First Cup of Coffee with Jeffe Kennedy
Episodes
1159 episodes
First Cup of Coffee – September 23, 2026
A correction to last week's podcast (Aidan Quinn, *not* Liam Neeson!), along with a story about how my weird brain scrambles names. Also, on officially cancelling/postponing the release of PRINCES, POTIONS, AND PIXIE DUST. And thoughts on envio...
First Cup of Coffee – September 16, 2026
My mixed (and spoilery) review of Practical Magic 2. Also thoughts on Ed Sheeran (TLDR: sigh). Otherwise I'm working away on Never the Roses 3 and happy for rain in Santa Fe! Special Cats and New Mexico weather episode :D
First Cup of Coffee – September 9, 2026
How changing the name of New Mexico to New America is absurd on every level. (When did Monty Python start writing the script???) Also the Southern New Mexico Book Festival and a childhood story about why I learned it was bad to be a sensitive p...
First Cup of Coffee – September 2, 2026
How to read Publisher's Marketplace Deal Reports and other arcania of how traditional publishing finances work. Also my very cool appearances at Fan X Phoenix and people who do and don't (and why it isn't shocking at all). Pre...
First Cup of Coffee – August 26, 2026
The utter nonsense of people claiming to be "thought leaders" and how they feed into an incestuous cycle of creating more nonsense with Generative "AI." Also, the basic common sense of being an author, especially an indie author, and why craft ...
First Cup of Coffee – August 19, 2026
I'm counting down the last few days of my 50s! Also, advice on not having the chops (yet) to execute an idea, thoughts (and history) on men taking up all the air in women-dominated spaces - especially during Romance events - and why it's an inc...
First Cup of Coffee – August 12, 2026
Ego, really bad writing advice, and what I think Jeff Bezos has in common with creators who believe they're successful because they are just that special. Also, an interesting story about "AI" tags and Bramble - another reason to love them!...
First Cup of Coffee – August 5, 2026
I'm addressing a listener question today about HM Wolfe's DAGGERMOUTH and the discourse around it regarding generative "AI" and other, similar situations and what I think about community policing. Basically I come down to listen to the experts ...
First Cup of Coffee – July 29, 2026
Very exciting new gate installation today! Otherwise, I'm talking about drafting Never the Roses 3, how to identify the root cause of "writer's block," and approaches to resolving it. Also, choosing the worldbuilding elements that are relevant ...
First Cup of Coffee – July 22, 2026
I'm back from book tour for AMONG THE THORNS and telling you all about it! Also ruminations on seeing old friends (both in age and longevity - ha!) and the experience of going back to my childhood and teenage haunts in Denver.Preorder ~<...
First Cup of Coffee – July 15, 2026
AMONG THE THORNS is out in the world!! I'm burbling about the launch party, the lovely gifts and thank-yous from readers, and talking a bit about the book and writing a "love triangle with teeth." Also about the difference between my Jeffe Kenn...
First Cup of Coffee – July 8, 2026
We are less than a week away from the release of AMONG THE THORNS! Amazing, really. I'm also talking about "easy" writing advice that really isn't useful because it's too pat. And what kinds of scenes and details truly are gratuitous.Pre...
First Cup of Coffee – July 1, 2026
Why everyone should read CONSENT by Vanessa Springora about her affair with pedophile Gabriel Matzneff when he was 49 and she was 14. Also, how very much I loved The Devil Wears Prada 2, with observations on how the writing was done reall...
First Cup of Coffee – June 24, 2026
Weird self-publishing takes that appear to be positive, but are truly toxic. What truly works to build a career as an author, having solid goals, and knowing that achieving them will be great, but won't make you happy forever because external v...
First Cup of Coffee – June 17, 2026
NEVER THE ROSES in ebook is on sale for $1.99! All of my other news is life-based: getting in-home care for David, setting up trusts, taxes, purging my bathroom, and generally feeling lighter getting over these big hurdles.Indie Booksell...
First Cup of Coffee – June 12, 2026
I'm getting weepy about Jane Yolen's passing on the podcast today, talking about how kind she was to me. Also about my hijinks attempting to use my new espresso machine , changes to the podcast schedule (yet again, but for the last time now, I ...
First Cup of Coffee – June 9, 2026
Some tough love on losing sight of the joy of storytelling and the great privilege of being able to make a living doing this wonderful, creative effort and instead getting lost in a swamp of comparisonitis and striving for status. Especially on...
First Cup of Coffee – June 5, 2026
I'm back from retreat and pleasantly relaxed. Looking forward to the weekend events ahead - especially the RomCon at Books on the Bosque in Albuquerque tomorrow, June 6, 10am-3pm!Indie Booksellers! You can buy my indie books direct from ...
First Cup of Coffee – June 1, 2026
The (absolutely gorgeous) trade paperback edition of NEVER THE ROSES releases tomorrow!! Otherwise, I'm talking about friendships - working on them, forgiving what we can, drawing boundaries, and mulling the difficulty of having a relationship ...
First Cup of Coffee – May 29, 2026
On doing hard things - and recognizing that we're going to feel what we feel and that pretending otherwise is stressful. And a bit more on reading and how it can go from being an escape to being a source of pressure, like monetizing creative pu...
First Cup of Coffee – May 27, 2026
On making time for reading, even though we don't all have the same 24 hours in a day, and other thoughts on tracking books read and that 📀🐎, competition, scheduling our lives, and why audiobooks rock.This is
First Cup of Coffee – May 18, 2026
The Battle of the Roses and Gophers commences! Also, my weekend at the Santa Fe International Literary Festival and what I learned about writing from listening to Susan Orlean. Goodreads Giveaway for AMONG THE THORNS goes May 4-25. ...
First Cup of Coffee – May 15, 2026
BLADES, BOOKS, AND THE BANDIT is out in the world! I'm celebrating that and also looking back over the last ten years of being on the self-publishing endless hustle - and what it means to step off of that hamster wheel and let it get a little d...
First Cup of Coffee – May 12, 2026
What writing schedule works for you? I'm considering going to writing four days/week with a day for business - two days writing/business/two days writing or...? I'm also doing a deep dive into agents and busting a myth I loathe: that picking an...
