Nicole Givens Kurtz is the author of the cyberpunk/SF Mystery, CYBIL LEWIS Series. Her novels have been named as finalists in the Fresh Voices in Science Fiction, EPPIE in Science Fiction, and Dream Realm Awards in science fiction. Nicole’s short stories have earned an Honorable Mention in L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future contest, and have appeared in Crossed Genres, Tales of the Talisman, and numerous anthologies such as Baen’s Straight Outta Tombstone, and Onyx Path’s V20: Vampire the Masquerade Anthology.

What’s new and exciting in your life as an author? 

My latest fantasy novel, DEVOURER: A MINISTER KNIGHT NOVEL, was recently released.

What is your connection to the American South?

I’m a born and raised Tennessee Volunteer! I graduated from the University of Tennessee, and I prefer driving while barefoot and eating fried deliciousness. All of my childhood friends have nicknames and I put salt in my grits. I love being a southerner.

How has that connection to the South informed your work as a writer?

In my horror work, the parts of the south that are deeply horrific — racism, radicalized violence, and the ramifications of slavery and Jim Crow linger in the veins of most southern African-Americans. That horror is in our genes, in our veins, and blood so when I sit down to write horror, it pumps out onto the page, anchoring me to the present by way of the past.

What can we expect to see from you in the future? 

My latest review is available in the latest issue of Skelos. I have an upcoming release from Falstaff in the Spring.

You can find my books online at http://www.nicolegivenskurtz.com or via online bookstores.