MEET THE AUTHOR
Jomo Sekou Henderson
A Hardly Scene | Author & Publisher
Jomo Sekou Henderson, writing as A Hardly Scene, is the creator and architect of the UnderShadow Saga—an expanding fictional universe of espionage thrillers, political intrigue, covert operations, and interconnected stories centered on Black operatives, strategists, and commanders.​
Born in New York and shaped by Long Island, New York City, and the full length of the American Eastern Seaboard, Henderson came to writing through a life that demanded resilience before it offered anything else.
He worked from his early teens, learned brick masonry at Iroquois Job Corps, spent a decade in New York City construction while building himself in the margins, moved into corrections in Florida and rose to Lieutenant in five years, and drove over the road when the moment called for it. He has lived in New York, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, and Las Vegas — where he is based today.
The Under Shadow Saga began with a simple and enduring frustration: a lifelong love of Bond, Star Wars, and the great espionage and science fiction franchises — and the complete absence of anyone who looked like him at their center. He started writing in 2005, set it down, returned to it, and made a final decision when he walked away from corrections in 2014: it was going to happen. A seminar with filmmaker and educator Dov S.S. Simens gave him the architecture to turn a handful of film ideas into a full literary universe.
Three novels are currently available. The Shaping of an Agent follows Taylor Fortune, a Howard University graduate and self-built intelligence operative recruited into UnderShadow. When the Bear Has Been Poked follows Eric Castille, a Marine veteran from Harlem who orchestrates a covert national operation in response to systemic police violence. A Blue, Golden Hue follows Lieutenant Pryia Pistale, the commander of an elite all-female intelligence unit on a globe-spanning mission against a Chinese weapons program. Each book is the first of at least nine planned volumes for its protagonist.
The pen name A Hardly Scene came from his years writing in hip-hop — built on a philosophy borrowed from the spirit of Tupac Shakur: if we are not making moves together, you most likely will not see me. That philosophy has only sharpened with time. He is selective, private, and entirely focused on the work.
“I just do my business and protect my peace so I can return to my business.”
He is the father of Marcellus Sekou Henderson. He is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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THE AUTHOR'S JOURNEY
Discover those behind the scenes for each of the stories
Go behind the stories and discover the inspiration, ideas, and creative process that brought The UnderShadow universe to life.
