YA Fantasy author J.N. Tomczak is pleased to present her newest release, Edenhart’s Rivalry.
Check out the stunning cover and blurb below!
Also, get to know the author with J.N. Tomczak’s bio and social media links.
And don’t forget to enter the release giveaway!
AN ANCIENT CURSE. A KINGDOM IN PERIL. ONE FAERIE TO SAVE THEM ALL…
Darkness is spreading across the kingdoms—and one faerie stands between destruction and survival. Aurora’s peaceful existence is shattered by an unexpected tragedy that leaves her as the last surviving heir to the throne. But her reign is threatened before it can even begin.
Her court swells with spies and traitors. There are growing tales of a mysterious blight. Strange riders abroad are hunting for something—or someone.
On the day of her coronation, she and her loyal friend, Percy, the newly appointed Flight Captain, discover an ancient prophecy sealed away and guarded in a secret chamber beneath the castle. There they uncover a sinister plot that will spiral her people into a war they cannot win on their own. Her courage and wit will be her greatest weapons if she hopes to succeed where others have failed. She must ask herself just how far is she willing to go to save her kingdom and at what costs?
I recently had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Jennifer Kropf, author of the gorgeously festive fantasy novel A Soul as Cold as Frost, about her upcoming projects and where she finds inspiration for her stories.
Here’s what she had to say…
Hi Jen! It’s lovely to finally get to chat with you. Tell us a little bit about yourself. First of all, where are you from?
I’m from Canada, where it snows too much and often smells of pines. I have a husband and three kids, and we live in a little town on the cusp of Stratford, Ontario that has all the small-town-charm you can imagine. I like to write late at night, and I’m one of those weirdos who would rather brew a hot beverage and snuggle up with a book on a weekend instead of going out to do things.
That sounds like the dream! I’m definitely one of those weirdos too. When did you start writing and what inspired you?
Growing up, my dad used to read The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis to me and my siblings before bed. We became obsessed with the world of Narnia, and Aslan. When I started having kids, I imagined having those same experiences with my kids at Christmas time, so I started writing A Soul as Cold as Frost with the hopes that every year at Christmas we can spend the month of December snuggling by the fireplace reading exciting Christmas stories, and bonding over them as a family.
What a lovely idea, that sounds like the perfect family tradition. Aside from The Chronicles of Narnia, what are your favourite books?
My favourite books to read have always been fantasy books, especially with exceptionally built worlds.
Those are my favourites too. Speaking of which, tell us a little about your debut novel.
I published my first book last year called A Soul as Cold as Frost, which centres around a girl whose eyes are opened to another realm at Christmas time, and throughout the series, will face all sorts of mythical villains pulled out of old Christmas legends.
It sounds like such a magical read, where do you find inspiration for your characters?
Obviously I love Christmas, so a lot of my characters are drawn from Christmas stories or legends. I have a few different versions of Santa Claus (multiple characters who impersonate different versions of Santa) in my books, along with The Snow Queen, The Gingerbread Man, and the Nutcracker.
I love characters inspired by myths and legends! What are you working on right now?
Right now I’m working on Book #2 of The Winter Souls Series (A Soul as Cold as Frost #2) which I’m calling A Heart as Red as Paint. AHARAP centres around my main character, Helen, who gets a visit from a ghostly being (inspired by the ghost of Christmas past/present/future in the story A Christmas Carol) who gives Helen three warnings in the form of a riddle. She has to solve the riddle before her time runs out, or she’ll face the dreadful future she was warned about.
I’m so excited to read it next Christmas! What one piece of advice would you give aspiring authors?
Market your books way ahead of time. With the pandemic, most of my marketing plan was squashed when our province started going into lockdown and all my kids ended up being home for most of the year, but your best way to get people excited about your book is to start telling people about it way in advance.
Thank you so much for chatting with me Jennifer, it’s been lovely getting to know you and your books better. Where can we find out more?
I hope you enjoyed getting to know Jennifer Kropf better, I highly recommend A Soul as Cold as Frost, it’s going to become a modern Christmas classic and would make the perfect family read over the winter months. And keep an eye out for book two, A Heart as Red as Paint.
Jen is also contributing a story to Enchanted Waters, Merrily Merrily, which tells the origin tale of snow pirate, Zane, with cameos by other ASACAF characters you’ll recognise! You can preorder Enchanted Waters for just $2.99 and get more than ten fantasy short stories from bestselling, award-winning and up-and-coming authors, with all profits going to Oceana to help save the world’s oceans.
I’m so excited to share the cover of Enchanted Waters, a collection of YA fantasy short stories coming this Summer!
If you love The Little Mermaid and Pirates of the Caribbean (but probably not Waterworld – remember that? Sorry Costner, it was rubbish), you’ll definitely find a story that’s perfect for you in this anthology.
My story Daughter of the Selkie King is a prequel tie in toThe Fair Queen, following Delta, a girl living in the Ondine Kingdom and wrestling with some pretty relatable issues. Not least of which is the fact she lives surrounded by water and can’t actually swim.
She feels like she doesn’t quite fit in anywhere, her mother is keeping secrets that could change everything she’s ever known, and now a strange boy has appeared out of nowhere and he seems to know more about Delta than she knows herself.
With water-magic wielding Fair, selkie royalty and a whole lot of teenage angst, DotSK is a quick but intense read that will throw you into the deep end of the Fair Realm.
Not only that, but all profits from sales of Enchanted Waters will go to support Oceana, an incredible charity working to clean the world’s oceans and protect marine life. So you’ll not only get a collection of fantastic stories by bestselling and up-and-coming indie authors, you’ll also be helping to save the world. What’s not to love!
What’s your favourite water-fantasy story? My mum wanted to name me Madison, after the mermaid in Splash, so that movie has a special place in my heart.
Lyndsey Hall | Author 