Author Interview with Jennifer L. Armentrout

I’m so excited to have been able to interview Armentrout right before the release of her newest book A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire! I’m currently obsessed with this series and loved book two even more than book one which I didn’t think was possible. You can find my review HERE. Also if you’ve read this book or series please leave your review on sites. I’ve noticed neither have many reviews on Amazon or B&N so we should definitely change that.

Meet Jennifer L. Armentrout

#1 New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. She spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, hanging out with her husband and her Border Jack Apollo. In early 2015, Jennifer was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and death of cells in the retina, eventually resulting in loss of vision, among other complications. Due to this diagnosis, educating people on the varying degrees of blindness has become of passion of hers, right alongside writing, which she plans to do as long as she can.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Tor, HarperCollins Avon and William Morrow, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her Wicked Series has been optioned by PassionFlix. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. Her adult romantic suspense novel TILL DEATH was a Amazon Editor’s Pick and iBook Book of the Month. Her young adult contemporary THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER is a 2017 RITA Award Winner in Young Adult Fiction. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

She is the owner of ApollyCon and The Origin Event, the successful annual events that features over a hundred bestselling authors in Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more.

Website | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads

All About From Blood and Ash & A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire

The From Blood and Ash series are your first high fantasy novels. What made you finally decide to take the plunge with this genre?

I’ve always wanted to write a fantasy, but I wasn’t sure if I could do it or not since it requires a whole lot of world building and plotting, at least for me. So, I played with the idea for about three years before finally sitting down and deciding to do it. I think fantasy is pure escapism, and I’ve always been drawn to that aspect.

What inspired From Blood and Ash? Did it require research?

Randomly, it was the 2016 Olympics. I know. Olympics have literally nothing to do with the books, but it’s a weird, twisty road of inspiration, LOL. I’ve also always been fascinated by the idea of Atlantis, so there was some research there, but not much.

Were there scenes you ended up cutting you wish you could have kept? What was the decision-making process behind cutting them?

Actually, yes there are a couple of scenes I had to cut and will appear in the 3rd book. It happened because I realized those scenes couldn’t happen yet. It’s not often that I have to cut scenes, but it happens.

Was it harder to write From Kingdom of Flesh and Fire than from Blood and Ash?

Definitely harder because second books are always harder. You don’t want to fall into the second book slump and now you have to write within the world you’ve established versus creating that world.

All About Jennifer L. Armentrout!

When you are writing a series how do you plot it out? What’s your writing process?

I know how I want each book to begin and end, and how I see the series end, but I usually don’t heavily plot beyond the first book.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I cannot write if someone is sitting beside me or standing behind me. I hate the idea of someone reading what I’m writing while I’m writing.

Last, Current, and Next – what was your last read, what is your current read, and what’s next?

My last read was Jackal by JR Ward and I’m getting ready to read a Nalini Singh novel.

This or that?

Tea, coffee or hot chocolate? Coffee
Ebook, physical copy or audiobook? Ebook
Bad boy, nerdy boy or sweet boy? A combo of all three
Book, tv show or movie? Book

About the Book

Title: A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: September 1, 2020
Genre: New Adult, High Fantasy, Romance
Rating: ★★★★★

Is Love Stronger Than Vengeance?

A Betrayal…

Everything Poppy has ever believed in is a lie, including the man she was falling in love with. Thrust among those who see her as a symbol of a monstrous kingdom, she barely knows who she is without the veil of the Maiden. But what she does know is that nothing is as dangerous to her as him. The Dark One. The Prince of Atlantia. He wants her to fight him, and that’s one order she’s more than happy to obey. He may have taken her, but he will never have her.
A Choice….

Casteel Da’Neer is known by many names and many faces. His lies are as seductive as his touch. His truths as sensual as his bite. Poppy knows better than to trust him. He needs her alive, healthy, and whole to achieve his goals. But he’s the only way for her to get what she wants—to find her brother Ian and see for herself if he has become a soulless Ascended. Working with Casteel instead of against him presents its own risks. He still tempts her with every breath, offering up all she’s ever wanted. Casteel has plans for her. Ones that could expose her to unimaginable pleasure and unfathomable pain. Plans that will force her to look beyond everything she thought she knew about herself—about him. Plans that could bind their lives together in unexpected ways that neither kingdom is prepared for. And she’s far too reckless, too hungry, to resist the temptation.

A Secret…

But unrest has grown in Atlantia as they await the return of their Prince. Whispers of war have become stronger, and Poppy is at the very heart of it all. The King wants to use her to send a message. The Descenters want her dead. The wolven are growing more unpredictable. And as her abilities to feel pain and emotion begin to grow and strengthen, the Atlantians start to fear her. Dark secrets are at play, ones steeped in the blood-drenched sins of two kingdoms that would do anything to keep the truth hidden. But when the earth begins to shake, and the skies start to bleed, it may already be too late.

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