Bryan Asbury was born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado. Growing up, he was heavily inspired by Stephen King, as well as “Tales From the Crypt” and “The Twilight Zone.” He is currently a regular contributor for “The Chilling Tales For Dark Nights Network” and has had five of his stories adapted into podcast productions. He’s been featured in the Pueblo Chieftain, a local southern Colorado newspaper, as well as local bookstores and libraries, and recently his book can be found on the shelves of Barnes and Noble in Colorado. His writing style is distinctive and often strays from traditional horror by also combining comedy and suspense with a focus on twisted endings. He continues to try and expand his portfolio and aspires to eventually adapt his stories into movies or television shows.
Check out our interview on YouTube:
NOTE: The Correct Spelling of Bryan’s last name is ASBURY not ASHBURY!
Check out His books below!
(Click on the cover images to order your copy)
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Bryan Asbury’s first collection of short stories features four of his best “spine-chilling tales” (The Pueblo Chieftain). He often combines suspense, thriller, horror and comedy into one, that truly delivers a unique writing style that is all his own. His stories have even been adapted into full-scale podcast productions that have been aired globally. These tales will leave you with an unsettling feeling long after the last page.
After a successful attorney has a chance encounter with a homeless man outside of a grocery store, his life takes a tragic and disturbing turn. A terrifying tale about the darkside of giving and receiving.
Why I Chose to Start a Fiction Podcast as an Author by Alyanna Poe
As an indie horror author, I’m always looking for new ways to promote my work. Having watched the first season of Only Murders in the Building, it got me thinking. There are people that listen to true crime podcasts so thoroughly that they have maps, notes, and theories about the cases they listen to. Only problem is, I’ve got no connections to get details about cases, but I do have a head full of stories.
This birthed the idea of the Indicted Fiction Podcast. I thought, “True crime but make it fiction.” I didn’t want to use the same format as a true crime podcast because who wants to listen to a fake case? Not to mention, the idea allowed for many mistakes. I couldn’t imagine writing a fake crime and investigation just to have a listener tell me it’s not possible and the whole case is clearly a sham. So came the audio diary idea.
Season one of Indicted Fiction is called “Adam’s Murder.” Can you guess what it’s about? Each episode of the podcast is a chapter of the book I wrote under the same name, and once the last podcast episode airs, the book will be published. Abigail Drummer must work through her grief as she investigates the murder of her brother, keeping an audio diary as she points a finger at everyone she knows. I play the character I wrote, Abigail Drummer. While planning out the idea, I figured an audio diary format leaves me so much creative space. Listeners have told me that she has a quirky awkwardness about her youth and that she’s very relatable and emotional. I’ve never taken an acting or voice over class, and I think the only reason I’m able to convey this emotion is because I wrote the story and it’s so close to me. In 2020 I lost my own brother. In Adam’s Murder I worked through a lot of grief and feelings of guilt, and narrating that work only amplified my emotions. I think in episode three you can actually hear me crying.
The benefit of narrating your own story is that you understand where to emphasize the words, where to show emotion, and how your character sounds. Abby is awkward. She’s introverted and so unsure about the world around her. Sure, a voice actor would be able to convey this, but I think my listeners/readers are not only making a connection to Abby but also to me.
Another great benefit is, I was able to do this on a budget, and I can promote this podcast in places I could never promote my books because it’s free. Listeners get a taste of my writing and then can check out my other books or buy the book once it’s published. Not to mention, the podcast is sort of acting as a book launch, building excitement for the publication of the book.
So far, despite having a mic that’s not great and a set up that would make any voice actor cringe, I’ve gotten great feedback. Every week people are excited for a new episode, and I’m so proud of myself for having spread myself into new territory as an author.
I think any writer could benefit from a fiction podcast. Whether you do a short story per week, add sound effects, or narrate from third person, it’s all doable.
For anyone interested, Indicted Fiction: Adam’s Murder is available to read on my blog and to listen to on my website, YouTube, and Spotify. And if all goes well, season two of Indicted Fiction will be available to my patrons on Patreon only and will follow a serial killer in prison telling her stories of murder and why she did it.
Author Alyanna Poe: an author from Northern California with a knack for horror. Poe has been writing since a young age and self-published her first horror novel at eighteen years old. Many ask what her real name is, only to be surprised that she is a born Poe with relations to the great Edgar Allan Poe. She frequently posts interviews with small businesses and authors like herself, short fiction, and articles about writing and marketing to her website authoralyannapoe.com
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books, editing, cover design, etc.
Roni was left to fight a fight that few could win. She filled with rage holding her baby now covered in bruises, praying to a God that wouldn’t protect her. She pushed back murderous plots in her head. After all, her son and daughter relied on her training to dispense justice—not revenge. Defending her baby, she took her beating in front of a judge and vowed to make them pay. Five years later, she would again face that same system. This time she was a huntress of fugitives—a bounty hunter. A newfound badge of redemption propelled her into the spotlight. Exploited, threatened and sued, she continued her mission. But she found her biggest challenge in the case of human trafficking, the deaths of six young women, and two serial killers.
Roni tells her riveting story in RUBBER BULLETS a memoir!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Mirror of Emotions is a melange of every phase that life encounters you with. This book shall take you on the erratic path on this journey of life and readers can expect an exhilarated persona of themselves disentangling the complexities they keep battling with during different phases of life.
Ali Ashhar is poet and content writer currently residing in Kanpur, India. He is the award-winning author of poetry collection, Mirror of Emotions. He has co-authored three international anthologies. He also contributes his poems and articles to literary journals and newspapers. His works have been published in Eve Poetry Magazine, Indian Periodical, Indian Review, My Voice Canada and Good Morning Kashmir.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
No Way Home
A Christine Stewart Time Travel Adventure Book 1
by Christy Cooper-Burnett
Genre: Time Travel, SciFi, Historical Fantasy
2020 California Author Project Winner – Adult Fiction
2020 PenCraft Award Winner – Science Fiction
“An action-packed time-travel adventure that will leave you thirsting for the sequel.” –Sublime Book Review
“A brilliant and thought-provoking book that readers who love tales of time travel will find fascinating.” –Authors Reading
Christine Stewart is a regular woman just doing her job when she gets stranded in history. When she gets up for the day, her plan is simple: go to work, travel back in time to the year 1867 in Oklahoma to deport a cyber-criminal, then head back to her time in 2070 Los Angeles and get ready to go on vacation with her son, Michael.
Then the system goes down and she-and dozens of other transporters around the world-are stranded in the past with minimal training and no supplies.
Just when she thinks things can’t get any more dangerous, she is cast further back in time and thousands of miles away.
As her goals shift from simply getting home to something much more dire to all of humanity, Christine must step outside of herself, work as part of a team, and ultimately make the choice between what it easy and what is right. Even if it costs her everything-including her one chance of ever getting home.
An exiled prisoner. A desperate woman. A time travel agent willing to break the rules.
Malcolm Aldred is starting over in 1868, Oklahoma. There’s just one problem—he’s an exiled prisoner from 2070.
In 2071, Los Angeles, housewife Hannah Cole is desperate to escape her abusive husband, and begs Cyber Criminal Enforcement Agent Christine Stewart to send her somewhere, anywhere, in history. When Christine agrees to send Hannah to 1868, neither woman has any idea the events that sets in motion.
Malcolm and Hannah adapt to pioneer life in an untamed world full of danger and unimaginable hardships, but falling for each other was never part of the plan. When a deadly hunter tracks Hannah to 1868, fate intervenes and catapults her back to Colonial America, threatening to destroy their future before it ever begins.
Can Christine save Hannah in time or will they both be lost to history forever?
With the country under the threat of war, a group of time-traveling government agents devise a risky plan to keep their families safe. But transporting hundreds of years to the past and blending in may prove much more dangerous than they expected.
Cyber Criminal Enforcement Agent Christine Stewart has been to the past before and thinks she knows what to expect. She couldn’t be more wrong.
Life in the eighteenth century is anything but ideal, especially when they learn a rogue agent with plans to strike it rich follows them back in time. Armed with a modern-day weapon, the agent may disrupt the timeline in the most disastrous way and alter history as they know it.
Now they’re refugees in their own homeland, and how they proceed will determine their fate. Will they crash and burn in their race to stop the defector before it’s too late?
Christy Cooper-Burnett is an award-winning author based in California with a degree in Administration of Justice. After retiring early from the new home construction industry, she now divides her time between northern and southern California.
She has one grown son who inspired her to write her award-winning debut novel, No Way Home. She began her writing career later in life, but once she started she couldn’t stop. Her work focuses on creating relatable stories and characters that transcend genres and encourage readers to imagine what they would do if thrown into the unique, imaginative situations her protagonists end up in.
Christy’s debut novel, No Way Home, was the recipient of the 2020 California Author Project award in the Adult Fiction category, the 2020 PenCraft Award in the Science Fiction category, a 2021 Literary Titan Gold Medal Award and a finalist position in the 2021 International Book Awards, Science Fiction category. Her second novel, Finding Home released June 17, 2021, and early praise has already garnered several five-star reviews and her second Literary Titan Gold Medal Award. The third book in the Christine Stewart Time Travel Adventure series, Escaping Home, is an Indies Today recommended read and is set to launch on November 18, 2021.
You can learn more about Christy, subscribe to her mailing list for news and book deals or contact
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Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell us something about yourself and how you became an author?
I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on. My mother and grandmother were avid readers, and my grandmother was also an editor. Despite my lifelong love of books, I didn’t consider writing until I was in my late 50’s. I had a dream about a woman trapped in the past and in my dream, I was typing the story on my grandmother’s old typewriter. The dream stayed with me into the following day, and I mentioned it to my son. He thought it sounded like a great story and suggested I write a book based on the plot. I had never considered writing, but with his encouragement I started to put together an outline. I wrote on my lunch hours at work, and on weekends. When I had a story put together, I knew I should have a professional editor give it a once over. My friends were eager to read it, and I wanted to have the best version of it to give them. The editor I used was a former acquisitions editor for a publisher and told me it ticked all the boxes, and in her previous position she would have picked up my story. She encouraged me to send it out to small presses who accepted unsolicited manuscripts. No one was more surprised than me when I received four offers for the book. I eventually signed with a small publisher in Texas, Black Rose Writing. I have since published two more books in the series with them and just signed a contract for the first book in a new series, due out next September.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I signed my first contract with Black Rose Writing. It was a surreal moment for me, and one that will stay with me forever. It was the best feeling in the world to know that my book was entertaining enough for a publisher to take a chance on with an unknown author.
Which of your novels can you imagine being made into a movie?
Since my books are part of a trilogy with the same characters, all of them! After three books with these characters, I feel I know them so well, I can imagine all of them translating to the screen.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in No Way Home, Finding Home and Escaping Home?
The protagonist, Christine Stewart was the most crucial for me. She is a regular, forty-something woman just doing her job when extraordinary circumstances turn her world upside down. She is somewhat anti-social by nature, so having to make connections to stay alive goes against every cell in her being. But she knows in order to get home and see her son again, she will do whatever it takes. By the end of No Way Home, she has evolved. It remains a daily struggle for her, but she tries to make a change for the better. She found a best friend for the first time since she was a young girl and learns to put someone else first. Christine has a need to try to save everyone, but in the final installment of the series, Escaping Home, she comes full circle and gets her happy ending. Just not in a way she ever expected.
What can we expect form you in the future?
I’ve just signed a contract for a new book which will be out next September. It is another time travel series, packed with adventure and action. Without giving away too much, here is a little teaser.
They always say, “Be careful what you wish for.”
I wish I had been careful.
I could’ve easily sold my time travel technology for billons and walked away. Instead, I chose to take the elite on vacations deep into the past, to a time and place of their choice.
But when a big-time motion picture company hired me, I sold my soul.
What was supposed to be a few days in the nineteenth century with two of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities goes horribly awry. Now America’s hottest starlet is dead, and Jack the Ripper is on the loose in modern-day America.
And it’s all my fault.
I was foolish enough to let the most ruthless serial killer in history slip out of the past. Am I smart enough to send him packing?
Is there a writer whose brain you would love to pick for advice? Wo would that be and why?
Actually, Tom McCaffrey, the best-selling author of The Claire Trilogy (The Wise Ass, An Alien Appeal, Kissing My Ass Goodbye) is a dear friend of mine. I have access to his brain and pick it often. Not only is he a very talented writer, but he is one of the funniest people I know, and an all-around good guy. Every writer needs a “Tom”.
Jeffrey James Higgins is a former reporter and retired supervisory special agent who writes thriller novels, short stories, creative nonfiction, and essays. He has wrestled a suicide bomber, fought the Taliban in combat, and chased terrorists across five continents. During his career, he made the first narco-terrorism arrest, convicted the world’s most prolific heroin trafficker, and arrested an Iranian operative trying to acquire surface-to-air missiles. Jeffrey received both the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism and the DEA Award of Valor.
Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
I’ve wanted to be an author since my parents read me bedtime stories. I worked as a journalist to pay the bills, then entered law enforcement and stopped writing during my 25 years as a police officer and special agent. When I returned to writing a few years ago, I felt like I was coming home. I’ve always been a writer, even when I wasn’t writing.
Who is your hero and why?
My wife, Cynthia Farahat Higgins, is my hero. She grew up in Cairo, Egypt and wanted to be a sculptor, but the government prevented her from going to art school. Instead of accepting being a victim of a patriarchal, socialist, Islamist society, she decided to understand the minds of Islamists.
Cynthia spent the two decades studying Islamic jurisprudence and became a founding member of Egypt’s first secular, pro-western political party. She fought for the rights of women, minorities, and all individuals. The government, al-Qaeda, and the Muslim Brotherhood targeted her, but she stayed true to her values and never backed down. She spent more than a decade under surveillance and received death threats daily. She sought asylum in the US only after Islamists murdered her friend and targeted her for assassination.
My wife has continued to write and expose radical Islamic terror groups. Her efforts had saved countless lives, and she has helped transform Egyptian society. The woman who once had her name officially banned from print now regularly appears in the most widely circulated newspaper in the Middle East. Cynthia’s courage and morality are a shining star for all to follow. Her nonfiction book, The Secret Apparatus, exposes the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. Post Hill Press will publish it in 2022.
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
I think all my novels would make wonderful movies. I say that because I’m a visual author. Stories play like movies in my imagination when I write. Readers often tell me my books would make great movies. Some writers get offended by that comment because novels and cinema are different mediums, but I take it as a compliment because it means the book came alive in the reader’s mind.
Furious: Sailing into Terrorwould probably make the best movie. It was a quarterfinalist in Screencraft’s Most Cinematic Book Competition. Best Thrillers selected it as an Editor’s Pick, and Reader’s Favorites gave it a Gold Medal. Furiouswould be the least expensive to film because 90% of the story takes place on a 62-foot Beneteau Oceanis Yacht. I’ve been studying scriptwriting, and I hope to have the screenplay written soon. I plan to adapt my other work into scripts too. Unseen: Evil Lurks Among Us would also translate well on the big screen.
What inspired you to write this book?
A year before Covid-19, I thought about ways someone could flee a populated area during a pandemic and decided escaping on a yacht would work. Then I wondered what would happen if someone on the boat was dangerous. That led me to write a closed-environment thriller. I wanted to create a fast-paced novel that readers would not want to put down. Furious is pure romanticism. The protagonist, Dagny, must use her mind to find ways to survive. It’s about using reason, being courageous, and never giving up.
How did you come up with the title of the book?
The title, Furious, has multiple meanings and implications, which the reader will understand when they read the story. No spoilers!
Who designed your book covers?
Black Rose Writing published my first two novels, Furious and Unseen. Their design and production manager, David King, does a great job creating the covers, and I know Reagan Rothe and the other BRW staff also give input. There’s a real art to designing a cover. Reader polls show that cover design is one of the most important factors in selling a book. The cover must be interesting, convey the genre and mood, and entice the read to open the book. I think it’s usually a mistake for authors to design their own covers. I would not ask a designer to write an important scene for me, so why should I dictate their art?
Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
I become a better writer with every book. I think that’s an important lesson for new authors. Malcolm Gladwell posited that 10,000 hours of study in any field is necessary to become an expert. I think there’s a literary equivalent for that. I’ve written over 600,000 words in novels and probably a couple hundred thousand more in short stories and narrative nonfiction. The more you write, the better you become, and if it’s focused writing, you learn from your mistakes. I read books on craft, listen to podcasts, attend conferences, participate in a critique group, and rely on beta readers. If you listen to criticism and learn the craft, you will get better. A corollary to that is finishing your novel. Completing plot and character arcs are tremendous learning experiences. It’s one thing to have a good idea and start a book, and another to structure your idea properly, flesh out characters, and make it all work together. The best thing I’ve learned is to finish what you start.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
My agent recently submitted two books to publishers. Blood and Powder is a nonfiction account of my journey from the World Trade Center on 9/11 to fighting terrorism in Afghanistan. Battling bureaucrats and terrorists, a special agent pushes DEA into war and makes the first narco-terrorism arrest—forever changing how terrorists are prosecuted. It’s Blackhawk Down meets The Good Soldiers. My agent also submitted Shaking, a small-town murder mystery. Battling bipolar disorder, Emily Miller lands her dream job as a reporter and returns to her New England hometown, but when her brother becomes a suspect in a gruesome murder, she must identify the killer to save her family, her job, and her life. It’s Sharp Objects meets The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair. I hope both books will find a home and be published in 2022.
What did you edit out of this book?
Because most of Furious takes place on a boat, I wanted to write scenes in other locations to provide readers with background information and give them a change of scenery. I wrote a dozen flashback scenes about pivotal moments in Dagny’s history, but a literary agent told me they took her out of the moment. I was afraid if I used too many flashbacks or made them too long, I would reduce the tension. I cut most of them out and shortened the ones I kept to a paragraph or two. Keeping brief flashbacks gives the reader background they need and does not hurt the pace.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Leslie Wolfe is a bestselling author whose novels break the mold of traditional thrillers. She creates unforgettable, brilliant, strong women heroes who deliver fast-paced, satisfying suspense, backed up by extensive background research in technology and psychology.
Leslie released the first novel, Executive, in October 2011. Since then, she has written many more, continuing to break down barriers of traditional thrillers. Her style of fast-paced suspense, backed up by extensive background research in technology and psychology, has made Leslie one of the most read authors in the genre and she has created an array of unforgettable, brilliant and strong women heroes along the way.
A recently released standalone and an addictive, heart-stopping psychological thriller, The Girl You Killed will appeal to fans of The Undoing, The Silent Patient, or Little Fires Everywhere. Reminiscent of the television drama Criminal Minds, her series of books featuring the fierce and relentless FBI Agent Tess Winnett would be of great interest to readers of James Patterson, Melinda Leigh, and David Baldacci crime thrillers. Fans of Kendra Elliot and Robert Dugoni suspenseful mysteries would love the Las Vegas Crime series, featuring the tension-filled relationship between Baxter and Holt. Finally, her Alex Hoffmann series of political and espionage action adventure will enthrall readers of Tom Clancy, Brad Thor, and Lee Child.
Leslie has received much acclaim for her work, including inquiries from Hollywood, and her books offer something that is different and tangible, with readers becoming invested in not only the main characters and plot but also with the ruthless minds of the killers she creates.
Leslie enjoys engaging with readers every day and would love to hear from you. Become an insider: gain early access to previews of Leslie’s new novels.
When the body of a teenage girl is found under the water curtains of the Blackwater River Falls, Detective Kay Sharp is called to the scene. Surrounded by snowy peaks and a forest alive with the colors of fall, the victim floats in the water, a hand-carved locket around her neck.
The locket seems strangely familiar. Digging into cold cases, Kay discovers that three-year-old Rose Harrelson was wearing it when she vanished fourteen years ago. In the middle of the night, the little girl’s bedroom—with Mickey Mouse on the wall and a hanging baby mobile—was suddenly empty. The unsolved case still haunts the town.
But the teenager they have found has been dead for only a few hours. If the girl in the river is Rose, where has she been, and who has been hiding her all this time? If she is someone else, why is she wearing the locket, and what happened to the missing child from all those years ago?
Kay knows she must solve the kidnapping in order to untangle the mystery of the dead body. As she unearths a web of lies and deceit spun for decades, the close-knit community will never be the same. And Kay will find herself facing a truly terrifying killer…
Beneath Blackwater River shines a light on the staggering implications of parental abuse and its life-long consequences in the lives of the abused. Sometimes, the abused turns into the abuser and such the cycle of abuse continues. In many known cases of serial homicide in the United States, the killer’s early life was one of appalling abuse endured at the hands of a parent or immediate family member.
What would readers remember after they finish reading the book?
They will remember that many times, appearances can be deceiving. Sometimes, refusing to dig deeper under the ornate masks worn by predators in our midst could lead to lives being threatened and lost. I also hope readers will regard parental abuse with a renewed interest, given its long-term, potentially deadly consequences. As my readers have grown accustomed to, the parental abuse in my book isn’t physical. It’s entirely psychological, but even if the scars aren’t visible to the naked eye it doesn’t mean they’re not there.
Your writing style is fast, filled with dialogue, almost at the expense of descriptives and narratives. Why is that?
This is how human beings interact, especially when under pressure or stress. We stop paying attention to our surroundings, and focus on the task at hand. People interact with one another, talk to one another, and have feelings for one another and for everything we do. That’s what I’m focused on, rather than specifying each article of clothing someone wears, or the color of the flower vase in an office somewhere. This technique isn’t necessarily good or bad; just somewhat different from mainstream.
What’s the biggest compliment you received from a fan?
It’s when readers tell me they stay up all night to finish the book, because they couldn’t put it down. That’s music to my ears J Like any other artist and entertainer, I thrive knowing that I deliver that escape into the fictional world in a grasping, gritty, and memorable way.
You mentioned science, technology, psychology. How do you keep it real?
I do extensive amounts of research for my work, and I’m fascinated by what I have the opportunity to learn. Additionally, sections of my books go through a process of validation at the hands of several fantastic partners who are law enforcement officers, attorneys, scientists, doctors in medicine. In Dawn Girl, for example, there are sections that speak about using certain plant extracts and animal venoms to achieve certain goals. Despite the extensive research, my hands were shaking a little as I wrote them, metaphorically speaking, and I was relieved when my research “passed scientific review.”
Do you do any book signings, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when and where is the next place where your readers can see you? Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online?
Apart from social media and email interactions, I’m a veritable recluse. Email is the best and quickest way to reach me, and I was fortunate to build true friendships with readers over email. The majority of my readers ask me when’s the next book coming out, not when I’m getting out of the house, so I get the hint and keep on writing.
Is this book a first in a series and going to be continued?
This book is the second in the Kay Sharp Series, a story centered on a certain family and its layered dysfunction. There are two other books published in the series. So far, this series has been very well received by the readers, and my fans have been adamant: they want more. Therefore, in the future there will be more books to enjoy in the Kay Sharp Series.
Until then, the Tess Winnett Series features FBI Special Agent Tess Winnett in a series of eight (so far) gripping crime thrillers you won’t be able to put down. The first title in that series is Dawn Girl, but all books can be read as standalones.
Baxter & Holt is a three-book series featuring two Las Vegas detectives who trust each other with their lives, only not with their deepest, darkest secrets. Start this engrossing series with Las Vegas Girl.
Alex Hoffmann is an action-adventure series featuring a young and smart heroine and her team of private investigators. They follow their cases wherever those might take them, even if that means behind enemy lines, in five engrossing thrillers that will remind you of James Bond and Jack Reacher. The book that will get you started on this adventure is Executive.
Shakuita Johnson is a 34-year-old Psychology major. When she isn’t going to school or working, she is doing what she loves most. Writing. She started writing in middle school. She would write poetry in her room or the middle of the night. Then she was introduced to short stories in a creative writing course her senior year. Her love for paranormal and supernatural started with R.L. Stine Goosebumps books and TV shows, Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles, and Christopher Pike books. She is an avid reader with over 100 books on her bookshelf and 1000 plus on her iPad. She also loved to watch Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer with her mom.
Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
I have always enjoyed writing. I wrote a lot of poetry in high school, but I didn’t start writing my first book until the end of 2011 and published it Dec. 2013! I served 8 years in the United States Air Force. After that I moved to Boston to work on my Master’s in Public Admin. I’m currently back in my hometown. I’m a Scorpio. I enjoy music and the arts. I’m the oldest of brothers. I have 3 biological and 2 stepbrothers. I have 11 nieces and nephews and currently child-free.
Tell us something really interesting that’s happened to you!
When I was working in the military a chain-link fence almost fell on top of me. It was like something out of Final Destination. I moved out of the way just in time. No one else was around and it probably would have been a while before someone found me and I don’t even remember if I had my phone on me or not.
What are you passionate about these days?
These days I’m passionate about crafting. I make journals and notebooks because I’m obsessed with also buying them. I thought if I could make them myself it would lessen my spending but that was a lie. I still buy notebooks and the raw materials to make journals and I believe I’ve spent even more money on it.
What inspired you to write this book?
I’m super into anime and I decided to do something along those lines with paranormal. So, I decided to write a book about a fox yokai or Kitsune as they are referred as in Japan.
Where did you come up with the names in the story?
I decided to use Japanese names since the setting is Japan-like and there are some really beautiful names and their meanings can vary depending on what characters are used when writing them.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I have so many projects but I def will be finishing my first series that started with the first book I wrote. I have other series/trilogies I have started and some I need to start. I have some erotic shorts I need to finish, and I plan to possibly do a shared world if I can get the interest.
Who designed your book covers?
My book covers are mostly designed by Daria Brennan of https://beegraphica.com. Its been great seeing her grow in her craft from the first book cover she’s done for me til the most recent ones she’s designed. I have also used L.M. Adams, and three other cover designers.
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
It’s def something different from the norm. I try to stay away from what’s considered mainstream and write something outside the box. It seems lately everything follows the same formula, and I don’t like to read things that read like every other book. I like diversity and stories that push the envelope. I like to think that I write stories like that. I write what I would want to read. There is nothing wrong with reading the same sort of stories but I like writing off beat things and I write for those who are of the same mind.
What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?
This is hard but I’d say:
Anne Rice
R.L. Stine
V.C. Andrews
Christopher Pike
Shelly Laurenston
Kresley Cole
Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
Patricia Briggs
L.M. Adams
Kim Harrison
There are many more I read but I find myself rereading these authors and I’ve def read Queen of the Damned dozens of times.
What book do you think everyone should read?
A Child Called It. It really highlights some of the things children suffer at the hands of those who are supposed to love them and how lacking our resources still are when it comes to the safety and welfare of children that are really in danger.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing since at least high school that I can remember. I took a creative writing class where I also wrote my first short stories but before that it was mostly poetry, and I journaled a lot.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?
Yes, my favorite is paranormal followed by fantasy
What are you currently reading?
I’m currently reading manga and light novels. There are so many I don’t know how I keep up. But the last book I read was The Call of Crows series by Shelly Laurenston. Some of the manga I’m reading are:
What is the most terrible thing that ever happened to you? Losing my Father in 2019. I still can’t overcome this and I have realized I keep writing about him, in my books, in my scripts. He’s everywhere. A part of me died when I lost my Father. This part will never come back.
What is your name and do you write under a pen name? Jordan Tate, I can’t remember any other name but this one. This is definitely me.
Where do you call home? My mind for sure, I’m a writer. My mind is like to key to going anywhere and to escape anything…New York is my favorite place in the world. The place where you feel safe is the place you call home.
Obviously, we know you are an author, but some writers have other jobs as well. Do you have another occupation? Do you believe you’re any good at it?Do you like what you do? I’m also a screenwriter, a translator, a script doctor. I proofread other people’s work as well and write some articles. I have done some voice overs too. I like what I’m doing and I believe I’m good at it. I’m good at anything I like to do.
What is your family like? I’m an only child. My family has always been my parents.
If it doesn’t bother you, can you let us know what your childhood home looked like? As I said I’m an only child, so my childhood has been very protected, at least the very first years. I was living in a small house with my parents and my grandparents when I was about 2. Then I began to see the dark side of life when I was a teenager, probably developed my rebel and dark side too at this time.
Do you have any hobbies, other than writing? What do you enjoy doing? Workout, reading, watching films and taking care of my pets. I’m a huge animal love, I also like learning something new everyday. Hence, the reading.
What is your greatest dream? Have an animal foundation.
What kind of person do you wish you could be? What is stopping you? Someone who isn’t afraid of anything. What is stopping me is probably over-thinking, but as you know I’m a writer (smiles)
Not to pry too much, but do you remember your first love? Of course I do, every woman does…
What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing? I first became aware I wanted to be an artist when I was about 6. My Father shown me the video tape of John Guilermin’s King Kong, you know the 1976 version with Jessica Lange, and this film had a huge impact on me. My Father was a huge cinema lover, so thanks to him showing me this film, I began developing stories in my head, stories that I wanted to see. Also, when I discovered the dark side of life of people in my teenager life, writing and telling stories became a way to escape what people describe as true life.
What was your dream growing up? Did you achieve that dream? If so, in what ways was it not what you expected? If you never achieved the dream, why not? My first dream was to be an actress but mainly to be an artist. I believe being a writer is very close to being an actress in terms of becoming someone else and living several lives, but as a writer I have more freedom, I’m controlling what I create, I’m the head of it.
Who is your role model? Those who have the courage to change what needs to be changed, those who revolt when things are revolting and don’t look the other way.
What is your greatest fear? Losing those I love.
Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hard-covers or audio-books? Paperbacks, but I must say I love them all. What I prefer is a good book that allows me to forget about the real world around me.
Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it? Sure. The picture of Dorian Gray. Dracula.
What is your opinion of novellas? I love short stories, they go straight to the point.
Have you ever read a book just based on its cover? Can happen to me, but I never judge a book on its cover.
What is your favorite film based on a book? Rosemary’s baby. I also love the exorcist.
What is your favorite book genre at the moment? Horror. Supernatural.
If you could invite any four (4) celebrities (alive or dead) to your dinner party, who would you invite and why? Merian Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack, Ruth Rose because they created King Kong, the film that started it all for me. I will probably add Marilyn Monroe, because she’s iconic, and I’m sure we would get along pretty well.
Let’s shift somewhat and talk about your latest story.
What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or fewer words, what would you say? BLACK MASS it’s a story within a story, a horror anthology. A quest, and a revenge.
Is the above book part of a series? No.
How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book(s)? Seeking cemetery and dark images and a gate representing the gate to Hell. A mysterious one.
Did you listen to any particular songs while writing your book(s)? Sometimes. Mostly film soundtracks especially when it comes to writing horror books.
How did you come up with the title for your book(s)? It just appeared in my head.
Do you have a book trailer? If so, where can we watch it? Yes, I do have several on My YouTube channel you can see Black mass trailer here:
In your latest novel, who is the lead character and can you tell us a little about him/her? She’s a female journalist named Verity, seeking to interview a mysterious rock star named Lachlan Alden. She eventually gets her way, even though he never does interviews. As the story unfolds, we find out what was her real motive in the first place. We fully discover her.
What is your character’s greatest strengths? She’s determinate.
And what are his/her greatest weaknesses? Her past, her sadness. But that’s also what drives her to accomplish what she will accomplish.
What are some of his/her favorite foods? Never thought of that. She’s from New York as most of my leading characters so I guess she might be a cheesecake lover like myself.
What’s a positive quality that your character is unaware that he or she has? I believe Verity is very aware of the qualities she has.
Will readers like or dislike this character, and why? I believe they will like her a lot, because in the end she gets what she wants and anyone can relate to what she wants.
What first gave you the idea for your latest book?
I was actually watching a show revolving around supernatural, which is a theme I love, and they were talking about the ghosts in Pere Lachaise. I wasn’t planning to write a new book at this moment, then I became fascinated with the subject and said I’m gonna write a book about this place and it will be titled “Black mass”, I had a precise vision of it.
Let’s talk now about your writing process.
What is your writing style like? Are you a pantster or a plotter? Very visual as I’m also a screenwriter…And I happen to be both depends on my mood. One of my readers recently compared my short stories to the picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and The magic skin by Balzac… I don’t know, you’ll be the judge.
Have you come across any specific challenges in writing or publishing? What would you do differently the next time? Not particularly. I just don’t disclose the plot of my next book too early.
Are you a self-published/Indie author or did you publish through a traditional publishing company? Indie author.
If you’re a self-published/Indie author what made you go that route instead of the traditional publishing route? Independence, doing what I want whenever I want it. I’m a self-directed at heart.
What’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing? Don’t wait for inspiration to come, write everyday after all you can’t edit a blank page, inspiration will come as you write. The muse will finally appear.
What advice would you give someone who wants to start writing? Don’t give up! If you want to write, write, that’s the most incredible feeling in the world…Creating out of nothing, a blank page, making words, people, stories, lives. If you are a writer, you’ll only feel really alive when you’re writing.
Where can your readers follow you? Please list links to any applicable websites and/or social media accounts.
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Without a World (Kirasu Rising Book 1) by Kristen Illarmo
Genre: YA Science Fiction
A dying planet. A mythical new world.
Miranda struggles through each day in the Trash Lands, scraping for food and water, wishing she could blend into the sea of ash. The best part of her day is working a meaningless job in a place where people pretend she doesn’t exist.
Dismayed to learn her mother was right, Earth will get sucked into a black hole, Miranda must trust in skills she never knew she had to get to a place she refused to believe existed.
But when they learn the black hole is no natural phenomenon, Miranda can’t turn her back on the suffering of Earth, and saving it could cost more than she ever knew.
Kristen Illarmo is a young adult, science fiction author driven to write stories with strong female characters in the backdrop of crumbling societies. She proudly calls New Orleans home, a fact that may only change if the perfect beach town reveals itself.
When she’s not toiling to improve efficiency in local government in her day job, she’s writing about dark possible futures and thinking about the importance of the choices we make. The prequel to Without A World, Behind the Red Door, is available now at kristenillarmo.com.
Join her monthly newsletter to grab the prequel to Without A World for free, get author updates, and access other free books from emerging authors at kristenillarmo.com.
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How to find time to write as a parent?
I started writing Without A Worldin 2017 when my son was four, and my daughter was seven. I finished it in the summer of 2021, there were breaks and even other books written, but it certainly wasn’t fast.
It has gotten easier as they have gotten older, but it’s still hard since I also have a full-time job. I knew there was no way I could follow Stephen King’s advice and complete a first draft in three months, so I gave myself permission to work at a much slower pace. However, the other side of that coin is that I produce better work when I write consistently. That means I have to push myself to find snatches of time throughout the week to write.
I can’t write every day, and I make a point not to beat myself up about that, but I need to write at least 4 days a week to complete a competent draft. I have ambitions to be one of those people who wakes up at 5 am and writes for an hour or more before work. But waking up early makes me so cranky that I have never made it past the ambition. Instead, I aim to put the kids to bed by 8:30 and start writing right away.
Rather than watching the clock, I stick to the goal of writing a 1,500-word scene. I might not be able to bang out that many words before my brain turns to mush and my eyes start closing on their own, but I can usually get close, and even a start of a scene is better than nothing. Writing with kids and a full-time job is no picnic, but the small starts are what will keep you going.
Have 15 minutes? Start the scene. I also always leave a few lines about what should come next, so I don’t have to start with a blank page when I next pick it up.
Nina Soden 