By Andria Barrios

Mary Kate Williams, who writes under the name M.K. Williams, is a resident of Brandon with a passion for the pen. Last month her first novel was released, a suspenseful thriller about an alien invasion.

“I had a very detailed dream three years ago about an alien invasion. Finally, almost a year ago, I had a vision for how the story would end and come together and Nailbiters was born,” said Williams, who has enjoyed writing since she wrote for her school magazine in junior high. Originally from Philadelphia, she attended Drexel University and then moved to the Tampa area after she graduated and was offered a job. She then met her husband and decided to settle in Brandon.

“I have always had a love for creative writing, but I didn’t have the confidence to put myself out there as a writer until this past year. I decided not to let my self-doubt stop me from living my dream, so I finished Nailbiters and made plans to publish it.”

She also enjoys running and recently began writing fitness and money-saving tips for a fitness website.

Nailbiters includes literary mentalism and revealing studies of Dora and Simon, her main characters. The human population is hunted down by a mob of aliens and Dora is eventually captured. As she struggles to survive in the alien world, she eventually discovers what the aliens really want and what it really means to be a human.

Williams doesn’t call her novel science-fiction, however.

“Some people may label it as sci-fi, but it is much more of a character-study,” she explained.

The post-apocalyptic novel includes violence, murder and corruption so is intended for readers of 18 years or older.

This author is excited about the future of her writing career. She is currently working on a short story collection and also has plans for a sequel, as well as several other novels.

Nailbiters is available for $0.99 in eBook form on Amazon, Nook, iBooks, Kobo and Smashwords. It is also available through the Hillsborough County Library Cooperative on www.overdrive.com/media/2414978/nailbiters for free, though positive reviews on www.goodreads.com/book/show/26810955-nailbiters are appreciated. For more information, visit www.nailbitersnovel.com, www.facebook.com/1mkwilliams/ or www.twitter.com/mkwilliams/.

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