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!

7 Favorite Book Aesthetics

I’ve become a little obsessed with book aesthetics.

You may have noticed this already if you follow me on Twitter, where I’m all over #ThursdayAesthetic every week. If you’ve never checked out that hashtag, you really should. It’s full of gorgeous imagery, and I’m blown away by the talent of the author community. Every week, one of the hosts announces a theme, and writers create an aesthetic based on it for their books.

I’m not that good at it, but I don’t let that stop me. 😉 Practice makes perfect, and I like to think I get better every week. Either way, I have a lot of fun, and I want to share some of my favorites that I’ve made so far. Continue reading 7 Favorite Book Aesthetics

New Superhero Fiction (September 2018)

You’ve probably read Kill Them All by now. (And if you haven’t, then you should get on that.) As you’re waiting for Superhuman Disaster to come out and that cliffhanger to be resolved, here are some of the coolest-looking new superhero novels to keep you occupied.

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

Explosive Arsenal (Full Metal Superhero Book 6)

by Jeffery H. Haskell

Explosive Arsenal Cover

Aliens, megalomaniacs, and power-mad mages, Amelia should be so lucky. Luke is gone, stolen by the mysterious red gem. With no way to track him, she must stand up to the other threats she faces. Someone out there has her tech, and they used it to outfit a group of cold-blooded mercs that tried to kill her. Then there’s Tempus. A new threat which appears to be able to travel through time. Amelia won’t go down easy, however. The Full Metal Superhero always has a trick up her sleeve. Is this one threat too many for our armored heroine? Continue reading New Superhero Fiction (September 2018)

Updates on The White Knight & Black Valentine Series

First off, a big thank you to everybody who’s read Kill Them All so far and helped make the book launch a success. You guys are the best! ❤

Thank you gif

Second, I’ve been hustling to promote the book, so ICYMI, here are a few guest posts I’ve done around the web:

Those are both great book blogs, BTW, so you should look around after finishing my articles. 😉

Finally, I’ve got the update on Book 5 you’ve probably been waiting for if you’ve finished Kill Them All. Continue reading Updates on The White Knight & Black Valentine Series

10 Female Supervillains (who are Cooler than most Heroes)

Superheroines can be powerful role models for girls. They show that women can be brave, smart, and control their own stories, which is an excellent lesson for both girls and boys. I can only imagine the impact movies like Wonder Woman and comics like Ms. Marvel and Moon Girl have on kids. Superheroes have always been beacons of hope, symbols of what humanity could achieve if we strove to be better. Though they may be fictional, superheroes can truly change the world.

But supervillains have more fun.

So if you’re in the mood for destroying the world rather than saving it, here are ten of my favorite female supervillains—and let me tell you, it was hard to narrow the list down to just ten. These ladies are powerful, brilliant and terrifying, and while they’d probably murder us in real life without a second thought, they’re super fun to read about. Continue reading 10 Female Supervillains (who are Cooler than most Heroes)

Kill Them All is Live!

Today’s the day! Kill Them All, the fourth and penultimate book in The White Knight and Black Valentine Series, has been released into the world.

If you enjoy:

  • villain protagonists
  • roaring rampages of revenge
  • fierce and classy older heroines
  • strong mother/daughter relationships
  • action scenes with a frenzy of superpowers

Then you’ll probably like this book. To the readers who’ve been with this series for a while, I hope you like the new places I take the story and don’t hate me too much for the torment I heap upon your favorite characters. 😉 New readers, I design every book to be new reader-friendly, so give Kill Them All a try or check out the other books in the series first.

And thank you all for your support! I never would have made it to Book 4 without you. Continue reading Kill Them All is Live!

Book Recommendation: Rebellion’s Song by J.E. Brand

The battle is over. The heroes lower their weapons as the crowd cheers. The evil overlord has been defeated, and the hero’s people are free.

…what now?

That’s the question asked in Rebellion’s Song by J.E. Brand. Earlier this year, I posted about how much I love The Freedom Game, my sister’s first book. Now, the sequel is out, and I have to gush about how great it is, too.

Rebellion's Song Cover

The rebellion is over. The real fight has just begun… Continue reading Book Recommendation: Rebellion’s Song by J.E. Brand

Five Favorite Book to Screen Adaptations

“The book was better.”

If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard that about a movie or TV show, I… well, I wouldn’t be rich, but I could certainly buy myself something nice.

Adaptations of books to the big and small screen have a tricky balancing act to pull off. It’s impossible to accurately turn every single page of a book into a movie or TV show; the visual medium is a completely different animal from the written word. Screenwriters and directors have the challenge of making structural changes to adapt the story to the screen while remaining faithful to the spirit of the book.

Or at least, that’s how I think about it. Some movies don’t seem to care, presenting an adaptation that shares nothing in common with the source material except for a title, leading to masses of disappointed fans.

But I’m not here to talk about the disasters. I want to talk about my favorites. Continue reading Five Favorite Book to Screen Adaptations