The Spellbook Blog

At Spellcraft Novel Media, we believe every story carries its own spark of magic, and every author brings a voice uniquely their own. Today, we’re honored to welcome M.A. Cobb into the Spellcraft circle. With a background rooted in grit, resilience, and love for the salt-of-the-earth, she crafts stories that explore survival, sacrifice, and the unexpected ways love shows up in the darkest places.

We asked M.A. Cobb about her journey, her inspirations, and the rituals that guide her creative fire. 

M.A. Cobb’s stories carry a gritty authenticity, born not from imagination alone but from a life lived in the real, raw textures of work and land.

• How has your background and upbringing shaped your voice in storytelling?

I worked heavy construction most of my life, then owned and ran a large farm for years. It makes it much easier for me to feel like I can have real, gritty characters who generally are blue collar, hard working, salt of the earth people. Those are the people I know, who love through their acts of service and what they can do with their own two hands. There’s also a tenacity to push through setbacks and hardships that I find inspiring.

It’s also why I tend to avoid things with billionaires. I’m a welder, not a debutante, and haven’t a clue about the lifestyle. It’s also why you won’t likely see me doing many more mafia centered books. My idea of romance is when he gets up to put the log on the fire, not handing me a black am-ex card, hahaha.

Her view of romance isn’t glitz or grand gestures, it’s the intimacy of a fire stoked, of small acts of care, of resilience that mirrors the people she knows.

From silence to persistence, M.A. Cobb finds inspiration in unexpected places.

• When do you feel most inspired?

Silence. I’ve been told there’s something wrong with me since I choose to never listen to the radio when I’m driving. Even long trips (we drove for 6 days to move from Idaho to Arkansas last fall) I’d rather drive in silence and run through ideas in my head.

Yea, I know…weird.

• How do you recover from moments of creative block or self-doubt?

I can honestly say I’ve never had a lack of ideas, but imposter syndrome is very real. My very first trilogy had a character with a fractured past who was due to be the fmc of the third book. I think that is the one time true self doubt came into play. It took me writing nearly 20 other books to finally be able to come back to hers because I legitimately didn’t think I had the ability to give her the story she deserved. (Burst of Retribution is finally going to be released this month, Oct).

• What is a writing ritual or habit you swear by?

Hmm, I don’t really have much besides the necessary cup of coffee or two before I start. I don’t write until I’m fully awake (which has resulted in many very late night sessions).

My biggest ritual is just making sure my butt is in my chair with my hands on my keyboard. It’s the best way to get words down.

At the center of Cobb’s work is resilience, love in small gestures, and survival against the odds.

• Your stories often explore love, sacrifice, and darkness. Which theme feels most personal to you, and why?

Overcoming the odds. My absolute favorite genre is post apocalyptic, and I think it really is because the characters are often put into insurmountable situations that they somehow manage to not only survive, but often thrive in. Another element I really love to add is the little things. To me, love is about paying attention to the nuance that really makes someone happy. So in every book, I always try to add a tiny thing that they do for the significant other simply because they know it’s what the other person likes.

But in truth, it’s what we’re all doing: trying to survive whatever crap life has thrown at us, which is why the tiniest things make such a huge difference. Some of mine are having a cup of coffee that is just right. Being able to sit in the sun while my dogs play in the yard. When my hubby hugs me from behind while I’m cooking dinner.

Those are the things I like to add into all of my stories, because they matter the most.

• If you could step into one of your stories for a day, which character would you visit, and where would you go?

That’s a tough one because I write some pretty messed up stuff! I’d have to say anywhere in Black Gulch Ranch. It’s loosely based on a very close friend’s place I lived near in Idaho, so it would be a comfort to revisit.

As for a particular character, Mason from Spurs has always been one of my favorites.

Connection with loved ones also fuels Cobb’s creative fire.

• When you’re not writing, what is a favorite ritual you share with loved ones that recharges you?

I’d say I have two. Every evening I spend time after dinner with hubby and just ask him how his day went. We make a point of just chatting at least an hour or so every night.

The other would be brainstorming with my son. He’s turning 18 this year, and has a wonderfully creative imagination of his own. At least once or twice a week we spend time hashing out story ideas (either mine or his) - yes, I do censor the details from my books from him! But in general terms, he’s incredibly insightful.

It’s a reminder that inspiration doesn’t always come from solitude, it can also be sparked in the ordinary magic of family.

With experience across genres, Cobb offers wisdom for new writers stepping into the dark. It’s a theme she feels deserves space, a darkness often heavier than fiction itself.

• For aspiring dark romance authors, what would you consider the most important lesson you’ve learned?

That is a tough question as I feel I’m learning something daily. Spend more time on crafting a good story then trying to force feed trigger warnings into a book. Shock value is great and all, but without an encapsulating plot to really make it hit, the rest will fall flat.

Another is to make sure you have a thick skin. Dark romance as a genre comes with a set of preconceived notions from readers outside of the niche, so it’s often that I get unsolicited scathing messages regarding the content of my books when they haven’t even read them.

• You write across romance, horror, western, dystopian. When you switch between genres, what internal shift do you undergo as a writer?

Strangely, I don’t feel a shift. I get excited about all aspects of each. From the light flirty banter of the cowboys to the dark malevolent broodiness of the vampires, it’s all fun for me.

• What’s one “dark theme” you think is underexplored in cowboy/romance settings, and what story would you like to tell to explore it?

I’m not sure if I’d like to explore it more, but I do think that one theme I encountered personally working in agriculture for so many years is the overwhelming amount of day to day frustrations that are encountered.

There’s nothing romantic about the work itself. It’s exhausting and often unfulfilling, and puts an insane amount of strain on relationships. Things completely out of their control can have devastating effects on their very livelihood.

That level of constant stress is very real, but never really conveyed in books. I do try to touch on it lightly in some of them, but not as much as it happens in real life.

Farmers have the highest suicide rates out of almost any profession. It’s a dark theme that’s rarely discussed because there’s no HEA at the end of it.

It’s almost easier to write about the end of the world than a real ranch.

I do touch on mental health in a few books, but try to be careful about souring the ‘romance’ of real ag work.

They’re heroes in every sense of the word.

• For readers who love both your cowboy world and your horror collaborations, what common emotional thread do you hope they leave with, fear, healing, survival, identity?

That even in the darkest of times, finding love within ourselves, finding hope, is entirely possible.

From the emotional weight of certain books to playful collaboration, Cobb explores many sides of storytelling.

• Which of your books was the hardest to write, and why?

Ah, yes, by far was Saddles. The actual writing was easy, the story went down quickly.

But I cried so much with every word I had to take a lot of breaks.

In a different way, Burst of Redemption was also very difficult because I felt like I didn’t have the ability to tell the story the characters deserved. It took me nearly three years of writing to finally feel confident enough to put it down.

• When collaborating on the erotic horror series with Kitty King, how do you balance your particular voice with another author’s vision?

Those stories are a lot of fun. I look at it like playing “Mad Libs” with her. We set down a general outline, then choose which POV we want to write for that book. Switching chapters, it’s a great exercise at playing with new parameters. I get to read what she writes in the previous chapter, then build on it from the different character, making sure to hit the beat points we determine in the outline.

But it’s a great deal of fun knowing it won’t go on KU, so takes away some of the restrictions. I joke that I get to play the gross out game with Kitty when we’re writing those. I think I almost write them just for her to see what her reactions of each of my chapters will be. It makes it fun, and almost lighthearted despite the dark content.

• Do you believe your characters choose you as much as you choose them, like spirits that want their story told?

Without a doubt. I was explaining once to a friend how my process works, and I think it sums it up pretty well.

Once I get an idea in my head, it’s like I’m putting one of those old VHS tapes in the player and watching the book like a movie in my mind.

But I’m also able to push ‘pause’ and put in a new tape at any point, picking up wherever I left off with the other story (I almost always have 3-5 active works in progress going)

So once the idea hits, it’s almost always the characters driving the stories. I’ve been surprised OFTEN by a revelation in writing when something happens I didn’t expect that takes things in a direction I wasn’t even aware of.

I’m just a passenger on the ride at that point.

• If you could brew a tea or potion inspired by one of your books, what would it taste like?

Hands down my choice would be mimosas. Alice is the fmc in Curse of the Mourning Ring, and she is BY FAR the most ‘me’ I’ve ever put into a character. I had an absolute blast writing her, and made her drink of choice my own favorite: mimosas.

True to form, Cobb has no shortage of projects. From finishing the Black Gulch Ranch series to post-apocalyptic romance and vampire tales, her imagination brims with worlds yet to be written.

• What’s next for you as a creator?

I always have 3-4 WIP in progress at a time. Currently I have the 6th book (of 8) for the Black Gulch Ranch series in the works. The remaining books I’m hoping to have done by spring. I’m fortunate enough to be a full time writer now, so I generally aim for 3-4 chapters a day.

I also am working on a vampire book, Threat of the Bite, which is on Patreon/Ream.

Just finishing Burst of Retribution, a post apocalyptic romance (the third book in my original Sunburst trilogy)

The 3rd book in my Dire Universe, The Dire Obsession, will be out in Dec.

As for upcoming projects: I have a new pitch black zombie book outlined, and more post apocalyptic books ready to go. Kitty King and I have more installments of the Horror Hotel series planned, and I’m also flirting with the idea of a 2nd gen to my Black Gulch series (possibly).

No shortage of ideas, only writing time, haha.

And with that, she reminds us all: creativity isn’t about scarcity, but about showing up and weaving the next spell one word at a time.

We’re grateful to feature M.A. Cobb as our first author spotlight. Her stories, gritty, heartfelt, and unafraid of the dark, mirror the tenacity of her own journey. Thank you, M.A. Cobb, for sharing your voice with us, and with readers who are braver for stepping into your worlds. Her stories remind us that even in the darkest places, love and resilience can still rise, a message we’re honored to help amplify.

Be sure to follow M.A. Cobb, explore her worlds, and let her words remind you of the strength that lives within the shadows.

www.macobb.com

IG: m.a.cobb_author