strong female lead

01
Oct
2022

Free Fiction Feature October 2022 | Tale of the Tape, PLUS The Devil You Know

This month, you enjoy two fun short stories with strong female leads–one murder mystery, and a fantasy adventure featuring a dwarf and her demon sidekick:

Tale of the Tape: A Kira Brightwell Short Novel (Mystery)

Tale of the Tape Kira Brightwell coverA bootleg Nine Inch Nails cassette tape.

Weird thing for Kira to find abandoned by a sewer grate on her way to school.

The hand-drawn NIN logo in marker catches Kira’s eye. Who tossed the tape? And why?

Kira pockets it, of course. Seems a shame to leave it in the gutter. Who knows what kind of extra tracks she might find on it?

…Now she only needs to figure out a way to play the thing.

A twisting, short novel of Kira’s high school past from the Kira Brightwell mystery series by Jacquelyn Smith.

Now, you can read it online for free for one month only:

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Legends of Lasniniar: The Devil You Know (Fantasy)

Legends of Lasniniar The Devil You Know coverMerchants peddle fear in Belierumar.

Mothers cling to their children as they walk through the crowded marketplace. Eyes dart as people hurry to make their dubious purchases.

Demon-warding amulets. Herbs guaranteed to help victims of possession. Paige inspects them all with a jaundiced eye.

The young dwarf woman knows how to deal with demons. Probably better than anyone else in Lasniniar.

…With good reason.

In the aftermath of war, a new era begins in this stand-alone story from the World of Lasniniar epic fantasy series by Jacquelyn Smith.

Now, you can read it online for free for one month only:

Start Reading
Posted by Jacquelyn in Free Fiction Feature, 0 comments
01
Jul
2022

Free Fiction Feature July 2022 | Lucky Punch, PLUS Prevailing Wind

This month, enjoy two short story adventures that feature a strong female protagonist:

Lucky Punch: A Kira Brightwell Short Story (Mystery)

Lucky Punch Kira Brightwell cover

A nice, relaxing vacation. After all the mystery and mayhem over the past several months, a tropical getaway seems like just what Kira Brightwell needs.

With only her best friend for company and no one back home aware of their location (detective friend, persistent sidekick, and nosy reporters included), Kira can finally unwind and try to forget. Maybe enjoy a cool, refreshing cocktail on the beach.

But wherever Kira goes, trouble always follows only a step behind.

A stand-alone story from the Kira Brightwell mystery series by Jacquelyn Smith. If you enjoy a fun, tropical escapade, grab this book. 

Now, you can read it online for free for one month only:

Start Reading

Legends of Lasniniar: Prevailing Wind (Fantasy)

Legends of Lasniniar Prevailing Wind cover

Arinwyn leads the Tribe of Hawk across the vast dunes of the Shifting Sands. A lone elf among humans.

The sun beats down on her head scarf like a hammer while the jingle of harnesses fills the dry air. A single shadow falls across the land from overhead in a ripple of movement.

A dragon.

Arinwyn knows the tribe cannot stand against it. But none of the tribe’s warriors want to lose status by fleeing.

Arinwyn must rely on her human companion Nasir to convince them otherwise while she tackles a much bigger problem—how to hold off the dragon.

…And what its seemingly chance presence might mean.

A short story adventure from the World of Lasniniar epic fantasy series and a follow-up to “Legends of Lasniniar: Without Wings” by Jacquelyn Smith.

Now, you can read it online for free for one month only:

Start Reading
Posted by Jacquelyn in Free Fiction Feature, 0 comments
01
Jun
2022

Free Fiction Feature June 2022 | Legends of Lasniniar: Without Wings

This month, enjoy a magical story of an outcast elf who must go on a dangerous journey to embrace her secret heritage:

Legends of Lasniniar: Without Wings (Fantasy)

Legends of Lasniniar Without Wings coverGround walker. Wingless worm. Freak.

The only Sky Elf ever born without wings, Arinwyn does her best to ignore the taunts and slurs. Bad enough she can never know the thrill of flying. Must she suffer the cruelties of her own kind as well?

But the winds of change blow from beyond the elven wood as the Fallen One stirs.

…And more than Arinwyn realizes lies hidden within her wingless heritage.

A stand-alone origin story from the World of Lasniniar epic fantasy series by Jacquelyn Smith.

Now, you can read it online for free for one month only:

Start Reading
Posted by Jacquelyn in Free Fiction Feature, 0 comments
01
May
2022

Free Fiction Feature May 2022 | Legends of Lasniniar: Goddess Almighty

This month, check out a vengeful origin adventure, featuring trickster and aspiring goddess, Felara:

Legends of Lasniniar: Goddess Almighty (Fantasy)

Legends of Lasniniar Goddess Almighty coverFelara watches over the Light Elves’ wood from above, unseen. She knows Iarion wanders somewhere beneath the ancient trees.

Willful, mercurial, and more than a bit fey, some of her Unborn siblings consider her in danger of becoming obsessed with the elf that freed them from the Void.

Others might even argue she crossed that line some time ago.

None of that matters to Felara. She follows a vision only she can see.

A stand-alone origin story from the World of Lasniniar epic fantasy series by Jacquelyn Smith.

Now, you can read it online for free for one month only:

Start Reading
Posted by Jacquelyn in Free Fiction Feature, 0 comments
13
Sep
2021

Writing/Publishing Roundup: A New Fatal Empire prequel, plus a new mystery series

Fantasy Updates:

Keeper of Prophecy Fatal Empire cover

A Haunted Past: Prequel Fatal Empire Story ‘Keeper of Prophecy’ Now Available

The joys and challenges of writing Moriah’s secret past:

Continue Reading

Mystery Updates:

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:

Continue Reading

 

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Posted by Jacquelyn in Publishing Updates, Writing Updates, 0 comments
01
Jan
2021

Free Fiction Feature January 2021 | Ground Work: A Kira Brightwell Short Story

Ground Work Kira Brightwell cover

Kira Brightwell thinks she knows her best friend and roommate pretty well—better than anyone else, at least.

Rob’s life seems straightforward from the outside. He stays in the apartment and keeps to himself, preferring the company of his laptop to most other people (Trevor Wright in particular).

He gathers information from behind the scenes, while Kira takes the lead out in the real world in her ongoing search for the serial abductor known as Procurer.

But Rob has a secret. Something he keeps even from Kira.

…And an unexpected case threatens to expose everything.

A fun, stand-alone story from the Kira Brightwell mystery series by award-winning author, Jacquelyn Smith.

Now, you can read it for free on this site for one month only. This short story also comes in ebook and paperback format.

Get the ebook at:


Buy ebook direct from the author

Paperback available at:

 

Ground Work: A Kira Brightwell Short Story

Jacquelyn Smith

This story will be available for free for one month only. If you missed this one, check out the current Free Fiction Feature here. Continue reading →

Posted by Jacquelyn in Free Fiction Feature, 0 comments
03
Sep
2020

Free Fiction Feature | Legends of Lasniniar: The Bearded Ones

Before diving into this short story, there’s a bit of housekeeping to get out of the way…

Over the next several weeks, I’m going to be working on building two sub-sites that branch off of this main site: one focusing on my fantasy work, and the other on my crime fiction. (I want to keep things relevant for visitors, so I’m not talking about fantasy to readers who are interested in crime fiction, and vice versa.)

I’ll be holding off on blogging for the most part, but these free fiction posts will still continue as planned. I’ll keep putting them up on this main site, since they are a mix of my fantasy and crime fiction works. Hope this makes sense! (And that all the restructuring goes smoothly…)

Legends of Lasniniar The Bearded Ones cover
The sky to the north of the Light Elves’ wood remains empty. Only a chain of mountains marks the horizon.

Iadrawyn keeps watch from the cover of the ancient trees and waits. The forest hums with life around her.

The world beyond remains a mystery to the elves. What kind of dangers and potential allies roam outside their borders?

Iadrawyn looks to the sky and waits for answers.

Visit the sprawling past of the World of Lasniniar series in this stand-alone fantasy story by award-winning author, Jacquelyn Smith.

Now, you can read it for free on this site for one month only. This short story also comes in ebook and paperback format—both on its own, and as part of the Light Chasers Lasniniar Collection.

You can find “The Bearded Ones” at your preferred online retailer here, or buy it direct from the author. You can find retailer links to the Light Chasers Lasniniar Collection here, or buy it direct from the author.

Legends of Lasniniar: The Bearded Ones

Jacquelyn Smith

This story will be available for free for one month only. If you missed this one, check out the current Free Fiction Feature here.

Continue reading →

Posted by Jacquelyn in Free Fiction Feature, 0 comments
02
Jul
2020

Free Fiction Feature | Striking Distance: A Kira Brightwell Short Story

Striking Distance Kira Brightwell cover

Kira Brightwell stands at a crossroads. Her college days lie behind her, but her future remains a mystery, waiting to be solved.

A job already awaits her at her father’s office—the easy, parent-approved option. But Kira wants something different. Something more. She needs to get away to figure out what.

Except Kira’s future hangs in the balance in more ways than one…

In the crime-filled cases of the Kira Brightwell series, “Striking Distance” focuses on the event that changes Kira’s life forever, and sets her on the path to becoming an infamous problem-solver for hire.

Now, you can read it for free on this site for one month only. This short story by award-winning author Jacquelyn Smith (originally published under the pen name Kat Irwin) also comes in ebook and paperback format—both on its own, and as part of the First Blood Kira Brightwell Collection.

You can find “Striking Distance” at your preferred online retailer here, or buy it direct from the author. You can find retailer links to the First Blood Kira Brightwell Collection here, or buy it direct from the author.

 

 

Striking Distance: A Kira Brightwell Short Story

Jacquelyn Smith

(Originally published as Kat Irwin.)

This story will be available for free for one month only. If you missed this one, check out the current Free Fiction Feature here. Continue reading →

Posted by Jacquelyn in Free Fiction Feature, 0 comments