Kristen Brand

Welcome!

Hi. I’m speculative fiction author Kristen Brand. If you like fantasy or sci-fi, then you’re in the right place. Read one of my ebooks, and chances are you’ll find A) fire-forged friends, B) fights scenes and stuff exploding, and C) kissing. I’m a huge nerd, which is pretty obvious in my writing, and my blog will give you recommendations and ramblings about novels, comics, short stories, and more.

Check out my Books page for a full list of my novels. Or start reading my free superhero serial, Fight Crime! (A Love Story), online right now.

Looking for the free prequel to Poison and Honey? Click here.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Memory of Ghosts: A Halloween Urban Fantasy Serial (Part 3)

First time reading? Start with Part 1 here.

Recap: Last time, the ghost began to remember more of her past, and she and Bea went to the library to research what happened to the ghost’s husband. Though they were interrupted by a creepy guy who seemed way too interested in Bea’s research, they eventually found an obituary…

Chapter 3

I couldn’t turn my gaze from those small words wedged between two other obituaries. We’d found him. The pride of accomplishment should have surged through me, but I felt vaguely sick. Was this all that remained of Nate? He deserved so much more than a snippet of text in an old newspaper.

He’d been merely twenty-eight years old according to this. Grief scraped my soul like gravel against skin, an old and familiar pain. I’d wanted to grow old with him, to raise a family. Our life together had been just beginning. It wasn’t fair. We should’ve had more time.

And had his death truly been an accident? It didn’t seem right, but I couldn’t remember…

“You okay?”

Bea’s gaze was gentle and full of concern. I couldn’t bear it.

The Memory of Ghosts: A Halloween Urban Fantasy Serial (Part 2)

First time reading? Start with Part 1 here.

Recap: Last time, our ghostly protagonist’s monotonous afterlife was interrupted when the old woman she’s haunting calls an exorcist. But instead of moving on, the ghost talks the exorcist into helping her track down the soul of her lost husband.

Chapter 2

“Here we go. Nathaniel Breen, 1847 to 1902. Banker from California. Died of tuberculosis.”

Bea was lying in a bunk in the back of her van, staring at a small device with a rectangular face that lit up and showed pictures and text. (I remembered the old woman in my house using something similar.) We’d spent the night at a campground, and the new scenery had both mesmerized and invigorated me. The only one more excited was the cat, who darted among the trees all night in exploration.

“Nate wasn’t a banker,” I said. “And he certainly wasn’t from California.”

“What was he, then?”

“A factory worker. And I don’t think he ever left Ohio.”

“Hm.” She stretched. “Well, I don’t see any other Nathaniel Breens on here.”

“You should try a library.” I sniffed. “There are still libraries around these days, aren’t there?”

“Yeah, let me look up the closest one.”

The Memory of Ghosts: A Halloween Urban Fantasy Serial (Part 1)

It’s October! Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year, so to celebrate, I want to share a free urban fantasy short story. I’ll be serializing The Memory of Ghosts all through October, so expect updates every Thursday this month. Check it out if you like:

Ghost librarians
Haunted Graveyards
Grumpy paranormal investigators
FRIENDSHIP

I hope it helps you get into the Halloween spirit. Happy reading!

*To be on the safe side, I’m adding a content warning for a brief instance of animal cruelty in this chapter.

Chapter 1

I hated the woman who lived in my house.

She’d made it as slovenly as a pigeon coop. Unwashed dishes were always piled high in the sink, attracting a swarm of flies and other crawly things. Crumbs and crumpled paper bags covered the couch, and half-empty cups grew moldy on the end tables. Soiled clothes littered the floor in the master bedroom, and the less said about the washroom, the better.

I could forgive her untidiness if she were a pleasant person, but she wasn’t. When her husband cooked dinner, she’d spend the whole meal talking about how it tasted like garbage. If her kids spoke more loudly than a whisper, she shrieked at them to shut up and do their homework. Her favorite words were “stupid,” “worthless,” and “don’t know why I put up with you.” Continue reading The Memory of Ghosts: A Halloween Urban Fantasy Serial (Part 1)

Scaredy Cat Bingo and Upcoming Halloween Serial Announcement

There’s an angel and a devil on my shoulders. The angel is telling me to wait until October 1st to start Halloween season like a rational person. The devil wants all the pumpkins, spookiness, and candy NOW.

So I’m starting a little early. Just a smidge. No big deal, right?

First off, I’m participating in Scaredy Cat Bingo, which is hosted by Cats Luv Coffee Book Reviews. It’s a reading challenge full of Halloween-themed categories, and the only catch is that you have to finish all the books in September and October for them to count. Continue reading Scaredy Cat Bingo and Upcoming Halloween Serial Announcement

Sting of Thorns is out now!

Need to escape the real world for a while? Discover a darkly beautiful realm of magic in Sting of Thorns. If you like fierce heroines, dangerous fae, and urban fantasy, this may be the ebook you’re looking for. See what reviewers are saying:

“Full of action, magic and new twists and turns that took my breath away. This sequel is not to miss!”

–I Love Books and Stuff Blog

“I screamed NOOOOO at Poison and Honey’s ending and YESSSS at Sting of Thorn’s beginning.”

–Whiskey & Wit Book Reviews

And here’s the blurb:

Victory always has a cost.

The fight is over, and Leigh Morgan won. After spending months spying in Otherworld as a servant, she’s rescued the humans who were abducted by the Others and sent them safely home. She had to stay behind to destroy the gateway between worlds and keep them safe, but tough luck. She’s prepared to pay the price.

But she didn’t expect the curse that the queen of Otherworld lays on her: a thorny vine growing under Leigh’s skin that will kill her when it reaches her heart. The queen will lift the curse…if Leigh uses her connections in the human realm to locate a magical weapon lost hundreds of years ago.

To ensure she succeeds, the queen sends her son, Dredarion Rath, the cunning prince Leigh had to betray to save her people. With anger and hurt still fresh, they can barely stand to be in the same room together, much less cooperate on such a dangerous mission. But as Leigh’s friends risk everything to help her, she’ll have to find a way to reconcile with Dredarion before their quest gets her and everyone she cares about killed.

The Dark and Otherworldly series continues with deadlier threats, darker romance, and deeper secrets. Return to Otherworld and buy it now.

You can choose from a complete list of retailers here. The ebook is also available for libraries to purchase through OverDrive and other distributors, so you can ask your local library to get it for their catalogue.

Sting of Thorns is the second book in the Dark and Otherworldly series, and I recommend you read Poison and Honey first if you haven’t already. I hope you’ll check the series out.

As always, thank you for your support, and happy reading.

11 Indie Book Covers that are Knocking it out of the Park

Book covers are works of art. They’re also marketing tools. Being in complete control of your book cover can be a huge advantage of self-publishing. It’s also harder than you’d think.

We authors (and by “we” I mostly mean “me” 😅) aren’t always savvy marketers, and designing a book cover that sells in a particular genre is a completely different skill from writing said book. And the cover of an author’s dreams isn’t always within one’s budget. With that in mind, I love it when authors overcome these challenges and get that perfect eye-catching cover that makes me drool over their book.

Here are 10 covers by self-published authors and author-run small presses that knock my socks off. Some I’ve read, and some I haven’t yet, but you can bet the covers played a big role in putting them on my to-read list.

*This post contains affiliate links.

No Man Can Tame by Miranda Honfleur

This is one of the books on this list that I’ve read, and I’m happy to report that the story lives up to that gorgeous cover. I like so many things about it from the clothing to the flowers and moon in the background. It sort of depicts the first meeting of these two characters but also seems pretty symbolic. Overall, it’s just a beautiful cover for a beautiful story. Continue reading 11 Indie Book Covers that are Knocking it out of the Park

New Superhero Fiction (Jul and Aug 2020)

It’s finally September, which you may be aware is Self-Published Fantasy Month! Definitely check out the website and #SelfPublishedFantasyMonth hashtag on social media to find some great new indie reads.

The vast majority of the superhero novels I feature on these roundups are by indie authors, and I plan to do some proper Self-Published Fantasy Month posts in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

Now, here are some cool-looking superhero books that came out in July and August. As usual, I haven’t read all these novels personally, so please look at the samples and reviews before purchasing. And happy reading!

*This post contains affiliate links.

Haunted Heroine (Heroine Complex Book 4)

by Sarah Kuhn

The fourth book in the smart, snarky, and action-packed Heroine series follows Evie Tanaka, Aveda Jupiter, and Bea Tanaka as they combat a new supernatural threat.

Everything in Evie Tanaka’s life is finally perfect. As a badass superheroine, she defends San Francisco from demon invasion on the regular. Her relationships with superhero partner Aveda Jupiter, little sister Bea, and hot, half-demon husband Nate have never been stronger. Maybe it’s possible for a grad school dropout turned put-upon personal assistant turned superhero to have it all?

Just when she thinks life can’t get any better, Evie learns she’s pregnant. Everyone around her is overjoyed…but Evie has major doubts about whether she’s cut out for motherhood. Before she can dwell on her dilemma, a local women’s college reports a string of mysterious “hauntings,” and Evie and Aveda are called in to investigate, going undercover as grad students during the creepiest time of the year: Halloween. Continue reading New Superhero Fiction (Jul and Aug 2020)

Fae Friday

I’ve been meaning to hop on the #FaeFriday tag for a while. Hosted by Caffeinated Fae, it’s got bookish prompts inspired by fairies every Friday. This week’s prompt is:

Did you know that in certain lore, a fairy is born from the first laugh of a child? That is why this curious wannabe fae wants to know: What is a book that made you genuinely laugh?

This prompt spoke to me, because I think we could all use a good laugh right now. Things are…pretty depressing at the moment. This isn’t a current events post, but I also don’t feel right updating this week without acknowledging what’s happening, so I’m going to link to the statement on the Black Lives Matter website, which is full of resources and ways to help.

Now, my pick for a book that made me laugh is:

Blurb

Convicted con man and forger Moist von Lipwig is given a choice: Face the hangman’s noose, or get Ankh Morpork’s ancient Post Office up and running efficiently!

It was a tough decision . . . Continue reading Fae Friday

Read the First Chapter of Sting of Thorns

We are less than a month away from the September 15th release of Sting of Thorns, my urban fantasy novella about fey curses, conflicted loyalties, and magic swords. Check out the first chapter below!

Chapter 1

Dredarion Rath reached the stairs to the dungeons and paused. He felt feverish, sweating under his armor, though the halls of the palace were crisp and cool. He inhaled slowly and started down the steps—not because he was ready but because he couldn’t allow any of his people to see their prince hesitate.

The ceiling was so low that he nearly had to duck. The stone steps were timeworn, the gray brick walls chipped and water stained. The graceful opulence that infused every inch of the palace was absent down there. The light fixtures were the only similarity: metallic lanterns imprisoning tiny glowing sprites, though these were in a sorry state. Their feeble, greenish light barely penetrated the dirty glass, and they shrank from him as he stalked past.

At the bottom of the stairs awaited a damp, chilly chamber that turned his sweaty skin cold and clammy. The stench of piss and feces lingered amid the mildewy air, though the cells lining the right wall were empty save one prisoner:

Leigh Morgan, the woman Dredarion had once thought he might love. Continue reading Read the First Chapter of Sting of Thorns

5 Ways You’d Probably Die in an Urban Fantasy Novel (And how to Survive Them)

“If you could live in any fictional world, what would it be?”

Does that question give anyone else anxiety? Like sure, it would be nice to visit Middle Earth, but I don’t want to get murdered by bands of roving orcs. The Star Wars universe? Noooo, thank you. Did you see that new Death Star? It can blow up multiple planets at once. And don’t even get me started on the dangers of living in a superhero universe.

At first glance, an urban fantasy world might seem like a much better option to call home than an epic fantasy one. You can have modern conveniences like the internet and indoor plumbing while also enjoying the wonders of magic. But personally, I feel like the modern world is dangerous enough without throwing in supernatural threats. I love reading urban fantasy, but if I lived in the world of one of those novels… I would die. I would die so hard.

You probably would too. Let’s talk about how! Continue reading 5 Ways You’d Probably Die in an Urban Fantasy Novel (And how to Survive Them)