Cinders of Yesterday has wone the Rone award for Best LGBTQ book from Ind’tale Magazine!

If you missed it in the Syllables and Sass newsletter, or Ind’tale Magazine, you can read Jen’s statement below:

When I was growing up, there weren't queer books available like they are today. The best I could hope for was some queer coding, and maybe a secondary character who looked at their bestie a bit too long. When I was a teenager, and young adult, I was told that if I wrote queer books, that I'd never get published.

So for years I wrote fanfic instead, and then in Autumn of 2017 I sat down to write a book that maybe didn't have an audience. About two women fighting their demons, and falling in love along the way. I called it Cinders of Yesterday, and it was a retort to the belief that we'd told all the paranormal stories, and that there wasn't a queer audience waiting for books like this. In October I got to watch that book win the Rone Award for Best LGBTQ+ Book.

I'm tearing up a little just writing this, so know I'd absolutely be crying otherwise. Thank you so much to everyone who was involved at every stage. My early readers Jo & Cas, my partner Riggs who watched me try not to loose my mind, my editor Heather McCorkle who really believed in my story, Tina Moss who runs my publisher City Owl Press and ensured everything ran as smoothly as possible. Everyone has been so supportive, and so welcoming, and I'm so glad they helped to introduce Dani & Emilie to the world.

Thank you so much, we wouldn't be here without all of you or the amazing readers who have found me in any number of ways. I wrote this book for the people who didn't see themselves on the page, and I'm not planning on stopping anytime soon.

Thank you all so, so, so, much.