First Cup of Coffee – March 29, 2024

I’m following up on the Thread I posted this week on the supposed “divide” between traditionally and self-published authors, how we’re all in this business together, and why I think everyone will be hybrid eventually.



First Cup of Coffee – March 25, 2024

A rant today on author coaches and the predatory nature of scavengers who feed on creatives, prompted by a request I received to share my “query letter” for a “free database.” So much no to these people!



New Covers for Sorcerous Moons!

Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is “Tick-Tock trends—have you tried any reading or writing trends?”

I’m leaving in the misspelling, just so you get how clueless we are. ~ Shakes cane at kids on lawn ~

Regarding TikTok – lol! – a social media property that originated in China, no, I don’t follow or attempt the trends. I sometimes feel like I should. I do have a TikTok account – https://www.tiktok.com/@jeffe_kennedy – and I even have over a thousand followers there, even though I almost never post anything. The followers are due to very kind and generous fellow authors who do the Tiks and Toks better than I do. (Shout out to Vela Roth and Lisette Marshall!)

So, I know that I really should post to TikTok, and I sometimes think about it, and even occasionally do it. But I also remind myself of advice I’ve been giving since the beginning of social media, which is that you “should” do only the kind you enjoy doing. Social media is social and if you’re hating it and faking being social and happy and fun, it shows.

Therefore, instead of discussing reader trends or writing trends or TikTok dances, I’m going to share these beautiful new covers for my complete, six-book Sorcerous Moons series!!! The spine design with all six together is so gorgeous even Taylor is gasping in admiration! The print editions can be ordered via my website store or the usual retailers.

 

First Cup of Coffee – March 22, 2024

Some schooling today on business, things authors should really know, and arcania on how traditional publishing decides how to handle releases. Also, the “new” genre term Romantasy and why I think it came to be coined.

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First Cup of Coffee – March 4, 2024

How writing a novel is like building a road brick by brick, and how some days you’re nose in the mortar and other days you lift your head to look. Also thoughts on revision, the 3-Act structure, story logic, and knowing whether you have brain juice or not.



Trope-tastic – Love ‘Em and Loathe ‘Em


This week at the SFF Seven. we’re asking each other which tropes you love to write and which do you loathe?

The tropes I love are pretty easy to identify for anyone who’s read more than one of my books. My favorites are:

  • Enemies to Lovers
  • Marriage of Convenience/Political Marriage/Marriage of State
  • Forced Proximity
  • He Falls First
  • Learning to Use magic/special abilities/wrestling own power

 

As for the tropes I loathe? Loathe is a strong word. I’m not sure I loathe any tropes. Ones I’m less fond of are:

  • Second chance (I just don’t believe that whatever broke them up the first time won’t break them up again)
  • Bully Romance (no no no – toxicity and abuse isn’t romantic to me)
  • Fated Mates (hard to make this one work)
  • Faux Medieval Fantasy Worlds (Enough already – and besides medieval times were never like that)
  • Chosen One (yawn)

 

The ones I truly dislike are the damaging ones, like:

  • Woman in the Refrigerator (women are people, not plot devices)
  • Clumsy Heroine (it’s not endearing to me)
  • Racist Cliches (enough said)
  • Bury Your Gays (see Woman in the Refrigerator)
  • Having Kids as the Solution to Happiness (Spoiler: having kids is *hard* – they don’t solve your problems or give your life the meaning it lacked)

First Cup of Coffee – March 1, 2024

On busy brain work, how I’m not yet done with the book, nice words from my editor on gatekeeping and letting people in, even nicer words from Maria Vale on NEVER THE ROSES, and the loneliness of caregiving



First Cup of Coffee – February 26, 2024

Sharing the OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL super exciting news today on NEVER THE ROSES, the book I sold to Tor. I’m explaining the Publisher’s Marketplace lingo, how foreign sales work, and why creatives can’t be thick-skinned.