Shakuita Johnson

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello! My name is Shakuita Johnson. I’m 30 years old. I spent 8 years in the United States Air Force. I’ve been writing since I was in middle school. It started off just poetry. I didn’t write my first short story until my senior year of high school during a creative writing class. I’m an avid reader of mostly paranormal and I LOVE the M/M stuff. I have many authors I read and 9 times out of 10 if it’s paranormal, urban fantasy, or sci-fi, I’ll read it. I also enjoy some non-fiction and mystery novels. I love a range of different genres of music except for rap. I’m not a big fan but do enjoy a few songs here and there. I’ve written one song a few years ago and hope to record it one day. I didn’t attempt to write my first book until around Sept. 2012 and I ended up publishing it in Dec. 2014 and it’s been all downhill every since ☺. Of course it’s a paranormal book that turned into a paranormal series. Currently I have 3 of the books from the series published, two small collections of poems, and a dark romance. I am an independent author.

My love for paranormal and supernatural started with R.L. Stine Goosebumps books and TV shows, Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles, and Christopher Pike books. I have over 200 books on her bookshelf and 1000 plus on her iPad. I also loved to watch Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer with my mom. I have at least 30 blank notebooks that I usually just let sit on my shelf because I’m something of a hoarder when it comes to certain things. I have slight OCD when it comes to my books and any notes I do take. I love making lists but I rarely stick with them. I have an AA in Logistics from my time in the military. I have a BA in Psychology and I’m working on my Master’s in Public Admin and hope to make it a dual degree by adding Mental Health Counseling. I recently moved to Mass and so far I’m loving it.

I started a blog about 2 years ago that I use to ramble, post reviews, participate in blog tours and other random things.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is named And So She Waited…it was inspired by countless relationship rejects and the rollercoaster of emotions that come along with loving someone who doesn’t love you the same way that you love them. It’s about how love can take you to dark places, especially if you were already circling the shadows. It was a book I fought to write…I didn’t really want to write it but it wouldn’t let me go until it was done. It’s the book that’s closest to my heart besides the poems I’ve written because it has some much of myself in it.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Possibly. I like to have complete silence 9 times out of 10. I rarely outline or plot anything out. I just write and see where the story takes me. I space out for days at a time and then spend hours in front of the computer typing up parts of the story.

What authors, or books have influenced you?
So many to name really…I’m a big paranormal/urban fantasy/dark romance fan. I also enjoy M/M and if it’s in the genres I like to read even better. I’m a huge Anne Rice, Kim Harrison, Patricia Briggs, JR Ward, Ilona Andrews, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Shelly Laurenston, Lisa Gardner, James Patterson, Kresley Cole, Amber Kell, Stormy Glenn, Bailey Bradford and many more Paranormal and Urban Fantasy writers. I love series books and reading about the same characters over and over again. I could name authors and books for days. I’m really big into mythology as well and I love when authors come up with their own mythology to a series they’re working on that isn’t the normal legends we’ve seen or heard before.

What are you working on now?
So many things. My brain is always thinking of something but I’m trying to focus it on my next book in my Dark Indiscretions Series, Dark Indiscretions: Seer Destined. We get some background on some earlier characters and then we pick right back up where Dark Indiscretions: Monster Unleashed ended. I’m working on my first Dark Thriller/Suspense entitled We All Fall Down about a fashion family and the secrets that family holds and what happens when those secrets are exposed by one of their own. I also have another Dark Romance Thriller/Suspense about a serial killer called Looking For Love – A Red Moon Killer Novel and I have another series that’s more geared towards Sci-Fi and Urban Fantasy that will be all M/M and magic and it will be 6 books at the moment. I’m especially looking forward to it. I also have a spin off series for my Dark Indiscretions Series that will be known as the Dark Indiscretions Chronicles Series…as of now I only have 4 books planned for characters that wouldn’t let me go. I also have a 17 author, including myself, anthology of paranormal twists that I we hope to have out in May that will be called Untamed and Unleashed Paranormal Twists. We hope to bring a new level of paranormal and creepy together. I also have a short called The Willing Witness that I hope will be out soon that is inside another anthology. So many ideas but only one me 🙂

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m really bad at the whole promoting thing. I’m old school about how I purchase books which usually consists of it I stumbled on something and read the synopsis and like it I buy it. I have my PA post about my books for me. I guess the best method would be just to talk about your books in a newsletter and build up that fan base and eventually others will start talking about your books and that’s how most of the promotion will happen.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write a book that you want to read and chances are someone else will want to read it too. Trust your instincts and stand by your work. You are your biggest fan and as long as you’re satisfied with the efforts you’ve put into your work that’s all that matters.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just write…no matter if it makes sense. Just write and worry about the rest afterwards. Also to read a lot of what everyone else is writing. Writing like any other talent has to be honed and the only way to do that is to write and to read all the time.

What are you reading now?
I’ve been rereading The Otherworld Series by Kelley Armstrong and Night Broken by Patricia Briggs. I’m also reading Soft Shatter by Dany Rae Miller for review on my blog.

What’s next for you as a writer?
To improve as much as I can and to challenge myself with things I thought I couldn’t do. I want to push the envelope and step outside my paranormal comfort zone and try on a few dark thriller/suspense books. I’d also like to attend a few more author signings as an author as well as a reader.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Oh wow this a hard one…I am a book hoarder so I’m not really sure but IF I had to choose I’d say…

1. Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice

2. A Rip In Heaven by Jeanine Cummins

3. Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon

4. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Author Websites and Profiles
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Shakuita Johnson Author Profile on Smashwords

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