In this episode of The Write Place, I’m joined by New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost, best known for her hugely popular Night Huntress books.
Jeaniene joins me to talk about her latest novel, A Curse of Beasts and Magic, the first book in her new Beautiful and Beastly series. Described as Beauty and the Beast meets The Witcher, this is a romantasy adventure with a twist: Beauty is the Beast.
We talk about the rise of romantasy, writing morally grey characters, building fantasy worlds from character first, and why Jeaniene doesn’t keep the kind of organised series bible many writers might expect.
Jeaniene also reflects on finally finishing her first novel after years of starting but not completing books, the pressure and reality of becoming a published author, and the difficult balance between writing from passion and treating publishing like a business.
We also discuss social media, book marketing for introverts, burnout, revision, persistence, and why writers need to celebrate the small victories along the way.
In the Book That Saved Your Life segment, Jeaniene talks about the books and authors that shaped her, including Skye O’Malley by Bertrice Small, Jackie Collins, Dean Koontz and Stephen King.
Useful links:
Jeaniene Frost website: https://www.jeanienefrost.com
Jeaniene on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jfrostauthor/
Jeaniene on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jfrostauthor
Jeaniene on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jfrostauthor
A Curse of Beasts and Magic: https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/jeaniene-frost/a-curse-of-beasts-and-magic/9781037404429
My book, Real Writers Never Quit, is out now: https://mybook.to/realwritersneverquit
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrkelly2u/
