Interview + Giveaway: Seasons of Sorcery: A Fantasy Anthology (@jeffekennedy, @Jennifer_Estep, @GraceDraven, @AuthorABouchet)

UFI welcomes Author Jeffe Kennedy, Jennifer Estep, Grace Draven, and Amanda Bouchet. Thanks for Joining us!!

Urban Fantasy Investigations: How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Grace Draven: I currently have six unpublished, half-finished books sitting on my hard drive.

Jennifer Estep: I wrote six or so books before I got published, so I have those, along with several others that I’ve written over the years since then. So I would guess I have around 10 to 15 unpublished or half-finished books on my computer.

Jeffe Kennedy: This depends on how you slice it. Right now I have:

1 finished novel awaiting publication

1 finished novel I wrote a long time ago that has never been published

1 unfinished novel collaboration in progress

1 unfinished novella – for Seasons of Sorcery!

1 unfinished novel for a proposal I was solicited to do, that has been tabled

Amanda Bouchet: I thought it was about six, but when I opened my “Novels in the Drawer” folder on my computer to check, I realized it was more like twelve! There are three or four that are finished and partially edited, but I doubt I'll ever go back to them. They were all from before the publication of my first trilogy (The Kingmaker Chronicles) and learning experiences for me. Others are just the first twenty to fifty pages of novels—ideas that were getting very persistent in my head and needed an outlet. It's unlikely I'll go back to them, even though there are a few I'd be tempted to look at again someday. Unfortunately, they're kind of “off brand” at this point. A YA paranormal, a YA dystopian, a contemporary romance with a hint of suspense... I never say never, though, and I do like to mix things up!

Urban Fantasy Investigations: Have you ever turned a dream or a nightmare into a written piece?

Grace Draven: I very rarely remember my dreams/nightmares once I wake up, so no. The only nightmare I vividly remember is one where my family and I lived in a trailer, and I could see a monster F5 tornado heading toward us. I was screaming that we had to seek shelter elsewhere. My husband, however, was supremely unconcerned and proceeded to inform me that trailer was tornado-proof because it was painted purple and therefore perfectly safe. I was still mad at him for about 2 hours after I woke up. :-D I haven't made that one into a story yet.

Jennifer Estep: Not usually. I tend to have really odd, disjointed dreams – like I’ll be sitting on my couch inside my house, but the couch/house don’t look anything like my real-life couch/house. One time, I dreamed that giant yellow banana slugs invaded my house and were crawling around everywhere (think all the spiders in the movie Arachnophobia). Don’t ask me why I dreamed that. I have no idea.  

Most of the time, I’ll wake up and think, “Wow. That was a weird dream,” and then promptly forget the dream five minutes later. LOL.

Jeffe Kennedy: Oh, yes, often! Most salient, The Mark of the Tala came from a dream where I was a princess in a castle with a monster rampaging outside. I knew it was me the monster wanted. My sister and her noble husband kept promising to protect me, and they kept sending people out to fight it, but everyone they sent died. I knew I'd have to go out there and face it myself. Readers of the book will recognize this core image!

Amanda Bouchet: I've sometimes intended to, but I don't write the dream down fast enough and it turns vague and distant in my mind and I lose interest. I also lose the detail and the atmosphere that made it so interesting to begin with. In the cold light of day, what seemed cool and intriguing just appears pretty darn weird and doesn't make much sense. So no, I let my dreams fade into that twilight where I can't quite grasp what happened anymore and mostly get my story ideas from daydreaming instead!

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Jeffe Kennedy is an award-winning author whose works include novels, non-fiction, poetry, and short fiction. She has been a Ucross Foundation Fellow, received the Wyoming Arts Council Fellowship for Poetry, and was awarded a Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Award.

Find Jeffe Kennedy and her books

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Jennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.

Jennifer writes the Crown of Shards epic fantasy series. Kill the Queen, book #1, was released on Oct. 2.

The Crown of Shards series focuses on Everleigh Blair, a member of the royal family who is distantly in line for the throne of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. But when the unthinkable happens, Evie finds herself fighting for her life—both inside and outside the gladiator arena.

Jennifer is also the author of the Elemental Assassin, Mythos Academy, Bigtime, and Black Blade fantasy series. 

Find Jennifer Estep and her books

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Grace Draven is a Louisiana native living in Texas with her husband, kids and a big, doofus dog. She has loved storytelling since forever and is a fan of the fictional bad boy. She is the winner of the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice for Best Fantasy Romance of 2014 and 2016, and a USA Today Bestselling author.


Find Grace Draven and her books

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 The Kingmaker Chronicles, took form. She writes what she loves to read: epic exploits, steamy romance, and characters that make you laugh and cry.

Amanda Bouchet grew up in New England where she spent much of her time tromping around in the woods and making up grand adventures in her head. It was inevitable that one day she would start writing them down. Drawing on her Greek heritage for the setting and on her love of all things daring and romantic for the rest, her debut trilogy,

Her first novel, A Promise of Fire, won several Romance Writers of America chapter contests, including the Orange Rose Contest and the paranormal category of the prestigious Golden Pen.

A French master's graduate and former English teacher, Amanda lives in Paris, France. She met her husband while studying abroad, and the family now includes two bilingual children who will soon be correcting her French.


Find Amanda Bouchet and her books

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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Seasons of Sorcery
A Fantasy Anthology
Amazon

WINTER'S WEB BY JENNIFER ESTEP
An assassin at a renaissance faire. What could possibly go wrong? Everything, if you’re Gin Blanco. This Spider is trapped in someone else’s icy web—and it seems like they don’t want her to leave the faire alive . . .

A CURSE FOR SPRING BY AMANDA BOUCHET

A malevolent spell strangles the kingdom of Leathen in catastrophic drought. Prince Daric must break the curse before his people starve. A once-mighty goddess trapped in a human body might be the key—but saving his kingdom could mean losing all that he loves.

THE DRAGONS OF SUMMER BY JEFFE KENNEDY

As unofficial consort to the High Queen, former mercenary Harlan Konyngrr faces a challenge worse than looming war and fearsome dragons. His long-held secrets threaten what he loves most—and he must make a choice between vows to two women.

A WILDERNESS OF GLASS BY GRACE DRAVEN

The stretch of sea known as The Gray rules the lives of those in the village of Ancilar, including widow Brida Gazi. In the aftermath of an autumn storm, Brida discovers one of the sea's secrets cast onto the shore—a discovery that will change her world, mend her soul, and put her in the greatest danger she's ever faced.

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International: E-Copy

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