The first full-length novel in the Mackenzie Quinn Canadian cozy mystery series has arrived!
Murder has struck again in the small town of Ashwood, Ontario.
Zee gets tangled in a case that hits a bit too close for comfort in The Author of His Demise…
Learn MoreThis second publishing update of the month is mystery-based (in case you couldn’t tell from the title, lol).
Kira Brightwell’s cousin is on the case.
Two short novel (mis)adventures are now available in the Mackenzie Quinn Canadian cozy mystery series:
Continue ReadingSo this update is entirely fantasy-focused… I really should have had it ready to go last month, but I got a bit sidetracked. I’ll be doubling up with a mystery-based update later this month.
Celebrating a new Fatal Empire release and the 10-year anniversary of Lasniniar
Raziel’s quest for knowledge and vengeance continues in the new Fatal Empire novel, Keeper of Wisdom, plus save 50% on the first three novels in the World of Lasniniar series:
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A Haunted Past: Prequel Fatal Empire Story ‘Keeper of Prophecy’ Now Available
The joys and challenges of writing Moriah’s secret past:
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Photo by Dominika Roseclay from Pexels
Meet Kira Brightwell’s Canadian Cousin: Mackenzie Quinn
There’s a new detective in town. More updates about a new series in progress:
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Lots happening in Fatal Empire! Three new titles, plus two more on the way soon…
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Save big on the first four Kira Brightwell novels and collections. Update on a new mystery series in progress…
Update: The Kira Brightwell promotion is now over.
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Some updates on both the fantasy and mystery front…
Emerging from the Rubble: A new Legend of Lasniniar, plus other writing newsA new Barlo and Iarion adventure is here, as well as updates on multiple Fatal Empire projects:
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Kira collection updates, recommendations from lockdown, plus a crazy cat storyPaperback updates, mystery reading and TV recommendations, and, well, a crazy cat story:
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So you may have noticed some changes to this site recently… I’ve set up two new genre-specific sites: one for fantasy, and one for mystery/crime fiction. Most of the links and pages on this site now redirect to one of these new locations. I will continue to post the Free Fiction Feature on this site each month (since the stories are a mix of my fantasy and crime fiction titles), and I’ll post about any other cool updates or promotions I get going. (I expect these posts to be mostly cross-genre as well.) Other than that, I’m not sure how much I’ll be blogging–either here, or on my new sites–since I want to concentrate most of my time on actual fiction writing.
In addition to genre-specific websites, I’ve also broken out my Facebook pages by genre, if you’d like to give me a follow:
Fantasy Facebook Page | Mystery/Crime Fiction Facebook Page
One of the cool things about building my new sites was incorporating a list of as many of the retailers and digital libraries I could find from around the world that carry my books. I’ve included this list on the About page for each of my sites with a link to each retailer. I know the tendency is to only pay attention to the largest companies, but there are SO MANY other players out there–especially outside North America–each with their own niche market of readers. Continue reading →
I can’t believe it’s August… These past few months feel like some weird, alternate reality.
We’re coming onto the last two of the Kira Brightwell shorts I have planned for this run (August and September) before I’ll start formatting and releasing all the existing Kira novels and shorts as collections, with one new collection coming out each month for five months.
On the fantasy side, all of the Lasniniar collections are done (for the moment), and I’m focusing on Fatal Empire now, with the remaining three titles in the quartet planned to come out by the end of 2020. Plus, I’ve also written a fun bonus guide to the Dharakmeni Empire that’s available for free, which you can check out below!
Enemies since high school… Kira and Trevor never expected to end up solving cases together.
Trevor knows that Kira does most of the solving, but he likes to think his raw charm and charisma count for something…
And when the opportunity to prove himself as more than a stunningly handsome sidekick falls into his lap in the form of a beautiful client, how can he possibly refuse?
A short story misadventure of Kira and Trevor from the Kira Brightwell crime fiction series by award-winning author, Jacquelyn Smith.
Get your ebook ONE WEEK EARLY when you buy your pre-order direct from the author!
Assassins, danger, intrigue… The Dharakmeni Empire does not welcome the faint at heart. (Or anyone else, for that matter.)
But fear not, dear reader! The Shining Kingdom’s foremost adventurer, Yarden the Wanderer, knows all the ins (inns?) and outs of the continent’s most reclusive (and reviled) region.
Let Yarden guide you—as only he can—on a journey through the empire’s customs, caste system, and cuisine. Explore esoteric temples dedicated to the endless expressions of the goddess. Meander your way through a myriad of marketplaces. Impress the locals with your nebulous, newfound knowledge!
…Learn just enough to become an adventurer in your own right with this exclusive guide, funded by the Temple of the Keeper of Wonder, and recorded by award-winning scribe, Jacquelyn Smith.
Please note: Yarden the Wanderer and the Temple of the Keeper of Wonder in no way claim responsibility for any harm or mishap that befalls visitors of the Dharakmeni Empire before or after reading this guide—including, but not limited to death or enslavement.
This title is ONLY available as part of the Back Story Sampler Collection, which is FREE when you subscribe to my newsletter group.
July is a big month. In addition to a new Kira Brightwell short and the Smashwords Summer Sale, we also have the last Lasniniar bundle coming out (for the time being), PLUS another fun project I’ve been working on. Keep scrolling for more info!
Kira Brightwell might not wear a badge. But she still enjoys the challenge of unraveling a difficult case.
The case of Taylor Christie proves no exception. The social media starlet prepares to shoot a video, when things go wrong. Horribly wrong. With an entire crowd in attendance.
And more than Kira knows stands between her and the truth about what happened.
Once again, Kira finds herself in the right place at the wrong time with her self-appointed sidekick in tow in this twisting, stand-alone story from the Kira Brightwell series. If you love a clever detective, who plays by her own rules, grab this book.
Goblins, shapeshifters, blood-drinking demons… Lasniniar has always had its share of dark creatures for the Free Races to keep at bay.
But now a new enemy has arrived from beyond the Void—one that threatens to tip the balance, and plunge the world into chaos.
This fast-paced, epic fantasy collection of elves, dwarves, and magic contains one novel and two short stories from the World of Lasniniar series by Writers’ Journal winning author, Jacquelyn Smith: Harbingers, Prevailing Wind, and The Devil You Know. Harbingers is the eighth novel in the series.
Story time with my buddy, Doug the Sharkosaurus. (Yes, that’s a rainbow poop emoji sitting closest to the camera.)
OK, seriously. How is June almost over? I feel like this whole year has been a complete blur so far.
Well, this month, I worked on getting the Harbingers Lasniniar Collection ready to go for July. (This is the last bundle/collection remaining in the series until I get some new novels and shorts written, starting next year.) The latest short in the Kira Brightwell series, “Seeing Stars” is also coming out on July 2nd, and is available for pre-order.
As I mentioned in my last roundup post, I took a bit of a break from Kira to focus on a totally different project just for my newsletter group, which will be launching on July 2nd as well. (I’ll go into more detail about this in my New Releases/Promotions post in a couple weeks, once it’s already out to subscribers, but I had a fun time working on it!)
…And I started working on my seventh Kira short in this eight-story run I’m doing, “Ring Girl.” This one comes out in August, but you can pre-order now, if you’re interested. Choose Payhip from the retailer links (the blue heart icon) to buy direct from me and get your copy one week early! Trevor takes more of a leading role on this case, at least to start.