Nikita Costiuc tells suspenseful stories for adults who want to laugh, think, and feel in the same sitting. His work features dark humor, strong voices, and characters who tend to make questionable decisions with less-than-admirable confidence.

Nikita’s stories have appeared or are forthcoming in Crimeucopia, Kings River Life Magazine, Betascape Magazine, and Story Unlikely. His fiction has placed in multiple short story contests, including a Top 6 finalist placement in Kinsman Quarterly’s Voices of Mixed Heritage Contest, a Top 10 finalist placement in MoonLit Getaway’s Short Fiction Contest, first place in the Humor category of TulipTree’s Stories That Need to Be Told contest, and second place in The Anansi Archive Flash Fiction Competition.

Nikita is an active member of the Short Mystery Fiction Society and Sisters in Crime, where he is technically a Mister in Crime.

In his day job, Nikita writes practical guides for small business owners. He makes a good enough living that his wife, Daria, is forced to excuse his habit of buying more books than one person could read in a lifetime.

Nikita’s marriage to Daria is compelling evidence of his ability to sustain a narrative. Daria serves as the Chief Motivational Officer for his enterprises, a role she shares with their yellow lab, Arya. Arya also handles Nikita’s security.

Even though he lives in Phoenix, AZ, Nikita was born and raised in California’s Sacramento Valley. As a result, he feels at home in 100-degree heat, bleeds In-N-Out Burger Spread, and cheers for the San Francisco 49ers—and for the downfall of the Dallas Cowboys and the Seattle Seahawks.