Celebrate "Indie"Pendence Day!

So, the folks over at Indelible Writers came up with the brilliant idea to celebrate “Independence Day” by paying tribute to our favorite “Indie” authors. 

How fantastic is that?!

Here’s my nomination. It’s a great one for anyone who loves historical fiction, especially with some dark undertones.

Title: First, There is a River
Author: Kathy Steffen
Publisher: Medallion Press

Review:
A few words about Kathy before we get into her book itself. She’s an incredible lady. I met her through my local writing studio, and she was one of the first in that group to have a novel published. I love talking with her because you can tell she absolutely loves what she does! She’s gracious, down-to-earth and truly enjoys sharing insights with other writers. I am so happy for all her success!

Okay, on to the book. What I like best about First, There is a River, is the way Kathy weaves together history, a little thriller and a little romance. The book takes place in the late 1800s, during the height of steamboat travel on America’s rivers. It follows Emma Perkins, who seeks refuge on her uncle’s riverboat to escape her abusive husband...and then hatches a plan of her own.

I enjoyed the characters a lot. They hearken back to the good old Mark Twain days, and yet each of them has a darkness, too. One of the most haunted is Emma’s new love interest, Gage, who is scarred in more ways than one by an old steamboat accident. I liked Emma and Gage’s relationship. It unfolds slowly, and it’s raw, imperfect and real.

Kathy’s voice does a wonderful job painting us back into the time period. (Plus, isn't the cover eerie and gorgeous?) If you have a chance, definitely give it a try!

You can learn more about Kathy, her advice to writers and her other two books at her website.

Happy “Indie"Pendence Day!

And if you haven't already signed up for the Olympic Blog Relay, check out the remaining dates here.

Sign up to participate in the blog hop that celebrates Indie authors!

1.	Paranormal Book Beat	27.	Hallee Bridgeman	53.	Cherie Reich
2.	Jessie Harrell	28.	Diane Strong	54.	JM Madden
3.	Karen Amanda Hooper	29.	Hayden Braeburn	55.	Christine Fonseca, Author
4.	Susan Kaye Quinn	30.	Remy @ Reading with A Broken Heart	56.	Laura Diamond
5.	Laura Pauling	31.	Katherine Lowry Logan	57.	Nicole Singer
6.	Connie Keller	32.	Jesse V Coffey	58.	Indie Children's Authors Connection
7.	Sandra Ulbrich Almazan	33.	Teresa Reasor	59.	Heather Simone
8.	Cindy Hogan	34.	Cate Dean	60.	Cory Putman Oakes
9.	Lisa Nowak	35.	Ashna @ Wanted Readers	61.	Jenny Krueger
10.	Stacey Wallace Benefiel	36.	Anna Kyss	62.	Carolyn Brown
11.	Magan Vernon	37.	R.M. Prioleau	63.	C.K. Bryant
12.	Angela Brown	38.	Deanna Roy	64.	Gin @ Addicted to Words
13.	Heather McCorkle	39.	Courtney Vail	65.	Beth Dolgner
14.	Megg Jensen	40.	Michael Whetzel	66.	Medeia Sharif
15.	Christy @ Captivated Reading	41.	Alli (mrscaptkirk51)	67.	Bisi Leyton
16.	Patricia Lynne	42.	Mackenzie Morgan	68.	Michael Abayomi
17.	Kimber Shook	43.	Paige Aspen	69.	Erynn Newman
18.	Kai Strand	44.	Suzan Tisdale	70.	LM Preston
19.	ali cross	45.	Dani @ Refracted Light	71.	Rick Daley
20.	Stephanie Queen	46.	Doug Solter	72.	Jennifer S. Pitts
21.	Laura A. H. Elliott	47.	Jamie Manning, Author	73.	Elle Strauss
22.	DeAnna Knippling	48.	Dalya Moon	74.	H.S. St.Ours
23.	Meredith Bond	49.	Ramblings of an Amateur Writer	75.	Froze8's Blog
24.	Karen Victoria Smith	50.	Pamela DuMond	76.	Dariel Raye
25.	Amy Durham	51.	Brooke	77.	Kathleen Harsch
26.	Donna McDonald	52.	Nickie Anderson	78.	Shah Wharton's WordsinSync

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