors on your radar that you might not have known about otherwise!

These are all Christian or clean fiction reads, to the best of my knowledge.

Romance in Arcadia Valley (Jan 10)

Join us in the fictional town of Arcadia Valley, Idaho, where a foodie culture and romance grow hand-in-hand.

Six popular and bestselling authors of contemporary Christian romance have teamed up to create an entire world exploring food, friends, and family.

This is not your usual collection of novellas! Each one is set in Arcadia Valley. Each kicks off a three-book series, intertwined with the works of the other authors. This permanent collection is only the beginning of your adventure with us.

Romance Grows in Arcadia Valley includes:

Spring’s Blessing (Seasons of Faith) by Mary Jane Hathaway – Life gets complicated for Charlotte MacGregor when a motherless child and a handsome widower encroach on her carefully laid plans. Will she keep her heart above the fray, or take a leap of faith? Loaves and Wishes (A Baxter Family Bakery Romance) by Elizabeth Maddrey – Inheriting her friend’s Bed and Breakfast in Idaho is a second chance to succeed, but falling for the farmer next door wasn’t in the plan. Sheltered Hearts (Romance from the Heart) by Lee Tobin McClain –  A curvy jilted bride gets stranded in a snowstorm with a handsome restaurant cook who’s not what he seems to be. Sow in Love (A Garden Grown Romance) by Valerie Comer – A real estate consultant’s ideas for fulfilling a living trust are shot down by the elderly greenhouse owner’s grandson, but some of the arrows piercing her heart come directly from Cupid’s bow. The Scent of Romance (Legacy of the Heart) by Danica Favorite – A high-powered lawyer must convince a woman determined to protect her family’s legacy to sell the family farm to his father’s development company, but finds his heart leading him away from everything he’s spent his life trying to accomplish. A Romance Rekindled (A Homegrown Love Story) by Annalisa Daughety – When former engaged couple, Kate and Drew, find themselves thrown together after more than a decade apart, neither of them are thrilled about it. Can they let go of the past and consider a future together?

The White Road Tales Complete Collection by Jackie Castle (Jan 11)

He might lose his life if their secret is found out.

Together they look for the way out of the evil kingdom of Racah. With each passing day, their love grows. Tarek the hunter is desperate to get the Racan Princess away from the powerful King Darnel, but the dark ruler has other plans.

By some means of a malicious enchantment, Princess begins to lose her memories, including her memories of Tarek!

A raging war battles inside his heart. Is the girl he loved still there? For brief moments, she seems to recognize him again. Then the moment is gone.

And that brief, precious moment is all that’s needed to spur his unrealistic plan of escape.

Ready to Fumble by Christy Barritt (Jan 24)

I’m not really a private detective. I just play one on TV.

Joey Darling, better known to the world as Raven Remington, detective extraordinaire, is trying to separate herself from her invincible alter ego. She played the spunky character for five years on the hit TV show Relentless, which catapulted her to fame and into the role of Hollywood’s sweetheart.

When her marriage falls apart, her finances dwindle to nothing, and her father disappears, Joey finds herself on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, trying to piece her life back together away from the limelight. A woman finds Raven—er, Joey—and insists on hiring her fictional counterpart to find a missing boyfriend. When someone begins staging crime scenes to match an episode of Relentless, Joey has no choice but to get involved.

Joey’s bumbling sleuthing abilities have her butting heads with Detective Jackson Sullivan and kindling sparks with thrill-seeking neighbor Zane Oakley. Can Joey channel her inner Raven and unearth whodunit before she ends up totally done in? And where is her father anyway? Can she handle fame, or is disappearing into obscurity the wiser option?

Hymns of the West Novellas, Vol 2 by Faith Blum (Jan 26)

Five desperate young women…
Katie, Joanna, Eve, Evangeline, and Adelaide meet on a stagecoach on their way to Cheyenne, Wyoming as mail order brides. As they talk to each other, Katie and Adelaide become suspicious. Are they correct to be suspicious or are they overreacting?

One man with an evil plan…
Ross has been planning this for months and the stagecoach is finally on its way. After this, he’ll have succeeded in his most devious plot yet and be on the top of his game. Maybe he’ll even be able to come out of the shadows, despite his brother being a detective.

A Master Designer.
Will the five mail order brides ever reach the young men who wrote to them? Or was it all just a ruse to get them into the stagecoach? Will Ross get away with his plan?

The Curse of Arundel Hall by J. New (Jan 20)

One ghost, one murder, one hundred years apart. But are they connected?

Ella has discovered a secret room in The Yellow Cottage, but with it comes a ghost. Who was she? And how did she die? Ella needs to find the answers before either of them can find peace. But suddenly things take a nasty turn for the worse.

Ella Bridges has been living on Linhay Island for several months but still hasn’t discovered the identity of her ghostly guest. Deciding to research the history of her cottage for clues she finds it is connected to Arundel Hall, the large Manor House on the bluff, and when an invitation to dinner arrives realises it is the perfect opportunity to discover more.

However the evening takes a shocking turn when one of their party is murdered. Is The Curse of Arundel Hall once again rearing its ugly head, or is there a simpler explanation?

Ella suddenly finds herself involved in two mysteries at once, and again joins forces with Scotland Yard’s Police Commissioner to try and catch a killer. But will they succeed?

‘Miss Marple meets The Ghost Whisperer’ – perfect for fans of the golden age of murder mysteries.

Everlasting by C.S. Johnson (Jan 7)

It has been many years since that day, the day Hamilton Dinger wishes to forget, along with the ache in his heart. But his desire to let go of the past is usurped when the future comes barreling into his apartment in the form of two young Starlight defenders, Lucas and Lyra, calling for a new mission for the retired Wingdinger.

More than reluctantly, Hamilton heads home to Apollo City as Dante Salyards, now a rogue agent from SWORD, seeks his help in dismantling a new administration of evil in Apollo City. After a shocking discovery, Hamilton is faced with the choice to renew his commitment, and embrace the responsibilities, both pleasant and painful, the Prince of Stars had in store for him–but it could cost him more than his heart this time.

With everything on the line, can Hamilton finally have the life he had always dreamed of? Find out in this stunning conclusion of The Starlight Chronicles.

Her Brother’s Keeper by J.J. DiBenedetto (Jan 31)

Jane Barnaby thought she’d planned the perfect Christmas vacation. She’d invited her father and his fiancé to join her in Spain at her archaeological dig. They’d see her work, meet her mentor and enjoy a few days of sunny Mediterranean beaches in the dead of winter. What could go wrong?

Her annoying brother tagging along, and then landing in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, for one thing.

To clear her brother’s name and make her vacation perfect again, all Jane has to do is chase the mystery woman who set her brother up across Europe, find her in a dangerous and unfamiliar city and deal with her accomplices. Oh, and outwit an ex-KGB agent and his personal goon squad, too.

It’s going to be an exciting and action-packed Christmas for Jane, whether she wants it or not!

North Star Home by Megan Easley-Walsh (Jan 11)

Ann Scarlet is no thief, but when the Yankee sheriff catches her she might just steal his heart.

Ann Scarlet has a single goal when journeying from her home in Savannah to Red River Rocks Falls, Nebraska in 1875: find Whitaker and get back the land deed he stole from her brother. It seems simple enough, until Sheriff Crambert finds her with her hands full of money as she rifles through a pile of land deeds.

Nathaniel Crambert has loved and lost before. Ann seems harmless enough and he decides to rehabilitate her into society. Falling for her? That’s not part of the plan.

Falling for him? That’s not what she intended either.

With the help of Mol, the woman who raised him, and Quiet Dove, his Lakota friend, Ann and Nathaniel may finally get over the burden of their heavy pasts. If Whitaker appears, Ann will have to follow that trail. But, what about following her heart?

To Gain a Valentine by Tanya Eavenson (Jan 15)

Pediatrician Patrick Reynolds works wonders with sick children, yet when it comes to pets, he’s clueless. But caring for his sister’s menagerie while she’s on vacation is the perfect answer to working through a broken engagement. Hoping to escape the memories, he returns to his hometown, the last place he’d expect to find love.

Life as a single mom is never easy, but pet shop owner Amabelle Durand has found contentment. When an old friend returns to care for his sister’s pets, he enlists her assistance to keep the animals alive. But when Amabelle’s young daughter falls ill, she finds herself attracted to more than the handsome pediatrician’s medical skills.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, will Patrick and Amabelle miss out on the love they’ve always desired? Or will their love take flight under the stars on this very special night?