I wrote a novel

Carmilla

A murder mystery · October 2026

Carmilla is my first novel. I wrote it and revised the whole manuscript myself, designed the interior in Vellum, and worked with an artist on the cover illustration.

It's self-published through Amazon KDP in ebook and paperback.

Cover of Carmilla by Sushane Atmakuri
A murder mystery

What Carmilla is about

In 1977, before the fall of the Iron Curtain, an immigrant Russian family is found murdered off the coast of Toronto. The only survivor, Nina returns twenty years later to a place known as the Two Cities to find answers to her biological parents' murder.

But something is wrong. Three couples are found dead, the same way her parents were found. Either someone is mimicking the serial killer's MO from 1977, or...

Paperback · 112 pages · ISBN 979-8372103337

Goodreads

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Behind the book

How I made Carmilla

  1. WritingDrafted the murder mystery over 18 months in Scrivener and Microsoft Word.
  2. RevisingTook the manuscript through 3 drafts, with feedback from a handful of beta readers.
  3. EditingEdited the whole novel on my own using ProWritingAid.
  4. DesignDesigned the interior in Vellum, and found and worked with an artist on the cover illustration.
  5. ProofsOrdered advance proof copies, caught errors, fixed and re-uploaded, then approved a second round of proofs.
  6. PublishingSelf-published the ebook and paperback through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, and marketed it through KDP Select.
Writing

My dream is to be an author

I've been writing since I was 13 or 14, and my dream is to become an author of fantasy and science fiction.

I also love talking about books and TV shows, which I do on my YouTube channel and on my podcast.

I go to writing conferences to meet other writers and editors and build my network. Most recently that was Dragonsteel Nexus, where I got to ask Brandon Sanderson a question.

Influences

The stories that shaped me

Fantasy series

The Wheel of Time

Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. The series that made me want to be a writer.

Fantasy series

A Song of Ice and Fire

George R. R. Martin. The books behind Game of Thrones.

What it gets right about death
Fantasy series

Gentleman Bastards

Scott Lynch. Starts with The Lies of Locke Lamora.

From my blog

On writing

Telling People I'm a Writer
Writing

Telling People I'm a Writer

Telling people I'm a writer is like telling them I'm an astronaut.

Writing

Game of Thrones: Writing Death

In today's post, we’re going to talk about book one of A Song of Ice and Fire, or as you all know it, A Game of Thrones and what it got right: death. More specifically,…

Top 10 Greatest Fantasy Series of All Time
Books & Film

Top 10 Greatest Fantasy Series of All Time

To some readers, fantasy is dragons burning down cities, to others, it is grand wizards casting spells and flying broomsticks. The genre is beautiful because it has the…

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Conferences

Where I meet other writers

  • World Fantasy Convention

  • Dragonsteel Nexus

    Utah. Brandon Sanderson's convention, where I asked him when to start revising.