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Penn Cole Author Interview Questions
- Tell us a little bit about yourself! What did you do (career wise) before you became an author?
- My undergrad degree is in Creative Writing, so I always knew I wanted to write, but as I was preparing to graduate college, I decided to take a job at a photography studio to pay the bills. I ended up developing a successful photo business, which later transitioned into small business coaching. I then decided to attend law school, and I spent a few years practicing law until Covid made me take a step back and reassess my life. I realized that I had never given up on my dream of writing novels, so I finally decided to take a chance and publish my first book! This coincided with a cross-global move from Texas (my home state) to Paris, France, where I live now with my husband and cat.
- What inspired you to write Romantasy?
- I’ve always been a big lover of fantasy, because I love imagining worlds where the impossible is always possible and things like magic and dragons are not just real, but part of everyday life. However, as a younger reader, I didn't see myself in the fantasy books that I found on bookstore shelves or in popular media like movies and graphic novels. At the time, those stories were always written by men, featuring men, and targeting a male audience, often relegating female characters to no more than a shallow, poorly developed love interest. Eventually, I stumbled on a book called Kushiel’s Dart, by Jacqueline Carey. I was absolutely entranced by the amazing female characters and the way the story highlighted issues important to women such as consent, bodily autonomy, and gender equality. For the first time, I could imagine myself in the hero’s shoes, instead of being the damsel in distress. That really opened my eyes to a world of fantasy that was more accessible to women, and for me, that inclusivity is what makes romantasy such an incredible genre to write in. Though I have many male and nonbinary readers and I value them deeply, I get a lot of joy in writing the books that, as a young woman, I wanted but couldn’t find.
- What is the longest amount of time it has taken you to prepare and complete a book?
- Ask me again when my next book is out! I’ve been working on the fourth book in my my series for over a year now, which is the longest time I’ve ever spent a single project. Some of that is because my career has seen a lot of dramatic changes in the last year as my series has really gained traction with new readers, which I am so grateful for, though it has been a big learning curve.
- Which book of the Kindred’s Curse Saga has been most challenging for you to write?
- Glow of the Everflame, book two in the series (which just released on December 3rd!) was a difficult one for me emotionally. Although I enjoyed the writing process, I struggled a lot with self-doubt and imposter syndrome. I actually almost deleted the book just before I published it, because I was so afraid that it would fall flat and disappoint readers after my first book had been so warmly received. I put a lot of pressure on myself to get better with every book I write, and although that can be a great motivator to always be learning and improving my craft, it also requires having faith in myself to do big, scary things!
- Which character did you enjoy writing the most? Do you relate to this character at all?
- I really love writing Taran, who is a character we get to know beginning in Glow of the Everflame. I like to describe him as a himbo golden retriever—not the brightest bulb in the box, but a heart of gold and the most loyal friend you could ever want! He is always laughing, always grinning, and absolutely always cracking inappropriate jokes, but as with many people who always put on a happy face, there’s a lot of hurt and brokenness buried beneath the surface. He’s been through a lot of trauma, and at his core, he wants nothing more than to love someone deeply and be equally loved in return. In that respect, I definitely relate to Taran. We are both romantics at heart!
- How were you first published?
- I originally self-published my first three books: Spark of the Everflame, Glow of the Everflame, and Heat of the Everflame. I spend about two years writing and editing them, and then I rapid released them over a short period in 2023. I was very fortunate that they caught fire with readers pretty quickly and did well on the Amazon bestseller lists. In early 2024, I connected with Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, and they expressed interest in partnering with me on the print edition of my series. I was already familiar with Atria and had long been impressed with how aware they are of publishing trends and how unafraid they have been to take risks on untraditional book deals and book marketing, and I knew immediately that I wanted to work with them. Although my ebooks remain self-published, Atria is re-releasing the print books in a beautiful new hardcover edition with additional content, so it feels like I’m publishing them for the first time all over again!
- What do you believe is most important about the Romantasy or Fantasy Romance genre that sets it apart from other genres?
- I think Fantasy in general, but especially romance-heavy fantasy, is really uniquely situated to help people work through difficult moral and social questions without the baggage we bring in from “the real world.” We all have so many biases and preconceived notions on most real-life issues, and those things can easily blind us and make it hard to see controversial topics from other perspectives. In fantasy, we get to leave a lot of that behind, which gives us a unique opportunity to put ourselves on the opposite side of a conflict. I believe strongly that reading, especially fiction, is innately political, but it doesn’t have to be the divisive, polarizing politics we’re used to. Instead, it can be something that encourages us to find love in unexpected places, to nurture compassion, and to keep our minds and hearts open to people of all kinds.
- What are some of your personal book recommendations?
- In romantasy, I’m really loving Book of Azrael by Amber V. Nicole, Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana, and if you like things on the spicier side, anything by Katee Robert or Kimberly Lemming. On the contemporary side, I’m always ravenous for anything written by Emily Henry or Elena Armas.
- In romantasy, I’m really loving Book of Azrael by Amber V. Nicole, Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana, and if you like things on the spicier side, anything by Katee Robert or Kimberly Lemming. On the contemporary side, I’m always ravenous for anything written by Emily Henry or Elena Armas.
The High Mountain Court by A.K. Mulford
360 pages
4.3/5*
Formats Available: physical copy, eBook Libby, Italian eBook Libby, eBook Hoopla
For thirteen years, nineteen-year-old Remy has known she is possibly the last red witch alive, and she is determined to stay that way. But the Northern Court King, who has slaughtered her family and placed a bounty on red witch heads, is intent on destroying her kind once and for all.
When four fae warriors enter her tavern refuge, Remy tries to flee, but her magic isn’t strong enough to stop the determined—and handsome—Prince Hale of the Eastern Kingdom. He claims he wants to stop a war with the Northern Court before his kingdom succumbs to the same fate as Remy’s. In order to do that, he needs a red witch…and Remy may be the only person alive who can help him.
Yet even as she’s drawn to him, can she really trust Prince Hale? Can her fallen court truly be rescued from the evil clutches of the Northern Court King?
Does she even have a choice?
For the chance to save herself, her people, and help rid the world of a murderous tyrant, Remy must put her faith in Hale and his companions on a dangerous quest to find lost relics…and discover if she is ready to secure her legacy.
First off, I want to give a huge thank you to Harper Voyager and A.K. Mulford for sending me the entire stunning series that is The Five Crowns of Okrith and the ARC of the final book, The Amethyst Kingdom. I have been eyeing book one, High Mountain Court, for quite some time, and I was ecstatic when they all showed up in my mailbox! I blew through High Mountain Court, and I really enjoyed the book and loved that it was not a million pages long. I would pick this up if you are into short romantic fantasy books. The book throws you in to main character Remi’s epic journey of hiding her true identity from the people trying to find her, while she has to just simply deal with Hale, the prince of the Eastern Kingdom (might be bad, might be good…only time will tell). I found that the author did a great job giving each and every character their own unique personality and development throughout the story.
My one and only complaint (that could potentially be revoked) is that the book moves so quickly and ends in such a shocking discovery that you are thinking “Okay, let’s go book two! “What’s next?”, but then you quickly find out each book focuses on different characters. I am not quite sure how I feel about this. I want more of Remi and Hale’s story, so I am wondering if it will continue but without them as the main focus. I guess it is time for me to get my act together and dive in to book two, so I can let you guys know!
*Book is compared to A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and From Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout
For more book recommendations please tune in to Off the Books with B&S Podcast on any of your podcasting platforms; new episodes air every other Thursday.
-Samantha
Never Lie by Freida McFadden 
286 pages
4.1/5*
Formats Available: physical copy, Libby eAudiobook, Hoopla eAudiobook
Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams.
But when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier, a violent winter storm traps them at the estate… with no chance of escape until the blizzard comes to an end.
In search of a book to keep her entertained until the snow abates, Tricia happens upon a secret room. One that contains audio transcripts from every single patient Dr. Hale has ever interviewed. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to Dr. Hale’s mysterious disappearance.
Tricia plays the tapes one by one, late into the night. With each one, another shocking piece of the puzzle falls into place, and Dr. Adrienne Hale’s web of lies slowly unravels.
And then Tricia reaches the final cassette.
The one that reveals the entire horrifying truth.
I do not know what it is about Freida McFadden that makes her books so addicting, but here I am…busting out Freida book #5. I would say out of all her books that this one was my favorite. After reading quite a few of her books I had considered myself a Freida pro…until Never Lie. Every time I thought I had this mystery figured out, Freida would do what she does best and throw in some wild, off-the-wall twist to slap right in my face. Ha! I see you, Freida.
My favorite part about Never Lie was the house and all the secrets that lay within it. If you really love haunted houses and thrillers that will have you on the edge of your seat, I highly suggest this book. Never Lie reminded me of a mix between The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides and Home Before Dark by Riley Sager. Freida McFadden always does such an excellent job of quickly drawing her readers’ attention and leaving their mouths hanging open after they finish her books. Overall, this book was a 4.1/5 for me.
-Samantha
The world of reading is a dynamic one, especially lately. With the addition of BookTok, Bookstagram, and BookTube, readers are seeing big ebbs and flows of different genres and authors. Everyday readers are using these platforms to get their book thoughts out there. Mash-up genres are huge, indie authors and self-publishing are on the rise, and there are more diverse reading options available than ever before. But, what does that mean for some of our original genres? The world of Fantasy, Romance, and Science-Fiction are consistently taking new form. The question I ask: Is the age of Epic Fantasy dying away?
Fantasy is such a cornerstone of my reading lately and this question has come up a lot especially because of the big typhoon of Romantasy flooding the scene. I am finding that when I talk fantasy with people, their first thought tends to lean into Romantasy and not generalized Fantasy. If you don’t know what Romantasy is, this is a mashed up word made from romance and fantasy. What makes a Romantasy is a fantasy heavy plot containing magical systems, creatures, and worlds with the additional dominant theme of romance throughout. Yes, Fantasy can have romance sprinkled in but Romantasy is Romance heavy in plot. When casually talking about Fantasy, people used to immediately think of The Hobbit by Tolkien; when people think of Fantasy now they immediately see The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. To be honest, I don’t know how this makes me feel. I am genuinely excited for the birth of new reading categories and that people are reading more and more, however, I must admit a small part of me feels that I won’t be able to find a traditionally-published Epic Fantasy for a long time. A part of me lies in bitterness that Romance is seeping into my favorite genre. We are seeing a huge swing in Romantasy and Cozy Fantasy in traditional publishing. This could cause a problem with new up-and-coming authors trying to publish Epic Fantasy, because traditional publishing companies are scouting for what makes money, and what makes money is Romantasy. The plus side of this push-back from traditional publishing companies is the emergence of self-publishing. These swings in genres and public interests are pushing writers to search out new options and outlets for their books. We are seeing major success in self-published Fantasy through authors like Brandon Sanderson, with his secret projects, or Christopher Ruocchio with his Sun Eater Series that is rivaling Dune by Frank Herbert. Writers are finding a way to get their word-counts out and their voices heard!
So, are you a Romantasy lover or are you still living in the golden age of Epic Fantasy? As the pendulum of the book world swings, I wonder what awaits for readers. LitRPG and Progression Fantasies are on the horizon. However, the Romance right now is hard to beat.
Food for the bookish thought.
For more book recommendations please tune in to Off the Books with B&S Podcast on any of your podcasting platforms; new episodes air every other Thursday.
Bethann
The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
(Joe Talbert #1)
303 pages
4.8/5*
Formats Available: physical copy, Large Print physical copy, eBook Libby, eAudiobook Libby, eAudiobook Hoopla
College student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of completing a writing assignment for an English class. His task is to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. With deadlines looming, Joe heads to a nearby nursing home to find a willing subject. There he meets Carl Iverson, and soon nothing in Joe's life is ever the same. Carl is a dying Vietnam veteran--and a convicted murderer. With only a few months to live, he has been medically paroled to a nursing home, after spending thirty years in prison for the crimes of rape and murder.
As Joe writes about Carl's life, especially Carl's valor in Vietnam, he cannot reconcile the heroism of the soldier with the despicable acts of the convict. Joe, along with his skeptical female neighbor, throws himself into uncovering the truth, but he is hamstrung in his efforts by having to deal with his dangerously dysfunctional mother, the guilt of leaving his autistic brother vulnerable, and a haunting childhood memory. Thread by thread, Joe unravels the tapestry of Carl’s conviction. But as he and Lila dig deeper into the circumstances of the crime, the stakes grow higher. Will Joe discover the truth before it’s too late to escape the fallout?
I did not go into this book thinking that I would love it, but it was suggested to me by a few of my coworkers, so obviously I had to give it a try. I went into this book believing it would be set up with a true crime feel, and not a police procedural. Once again, I was wrong. I really started to love The Life We Bury about a few chapters in. The book took me back to earlier in the Off the Books Podcast when we were reading a lot of police procedure thrillers, such as The Vanishing Girls. I found The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens to be a good mix of The Vanishing Girls by Lisa Regan and None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney.
Like None Shall Sleep, the main characters that were trying to solve the crime were two young adults with absolutely no experience solving cases. I love this kind of perspective because you are just as clueless as these characters are, and it is like you are solving the case with them. I think this book was a great mix of thriller and mystery without being too graphic and scary. I would suggest The Life We Bury for people who have previously read any of the thrillers we have talked about on Off the Books Podcast and really enjoyed them. Overall, I gave this book a 4.8/5, and I will be keeping up with this series.
-Samantha
Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner
(Fallen Gods, 2)
384 Pages
6/5*
Formats available: Coming soon as physical copy, Libby eBook, Libby eAudiobook
When Middren falls to the gods, your kind will be the first to die.
Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren—but now they are stirring, whispering of war. Godkiller Kissen sacrificed herself to vanquish the fire god Hseth, who murdered her family and endangered her friends. But gods cannot be destroyed so easily, and Hseth’s power threatens to reform with even greater strength and a thirst for vengeance. As tensions rise throughout the land, the kingdom needs its Godkiller more than ever.
Still reeling from the loss of Kissen, young noble Inara and her little god of white lies, Skedi, have set out to discover more about the true nature of their bond. As the divide between gods and humans widens, Inara and Skedi will uncover secrets that could determine the fate of the war to come.
Meanwhile, Elogast, no longer a loyal knight of King Arren, has been tasked with killing the man he once called friend. The king vowed to eradicate all gods throughout the land, but has now entered into an unholy pact with the most dangerous of them all. And where his heart once beat, a god now burns. . .
Hannah Kaner delivered HARD with this sequel to Godkiller. I really loved the first book and the beautiful journey of discovery it went on; I also really enjoyed how Godkiller ramped up at the end and gave us a literal cliffhanger. When I was gifted Sunbringer, I wasn't sure where things would take off, what I didn't realize is that the plot would absolutely shoot forward at break neck speeds from the previous book when everything seemed cruelly "over." I was immediately dragged under the emotional current, and that current never stopped bashing me against the rocks and teasing me for breath. Kaner never lets up, and I am so glad for that. The pacing throughout was perfect and just what we needed after the previously long journey. As an audience I was appreciative for a deeper look into our main characters. We get to see more of who they are and how they change. The amazing thing about each person in this book is how well Kaner writes them to be so human, emphasis on the human. Humanity is such a frail, yet powerful, thing, and as the audience I was able to also experience betrayal and hurt based on the choices that some of my favorite characters made. Sunbringer is depth, warmth, and growth. Sunbringer is also shadow, pain, and loss. I was so slow in reading this book because I knew that once it was done and put away that I wouldn't get to see these characters for a while. This is absolutely more than a 5 star for me because I had to savor it like a fine meal: like every bit was my last bite. I will be jumping all over what Hannah has in store for us next. This was excellence.
We want to send a very special thank you to Hannah Kaner (@hanfrankan https://www.instagram.com/hanfrankan/?hl=en), Jessica Lyons, and the crew over at Avon and Harper Voyager (@harpervoyagerus https://www.instagram.com/harpervoyagerus/)for sending us eARC and beautiful finished copies of Sunbringer to review!
For more book recommendations please tune in to Off the Books with B&S Podcast on any of your podcasting platforms; new episodes air every other Thursday.
Bethann