Books

Kris Spisak’s Fiction & Nonfiction

(Red Wheel / Weiser Publishing, 2024)

Explore the folklore of the trickster, villain, and rescuer known as Baba Yaga in a new light.

When darkness, fear, and instability inundate our daily lives, folktale figures like Baba Yaga speak to the dichotomy of our existence—the hope and the horror, the magic and the mundane. At once an old hag and an enchantress, a demon and wish granter, a feminist and nothing more than a fairytale, Baba Yaga is an endlessly complex folktale character.

Becoming Baba Yaga provides an in-depth look at the Baba Yaga mythos and history through Slavic folklore. Filled with historical and cultural context, analyses, and the stories themselves that add depth to the conversation. Becoming Baba Yaga is a comprehensive resource for anyone hoping to learn more about this ambiguous character and how her multifaceted presence still ripples through the present day.

(Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing, 2022; Tantor Audio, 2023)

“A complex, poetic tale, strongly linking past and present through folk art’s rich traditions.”

Kirkus Review

When their Ukrainian grandmother is lost on a trans-Atlantic flight, two sisters are swept into a quest across eastern Europe to find the woman who had always told more tales than truths.
 
In this dual-timeline quest between the present day and 1941 Ukraine, the setting’s sometimes mythic properties drift like ghosts in the humid air, hinting of the Baba Yaga folktales the sisters whisper like codes of bravery. From Poland to Slovakia to Hungary and beyond, Larissa and Ira navigate the steps of Ukrainian folk dance, the cliff-side paths of Slovak Paradise National Park, and the stark realities of war, emigration, folktales, and feminism, all for the sake of chasing the family roots they never knew.
 

(Davro Press, 2020)

A word to the wise for collecting the words of the wise.

Have you ever wanted to write down the story of your family but never known where to start? Have you ever wanted to write your memoir, but you weren’t quite sure what tales of your life best fit the narrative you hoped to capture? Have you ever wanted to reflect on the moments that transformed you into the person that you are today? Have you ever wanted to have a shared project between family members? Have you ever wanted a unique gift idea for a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle who you know has a powerful life story to tell?

This workbook is designed for all of these reasons and more.

Write it down because who else is going to? Write it down for you. Write it down for your family. Write it down for the historical record, whatever that means to you.

(Davro Press, 2020)

Finishing your book is awesome. Finishing your editing is what makes all the difference.

Looking for an editing guidebook that will help you take your work-in-progress to the next level? Look no further.

The novel editing process is your opportunity to tweak, cajole, twist your words like licorice, and buff the imperfections out of your sentences until they shine like new. It’s your chance to transform that first draft that trickled out of your fingers and onto the page, turning your story into the book you want it to be.

Whether you’re planning to traditionally publish or go the indie publishing route, self-editing is essential before any next steps. But don’t just do the job most of the way. “Most of the way” won’t sell your book.

Writing a novel is an intimidating idea, but you know what? You did it. How amazing is that? Now finish the job. The Novel Editing Workbook is your resource to make it happen.

(Career Press, April 2017; HarperCollins India, 2020)

An “Elements of Style” for the modern generation.

Just as we should think before we speak, we need to think before we write.

Most of us are not poets or novelists, but we are all writers. We email, text, and post; we craft memos and reports, menus and outdoor signage, birthday cards and sticky notes on the fridge.

Get a Grip on Your Grammar is a grammar book for those who hate grammar books, a writing resource filled with quick answers and a playful style―not endless, indecipherable grammar jargon. Designed for student, business, and creative-writing audiences alike, its easily digestible, occasionally witty writing tips will finally teach you what you need to know about the English language.

Writers owe it to themselves and to everyone who sees their written words to get it right. With Get a Grip on Your Grammar, they finally can.