E.K. Barnes

E.K. Barnes is the author of When the Divine Are Dead and the Brunswick Saga. In the past, E.K. owned and operated Scribe Stash, a personalized subscription box service for readers and writers, where she also participated in writing and editing book, movie, and product review articles. She has been interviewed by Outlet Publishing Group and Double the Books Magazine regarding her writing endeavors and her work with Scribe Stash, respectively. Prior to and alongside this short endeavor, E.K. has written and performed several speeches and presentations across different topics – specifically regarding people, events, and mental health.

E.K. is a member of the Independent Author Network. For several years, she was also part of the leadership team at Drexel Church of the Nazarene in Missouri and was the last worship leader at the church prior to its doors closing. E.K. is a 2014 graduate of Olathe Northwest High School in Kansas and has been a student at Johnson County Community College, MidAmerica Nazarene University, and Southern New Hampshire University. She holds a passion for awareness and advocacy work, specifically regarding social issues and mental health. In 2019 at the age of 23, E.K. discovered she struggled with a disorder she’s had since childhood called Selective Mutism. Despite her disorder, E.K. strives to find other ways to communicate, stating, “I enjoy writing because it connects me with the outside world. Growing up, I spent a lot of my time watching other people – the way they talk, walk, interact, eat, breathe, laugh. I watched them pursue interests I was too afraid to pursue. When I write, I get to live vicariously through my characters. I get to learn a lot of stuff I wouldn’t have learned otherwise across a variety of topics. I always thought that when I grew up, I wanted to be lots of different people, and it’s through writing that I get to do that.”

E.K. has also attended a voice acting expo at the School of Voiceover in Minnesota. When asked about her experience, she said, “It’s probably the craziest thing I’ve ever done, but I don’t regret it for a second. After learning about my disorder, I wanted to push boundaries. I had discovered through working at the church a passion for hearing my voice and knowing it’s being heard. I wanted that feeling of purpose back. That’s when I decided to pursue voiceover work. I’d been told I had a great voice on the rare occasions when I used it, and I wanted to be able to put that voice to use.” E.K. is currently taking a break from this pursuit while her teeth are being corrected.

E.K. comes from a family of creatives – her brother is a musician with dreams of becoming a film composer, her sister has a degree in graphic design and enjoys creating web comics, and her parents both hold degrees in music. In her free time, E.K. enjoys hanging out with family and friends, reading and watching compelling stories, and adding to her various collections. She currently resides in Kansas with her dog.

A Brother's Sacrifice

YA Drama

When Ace Brunswick, the father of six children, loses his life in a fatal car accident, his family's lives are turned upside down. As the metaphorical glue between his family members, his death unhinged many interfamilial relationships. It didn't take long for his wife to leave their children behind after his untimely passing. As a result, their oldest son, Austin, is left to care for his five younger siblings, ranging in age from five to sixteen. While battling the stress of his parents' job and his final year of high school, Austin encounters numerous obstacles. As he struggles with his socially anxious five-year-old brother, his fourteen-year-old brother's bullies, and his sixteen-year-old sister's destructive relationships, Austin finds himself immersed in a world of constant anger and self-harm. And that's not even close to all his problems! When all hope seems lost, the continual support from a few unlikely friends help guide him through the end of the tunnel. 

A Sister's Imposition

YA Drama

Two years after her father's untimely passing, Sabrina Brunswick only has a few small hopes for her future. Abandoned at sixteen and left in the custody of her seventeen-year-old brother, she stopped allowing herself to hope. After all, her father had passed, her mother had left, and all she had was an overbearing brother and four annoying little siblings. Giving up cheerleading, she took a much different path. She lost her happiness and soon found herself chasing after drug dealers and the occult. By age eighteen, Sabrina found herself in a predicament that could be easily foreseen: she was pregnant. Her family didn't have money or health insurance and it seemed that the only way out was through abortion, but it didn't take long for the bright side to finally appear. Through this tale of love and loss, brings a story of hope and sacrifice. Sabrina soon learns to trust not only the people around her, but herself as well. 

When the Divine Are Dead

YA Fantasy

“You are a survivor,” Bradley’s mother said to him the day his brother was shot. Bradley Chambers has gone through hell. Death has been chasing him since he was five—first with his diagnosis of type I diabetes, followed by the time he was kidnapped by a man who wanted to feed him to a lion. Then there was a car crash that killed his childhood best friend, followed by the introduction of a new friend who would later try to kill Bradley’s five-year-old brother. There was no escaping his curse. He was doomed to experience death and destruction over and over again.

​When Bradley’s family moves to Indianapolis, he is less than hopeful that the move will do anything to remove the curse. Even with diviners like Serena Lindt and Frank Lantern to keep him on the straight and narrow, Bradley doesn’t see an out. Maybe he’s right. After all, Serena’s been digging for secrets—secrets that could expose them. Will Bradley be able to help save the diviners in time? Or will his presence only make things worse? In this young adult fantasy novel, fourteen-year-old Bradley learns the history of his people. When he realizes their tumultuous past could be far from over, he must bring forth both his confidence and his courage to fend off their enemies.

In the Case of Our Fate

YA Science Fiction

"If there was a cure, would you take it?" the psychics ask 14-year-old Bradley.

He doesn't know what they're talking about. A cure for what? His powers? His PTSD? Whatever it is, there's a cure coming, and Bradley isn't sure he wants it. Not unless it will save Savanna's, life.

Meanwhile, Jay-Jay is being cryptic about the vision he had of Savanna's death—a vision no one knows how to stop. Jay-Jay blames Bradley for the impending incident, and it isn't hard to guess why. He's a magnet for death and destruction. But Bradley can't seem to let Savanna go—not after his seemingly omniscient sister reveals he and Savanna are fated to be with each other. Would fate let them be apart?
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In this YA contemporary sci-fi fantasy romance, Bradley unearths a government conspiracy, banding a team of ragtag diviners determined to expose it. But will this be the end of Savanna's life?
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