RITA ® Award-Winning Author of Fantasy Romance
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If you’re in the Albuquerque, NM region – or want to be! – I’m signing THE ORCHID THRONE (Forgotten Empires Book 1) at Page One Books, 4:00 pm Saturday, October 5, along with the wonderful Jane Lindskold, who will be signing WOLF’S SEARCH (Firekeeper Saga Book 7).
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It makes my publisher super happy if you preorder *puppy eyes*
Welcome to the world of Forgotten Empires from award winning author Jeffe Kennedy that begins with The Orchid Throne.
A PRISONER OF FATE
As Queen of the island kingdom of Calanthe, Euthalia will do anything to keep her people free—and her secrets safe—from the mad tyrant who rules the mainland. Guided by a magic ring of her father’s, Lia plays the political game with the cronies the emperor sends to her island. In her heart, she knows that it’s up to her to save herself from her fate as the emperor’s bride. But in her dreams, she sees a man, one with the power to build a better world—a man whose spirit is as strong, and whose passion is as fierce as her own…
A PRINCE AMONG MEN
Conrí, former Crown Prince of Oriel, has built an army to overthrow the emperor. But he needs the fabled Abiding Ring to succeed. The ring that Euthalia holds so dear to her heart. When the two banished rulers meet face to face, neither can deny the flames of rebellion that flicker in their eyes—nor the fires of desire that draw them together. But in this broken world of shattered kingdoms, can they ever really trust each other? Can their fiery alliance defeat the shadows of evil that threaten to engulf their hearts and souls?
“The Orchid Throne captures from the first page and doesn’t let go as Jeffe Kennedy weaves a timeless tale of love and survival amidst a lush backdrop teeming greed and deceit. You will fall for Lia and Con and root for them with every breath you take. This is a book that will linger in your thoughts for a very long time.”- Darynda Jones, New York Times bestselling author
“A fantasy romance by a writer at the top of her game.There are two strands to this story and each is beautifully distinctive. The chapters portraying Lia, the virgin queen who protects her people from the ruthless emperor through statecraft and artifice, are lush and hypnotic. Those that follow the damaged Conri and his army of rebel slaves are raw and propulsive. Kennedy plays with these differences building tension so that when the two come together it is like a match to tinder. The world building is immersive and there are secondary characters to root for (especially fond of Ambrose, Conri’s wizard). I only wish I didn’t have to wait so long for the 2nd book.” – Maria Vale, author of The Last Wolf
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Join SFWA board members and staff to learn about the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, touching on some of the many programs and services it offers to traditional, hybrid, and indie writers.
SFF romance is as varied and creative as the speculative genre as a whole but, along with other romantic subgenres, has often been dismissed and undervalued. From shapeshifting billionaires to far future secret agents, vampire brides to Highland flings, this panel will provide a broad introduction to SFF romance in all its glory as well as providing a range of reading recommendations.
Since 1700, more than 9 million Irish people have emigrated to other parts of the world, taking their stories with them. Do those stories change in the telling the farther they travel? Are the myths shared in Australia or the Americas different to those told in Ireland? The panel will examine Irish mythology across the diaspora and whether distance causes a romanticisation of the source material.
//It’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in Southern Hemphisphere. That means it’s time for our biggest sale of the year.
Whether you’re looking for a great summer beach read or something to warm your heart in front the fireplace, you’ll find it here!
The 11th annual Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale has begun, running now through July 31.
The sale already features nearly 55,000 ebooks with deep discounts of 25%-, 50%-, and 75%-off, as well as FREE. Over 600 series starters are enrolled in the sale at FREE, joining 5,500 series starters that are free every day.
Be sure to visit the sale throughout the month because thousands of new titles will join the promotion each week as the month progresses.
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Jeffe will be at San Diego Comic Con in July!!
There’s a panel of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) talking about getting published.
*****SFWA Writers Reveal the One Big Secret That Got Them Published, Friday, 7/19/19, 6:00p.m. – 7:00p.m., Room: 2*****
Join members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) as they discuss writing careers, tips and tricks, and the one big secret that got them published. Learn how SFWA supports SF and fantasy writers and how it can help you with your creative career. Panelists include Jeffe Kennedy (The Orchid Throne), Marie Andreas (The Diamond Sphinx). Greg van Eekhout (Voyage of the Dogs). Greg Bear (Take Back the Sky; Comic-Con Special Guest). Jonathan Brazee (Fire Ant) and Kyle Aisteach (Little Dystopias).
In addition, the TOR booth will be giving away 30 Galley proofs of THE ORCHID THRONE on Saturday, 7/20/19 at 10am. I’ll be there to sign and chat, so come on by!
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//If you’re in the Los Angeles area, Jeffe will be signing at the 2019 Nebula Conference Mass Autographing, along with a fantastic array of science fiction and fantasy authors. The event takes place Saturday, May 18, 2019, 1:30-3:30pm at the Warner Center Marriott, Woodland Hills. The event is free and open to the public, so come on by and say hello!
//My novella, THE DRAGONS OF SUMMER, which first appeared (and still appears) in the SEASONS OF SORCERY anthology is a finalist in the RITA® Awards!
You can buy a digital copy of THE DRAGONS OF SUMMER in my store, and it will also be available in both digital format and print at other online retailers soon.
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If you’re into Radish – which is an app for your mobile device – you can start reading PRISONER OF THE CROWN there immediately! The actual book will be out at all of the usual vendors on June 12, so you can order/preorder on your favorite platform. Because of this, I’ve been checking out Radish and it does look like a fun way to sample new-to-me authors. I’m not sure I’d want to read on it extensively, but for checking stuff out while I’m stuck somewhere as an alternative to scrolling social media? Win!
She was raised to be beautiful, nothing more. And then the rules changed . . .
In icy Dasnaria, rival realm to the Twelve Kingdoms, a woman’s role is to give pleasure, produce heirs, and question nothing. But a plot to overthrow the emperor depends on the fate of his eldest daughter. And the treachery at its heart will change more than one carefully limited life . . .
Princess Jenna has been raised in supreme luxury—and ignorance. Within the sweet-scented, golden confines of the palace seraglio, she’s never seen the sun, or a man, or even learned her numbers. But she’s been schooled enough in the paths to a woman’s power. When her betrothal is announced, she’s ready to begin the machinations that her mother promises will take Jenna from ornament to queen.
But the man named as Jenna’s husband is no innocent to be cozened or prince to charm. He’s a monster in human form, and the horrors of life under his thumb are clear within moments of her wedding vows. If Jenna is to live, she must somehow break free—and for one born to a soft prison, the way to cold, hard freedom will be a dangerous path indeed . . .
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The alert readers among you – some of you people are amazing how fast you find stuff! – have noticed that I have covers and copy up for two new releases coming this year. These are the first two in the high fantasy trilogy I’m doing with Rebel Base Books, Kensington’s new Science Fiction and Fantasy imprint. (They just launched in January 2018.) The trilogy is called The Chronicles of Dasnaria – I told you before that it was The Lost Princess Chronicles, but we changed that – and the first book is PRISONER OF THE CROWN, not Princess of Dasnaria as previously reported.
The reason for these changes? Well, it turns out that any time you put “princess” in a title, people go running straight to Young Adult (YA) in their heads. Including cover artists, it turns out. The first cover for PRISONER OF THE CROWN was way too Disney princess for the content of the book. A major problem!
Because…
And this is the entire point of this post and I hope you all will help in sharing this widely!
THIS TRILOGY IS NOT YA!
In fact, it’s not even fantasy romance.
There’s dark shit in these books, people. Lots of rape/abuse triggers, too.
Here’s the copy for PRISONER OF THE CROWN (releasing June 12, 2018):
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She was raised to be beautiful, nothing more. And then the rules changed…
In icy Dasnaria, rival realm to the Twelve Kingdoms, a woman’s roleis to give pleasure, produce heirs, and question nothing. But a plot to overthrow the emperor depends on the fate of his eldest daughter. And the treachery at its heart will change more than one carefully limited life…
THE GILDED CAGE
Princess Jenna has been raised in supreme luxury—and ignorance. Within the sweet-scented, golden confines of the palace seraglio, she’s never seen the sun, or a man, or even learned her numbers. But she’s been schooled enough in the paths to a woman’s power. When her betrothal is announced, she’s ready to begin the machinations that her mother promises will take Jenna from ornament to queen.
But the man named as Jenna’s husband is no innocent to be cozened or prince to charm. He’s a monster in human form, and the horrors of life under his thumb are clear within moments of her wedding vows. If Jenna is to live, she must somehow break free—and for one born to a soft prison, the way to cold, hard freedom will be a dangerous path indeed…
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Okay?
The husband is a monster. He’s not an alphahole, not a hero-in-disguise, not a villain tranformed and redeeemed. This is Jenna’s story and no romance AT ALL in this first book.
Here’s the copy for the second book, EXILE OF THE SEAS (out September 4, 2018):
It’s a bit spoilery, but hey, so is the title, right? And if you’ve read THE EDGE OF THE BLADE, you knew what happened to her anyway, so…
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Around the shifting borders of the Twelve Kingdoms, trade and conflict, danger and adventure put every traveler on guard . . . but some have everything to lose.
ESCAPED
Once she was known as Jenna, Imperial Princess of Dasnaria, schooled in graceful dance and comely submission. Until the man her parents married her off to almost killed her with his brutality.
Now, all she knows is that the ship she’s boarded is bound away from her vicious homeland. The warrior woman aboard says Jenna’s skill in dancing might translate into a more lethal ability. Danu’s fighter priestesses will take her in, disguise her as one of their own—and allow her to keep her silence.
But it’s only a matter of time until Jenna’s monster of a husband hunts her down. Her best chance to stay hidden is to hire out as bodyguard to a caravan traveling to a far-off land, home to beasts and people so unfamiliar they seem like part of a fairy tale. But her supposed prowess in combat is a fraud. And sooner or later, Jenna’s flight will end in battle—or betrayal . . .
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So, as you can suss from this, there’s not really romance in this one either. Although, there is the beginning of a something something that you keen romance-sniffers will detect. And the third book…
Well, I’m writing WARRIOR OF THE WORLD (out January 2019) right now, so we shall see!
<insert evil laugh here>
Okay, who are we kidding? You all know I love an (eventual) happy ending. But, you know, if you see readers putting these on their YA shelves on Goodreads or Booklikes, talk them out of it. Really, they’ll be glad you did. These books tell a heroic tale, but our heroine goes through some bad stuff that I didn’t want to flinch away from or gloss.
All that said, I think the trilogy is a fantastic journey and I can’t wait for you all (those who won’t be triggered, that is) to read it!