Oh, sweethearts, pull up a chair because this one’s a triple threat. I’m Kendra, and today we’re talking with an author who doesn’t just wear different hats—she’s got an entire coat rack.
Under her own name, Desirae Gracyn, she’s a pediatric nurse by day and a spinner of fantastical, neurodivergent-filled worlds by night. (Because fairies need therapy too, thank you very much.) Her work has popped up everywhere from Houston Writers Guild Anthology to Micromance Magazine, stretching across women’s fiction, horror, sci-fi, and—her first love—fantasy. Bonus quirk? She sneaks games into ALMOST every single story.
Then there’s Caroline Crews, her fantasy-and-dress-up alter ego, who takes “write what you know” to magical extremes, filling her pages with richly imagined realms and characters who can’t be boxed in. And if that’s not enough, meet Beatrice Crews, the former fairy princess turned middle-grade magic maker, weaving fresh spins on timeless tales for younger dreamers.
Between them, they’ve built a universe where wonder comes standard, the stakes are high, and love—of story, of self, of others—is at the center. And trust me, after you meet them, you’ll want to collect the whole set.
-I’m more of a princess and fantasy kind of girl. Although I’m starting to venture into sci-fi. Pierce Brown is an amazing sci-fi author. Anywho, I’ve never finished Star Trek; it was too long and the stories didn’t bleed into each other much, so I lost focus, but I did like the series. I watched maybe two seasons. For Star Wars, I watched all the movies and liked them. So, I guess Star Wars wins, but I haven’t branched out into their newer stuff and episode shows. But if you want to know a little secret, I started watching Star Wars and ended up liking the show because I loved the ride at Disney Paris. Two of Disney Paris’s rides that are my favorite are both Star Wars. I also really like the characters and storyline of the movie.
A book that pleasantly surprised you?
The Dresden Files. So, a patient at the hospital told me to read Jim Butcher’s book. He told me that I’d love The Dresden Files. Well, I don’t like crime books or movies. It’s not my thing. I won’t watch CSI, Criminal Minds, or anything like that. I also don’t like when you can read a book or watch a show middle of the season and not be lost, since they are all individual stories. The Dresden Files were over 13 books in the series at the time I learned about them. I purchased the first four. I read the first book, and though it had fantasy elements, it was just a wizard helping the police uncover a crime. I wasn’t hooked. But since my patient was so excited for me to read these books, I read the second one. Again, another crime. It did have some connections to the first, but still just a crime being solved. I thought if the entire series was like that, I would hate it. But I tried again and read book three. Oh my lanta, I couldn’t put it down. I read books three and four before going to bed. I was obsessed. I now have Excel spreadsheets of the books, character art, and like ‘family’ trees connecting the characters. I have finished the series (well, finished the last book he wrote in it), and I have to say he is one of my favorite authors.
Coffee, tea, or cacao?
Coffee. There are so many different things you can do with it. You can have it sweet, black, frozen, or pretty with lots of things inside the drink. Everywhere carries coffee in some form. I can have it decaf or not. Tea is similar in aspects of the flavors or the caffeinated option, but you can’t really make it into a freeze drink or add chocolate to it. And I like chocolate. But even though I like chocolate, I won’t choose cacao because it doesn’t have the benefit of caffeine.
Just like many other authors out there, I loved to write ever since I was little. I did it just for fun, though. I’d make picture books and tried to be like Dr. Seuss. He was my inspiration when I was little. However, I didn’t actually think about becoming a writer and doing anything more than my little creations until my mom put the idea in my head when I was fourteen. But even with that, I still didn’t think of writing anything that anyone could see other than my mom until I was in my late twenties.
So I’d say around 28 was when the realization dawned on me that I wanted to be a writer who actually published their work. It also happened to be when I first spoke the words out loud to someone that I wanted to be an author.
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
At first, my stories came from my life or prompts my mom and other people would say, and I’d run with them. Then they started to come from my own life. I wanted to see more neurodiverse characters out there, especially in fantasy. I wanted to see MCs who went to therapy, who were autistic, had OCD, and more out there. So I wrote about it. After I created these stories that touched close to home, I started to branch out and create more stories that featured games or things I wanted to read. But my stories, for the most part, still always include neurodivergent characters.
When did you write your first book and how old were you?
So this is a fun story. My little creations I made when I was super young didn’t count. They weren’t finished, and they were just fun. So my first book I wrote had started when I was fourteen years old. A Bond of Blood and Lavender, my debut novel, that published on June 16th, 2025, actually started in 2008.
Long time to work on a book, right? Seventeen years!
But what had happened was… Back in 2008, I was fourteen years old, and I got grounded a lot. My mom didn’t know what to do with me cooped up at home for Spring Break, so she told me to write a story. She said she missed reading my little creations that I hadn’t done for years. I told her to give me a topic. She said, “a girl trapped in a cave who is blind.” I told her that was dumb. She gave me a new topic, a girl madly in love with a deep, dark secret.
At that time, I was going through a lot of bad things in my life. I ran with the story for my mom’s second topic. That story is very personal and twisted many of my own experiences to make an intense, very bad villain and story. After two weeks, I wrote two full notebooks of the story, and I was at the climax. Mom ungrounded me, and I stopped writing the story, not because I no longer had to, but because I didn’t know what to do with the villain in my story. The person they resembled in my life (though not to the same extent), I didn’t know what to do with—had I forgiven them, loved them, wanted to see them redeemed, go to jail, what? Because of that, I couldn’t finish the book.
So, I carried those two notebooks in my purse or backpack everywhere I went for the next fourteen years. I always wanted to finish it, but I still couldn’t decide what to do with the villain, and even crazier things happened in my life—like being life-flighted to the hospital and my mom being told I wouldn’t make it.
Come December 2021 (I was twenty-eight), I took a sabbatical from everyone and traveled abroad. A hostel mate in London asked me what my dreams were. For the first time in my life, I said I wanted to be a writer. He told me that he knew I would be one. He prayed with me, too.
After he left, I took out my computer and wrote that first topic, a girl trapped in a cave and blind. This was just one part in my novel, and a very small part, but it had turned into me creating A Bond of Blood and Lavender. I finished the first draft that December. I then wrote and finished the second topic my mom had given me. That second book will never see the light of day, but I was happy to have finished it after fourteen years. And I was happy to have completed my first two books. For years, I spent a lot of time perfecting the draft of ABOBAL, honing my skills, going to conferences, and getting editors for my book. Come 2025 (thirty-one now), I published it. But it took me those four years to edit and complete it!
Okay, I’m sorry for the long explanation.
Lots of things. I love reading books, currently reading Impossible Creatures. I love watching TV, currently watching Pretty Little Liars. I love helping people and volunteering where I can. I love going to events. If there is an event in town and I can afford it, I’ll be at it. I love to dress up in costumes; costumes are my thing. When I work on holidays, I’ll always be the nurse or server dressed in theme. I love playing games! Ahh! Escape rooms!!! Those are my jam. Oh, and hanging out with my mom. She is my best friend.
What does your family think of your writing?
Well, my mom started me on this path in a way, so I’d say she is very supportive. She also helped me edit my books, and she always beta-reads them for me. I couldn’t have done this without her.
My sister loves me and supports me, but she still hasn’t read any. And my first short story I wrote was my apology to her for some things that happened in my teenage years. I won third place in that short story. But she still hasn’t read it. One day, I hope she will. I want her to know how much I look up to her, and how much I want to be like her. Every story I write, I always write in the hopes that this will be the one she reads and that she’ll connect with it, understand me (and my neurodiversity), and really, truly forgive me.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I’ve written seven novels.
One of them will not see the light of day, the one I started at 14.
One of them is the girl version of ABOBAL. (I haven't decided what I'm doing with it.)
One Published.
The other four are coming soon.
My favorite is the one that’s coming out last. I will be making it into a series. I will mention this further in the last question.
I’ve also written several short stories.
Two still don’t have a home.
Three are waiting for answers or haven’t been sent out yet.
Twelve have been accepted into anthologies by Wild Ink, Dragon Soul Press, and The Writers Guild.
My favorite one is a story called Take My Hand coming out in 2026 with Wild Ink. But my second favorite that is already published is the story I wrote my sister. It’s called My Sister’s Last Game and was published by Houston Writers Guild.
I’ve also written several flash fiction pieces.
One is in the works.
Four have been accepted into anthologies for KissMet by Micromance Magazine.
Two have been accepted for publication in Mircromance Magazine.
My favorite happens to be my Halloween one, coming out as the opening feature for KissMet Quarterly’s Holiday Anthology. But I also really love the first one I ever wrote for KissMet, it’s called Sign to Love Again.
Do you have any suggestions to help someone become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Never lose the mindset that you are always learning. Every day, I learn something new about writing, publishing, and many other things.
Always read. Stay current. Learn what you like about what they did, learn what you didn’t. Make flashcards on those points. Study them. It helps.
Read Craft Books. At first, I was opposed to this. I didn’t know how it could help. But eventually I caved! I couldn’t be happier that I did. It helped me understand so much. I got a craft book on GMC’s (Goal, Motivation, Conflict) after my developmental editor suggested it, and I couldn’t be happier. I now make Excel spreadsheets for them. And reading that book gave me an idea on making a Word document that shows my character’s traits, internal and external, and so much more.
Get a book that helps with verbs, emotions, and so much more. I use The Emotional Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi all the time.
Write short stories and flash fiction pieces. Getting these published helps boost your excitement and keeps your creative juices flowing. Being able to write a specific category and with a particular prompt really helps you grow.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Honestly… I wanted to be a princess. Who doesn’t want to be royalty when they’re little? My uncle even encouraged me. He said he’d build me a castle. And every time we saw each other, we designed a new floor for my castle. I kept this going until I was like eight. I really believed him and thought I could just magically become a princess. My castle had thirteen floors by the time I realized this was all fantasy. One floor was dedicated to the kittens of the castle. I was so happy with our design, and I loved that he encouraged this.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Both.
Writing energizes me when I create it. I love getting lost typing. I’m a pantser, so my characters tell me what’s happening, and I love being surprised. It’s so much fun. But when I’m editing, that exhausts me. I’m not a fan of the editing process, and mine is long. I think I’ve read every one of my books at least fifteen times during this process. So that becomes long and exhausting. I just want to create more, not go over old stuff.
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
So I do, in fact, use a pseudonym—two of them.
My actual real name is Desirae Gracyn. Most of my published short stories and flash fiction are under this name.
But I use Caroline Crews for my self-published YA/NA fantasy and sci-fi works. I chose to use a pseudonym because, in all honesty, I was scared. Posting my first self-published book out there made me nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know what would happen or anything. So it felt like giving me a pseudonym was a safety net. I also heard it was important to keep your genres and ages separated by pseudonyms. So my second (maybe third) book coming out is a middle-grade work that will also be under another pseudonym, Beatrice Crews. I don’t want twelve-year-olds who read my middle grade to then read A Bond of Blood and Lavender—not unless their parents say it’s okay.
So separating helps with that kind of stuff. But I’m not going to lie, sometimes it makes me sad to see that I’m about to have five books out in the world, and none of them have my real name on them.
What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
Demi Michelle Schwartz: My developmental editor, who became a friend. She is amazing, and just like I couldn’t do this without my mom, I couldn’t have done this without her either. She helped me understand what I’m missing. She taught me immersion. She helped me grow in my skills. I will forever be thankful for her. She made me become a better writer. Every day she is teaching me new things and helping me! I am so blessed to have her in my life. It’s also because of her that I started writing short stories and flash fiction pieces. She has several out there and you should read her work!
Bruce Buchanan: A great writer friend. I can always trust him. He helps me with the publishing and marketing side of the world. He’s also someone you can always go to. He is never offended by any question, and he always wants to help. I’m so thankful to have him in my life. His debut novel, The Blacksmith’s Boy, was published on August 12th, 2025th!
Lindsay Schraad Keeling: Another great writer friend. She also helps with my marketing and encouragement. She is also the author of The Funeral Director’s Wife.
Jade Feldman: A writer friend, huge supporter, and great encourager. She has tons of books published.
Adele Liles: A wonderful writer friend who makes me want to be better. She is so positive and uplifting. I keep doing anthologies so we can be in them together. She has a book, Among the Whisperings, coming out in late 2025.
Amy DeBellis: A fabulous friend. She taught me to be better with my sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, all of that jazz. I wanted to impress her, so I kept trying and learning all I could to make sure I did this well. She is a huge inspiration of mine. All of these people mentioned are! She is the author of All Our Tomorrows.
Sam McWhorter: Umm… he’s my best friend and a great writer friend. He gets me to write, makes me focus, helps me brainstorm, encourages me, lifts me up, and so much more. He is the perfect person to have in your corner. And his wife’s positivity always helps and makes me smile. He has flash fiction pieces and short stories out there! He won second place in the competition where I had gotten third! :)
Gail Lynn Brown: She’s a new writing friend. She started off as someone I submitted pieces to for her magazine and anthologies. But then over the months, I’ve gotten to know her. She is so kind and has a great soul. I’m always trying to impress her with my work and give her stories she is proud of. She helps me hone my craft and teaches me ways to be a better flash fiction writer. She is also a huge encourager. She has many poems published and is the owner of Micromance Magazine and KissMet Quarterly.
I have many more writing friends, but I don’t have room to mention them all. I’m so sorry if you weren’t mentioned. Please forgive me.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Believe in yourself.
What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
Volunteering as a nurse, and then again in nursing school.
Every day I get to be someone’s nurse or take care of them is a day I’m lucky. And each time I help someone, I have to be cautious of my words. Our words have the power to heal and the power to hurt. It’s very evident when you work in a hospital setting how positive words can help patients progress to improvement and how negative or dismissive words can set them backward.
When I was a volunteer and nurse for kids, I would create stories as I gave them a shot or as someone else did, which helped them. And seeing all of that, it increased my desire to write and finish that novel I always carried around with me. Though most of my stories are fantasy… I want them to help others. By the time they finish, I hope they are encouraged. And for those that are neurodiverse, I hope they see themselves in my stories and realize that being neurodiverse is awesome!!
Do you write novels, novellas, short stories, episodic fiction, poems, screenplays, or something else? What is your preferred format?
My preferred form of writing is novels. I talk a lot. I am very long-winded. So most of the ideas I come up with and even write in my short stories could be turned into novels. But I do like writing the smaller pieces as they have a faster turnaround, and they bring out my creative juices.
But to answer the question… I write novels, flash fiction, and short stories.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
Six books are unpublished right now.
All of them are finished.
Two of them are getting formatted now.
Two are in the last stage of editing.
One will never see the light of day, so it's unedited. And the last is the girl version of ABOBAL. It's also unedited.
What’s the best way to market your books?
Even though I have a bachelor’s degree in Marketing, I am horrible at it, unless in person. So, for me, the best marketing tool is word of mouth and book signings.
What do you have coming next?
Life Twists: A middle-grade fantasy written under Beatrice Crews. It is told from two POVs. This story is my mother’s favorite as well as one of my developmental editors. This book was a lot of fun to write. I’m hoping to have it published in 2025. My cover is in the works, so I shall be providing a mood board.
Fate of the Summer Games: My young adult fantasy with a central romance subplot, written under Caroline Crews. This story features a neurodiverse FMC. This was me creating a fantasy character that resembled myself. This story touches my heart. Again, I’m hoping to have it published in 2025. My cover is also in the works, so I shall be providing a mood board.
‘Title Coming Soon’: This is my favorite story I’ve ever written. It’s a young adult/new adult fantasy. It is told from three POVs. One MC is seventeen. The other two are twenty. This story is actually the kids of several characters in A Bond of Blood and Lavender. You do not have to read A Bond of Blood and Lavender first to read this. But it is fun knowing the book before you read this one. I won’t explain why, but when you read it, you’ll understand. This will be published at the end of 2025 or early 2026. I do not have a cover yet.
And there you have it, my darlings—three names, one unstoppable creative force, and more stories than your TBR can handle.
If you’re ready to tumble headfirst into her worlds (and you should be), here’s where you can keep up with every magical, mysterious, and occasionally mischievous thing she’s doing:
✨ Startree Books (Imprint for all the stories)
🌐 Website: startreebooks.com
🐦 Twitter/X: @startreebooks
🔗 Linktree: linktr.ee/startreebooks
💫 Desirae Gracyn
🌐 Website: desirae-gracyn.com
📸 Instagram: @desiraejgracyn
🎵 TikTok: @desiraejgracyn
📘 Facebook: Desirae Gracyn
🔗 Linktree: linktr.ee/desiraejgracyn
🐦 Twitter/X: @desiraejgracyn
🌙 Caroline Crews
🌐 Website: caroline-crews.com
🐦 Twitter/X: @carolinecrews25
🌟 Beatrice Crews
🌐 Website: beatrice-crews.com
Go follow them all—because with Desirae, Caroline, and Beatrice, you never know what story’s going to sweep you away next. And trust me, you don’t want to miss the ride.
Tartarus is dead inside, unable to love or fully care anymore—not after the goddess of paranormals ripped out his heart years ago, making him the most feared man in the realm. Now, his fate belongs to his mother, the queen, who orders him to find the last seer so she can kill her and reunite the realms.
Easy enough, until a secret prophecy claims Tartarus’s protection of the seer will rebuild his heart. Not only does he believe it’s impossible, but saving the seer will place a target on his back.
Tartarus now has two paths in front of him. Both could cost him everything.