Blog Archives
Moral Perspectives
A Haunting Connection is a multi-point-of-view paranormal fantasy centered around a woman with a unique gift struggling to trust those around her and a man who questions his own powers. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
In the third grade, I was electrocuted. The hair dyer fell into the tub, and my mom had to revive me. Ever since, I’ve been fascinated by the paranormal and stories about life, death, and the energy that lingers. I love visiting old or historic places, and sometimes I get visions or ideas about what actually happened there. After I read the history, I’m often chilled by how similar my ideas and vision were to actual events.
The inspiration for The Ascension Series came after I delivered a package to a mysterious house on Cougar Mountain in Bellevue, WA. My scanner kept glitching when I went there, and my imagination created a story as to why. The house seemed to push me to start writing.
The other thing that inspired this book was Korean dramas. I watch them with my daughter and found myself sketching one out about an American in Korea caught in a complicated emotional situation. That concept worked perfectly for Brandon’s storyline.
Brandon acts as a kind of moral counterweight to Leah. How did you develop the contrast between their paths?
Brandon and Leah’s contrast really came from my travels. When I lived in Japan, I saw how people orient themselves around family, community, and the greater good. In Thailand, life seemed to be more about survival. People were more willing to take risks. In the U.S., our values create tension around personal desire and social expectations. We see these differences not only in cultures, but in age groups.
Leah is young and discovering her powers. She wants to help people, but that help comes in the form of manipulation. Over time, she finds herself justifying her actions for the greater good.
Brandon is a detective. He’s seen addiction and the misuse of power. So when he’s introduced to Yoona and given the chance to learn, he questions everything.
That contrast allowed me to explore the temptation of power and the discipline required to resist it. Their paths highlight perspective, life experience, and emotional maturity.
The multi-POV structure gives readers access to very different moral perspectives. What challenges did you face in balancing those viewpoints?
The biggest challenge was fully inhabiting each character—history, motivations, personal goals, and moral perspectives. I needed their actions to feel authentic to who they were, not a device to move the plot forward.
Another challenge was working with powerful characters. Yoona had to take actions that at times could be judged as morally wrong. But she sees the full picture and knows that in order to achieve necessary outcomes, she must bend her morality. That’s tricky when she is supposed to hold the moral high ground. But it works because Brandon, being skeptical, questions her, and in doing so, we explore the gray areas of morality.
When I traveled overseas, I saw knockoff brands everywhere, sold openly. In the U.S., doing the same thing could get you sued. But in Thailand, selling these items is a way to put food on the table. That raises questions: how do we judge what’s right or wrong when necessity forces choices we might otherwise reject? That tension is at the heart of A Haunting Connection.
Another major challenge I had was the cost. What is the cost for each character? For Leah, it’s her father’s trust, her best friend’s loyalty, and her own ability to choose. Power pulls, and each time she uses it, she loses the ability to resist.
Can you give us a glimpse inside Book 3 of The Ascension Series? Where will it take readers?
A Haunting Redemption opens with the same 1945 Nagasaki scene that started the first two books, but this time from Yoona’s perspective. Readers finally see the full story behind the pivotal moment that shaped the present.
From there, the story picks up where book two left off, with the long-anticipated disturbance Choi and Yoona have been talking about since book one. This event affects every character, altering lives and the world around them.
Then we race toward the confrontation between Ruth and Yoona. Who ends up redeeming themselves along the way, and how does that redemption change the world forever?
Leah Davenport survived the supernatural nightmare of A Haunting Deception,
but her struggles have only begun.
From Washington to Seoul, leaders and manipulators see her as the key to
shaping the world’s future. For Leah carries a rare gift: the ability to step inside
minds, to bend thoughts and feelings as if they were her own. And with every
use of her gift, she walks the path that destroyed those before her.
Caught between rivals, Leah must decide who to trust and how far she’s willing
to go to keep her freedom.
Meanwhile, Brandon Spencer trains with a shaman in Korea who promises similar
power, yet he begins to question whether such power is a gift, or a curse that
corrupts everyone who wields it.
Power has a price, and that price devours everything you love.
A Haunting Connection
A Haunting Connection opens with Ruth Jones in 1945, racing through wartime China and toward Japan under the shadow of psychic disturbances and her father’s possible corruption, but that opening functions less as the book’s destination than as its haunted fuse. The novel’s true body lives in 2025, chiefly in Lake Valley, Oregon, and Seoul, Korea, where Leah Davenport and Brandon Spencer are pulled into rival spiritual orbits: Leah’s powers deepen as her judgment frays, Brandon trains under the formidable Yoona while trying to remain morally intact, and Ruth, older, sharper, and vastly more dangerous, works behind the veil to recruit manipulators and bend world events toward a coerced peace. It’s a multi-POV paranormal fantasy with political ambitions, and it understands that a ghost story becomes more volatile when the dead are not the only things trying to possess the future.
I liked the way the book makes corruption feel incremental rather than theatrical. Leah is not simply “turning dark” in some ornamental fantasy sense; she is making one compromised choice after another, manipulating a boy to help Barb, carrying the consequences of a ghost attachment, intervening in Min Yun’s possession, absorbing dark energy in a desperate fight, and then beginning to press her will against the people around her. That slope is persuasive because it’s moral before it’s mystical. Brandon’s arc works as a counterweight. His sections have more bruised restraint: grief, caution, attraction, self-doubt, duty. I liked that his training under Yoona never settles into a clean mentor-student pattern. She is impressive, useful, strategic, and quietly terrifying. Her willingness to implant knowledge, manipulate minds, and justify ethically jagged actions gives the novel one of its best tensions: power here is never neutral, and wisdom is not the same thing as innocence.
I also appreciated how much narrative acreage the book claims, and how often that sprawl works in its favor. The Brandon–Su-Bin–Min Yun triangle could have stayed merely romantic intrigue, but it gets knotted into family violence, surveillance, revenge, and the uncanny. Leah’s visions reach across continents. Brandon gets drawn into a CIA-linked weapons operation that ends in a gun battle at the port. Ruth and Yoona are each recruiting, each planning, each interpreting the future through interference and incomplete knowledge. By the time the explosion in Lake Valley sends shockwaves through Yoona’s Circle and sparks a vision of Ruth striking Yoona down, the novel has widened from supernatural coming-of-age into something more combustible: a spiritual thriller about competing doctrines of order, control, and salvation.
I would hand this to readers of urban fantasy, paranormal fantasy, supernatural thriller, and multi-POV dark fantasy, especially those who like occult systems, psychic warfare, corruption arcs, and globe-spanning stakes. Readers who enjoy authors like V. E. Schwab, or series that let emotional damage and metaphysical conflict braid together, will find a strong current here, though this novel has a more conspiratorial and politically charged temperament than most of its peers. A Haunting Connection is a restless, high-voltage book about grief, influence, and the seduction of using power “for good.”
Pages: 495 | ASIN : B0GKGDN2C6
A Paranormal Battle
A Haunting Deception centers around a detective investigating a cold case finds himself caught in the middle of a woman’s battle with the paranormal. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for A Haunting Deception came from my experience as a delivery driver. There was one house on my route that always stood out to me. My scanner kept identifying it as a business, even though it was clearly a residential property. I’d adjust the settings to reflect that it wasn’t a business, but every time I returned, the scanner reverted. This only happened with this one house, which sparked my curiosity.
I started wondering—what if my scanner, being an electronic device, was picking up something I couldn’t perceive with my senses? What if it was detecting something hidden beneath the surface? That idea led me to think about unseen forces at play and how people might interact with them without even realizing it.
From there, I began shaping a story about a tragic love affair. I envisioned a cycle of loss and heartbreak repeating itself with paranormal undertones. The detective became central to the narrative because people kept disappearing from a single location. I envision him determined to uncover the truth and solve the mystery. His investigation into a cold case seemed like the perfect way to introduce him to a larger, hidden battle—a woman’s struggle against forces beyond her control.
That spark of curiosity about a mysterious house became the foundation for a story blending love, tragedy, and the pursuit of truth.
Were you able to achieve everything you wanted with the characters in the novel?
I feel like I was able to achieve a lot of what I wanted with the characters in A Haunting Deception. Jared’s journey was particularly meaningful to me—he starts the story having lost his purpose in life, falling into depression and despair. His path to rediscovering himself and finding a new sense of purpose is one that was personal and feels universal.
Leah’s journey complements Jared’s in many ways. She begins as a naïve high school girl, infatuated with Dan. She’s following a path that seems set and that others expect her to go down. By the end, she’s undergone an awakening, realizing her own power and capabilities. Watching her transform into someone who can do incredible things was one of the most rewarding parts of writing this story.
The priest’s arc was another key element I wanted to explore. His progression—from love and acceptance to hate and separation, and then back to love and acceptance—offers a powerful commentary on forgiveness and growth. His story feels like it comes full circle, showing how someone can be both deeply flawed and capable of change.
Overall, I think the characters’ arcs are fulfilling in their own right, while also setting up the continuation of the story. Each character grows and evolves in a way that feels natural, and I’m excited to see how their journeys resonate with readers.
How did you come up with the idea for the ghostly antagonist in this story, and how did it change as you wrote?
My feeling is that ghosts linger because they have unresolved issues, which is where the idea for the antagonist began. At first, I imagined this character as an old soul—evil to the core and intentionally malicious. But as the story unfolded and the character’s interactions and backstory became clearer, it took on a different shape.
I realized this wasn’t an old or inherently evil spirit, but a young, selfish, and self-absorbed presence. Its actions stem from its own unresolved issues, but they’re deeply harmful to others, which creates a kind of evil in itself. That complexity makes the character intriguing to me—it’s not just a straightforward villain.
By the end of Book One, we start to see the possibility of change, and I’m really excited to explore how that potential plays out by the end of Book Three. Watching the antagonist evolve adds an extra layer of depth to the story and opens the door for unexpected turns.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’m excited to share that A Haunting Connection, the sequel to A Haunting Deception, is complete and slated for release within the next year. This installment delves deeper into the intricate relationships and supernatural elements introduced in the first book.
Author Links: Website
A Haunting Deception
Micah Briarmoon’s A Haunting Deception begins with an electrifying dive into the supernatural, as Damarkus Jones battles not only external forces but also the creeping darkness within himself. Set against the backdrop of the atomic devastation of Nagasaki, the story immediately immerses the reader in its high stakes and morally ambiguous characters. The narrative swiftly pivots to the present day, introducing a tapestry of interconnected lives grappling with mystery, loss, and the lingering echoes of the supernatural.
Briarmoon’s writing is atmospheric and evocative, and the opening scene is a masterclass in tension. The surreal juxtaposition of Nagasaki’s atomic aftermath with Damarkus’s sinister abilities sets the tone for the novel’s exploration of power and redemption. The middle chapters shine brightest when they explore the human side of the supernatural. Nong Ekamai’s despair and defiance resonate deeply, especially during her anguished rebellion against her unseen captor. These moments ground the fantastical elements in raw, relatable emotion. I did find some transitions between storylines abrupt, leaving me momentarily disoriented as new characters and settings emerged without much preamble.
What truly elevates A Haunting Deception is its thematic depth. The novel grapples with profound questions about morality, addiction, and the boundaries of free will. Jared’s struggles with his past and Brandon’s pursuit of justice in the Mitchell case offer parallel narratives that subtly echo Damarkus’s battle against the consuming darkness.
A Haunting Deception is an ambitious and thought-provoking tale. It blends urban fantasy with thriller elements, making it perfect for readers who enjoy character-driven stories with a touch of the supernatural. Fans of morally complex heroes and intricate, multi-layered plots will find much to appreciate. I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves supernatural mysteries with heart and isn’t afraid to wrestle with some big, existential questions along the way.
Pages: 500
