Very pleased to welcome Jen Karner to the Spotlight this week and discuss Cinders of Yesterday
Author Name: Jen Karner
Book Title: Cinders of Yesterday
Book Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: 6/29/21
Publisher: City Owl Press
Congrats on your release! Please tells us about Cinders of Yesterday.
Supernatural, but make it explicitly queer was my original pitch! However I’m also fond of: A medium who doesn’t remember magic, a hunter looking for a legendary weapons, and the necromancer who wants them both dead all collide in a weird little MD town.
What sparked the idea for this book?
Cinders of Yesterday kind of cropped up over several years but it came from a few places. I wanted a world that I could love like SPN or Buffy, but have it be queer the way the world I inhabit is. There was also the idea of gaslighting, but make it magic. Essentially there wasn’t one single place this world sprung out of, instead I took bits and pieces for years until I managed to figure it out.
How long did it take for you to write it? Did you have to do any research?
Once I started what would become the first draft it took about 4 months to draft, and each successive draft was around 3 months as well. I had to do some research, but it was mostly background like how you’d make your own shotgun shell innards, or about local history when I was building my timeline. Since it’s based in Maryland near a place I visit, I was able to draw from a lot of personal experience to add flavor on the page for readers.
What drew you to the paranormal romance genre?
Oh man. I love paranormal in basically every way I can get it. I’m a huge fan of paranormal shows like Buffy, Supernatural, Teen Wolf & The Vampire Diaries so writing in that genre was a no brainer. I wanted to tell a story that brought my favorite elements of the paranormal genre to a wlw relationship in the middle because it was something I’d never been able to easily find when I wanted to read it.
What’s your favorite part about writing/being an author? What do you find challenging?
Creation. There is this kind of magic when I am in the zone where it almost feels like being a conduit for the story and it is truly my absolute favorite thing in the entire world. The most challenging aspect for me is actually marketing and promotion! I mean, I love my stories and characters and I want other people to love them too but wildly jumping up and down on social media yelling about it is daunting and I was definitely not as vocal as I should have been. Or still be for that matter.
If you were speaking to someone who hasn’t read your writing before, why should they want to read Cinders of Yesterday?
If they love shows like Supernatural but want something that is unapologetically queer about it, I am definitely the writer for them. I bring my own experience as a queer, nonbinary human to the page to bring a bit of diversity to the genre so it isn’t all alpha men and swooning women. Sometimes it’s two babes who are disasters alone learning to trust each other and falling in love along the way. Essentially? I writer diverse & queer SFF and Horror with kissing.
What are your interests outside of writing and reading?
I’m a gamer so lots of time with my Switch, playing Civ with my boyfriend, or diving into a D&D game with my nesting partner. I also enjoy time outside, hanging out with my dog, all things horror, seeing my friends, and going to drag shows!
Are you working on a new project? Please tell us about it.
I’m currently working on book 2 in the Legacy of Shadows series which is the sequel to Cinders of Yesterday. It follows Dani & Emilie as they deal with fallout from their actions in book 1, and dealing with a new enemy emerging from the shadows! I also have a spooky lake book that I’m editing and…a wall of future projects in my queue.
Where can readers find you?
I’m most active on social media and you can find me @Articulatedream on both Twitter & IG. If you prefer Facebook, then you can find me under AuthorJenKarner. I also occasionally blog at my website SyllablesandSass.com!
Thank you, Jen! Cinders of Yesterday is out NOW.
Cinders of Yesterday
Paranormal Hunter Dani Black wants nothing more than revenge. Until she meets Emilie.
A year ago, the rogue Necromancer Spectre murdered her partner during a hunt gone wrong. She’s been looking for a way to kill him—and keep him dead—ever since.
When rumors of a weapon capable of killing anything surfaces in Dawson, Maryland, she sets out on a mission to get her hands on it. While unraveling a web of clues about her own past, Dani runs into the alluring Emilie Lockgrove, eldest daughter of a magical family inexplicably tied to Spectre.
Emilie Lockgrove survived the catastrophic fire that killed her mother and hospitalized both her and her sister.
Ten years later, she has returned to Dawson, expecting to confront the trauma of her past. Instead, she discovers magic is real, encountering actual ghosts like the necromancer hunting her family for 200 years.
Dani intends to kill Spectre…or die trying. Emilie wants to reclaim her life. To survive, they’ll need to work together to confront their pasts, break the spell capturing Emilie’s magic, and destroy Spectre once and for all.