Urban Fantasy

Maddy Madrigal Mysteries

A 40-year-old badass security chief, her complicated magical legacy, monsters roaming the streets, a helping hand from the beyond, and a cat who knows more than he should

Browse Books

Eco-Horror

Dark Earth Rising

Creatures from the sea, a haunted mine, a mysterious fungus, a terrifying apparition in a forest - six eco-horror novels you can read in any order

Browse Books
book covers of the first three novels in the Maddy Madrigal Mysteries series

Maddy Madrigal Mysteries

Monsters, Mayhem, and Mexican food

Former LAPD Occult Affairs Division officer Maddy Madrigal lands a cushy security job in a gated community, only to find herself confronting supernatural threats and uncovering her own hidden magical heritage.

I highly recommend this book - and I can't wait for the next in the series!

Amazon reader

Dark Earth Rising

When man goes too far, nature strikes back

From sea creatures to forest entities to historical demons, the "Dark Earth Rising" series consists of six themed eco-horror novels that can be read in any order.

Can't wait for more of the Dark Earth Rising books!

Amazon reader
books in the Dark Earth Rising series
Maddy Madrigal Mysteries
Book 1: Barely Magic
wrapped paperbacks

Signed Paperbacks, Wrapped by the Author

Get your own signed copy of any of Debra Castaneda's books! Each book is lovingly wrapped by Debra and includes a personalized note. They make perfect gifts for the book lovers in your life...or for yourself!

Debra Castaneda

Urban Fantasy and Horror Author

Debra Castaneda is an award-winning author of urban fantasy and dark fiction based on the central coast of California.

Her works include Barely Magic, the first book in the Maddy Madrigal Mysteries series of urban fantasy novels; The Spore Queen, The Devil’s Shallows, The Root Witch, The Copper Man, Circus at Devil’s Landing, and A Dark and Rising Tide, which comprise the Dark Earth Rising series of standalone novels, and The Monsters of Chavez Ravine, an International Latino Book Awards gold medal winner.

Debra loves writing character-driven stories about people who experience scary or magical things, and how they react when confronted with the unexpected. She’s committed to representing Latinas and Latinos in her books.

For inspiration, she draws from her experience as a TV and radio journalist, and as a third-generation Mexican American

Debra now lives on the central coast of  California with her husband. She enjoys rediscovering the Mexican dishes of her childhood and texting her two daughters about her latest binge-watch.