Jeffe Kennedy's Blog, page 154

Zynda Is Here!

Today’s the day!! THE SHIFT OF THE TIDE is free in the wild, something Zynda would greatly approve of. She’s my shapeshifter sorceress heroine, who loves freedom above all else. Until she discovers there’s more to life than that. 

I really loved writing Zynda’s story – far more than I expected to. I’m not entirely sure I can explain why, either, except that there was a certain untrammeled freedom to her way of thinking. She’s brutally honest and her time spent as various animals has changed the way she thinks and sees the world. I also totally fell in love with Marskal. I love all of my heroes and heroines, but these two really got under my skin. A phrase Zynda would laugh at. 

The early feedback I’m getting confirms that you all feel the same – so woo hoo!!! Reviews are just going up on Amazon, etc., so if you feel like popping one up, I’d greatly appreciate it.

Writing a Series vs. a Standalone

This week’s topic at the SFF Seven is apropos for me, as THE SHIFT OF THE TIDE releases on Tuesday! 

It’s the third book in The Uncharted Realms series. Or the sixth in The Twelve Kingdoms, depending on how you slice these things. For some people these lines are more definitive than they are for me. Our topic is: Working in a series as opposed to working on a standalone book. What are the differences and how much do you plan ahead? Come on over to find out my take. 

The Big Reality Show Called Life

Yesterday my car rolled over to 100,000 miles! I was happy I remembered to keep an eye on the odometer and pull over to snap the pics. She’s 21 now and feeling frisky!

Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is “If you had to be on a reality TV show, which one would you pick and why?” Come on over to the SFF Seven to find out about the one I love to rubberneck. 

Reader Rewards – What’s the Good Stuff?

THE SHIFT OF THE TIDE is done except for the dotting of i’s and crossing of t’s – and the endless adding and deleting of commas. I don’t know about you all, but I never did get the comma rules into my brain. I just accept whatever my copy editor does on those. If only Track Changes had an “accept all comma changes” setting!

Anyway, THE SHIFT OF THE TIDE is the third in The Uncharted Realms and – as some who’ve already read the ARC (man, some of you are *fast*!) have noted – it’s not the last. Too much story yet to tell! I’m tentatively titling book #4 THE ARROWS OF THE HEART and have it planned for next May or thereabouts.

If you wanted an ARC and didn’t get one, use the comment form on the website and Assistant Carien will be in touch.

Our topic this week at the SFF Seven regards Reader Rewards: What Do You Do To Reward Your Fans (newsletter free-short stories, discounts, special appearances, etc.)?  Come on over for more. 

 

Selfies, Praise, and Road Trips

I’m still digging out and organizing photos from the RWA National Conference. But here’s me with my agent, the lovely Sarah Younger. Along with her many savvy business skills, she sports an excellent selfie game. 

While I was away at conference, Heroes & Heartbreakers ran a post of mine on the Language of Praise. This is a topic I’ve been mulling for some time, and discussing with people like the thoughtful and insightful Campbell award finalist Kelly Robson. I’d love for you all to check out the article and give me feedback. I’m working up a couple of follow-up segments with specific ideas, so I’m all ears!

(I found it really hard – read: impossible – to comment on the article myself because Captcha wouldn’t let me through. If the same happens to you, please comment here!)

I’ve finished revisions on THE SHIFT OF THE TIDE, and it’s off to the copy editor. I’m really happy with how the story turned out. I feel a little superstitious saying that, but some stories worm their way into your heart more than others. Marskal and Zynda’s tale did that for me and I’m stepping out of their world again with some regret. 

But it’s a short step over to the novella I’m diving into today. THE SNOWS OF WINDROVEN is a follow-on to Ash and Ami’s thread, in the same timeline. I’m telling it from Ash’s point of view (POV), which is a first for this series. Except for a short piece I did from Rayfe’s POV for a conference challenge, I haven’t yet written from any of the hero’s POVs. This novella will be in AMID THE WINTER SNOW with Thea Harrison, Grace Draven, and Elizabeth Hunter, out December 12. 

August is birthday month around here – both mine and several family members, so I’ll be doing a bit of traveling along with the writing. Enjoying beautiful monsoon season in Santa Fe, and around New Mexico and Colorado. Oh, and for those who were sad I wasn’t going to be at Bubonicon, I will be after all!

Anyway, I should be on a bit more of a regular blogging schedule again. What else have I forgotten to tell you?? Ask me questions!

 

What Dangerous Topic Jeffe Longs to Write

Marcella, sister SFF Seven bordello mate and longtime crit partner, sent me this amazing glitter card. She’s been reading – and giving excellent insight on – this series from the very beginning. If I’d had more time, she would have been top in my thank you’s in the acceptance speech. I remember hitting midpoint on that book, The Pages of the Mind, panicking and sending it to Marcella. Braced for her to tell me I’d gone horribly wrong, down some twisted path of no return, I opened her email reply. In which she scolded me for stopping where I did and to keep going, dammit.

I tell you, folks, there’s nothing better to keep you sane than good writing friends.

Our topic this week at the SFF Seven regards Third Rails in Genre Fiction: What subjects are too dangerous for you to touch? Or do you touch them anyway? Come on over to the SFF Seven to find out what mine is. 

SFWA New Release Newsletter!

Now available for online viewing here.

If you’d like to receive this newsletter, which comes once every two months, directly to your email, you can subscribe here. 

What’s Your Core Story?

So, this happened.

And it was awesome. 

Plus it’s apropos that this week’s topic at the SFF Seven is “What is your recurring theme and how does it manifest?” Come on over to find out about all of it!

Fantasy Romance Recommended Reads

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It’s Hot & Muggy Flash Fiction week at the SFF Seven. In beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, it’s never muggy and rarely all that hot. Perfect weather for drinks on the patio!

 

Instead I’m talking about what I *am* writing (hint: Ash & Ami) and I’m sharing a post I wrote on the SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) blog about compiling a list of Fantasy Romance Recommended Reads. SFWA asked me for a list of ten authors, so they could also be put on bookmarks. In culling all the terrific recommendations down to ten, I found myself having to take a hard look at how I define the subgenre of Fantasy Romance, so that’s part of this article, too. Come on over to weigh in with your opinion!

Do You Want to Be THE WRITER?

This is pretty exciting! My local chapter, the Land of Enchantment Romance Authors (LERA), is changing up our unpublished manuscript contest this year! Instead of having agents and editors as final judges, we’re switching things up to offer mentoring and promo support via judges who are established authors.  Writers of all stages may enter! Only the manuscript needs to be unpublished.

And I’m the judge and mentor for the Paranormal/Speculative Fiction/Urban Fantasy/Fantasy Romance category! Yes, it’s a broad category. What can I say? What this means is that the chapter will judge all entries and forward their top three to me. I’ll pick my favorite and mentor that writer and their manuscript. This means whatever that person needs – help with recs and prep for traditional publishing or help with self-publishing. Plus I’d help that person win overall against the wimpy writers chosen by the other judges.