First Cup of Coffee with Jeffe Kennedy
Episodes
1146 episodes
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...
First Cup of Coffee – May 7, 2026
I have finished copies of the NEVER THE ROSES trade paperback and the foil is so shiny! I have also finished BLADES, BOOKS, AND THE BANDIT, releasing a week from today!! I'm also talking publishing industry predictions and the "...
First Cup of Coffee – May 4, 2026
I'm off tomorrow to the Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Conference for a cameo appearance to talk to them. I'm almost done with BLADES, BOOKS, AND THE BANDIT. And I'm talking about authors being idiots on social media and making bu...
First Cup of Coffee – May 1, 2026
The magic of habit-building and why I find my routines so helpful - and dealing with the chaos when they're disrupted! Also, the saga of Killian's brush with death. (Or so I was panicking would be the case, but he's okay!)
First Cup of Coffee – April 28, 2026
I'm back from Apollycon and cranking hard on Blades, Books, and the Bandit for the next two weeks. Also, how I've fallen in love with Mark Rothko and Project Hail Mary (Amaze Amaze Amaze!), a visit from Mary Robinette Kowal and Elsie, and conti...
First Cup of Coffee – April 21, 2026
How living in the world with insane politicians is a macrocosm of having crazy and toxic relatives - we're all along for the ride and have to do our best to maintain our own balance. Related: Taoism, Ursula Le Guin, the ups and downs of the pub...
First Cup of Coffee – April 17, 2026
On story ideas, where they come from, how we make them our own - including a funny story about my lovely friend Lexi Ryan and her upcoming, absolutely delicious adult romantasy: NIGHT TIDE. Also, enough of this self-care sh*t, I need to get to ...
First Cup of Coffee – April 14, 2026
A recap of my weekend at the Jack Williamson Lectureship, including great conversations with Connie Willis and T. Kingfisher. I'm sharing some nuggets from our panels on leveling up craft, why we write retellings, what a pastiche really is, and...
First Cup of Coffee – April 10, 2026
A special podcast coming to you from Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico, where I attended the Jack Williamson Lectureship. Steadfast podcast listener Jon Barr joins me for a conversation about teaching, voice acting, and audi...
First Cup of Coffee – April 6, 2026
A story about putting your work out in the world and how that can further your writing career, along with a few cautions in that direction. Also, how traditionally published authors aren't a monolith and the Jack Williamson Lectureship!<...
First Cup of Coffee – April 3, 2026
Lost toothbrushes and creative genius: are they linked? Yes, I have book brain so I'm babbling today on Romance, reader expectations, language, nuance, inflections, Equus, Now?, increasing word count and other Friday thoughts.
First Cup of Coffee – March 31, 2026
What makes something "good"? I seem to be always circling this question. Is entertainment enough or does a creative work have to change your life? And other thoughts on books as experiences. Also, a vague bit on events with poor business practi...
First Cup of Coffee – March 27, 2026
Showing off my new tattoo to celebrate AMONG THE THORNS! I'm also talking option books and how no one deserves - or should count on - having their traditional publishing contract renewed. My villain origin story on why I don't like standing at ...
First Cup of Coffee – March 23, 2026
I went on a bit of a rant today about writers using generative AI, along with a deepish dive into the Shy Girl controversy and why it really annoys me that I might have to declare I don't use that shite to write my books. SPOILER: I DON'T.<...
First Cup of Coffee – March 20, 2026
In which I mainly squee about Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and why I think it's THE BEST. Also, Jeaniene Frost's new book, increasing my wordcount gradually to build endurance and output, and yes, Virginia, there are jaguars in Arizona.T...
