Kassidy Coursey has lived with fantastical stories in her imagination for as long as she can remember. Her dark fantasy books speak to her greatest loves: redeemable anti-heroes, sweeping character arcs, and unbridled love that crushes souls (but deliciously). She otherwise thrives on terrible jokes, harmless pranks, caramel macchiatos, and being right.
Atmosphere Press is proud to bring readers the Atmosphere Press Presents author interview series. We’re happy to have this archive of excellent interviews and author success stories for you to enjoy. Learn about writers and their books, from book title origin stories to music playlists that relate to their writing to what it was like seeing the cover for the first time.
Atmosphere puts the author experience first, and these interviews make up just one facet of a meaningful and rewarding author journey. Please share your favorite interviews and author success stories on social media, and stay in touch so you can be the first to know when new posts are published. Sign up for our newsletter to receive updates on interviews, Atmosphere Press Presents readings, and other news!
Calial McCarty is an AuDHD writer, parent, advocate, and private practice clinician. She is a LMHC in Washington state and holds a board certification as an Autism Specialist through IBCCES. This is her first publication, as she brings a first-of-its-kind resource to the community.
Hope Redgrave is a twenty-two-year-old university student who initially developed her love of writing through fanfiction at age seventeen. Stress from studies suppressed that flame briefly, but she reclaimed it in her university life. Writing was her go-to refuge – her means of world-building outside lecture theaters and deadline projects.
Adria Bailton (she/they) imagines entire worlds and universes to share while spending her days studying atoms, the smallest unit of matter. More of their science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories, where they strive to create characters that reflect their own bisexuality, neurodiversity, and disability, appear in The Colored Lens, ZNB Presents, Constelción Magazine, Wyldblood Flash, and Worlds of Possibility, among others. Her debut YA science fiction novel, Worlds Divide, will be out in April 2026 from Balance of Seven Press. She recently moved from the PNW to New England.
Critically acclaimed, award-winning novelist Sarah V. Barnes is both a historian and a horsewoman. Her first novel, She Who Rides Horses: A Saga of the Ancient Steppe, received the 2022 Best Indie Book Award for Historical Fiction, among other prizes. A Clan Chief’s Daughter represents the second installment in the She Who Rides Horses trilogy. When not writing stories, Sarah practices and teaches riding as a meditative art. She also offers equine-facilitated coaching and wellness workshops. Sarah holds a PhD in history from Northwestern University and spent many years as a college professor before turning full-time to riding and writing. She has two grown daughters and lives with her husband, dogs, and horses near Boulder, CO.
M.K. Smith grew up filling notebooks with stories, scripts, and even a few chicken-themed plays. With the unwavering support of her parents, she nurtured her love of writing into adulthood. Now a teacher in Montana, she spends her days convincing students of the Oxford comma’s importance, grading essays, and dreaming up mysteries that blend wit with suspense. When not teaching or writing, M.K. and her daughter explore the vast beauty of Big Sky Country, or relax at home with their calico cat, Callie, whose antics often inspire feline characters on the page.
I am the author of four previous biographies, of artists Grace Hartigan, Elaine de Kooning, and Nell Blaine (all published by Oxford University Press) and writer Elizabeth Hardwick (published by WW Norton). I’m a past president of Biographers International Organization (BIO) and have been involved with it for many years. Now I work with biographer members to help them write proposals (for agents and editors), improve their interviewing skills, and organize and refine their manuscripts.
Nan Evenson has published three books. The first two in the Not Really series, Good Night (Not Really): Let's Count Forward AND Backward and It's a Terrible Day (Not Really): Let's Count by Twos, are unusual counting picture books that have won several awards, making her Ukrainian illustrator and herself quite proud. The third book, Walk On, is a middle-grade/young adult historical fiction, Western-type adventure novel published by Atmosphere Press in 2025. She has also published and won awards for several short stories. Her love for young people, cultures, history, and the less well-known inspires her writing.
Christina Owens is a seeker of life’s many discoveries. With Oklahoma in her heart and Virginia beneath her feet, she carries both places as home. One grounds her beginnings, the other shapes her becoming.
Teresa Torba Stepp is an author and visionary storyteller whose work invites readers to step into the timeless journey of the soul. Blending faith, spiritual wisdom, and the profound lessons carried across lifetimes, she writes with the intention of healing hearts and helping souls rediscover their voice.