Bright orange sparks and particles in a fiery display against a black background.

Now available for preorder!

Book cover with the title "Firebug" and the author's name "Risa Patterson". The illustration features a woman with long, fiery red hair falling upside down among flames, set against a dark background.
Dark background with bright orange and yellow sparks resembling fire or embers scattered throughout.
Signed Paperback
Amazon

Firebug releases Nov 30

Abstract dark blue and black swirling painting with textured brushstrokes.
Digital illustration of a person with long red hair, appearing to fall or be in motion against a dark background.

Olivia Madden’s future is looking bright.

She’s got a great job in a new city, devoted friends, and a lover who lights her up. All is well, except for the wager that has been cast for Olivia’s mortal soul, unlocking latent psychic powers that lash out into the world when she’s angry.

Will Olivia triumph over the escalating tensions and paranormal horrors that consume her world? Or will her life turn into a tragic echo of the past she has tried so hard to leave behind?

Reviews for Firebug

Firebug is a rare kind of genre novel, driven by plot yet rich with character, cinematic in scope yet intensely human.”

— Jack Culbertson, DeRazzled Podcast

“Fans of Stephen King will appreciate Firebug’s exposition that introduces credible characters and settings, allowing the reader to connect and identify with both, before immersing the reader in graphic horror, suspense, and intense dread, exploring both real-world fears that explode in three dimensions.”

— My Mom

Firebug achieves the impressive feat of gripping the reader until the very last period on the page.”

— Kat Robichaud, Misfit Cabaret

Black and white photo of a woman with short wavy hair wearing a necklace with keys and a casual shirt, looking to the left.

A little about me…

I knew I wanted to be a writer since before I could read. I remember finding a book on my parents’ nightstand, opening it up and scanning the tiny lines of type, making up what I thought the story might be.

I wrote my first story, called “Gamma,” when I was eight years old. It was nine pages long and was about a friendly monster who lived in a little girl’s closet.

I have been many things over the years — singer, musician, graphic designer, project manager — but I have always been a writer.

Firebug has been in the works for more than a decade, and I can’t describe how thrilled I am to be able to share it with you. My next novel will be called Loop, Nevada, an unrelated story about a time loop in a remote mining settlement in 1888 Nevada. 

“Famous Interviews” Podcast with Joe Dimino

“As things stand now, I am going to be a writer. I'm not sure that I'm going to be a good one or even a self-supporting one, but until the dark thumb of fate presses me to the dust and says ‘you are nothing’, I will be a writer.”

- Hunter S. Thompson