Where awesome book readers meet awesome writers. Today we’re thrilled to introduce Lyneal Jenkins, a dark fantasy author whose worlds are as complex as her creative process. With ten award-winning novels already under her belt and more in development, Lyneal has built an expansive universe full of depth, emotion, and cinematic energy.
About Lyneal Jenkins
Lyneal Jenkins is an extraordinary creator who has turned her unique perspective into pure storytelling brilliance. Living with bipolar, ADHD, and a touch of ASD, she channels her restless creativity into writing, building, and imagining worlds that defy convention. Writing became her ultimate outlet, leading her to craft an award-winning 10-book dark fantasy saga, with another six novels currently in editing.
Her creativity spills beyond writing. Whether she’s designing elaborate Christmas themes this year’s “Narnia” table featured eighteen guests and a full ice palace or building film sets, Lyneal’s imagination knows no bounds. Her friends once joked she could make magic from scraps; she took it literally, crafting a life-size TARDIS from donated materials for her sons.
The Latest Book: Trials of Ash and Blood
Lyneal’s upcoming release, Trials of Ash and Blood, introduces readers to Micah, a half-elf teenager kidnapped and forced into a ruthless Consortium Academy. Dark, intense, and emotionally charged, the story follows his struggle to hold on to his humanity in a brutal world where survival demands sacrifice.
This novel, which has already received a five-star seal from Readers’ Favorite, expands the universe of Valeith a steampunk-inspired realm full of mechanical wonder and moral ambiguity. While Trials explores dystopian cruelty, future books in the series will branch into high-tech heists, goddess prophecies, and advanced bioengineering. Every new story in Valeith offers a fresh perspective while remaining connected to a vast, intertwined mythology.
Writing Habits and Creative Process
Lyneal’s creative habits are as distinctive as her stories. She never labels her first chapter until reaching at least 10,000 words, believing a book isn’t truly “alive” until then. To stay immersed, she changes her phone’s wallpaper to match the story and listens to one song sometimes on repeat for hours until it fully anchors her in the world she’s building.
While walking, she often rehearses dialogue aloud, voicing both sides of a conversation with passionate energy. Editing, she says, often happens in her head while soaking in a bath with a mocha. “There’s something about water that helps me solve problems,” she admits.
For her earlier series, she worked entirely from memory, keeping no notes. But with the sheer size of Valeith, she now relies on a massive whiteboard covered in color-coded magnets and scattered paper notes throughout her home.
Influences and Inspirations
Lyneal’s creative roots run deep. Stephen King inspired her dark psychological depth, while Jeffery Deaver sparked her fascination with human motivation. Her love of fantasy began with C.S. Lewis, and television storytelling later shaped her cinematic writing style. Over the years, she’s devoured the works of Tolkien, Robin Hobb, and other fantasy greats absorbing lessons in worldbuilding, tension, and empathy.
The World of Valeith: A 20-Book Vision
Lyneal’s next monumental project, The Valeith Saga, is expected to span around 20 books. The series explores a vast fantasy world populated by humans, mythical creatures like minotaurs, and other newly imagined races.
The first arc begins deep inside a Consortium Academy where children are molded into fighters and exploited for profit a brutal, dystopian opening that sets the tone for what’s to come. Later volumes will branch into prophecy, science, and rebellion, blending fantasy, dystopia, and sci-fi into a cinematic fusion.
True to her multi-disciplinary style, Lyneal isn’t just writing these worlds she’s building them. She’s currently constructing a 12-foot crawler rig to replicate one of Valeith’s most iconic vehicles for an upcoming book trailer, complete with film-quality production.
Promotion and Creative Marketing
Public relations may not be her favorite task, but Lyneal turns even marketing into art. For the Valeith world, she’s producing cinematic trailers and even a fictional propaganda campaign for the Consortium government within her books. She’s learning 3D design through Blender, commissioning stunning artwork, and creating interactive experiences for readers.
She jokes that she’ll “use every platform available or better yet, find someone who knows social media better than I do.” But even her self-deprecating humor can’t hide the ambition behind her immersive storytelling vision.
Advice for New Authors
Lyneal’s advice to aspiring writers is direct and heartfelt:
- Stay true to your characters. Readers can sense when a reaction feels false.
- Accept that your first draft will be messy. The story belongs to your characters; editing is for your readers.
- Don’t take bad reviews personally. Learn what you can, then keep writing. Every page improves your craft.
She also cautions against the old saying “write what you know.” For Lyneal, imagination is liberation. She writes to explore what she doesn’t know to live beyond her own experience.
Current Reads and Inspirations
At the moment, Lyneal is enjoying Suzanne Wright’s shifter romances light, humorous, and a welcome escape from her own intense worlds. “It’s like taking a vacation,” she says. “I can relax knowing all her characters are going to live.”
What’s Next for Lyneal Jenkins
For now, Lyneal is deeply invested in Valeith and its expanding lore. But her creative mind never stays still. She’s also developing a middle-grade paranormal series and a spin-off from her original Phoenix Rising saga.
Outside the writing, she continues to push boundaries in cinematic storytelling, crafting trailers and teasers for every Valeith release. Her home is currently filled with wood, props, and tools a writer’s workshop turned film studio.
Books She Would Take to a Desert Island
When asked which four books she’d bring to a desert island, Lyneal laughs. “Only four? Am I in hell?” she jokes. But she eventually narrows it down to:
- The Stand by Stephen King for its complexity and size
- Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb for emotional depth
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis for timeless wonder
- And one practical survival guide just in case imagination alone can’t get her rescued
Connect with Lyneal Jenkins
- Website: Lyneal Jenkins Official Site
- Amazon Author Page: Lyneal Jenkins on Amazon
- Goodreads: Goodreads Profile
- Facebook: Facebook Author Page
Lyneal Jenkins is a storyteller, builder, dreamer, and innovator. Her words don’t just describe worlds they create them. For readers who crave fantasy infused with heart, grit, and imagination, her work promises a journey unlike any other.
