About the Author
Hi! If we haven't met, I'm Jenny. I'm a Canadian writer of fantasy and historical fiction about smart, middle-aged characters going on adventures, using their skills, and falling for each other. My protagonists are, and will always be, bisexual.
I'm also the owner of Doronos Publishing, a very tiny business that I founded to publish and distribute my books within Canada
I DID. That's a selfie, taken outside my home in Winnipeg. No professional photographer. No filter. No makeup. That is what I actually look like (or at least what I looked like in spring 2026).
I wrote the first draft of The Maker of Spells while on maternity leave. It started out as a silly thing to occupy my mind - dreaming up magic spells and wild romance and evil kings while bouncing my daughter to sleep at 2am, and then writing them down the next day while she napped. It kept me sane(ish). When I went back to work, I set it aside. A year later, I gave up my job, moved home to Winnipeg, and decided to revise and publish The Maker of Spells. It was the sort of "irresponsible" risk I never would have taken before I became a parent. But I don't want my daughter to grow up never taking risks. Without risk-taking, there would be no fulfillment, no progress... and no books. Period.
A journaling prompt. Specifically, a Valentine's Day journaling prompt to the effect of "if you were going to write a steamy novel, what would it be about." I said "a bisexual diplomat, so I have an excuse for tense flirtation with multiple interlocutors," and then I realized it had to be a high-fantasy diplomat, because... well because DRAGONS. Next thing I knew, I was scribbling out an outline. And then I was writing a chapter. And eventually the epic plot, worldbuilding and characters kinda took over - especially the characters, because I fell in love with all of them. So when I was finally done and ready to publish, I found that I can't really market The Maker of Spells as a romantasy. It's not romantic enough! Should romantasy lovers read it? Well sure! But be aware that when Part 3 begins, none of the characters have time for swooning or kissing. They've got a world to save.
Writing is my first calling, but my third career. I have a Ph.D. in English, and I taught as a university instructor. Then I worked for eight years as a government policy advisor.
When I realized I would need to found a micro-publishing company to sell my book directly to readers, I named it Doronos, after the capital city of Demeterra, the fantasy realm where Juno lives in The Maker of Spells. But although the name is fanciful, the company is not. It's a registered business in the Province of Manitoba. It's a lot of work, but it gives me a bit of freedom from the huge international companies that dominate the publishing industry, both traditional (the "big 5" publishing houses) and indie (print-on-demand distributors like KDP and IngramSpark).
In summer, I garden. In winter, I paint. I also cook and bake. And at all times of year I love going on outdoor adventures in my neighbourhood (yes, even in January in Winnipeg). I'm happiest when I'm sharing those activities with my husband, our preschooler, and our dog Pretzel.