An Interview with Jeffe Kennedy

Today Jeffe Kennedy visits our blog. Jeffe is the author of the A Covenant of Thorns series and the upcoming Twelve Kingdoms among others.



Could you tell a bit about yourself and your books for those people who don’t know you yet?

Hi! I’m Jeffe Kennedy and I live in the desert southwest of the U.S. I write in several genres – contemporary erotic romance, fantasy romance and adult fantasy. They’re not so eclectic as it sounds. They all focus on character, particularly female characters, and becoming more fully realized human beings. Settings are important to me and I tend to write in lush, sensual and descriptive terms.

What can you tell us about the upcoming Twelve Kingdoms series? Will it have pigs?

Exciting things are happening with Twelve Kingdoms! This is a trilogy that will be coming out in trade paperback beginning June 2014. It’s sounding like the first book will be called The Mark of the Tala. That’s not for sure, but it’s looking promising! It’s also entirely possible the next two books will be called The Tears of the Rose and The Talon of the Hawk. The trilogy follows the three daughters of the High King, the Heir, the Beauty and the Middle Daughter. The Mark of the Tala is the middle princess’s story.

No pigs, but there will be a prequel story, Negotiation, out now in the Thunder on the Battlefield anthology.

Have you ever used people you know as characters in your books?

Well, yes and no. I more use certain elements of them. The heroine in Ruby is based physically on a gal I work with, because she has an unusual kind of beauty, but isn’t that much like her personality-wise. I often draw from various conflicts people face – like certain family issues. But my characters always end up being their own people.


Are there any other projects you’re working on or thinking about starting in the near future?

Right now I’m writing the second Twelve Kingdoms book, The Tears of the Rose, which is the youngest and most beautiful princess’s story. I’m working on edits for Five Golden Rings, which will be in the Carina Press erotic holiday anthology, coming out November 17. The third book in my Covenant of Thorns book (book 2, Rogue’s Possession comes out October 7!) is due at the end of the year, so I’ll write that next. Then I also just set up series sketches for two new trilogies, to write in the future.

If you could meet any characters in your book, who would it be and why?

Hmm. I think I’d meet Rogue from Covenant of Thorns. He’s very mysterious and compelling to me. After that, it might be Bobby Prejean from Ruby. I’d let him cook for me—and do whatever else he wanted to!

Where can you be found when you’re not at your desk writing?

In my armchair, reading? Or on the front or back patio if the weather is nice.

What did you do to celebrate the release of your first book?

That was my essay collection, Wyoming Trucks, True Love and the Weather Channel, back in 2004. I lived in a small town in Wyoming then and my best friend managed the local indie bookstore. We had a launch party and signing. Tons of people came and we adjourned to our favorite bar afterwords. It was great fun.

What authors have been an influence to you? And have you read any books lately that you want to share with us or have you been too busy with writing to read?

It’s hard for me to pick authors that have been an influence, because there are so many. Among them: Anne McCaffrey, Jacqueline Carey, Anne Rice, A.S. Byatt, Mercedes Lackey, Nora Roberts, Linda Howard, Anais Nin, Ann Patchett, Margaret Atwood, Mary Stewart, Anne Bishop, Tanith Lee, Ursula LeGuin, Robin McKinley.

I’m nearly done reading Ann Aguirre’s six-book Sirantha Jax series. That’s been a very good journey in that world. I also recently read Sarah Addison Allen’s Garden Spells, which I really loved.

Thanks for dropping by. Voodoo Bride and I are looking forward to get our hands on a print book of yours so we can finally hug it.


About Rogue's Pawn:

This is no fairy tale…

Haunted by nightmares of a black dog, sick to death of my mind-numbing career and heart-numbing fiancé, I impulsively walked out of my life—and fell into Faerie. Terrified, fascinated, I discover I possess a power I can’t control: my wishes come true. After an all-too-real attack by the animal from my dreams, I wake to find myself the captive of the seductive and ruthless fae lord Rogue. In return for my rescue, he demands an extravagant price—my firstborn child, which he intends to sire himself…

With no hope of escaping this world, I must learn to harness my magic and build a new life despite the perils—including my own inexplicable and debilitating desire for Rogue. I swear I will never submit to his demands, no matter what erotic torment he subjects me to…

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