257 ratings | 46 reviews | avg rating:3.93

Kyoko M.’s Followers (399)

Kyoko’s Bookshelves

read (255)
currently-reading (1)
to-read (128)
the-dresden-files-reread (10)

Kyoko’s Friends (195)

Jillian Jackman

3,675 books | 131 friends

Stephanie

774 books | 104 friends

M.R. Graham

3,887 books | 2,415 friends

Christina

9,242 books | 3,197 friends

Sandra "Jeanz"

7,950 books | 1,261 friends

Kira Thebookbella

1,259 books | 610 friends

Lindsay Theaker

1,014 books | 84 friends

Jack Stops

408 books | 126 friends

More friends…

Kyoko M.

Goodreads Author

Born

in Atlanta, The United States

Website

http://www.shewhowritesmonsters.com

Twitter

misskyokom

Genre

Paranormal, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Influences

Brian Jacques, Ilona Andrews ...more

Member Since

July 2013

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/kyokominamino

edit data

Kyoko M is a USA Today bestselling author, a fangirl, and an avid book reader. She has written the Amazon bestselling Black Parade urban fantasy series as well as the Of Cinder and Bone science-fiction dragon hunting series. The Black Parade has been reviewed by Publishers Weekly and New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews. Of Cinder and Bone placed in the Top 30 books for the 2021 Hugh Howey Self Published Science Fiction contest. She is also a contributor to Marvel Comics Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda (March 2, 2021). Kyoko M has appeared as a guest and panelist at such conventions as JordanCon, Geek Girl Con, DragonCon, Blacktasticon, Momocon, and Multiverse Con. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Lit degree from the Univers ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Kyoko M. questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

How important is showcasing diverse characters to you as an author?

Kyoko M. Oh, you have no IDEA how much it matters to me. Strap in, my dear, this might be a long answer.

Ever since I was a little girl, I've never had trouble …moreOh, you have no IDEA how much it matters to me. Strap in, my dear, this might be a long answer.

Ever since I was a little girl, I've never had trouble identifying with fictional women as long as they were written well. I've mentioned before how my all-time favorite Disney girls (girls, mind you, not just the princesses) are Meg, Pocahontas, Esmeralda, Rapunzel, and Kida. I grew up with a strong background of incredibly awesome ladies in fiction, everyone from Leeloo Dallas (MULTIPASS!) to Pippi Longstocking to Max Gibson. I love girls and I love reading about them and watching them on the silver screen or on television.

But, as I hit my twenties, I started noticing that most of my favorite TV shows, books, and movies were stories where most, if not all of the cast members, were white. Again, it's not a problem, but it did make me realize that black women don't really have a "role model" or an example of a kick ass fictional lady you think of as soon as you think about black women. The closest I can think of would be Storm or Zoe Washburne. Not to say there aren't millions of awesome black female characters out there, but almost none of them are in the public consciousness. That's how The Black Parade series came about.

I found myself wanting a story with a black female protagonist in an urban fantasy setting, but not the one you'd typically read. The market is flooded with these girls who are all chic and trendy, have fancy jobs that pay them absurdly well, and are drop-dead gorgeous with super-special-awesome powers coming out of their ears. I'm really tired of that girl. You know the one. She's everywhere, and so I wanted to create something I'd always wanted to read but hadn't seen just yet.

I wanted someone cranky and down to earth. I wanted someone who wasn't good with men and wasn't a sex symbol or temptress. I wanted someone who was a woman of color, but not your typical sassy stereotype. And I wanted her to rub elbows with the fantasy world around her and be able to keep up with her supporting characters as well as the villains.

Diverse characters make me happy inside. I'm not one of those authors who only reads something that I can identify with from a cultural stance. I read all kinds of stuff and while I'm discovering whole new worlds, I still feel sad that black women don't have the same famous awesome characters as those of other races. And so I hope that someday my series takes off and people realize that not all black women are frickin' housewives or ghetto hoodrats or stereotypes that show up in Tyler Perry movies/sitcoms. There is so much more to us, and so much more to women of color in general, that can be offered to the world. We need to show up in every medium so that people will realize that we're important and interesting and awesome and flawed, same as everyone else. We have our own voice and it's begging to be heard.

Lastly, I also think that it's important to write a diverse character in a setting where her race takes a backseat. I mentioned recently that Jordan is a Seer who happens to be black, not a black Seer. Some people automatically assume that a black character surrounded by white characters or characters of a different race will have unique problems, but I don't think that always has to be the case. Sure, it can come up in spots, but sometimes people rely too heavily on it to create a sense of drama, and sometimes it can prevent growing your audience. I think folks just need to get out of their own comfort zones sometimes and realize that you can relate to any character regardless of culture or race if they are well-written. Hell, I am in love with Harry Dresden for that exact reason. Here we have a 6'8'', gangly white guy who is a wizard, is totally awkward around women, and lives in Chicago with all manner of supernatural beasties. And guess what? I totally get him. I understand him and relate to him in several ways (especially about being a total snarky nerd with a depressingly small list of romantic partners). That's what I think is the end goal. I think we should strive to create so many stories with diverse characters that people realize it's not a limitation, it's an invitation.

...sorry for the word vomit. This is just an important issue to me and I hope to someday turn the tide for the better with my work. (less)

flag

10 likes · like
1 comment

How are you enjoying your social media tour promoting your books?

Kyoko M. To be honest, I kind of wish it was going better. Then again, I put the 'social' in 'socially awkward' so that may be why I have reservations about so…moreTo be honest, I kind of wish it was going better. Then again, I put the 'social' in 'socially awkward' so that may be why I have reservations about social media in general.

For instance, I am abysmal at Twitter. I gain and lose 5 followers every day, so I've had the same follower count for a couple months now. I can't grow a fanbase that way, and I suppose my awkwardness just comes through so much that people don't want to stick around.

Conversely, I seem to do pretty well on Tumblr, but the problem there is that people like my personality AND NOT MY BOOKS. Seriously, I've posted about my novel several times and they stay the hell away from anything related to my book, even when I'm simply announcing that it's free. Tumblr is a cornucopia of disturbing concepts, to quote Ron Stoppable.

Facebook has good and bad days. Some days I want to rip my hair out because I have 330+ page likes and yet only an average of 20 people see any posts I make on a daily basis. I don't know if that's the website itself, an error on my part for when/what I post, or just bad luck (which I have a lot of).

I can't tell if I just haven't gotten the hang of social media yet or if I truly just suck at it and will always be an awkward turtleduck. I think people really find out more about me as a person when they read my fiction than when they read my Twitter feed. Social media is 100% required when you are an unknown self published author, but it's also extremely hard to get your voice heard when everyone's screaming at the same time.

But the good news is, I have found a tiny pocket of people who really like me and my books and I will latch onto them like some creepy version of Octodad until the end of time. I LOVE YOU GUYS. *gross suction cup noise*(less)

flag

3 likes · like
Comment

See all 11 answers from Kyoko M.…

Combine Editions
Kyoko M.’s books

Average rating: 3.85 · 5,921 ratings · 613 reviews · 22 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Black Parade (The Black Parade, #1) 3.73 avg rating — 770 ratings — published 2013	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Of Cinder and Bone (Of Cinder & Bone, #1) 4.06 avg rating — 294 ratings — published 2016 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	She Who Fights Monsters (The Black Parade, #2) 4.28 avg rating — 171 ratings — published 2014 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Holy Dark (The Black Parade, #3) 4.51 avg rating — 150 ratings — published 2015 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Deadly Seven (The Black Parade, #1.5) 4.24 avg rating — 135 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Back to Black (The Black Parade, #2.5) 4.39 avg rating — 44 ratings — published 2017 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Of Blood & Ashes (Of Cinder & Bone, #2) 4.47 avg rating — 43 ratings — published 2018 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Of Dawn & Embers (Of Cinder & Bone, #3) 4.56 avg rating — 25 ratings — published 2019 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Of Fury & Fangs (Of Cinder & Bone, #4) 4.73 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2020 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Of Claws & Inferno (Of Cinder & Bone, #5) 4.86 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 2022 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Kyoko M.…

217 posts
Kyoko M.'s Blog

Captain America: The Shield of Sam Wilson anthology excerpt

Face front, True Believers! Can you believe that we are only two weeks away from the Captain America: The Shield of Sam Wilson short story anthology?! What a rush! Wanna know what’s even more of a rush?

WHEN MARVEL COMICS USES YOUR EXCERPT AS THE ONE FOR THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT.

No, really.

They picked me.

._.

Eep.

I’m honored, humbled, and shocked to share this official Marvel/Titan Books excer

Series by Kyoko M.

The Black Parade (3 books)
by

Kyoko M. (Goodreads Author)

3.97 avg rating — 1,271 ratings

Of Cinder & Bone (5 books)
by

Kyoko M. (Goodreads Author)

4.20 avg rating — 398 ratings

The Starlight Contingency (1 book)
by

Kyoko M. (Goodreads Author)

3.50 avg rating — 4 ratings

Kyoko is Currently Reading

Kyoko M. is currently reading

Raging Heat (Nikki Heat, #6)

by Richard Castle

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Oct 06, 2015 10:01PM

rss
Kyoko’s Recent Updates

Kyoko M. wants to read What If... Loki Was Worthy? (Marvel's What If...?, #1) by Madeleine Roux (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 14, 2025 07:27AM · like
Kyoko M. made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Of Cinder and Bone "non catalog" issues topic " Scott wrote: "For legal issues, contact support." You did not read what I just said. The DMCA I can send to support. I just said this book does NOT vio ...more "
Nov 18, 2024 05:17PM
Kyoko M. rated a book it was amazing Blacktastic! Blacktasticon 2018 Anthology by Milton J. Davis (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 02, 2024 10:53AM · 1 like · like
Kyoko M. shared a quote “The binoculars in my hands were stolen.” Kyoko M.
Oct 22, 2024 06:41AM · like · more quotes by Kyoko M.
Kyoko M. wants to read The Starlight Contingency (The Starlight Contingency #1) by Kyoko M. (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 21, 2024 05:31PM · like
Kyoko M. made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — DMCA Notice topic " I have contacted Goodreads multiple times to stop uploading the old cover of this book. I was told that it was removed, but it still appears. I have a ...more "
Oct 18, 2024 01:30PM
Kyoko M. wants to read Green Lantern (2021-2022) #9 by Geoffrey Thorne (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 20, 2024 09:53AM · like
Kyoko M. wants to read Green Lantern (2021-2022) #7 by Geoffrey Thorne (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 20, 2024 09:53AM · like
Kyoko M. wants to read Green Lantern (2021-2022) #8 by Geoffrey Thorne (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 20, 2024 09:53AM · like
Kyoko M. wants to read Green Lantern (2021-2022) #10 by Geoffrey Thorne (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 20, 2024 09:53AM · like

More of Kyoko's books…

Quotes by Kyoko M. (?)

“So,” Lauren said. “You help ghosts with unfulfilled wishes cross over to the astral plane for judgment.”
“Yes.”
“And you hunt demons.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re married to an angel.”
“Yes.”
She paused. “…so basically, you’re Dean Winchester.”
I made an exasperated sound. “I am NOT.”
She smirked. “Yeah, sure.”
― Kyoko M., The Holy Dark

tags: angels-and-demons, archangel-michael, castiel, dean-winchester, fourth-wall, fourth-wall-joke, ghosts, girl-talk, human-angel-romance, humor, interracial, interracial-marriage, interracial-relationship, jordan-amador, kyoko-m, lauren-yi, supernatural, the-holy-dark

24 likes

“I swear to Vishnu, if this doesn’t work, I’m going to stab you in the throat with a Pipette.”
― Kyoko M., Of Cinder and Bone

tags: dragons, humor, kamala-anjali, laboratory, opening-line-of-the-novel, post-doc, research, researchers, science-fiction, scientists

13 likes

“The sky was on fire.”
― Kyoko M., Of Dawn & Embers

tags: cloning, contemporary-fantasy, dragon-hunting, dragons, fiction, kyoko-m, opening-line, opening-line-of-the-novel, opening-lines, science-fiction

9 likes

See all Kyoko M.'s quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Making Connections: 3282. SHE WHO FIGHTS MONSTERS (The Black Parade #2) by Kyoko M.	1	13	Jul 02, 2014 05:19PM
Shh… [Smut, Heroe...: CLOSED! TopPicks with Alessandra, Snow, Meka, Nawal & SueBee: Dec. 20: Best books I READ in 2015!	4723	218	Dec 28, 2015 02:46AM
Jess Michaels 201...: Chart Your 2015 Progress	1057	235	Jan 01, 2016 11:53AM
Fans of Interraci...: Feb 2016 BOM Nominations	11	76	Jan 17, 2016 05:34PM
Making Connections: 4743. - OF CINDER AND BONE (Book #1) by Kyoko M	1	20	Dec 31, 2016 12:15PM
Biker Book Babes: Free Kindle Reads 2016	1549	152	Jan 02, 2017 04:32PM
Archive: old grou...: FATOP ~ ~ FREE book alerts ~	94	398	Mar 08, 2017 02:24AM

More…

Kyoko’s Quotes

“She frowned at me. "You need some rest. You look like hell. And you're obviously tired enough to have gotten the giggles."

Wizards don't giggle," I said, hardly able to speak. "This is cackling.”
― Jim Butcher, Changes

tags: harry-dresden, humor, karrin-murphy

174 likes

“I realized then what had happened.

She had turned us--all of us, except for Mouse--into great, gaunt, long-legged hounds.

Wonderful!" Lea said, pirouetting upon one toe, laughing. "Come, children!" And she leapt off into the jungle, nimble and swift as a doe.

A bunch of us dogs stood around for a moment, just sort of staring at one another.

And Mouse said, in what sounded to me like perfectly understandable English, "That bitch.”
― Jim Butcher, Changes

tags: harry-dresden, humor, karrin-murphy, leanansidhe, molly-carpenter, mouse, sanya, thomas-raith

110 likes

“Karrin."

She looked up at me. She looked very young somehow.

"Remember what I said yesterday," I said. "You're hurt. But you'll get through it. You'll be okay."

She closed her eyes tightly. "I'm scared. So scared I'm sick."

"You'll get through it."

"What if I don't?"

I squeezed her fingers. "Then I will personally make fun of you every day for the rest of your life," I said. "I will call you a sissy girl in front of everyone you know, tie frilly aprons on your car, and lurk in the parking lot at CPD and whistle and tell you to shake it, baby. Every. Single. Day."

Murphy's breath escaped in something like a hiccup. She opened her eyes, a mix of anger and wary amusement easing into them in place of fear. "You do realize I'm holding a gun, right?”
― Jim Butcher, Summer Knight

tags: fear, friendship, harry-dresden, karrin-murphy

125 likes

“Murphy watched me thoughtfully for several empty seconds. Then she said, very gently, "You're a good man, Harry."

I swallowed and bowed my head, made humble by the tone of her voice and the expression on her face, more than the words themselves.

Not always rational," she said, smiling. "But you're the best kind of crazy.”
― Jim Butcher, Changes

tags: friendship, harry-dresden, karrin-murphy

71 likes

“Do you have a little white dress? I've had this deep-seated nurse fantasy about you, Murphy.”
― Jim Butcher, Storm Front

tags: harry-dresden, humor, karrin-murphy, women

40 likes

More of Kyoko’s quotes…