Miracle Austin is a YA/NA horror author out of Waco, Texas. Her works include The Doll Trilogy, which is a coming-of-age supernatural love story with many twists and turns, that was partly influenced by the book Carrie.
Her book, Boundless, is written in free-verse format, and covers topics of horror, the supernatural, suspense, and fantasy, while her book Fright Bites consists of 29 creepy short stories, in the vein of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.
In the works, readers will discover romance, grief, betrayal, racism, revenge, self-hate, health/unhealthy choices, teen domestic violence, outcasts, a bully, spells, good/bad magic, witches, shapeshifters, hunters, villains, and heroes.
I recently had the opportunity to talk with Miracle about her career, influences, and what she’s got coming up next on the convention circuit. You can find her books on Amazon, or purchase directly from the author by contacting her via Facebook or Instagram (@MiracleAustin7).
ADRIAN: How long have you been writing?
MIRACLE: when I was in the fifth grade, I recorded my favorite songs off the radio on cassette tapes via my boom box. I had the power to rewind, fast forward, and pause. I would then write the lyrics down in a notebook.
In the sixth grade, I wrote my first short story. It was about a thirteen-year-old boy, Jobie Harper. He was spending his last summer with his best friend, dreaming about kissing a girl for the first time, and trying to come to terms with his untimely death. I wished I’d kept a copy of it, but it was thrown away years ago.
During my college years, I wrote free-verse poems off and on, when I wasn’t studying for the next exam or writing academic papers. I guess you can say that I wrote stories throughout my college life, especially in my sociology classes. Social theory was one of my toughest classes in my sociology major because a lot of the theories were too abstract for me to comprehend.
However, I learned how to dissect them into a way I could understand better. I chose a current newspaper/magazine article or movie. I then applied the theory to the topic I chose and wrote it up.
I didn’t know it back then, but I was actually composing short stories. My professor, Dr. Crone—I’ll never forget him. He was one of most supportive teachers I ever had. He adored reading my papers weekly. He would always write a little comment on the first page about his feelings about the topic I chose and how well I applied it to the theory. I just didn’t know that I was an author when I was in college.
ADRIAN: What do you write?
MIRACLE: I’m a YA/NA (Young Adult/New Adult) author. Horror and supernatural are my favorite genres, but not limited to. I enjoy writing micro-fiction, flash fiction, short stories, and longer works. I love to thread various social awareness themes into my stories. I like mild gore and psychological building. When I allow the story to take over, I’m always surprised where it ends up, which makes the best stories, in my opinion.
I never imagined that I would write stories for young adults. Initially, my mind was focused on writing for adults. A promising, past publisher told me once that my stories seem to fall into the young adult arena. So, I thought about what he told me and realized that he was right. Young/new adult stories became my passion. I like to reflect back on my teen/college years with related struggles; read teen stories; and watch teen movies/series. I’m most passionate about teen dating violence, anti-bullying, and suicide awareness. I sprinkle these and other issues in my stories.
By the way, I’ve had an adult collection of short stories, DECAYED SECRETS, on the back burner for a long time. I’m currently working on that collection and hope to release, soon.
ADRIAN: What is your favorite part of what you do?
MIRACLE: I love to daydream and use my imagination—I reflect back on my younger years, a lot. These are the primary tools that ignite my writing creative juices.
ADRIAN: I know it’s like picking a favorite child, but do you have a favorite of your works and why?
MIRACLE: You’re so right. This isn’t an easy question. I adore all of my books: Doll Trilogy, Boundless, and Fright Bites. However, if I had to choose one, then it would be Boundless. In Boundless, my first collection of short stories and free-verse poems, readers will discover morsels of fear, regret, love, heartache, betrayal, and more. Various social issues are highlighted within its pages.
Rediscovering my passion to write again saved my life, Adrian. I was going through a really hard time several years ago. I was in such a dark place that if I had not stumbled upon an online writing group, which I know was my Guardian Angel leading me there, then I know I wouldn’t be answering your questions today. I’ve been wanting to share for a long time, but I never had the courage to do so until right now.
You know as I wrote these past stories and posted them on the online writing support group, I never knew it was preparing me to become an author. All of the stories I wrote birthed Boundless. So, you can say Boundless is my personal love letter to myself that showed me how important life was. It also helped me to realize that words and stories can not only entertain, but can also heal.
ADRIAN: What gives you inspiration?
MIRACLE: My mom is my primary inspiration. She’s always sharing creepy and strange stories about her youth in Crawford, Texas, during the late 40s and 50s, including her adulthood. I usually take something from one of her stories and twist it up to make it my own.
Furthermore, my other inspirations come from listening to diverse music, watching the news and movies, reading books/magazines, scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, and most of all listening to other people’s conversations, especially in my workplace.
By day, I work as medical social worker in a skilled and long-term care facility. Some of the topics that my co-workers discuss during a meeting or throughout the day give me plenty of resource material to store for later use.
ADRIAN: Did writing come easy for you?
MIRACLE: Seizing my writing dream was definitely not an easy journey, but it has been and continues to be so worth it, because it gifted me hope and allowed me to reinvent myself as I never imagined. It has opened up many unknown doors for me to walk through with some unforgettable experiences. The best part of it all has been meeting some of the most wonderful people that have become a solid staple in my life.
ADRIAN: Are you working on anything now?
MIRACLE: Yes, I’m working on two, fabulous projects. The first is a YA/Horror anthology, DREAMSCARES, with my phenomenal besties, Jackie Smith and Manuel Ruiz (they are incredible authors, so check them out)—this will be the first time that we collaborate together—another author friend may join us. I hope it’ll be the first of many. Fears and phobias are the themes of this book. The tentative release date is early 2025. We’re so very excited. Plus, you’re creating the book cover, Adrian!
The second project is an anthology of dark fairy-tales and/or folktales by a group of Black women authors. The title is Mama Said: An Angels of Darkness Anthology. The tentative date for its release is also early 2025. I’m so honored to be part of these anthologies and cannot wait to share them with readers!
ADRIAN: What draws you to the horror genre?
MIRACLE: My mom and I used to listen to an AM radio station on Friday nights, which aired scary and suspenseful stories. I was sold instantly and couldn’t wait until the next airing. Horror/suspense stories and movies pulled me onto their dance floor early on and kept me on it to this very day. They made me jump, hide under the covers, look under the bed, pull my dangling foot from the edge of the bed and quickly tuck it under the sheets, and always made me shut my closet door before I turned off the lights. I craved horror stories/movies/series.
Carrie, Squirm, Scooby Doo, Tales From The Darkside, Forever Knight, Blade, Friday the 13th, Alien, Predator, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Tales From The Crypt, GRIMM, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, American Horror Story, Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, Lovecraft Country, Stranger Things, Wednesday, and so many others all feed my love for horror in several capacities.
ADRIAN: What does “horror” mean to you?
MIRACLE: I believe horror is anything feared, whether internally or externally, by anyone. There are the traditional monsters—werewolves, vampires, and zombies—and the creative ones that are made up. Then, you have the human monsters that may live next door to you, and the invisible ones that so many must battle with daily, whether it’s personal illnesses and/or mental disorders.
ADRIAN: Do you have a favorite monster?
MIRACLE: Vampires are one of my favorite monsters. They possess so many extraordinary abilities and powers. I’m a huge fan of many vampire stories/original movies, such as: Blade, Bram’s Stoker’s Dracula, Fright Night, From Dusk til Dawn, The Lost Boys, Salem’s Lot, Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and The Strain. I wouldn’t change anything about the vampire mythos. The vampire world continues to evolve. I’m always searching for that new vampire story to watch, read, and/or possibly write, wink… wink. A new Salem, re-imagining story, will hit MAX in October. I can’t wait!!
ADRIAN: I know you do a lot of Cons and events…. What do you have coming up?
MIRACLE: I’ll be attending GiganticCon in Killeen, Texas the first weekend in October with my bestie, Jackie Smith. I’m psyched to attend again this year with her. I cannot wait to interact with all the people and see some amazing Cosplayers. After that event, I have a few local events for the month of October.
ADRIAN: Do you have any advice to aspiring writers?
MIRACLE: Read what you love and what you may not be a big fan of—short and longer works--because you’ll be surprised how opposite ideas can transform into an incredible story you never imagined. This also includes listening to all types of music. Every song has a story with an underlining message. You can use these to your advantage.
Finally, we’re all human and negativity can bruise us mentally, psychologically, spiritually, and emotionally. This is where your positive cheerleaders come in to lift you up and give you inspirational support. However, if you don’t have a supportive circle, then seek out positive affirmations or whatever tends to make you laugh or smile to build yourself up. There’s so much that can knock us down, which is why positive outlets are vital for artists and non-artists.
Never allow someone to dismiss your dreams or tell you that you’re not good enough. Guess what? You are more than good enough and AWESOMENESS with all the sparkles!! Soar…
“Just remember that Dumbo didn’t need the feather, the magic was in him.”
~Stephen King~
