Your TBR List

If you've been on my newsletter long enough, you know that my primary genre is cozy: cozy mystery, cozy fantasy, cozy historical fantasy mystery. But if you've been here long enough, you also know I like to play around and try out new genres. It's how I grow as a creator.

But it can be pretty confusing. Writers usually stick to one genre. It makes it a lot easier to explain your books. "I write cozy paranormal mysteries set in colonial Africa" is a great elevator pitch. "I write cozy and cozy-adjacent stories, as well as young adult, plus, I dabble in Sci-Fi and LitFic, and don't forget my supernatural thriller..."? Not so much. I see people's eyes glaze over as they back away slowly.

So I decided to describe a reading flow for those who land on my website with zero idea of where to start. I have three general categories, but regardless of the genre, all of my books have one thing in common.

The Vered Guarantee: A promise that every story provides clean, lighthearted, flinch-free reading that leaves you with a smile on your face and joy in your soul.

1) Cozy

Most of the cozy series happen in the same world, the world of the Society for Paranormals. If you love cozy mysteries, cozy fantasy, cozy historical adventures, and cozy-adjacent romcoms, then I would suggest this general reading flow.

Society for Paranormals: This is where it all starts. I first wrote Ghosts of Tsavo because of a famous historical incident involving lions and the East African railway, and Miss Knight took over from there. She has that tendency. This series is for you if you love: cozy historical mysteries set in the early 1900s; paranormal women’s fiction; African mythology; exotic safaris; small-town shenanigans; and humorous fun. Perfect for fans of Gail Carriger’s The Parasol Protectorate, Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, and / or Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody.

Pirates Ahoy: This delightful romp takes place in the same time period as Society, and in a similar style, with an overlapping adventure to boot! I love the idea of a female pirate with high morals and dodgy companions. Prepare to sail around the African continent and into murder, mayhem and other misadventures. If you enjoy exotic locations, eccentric characters and bewitching stories, then come aboard and join this motley pirate crew for a spellbinding voyage in which Pirates of the Caribbean meet Bewitched.

Wavily Witches: A sequel to Pirates Ahoy, this modern-day series is a classic cozy mystery with a paranormal twist. While the main protagonist starts off youthful and immature, she quickly grows up and gets wise as she navigates The Hotel Wavily, where the guests are wicked, the owners are witches, and the service is to kill for. If you enjoy exotic locations, eccentric characters and bewitching stories, then check into this hotel and embark on your spellbinding African holiday today.

The Lion Shifters: This is cozy-adjacent, dipping into fantasy and clean romance with a heavy dose of African shifters and mythology. It's also a modern-day sequel to the Society series, in which we meet with a few of the descendants of the Society characters. Perfect for those who want a touch of romance with their adventures. Shifts happen. Hearts change. Africa awaits. Escape to a land where everything is possible.

Special Event RomComs: Cozy mystery romance, here we come! Clean, sweet and packed with laughs, this series is for those who want flinch-free, light-hearted RomComs that actually are funny. Looking after farm animals in a tiny town sounds perfectly calm, orderly, and sane. Problem is, there’s nothing calm, orderly, or sane about Teaville and its residents, whatever their species... Eat, Pray, Love meets All Creatures Great and Small.

2) YA / Teen

While cozy is my favorite genre, my second favorite is YA (young adult), leaning toward the younger end of that spectrum. Think Percy Jackson and Harry Potter with deep, meaningful concepts packaged in lighthearted adventures.

The Realm Seekers: An experiment in graphic novels, this series is Scooby-Doo meets Jumanji in steampunk Kenya. I'm a big fan of ebooks, but this series is best experienced in paper format. The images are gorgeous, and the print quality makes these books a great gift. Four teens are invited to beta-test a cutting-edge virtual reality game with the power to transform their lives ... if they dare to play it. A fun, action-packed, inspiring series.

The Soul Readers: This series explores diversity in all its forms while delivering on an adventure series that's Percy Jackson meets Mission Impossible in Kenya. I especially wanted to dive into neurodiversity as a superpower with its own kryptonite. For fans of extrasensory superpowers, neurodiversity, secret agents, cool 007 gadgets and / or Kenyan adventures involving pirates, killer robots, Men in Black, and crazy funeral home directors. Seriously, this series is fun!

The Safari Cards: These delightful books started as a vague idea I shared with Oxford University Press, and grew into a marvelously fun yet meaningful action-adventure series. The concept and books received detailed feedback from Kenyan teachers, editors, and storywriters, resulting in a series that is enriched with local culture and insights while retaining its spirit that’s Chronicles of Narnia meets Jumanji. Safari is Swahili for travel, and The Safari Cards travel across Kenya and through the lives of the protagonists. Pick a card, and start your adventure.

3) Sci-Fi & Supernatural

This is where most of my experimental writing falls, and has resulted in some of my favorite standalone stories, such as the transcendent Last Ten Minutes, and the supernatural thriller Death's Advocate. They haven't received as much love and attention as they deserve, but I don't regret the time spent creating these marvelous worlds.

Death's Advocate: A lighthearted, supernatural thriller that pits a lawyer against Death herself. I personally love this book and wish it had more fans. Based on my attempt at a screenplay, the story challenges our fears about death and society's fixation on extending lifespans at all cost.

The Last Ten Minutes: Best described as Literary Fiction, this story is definitely off the beaten track as far as my typical genres. I wrote it after my father-in-law passed away, and it spilled out of me with such force, I found myself crying mid-dictation and during the editing. It's an exploration of the meaning of forgiveness, the value of connection, and the impact our decisions have on the people who love us.

These next two are fun SciFi adventures with meaningful twists and a warning about ego, pride and human ambition.

the hAPPening: A virtual reality thriller: In a remote wasteland in Kenya, a mining company discovers a vast deposit of rare earth metal that’s going to revolutionize everything. There’s only one problem: the deposit isn’t in a wasteland. It’s in a national park. 

The Nexus: Leading a secret society and fighting a deadly enemy wasn’t part of Zawadi’s life plan. Neither was inheriting the Kuvu, the most valuable medical discovery in existence. An elixir that can grant unimagined health and longevity… or a painful death.

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my catalogue, and I encourage you to explore the full extent of my genre-agnostic madness!