Today we’d like to introduce you to Griz Calderon.
Hi Griz , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I didn’t begin my career as an author. For more than 33 years, I worked across a wide range of industries, including technology, health, entertainment, and automotive. My work was structured, fast-paced, and people-focused, and it taught me how to solve problems, communicate clearly, and see situations from many perspectives. Alongside that professional life, I was always involved in community initiatives and causes that mattered to me, especially work centered on people, animals, and connection.
Writing, though, was something I carried quietly alongside everything else. I’ve always loved short stories, especially the kind that teach a lesson. As a child, Aesop’s Fables and Dr. Seuss had a lasting influence on me. They showed me that a story doesn’t need to be long or complicated to say something meaningful, and that idea stayed with me well into adulthood.
When I finally decided to write seriously, I knew what I didn’t want to create. I wasn’t interested in retelling familiar stories or following popular genres. I didn’t want zombies, war, guns, or monsters. I wanted to write original short stories that could be read in one sitting, put down, and picked up again later—stories rooted in emotion, reflection, and humanity.
That vision became Chronicles of the Grim Reaper. I chose the Grim Reaper because he gave me the freedom to create a character who wasn’t already defined the way I imagined him. Instead of someone to fear, I wrote him as a compassionate and powerful guide—one who helps souls transition from their mortal lives into what comes next. The stories are not bound to a single time or place; they move across eras and realms, allowing the Reaper’s unique abilities to guide souls, realistic and magical alike, through moments that feel timeless.
Each story stands on its own, but together they explore themes like love, loss, regret, forgiveness, and understanding. Chronicles of the Grim Reaper, Volume I was published in April 2025, and I’m currently preparing to publish Volume II in April 2026.
Today, I consider myself an author first. Writing is where my professional experience, creativity, and love for meaningful storytelling come together. It’s how I share stories that offer perspective, invite thought, and reflect the quiet moments that shape us.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. When I started, I had no idea what I was doing. There are so many authors publishing now, and just as many rules about how stories are “supposed” to be written. You’re constantly told what you can’t do—no head hopping, there must be a hero, stories have to follow a specific structure. I didn’t want any of that. I wanted something simple. I wanted my stories to feel like someone was telling you a story, not like you were studying one.
I didn’t want to write novels or stories that went on and on. I wanted short stories you could read in one sitting. Stories you could read in bed at night, on a lazy day, or when you just wanted something quiet. Stories that mattered. Stories that made a difference. I also wanted my main character to be a good one—loving, compassionate, and steady. So, I made my own rules, and I accepted that I would be the one allowed to break them.
The stories weren’t written all at once. My mind is always going, pulling from what I see, hear, and experience. At first, I didn’t even know I was writing a book. I wrote one story, then another, then another. I shared them with my sisters and close friends, and the more they read, the more they wanted. Soon, we were choosing names together and talking through ideas. Life gives us endless material—history, different eras, everyday moments—and I wanted to draw from all of it.
I knew what I didn’t want to write. I didn’t want romance. I didn’t want horror. I didn’t want stories meant purely for entertainment. I wanted something people could sit with quietly—stories that felt familiar, even if the world itself wasn’t theirs.
Following my own rules turned out to be harder than I expected. Early on, I decided there would only be one soul and the Reaper in each story, that the Reaper wouldn’t speak, and that each story would stand alone. As the series grew, his powers grew too, and sometimes a story needed more than one character. That’s when I realized some stories needed to be told from more than one perspective, which led to the linked stories. The writing itself wasn’t difficult, but it did make me think deeply and often rethink my own boundaries.
Beyond writing, there was the challenge of learning how to publish a book—opening an LLC, bookkeeping, running a publishing business, and understanding an entirely new side of the process. I’m still learning. Marketing has been another hurdle. The work itself isn’t hard, but finding the time and getting the book in front of people is. I want everyone to read it.
Another challenge has been how the series is perceived before it’s read. The title and the presence of the Grim Reaper can cause some hesitation. From the beginning, I was intentional about the cover design—I didn’t want anything skeletal or frightening. I wanted him cloaked in black, carrying a traditional scythe, but clearly compassionate.
I’ve also learned that these stories don’t fit neatly into familiar categories. They aren’t fantasy or romance. I think of them as emotional fiction—stories that ask the reader to slow down, sit with the moment, and sometimes keep a box of tissues nearby.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an author focused on short-form storytelling that explores transition, reflection, and connection. My work centers on Chronicles of the Grim Reaper, a series of original short stories told through the perspective of the Reaper as he guides souls—human and non-human alike—through their passage from mortal life into what comes next.
In practice, my work is defined by precision and consistency. Each story is intentionally concise and designed to be read in a single sitting, while the series itself moves across different eras and settings. Some stories stand entirely on their own, while others are linked through perspective, which requires careful attention to timing, continuity, and detail so the narratives remain cohesive and believable.
What sets me apart is how I bring my professional background into my creative work. With decades of experience in HR, business, and technology, I have a deep understanding of people—their emotions, motivations, and unspoken struggles. That experience informs how I shape characters and write with empathy and restraint. My professional roles also allowed me to travel extensively, exposing me to different cultures, histories, environments, and lived experiences I might not otherwise have encountered. Seeing places firsthand, learning how people live, and understanding historical contexts all influence the way I build worlds and approach storytelling with care and authenticity. Being tech-savvy and business-minded has also helped me manage the publishing side of my work with structure, clarity, and intention.
What I’m most proud of is building a body of stories that feels deliberate and grounded. Readers often comment on the emotional honesty of the work and the attention paid to perspective and detail. I value that trust deeply and continue to apply both my creative instincts and professional experience to ensure the work remains thoughtful, consistent, and meaningful.
How do you define success?
To me, success isn’t about recognition or numbers. It’s about reaching people in a meaningful way and leaving something behind that makes a difference. If my work helps someone feel seen, understood, or a little less alone, then I consider that success.
I measure success by impact—on people, on animals, and on the world around us. Whether through my writing or my community work, my goal has always been to help in whatever way I can. That means creating space for empathy, encouraging care for one another, and reminding people that we are all connected—not just to each other, but to the world we share.
I also believe success is leaving an imprint that outlives you. Something thoughtful and honest that becomes part of a larger story. I want my work to teach, to offer perspective, and to help people see life and death as natural parts of our existence rather than things to fear. There is beauty in being alive, and there is meaning in how we move through the world while we are here.
If people come away from my stories feeling more at ease with life, more compassionate toward themselves and others, and more mindful of the world around them, then I’ve done what I set out to do. That, to me, is success.
Pricing:
- Chronicles of the Grim Reaper is available in paperback and ebook formats
- Pricing varies by format and retailer
- Books are available through major online retailers and independent bookstores
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chroniclesofthegrimreaper.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chroniclesofthegrimreaper
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61585832290188
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grizcalderon0610/
- Twitter: https://x.com/GrizCalderon
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesoftheGrimReaper
- Books2Read: https://books2read.com/ChroniclesOfTheGrimReaper
Image Credits
Patrick Crowe Photography
Mare Calderon Photography
