My writing journey began at age eight during a family relocation to Nigeria in West Africa. Seeing the magnificent crowned crane for the first time left such a lasting impression that I wrote a poem about the experience. To my delight, it was published in the children’s magazine Jack and Jill, giving me my first taste of sharing my writing with others.
Although teaching became my lifelong career, writing remained an important part of who I was. As I taught students the art of storytelling, I wrote stories alongside them, often casting my students as characters in our adventures. Those years nurtured my creativity and reinforced my belief in the power of stories to inspire, entertain, and connect people.
After retiring from teaching, I finally pursued my dream of writing thrillers inspired by true stories. My novels weave real events into gripping fiction, creating stories that resonate with readers long after they turn the final page. I have been honored to appear as a guest on podcasts and to speak as an author at schools, libraries, and book festivals, where I enjoy sharing my passion for writing and encouraging others to tell their own stories.
One of the greatest challenges of being a self-published author has been learning the world of book marketing. It has required persistence, adaptability, and a willingness to continually learn new skills. Despite these challenges, the overwhelming encouragement from readers keeps me motivated. Hearing how deeply readers connect with my characters and the true events woven into my stories is the greatest reward and continues to inspire me as I write the next chapter of my journey.
Evan’s Adventures in Africa Series:
Evan’s Gift, Evan’s Stormy Voyage
Coming Soon: Evan and Elmer’s Adventures in Africa (Elmer is Evan’s Pet Monkey)
Order From Amazon:
Eight-year-old Evan has never crossed an ocean before. Leaving behind the familiar streets of New York, he boards a massive freighter ship with his parents, bound for West Africa, where his family will live for the next four years. Excited yet uncertain, Evan watches the Statue of Liberty fade into the mist and wonders what waits for him on the other side of the Atlantic.
Life aboard the freighter feels like a floating world of its own. The ship carries only a handful of passengers, and Evan quickly befriends Mateo, another boy his age who is traveling to Ghana to live with his grandparents for a year. Together, the boys explore the ship’s narrow passageways, climb to the bridge where Captain Morales lets Evan help steer the vessel, and spend long afternoons in the ship’s library building model kits and solving puzzles while storms churn across the ocean outside.
As the days pass, their friendship deepens. Evan learns that Mateo misses his family as much as he does, and the two boys discover what it means to trust someone far from home. But when Evan’s prized airplane model kit suddenly disappears, suspicion and hurt threaten to destroy their friendship. Angry and confused, Evan must decide whether to hold onto resentment or search for understanding.
Meanwhile, the voyage itself grows more dangerous. A hurricane drifts far off its usual course, slamming the freighter with towering waves that leave passengers frightened and seasick. In the middle of the storm, Evan witnesses courage from the crew, compassion among strangers, and the quiet strength of his own parents as they face uncertainty together. Through the chaos of the sea and the heartbreak of betrayal, Evan begins to mature in ways he never expected.
When the ship finally reaches the bustling ports of Liberia, Ghana, and ultimately Lagos, Nigeria, Evan is overwhelmed by sights and sounds unlike anything he has ever known—towering cranes unloading containers, humid air thick with salt and diesel, crowded harbors alive with movement, and vibrant new cultures waiting beyond the docks. Yet the hardest moment comes when Mateo must leave the ship in Ghana. Their emotional goodbye forces Evan to confront how deeply friendship can change a person, even in a short time.
Filled with adventure, heart, humor, and emotional depth, Evan’s Stormy Voyage is a middle-grade coming-of-age novel about courage, kindness, forgiveness, and finding home in unfamiliar places. Inspired by the author’s experiences growing up in Africa, the story offers young readers a vivid journey across the Atlantic as it explores universal themes of friendship, empathy, resilience, and cultural discovery. Fans of heartfelt adventure stories will be swept into Evan’s unforgettable voyage as he learns that the greatest discoveries are often the ones made within ourselves.
Evan’s Stormy Voyage is available at Amazon.
Karen Charles grew up in West Africa and traveled across Africa, the Middle East, Central America, and Europe. Her rich background and lifetime experiences are reflected in the depth of her writing. In her stories, she transforms real-life narratives into gripping thriller fiction. Her novels intricately weave threads of truth into a tapestry of suspense, intrigue, and riveting storytelling. She is the author of three children’s books in the “Evan’s Adventures in Africa” series, including Freeman Earns a Bike, Evan’s Gift, and Evan’s Stormy Voyage. Her three thrillers include Fateful Connections, set in the aftermath of 9/11, and Blazing Upheaval, set during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles and the Northridge earthquake. A Glimpse Too Far offers the mystery and heart-pounding suspense of a psychological thriller and is based on a true story. Karen Charles has two businesses—a global company that trains international teachers to teach American English and an Airbnb on a beautiful bay in Washington State, where she and her husband currently live.
Karen’s latest book is Evan’s Stormy Voyage.
Visit her website at www.weaveofsuspense.com.
