Why am I passionate about this?

I've spent my life feeling out of place in this world which had me diving into novels since I was a little girl able to read. I was increasingly drawn to the supernatural dynamic in shows and novels. On top of that I am neurodivergent which means that I have spent years in and out of my own forms of darkness and self-doubt. As an author I wanted to create a world for characters that struggle with the same issues I struggle with and help them heal and grow through their trials. My hope has always been that in the course of my stories I can help a reader heal as well. 


I wrote

Breaking

By Kris Branham,

Book cover of Breaking

What is my book about?

The awakening has begun and the world is changing for the sole survivors of the mass coronal ejection. It’s been…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of City of Bones

Kris Branham Why did I love this book?

This book is a unique way of looking at humans being caught up in a supernatural world.

It provided real and unique outlook on a seemingly normal girl who gets swept away and brought into a world that surrounds her every day. It has its own sense of awakening where people can look around our world, outside of the pages and wonder what they are missing right under their nose.

It’s a great voice that instantly draws in the readers. The magic in this series intrigued me with how it worked. Invoking and storing magical runes on their bodies was an interesting take on gaining magic.

By Cassandra Clare,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked City of Bones as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

Discover this first installment of the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series and “prepare to be hooked” (Entertainment Weekly).

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he…


Book cover of John Constantine, Hellblazer: 30th Anniversary Celebration

Kris Branham Why did I love this book?

This is the John Constantine series. I am constantly enthralled with the nit and grit of this series.

There are a great deal of historical and biblical references in this series as well as their own twists. I found when writing my book that this was the same feeling and style I wanted. I didn’t want a world that was fluffy and beautiful but I wanted to show a world tortured and used as a battleground for angels and demons.

I couldn’t recommend this series more. The magic in this series is power from supernatural being. It's definitely the closest form of magic we could gain for ourselves as we learn the rules of our dominion over the earth.

By Various,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked John Constantine, Hellblazer as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

London's savviest street sorcerer is a foul-mouthed, cynical, chain-smoking con man, but sometimes he's also our only hope. All of these facets of Constantine's character have made him one of the most popular figures in graphic literature. John Constantine, Hellblazer: 30th Anniversary Celebration collects some of the antihero's greatest stories from some of comics' greatest writers, including Alan Moore, Jamie Delano, Neil Gaiman, Garth Ennis, Brian Azzarello, and Mike Carey, and also features a foreword written by worldwide musical icon Sting!

When all the chips are down and everything's on the line, what would you do to come out on…


Book cover of Six of Crows

Kris Branham Why did I love this book?

I absolutely loved this series. The dynamic of a group of people working together to save someone is astounding to me because I can't even get my toddler to settle on a book for bedtime. 

Howbeit this isn't a good guys are the best guys kind of series. You root for the bad guys, but aren’t they really just good guys in the end? I love the morally gray characters and use them in my novels. I feel like they are the most genuine characters because it's what we really see in the real world.

This book reminds me of my series because it's proof that if the cause is worthy a person can change and rise to the occasion to do what is right for the greater good…or the pretty face. The magic in this series blows my mind. Between shapeshifting, allure, alomancy, etc it always keeps you on your feet.

I especially love that it follows teenagers racing against time while hiding their powers.

By Leigh Bardugo,

Why should I read it?

21 authors picked Six of Crows as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

*See the Grishaverse come to life on screen with Shadow and Bone, now a Netflix original series.*

Nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2017, this fantasy epic from the No. 1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of the Grisha trilogy is gripping, sweeping and memorable - perfect for fans of George R. R. Martin, Laini Taylor and Kristin Cashore.

Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams - but he can't pull it off alone.

A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can't walk…


Book cover of The Way of Kings

Kris Branham Why did I love this book?

I'm not going to lie, I feel dirty even comparing my novel to this masterpiece. Yes, I say masterpiece because I myself have a bridge four tattoo. That’s how obsessed I am with this book and series!

The only reason I would compare my book to this is the following. Both are large casts and diverse perspectives. Both focus on regular people awakening to new powers and learning how to use them. Both books have guardians to help them learn their powers. Finally, both focus on working together despite differences for the greater good of saving the world.

Oh, and let's not forget that delicious slow-burn romance. The magic in this series is unlike any other I have ever read. It comes from bonding and developing relationships with various spren in their universe. Each bond is unique and each magical system spins its own wheel of allure. I am blown away by how incredible this world is set up.

By Brandon Sanderson,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked The Way of Kings as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings, Book One of the Stormlight Archive begins an incredible new saga of epic proportion.

Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.

It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and…


Book cover of The Slow Regard of Silent Things

Kris Branham Why did I love this book?

Oh my goodness, can I just say this is my favorite book?

It follows a girl living underground in an abandoned city under a school of magic. This story is on my recommendation list because of the trauma I endured in it. I know, I know, this sounds horrible but let's keep this short, sweet, and to the selling point.

It's Rothfuss, who is one of the greatest writers of our time. It’s a novella so it's not a huge time commitment. If you have ever struggled with depression, anxiety, or just feeling out of place around others just get this book. I promise.

Auri’s soul will take flight in its own right as she is one of the most precious, and tortured, souls ever to be written. The magic in this series is incredible. You learn magic by learning the true name of an element which can only be revealed to you by meditation. Once you know its name you control it and wield it to your benefit.

By Patrick Rothfuss,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Slow Regard of Silent Things as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Discover #1 New York Times-bestselling Patrick Rothfuss' epic fantasy universe of The Kingkiller Chronicle, in this illustrated companion novella, The Slow Regard of Silent Things.

"I just love the world of Patrick Rothfuss." -Lin-Manuel Miranda

Deep below the University, there is a dark place. Few people know of it: a broken web of ancient passageways and abandoned rooms. A young woman lives there, tucked among the sprawling tunnels of the Underthing, snug in the heart of this forgotten place.

Her name is Auri, and she is full of mysteries.

The Slow Regard of Silent Things is a brief, bittersweet glimpse…


Explore my book 😀

Breaking

By Kris Branham,

Book cover of Breaking

What is my book about?

The awakening has begun and the world is changing for the sole survivors of the mass coronal ejection. It’s been a year since Sara, Melody, Trevor, and Spencer started developing supernatural powers compelling them to pick a side in the ever-growing battle between angels and demons. Now all four of them cultivate their awakening as Michael, the angel of death, races against time to stop the breaking of the seals of the Apocalypse. No one knows what is causing the four horsemen to invade Earth, but they must join forces again to prevent the breaking of the world. As the apocalypse progresses, the groups must work together to save humanity from premature destruction. Will they survive, or is it too late to save the corrupted world we know all too well?

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What You Made Me Do

By Barbara Gayle Austin,

Book cover of What You Made Me Do

Barbara Gayle Austin Author Of What You Made Me Do

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Barbara's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

Willem and Jurriaan have a miserable childhood thanks to their cruel, controlling mother—Louisa Veldkamp, a world-renowned pianist. Dad turns a blind eye. One day, Louisa vanishes without a trace during a family vacation.

Adoptee Anneliese Bakker survives a toxic childhood and leaves home, vowing never to return. While searching for her biological mother, she meets the adult Willem, and they fall in love. Pregnant and engaged, she moves into the family mansion, wanting nothing more than to create a loving family for her child. But the Veldkamps are cold and distant. And why is Louisa a taboo subject?

As Anneliese…

What You Made Me Do

By Barbara Gayle Austin,

What is this book about?

An expectant mother gets more than she bargained for when she marries into a seemingly perfect family in this gripping debut novel–a must read for fans of A. J. Finn and B. A. Paris.

After surviving a nightmarish childhood, Anneliese Bakker is on the mend and searching for her birth mother. But when she meets Willem, she falls madly in love and finally finds a safe place to land. Engaged and expecting her first child, she moves into the Veldkamp mansion on a stately, tree-lined avenue in Amsterdam. And yet, nothing about Willem’s family is as it seems. Instead of…


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