About Me
I was the kid who always had her nose in a book. Whether it was Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Ring or Lawrence Block’s The Burglar in the Closet, I lived in the worlds of fantasy and mystery. It got me through a lot of hard times growing up.
I started writing stories as a teenager in the late 1970s on a hand-me-down manual Smith Corona typewriter. I dreamed of becoming a famous novelist.
During college, my gender dysphoria became a dominant force. Not long after graduation, I came out as transgender and my whole world turned topsy-turvy. My love of writing was pushed aside in a struggle to survive.
A few decades later, I rediscovered my love of writing and eventually got a publishing deal with Alibi, a Penguin Random House imprint. Shea Stevens, outlaw biker, was born.
After two books with Alibi, I started my own publishing company, Dark Pariah Press.
More than a dozen crime thrillers later, I became the most prolific openly transgender author in crime fiction.
The Shea Stevens Outlaw Biker series is about a lesbian ex-con working as a custom motorcycle builder. But despite her attempts to live a clean life, trouble soon finds her and she fights back the only way she knows how: dirty.
My Jinx Ballou Bounty Hunter series is about 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.
And then there's my Avery Byrne Goth Vigilante series about a young goth tattoo artist who spent years as a homeless teen on the streets. But her world gets turned upside down after her girlfriend steals a bag full of money from the local mob.
After a recent health crisis, I realized I needed more magic in my life. So I shifted to urban fantasy. The same grit and queer representation as my thrillers. But more magic and wonder.
In my Witches of Wiccanburg series, the monsters aren’t always human. Neither are the heroes.
Whether you prefer crime fiction or urban fantasy, if you enjoy stories embrace diversity, resilience, and found family, you will love my books. Curl up with one today. You won't regret it.
If you want to get in touch, feel free to email me at dharma@dharmakelleher.com.
