‘Wayward Pines’ And 3 Other Indie Author Hits Deserving Of The TV Treatment


Wayward Pines was never supposed to make it past the first season by design.

The “one-and-done” series, however, built a cult following and a growing audience throughout its run, thus prompting FOX to give it the go-ahead for Season 2, according to Bloody-Disgusting.

While much has been made of M. Night Shyamalan’s involvement in the adaptation, many fail to realize that the story comes from a series by indie author Blake Crouch.

To be fair, Crouch wasn’t entirely indie from the beginning. He had a traditional publishing contract, but realized he was better off as a mid-list guy to go the self-publishing route.

This attracted the attention of Amazon, which started promoting and eventually publishing his work. In the days since, Crouch has worked as something of a hybrid author, self-publishing some materials while letting Amazon’s imprints handle the rest.

The Wayward Pines scribe is, in essence, what many indie authors aspire to be. Unfortunately, as many in the traditional publishing community are quick to point out, “there’s a lot of crap out there” in the indie world.

But guys like Crouch and J.A. Konrath argue, quite competently, that there is also a lot of “crap” in traditional publishing as well and that the persistent, competent, and lucky often rise to the top.

In that spirit, here are three other indie author series that deserve the same TV treatment of Wayward Pines.

The Jack Daniels Series by J.A. Konrath

Konrath is one of the more prolific indie authors out there. A champion of Amazon, indie publishing, and an outspoken critic of one-sided traditional publishing contracts, he essentially has two identities — one, as a hero to authors; and two, as the writer of the acclaimed “Jack Daniels” detective series that follows Lieutenant Jacqueline Daniels as she deals with a wide array of psychotics.

Konrath has collaborated with Crouch frequently through the pair’s indie/hybrid run, and he has sold millions of books as a self-publisher. His series is snarky, violent, and hilarious, and would supply a great deal of meat for a talented young actress to chew on.

Area 51 Series by Bob Mayer

The Area 51 series of books by indie author Bob Mayer is just one of the prolific scribe’s three series, but it’s also his best. Mayer, a former Green Beret, has an encyclopedic military knowledge that comes out fluidly in his realistic science-fiction epic about an alien mothership and nine abandoned flying saucers locked away in the bowels of Area 51 and the people, who dare to unlock the secrets.

J.J. Graves Series by Liliana Hart

The J.J. Graves series by self-publisher Liliana Hart is a standout five-book series (and counting) featuring one of the more unique characters to be featured at the heart of a romantic mystery.

J.J. Graves is in the mortuary business, and doubles as the coroner for King George County, Virginia. Between her friendship with Detective Jack Lawson and one tantalizing mystery after another — with plenty of shocks to keep things interesting for those not into the romance aspects — there is much crossover appeal in this.

It’s the type of series that couples could binge-watch on Netflix, and with more than 3 million books sold, there is a built-in audience for it.

Whether these ever see the light of day, one thing is for certain. The publishing landscape has changed, and the continued success of Wayward Pines will only continue to attract attention from networks and streaming giants as they push into original content.

But what do you think, readers? Are there any indie author series that you would like to see get the small-screen (or big-screen) treatment? Leave your picks in the comments, and while you’re at it, tell us what you think of Wayward Pines.

[Image via Wayward Pines Facebook]

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