Book Recommendations – Jessie Kwak

New Sci-Fi Crime Releases

Post published:December 15, 2022

If you enjoyed the stories in CROOKED volumes 1 and 2, you'll be delighted to hear that the authors are an industrious bunch. Many have new books out in their well-loved series — or are launching new series entirely. Read on for a round-up of this winter's new releases from some of the fabulous authors I've been privileged to work with as part of CROOKED! (Note that a lot of these books are further on in the series — follow the links to pick up the first book in the series if you haven't already.) Huntress at the Helm by Greg Dragon…

Gifts for Readers: 2021 Edition

Post published:December 7, 2021

Oh, hello! Welcome to my gift guide for readers for 2021. Got a reader on your shopping list? Are their reading tastes weird like mine? You're in the right place. These aren't the "Best books of 2021." Nor is this a comprehensive list of books I think are worth gifting. Rather, this is a list of books I personally read in the last year or so that I wholeheartedly recommend. Books I've been dying to shout about. Books that, were we standing next to each other right now, I would put directly in your hands and insist you purchase. There…

12 space opera boxed sets for only 99c each!

Post published:May 9, 2021

Whether you're hunting for a good vacation read or searching for your next favorite series, here's approximately one zillion pages of adventure! Get your space opera fix for days (weeks? months?) with these incredible 99c boxed set deals. You'll find space pirates, space marines, and space gangsters! Rogue AIs, lost fleets, and bounty hunters! Thrilling heroics, exhilarating battles, twisty plots, and dastardly subterfuge! Every one of these boxed sets is only 99c — and also available in Kindle Unlimited, if that's your thing. Dig in and stock up on these incredible deals while they last! (Note that I'm using affiliate links.…

99c Sci-Fi Boxed Set Sale

Post published:September 4, 2019

A bunch of great space opera and sci-fi authors are offering 99c sales on their boxed sets this month, so I've collected as many as I could find here. Know something else that should be included? Drop a line in the comments. Athelon (9 books) By Justin Bell A routine shuttle trip gone wrong. A young girl submerged into a galactic conflict. A single chance to help win the war. Get it here. The Beam (6 books) By Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant When all of humanity is connected, the network is the true power. Get it here. Blackbeard (7…

[Interview] Great Expectations takes to the stars with Kate Sheeran Swed

Post published:July 9, 2019

I'm thrilled to present something a little different today: an interview with fantastic new indie sci-fi author Kate Sheeran Swed. Her first book, Parting Shadows comes out today, and it's marvelous. Parting Shadows is the first book in the Toccata System series, a trio of novellas which are all inspired by classic literature — but with Kate's own unique spin. I truly loved Parting Shadows. The characters were complex and fascinating, and the setting was rich and deep. Even though we only get a glimpse of the overall universe in this book, I got the sense that we're barely scratching the…

Looking for Some Hopeful Science Fiction?

Post published:February 4, 2019

Lately, I've been in the mood for hopeful science fiction. Maybe it's the new year, maybe it's being in the throes of winter, or maybe it's just that I'm a bit over SF/F shows and books where everyone stabs everyone else in the back, and the moral is that life's tough and then you die. I'm craving hope. Trust. The prevalence of justice. Friendship against all odds. If you're craving that as well, this blog post is for you. These books aren't necessarily light reads, but they are the sorts of books where you can expect things to turn out all…

Nerdy Sewing + Win a Copy of The Expanse: Leviathan Wakes

Post published:August 31, 2018

Have you been reading The Expanse series, or watching the show on SyFy? I love it. I love tight focus on the characters, the action and adventure, the moral choices, the plucky team who's got each others' backs — all of it. But most of all I love the unrelenting sense of optimism in this series. Yes, people can be terrible to one another. Yes, we make mistakes. Yes, there are horrible tragedies in the world. But rather than going in the direction of grimdark nihilism (think Altered Carbon or Game of Thrones), The Expanse makes you feel like there's…

Writing a World in Glimpses

Post published:August 2, 2018

Two years ago, I wrote the short story that gave me my first glimpse into the Durga System. (It was published in the second volume of Bikes in Space, a fantastic series of feminist bicycle science fiction edited by Elly Blue.) In that story, Willem Jaantzen was the villain — but as I expanded on the premise of the original short story I became more and more fascinated by him and his crew. (If you've read Starfall, you've been introduced to Starla already; if you've read Negative Return you've gotten to meet Manu.) Since those books came out, I’ve written another…

Happy Birthday, Negative Return!

Post published:July 15, 2018

It's been over a year since I released Negative Return.While I had hoped to have less of a gap in my publishing schedule this time around, part of the reason for the delay is that I'm saving up my words to give you something really exciting later this year.I'm not yet ready to announce release dates, but I do have another Durga System novella and three full-length novels in the works for sometime in the winter.You'll be hearing more over the next few months as I get things finalized and can share bits of books with you. (Stay tuned for…

Summer Shenanigans

Post published:July 1, 2018

Last weekend, I went with some girlfriends to Tillamook, Oregon for a getaway weekend. If you've never been to Tillamook, it's best known for its dairy industry — so of course we visited Blue Heron creamery to sample delicious brie and feed the animals.(That's me as a bull above, with my friend and fellow author Alexis, writing as Alexis Radcliff, as a peacock. Photo by Kristin Koontz.)I find summers fun, but exhausting. While Portland winters are designed for hunkering down and getting work done, as soon as we get our stretch of rain-free summer days we try to pack in…