Between Two Seasons
by Marc Macdonald
Please welcome Marc Macdonald to the blog!
Indie authors are worth the hype of best-sellers
The shelves in big bookstores are full of shiny covers and bold-font names we’ve all seen a hundred times. And sure, some of those books are worth the hype. But here’s the thing: not every story worth reading comes with a million-dollar marketing budget or a spot on the bestseller list. A lot of the good stuff—maybe even the best stuff—is being written by indie authors who are telling the stories only they could tell.
Indie writers don’t have a boardroom full of people asking if their book is “relatable to the 18–34 demographic.” They’re not being told to trim a chapter to keep things neat for a holiday release schedule. What they do have is the freedom to let a story breathe, or wander, or hit you sideways with an idea you didn’t see coming. That freedom leads to books that feel alive—sometimes rough around the edges, sometimes brilliantly polished—but always honest.
These are the voices you won’t always find on the front table of a chain store. They might be self-published, or working with a tiny press, or selling directly from their website. But in those places, you’ll find stories that challenge, surprise, or comfort in ways the “safe bets” from major publishers sometimes can’t. Stories from people writing outside the usual bubbles—queer writers, immigrant voices, working-class perspectives, folks from towns you’ve never heard of but who know something about life you don’t.
And when you pick up an indie book, you’re not just buying paper and ink—you’re backing someone who probably did their own editing, their own cover design, their own late-night marketing hustle. Every read, every review, every recommendation helps that writer keep going.
So if literature is about discovering new ways of seeing the world, indie authors are the mapmakers we shouldn’t overlook. Their stories may not come wrapped in gold foil or front-of-store displays, but they’re real, they’re daring, and they’re waiting for readers willing to look beyond the obvious shelves.
Genre:
Literary Fiction
About the Book:
Haunted by regret and stalled by guilt, Alex Chambers arrives at Silver Springs Health and Rehabilitation Centre searching for redemption. What he finds instead is Mae Seasons—a sharp-tongued, fiercely independent resident with no interest in being anyone’s project.
Alex came hoping to make amends for the mistakes of his youth, especially to the woman he once hurt. But when that hope slips away, he’s drawn into an unexpected role: caregiver and reluctant confidant to Mae, whose irreverence hides a lifetime of buried truths.
As days at Silver Springs unfold in their strange, often absurd rhythm, Alex is forced to confront the tangled grief of his past. Through awkward silences, reluctant confessions, and moments of startling vulnerability, he and Mae forge an unlikely friendship—one stitched together by shared loneliness, reluctant compassion, and the possibility of healing.
At once poignant and quietly humorous, Between Two Seasons is a story about the lives we try to outrun, the people who challenge us to face ourselves, and the surprising ways connection takes root.
Read Excerpt Three:
I spent the rest of the night in my room. I zoned out. I read a book—well, part of one anyway. I watched TV—if you classify mindlessly channel surfing as watching.
Mostly, I stared out the window, gazing upon the trees and seeing an ominous curtain before me. My emotions were tempestuous and indistinguishable. I was looking forward to having the night to process whatever this cornucopia of anxiety, unease, guilt, and excitement was all about.
It had been sixteen years. Sixteen years.
I know life is as full of regrets as it is anything else, and sometimes the regrets stand a little taller, push back a little stronger, and thrust their way into memories, overtaking what once was good and turning it into a heaping pile of shame.
Just as my dinnertime zone out had been interrupted, so too was my Zen moment of deeply inhaling the fresh forest air and summoning the memories of someone I used to love. Still loved. Will forever love.
Meet the Author:
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Marc MacDonald is an author who believes every great story starts with a spark—whether it’s a single sentence, an unforgettable character, or an idea that won’t let go. As the writer behind Between Two Seasons, a novel that celebrates the beauty of human connection, Marc weaves heartfelt narratives that linger long after the last page is turned.
When he’s not crafting compelling fiction, Marc applies his storytelling skills as a seasoned communications professional, proving that every message—whether in a book or a press release—deserves to be engaging. He’s also a fierce defender of the Oxford comma, an unapologetic pun enthusiast, and someone who firmly believes that coffee is the most essential writing tool.
Find him deep in his next manuscript, chasing inspiration, or justifying “research” as an excuse to buy more books. Catch up with Marc on his personal website: https://marcmacdonald.ca/ or @MarcMacWrites on Instagram.
Enter the Giveaway:
Marc Macdonald will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
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This looks like a very enjoyable read. Thanks for sharing.
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