A stay-at-home mom to two rather adorable young children, Kiersten has a lot of time to daydream between running errands, writing freelance articles, and supervising playground acrobatics. Needing a new hobby, she decided to put her BA in English to use and type out some of the stories constantly playing in her mind. Much to her surprise and delight, writing books was even more entertaining than reading them - and took longer, too.
When not chained to her computer in a fit of creativity, Kiersten maintains a humorous blog, reads anything she can get her hands on, and occasionally cleans her apartment. Emphasis on occasionally.
You Weren't Meant to Be Human (2025) Andrew Joseph White "A tenderly beating, bloody heart of a novel. Relentlessly bleak and harrowing, White's brutal adult debut also somehow manages to be deeply, devastatingly empathetic."
They Fear Not Men in the Woods (2025) Gretchen McNeil "McNeil surprises and thrills in this folklore-inspired hike through mountains of dread. Unlike her characters, readers won't regret following her into the waiting trees."
A Land So Wide (2025) Erin A Craig "With a setting both lushly expansive and desperately claustrophobic, Craig invents a new mythology of terror and determination. I couldn't get enough of this romantic, tense, and thrilling tale."
Silvercloak (2025) (Silvercloak Saga, book 1) L K Steven "With an immersive setting, compellingly flawed characters, and a taut exploration of what it means to be moral in an uncaring world, L. K. Steven gives us a dazzling (and frequently sizzling) new fantasy in Silvercloak. Read it and join me in asking, How long until book two?"
The Staircase in the Woods (2025) Chuck Wendig "Chuck Wendig weaves his magic once more, turning a lonely staircase in the woods into a searing, propulsive, dread-filled exploration of the horrors of knowing and being known."
We Are the Beasts (2024) Gigi Griffis "Like sharp teeth in the dark, We Are the Beasts takes hold of you and never lets go. A compelling, tense, and thoughtful exploration of what it means to be girls in a world of monsters."
The Losting Fountain (2024) Lora Senf "The Losting Fountain is a darkly delightful addition to any library or bookshelf."
The Bog Wife (2024) Kay Chronister "A lush, beautifully written novel about trying to be a person in our strange world . . . Pick this one up for its exquisite characterization, decaying settings and a dash of Southern gothic horror."
So Thirsty (2024) Rachel Harrison "Dysfunctionally adorable (and terrifying) vampire hijinks meets the complexities of female friendship and aging? Yes, please. So Thirsty takes mid-thirties ennui and adds teeth, charm, and a beating heart (of borrowed blood). Another winner from Harrison!"
A Fire in the Sky (2024) (Fire in the Sky, book 1) Sophie Jordan "Firelight soars to dizzying heights, combining forbidden love, scorching romance, and thrilling danger."
The Pecan Children (2024) Quinn Connor "With creeping claustrophobia and a filter of the surreal over lushly detailed lives, The Pecan Children captures both the magic and despair of trying to hold onto home when the world is determined to take it away from you."
The Bad Ones (2024) Melissa Albert "The intensity of teen friendships is both fantastical and horrifying in Albert's latest masterpiece. At turns achingly sweet and bitingly vicious-much like its characters-The Bad Ones is a tense, lyrical, and haunting must-read."
Nestlings (2023) Nat Cassidy "This book will mess you up, and you'll be glad. Pitch-perfect creeping horror with heart (and viscera) in spades."
Your Lonely Nights Are Over (2023) Adam Sass "Sass's hilarious, viciously charming cast will slash their way right into your heart. Your lonely nights might not be over, but at least you'll have a fantastic book as company while trying to survive."
Field of Screams (2023) Wendy Parris "Chilling, thrilling, and full of heart! Field of Screams is a perfect book for young readers who like their scares accompanied by family mystery, abandoned houses, and the best maybe-a-ghost cat ever."
Silver Nitrate (2023) Silvia Moreno-Garcia "I'd read hundreds of pages of just Montserrat and Tristan being cantankerously charming best friends, but add a cursed film and a secret society of sorcerers? Perfection. No one punctures the skin of reality to reveal the lurking, sinister magic beneath better than Silvia Moreno-Garcia."
Girls and Their Horses (2023) Eliza Jane Brazier "At turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Girls and Their Horses has Brazier's razor sharp insight and blistering social commentary, combined with a plot so subtly tense you'll hold your breath for whole chapters."
At the Speed of Lies (2023) Cindy L Otis "With a sharp, compelling main character and an equally compelling mystery, At the Speed of Lies is a perfect--and timely--thriller."
White Cat, Black Dog (2023) Kelly Link "Kelly Link's stories wriggle under your skin and take up a permanent home there, and somehow you're grateful to be infested. White Cat, Black Dog is enchanting collection from one of the most astonishingly funny, unsettling, insightful, and brilliant writers of our time."
The Family Fortuna (2023) Lindsay Eagar "Eagar perfectly balances both the sublime and the wretched in this talon-sharp look at what it means to be a performer--and a family. The Family Fortuna will linger in your heart long after you leave their circus."
The Headmaster's List (2023) Melissa De La Cruz "There's nothing Melissa de la Cruz can't write, and she continues to prove it with this razor-sharp, glitteringly mysterious thriller! Put The Headmaster's List at the top of your TBR."
Malice House (2022) (Malice Compendium, book 1) Megan Shepherd "Shepherd's deft adult debut is a propulsively charming nightmare, pooling like spilled ink across your imagination. Count me a happy resident of Malice House amidst all its monsters."
Aetherbound (2021) E K Johnston "E. K. Johnston writes books that are simultaneously gentle and devastating, and I'm not sure how she does it but I'm so glad she does."
The Gilded Ones (2021) (Gilded Ones, book 1) Namina Forna "The Gilded Ones is a fierce, unflinching fantasy that marks Forna as a debut to watch."
Legendborn (2020) (Legendborn, book 1) Tracy Deonn "Legendborn is an enthralling, standout modern fantasy about history and power, and Deonn is an author to watch."
A Deadly Education (2020) (Scholomance, book 1) Naomi Novik "Eyeball-meltingly brilliant. Novik is, quite simply, a genius."
TRUEL1F3 (2020) (LIFEL1K3, book 3) Jay Kristoff "Fierce friendships, brutal heartbreak, and the question of what makes us who we are–in the midst of a seriously awesome and terrifying post-apocalyptic world–make LIFEL1K3 your next favorite book. Trust me."
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin (2020) (Song of Wraiths and Ruin, book 1) Roseanne A Brown "A refreshing, immersive debut that should be on every fantasy lover’s shelf, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin introduces a dazzling new talent in Roseanne A. Brown."
There Will Come a Darkness (2019) (Age of Darkness , book 1) Katy Rose Pool "There Will Come a Darkness is a can't-miss debut from an exciting new talent. I defy you not to lose yourself in this vast, luscious fantasy."
Girls of Paper and Fire (2018) (Girls of Paper and Fire, book 1) Natasha Ngan "Girls of Paper and Fire is as lush - and brutal - as the Demon King's own court. Ngan is a stunning new talent."
Seafire (2018) (Seafire Trilogy, book 1) Natalie C Parker "As smart, ferocious, and uncompromising as its crew, Seafire is the adventure you’re looking for. I have such a crush on this book!"
A Line in the Dark (2017) Malinda Lo "Malinda Lo's A Line in the Dark is soaked in menace. Each page in this brilliant thriller is deliciously unsettling - like Gone Girl meets Pretty Little Liars."
Mask of Shadows (2017) (Mask of Shadows, book 1) Linsey Miller "An intriguing world and a fantastically compelling main character make for a can't-miss debut. Miller's Mask of Shadows will make you glad you're not an assassin - and even gladder Sal is."
Little & Lion (2017) Brandy Colbert "Brandy Colbert further establishes herself as one of contemporary YA's biggest talents in this thoughtful and thought-provoking examination of identity, loyalty, and what it means to live with integrity. Little & Lion is a stunningly good novel."
Caraval (2017) (Caraval, book 1) Stephanie Garber "In a book where nothing is at it appears, one thing is certain: CARAVAL is the darkly enchanting adventure you've been looking for!"
Dangerous (2014) Shannon Hale "Master storyteller Hale takes readers to dizzying new heights. Layered with gritty action and heartfelt characters, 'Dangerous' is a can't-miss adventure."
Let the Sky Fall (2013) (Sky Fall, book 1) Shannon Messenger "Funny, fast-paced, and slyly romantic, Shannon Messenger's YA debut dazzles."
Pivot Point (2013) (Pivot Point, book 1) Kasie West "An expertly plotted, deliciously clever story."
The Selection (2012) (Selection, book 1) Kiera Cass "Reality TV meets dystopian fairy tale in Kiera Cass’s delightful debut. Charming, captivating, and filled with just the right amount of swoon!"
Across the Universe (2011) (Across the Universe, book 1) Beth Revis "A horrifying and deliciously claustrophobic masterpiece that's part sci-fi, part dystopian, and entirely brilliant."
