Why One Writer Switched Into New Genre

If you write in the same genre for years, making the switch into a new genre isn’t easy. I could’ve played it safe and continued to write psychological thrillers, but I reached a point in life where I wanted… more. Before I get into the reasons why, I’ll explain what prompted this post.

After Tracking Mayhem released, one of my long-time readers asked me a question that many of you might also wonder about. So, to celebrate the release of Merciless Mayhem, I’ll share my response.

First, here’s what she asked:

“I am curious about how you got so involved in the eco part and why it became the crux of your Mayhem novels. Was that the intent from the beginning or what Mayhem morphed into?”

— Sherry Fundin, Fundinmental.com

The short answer is no, it was not my intent from the beginning. When I created Mr. Mayhem, I knew he was special. Yes, he’s a killer, but he’s no ordinary killer. From the first time he walked onstage in Blessed Mayhem, I hinted for readers to hold their judgment until they got to know him better. I wanted them to think big picture, even though I hadn’t unraveled all his layers yet. Little by little, as I finished writing that book, I began to understand him on a deeper level.

It Took Years to Veer Into a New Genre

In that same year (2015), a wealthy, entitled Caucasian trophy hunter shot Cecil the lion with a crossbow and let him suffer for hours before death while he posed for photos beside him. To help illustrate my rage and devastation, I need to rewind to my childhood.

I grew up with a houseful of animals. My mother rescued injured wildlife and pet-sat for anyone who needed a haven for their furred and feathered babies. At one point, she even cared for an opossum for a solid year while his human traveled. Throughout my childhood, Mom shared stories about Ruthie, the blue-eyed elephant. For years, every time the circus came to town, Mom spent her days with Ruthie, tortured by the mistreatment by Barnum & Bailey.

There came a time when Mom couldn’t bring herself to say goodbye to Ruthie. So, she followed Ruthie to her next stop. And the next. And the next. The bond they shared reached deep, their souls entwining as one. Ruthie knew her heart; she knew Ruthie’s. Mom tried everything to save her. The circus even offered her job riding Ruthie while she performed, but Mom turned them down. She refused to be part of the slow destruction of her best friend.

After years of sleepless nights and sick with worry, one morning Ruthie’s pen sat empty. She’d died during the night. In hindsight, Mom recalled Ruthie stroking her cheek more than usual the day before — one final goodbye to last a lifetime.

The story still kills me.

At a young age, these stories taught me how some unlucky animals endured horrendous treatment by humans.

My brother and I learned to respect the Natural World and to cherish every being in the Animal Kingdom.

So, you can see how protection of animals is imbedded in soul, perhaps even in my DNA.

More Years Rolled By Before I Veered into the Eco-Thriller Genre

While writing Silent Mayhem in 2017, I left a few breadcrumbs to explore later. Around this same time, I also tossed around ideas for a new series set in Kenya about a conservationist who murders poachers.

Also in 2017, I learned about a three-year-old Orca named Tokitae aka “Lolita”, who was ripped away from her family pod in 1970, transported to Miami Seaquarium, and forced to perform for food. Or starve. For over 53 years, Toki was imprisoned in a tank the size of a hotel pool, isolated and depressed, withering away until she died or committed suicide, which many cetaceans do in captivity. Because I could never shake the details of Toki’s story, I included it in Merciless Mayhem.

How can anyone think imprisoning an animal is okay?

In 2018, news hit about the death of Sudan, the last male white rhino on earth. I’d been watching Sudan’s live feed for months. His death shattered me. There were still two living female white rhinos and Sudan’s protectors saved his sperm but come on! How did we, as a society, let this happen?

For the first time, I witnessed firsthand how human greed and selfishness wiped out an entire species. And that changed me in such a profound way. No longer could I look away or pretend this crisis didn’t exist. I had to do something, anything, to stop this. But what could I do? I wasn’t a celebrity, nor did I have a massive worldwide platform. The audience I’d amassed expected pure psychological thrillers from me. How could I lead them into a new genre with a strong focus on wildlife conservation?

This passage from Unnatural Mayhem explains how I’d been feeling for years…

Imagine a world without animals. No pattering of paws, no wingbeats, no singing in the treetops, no howls at the moon, no buzzing in flower blossoms, no slithering through garden beds, no sympathetic eyes begging for a treat, no unconditional love and companionship, and the oceans, ponds, and lakes devoid of life. The Natural World as we know it would forever be silenced. For eternity.

All trees and plants would also disappear—they depend on animals to reproduce—a dead empty landscape left in the wake.

Does that sound like a world you want to live in? I sure don’t.

With passion driving my every step while writing I AM MAYHEM, I pulled that thread from Silent Mayhem and introduced Jacy Lee, a Diné Medicine Man. I fell in love with his purity and kindness. Sparks flew between Shawnee, Mayhem, and Jacy Lee. On their own, they’re strong and well-developed enough to take the lead. What I didn’t expect was how well they worked as a team.

The Revelation That Shoved Me Into a New Genre

Once Jacy Lee hit the page, it dawned on me — I didn’t need to create a new series; I already had the perfect characters primed and ready. Though readers loved my Mayhem Series, did they love the cast enough to transition into a new genre of eco-thrillers imbued with metaphysical elements of Native American spirituality and culture? To my surprise, everyone loved Jacy Lee as much as I did.

Then Covid hit in 2020.

Friends from LA told me they’d never seen stars before the lockdown. Imagine the amount of pollution it takes to block stars in the night sky?

Without humans, wildlife thrived. I could see it unfold out my window. Moose, black bear, wolf, fox all visited my yard. They could finally roam free. What did that say about us? Well, it spoke volumes to me. So, when I wrote Unnatural Mayhem, I figured it was now or never. Silence was no longer an option. So, I went for it, willing to risk losing some readers for the greater good. To my surprise, my audience loved it. The feedback and emails I received brought me to tears. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who felt strongly about saving the voiceless.

From a career standpoint, I’m finally living my truth, fulfilled by a lifelong passion for animal protection, and content in the eco-thriller genre.

Along the way, I kill a ton of poachers, animal traffickers, and trophy hunters. There’s something so deeply satisfying about erasing the worst of society. If I can include a karmic twist like endangered animals feeding on the meat of their would-be killers, all the better. The Mayhem Series means a lot to me. They educate and entertain while still delivering an action-packed plot.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy writing any of my previous books. I did. I just reached an age where I wanted — needed — more. And that passion drives me to the keyboard every single morning. My goal from the very beginning was to help fight animal trafficking through donations from the proceeds. Equally strong is my hunger to touch lives through Native spirituality, culture, and a beautiful connection to Mother Earth.

I hope this helps explain why I took the Mayhem Series to where it is today. Thank you, Sherry, for posing the question.

Merciless Mayhem Giveaway

Shawnee and Mayhem continue to wreak havoc on the Killzme Corporation — the largest animal trafficking ring in the country — by killing one poacher at a time. The stakes grow increasingly higher when the nefarious group retaliates by putting a bounty on their heads.

Meanwhile, the traffickers set their sights on capturing Orca for profit and pleasure.

With a ticking clock and no place left to hide, Shawnee and Mayhem alternate between undercover surveillance and clandestine battles to save their loved ones and the Innocent Ones from Killzme’s evil plans. Skills are tested. Tenuous alliances are formed. Not everyone will make it out alive.

Set in a world of cultural wonder, environmental threats, and looming danger, this heart-stopping eco-thriller will have you glued to the page from the first sentence to the last.

Ebook and paperback available now!

This month, I’m adding another giveaway — a signed paperback of Merciless Mayhem! One lucky reader from my newsletter list will win on October 24, 2023. If you don’t receive my newsletter, you can join below…

Along with the welcome email, I’ll send you the newsletter that went out yesterday with all the details for this giveaway and the monthly drawing for the Poe Pen.

Good luck!