Kristen Brand

Welcome!

Hi. I’m speculative fiction author Kristen Brand. If you’re looking for a good book in the sci-fi/fantasy genre, then you’re in the right place. My novels all have fast-paced action, witty banter, and at least a hint of romance. I’m a huge nerd, which comes through in my writing, and I love reading and talking about books, comics, and short stories.

Check out my books page for a full list of all my novels. Or look at my web fiction for links to free stories you can read online.

Thanks for stopping by!

How to Write a Series of Superhero Fiction

I’ve made some mistakes.

I’ve also written some pretty good stuff, in my totally-not-biased opinion.

If nothing else, now that I’ve finished The White Knight & Black Valentine Series and am the author of five superhero novels, I’ve learned a lot. And, like the veteran superhero imparting her knowledge to her young sidekick, I’m here to pass on what I’ve learned so you can do better than me. Continue reading How to Write a Series of Superhero Fiction

New Superhero Fiction for 2019

Hey, super readers. It’s already April somehow, and I haven’t done a roundup of new superhero fiction yet this year. Yikes! Not sure if I’ll be returning to the monthly schedule for these posts, or if I’ll do quarterly roundups like this going forward to save time. Either way, I know I’m missing a lot of great books, so leave a comment about any other superhero novels you’ve read and enjoyed lately.

As usual, I haven’t read all of these books personally, so check out the samples and reviews before buying.

Heroes Fall: A Heroes Unleashed Novel (Serenity City Book 1)

by Morgan Newquist

He wanted to be a good man. Instead he became a hero.

Twenty years ago, Serenity City’s great Triumvirate of heroes – Achilles, the Banshee, and Pendragon – maintained a golden age of peace and prosperity. Then, in an instant, it all went wrong. The city’s mightiest champion, Achilles, lost his mind during a showdown with the enigmatic supervillain Thanatos and went on a rampage across the city, leaving the Banshee dead and a swath of destruction in his wake before Pendragon could stop him.

Today, as Achilles rots in solitary confinement, Victoria Westerdale investigates a new mystery. Why are young and forgotten heroes disappearing off the streets? Why doesn’t anybody else care? And how is it tied in to those infamous events that brought the city’s greatest heroes to ruin?

And what’s going to happen to them all after Achilles escapes? Continue reading New Superhero Fiction for 2019

Shocked by The Ghost Machine Kickstarter

So my publisher set up a Kickstarter to fund the relaunch of The Ghost Machine and Clockmaker earlier this week. I was originally intending to write this post to ask everyone to consider helping it reach its goal of five hundred dollars, which I was worried it would never manage, but… well…

It met its goal 24 hours after launching.

It’s currently marching towards the $750 dollar stretch goal, which gives all backers a copy of my short story, The Strange Stairs at the Aldebourne Estate. Head over to Kickstarter to see the full range of rewards, which include ebook copies if you don’t already have them, along with signed paperbacks and hardcovers. (Have I mentioned how excited I am to have print editions of my books? I’m pretty excited.)

A big thank you to all the backers, and to everyone who supported these books the first time around. You guys are the best!

Upcoming Read-Along of The White Knight & Black Valentine Series

Heads up, everybody! Book review blog One Book Two is hosting a read-along of The White Knight and Black Valentine Series next month!

What’s a read-along? You can find a detailed explanation on One Book Two‘s website here, but basically, you read the books at the same time as the other people who’ve joined the read-along and then participate in discussions and polls in the Goodread group.

If you’ve fallen behind in the series and want to catch up, this is the perfect chance. It’s also a good opportunity to reread the whole series now that the last book is out, or just a good chance to connect with other fans.

You can find the full schedule on One Book Two here. Hero Status‘s reading period starts on April 1st–and no, that’s not an April Fool’s joke. 😉 Get your Kindles, Nooks, and Kobo ereaders ready and join the Goodreads group now!

Where are my steampunk books?

My apologies if you’ve clicked the link to buy The Ghost Machine or Clockmaker recently and found that the books have vanished from Amazon. They’re unavailable at the moment–but don’t worry, they’re not gone for good.

They’ve been picked up by a publishing company and are getting ready to be republished–yay!! I’m thrilled that they’re getting a second chance and a bigger opportunity to reach new readers. As they move closer their re-release dates, you’ll hear the news here first, and if you’re waiting to buy them, thank you in advance for your patience!

Superhuman Disaster is in stores now!

Today’s the day! Superhuman Disaster is out in the world for everyone to read!

I can’t believe the final book in The White Knight & Black Valentine Series is finished. It hasn’t sunk in yet, and I’ll have to post my reflections on the series later next week. But for now, let’s get to the good stuff! Here are the links:

Download the ebook to your Amazon Kindle or Kindle app here.

Or choose from a variety of retailers here.

I worked hard to give every character a great sendoff and am happy with the results. I hope you are, too. Happy reading! Continue reading Superhuman Disaster is in stores now!

Superhuman Disaster Sneak Peak

We’re less than a week away from the new release date of Superhuman Disaster–and I’m actually on track to meet it this time! To celebrate, here’s a sneak peak of the first chapter. Thanks again to all of you for your patience, and I hope you like it!

Chapter 1

When I slept, I dreamt of death.

I stood in an amusement park surrounded by the dead. Their bodies lay in lines, blood running down the walls, brains splattered across the pavement, guts baking under the hot sun. They slumped over the counter in front of brightly lit carnival games, corpses strapped into rollercoasters that zoomed overhead. Their silence filled the expanse.

I fought the supervillain Bloodbath, too late to save anyone from him. We traded punch after punch, and it seemed like we’d be doomed to battle forever until I finally hit him hard enough, and he joined the rest of the dead at my feet. My triumph instantly turned to a sense of overwhelming wrongness, and the glassy eyes of the corpses stared at me in judgement. As I looked around, I couldn’t help but wonder…

Had Bloodbath killed these people, or had I? Continue reading Superhuman Disaster Sneak Peak