Author Spotlight: Charissa Gracyk

Fast-Paced Action & Steamy Protectors

Last year when I wrote a spotlight blog for Charissa Gracyk I tried to keep the personal side out of it. I failed, because there is no way to keep the professional blogger/ reviewer side, the professional editor side, the rabid hype-girl side, and the friend side from overlapping. Because that’s what happens when you work with someone on twelve books, developing a friendship along with the appreciation for the incredible work they do. Things overlap. And it’s absolutely wonderful.

Because it’s been way more than just editing twelve books for Charissa. It’s Shameless book con in Orlando, Florida in October of 2022—having lunch with a group of author and hype girl friends, dinner with families at T-Rex in Disney Springs, and seeing her shine behind a table with her books on it! Watching happy readers fangirl over her and her writing. And then doing that again at Charm City Romanticon in March of 2023. 

It’s the direct messages that have nothing to do with editing. Or even writing. I mean, those messages are great too—and lead to some truly hilarious conversations and google rabbit holes—but they are such a small part of why I absolutely adore Charissa. And why I think everyone who’s ever met her adores her too. 

People who know Charissa adore her because she is truly one of the most genuine people you will ever meet. Her joy and enthusiasm rings true in everything she does. Whether it’s tackling a new plotline, tidying up a newly discovered plot hole, or corralling a character who’s gone a little off the rails, she approaches it with humor and excitement. And it’s mirrored in her interactions in her reader group when she shares photos and memes that inspired her characters and their stories, and even more so when she’s engaging readers in bookish conversations that bring her joy front and center.

And while being an author is about so much more than the finished product, I know that finished product is the biggest element, and what brings people into her sphere to begin with. Sometimes it’s the cover of a book that draws us in (and Charissa’s covers are pretty striking). Sometimes it’s seeing a book recommended over and over by other readers we know. Whatever it is, I am forever grateful to whatever force put Charissa’s first Project Phoenix book in my sights. 

Because to be honest, I cannot remember exactly how or why Reactivated: Oz (Project Phoenix, book 1) caught my attention, but the decision to read it has become pretty freaking important in my life. 

I was pretty solidly set with a hefty TBR, had just started blogging and creating a social media presence, and was just getting into ARC reading in October 2021, when Oz wound up on my radar. There he was, with his hot cover and cool name, and the blurb sounded really intriguing, so I signed up to ARC (advanced reader copy) read it. I mean, it’s romantic suspense with a little sci-fi kick. How could I possibly say no?

Charissa was a newer author, and a brand new author to me, but after reading Oz I saw huge potential in her work, and I wanted to see her grow, succeed, and soar on her journey. So I messaged her about editing gremlins in Oz. I was just hoping she wouldn’t show me the door for being a pretentious book snob and grammery know-it-all. Well, she didn’t. And she didn’t blow me off either. She messaged back. To be honest, I tried to go back in messenger and find that first exchange, but there have been so many messages since, after scrolling for five minutes I decided to just remind myself that whatever was said, it developed into an amazing friendship and a professional partnership of writer and editor that has now covered twelve books, including a re-edit of Oz, plus a prequel novella. 

I had no idea when I sent her those suggestions for Oz that it would turn into an editing gig for me. I was still a baby editor, getting my feet wet after several years out of the editing scene, but the connection I felt to Charissa, her characters, her stories, and her style was inescapable.  I honestly didn’t know if I was even ready to return to editing as more than a side gig, but working with her made it all so real in my mind, that I couldn’t deny it any more. Every time I sit down to edit a novel for someone, I send a little silent thank you to Charissa. Editing is my full-time gig now, and I will never ever discount how important that first conversation with her was in making that happen.

Thinking as a reader, one of the things I love most about Charissa’s books is her focus on fast paced action and high intensity scenarios. In addition to being a novelist, she’s a screenwriter, and that background definitely shines through in her ability to create a plotline that grabs you firmly by the collar, pulls you in nice and close, and holds onto you for a pretty wild ride from beginning to end. 

Her heroes are seriously swoony—running the gamut from smooth operators to dirty talkers to broody alphas—and they raise the heat level with every book.  But her heroines also find their place in the spotlight, and I love that so much! Charissa has a knack for building solid female characters who not only hold their own with their SEAL and Ranger counterparts, but quite often steal the show with their own strengths and talents. And in a genre of romance that carries a heavy focus on the heroes always saving the day, her heroines getting their due is definitely a very welcome shift in the genre for me.

I have loved watching Charissa change lanes in her writing plan when her characters invade her author gps and send her on little adventures and excursions. I think Cassian Stone—a character who wasn’t even supposed to have a book of his own—embodies that element beautifully.  He demanded page time, and Charissa delivered. And she leveled up! His book is an emotional deep dive that is on a very different level from his teammates. And that emotional deep dive has carried over to subsequent books and characters, bringing even more urgency to their stories and investment from her readers. 

Now that Slater Security is complete (well, once Finn and Ivy’s story is published later in the week this blog is posted), I love that readers have a chance to binge all three of her complete series. It’s a true testament to her versatility in writing, her growth as an author, as well as her dedication to writing strong characters overall. Yep, we love those swoony heroes, but those badass women get their due, too. 

As a martial arts instructor who teaches at an all female dojo, seeing that girl power front and center, whether it's the badass women operatives of Slater Security or the women supporting the heroes of Slater and Project Phoenix, is freaking amazeballs!  The time Charissa takes to develop her characters as unique individuals, casting off the stereotypes, is truly inspiring. Helping those heroines find their voices is where Charissa’s talents truly shine.

If you’ve made it this far in my brain wanderings about Charissa, I want to leave you with this: watching her catch her confidence and dive into new situations, stories, and experiences has been truly amazing. Like her characters, she is so much more than words on the page. And I can’t wait for you to dive into her books, all of them, and see how far she’s come. Then you can join me right here as we watch her continue to soar.

Just the facts:

First book I read by Charissa: Reactivated: Oz 

What I love most about her books: fast paced stories, unique plotlines, badass women and swoony heroes who love and support them, found family.

 Fave book by Charissa: Reactivated: Aidan

 Fave character: Aidan

 Fave cover: Operation: Free Fall

You can get her books on Amazon 

Visit her website for information on all things Charissa: https://www.charissagracyk.com

You can find Charissa on social media here: Facebook        Instagram                 TikTok

Join her Facebook reader group to become part of the crew: Charissa’s Reading Crew