I write fiction that inspires and fosters connection. My literary influences are Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Victoria Cristopher Murray, Marita Golden, Marjan Kamali, and Lori L Tharps.
Please sign up here to receive updates, behind-the-scenes notes, and a free short story.
For media/literary inquiries please contact me at kkjohnson76@gmail.com.
About the author
Karen Kimbro Johnson, Ph. D, is the author of “CLIMBING THE CRYSTAL STAIRS.” Johnson is a graduate of the competitive GS Novel Generator in 2021-2022, taught by Marjan Kamali.
She also attended the highly coveted Northern California Writer’s Retreat facilitated by Heather Lazare, a former big five in-house editor. Johnson is active in The Sanctuary, led by Lori L. Tharps, a writing group for BIPOC women writers, as well as a local writer’s group in San Diego, California.”
Johnson is also a visual artist; her work is displayed on this website.
She earned a Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from the University of Southern California and lives with her husband in the countryside near San Diego.
Download my short story
“To Protect and to Serve”
Please provide your email and I will send you my short story, “To Protect and to Serve.” In this story, I explore how a Black woman in her twenties in New York City learns what the lack of love looks like in a precarious situation.
Climbing the
Crystal Stairs
My Debut Novel
My novel, CLIMBING THE CRYSTAL STAIRS (96,000 words), is Women’s Commercial Fiction with a strong narrative voice. I am currently seeking representation. Jill, a Black hippie poet in her mid-twenties, enters the corporate world after her live-in sugar daddy boyfriend cheats on her. She leaves him and, determined to seize financial independence, enters into a new career in sales with a Fortune 500 company. Using code switching, she navigates daily workplace micro aggressions. But her success is rendered nearly impossible due to the vengeful sabotage of her supervisor, a Black woman who is passing for white. When her supervisor posts a picture on the company bulletin board of Jill’s seemingly naked breasts taken at the office pool party, Jill feels humiliated. She must decide if she is willing to muster the courage to fight for success in a world stacked against her and if she can find her unique road to true happiness — without losing her soul.
My novel sits on the shelf with Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour and Zakiya Dalila Harris’s The Other Black Girl with its portrayal of institutionalized racism in the sales corporate arena. It will appeal to readers of The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett, as it also explores passing for white.
This novel was inspired by my experience as a Black woman trying to survive in corporate America, where I worked for over three decades for a major Fortune 500 Corporation.
Writer’s Statement
Writer’s Statement
My mission is to nourish mental and spiritual health and well-being through creating positive stories that appeal to diverse populations. I want to empower women to access their inner goddesses and inspire them to shine their light.
When I write I enter another sphere where I birth positive and dramatic images and create a peaceful, intriguing experience for myself and my readers. My goal is to entertain my readers and transport them into a world where they feel empowered and have a sense of agency, compassion, and resilience.