Release Day!!

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Among the Thorns
“… a romantasy that’s part fairy tale, part horror story, and completely entrancing, Lambert returns to the delicious magical world of Never the Roses, where sorcerers are bred and used to benefit the rich. At 20, Rose is a solitary and exceedingly talented oneiromancer, or someone who possesses powerful dream magic. She’s rapidly approaching the end of her schooling and the moment she’ll need to enter into a blood-bound contract with a wealthy employer. As a seventh son, Prince Sebastien is supremely unlikely to inherit his father’s throne and is instead dispatched to Hendricks Academy for Sorcerous Pursuits to train his newly recognized ability to communicate with animals and woo Rose for his father’s court. Meanwhile, Thorn, also 20, is held prisoner in a small cottage, the only home she’s ever known. It’s a Cinderella-like existence, devoted to using her psychometry (the power to detect an object’s history via touch) to line the pockets of her neglectful guardian, Jada, and dreaming of the fair-haired prince she once saw in a vision. Thanks to some well-timed twists of fate, the trio’s paths explosively converge, shattering their preconceived notions of each other and themselves.”
~ Publisher’s Weekly 🙂

***

Two sorceresses of unrivaled potential clash to claim the greater fate and the heart of prince charming in this deliciously romantic fantasy set in the same world as the USA Today bestselling romantasy Never the Roses by Jennifer K. Lambert.

“Love, magic, heartbreak, and healing.”
– Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Spellshop, on Never the Roses

Ambitious young sorceress Rose of Northbrooke is about to graduate. She’s the only known dream sorcerer of her generation and she’s a remarkable one. No wonder she has a prince of the realm trailing her skirts.

But when rumors of dream magic gone awry reach her ear, Rose discovers she’s not the only oneiromancer of her generation. And she might not be the most powerful.

In a faraway cottage, Thorn has lived a simple and isolated life. She longs to be a part of the world and to be rescued by a prince who could love her with his whole heart. When she discovers there’s another dream sorceress out there who owns everything Thorn has ever wanted, she hungers even more for all she’s been denied. Everything Rose has.

When Rose and Thorn meet, the outcome is clear: only one sorceress can live out in the open and claim the prince’s loving hand… Perhaps, only one can live at all.

Deliciously messy and lusciously romantic, Among the Thorns will pierce your heart.

Coming July 14, 2026

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New Release! New Series!! LOVE, LIES, AND LEY LINES

It’s been years since the infamous smuggling team of Bandit and Goldilocks thumbed their noses at the fae authorities, running the priceless magical pixie dust desired by everyone from hedge witches to the storied magic academies. No one in the human principalities controlled by the fae can work even the simplest spells without the stuff. And without fae magic, humans will find themselves back in the dark ages of disease and fast mortality. But the enigmatic fae keep a tight grip on their monopoly of pixie dust, charging extortionate prices at their whim.

Bandit has been doing her best to get by on her racing wins and the quick thrill of one-night stands while her former partner and best friend, the powerful sorceress known as Goldilocks, is off playing house and having babies. But when Bandit gets the offer of a lifetime, she convinces Goldilocks to come out of retirement for one last, hugely profitable gig.

And if the Bandit picks up a mysterious and seductive hitchhiker fleeing his wedding, well that just adds a bit of spice to the job. When he refuses to tell her his name, she dubs him Prince Charming and only regrets that she won’t have time to find out more about her enticing companion—and what he looks like under those fancy clothes.

As the Bandit and Prince Charming run distraction for Goldilocks and her precious haul, they face untold dangers penetrating the arcane fae realms.

All for gold, glory, and maybe even true love.

Or lust. It can be hard to tell the difference.

Reviews

Old friends ride again and new love blooms in Love, Lies, and Ley Lines. Flirty banter and a crackling magic system combine for a rollicking adventure in this fae romantasy.”

New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Estep

 

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.



TWISTED MAGIC Out Now!!

Their love makes them stronger together… Unless the world rips them apart

Jadren El-Adrel knows he’s a mess. He’s a cobbled-together monster pretending to be a wizard, still unable to master the magic that makes him pretty much immortal and is useless for anything else. Though he’s tried to learn to work with his familiar, Seliah, he’s still terrified to discover what might happen if he gives himself full access to the depths of her powerful magic. Some questions should never be answered.

Seliah Phel got her happy ever after. Jadren loves her; they’re together in a safe and beautiful place; and they’re finally learning to work together as wizard and familiar. But even she must recognize that Jadren continues to stew in his black moods, brooding that only worsens when he receives a missive from home, his horrible family demanding the unthinkable: that they both return to House El-Adrel.

As the denizens of House Phel fight an increasingly pitched battle against the enemies determined to destroy them forever, Jadren and Selly fight their own war—against the past and to overcome their own failings. To become truly stronger together.

TWISTED MAGIC and Writing Retreats

First things first, if you preordered TWISTED MAGIC, you’ll have gotten a notice that I’ve delayed the release. I know, I know – yet again. (Well, first time for this book, but I really thought I’d given myself enough time.) The new release date is November 28. That should give me plenty of breathing room. (Famous last words!) Seriously, I am at midpoint and on the downhill run. I just knew I couldn’t have it completely done by October 26 (two weeks away!), which was the upload drop-dead date.

Apologies. I know you all are waiting. But it’s going to be awesome!

More on topic: this week’s subject at the SFF Seven is writing retreats. We’re asking each other if they work for us and, if so, in what way?
I’m pretty sure I suggested this topic because this continues to be a conundrum for me. I love the IDEA of writing retreats. When I see writer friends posting about being on retreats, I am invariably envious. I want to go! I want to be there, with the friends, in the pretty places, thinking and talking about writing all day.
In truth, I have gone on very few writing retreats. The only one I can think of in recent years is when I went to Kauai almost a year ago and stayed in the gorgeous beachfront home of a friend along with three other writing companions. It was a fabulous group and we did have wonderful conversations.
I got very little written.
What I think it comes down to for me is that I’m fortunate enough to have a serene home life which is entirely built around enabling me to write as productively as possible. For many people, it seems that going on retreat gives them time and quiet away from the demands of home. For me? Being around people at a retreat is considerably “noisier” than my daily life.
So, I’ve come to face that, for me, writing “retreats” are truly excursions. They aren’t time away; they’re time into.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. As KAK noted on Monday, there can be other reasons to go. But I have to realize I’m not going to be maximizing wordcount.

ROGUE FAMILIAR RELEASE DAY!

He left to save her from herself… But who will save him from her?

When Lady Seliah Phel wakes from a drugged sleep to find herself abandoned by her newly bonded wizard, she vows revenge—and to hunt him down. Tracking him through the familiar wilds of the marshlands of her home is the easy part; learning to use her nascent magical skills is something else entirely. So is facing the vast, uncaring society of the Convocation in a time of brewing war.

Jadren El-Adrel is not known for doing the right thing, but getting as far away from Seliah as possible before he drains her dry will be his one noble gesture. So what if she weeps a few tears. Better than her dying in his service—or enabling him to become the ravenous beast that crawls beneath his skin. Unfortunately, in his self-imposed exile, and without the power of his familiar, Jadren quickly runs afoul of the enemy.

As her vengeful quest for recapture becomes a rescue mission, Selly faces all she still doesn’t know about the greater world of wizards and familiars. And Jadren, once determined to walk his own path and stay far, far away from the idealistic fools of House Phel, finds himself aligning with them against the house of his birth. War is coming to the Convocation, which means a clever wizard should pick the side most likely to win.

Sadly, Jadren has never been all that clever…

 

THE ORCHID THRONE now available!

          

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?

Reviews

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

“An enchanting world awaits in The Orchid Throne … With detailed world building and an intriguing cast of characters–especially a warrior woman and an enigmatic and amusing wizard–this captivating story will have readers holding their breath.” – Bookpage

Signing THE ORCHID THRONE!

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).