J.F.Penn

Thrillers, Dark Fantasy, Crime, Horror

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Exploring Ancient Relics and Writing Thrillers. J.F. Penn On The Ancient Heroes Podcast

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In May 2024, I was interviewed for the Ancient Heroes Podcast. You can listen below or on Spotify, Apple, or your favourite podcast app.

In this episode of Ancient Heroes, host Patrick Garvey welcomes award-winning author JF Penn. Known for her thrillers, dark fantasy, crime, horror, and travel memoir, Penn introduces her upcoming novel, Spear of Destiny.

The discussion covers Penn’s background in theology, influences from authors like Clive Cussler and Dan Brown, and her journey from a corporate job to becoming a full-time writer. Penn delves into the research and travel that fuel her novels, sharing insights on the historical and modern elements she incorporates into her stories.

They also discuss the role of Kickstarter in publishing, allowing for special editions and closer reader interaction. The episode is an insightful exploration of combining history, mythology, and thriller writing.

  • How Jo got into writing thrillers and some of her inspirations
  • The inspiration behind Spear of Destiny
  • Book research and travel for writing
  • The importance of series in a writing career
  • Incorporating modern archaeology
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30 Action Adventure Archaeological Thriller Series You Can Binge Read Right Now

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Do you love books by Clive Cussler, James Rollins or Dan Brown? Are you a fan of movies like Indiana Jones, National Treasure or Lara Croft: Tomb Raider? 

If yes, you’re an action-adventure and archaeological thriller fan, and in this article, I share some fantastic series you can binge read right now for your next pulse-pounding escape.

These books combine the excitement of a modern-day treasure hunt with the allure of ancient mystery and historical intrigue. They feature daring characters who face off against formidable adversaries while uncovering secrets buried for centuries. 

Whether its deciphering ancient codes, exploring forgotten ruins, or thwarting global conspiracies, the stakes are always high, and the action is relentless. 

In this list, you’ll find a variety of series that cater to all tastes within the genre. Each promises to deliver non-stop excitement, characters you want to spend more time with, intriguing historical elements, and plots that will keep you guessing until the very end. You can read them as stand-alone adventures, or binge the whole series.

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What Is Kickstarter And Why Am I Launching My Latest Thriller Spear of Destiny There?

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In this video, I explain what Kickstarter is and why I'm publishing Spear of Destiny there first.

Hello everyone. I'm thriller author J.F. Penn, and today I'm talking about what is Kickstarter and why am I launching my latest thriller Spear of Destiny on the platform?

Well, if you've never heard of Kickstarter or never used it before, it's a crowdfunding platform where you can support creators to bring their projects to life.

It's a different way of shopping for interesting and unusual books and products. Like a pre-order for special editions.

You can support creators you already love, or find books from new creators you might never have heard of before.

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A Cursed Bloodline. An Ancient Weapon. The Fate Of The World Hangs In The Balance.

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My next thriller, Spear of Destiny, is out now on Kickstarter, launching with a limited special signed First Edition with an exclusive cover. You can watch the video below or here on YouTube.

Hello everyone. I'm Jo Frances (J.F.) Penn, Award-winning, New York Times and USA today bestselling thriller author, and I'm launching my next novel, Spear of Destiny on Kickstarter.

Morgan Sierra is perhaps who I might have been in another life. She's curious and loves traveling, and also likes saving the world and beating the bad guys.
But for now, I get to write her adventures in the ARKANE thrillers where Morgan and her team investigate supernatural mysteries around the world.

Spear of Destiny features Morgan and her secret agent partner Jake Timber, as they race against time to find the pieces of the legendary spear of destiny — the spear that pierced the side of Christ — before a general with an eye on the US presidency uses it to summon an ancient evil.

Along the way, they follow clues from Imperial Vienna to the Nazi bunkers under Nuremberg to a Tibetan temple and onto the heart of Washington, D.C., as Morgan and Jake face down enemies, both human and demonic, in their quest to find the spear before its terrible power is unleashed.

Morgan also seeks the spear for its fabled healing properties as her niece is under threat. So the story has both personal and world changing stakes. Spear of Destiny is book 13 in my ARKANE thriller series, but it can be read as a standalone story if you are just discovering the adventures.

ARKANE ACTION ADVENTURE THRILLER SERIES BY J.F. PENN

There are also bundle deals available, so you can binge the entire series in paperback, ebook, or audiobook if you prefer.

Why do a Kickstarter for Spear of Destiny?

Well, I've never done a special edition for my fiction before, so I wanted to do this Kickstarter-only hardback edition, and it has silver foil on the dust jacket, as you can see, and also the interior cover.

Spear of Destiny Special edition

It has custom end papers, a black ribbon as a bookmark and color photos from my research in the author's note. These will also be signed first editions, which I've never done for my fiction, and these will not be available after the Kickstarter.

You can also get the paperback, and there's a large print edition, which you can see is a bigger edition with a bigger font size. You can also get the ebook and the audiobook, or if you are a writer, join me for a Webinar on Discovery Writing where I'll go into my writing process.

Thanks for listening, and I hope you'll join me for Spear of Destiny. Just go to www.jfpenn.com/destiny to find out more.

JF Penn with Spear of Destiny

Award-winning Author: Pilgrimage won the 2024 Selfie Awards for Best Non-Fiction/Memoir at London Book Fair

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I'm thrilled to share that my travel memoir, Pilgrimage: Lessons Learned from Solo Walking Three Ancient Ways, won Best Non-Fiction/Memoir at the Selfie Awards at London Book Fair on 14 March 2024. I'm now an award-winning author!

J.F. Penn wins the Selfie Non-Fiction award at London Book Fair, March 2024.

The award was judged based on the story and the content of the book, the quality of production, and also for the marketing campaign and resulting book sales.

I launched Pilgrimage on Kickstarter in February 2023 where it raised £25,771. I then went on to sell it direct from my store, JFPennBooks.com, and also on the main retailers in all formats. I narrated the audiobook edition.

Most of the validation for indie authors comes from reader reviews and emails, as well as book sales and money in the bank account. But awards are also important to many of us, and are hard to come by since so many awards are reserved for traditionally published authors.

I was previously Award-nominated as a finalist for the Best Ebook Original at the International Thriller Writer awards in 2017 for Destroyer of Worlds, so I am now very happy to be award-winning for my first memoir. Pilgrimage is a deeply personal book, and one I was terrified of publishing — but it's resonated with so many people, so I'm thrilled it's also received critical acclaim.

The Selfie Awards are specifically for indies, so thanks to BookBrunch and Ingram Spark for sponsoring it.

You can find Pilgrimage in all formats here including the special edition, or here on the big online stores, or day by day guides, pictures, and interviews on my Books and Travel site.

J.F. Penn launches Pilgrimage
J.F. Penn launches Pilgrimage in Feb 2023

Book Recommendations 2022

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I read a lot of books across many different genres, usually around 3-5 books per week in ebook, audio, and hardback editions.

These are the memorable ones that made a lasting impact on me this year. I hope some of them make it to your holiday reading pile!

At First Light — Barbara Nickless. “Ritual murder. Archaic clues. A visionary killer.” This is the first in a new crime thriller series that hooked me with the main characters. Dr Evan Wilding, a brilliant forensic semiotician; his Ph.D. student Diane who throws axes for fun, and Chicago detective Addie Bisset. I love love loved the Viking research and runes and cool details, and the characters were compelling. I pre-ordered the second book immediately.

The Lighthouse Witches — C.J. Cooke. I sample a lot of fiction and this caught me within a few pages. A cross-genre novel of witches, the love of family, with an edge of the supernatural.

The Gemini Effect — Chuck Grossart. “A single raindrop opens a Pandora’s box when the spawn of perverse genetic research performed during World War II is unleashed on an unsuspecting modern world. By dawn, only a dead city remains, eerily quiet and still, except for mutant beasts that hide from the light, multiply, and await the shadows of night to continue their relentless advance.” Tech-horror fun.

All the Murmuring Bones — AG Slatter. “Long ago Miren O'Malley's family prospered due to a deal struck with the mer: safety for their ships in return for a child of each generation.” I love merfolk fiction, and this is excellent.

Sundial — Catriona Ward. “Rob is afraid of her daughter. Callie collects tiny bones and whispers to imaginary friends, and Rob is afraid of what she might to do Annie, her younger sister. She sees a darkness in Callie that reminds her of the family she left behind, and a life she has tried to forget.” Super dark.

The entire Slough House series — Mick Herron. I watched season 1 on Apple TV, and then binged the entire book series even though I don't even usually read spy books. The characters in this series will keep you coming back for more, and the books are better than the TV show, even though that is also brilliant!

JOANNA PENN WITH MICK HERRON, HARROGATE, SUMMER 2022

The Change – Kristen Miller. “In the Long Island oceanfront community of Mattauk, three different women discover that midlife changes bring a whole new type of empowerment …” I have recommended this to so many people this the year. I LOVE it!

When Women Were Dragons — Kelly Barnhill. “In a world where girls and women are taught to be quiet, the dragons inside them are about to be set free …” Wonderful. I await my dragoning …

The Six Deaths of the Saint — Alix E. Harrow. The Saint of War spares the life of a servant girl so she can fulfill her destiny as the kingdom’s greatest warrior. This is a short story, so it's a quick read but it's a memorable one. I also loved Harrow's The Once and Future Witches, one of my best reads from last year.

The Paper Palace — Miranda Cowley Heller. “A story that unfolds over twenty-four hours and fifty years, as Elle's shocking betrayal leads her to a life-changing decision.” I love deep sense of place and after I read the opening chapter, I couldn't let this go.

The Thursday Murder Club series — Richard Osman. I resisted these books for too long, as I don't usually read cozy mystery, but the characters in this series are addictive.

Queen of Teeth — Hailey Piper. “Within forty-eight hours, Yaya Betancourt will go from discovering teeth between her thighs to being hunted by one of the most powerful corporations in America.” Weird cosmic horror at its best. A well-deserved winner of a Bram Stoker Award.

Never — Ken Follett. “A stolen US army drone. A shrinking oasis in the Sahara Desert. A secret stash of deadly chemicals.” An utterly compelling read because of how real it could be. Its horror lies in how easy it is to start a world war and for that reason, it is a must read in the hope we can avoid it.

I'd love to know what books remain memorable for you this year. Please leave a comment and give me some recommendations!

Happy reading holidays!