Check out this author spotlight for Jenna O’Malley!
You can find all her links furthest down the page, and don’t forget to check out her books!
1. Hi! Welcome to my humble blog of all things bookish! I would like for us to start by getting to know you. Give us a short bio, please!
Hello, lovelies! My name is Jenna O’Malley, the Soul Writer. I’m a Cat Mom, wife, teacher, indie author, book vlogger, podcaster, gamer… a bard of many pens, I suppose. I write stories that address every day and contemporary issues while blending in some of the nerdiest references.
2. To get to know you just a little bit better, I’d like to ask you some this or that questions. Answer 5 (or more!) of these and explain why you chose this or that, or maybe an entirely different alternative!
Winter, spring, summer or autumn?
AUTUMN—thank goodness, I can start baking!
Cat or dog?
Cat… Mom! lol
Tea or coffee?
Coffee in the morning, tea in the evening.
Morning or evening?
I’m a morning person, for better and worse.
Library or museums?
It depends on what I’m researching, but probably museums in Europe.
Hunter or gatherer?
Gatherer.
Mountains or beaches?
Beaches, even though I live in the mountains. I love visiting Mother Ocean.
Plotter or pantser?
Plantster: I do a little bit of both.
Standalone or series?
Series for writing fiction, but I’ve read some wonderful stand alone.
Book or ebook?
I prefer to hold a book; it’s a tactile and textures thing for me with the experience.
3. When you look for books to read, what trope or type of story will always catch your attention?
I tend to read fantasy novels to unhealthy levels, and the same can be said for paranormal romance. Give me a series with a leading set of characters that absolutely wreck my heart, lol.
4. What do you write? Tell us about your current projects and the latest happenings!
My debut series, The Arsinoëphorus Alliance, launched on Valentine’s Day 2021 with Book 1: Bound by Fate and Blood. Book 2 comes out on September 6, 2021. I have a teaching memoir and a second series in the works.
5. What is your most recent release? Give us a short presentation, cover, and a link for where to buy it!
The Arsinoëphorus Alliance (Book 2): Bound by Oath and Heart comes out on September 6, 2021! It picks up a few months after Book 1 ends, so we’re in Fall 1665. Ian and Nephtyri remain the “main couple” for the plot’s throughline, but we really come to know Bjorn and Rochelle on a much deeper level. Please read the blurb below:
Fractured by betrayal at Sancta Terra, the Arsinoëphorus Alliance scatters. The five, remaining Elders split Ian and Nephtyri, not realizing their sunwalker has a new secret to hide. Though the couple can visit one another in dreams, a life apart tests their bond early. A quest to find Ian a weapon to match his powers binds him to his adikous naiha and reveals not all mythical creatures are lost.
Rochelle adapts to a lesser role as Shifei under the pressure of Bjorn’s presence in his halls at Amaranth. With the help of Aryeh and other Elders from afar, they plot to save the Alliance without their new Uran Shifei-ra’s guidance. Suspicious of their actions, Nephtyri heightens the search to free her lost grandmother from the Hunters’ captivity. Allegiances are stressed as the dead walk and the living fight to thrive.
6. What real-life inspiration do you draw from, and what are your primary fictional sources of inspiration (books, authors, films, music, etc.)? Name a few!
I draw a lot of inspiration from my husband and daily life. At the same time, I’ve read a lot of J. R. Ward, Anne Sexton, Tolkien, Shakespeare, and Robert Jordan. I think the poetics and sarcasm of the mix definitely wore off.
7. What is your writing routine? If you have one, give us the run-down!
I teach full-time virtually, too. With the beginning of the school year, my schedule is changing quickly. I’m trying to write a minimum of 1,000 words a day to my current draft WIP and edit one chapter from a previous book. Marketing consumes my life for hours each day.
8. If you could go back and give yourself one piece of advice as you started out on the path to becoming an author, what would it be?
First and foremost, I’d tell my inner critic to take a hike sooner. I’d also focus on slowing down a little more and refining my pre and post production process, and she should, too.
9. Last but not least: where can we find you? Drop those links!
Thank you so, so much for sharing this!
My pleasure!