5 Kindle Authors You Need To Be Reading Right Now

Traditional publishing used to be the only main way of getting authors' books published, but these days, many are able to get their work directly to readers with the help of Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), an Amazon service. Writing a book is hard enough, but having to go through publishers can be a nightmare — you typically need an agent, and then you need to land the book at one of the "big 5" publishing houses. It can be exhausting, which is why many writers are going the non-traditional route, in turn giving bookworms access to authors they may have never gotten to know otherwise. After all, the big publishing houses can only publish so many books each year.

Whether you want to start reading more books as some form of personal resolution or you simply want to discover new authors, a Kindle truly is the perfect handheld device. Sure, you may go back to familiar writers like Stephen King or Liane Moriarty, but why not try someone new to you? You just might discover a new favorite wordsmith. Whether you're into sci-fi, thrillers, non-fiction, or anything in between, there are literally millions of books to choose from, and since there's no way anyone can peruse that many, we've narrowed down a key few authors who have taken the Kindle world by storm.

Marie Force was already a published author when she decided to go the Kindle Direct Publishing route in 2010, beginning with her romance fiction "True North." Since then, she's written over a hundred more novels, with several becoming New York Times bestsellers. "When people ask me what led me to the decision to self-publish, my reply is always the same: 'No one was interested in these books except my readers.' And boy have they shown me the love for my self-published books!" she explains on her website.

Force's contemporary romance books include the "Fatal" series and "First Family" series, which follow the lives of Lieutenant Sam Holland and her romance with The White House Chief of Staff-turned-POTUS Nick Cappuano. The two series have quite a large following, with one reviewer on Amazon writing, "I have enjoyed the First Family Series so much. The ending in Book 6 took me by surprise and I have pre-ordered book 7." If you're looking to get invested in two dynamic characters and love a good political drama mixed with steamy romance, look no further than Force's catalog.

Rachel Abbott made her Kindle debut with the thriller "Only the Innocent" in 2013 and would go on to self-publish more books about chief inspector Tom Douglas solving murders around England. According to her bio, Abbott's debut novel made it to the top of the Amazon charts in the United States and the United Kingdom, and she was honored with being "the number one bestselling independent author" during the first five years of Kindle operating in the U.K. 

Abbott's latest Tom Douglas thriller, "No More Lies," has 4.5 stars with over 15,000 ratings from readers. "I always enjoy Rachel Abbott's books and this was no exception. Though I figured part of it out, it kept me second-guessing my predictions. There was also a twist on true Abbott style. Great read," one reader wrote on Amazon.

It's clear that Abbott has built a lane for herself, but why self-publish? On this, Abbott told The Guardian, "I suppose I like being in charge ... But to me, the success or failure of my books is entirely down to me. ... As a self-published author I am able to develop a strategy for sales and manage it. I suspect that would be very difficult with a traditional deal." Ultimately, Abbott is an inspiring author, and her books continue to enrapture readers.

In an interview with Fantasy Book Critic, independent author Trudie Skies revealed that they had written and traditionally published a young adult book but decided to self-publish their adult series. "I'm a big fan of fantasy, especially indie fantasy, but also indie games as well. I have a degree in video game design and a lot of my story ideas and world-building are inspired by my favorite RPGs," Skies told the outlet.

"The Thirteenth Hour" is the first book in Skies' "The Cruel Gods" fantasy series that everyone's been reading on Kindle. Set in the fictional city of Chime, the series follows a woman named Kayl who has magical powers and accidentally kills the soul of a mortal. She's then hunted by a man named Quen to make her pay for her crime, but they soon find themselves entangled in an effort to find out more about Kayl's powers.

"The Children of Chaos" was released in 2022 and got rave reviews from readers. "After reading The Thirteenth Hour (book one) of The Cruel Gods series back in March for a category or two in the Indie Ink Awards, I knew I wanted to continue this series. The Children of Chaos didn't let me down. I enjoyed it just as much if not more than I did book one," one reviewer wrote. Skies' next installment, "The End of Time," is set to be published on May 1, 2024.

If you're a fan of Janet Evanovich's books, Stephanie Bond is an author you'll want to know, as her "Body Moves" series has the perfect mix of humor, romance, and crime-solving that'll keep you turning your figurative Kindle pages. There are 12 books in the series, with "12 Bodies and a Wedding" rounding it at. Many fans were sad to see the last of the "Body Moves" series, with one reader sharing on Amazon, "I have been a fan of these series for years. Carlotta and the others feel like old friends. Through every book, we get to know the characters, and you fall in love with them. This book hit me with all the feels." However, Bond has also written other standalone books, such as "I Think I Love You" and "Whole Lotta Trouble," which have also received high marks from readers.

Bond's books were once published traditionally, but she decided to self-publish to retain more control. One of her books, "Stop the Wedding!," was turned into a Hallmark movie of the same name in 2016. "Having a novel turned into a TV movie is a dream come true — it's a treat for me and for my readers, and reinforces to me the power of cross-media projects," she told IndieReader at the time.

Let's face it — vampire stories will never get old, and Tim O'Rourke put his own twist on the genre by combining his knowledge of law enforcement with his love of the undead. The former cop mesmerizes readers with his Kiera Hudson books, with his first book being "Vampire Shift," though there are currently 10 installments in the series. Not to leave shapeshifter lovers out, O'Rourke also authored "Werewolves of Shade." Color us intrigued!

Like many other KDP writers, O'Rourke self-published his books after getting rejected by publishing houses. "It was really easy to do. When I published my first book a month later, I told myself I would be happy if 50 people bought a copy because that would be 50 readers I'd shared my story with," he told Amazon in 2013. O'Rourke soon began selling tens of thousands of copies, and he was able to retire. "Publishing with Amazon has changed my life. I thought I'd be retiring as a police officer in my 60s, but I'm now writing full-time and earning more than I ever did in the force," he added.