A spotlight on A Million Lives' indie authors—here’s what books made my TBR

Cover of The Sanguine Queen by Genevieve L. James

If you were anywhere near BookTok over the weekend, you definitely saw videos about the A Million Lives book con that happened last weekend - and not in an "I wish I was there" way. And if you have no idea what I am talking about, here is a recap: the organizer of this con reached out to various indie authors to invite them to this event. They were promised a chance to put their books out in front of Baltimore's readers, and a chance to get their foot in the door for future events - for many, it was their first. It was supposed to be a book convention and ball, which has gotten extremely popular over the past few years. These are a chance for indie authors to meet potential readers, speak on panels, and celebrate their love of stories with others.

What instead happened was akin to the Fyre Festival or Willy Wonka experience.

Some authors had been promised their lodging would be provided, only to find out that not only had their hotel been changed, but they would now have to pay for the rooms, full of black mold! While they had been promised 600 to 1,000 attendees, the first day had approximately 40, while the next had maybe 80-ish. And those are generous estimates. The panel schedule was in disarray, with many of the panels taking place in a room where both the panelists and the audience were sitting on the floor because there were no chairs. But what first went viral was the $250 Lavender Book Ball: which had no decorations outside of some styrofoam flower petals and books, a cash bar, and a Bluetooth stereo...provided by a security guard from the Convention Center who took pity on all the people who came.

Overall, it was a disaster. I feel terrible for the authors who had to experience this as their first event. I hate that so many authors traveled to be there, only to never have a chance of making back their table fees. Every new detail I learn makes me more horrified,

Now I'm not here to give the organizer more attention, she's gotten enough. I'm not here to debate whether or not this was a scam or gross incompetence. I'm instead here to highlight the indie authors who lost thousands of dollars, making sure they had stock, traveling to the event, and the surprise expenses sprung on them from the organizer's lack of planning.

I went through every single author's page and found the ones who wrote books that fit my personal preferences perfectly. Each of them has a book I am excited to buy, and I can't wait to put them in my shopping cart later this month once I have the funds to support them. So here is my list of AML authors, I'm planning on supporting after this absolute disaster:

1. Alonna Williams I was sold on her book, The Siren's Call, the moment I realized there was sea shanty lore and pirates. The book blurb has me interested, and there's a lot of mermaid iconography. It's the type of book I would read the blurb and immediately go to check out at a bookstore. I am a simple girl. I love the combination of pirates and mermaids, and this series seems to have a ton of both.
   

2. Brittany Graves Fun take on Norse mythology? Check. Fascinating mother/daughter duo? Check. Book I can not only enjoy for myself, but also recommend to my students? Check. This is the kind of book my teacher heart is always on the lookout for, and even without reading it, it feels like it'll be a strong contender for our 9th-grade read-aloud book next year.
   

3. Genevieve L. James I am a sucker for a good fairy tale retelling, they are my true weakness. And her Red Riding Hood retelling, The Sanguine Queen, has a morally gray man and political intrigue? This is very much a shut up and take my money plotline. I didn't know how badly I needed this story in my life, but I am confident it's going to be my first read once this book haul comes in.
   

4. Helen Domico & Anna Applegate

   These two had me at A Court of Thorns and Roses meets The Bachelorette. This is the exact kind of elevator pitch that makes me immediately pay attention, so Blooms of Darkness immediately jumped on my TBR. Even though I haven't read ACOTAR, I know the vibes are ones I enjoy. And I am Bachelor Nation trash. Plus, the covers are gorgeous, and I want them on full display on my bookshelf.
   

5. Jana Sun The Seas Between Us promises a cozy mermaid romance. And just like that, I'm sold on the book. I love a cute palette cleanser book, and this feels like it is exactly what I would want it to be. I can't wait to dive in (pun intended) to this world, and maybe I'll just relax in my mermaid tail while I read it. Cozy fantasy books always require peak reading vibes.
   

6. J.D. Laubach Another set of fairy tale retellings, Smoke and Mirrors, gives mystery, political intrigue, and fun sibling dynamics. It is so rare for me to find fantasy books with mystery vibes I am interested in (though I love them separately) and this combination has me extra excited because it feels like a book I have been looking for without knowing it already existed.
   

7. J.M. Wallace The book blurb for A Crown Forged in Flame mentions a sleepy dragon. Who doesn't love a sleepy dragon? That's such a fun little quirk to this book, you don't see in a lot of fantasy, and it caught my eye immediately. However, I also was intrigued by the internal struggle the book synopsis set up, because I am a sucker for a FMC who struggles with herself.
   

8. Kris K. Haines Memory magic is a type of story I have never gotten the chance to read, but have always been interested in. Well, that's going to change this year because The Memory Puller has such a unique premise, it's turned into a must-read. She steals a guard's memory, and he then gets assigned to a case to track down her missing sisters? Sold. Sign me up. I can't wait to read this one.
   

9. L.M. Sanguinette Welcome to Visanthe is another YA book I hope to share with my students. I had quite a few this year who asked for fantasy dystopian stories, and I was sad I didn't know many to suggest to them. I made it my goal to try and find some good examples they could read, and this book looks like it's exactly what these teens are looking for. I can't wait to dive into this world and then share it with my students who are craving this exact premise.
   

10. Perci Jay Perci Jay's four-part series about AML on TikTok was how I first heard about how things went down, and my jaw dropped every single video. However, the way she told the story was so captivating, it showed off her amazing storytelling skills that I'm sure are just as present in her books. The Bride of Lycaster has a synopsis I immediately fell in love with, and am excited to dive into! And with her storytelling chops, I am confident I will dive into this world and not be able to get out.

I also want to shout out Kalista Neith, who isn't on this list, because I recently bought her book, Invoking the Blood, at a recent Barnes and Noble signing. She's local to me and has been key in standing up for all of the newbie indie authors, so she deserves all the love as well.

I truly wish I had the money to buy a book from every single author who attended this event. There are so many others outside of the ones I highlighted because they were the ones that fit my reading tastes best. In fact, highly recommend readers look over the list of impacted authors and find at least one book that speaks to them. I was impressed by the variety, and I truly believe there is something on the list for everyone.

And I hope for the first timers, their next event is everything this one should have been.