Updates

December 30, 2021

Only two days left before Dancing the Knife's Edge, the final book in the Sacred Guardian m/m fantasy series, is released! I can hardly believe it. 😍

Preorder link: ⚡getbook.at/SG-4⚡

The rest of the Sacred Guardian series can be found here:
Amazon: mybook.to/SGseries
Audible: bit.ly/audioSG

Imagine a world where magic is real, where ruling lords plot to overthrow the crown and a kingdom is left to flounder with a young and untried High Lord having recently been awarded the throne. Imagine a world of armored and sword-wielding soldiers, of stealthy assassins, of plots and betrayals, romance and mystery, of wars and battles both at home and abroad. This is the kingdom of Kazure, where the threat of civil war between the various ruling factions looms ever present even as enemies press from outside the country's borders, threatening everything its people hold dear. High Lord Kaori Sansa has to find a way to overcome the trials facing both him and Kazure or else risk losing it all—his country, his life, and quite possibly his soul.

Stay up to date on all my newest writing projects:
bit.ly/News-jajaken

December 27, 2021

Dancing the Knife's Edge, the final book in the Sacred Guardian m/m fantasy series, is just about live! I can hardly believe it. Just a few more days and it'll be out there in the world for all of you to read. I'm excited and nervous about it all at the same time. I'm absolutely in love with it, but I can't help feeling a bit anxious all the same.

Dan Calley will be narrating the audiobook for this latest addition to the series as well. He's planning to start recording early next week. So exciting!!!

You can still preorder the newest book on Amazon to have it appear on your Kindle device on January 1st: ⚡getbook.at/SG-4⚡

The rest of the Sacred Guardian series can be found here:
Amazon: mybook.to/SGseries
Audible: bit.ly/audioSG

December 25, 2021

Only 12 days left to preorder the final book in the SACRED GUARDIAN m/m fantasy series!!!

Click here to order: getbook.at/SG-4

Find the previous books in the Sacred Guardian series here:
Amazon: mybook.to/SGseries
Audible: bit.ly/audioSG

Dancing the Knife's Edge (Sacred Guardian #4)
by J.A. Jaken
Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, M/M Romance
It has been over a year since Kaori took the throne, and he and Hunter are at last ready to become married under Kazurian law. However, a brutal attack against Hunter just days before the wedding suggests that not all of Kazure is in favor of the alliance. Kaori goes on a desperate quest to save Hunter's life even as a new enemy arises, slaughtering the priests and priestesses inside the Summer Temple for unknown reasons. Finding a solution to these two mysteries will determine whether or not Hunter manages to survive, and if the kingdom of Kazure will continue to exist at all.

October 1, 2021

Through the Last Door is on Kindle Countdown Deal for one week only!!! Immerse yourself in the m/m fantasy adventure called "a delightful gem that ensnared me from the first page" and "a wonderful story told with intricate characters and beautiful artistry", starting today at only 99¢:

Universal Amazon link: getbook.at/TTLD
Also available on Audible: bit.ly/TTLDaudio
Sacred Guardian series: mybook.to/SGseries

September 4, 2021

The audiobook for The Soul Forge, Book 3 in the Sacred Guardian m/m fantasy series, is now available! Once again, Dan Calley knocked it out of the park with his captivating audio narration and absolutely beautiful voice acting. I still can't get over how amazing it is to hear Kaori, Hunter, and the rest of the characters in this series come to life the way they do.

You can find the audiobook here:

Audible US: bit.ly/SG3_US
Audible UK: bit.ly/SG3_UK
Other Audible marketplaces: mybook.to/SG3audio

The eBook and Paperback versions are available on Amazon: getbook.at/tsf

August 26, 2021

The audiobook for The Soul Forge, Book 3 in the Sacred Guardian m/m fantasy series, is now available! Once again, Dan Calley knocked it out of the park with his captivating audio narration and absolutely beautiful voice acting. I still can't get over how amazing it is to hear Kaori, Hunter, and the rest of the characters in this series come to life the way they do.

You can find the audiobook here:

Audible US: bit.ly/SG3_US
Audible UK: bit.ly/SG3_UK
Other Audible marketplaces: mybook.to/SG3audio

The eBook and Paperback versions are available on Amazon: getbook.at/tsf

The eBook is free to read on Kindle Unlimited!

THE SOUL FORGE by J.A. Jaken
Sacred Guardian series #3
Available Formats: E-book, Paperback, Audiobook
(Free to read on #KU!)
Genre: m/m romance, fantasy, adventure
Length: 14 hours 24 minutes (151,000 words)
Narrator: Dan Calley
Summary: The country of Kazure bows under the shadow of war as the Shindori lords from the east continue to wage their holy crusade. Kaori Sansa, the High Lord of Kazure, is desperately searching for a way to defend his people while he struggles to determine which of the lords in his own country can be trusted to see the war through. Meanwhile, Hunter confronts his inner demons as the horrors of his past come back to haunt him, and he comes face to face with the criminal organization that enslaved him as a child. Both men must fight to uphold their oaths—both to Kazure and to each other—while the forces gathering around them are doing everything in their power to bring them down.

August 22, 2021

I've been playing around more with OpenShot video editor and created this new promo video for the Sacred Guardian series. Be sure to turn up the volume when you watch it! 🎵

I tried out a different style with this one, with a simpler presentation, and focused more on the m/m romance aspect of the story than the fantasy/adventure part of it. I really suck at limiting myself to a single genre when I write. Sticking to one genre is supposed to be better for sales and marketing and whatnot, but oh well.

This video was much less of a pain to make than the previous one! There are significantly fewer transitions in it, which was a lot easier to work with. The hardest part was the timing to keep each slide in sync with the changes in the music, and inserting the few clips I used from Dan Calley's absolutely beautiful narration and voice acting. I think I succeeded, and I'm reasonably happy with how it turned out.

Let me know what you think?

August 16, 2021

Sharing the book trailer video I made for my m/m fantasy series, SACRED GUARDIAN. The audiobooks were read by the supremely talented Mr. Dan Calley, and the video includes several clips of his amazing narration.

This is the very first video trailer I've made, and I didn't really know what I was doing. So please be kind, lol. I self-taught by watching a few YouTube videos and making use of some open source audio/video editing tools. Add an unseemly number of hours of practice, messing up, starting over, and near endless amounts of tweaking, and voila! A video trailer is born.

Book 4 in the series can be preordered here: getbook.at/SG-4

The rest of the series can be found on Amazon here: mybook.to/SGseries

Audiobooks are on Audible here: bit.ly/audioSG

More detailed info about the series can be found on my website here: bit.ly/SGseries

August 15, 2021

July 30, 2021

🎧 NOW AVAILABLE! 🎧

"You are doom-driven, High Lord. Make sure you do not fall into the trap your destiny has set for you."

The audiobook for Eater of Dreams, sequel to Through the Last Door in the Sacred Guardian m/m fantasy series, is now available!!! Join Kaori and Hunter as they embark on a new adventure filled with danger, intrigue, and (of course) romance as they continue to explore their deepening relationship together. Rejoin old friends and become acquainted with new ones as you immerse yourself in the engrossing narration of Dan Calley:
 
Audible: adbl.co/37bPEpS
Amazon: getbook.at/eater_of_dreams
(Free to read on Kindle Unlimited!)
 
Author's Website: bit.ly/SGseries
 
EATER OF DREAMS by J.A. Jaken
Sacred Guardian series #2
Available Formats: E-book, Paperback, Audiobook
(Free to read on #KU!)
Genre: m/m romance, fantasy, adventure
Length: 11 hours 37 minutes (123,000 words)
Narrator: Dan Calley
Summary: Kaori Sansa has uncovered the truth about Shinja, the Sacred Guardian of Kazure, but the country he is sworn to protect is far from secure. War presses hard from the east, and unrest from within Kazure's borders threatens to undermine what little control he's managed to gain over his subjects. Furthermore, there are those who question his choice in pursuing a relationship with Hunter--quite possibly even those who are closest to him, and whom he has most come to depend upon. Will he find a way to sort through the miasma of lies, violence, and political entanglements that surround him in order to save the country he loves, yet somehow remain true to his own heart?

July 29, 2021

TEASER CLIP
Posting an audio teaser for my soon-to-be-released audiobook Eater of Dreams, sequel to Through the Last Door. Yet again, Dan Calley has done an absolutely phenomenal job in bringing the characters and scenes in this series to life. I am so excited to share it with all of you!!!

July 26, 2021

A young man enslaved against his will in a foreign country, driven by a burning desire for vengeance....
I am very happy to announce that my m/m slavefic novel Nicholi's Vengeance is now being released in paperback! It is long, long overdue. This is the second edition version of the book, which has a few significant changes in the latter half of the story along with some moderate edits from the version that was originally released by my previous publisher.

Be aware that this book is not for the faint of heart! Trigger warnings for rape/noncon apply.

You can find more information about the book on my website here:

https://www.jajakenfiction.com/nicholis-vengeance

Amazon buy link: getbook.at/NsV
Smashwords buy link: bit.ly/NV_SW

NICHOLI'S VENGEANCE by J.A. Jaken
Length: 110,000 words
Genre: m/m, dark fantasy, slavefic (trigger warning for noncon)
Available formats: e-book, paperback
Summary: Nicholi’s world goes up in flames when soldiers invade his country, leaving chaos in their wake. Captured and enslaved in a foreign land, Nicholi struggles to cope with the nightmare of slavery and adapt to the terrifying and inexplicable world he is thrust into. He draws courage from a steadfast determination to get justice for his murdered family and—he hopes—peace to himself by finding and killing the man responsible for the destruction of his village. Yet through it all, Nicholi’s greatest enemy might not be foreign powers or enemy soldiers, or even in the self-serving machinations of his fellow slaves, but himself.

July 16, 2021

I'm so excited about the audiobook for Eater of Dreams! Dan is about halfway done recording now, and the chapters I've listened to so far are absolutely wonderful. There's just something about his narration that pulls me into a story and makes everything else in the world fall away. It's incredible.

If you missed out on either reading or listening to Through the Last Door, the first book in the series, you can find it here:

Audible: adbl.co/37bPEpS
Amazon: getbook.at/eater_of_dreams
The ebook version is free to read on KU!

You can find more info about the series on my website here:
https://www.jajakenfiction.com/sacred-guardian-series

June 14, 2021

Sharing an amazing 5 star review for The Ouroboros Prophecy from Blue Rose Reviews!!!

https://www.bluerosereview.com/2021/06/the-ouroboros-prophecy-sequel-to-pathfinder/

"This sci-fi novel was narrated beautifully. It truly conveys a living experience of being consumed by oneself. Whether the author has done this consciously or not, it took me a week to percolate this and to rationally describe the experience of seeing and feeling a sunset in person, instead of it being described to you. I felt the story and I tip my hat to the author."

June 7, 2021

Through the Last Door is up for audiobook of the month on Love Bytes! If you're feeling generous, please stop by and give Dan and me a vote.

- VOTE HERE -

June 1, 2021

It's New Release Day!!!

Audible buy link: adbl.co/3vL2CFD
Amazon buy link: getBook.at/pathfinder2

The Ouroboros Prophecy by J.A. Jaken is now available on audiobook, narrated by Dan Calley! Sequel to the best-selling m/m sci-fi thriller Pathfinder, this second novel in the series follows Shai and Lorne as their pairbond continues to develop and delves deeper into the mysterious, genetically coded relationship between pathfinders and their guides.

Both novels follow the adventures of Shai, a self-proclaimed "nobody" who wants nothing more than to make it through life without being noticed by the terrifyingly violent cartels who rule the city he lives in. That becomes impossible once he discovers he's a pathfinder, a rare descendant of humans who were genetically altered to have telepathic and other extrasensory powers.

It turns out that someone of his abilities makes him a very desirable and sought-after commodity as practically every cartel in the city wants to use him to get ahead in their endless territorial wars. Once Shai's secret gets out, his previous life of comforting anonymity is over...and that's only the beginning as he's forced into a fight for his life and for his freedom, and has to make hard decisions about what exactly he believes is worth fighting for.

If you missed it, you can grab a copy of Pathfinder here:

Audible: adbl.co/3u6JRuV
Amazon: getBook.at/pathfinder

Be aware that the Pathfinder series has a trigger warning for scenes of semi- and non-consensual sex.


THE OUROBOROS PROPHECY (Pathfinder Book 2)
By J.A. Jaken
Available Formats: E-book, Paperback, Audiobook
Genre: m/m, sci-fi, thriller
Length: 14 hours 27 minutes (145,000 words)
Audiobook Narrator: Dan Calley
A vision drawn from the mind of a dying member of an Outrider clan draws Shai and Lorne back into the city of Nhil-Rhar, where they are pulled into a deadly conspiracy. Pathfinders are having dreams of destruction and chaos, criminal factions are battling openly in the streets, and a mysterious virus has been unleashed in the Agency's computers. On the fringes of it all lurks a dark figure that Shai can sense but not see, a figure that is neither pathfinder nor guide yet somehow--impossibly--more powerful than both. Time is running out, and if he doesn't solve the mystery of the ouroboros prophecy, not only his life but the lives of the Outriders and everyone in Nhil-Rhar will be forfeit.

June 1, 2021

Sharing a lovely 5-star review by Blue Rose Reviews for the new Pathfinder audiobook:

https://www.bluerosereview.com/2021/05/featuring-pathfinder-by-j-a-jaken-narrated-by-dan-calley/

"The author wrote something I did not expect and never heard before. I loved the writing style, how the plot was laid out. So many gears were turning while we experience world-building and character development, all the while multiple non-consensual sexual scenes or episodes are happening. I fell in love with the main characters nearly instantly. I barely survived the tension while I got swept up in the mystery of the founders of this dystopian thriller."

May 29, 2021

Went out to the new kickboxing gym today to take a look around. It's not a bad place! Very clean, and they seem serious about practicing social distancing which is nice. They're only offering non-competitive classes this summer, but that's really all I need for now. I just want something to get my body moving again and my blood pumping, and work off stress and depression and whatnot. I can't do normal gym workouts because I find those so mind-numbing that my brain always tries to eat itself out of boredom. I enjoy jogging, but that gets lonely after a while.

I really miss my old dojang, but this might work for a while. The instructor is VERY enthusiastic about the health benefits of kickboxing, lol. But the people in the group I saw there seem nice. They were really welcoming and friendly, and the group dynamic seems geared toward encouraging each other during the workout which is awesome.

I'm going to try out a free trial class later this week. It looks like the sparring gear I have from my taekwondo class is going to work just fine as kickboxing gear, so I don't even have to buy any new equipment. I'm a little sad because this feels a bit like quitting on my taekwondo goals (I'm only two ranks away from earning my black belt), but I'm telling myself that's okay. Maybe some things just aren't meant to be.

May 28, 2021

I've been going a bit stir crazy for the past year during the pandemic lockdowns because the dojang where I would normally take taekwondo classes was closed down. I was really used to being able to swing by and hit things on the way home from work after a bad day, lol. It did wonderful things for my mental health.

Things are finally starting to open up here again, slowly, but it looks as though the group I was used to training with has more or less disbanded because the business didn't survive financially over the past year. I've been really depressed about it, but recently I discovered a kickboxing place nearby that looks quite intriguing. I've never done kickboxing before, but how different can it be?

I think I'm going to swing by there this weekend and check it out. It'll give me the chance to meet some people, maybe try out a free class if they offer one, and decide if it's a group I feel I might be comfortable with. I have high hopes for it.

Fingers crossed!

May 26, 2021

A brand new review for the audiobook for Through the Last Door on TTC Books & More:

http://www.ttcbooksandmore.com/2021/05/cats-audiobook-review-of-through-last.html

"This is a high fantasy with lots of action, devious plots to take over the kingdoms, spies, monster ant creatures and savior snakes. Sound good? Wait. Throw in hot body guards, slow burn romance and it’s even better."

May 18, 2021

It's New Release Day!!! My best-selling M/M sci-fi thriller Pathfinder, narrated by Dan Calley, is now available on audiobook! Along with the transformation to audio, the novel has gotten a shiny new cover and a minor overhaul to the interior including a round of light edits.

Audible link: adbl.co/3u6JRuV
Amazon link: getBook.at/pathfinder
Smashwords link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/934973

Brutal crime lords. Deadly conspiracies. And a desperate psychic just trying to survive....
Have you been searching for a gripping, engrossing M/M novel to sink your teeth into that's filled with edge-of-your-seat tension, darkly sensuous sex, fascinating characters, and deep and captivating world-building with loving attention paid to every detail?

PATHFINDER by J.A. Jaken
Available Formats: E-book, Paperback, Audiobook
Genre: m/m, sci-fi, thriller (warnings for #Noncon)
Length: 76,000 words
Audiobook Narrator: Dan Calley
Summary: Shai discovers he is a pathfinder and is desperate to find a genetically suitable partner to prevent his extrasensory talents from running amok. Unfortunately those talents make him a target for the brutal crime lords and other violent denizens who inhabit the city of Nhil-Rhar. Shai needs to learn how to use his pathfinder senses—no matter how much they terrify him—before he's trapped in a partnership that will enslave him for the rest of his life.

Author's webpage link: https://www.jajakenfiction.com/pathfinder

Praise for Pathfinder:

"Pathfinder plays out like a dark and guilty fantasy... I really, really loved it."

"I couldn't stop reading. I can't and I won't give less than 5 stars."

"Excellent read; the world building was fantastic!"

"A wonderful book which left me with a warm glow and a smile when I turned the last page. Well worth 5 stars!"

"Pathfinder was remarkably good! I enjoyed every minute of this fast-paced, somewhat dark science fiction story. J.A. Jaken can write!"

"If you’re into a fast-paced, science fiction story with a dash of angst and twistedness, then definitely give Pathfinder a shot. I know I look forward to reading more from this author."

"This is a great science fiction story of a lost science which scientists are trying to revive. The characters are all well written and the storyline is brilliant."

"Pathfinder is jam-packed with a cocktail of adventure, world-building, action, angst and hints of love, and kept me on the edge of my seat constantly."

"This is an excellent story, set in an anarchic world not too removed from our own ... a damn good read, making me miserable and hopeful in turns."

"This book is now one of my favs, one I am sure to reread again. Loving how JA Jaken delivers her story."

"I really loved this story. I just could not put it down, and read the entire thing in one sitting."

May 17, 2021

Sharing a new audiobook review for Through the Last Door on Love Bytes:

https://lovebytesreviews.com/2021/05/11/audio-book-review-through-the-last-door-sacred-guardian-1-by-j-a-jaken-author-dan-calley-narrator/

"The world building here is superb, and woven into the tale seamlessly." -4.25 stars

May 12, 2021

I'm so excited about the upcoming release of the audiobook for Pathfinder! I still can't get over how good it turned out. I've had the opportunity to listen to the first few chapters of the sequel, The Ouroboros Prophecy, as Dan is recording it, and that's turning out to be just as amazing!!!

https://www.jajakenfiction.com/pathfinder

The audiobook should be available very soon! I'm hoping ACX will finish their QA checks and release it within the next couple of weeks. *bounces excitedly*
Here's a teaser clip from Pathfinder to whet your appetite for more!

May 2, 2021

#COMINGSOON

So far I've listened to about a third of the chapters for Pathfinder as Dan Calley is recording the audiobook, and I do not have words to describe how good it is!!! Think dark, sexy, dangerous, sensuous, and edgy all at the same time, with a healthy dose of gorgeously captivating thrown in for good measure. Hearing Dan use his amazing voice actor talents to bring my darkly dystopian sci-fi world of ruthless crime lords and genetically compulsory sexual bonds to life is a fantasy I never even knew I had. And it is happening, folks! Swooooon....

For those of you who have read the book already and are familiar with the characters, I have one more thing to say: Imagine Kalil, brought to audio life and murmuring in your ear through your headphones. Oh...my...god.

https://www.jajakenfiction.com/pathfinder

April 29, 2021

Brutal crime lords. Deadly conspiracies. And a desperate psychic just trying to survive....

The best-selling M/M sci-fi thriller Pathfinder is coming soon to audiobook, narrated by the very talented and swoon-inducing voice of Dan Calley! Along with the transformation to audio, the novel is getting a shiny new cover and a minor overhaul to the interior including a round of light edits.

Have you been searching for a gripping, engrossing M/M novel to sink your teeth into that's filled with edge-of-your-seat tension, dark and sensuous sex, fascinating characters, and deep and captivating world-building with loving attention paid to every detail?

Amazon link: getBook.at/pathfinder
Smashwords link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/934973

PATHFINDER by J.A. Jaken
Available Formats: E-book, Paperback, Audiobook (coming soon!)
Genre: m/m, sci-fi, thriller (warnings for #Noncon)
Length: 76,000 words
Audiobook Narrator: Dan Calley
Summary: Shai discovers he is a pathfinder and is desperate to find a genetically suitable partner to prevent his extrasensory talents from running amok. Unfortunately those talents make him a target for the brutal crime lords and other violent denizens who inhabit the city of Nhil-Rhar. Shai needs to learn how to use his pathfinder senses—no matter how much they terrify him—before he's trapped in a partnership that will enslave him for the rest of his life.

Author's webpage link: https://www.jajakenfiction.com/pathfinder

April 29, 2021

Sharing a teaser from my upcoming audiobook release Through the Last Door, read by Dan Calley. This is my first audiobook, and I'm so excited to share it! I'll post more details just as soon as I have them.

https://bit.ly/JAaudio

April 11, 2021

I just finished listening to the final chapter recordings for my m/m fantasy novel, Through the Last Door. Dan Calley's narration is absolutely amazing! Hiring a professional voice actor for the narration was definitely a choice I don't regret. His voice is completely absorbing to listen to, and the way he brings the characters and scenes to life is absolutely amazing. It's been an incredible and slightly surreal experience to hear my characters and scenes brought to life like this, and in such a brilliant and beautiful way. I'm so very excited about it. :D

Now we're moving into the production phase. This part will likely take a few weeks, depending on how long it takes ACX to approve the final audio files. I'm hoping it won't be very long. The audiobook will be available very soon!!

https://jajakenfiction.com/audiobooks

April 6, 2021

Over the past few years, I've begun designing my own covers and promo graphics for the books I've been writing. It's something I really enjoy doing! I love the creativity of trying to capture the atmosphere and theme of a book in visual form. The more I work with these kinds of images, the more I find myself loving it.

From conversations I've been having with other authors, not everyone feels comfortable designing their own graphics for the books they write. So I'm extending an offer to create book covers and/or promo graphics for my fellow authors (and other creative types!). I'm really excited about this, and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can come up with for your visual designs together. ♥

Here are some examples of the promotional graphics I've created:

There are more samples on my Graphics Design webpage here:

https://jajakenfiction.com/graphic-design

The fee I'm charging is US$25 per cover design, plus the cost of whatever paid stock images you decide to include. The price includes both an e-book cover and promotional graphics for your book.

If you're interested in starting a graphics project, send me an email at jajakenfiction@gmail.com and let me know what kind of design you're looking for! :)

April 2, 2021

So far I've listened to 11 chapters of the audiobook for Through the Last Door as it's being recorded, and I cannot stop bouncing from excitement! Dan Calley is doing an absolutely beautiful job of it. He's amazing to work with, so patient with all of my questions and the tweaks I'm requesting. I love how he's working with me to find the absolute perfect voices for the characters. I could not be happier or more excited about this entire process. I'm really looking forward to hearing the next chapters!!! :)

For more info on Through the Last Door and the Sacred Guardian series, you can click here:

https://jajakenfiction.com/sacred-guardian-series

March 31, 2021

Love to read quality m/m fiction? Love sneak peaks and exciting freebies? When you subscribe to my newsletter you'll receive a free ebook copy of my newest m/m short story Insomnia as a welcome gift, exclusive to my subscribers! :)

Subscribe here: bit.ly/News-jajaken

March 29, 2021

I just listened to the first chapter of the audiobook for Through the Last Door, which started recording today. It is SO GOOD! I've never heard any of my books read aloud before, and to experience it with someone of Dan's talent is beyond amazing. I am so excited to hear the rest of the chapters!

https://jajakenfiction.com/audiobooks

March 26, 2021

The Charming, a gay paranormal thriller and All Romance Ebooks best seller, is now available FREE TO READ through Kindle Unlimited!

     >>> Universal Amazon Link: getBook.at/JAcharm

     >>> https://mailchi.mp/ed1522573268/jajakenfiction

THE CHARMING by J.A. Jaken
Novel (51,000 words)
Genre(s): Contemporary, Gay Paranormal Thriller
The shadow of a past love has blinded Clayton MacAllister until his life is slipping through his fingers. Just as Clay is ready to give up on the idea that he might ever be happy, a charming stranger steps into his life and changes everything. Mal is rich, handsome and seductive; everything Clay thought he couldn’t have and didn’t deserve. Mal’s sadistic desires make Clay more than a little uneasy, but it seems like a price he can pay—until he learns the price might be his very soul.

March 20, 2021

Sharing my very first book trailer video, created by gfxstudio1. I'm so happy with how it turned out!!!

March 19, 2021

I've officially added a new audiobook page to my website. You can check it out here:

https://jajakenfiction.com/audiobooks

Right now there is only one audiobook listed there (obviously), but I expect that will be growing with time. Dan has agreed to commit to narrating the entire four-book Sacred Guardian series, which is amazing and makes me so very happy. I'm sure I'll have to revamp the page once I have multiple audiobooks to list there, but for now it seems to be working well.

And here is the new promo graphic I made for the Through the Last Door audiobook, because I was feeling super excited and creative last night:

March 18, 2021

I've finally chosen a narrator for the audiobook for Through the Last Door. I waffled a bit there at the end because his fee is a bit more than I was expecting to pay going into this, but I really think his talent is worth it. He absolutely nailed the voice of Kaori right from the start, and his narration style in the audition samples he sent me completely drew me in. I'm getting shivers just thinking about how incredible this all is. To hear Kaori and Hunter come to life like this, and Ishaya, and Haku, and Yura and Malo and Ben. I've never heard one of my stories read aloud before, and to hear it narrated by a talented voice actor is beyond amazing. ♥

March 15, 2021

I've gotten a few narrator auditions now for Through the Last Door, and something has occurred to me. When it comes to narrators, there's a distinct difference between a storyteller and someone who reads text off of a page. I'm definitely in the market for a storyteller for my audiobook, someone who can breathe life into the scenes and characters and make me want to hear more of the story they're telling. That's the experience I want to give all of you, and everyone else who ends up listening to the finished audiobook.

I'm so excited about this entire process. I think the end result is going to be absolutely magical, and I can't wait to listen to the finished product. :D

March 13, 2021

The hardest part of the audiobook process so far is turning out to be listening to the samples from all of the possible narrators I have to choose from, and selecting the ones I want to invite for an audition. A lot of them are automatic no's because their voice doesn't fit the characters or the story, or they don't have the right energy, or various other reasons they just don't fit for this particular book. But a few are catching my ear and making me think okay, I could imagine this narrator reading my story aloud. It feels like a lot of pressure, though, because if I choose the wrong one then I know I'm going to regret it. So I'm being very careful and moving very slowly at this stage of the process.

I can't help feeling really excited, though. This is new territory for me, and a new way to share the characters and worlds I've created. If any of you have been through this process already and have some advice to offer, please let me know!

March 7, 2021

I just finished posting Through the Last Door on ACX to begin auditioning narrators for the audiobook release. I'm really excited about it! I'm planning to have audiobooks made for each of the books in the Sacred Guardian series. Eventually I would like to move on to having audiobooks produced for my other books as well, but this is a start at least.

The final edits for the fourth book in the series are going very well. I'm hoping to have Dancing the Knife's Edge finished up and ready to publish very soon!

If you aren't familiar with the Sacred Guardian m/m fantasy series, you can find out all about it on my website here: bit.ly/SGseries

February 20, 2021

Checking in to say that things are finally settling down into an even keel again here at Casa Jaken. Thank you to all of you who have continued to buy my books and support me in that way over this past year, and by spreading the word about how much you've enjoyed them to your friends. It's been an incredible help to me as I've been struggling through the financial insecurity and uncertainty of these past months due to the pandemic. Every single comment I've read or email I've received letting me know how my books have touched your lives has been treasured and lightened my spirits immensely. I can't tell you how much your support and encouragement have meant to me.

Now that I'm feeling more stable and focused once again, I'm planning to get back to conquering my writing goals. The first one of those is to finish the new book in the Sacred Guardian series. Poor Kaori and Hunter have been languishing for far too long waiting for me to finish the final polishing of their story and get it out there for all of you to read. I'm planning to get started on tackling that this afternoon and intend to have a finished book ready to publish in the very near future.

That being said, I think it would be in my best interests to start focusing on marketing the series once again, and hopefully picking up some new readers who might not have had an opportunity to read the earlier books yet. So look out for those notices as I will likely be planning some giveaways and other goodies as we move forward toward the publishing of book 4.

If you aren't familiar with the series, you can find out all about it on my website here: bit.ly/SGseries

Here is my latest promo graphic for the series to hopefully start getting you excited about it: :)

January 1, 2021

Happy New Year, everyone! Hoping you all got through the chaos and challenges of 2020 with a minimum of damage and are looking forward to getting a fresh start in the new year. I've been through my share of personal tragedy and challenges these past months, and am looking forward to the opportunity to take a breath and move forward again with my writing goals.

This is going to be a quick entry because the chaos has not yet settled down entirely for me. I just wanted to check in, let you know I'm okay, and that I hope to be interacting more with you in the coming months. I'm looking forward to reconnecting with all of you. I miss my online community. :)

Take care and stay safe. Much love to all!