We love seeing the projects our authors are bringing to the world, and it especially tickles us when a novel is directly inspired by stories that started at Havok!
Jim Doran is an author of four novels and two collections, all centered on a fairytale, portal world. He’s also had over twenty short stories published online or in anthologies. His first Havok story was published in January 2021 and he has 13 stories in our archives (members can read all his Havok stories here)!
His website is entitled “Tales of Fascination, a place to celebrate speculative stories with fascinating characters, plots, and themes.” Sounds like a place chock full of imagination! But wait til you hear about his latest book — inspired by Havok’s World Tour season. Join us as we interview this creative writer!
How did you get started writing?
My mother was a voracious reader—there were more books than dollar bills around the house. She encouraged me to read. My heroes growing up were authors, and at a young age, I wrote sequels to their stories. Eventually, role-playing games became my infatuation, and I wrote scenarios for them. Eventually, I came back full circle to novels and short stories.
How many books have you published?
I have published four novels in the Kingdom Fantasy world, and two collections set in the same series. The Kingdom Fantasy standalone novels begin with an average man or couple in America who are summoned to a fairytale land to assist in defeating an evil menace. They’re adult novels that use familiar characters and situations while contrasting our culture with the fairytale utopian way of life.
What is your latest published project?
My latest project is not part of the Kingdom Fantasy series. This work, published May 29, 2025, is The Department of Extraordinary Emigration and Delivery, or DEED. The standalone novel is about a secret agent who travels the modern world rescuing intelligent mythical beings such as yetis and dryads.
What inspired you to write DEED?
Havok was the main inspiration. For Havok’s World Tour series, I created numerous stories, some of which are published on this site. When I started, I had no idea I was going to write a novel in this world. I gave myself a challenge to write connected stories for most of the months. After World Tour ended, I decided to write one more story in Havok Legendary. I realized then the potential to turn these ideas into a novel.
How many mythical beings make up the DEED world?
Every mythical creature (called mythicals in the novel) you’ve read about—and some you haven’t—exists. At a point in history, all mythicals had to hide from humans, though some still live among us. Humankind is blissfully unaware. Some mythicals don’t even realize they aren’t human.
What sets DEED apart from other similar novels like The Dresden Files or InCryptid?
The most obvious difference is no magic system exists in the world. While mythicals have abilities—for example, a gorgon can still turn a person to stone—no character casts spells. The tone is less gritty than most novels in this genre, though it’s for adults. Sticking with the World Tour theme, I’m more interested in giving the reader glimpses into the “normal” world of a secret agent contrasted with the fascinating cultures around the world.
How was this book different from your fairytale series?
My characters in my fairytale novels are regular people with normal jobs who go to a world full of magic and the supernatural. My characters in DEED are extraordinary people with exciting jobs who accomplish missions in the here and now. While my DEED characters have advanced technology, they must rely on their training and knowledge to achieve their missions. The only connection is both books are adventurous.
Any plans for next year?
I have a YA horror novel coming out next year, Forlorn Harbor, published by Rowan Prose Press. Havok readers know I’ve written several horror stories published here. If you enjoyed them, you’ll love Forlorn Harbor where seven teenagers are trapped in a sentient movie theater, and the only way to escape is to star in a horror anthology episode. After that, I have plans to publish another novel in the Kingdom Series, and have many more stories to write for Havok.
How has flash fiction impacted your writing and reading?
Flash fiction allows me to read an entire story in one sitting, nearly always without interruption. I can read it at the start of the day, at lunch, or quickly before settling down for the night and be swept away in another world temporarily. As a writer, flash fiction allows me to explore a seed of an idea. The seed may be a sprout and that’s all it will ever be, or it may grow in a series of stories and become a flower. In DEED’s case, the seed became a tree (a novel).
Any tips for your fellow writers about writing flash fiction?
Don’t worry about the word count. The ability to judge whether your idea may become a flash fiction piece isn’t as important as writing it. Worry about doing your best first. Afterward, go back and see how it might work as a 1,000 word or less story. You’ll be surprised what you may be able to eliminate to reach your goal.
Wow! It’s been great getting a peek into the expansive, fantastical worlds in the mind of Jim Doran. Drop a comment below if anything here sparked your interest. And be sure to check out The Department of Extraordinary Emigration and Delivery, now available for purchase in ebook and print!
Hey hey, not to take away from DEED, but Forlorn Harbor sounds interesting, at least if you’re focusing on the suspense side of the horror genre, not the gore (more like bore, amirite??) side. Which would be a dang hard story to write! Do you resolve every movie in the anthology during the story? That’s like writing 8 climax and denouement segments in a single book. I’m intrigued.
Forlorn Harbor will publish in May 2026. I wouldn’t call it gory, but there is body horror in it. The mini-movies are like segments in an anthology, and yes, I wrap each one up. My Havok story “Dermis” is the closest in style / theme to one of the episodes. Like DEED, I have a page on my website dedicated to Forlorn.