S.J. Kincaid Books In Order

Publication Order of Insignia Books

Publication Order of The Diabolic Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

S.J. Kincaid is an American author that writes science fiction novels with a young adult spin to them.

+Biography

S.J. Kincaid was born in Alabama, California, though she eventually moved to New Hampshire where she attended high school. Kincaid is a pretty accomplished individual with multiple degrees from Illinois and Ohio universities, though her passion has always been writing.

Kincaid always wanted to write. Even as a child, she spent many a waking hour jotting simple tales down and amazing her friends with her storytelling abilities. Though, Kincaid will tell you that it took a while for her passion for writing to blossom into something real.

During those earlier days, Kincaid simply wanted to follow in the footsteps of her sister. She thought writing was cool because her sister was doing it. Over time, Kincaid came to own her writing habit. She saw the fun and the joy that it could elicit and she accepted that she wanted to be a writer in her own right, regardless of what her older sister did in the long run.

However, Kincaid wasn’t very optimistic about a future in publishing. She didn’t even believe that she had what it took to start and actually complete a novel, let alone getting it published. So at a relatively early age, S.J. Kincaid shelved any possibility of writing and publishing as a career.

College changed everything. The author remembers interning at the sweatshop of a nonfiction publisher in California, a full-time job that saw her spend four days out of her week in a tiny non-air conditioned office. Kincaid hated the work, not only because of the environment but also the depressed and neurotic nature of her co-workers

It was a side of publishing she never wanted to see, and it skewed her perspective somewhat on the entire industry. A more rewarding experience was the project S.J. Kincaid undertook with a college friend.

They co-wrote a manuscript together and the process practically blew the doors off Kincaid’s mind. She saw that not only was it possible to write a manuscript but that there was a rewarding sensation that came with actually starting and completing a story.

Publishing was no longer the unattainable dream she had dismissed and she wholeheartedly threw herself into the writing business. The work wasn’t easy. S.J. Kincaid wrote roughly six manuscripts that simply refused to sell before someone actually showed interest in ‘Insignia’, one of the author’s more popular novels.

However, even after sealing the publishing deal for ‘Insignia’, Kincaid wrote three more manuscripts that went absolutely nowhere before she landed another book deal for a science fiction series.

Sufficing to say, Kincaid only grew her brand, becoming the science fiction author of renown that people know today because she persevered. That is the one piece of advice that Kincaid is always passing on to her adoring fans.

She wants them to know that there is no shortcut to publishing success. You have to keep reading, writing and submitting until someone takes the bait. Kincaid admits that she suffered during those earlier days of her publishing career because she had a thin skin.

S.J. Kincaid didn’t respond well to rejection, and it took several failures for her to finally grow comfortable with the idea of bad reviews and biting criticisms of her work. Kincaid has described the journey to publishing success as banging one’s head against the same wall over and over again until you either pass out or the wall cracks.

Kincaid was fortunate enough to have a strong base of support that kept her going through the difficult times. The author often speaks of Aprilynne Pike, another author who told her fairly early on that writing wasn’t a sprint but a marathon, and that as an aspiring author she had to learn to pace herself, otherwise she risked burning out. Kincaid believes this to be the best piece of advice she ever received.

As far as her books are concerned, Kincaid started out loving science fiction and fantasy. She always gravitated towards authors that could build new worlds from scratch and engross her in fictional realms.

It wasn’t until she came across Susan Kay and her book ‘Legacy’ that the author’s love for history ignited. The book explored the life and death of Elizabeth I. Kincaid read the book while she was in seventh grade and she’s pretty sure it influenced her decision to major in history.

In fact, there was a time when S.J. Kincaid wanted to become a writer just so she could create stories set in the Tudor era. She grew out of that phase. Kincaid still loves history but she doesn’t want to write historical fiction.

The author loves writing about young and relatable heroes and heroines that encounter personal and professional struggles as they mature.

+Insignia

World War III is in full swing. There aren’t enough resources to sate the needs of everyone on the planet. And a war rages with the resources of the solar system at stake. As the enemy makes quick gains, Tom Raines realizes that he might be the only hope the good guys have.

As a fourteen-year-old boy, you wouldn’t expect Tom to be hero material. But that is only because you haven’t seen him behind his controls. There is no one with better virtual reality gaming skills than Tom. And that is important because those virtual reality gaming skills make Tom a wizard at manipulating battle drones.

Joining the Intarasolar Force wasn’t Tom’s intention. But now that he is part of their ranks, Tom struggles to deal with his sudden elevation in importance. Tom’s new job has its perks but there’s also a price that must be paid.

+The Diabolic

The Diabolic was created for the sake of Sidonia, a tool to protect a galactic senator’s precious child. No one predicted the depths to which Nemesis would bond with Sidonia, coming to look at her as more of a sister than a master.

Nemesis’ devotion to her friend is tested when Sidonia is summoned to the galactic court. There she is supposed to stay as the hostage of a mad emperor. And because Nemesis knows she cannot protect Sidonia at the court, she takes drastic measures and becomes Sidonia, running to the mad Emperor’s side in her friend’s place.

Nemesis is forced to contend with a world of corruption that might exceed even her formidable power and skill to overcome.