NASHUA – A local author is set to host a reading event later in the month to showcase the magical and supernatural worlds she’s created with just a pen and paper.

On March 28, Nashua resident and author Azaaa Davis will be hosting a local book reading event from 6-7 p.m. at The Book Cellar in Nashua. During the event, attendees will be able to meet Davis, listen to excerpts and get signed copies of Davis’ new book, “This Time.”

Davis has been a resident of the Southern New Hampshire area for four years and has spent the last three years living in Nashua. Before that, she lived in New York City, which serves as the setting for her books.

“It’s one of those things where I was taking that advice, ‘Write what you know,'” Davis said. She said she can picture the settings of her books vividly. In the books she is working on now, she will also be mentioning New Hampshire towns.

Davis’ book discusses the life of a demon hunter named Nadira Holden. This Time features monster-slaying action, drama and romance.

Davis has been writing as a hobby since she was in middle school, where she would write stories and give them to her friends. She mostly writes urban fantasy and said she prefers the idea of the current world in a contemporary setting with a supernatural twist. Aside from being an enthusiastic writer, Davis has also been an avid reader since she was a teenager. Coming from a big family, she said she enjoyed having quiet time at the library where she would get lost in fantasy novels. 

A lifelong dream of Davis’ was to become an author full-time, but she was constantly told she shouldn’t pursue writing as a career and to make it a hobby after retirement. So instead, she took a job in the social work field. After some time passed, she started realizing that she didn’t want to delay her goal any longer. “It has been a wonderful process ever since I took the leap,” Davis said. She said when she stopped working full-time in 2017, she started taking herself seriously, and let her writing “blossom.”

Right around the time Davis stopped working, she got pregnant. Davis joked that preparing for parenthood and writing her book at the same time was quite interesting. 

“As my word count was growing, my daughter was growing too,” Davis said, adding that her daughter has been her source of motivation.

Davis has two more books that she is working on, “That Night,”which is set to publish April 23, and “These Moments,” which should be out later this year. Both continue to follow the life of Nadira Holden. Davis’ inspiration for creating her main character, Nadira Holden, comes from her enjoyment of the series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Davis said she wanted to create a character that readers could relate to, see themselves in and hope to become. She decided to make Nadira Holden someone who grew up listening to the rules, someone who was strong and confident and comes out of the series as a different person. Davis also said she chose to create Nadira Holden as a strong female of color.

Davis’ stories are not standalones. She said they should be read in order, though she chose not to leave her books off with complete cliff hangers.

“Each story feels complete, but there’s a little thrust that connects one to another,” Davis said. “(It’s) enough to intrigue someone to want to dive back into the world when they’re done.”

Moving forward, Davis plans to promote her books. She said she has received a lot of help from her manager, Emma Hall, in terms of learning the process of publishing and pricing.

Regarding The Book Cellar in Nashua, Davis said she is grateful organizers are able to nurture independent authors and help them “spread their wings.” When her second book comes out in April, she is hoping to sell more than 250 copies, which is the average number an independent author sells in a year.

With This Time, her goal was to sell 100 books and get 10 reviews in the first three months after publishing. She saw that within the first three months of publishing her novel, as she exceeded her goals with 110 books purchased and 16 reviews, all with three stars or higher. 

“That was the sign I needed to know, ‘OK, I’m going in the right direction,'” Davis said. 

To learn more about Davis or explore her writing, visit https://azaaadavis.com/.

NASHUA -From 2-3 p.m. Sept. 7, Nashua resident and author Azaaa Davis will be hosting a local book reading event at The Book Cellar in Nashua.

During the event, attendees will be able to meet Davis, listen to excerpts and get a signed copy of Davis’ new book, “That Night.”

Davis’ series explores the life of a demon hunter named Nadira Holden and is set in present-day New York. In her first novel, “This Time,” humans are disappearing, including her father.

That Night is a direct continuation from This Time.

“As much as I tried to leave refreshers here and there, I wanted to honor the fact that most of my readers are going to be returning,” Davis said.

That Night takes a closer look at the aftermath of the fighting that occurred in This Time. Davis said Nadira tries to take a step back and become “normal” in a sense, by getting a job. 

“We get a taste of everyday life in a world where humans and demons exist peacefully,” Davis said.

Throughout the story, readers will notice that Nadira has developed bad coping mechanisms, as she goes from being in the heart of family to being isolated.

Davis said there is a life-turning event in the book, during which Nadira realizes she can’t go back to the life she’s previously lived until she figures out what the demon that is possessing her wants.

“She’ll have moments of being possessed and the demons will do things she’s never done. Eventually she crosses the line and does something she may not be able to take back. Then, she has motivation to save her own soul,” Davis said.

Davis is currently writing the third novel of the trilogy. She had plans to finish it by the end of 2019, but after becoming pregnant with her second child, she is in a race to see what will come first -a finished novel or a newborn.

“I’m just allowing myself to go with the flow,” Davis said.

Her third novel will answer all the questions readers have had while making their way through the series.

“We’ll see her confront bigger challenges head on,” Davis said. “Readers will finally get that pay off they’re waiting for. Will her soul be saved? Who does she end up with?”

To differ from other urban fantasy authors, Davis said she classifies all supernatural creatures demons. She also chooses not to delve into discussion on heaven and hell in her novels.

“These evil spirits, they’re really just species from another realm. They don’t see themselves as being evil. They just see themselves in conflict with humans because they need certain resources that we have,” Davis said.

“My story is just fun,” Davis said. “It’s just good versus evil with a little bit of magic thrown in.”

“I’m writing what I know and speaking from my own background a little bit,” she added. “The main character is of African-American descent and the cast is very diverse. I think people of all different groups can find characters that they can relate to.”

To learn more about Davis or explore her writing, visit https://azaaadavis.com.