About Me
My roundabout journey
I was the nerdy kid who always had her nose in a book. Whether it was Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, or Lawrence Block’s Bernie Rhodenbarr series, I lived in worlds of fantasy and mystery. Those books were my escape from the bullying I endured growing up.
I started writing stories as a teenager in the late 1970s on a hand-me-down Smith Corona manual typewriter, dreaming of becoming a famous novelist.
Then life got hard. During college, my gender dysphoria became impossible to ignore. Not long after graduation, I came out as transgender, and my whole world turned upside down. Everyone I knew, everyone who had said they loved me, turned their backs on me. I lost my marriage, my home, my family, my job, and my church.
In the years that followed, I survived a sexual assault and then a marriage to an abusive man. I turned to alcohol to cope. Writing got pushed aside in my struggle to survive.
Getting sober was the beginning of putting my life back together. That was thirty years ago. In the rooms of 12-step meetings, I began to unpack and dismantle the trauma, my codependency, and my addiction.
Years later, I rediscovered my love of writing and eventually landed a publishing deal with Alibi, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Shea Stevens, the lesbian outlaw biker, was born.
After two books with Alibi, I started my own publishing company, Dark Pariah Press. Over the next several years, I wrote twelve crime thrillers and became one of the first, and the most prolific, openly transgender authors in crime fiction.
Then a health crisis left me exhausted and struggling for months. When I finally came out the other side, I realized I needed more magic in my life. So I shifted to writing urban fantasy with the same grit and queer representation as my thrillers, plus more magic and wonder.
What my books are really about
Every book I write has monsters in it, human or otherwise. But my stories aren’t really about the monsters. They’re about the things I’ve lived through: surviving trauma, the families that fail us and the ones we build, and standing up to people and institutions that protect only the powerful.
My characters get knocked down, and then get back up. My stories explore themes of resilience, justice, queer representation, and reclaiming power.
My books
Witches of Wiccanburg (my current series): In the Sonoran Desert, the monsters aren’t always human. Neither are the heroes. A coven of queer witches battles supernatural nasties while protecting the people they love and the town they call home. Start with Desert Magic.
Jinx Ballou Bounty Hunter (complete, 5 books): Jinx is an ex-cop turned bounty hunter who happens to be transgender. She’s always on the hunt for fugitives and isn’t afraid to get rough when the situation calls for it. She’s also a comic book geek who cosplays at conventions.
Shea Stevens Outlaw Biker (complete, 4 books): Shea is a lesbian ex-con working as a custom motorcycle builder. Despite her attempts to live a clean life, trouble finds her, and she fights back the only way she knows how: dirty.
Avery Byrne Goth Vigilante (complete, 3 books): Avery is a young goth tattoo artist who spent years homeless on the streets. Her world turns upside down when her girlfriend steals a bag full of money from the local mob.
About me today
I live in Arizona with my wife and a black cat named Mouse. I’m also a proud living kidney donor.
If you love stories about resilience, found family, and fighting back, I think you’ll find a home in my books. Start with Desert Magic, or pick whichever series calls to you.
Want to get in touch? Email me at dharma@dharmakelleher.com.
