Hello! For this fine Tuesday the First’s SPFBO Spotlight, we have another book with Celtic influences! Jayme Hunt works in marketing, and the novel she’s entered in this year’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off is her debut. (Her second in the series came out recently, but we’ll get back to that later!)
Marked By Fate
She found her true home – just in time to fight for its survival.
Katherine Doyle can’t quite figure out how to fit in, and the loss of her father ten years ago only exacerbated her loneliness. When she begins to see creatures that no one else can, she realizes her entire upbringing has been filled with lies and deception.
In a leap of faith, she adventures into the realm of Faeries, where she discovers that she is not actually an outcast meant for the human realm, but a powerful Fae. As she discovers how to manage her newfound powers, passionate tension ignites between her, the commander of the Queen’s army, and the heir to the throne. But between the excitement of magic, friendship, and love, a looming fact remains: All is not well in this realm. Her race is under threat of extinction…and the hunt for her heritage could end her bloodline entirely.
“Marked by Fate” is the first in an adult fantasy romance series, based loosely on Celtic lore, which will take you on an action-packed journey of loss, love, and found family.
Sounds exciting!
Onto the Questions!
As a Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) Entrant, you’re not just independently published, but self-published. Can you start by explaining a bit about why you chose that route and how it’s been for you?
I have two main qualities that impacted my decision: I am both impatient and curious. Once I began writing, I knew I wouldn’t have the patience to query and wait to see if an agent wanted to pick up my work for a traditional publisher. I wanted to hold my work in my own two hands ASAP. Aside from that, I was curious about the self-publishing process. I poured over videos and blog posts to learn from others about the process, and I had a lot of fun learning how to publish on my own. It’s been nerve-wracking at times, and I’ve definitely made mistakes along the way, but I’m not opposed to failing forward. Every step is a part of the learning process, and I’m enjoying it immensely.
Impatience I totally understand! Both as an author – and a reader. (No, I won’t pester authors; this is in the context of traditional publishing. :D)
On a related note, why did you enter the SPFBO contest? How do you expect to find it? Refreshing your blog’s page every five minutes, or sit back and chill?
I learned about the SPFBO contest from fellow authors on booktwt (book Twitter), and they encouraged me to enter my debut novel. I’m trying to be more of a ‘sit back and chill’ type. I wrote my book for fun, and I just want readers to have fun with it as well. Maybe down the road I’ll be more intense with one of my works, but as I said previously, I’m just enjoying this all for the first time and having a wonderful time with it.
That’s an awesome attitude! Personally, I think it’s one of the good ones to keep ever present as we pursue this road 🙂
Book titles. Why make you select the title, Marked by Fate?
I went through a whole journey with it. I know everyone is going for the longer titles lately (“the-blank-of-the-blank-and-blank”, etc), but I wanted to be more simple. I oscillated between “Fated” and “Fallen” at first. My main character, Kate, was fated for the journey she takes, and her friend Kipp makes a comment about how he doesn’t believe in luck, only fate. There is also the myth that her bloodline descends from fallen angels. When I looked to see how many books already had those titles, however, they were endless. Therefore, I chose “Marked by Fate” – as there is also a piece of the story that revolves around “marks” that give the Faeries additional power and protection, which extends into the second and third books as well. Et voilà – we have the “Marked” series!
That is cool! And I’ve seen a lot of hate around the ‘blank-of-blank-and-blank’ trend (I don’t see why; there are plenty of cool titles like that!) but short titles are neat! And it’s so fun when you can tie things together like that 🙂
I won’t ask for your favourite scene since I know some people don’t have those (like me; I never have favourites), but can you share a (non-spoiler) scene you just love so much every time you re-read it? Or maybe something about a character you love?
This is kind of the answer to both: I really enjoyed the scene where Kate finally met the second MMC, Finlay. You really get to see him in all his flaws, but also how he can still manage to draw you in and inexplicably enjoy him. You’re irritated but amused, and as the story goes on, you really get to understand his trauma. Plus, he’s blond, and I’m always going to root for the underdog, since blond men get a lot of hate in the romantasy and romance genres!
They do?! Then again, I don’t pay attention to what color people’s hair is, so … How should I know? 😀 I wonder what kind of irritating Finlay is! But I guess that’s something one has to read the book to find out? At least, if one’s to do it well? 🙂
What are some elements or themes, or combinations thereof, that really make your book stand out to you?
I believe it has all the classic elements people enjoy seeing in romantasy – elemental magic, found family, broody and troubled males, a badass FMC – but then it takes it a step further by weaving it all in with real Celtic lore. Nearly every creature, malign or not, is based on a Celtic story or a Celtic god/goddess. Even the story of Kate’s bloodline – and the quest she has to undertake – is loosely based on actual Celtic lore. Additionally, while it does have a love triangle, it’s a less aggressive kind that may even appeal to those who don’t typically enjoy that trope. I’m always curious to see which ‘team’ readers are on when they finish the first book!
Interesting! There so many cool and wild creatures and tales in Celtic lore, I bet that fills your world up plenty and provides all the inspiration for that kind of thing you’d ever need!
What else would you like to share as a writer and author?
Oh, wow, I’m not sure what else to say here! My writing is still very new, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you can feel the differences between my first and second book – I felt much more confident in my second book, and I’m sure that comes across (not only with the writing, but with the fact it gets…ahem…quite a bit spicier). This will be a trilogy, and I am working to have the trilogy fully completed by the end of 2023.
After finishing this series, I will likely continue with more adult fantasy, as well as try my hand at a hockey romance. I started playing ice hockey when I was nine, all throughout college, and still play in a pickup league, so my goal is to write a hockey romance complete with all the ridiculous language hockey players use. It will simultaneously be a love letter and a roast for all the hockey players out there.
Sounds hilarious! Thank you for sharing all of that with us!
Jayme Hunt studied marketing and data analytics in college and continues working a full-time job in the marketing field. In early 2022, she rediscovered her love of reading and writing and has barely put down a book since. Marked by Fate is her debut novel. She currently resides in Colorado with her husband and two dogs, who often make cameos in her social media posts.
You can find Jayme on her Website, or as @authorjaymehunt on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
You can also find her and her books on Amazon, check out Marked by Fate on Goodreads or Storygraph, or find both her books from various retailers here.
Yep, that is right. Marked by Gods, the 2nd book in her Marked trilogy, is already available, as an ebook via Kindle Unlimited, and in Paperback from many retailers!
Eight friends. Four talismans. One chance to save everyone.
Kate has accepted her fate as the descendant of an ancient hero. She’s ready to fight and defend those she loves – but Nemain is just as determined to wield that power to resurrect her sisters and exact revenge. As Kate finds herself alone in the search for the final talismans, she begins to question the loyalty of those she holds most dear. Whom will she love, and whom will she lose, in the final battle against the most vengeful goddess the world has seen?
“Marked by Gods” is the second in an adult fantasy romance series, based loosely on Celtic lore, which will take you on an action-packed journey of loss, love, and found family.
Enthralled By Love 