Lexi: We recently celebrated our guest’s RITA win for THE PAGES OF THE MIND! And now we get to have her back to talk about her newest release in the series, welcome Jeffe Kennedy!
Thanks, Lexi! You gals have been with me from the beginning, so it’s super fun to celebrate that career milestone with you. 😊
Lexi: The wine has been chilled, we’ll do white since it’s still summery out, and the book has been read. THE SHIFT OF THE TIDE is as fabulous as the previous books! And we get to see a lot more of the dragon, Kiraka! Were you excited to reveal more of Kiraka’s character?
Oh yes – love that white wine in hot weather! We have a lot of summer left here, for sure. And yay! Thrilled that you liked the book! Kiraka is an interesting character, isn’t she? She was fun to write and I was excited to get back to her. She’s cagey though. I might have to write her story at some point, to get into her head.
Lexi: Don’t worry, dear readers, there is so much more than dragon’s and finding answers to the magic. There’s romance! I loved that one of Ursula’s Hawks, Marskal, is the love interest for our lovely shifter. The honor, the sheer stubbornness, and the strength he has is such a signature for being a Hawk. What would you say was the toughest thing for Marskal to let go of?
Oh, I love that analysis of the basic requirements for being one of the Hawks! It’s true that not only must they be very good at their profession and fighting skills, but they must possess endurance and the ability to persevere in the face of obstacles. I think the first thing that Marskal had to let go of the secret that he’s been in love with Zynda from afar. He considered her out of his reach and had been determined never to reveal his feelings—maybe even to the point of not really acknowledging them to himself. He was reconciled to indulging his fascination with her by observing her habits when she wouldn’t notice, but then he’s put into the position, again and again, of revealing himself. Once he does, he’s unflinching about it—and he’s willing to give up everything else for the possibility of being with her.
Lexi: Dragons, romance, and Deyrr…oh my! In the beginning, Zynda is swimming in dolphin form and encounters a shark that had the zombie-like stink of Deyrr. This is a big story arc. I don’t want to give anything away, but once I got to the end I was excited to realize we will get more from the Uncharted Realms! What is your favorite characteristic of the Deyrr?
Ooh, “favorite” feels like the wrong word. The arcane and twisted practice of the Deyrr death magic is fascinating, however, because it’s the mirror side of the life-giving magic that the Tala and others enjoy. It’s the dark side of shapeshifting—and also links into the infant mortality the Tala suffer.
And yes! The story continues in The Arrows of the Heart, and I’m pretty sure one more after that. At least. But those two should tie up this arc.
Lexi: So much to love and so much to look forward to. Which, in my opinion, makes a five wine book! Cheers to the release of THE SHIFT OF THE TIDE! Till next time, Jeffe!
Yay for five wines!!! Can’t wait to read the review. 😊
The Shift of the Tide
(The Uncharted Realms #3)
by Jeffe Kennedy
Kindle Edition, 400 pages
Published August 29th 2017 by Brightlynx Publishing
ASINB07385RZ9V
A QUICKSILVER HEART
Released from the grip of a tyrant, the Twelve Kingdoms have thrown all that touch them into chaos. As the borders open, new enemies emerge to vie for their hard-won power—and old deceptions crumble under the strain…
The most talented shapeshifter of her generation, Zynda has one love in her life: freedom. The open air above her, the water before her, the sun on her skin or wings or fur—their sensual glories more than make up for her loneliness. She serves the High Queen’s company well, but she can’t trust her allies with her secrets, or the secrets of her people. Best that she should keep her distance, alone.
Except wherever she escapes, Marskal, the Queen’s quiet lieutenant, seems to find her. Solid, stubborn, and disciplined, he’s no more fluid than rock. Yet he knows what she likes, what thrills and unnerves her, when she’s hiding something. His lithe warrior’s body promises pleasure she has gone too long without. But no matter how careful, how tender, how incendiary he is, only Zynda can know the sacrifice she must make for her people’s future—and the time is drawing near…
The Uncharted Realms Series
About Jeffe Kennedy
Jeffe Kennedy is an award-winning author whose works include novels, non-fiction, poetry, and short fiction. She has been a Ucross Foundation Fellow, received the Wyoming Arts Council Fellowship for Poetry, and was awarded a Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Award.
Her award-winning fantasy romance trilogy The Twelve Kingdoms hit the shelves starting in May 2014. Book 1, The Mark of the Tala, received a starred Library Journal review and was nominated for the RT Book of the Year while the sequel, The Tears of the Rose received a Top Pick Gold and was nominated for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2014. The third book, The Talon of the Hawk, won the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2015. Two more books followed in this world, beginning the spin-off series The Uncharted Realms. Book one in that series, The Pages of the Mind, has also been nominated for the RT Reviewer’s Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2016 and is a finalist for RWA’s RITA Award. The second book, The Edge of the Blade, released December 27, 2016.
She also introduced a new fantasy romance series, Sorcerous Moons, which includes Lonen’s War, Oria’s Gambit, The Tides of BÃ ra, and The Forests of Dru. With Last Dance, Jeffe is introducing a new contemporary erotic romance series, Missed Connections.
Her other works include a number of fiction series: the fantasy romance novels of A Covenant of Thorns; the contemporary BDSM novellas of the Facets of Passion; an erotic contemporary serial novel, Master of the Opera; and the erotic romance trilogy, Falling Under, which includes Going Under, Under His Touch and Under Contract.
She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with two Maine coon cats, plentiful free-range lizards and a very handsome Doctor of Oriental Medicine.
Jeffe can be found online at her website: JeffeKennedy.com, every Sunday at the popular SFF Seven blog, on Facebook, on Goodreads and pretty much constantly on Twitter @jeffekennedy. She is represented by Sarah Younger of Nancy Yost Literary Agency.
I can't wait to read about more of the Deyrr death magic! Bring on THE ARROWS OF THE HEART!!
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