Ensconced in YA Turns ONE! Day 3: Some Favorite Indie Authors who have changed my life

If you've been following me thus far, you know that one of the reasons I started my blog was to support indie authors and give them a bigger audience if I loved their books. I've come across several that have become good friends, supported me in one way or another, and all have wowed me with their awesome books.

In no particular order:

1. Ingrid Ricks (see Day 1 post). As you know from Monday's post, she is the author of the now New York Times bestselling novel, Hippie Boy: A Girl's Tale! I think the post speaks for itself :-)

2. Vicky Savage- Vicky was one of the first authors that I ever contacted, and Transcender: First Timer was one of the first books I've ever reviewed. That was when I got the reviewing bug. She's been my confidante, friend, supporter, and peer ever since. I don't know what I would have done without her! She has been a loyal supporter of my blog since day one. You should definitely pick up her books too-- they are fantastic.

3. Howard Shapiro- Howard is one of my new indie author friends. He wrote the fantastic YA graphical novel, The Stereotypical Freaks. I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. But I cried because it was so moving. Since then, he's been a great friend and someone I really admire. We talk on a regular basis, and he tells me all of his adventures at BEA, etc. I can't wait for the sequel of Freaks to come out!

4. Christina Smith - Christina emailed me one day and wanted me to edit one of her books. I didn't realize how fantastic it would be! She is a terrific writer. We emailed at least 5 times a day, and it was one of the most fun exchanges I've ever had. We hashed out plot points, talked about our personal lives, and it was glorious. Since then, we've supported each other through thick and thin, and I'm so excited for her next book to come out!

5. Shawn Keenan - Shawn is someone I consider my crit partner, even though I haven't really written anything of substance yet. I met him after reviewing his book on Librarything, and he emailed me back, thanking me for the review. Since then we've hashed out one of his other books-- the wonderful The Intern's Tale, and his most current book, which I'm not going to talk about, but I think this is THE ONE. He's amazing and always supports what little I do write with really insightful comments. He also periodically guest posts on my blog with his terrific rants.

Other indie authors I love include: Stephanie Judice, Diantha Jones, Sara Zaske, Erika Kathryn, Leonie Rogers, Andrea Colt, Ashley Farley, Scott Cramer, Samantha Durante, Jennifer Lane, Kaitlin Bevis, Lindsey Loucks, Anna Silver just to name a few.

But honestly, if I worked with you, you are a favorite of mine. So even if you don't see your name on this list, that doesn't mean anything. I love all of you!!! :-)

Today's question: Who are some of YOUR favorite indie writers?

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