Jendia Gammon is a Nebula and three-time BSFA Awards finalist. She writes horror, fantasy, thriller, and science fiction novels, and short stories. She’s also CEO of Roaring Spring Productions, LLC and Editor-in-Chief of its first imprint, Stars and Sabers Publishing. And she has multiple books coming out in 2026, including, Godfestation and The Dawn of Dusk and Twilight.
Thanks to Jendia for taking time for this interview!
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Myna: You’re having a busy publishing year! Let’s start with your upcoming novella, Godfestation. Who are your characters? What themes do you explore?
Jendia: The main character of Godfestation is Fern, a woman grieving the death of her father and wrestling with the decline of her mother.
Fern faces a nightmare scenario of being chased by strange beings, but also gaining advice and wisdom from some of them. She thinks, at first, that these are manifestations of her grief… until she realizes others are experiencing them also.
Themes include grief, bereavement, horror, Appalachian region descriptions, family, relationships, wonder, and exploration.
Myna: When a reader finishes the last word in the book, what emotion will they be feeling?
Jendia: Impossible to say. Everyone who’s read this book has said something different!
Myna: How did Godfestation come about?
Jendia: This was inspired by the deaths of my family members, and my journeys dealing with them, as well as having a Southern Appalachian heritage.
Myna: If your book had a theme song, what would it be?
Jendia: Hard to pick one. “Jealous of the Moon” by Nickel Creek; “Never Let Me Down Again” by Depeche Mode; “Road to Nowhere” by Talking Heads; “Gods and Monsters” by Lana del Rey.
Myna: Now let’s switch to The Dawn of Dusk and Twilight. What’s this book about?
Jendia: The Dawn of Dusk and Twilight is the final book of my Nebula and 2X BSFA finalist Amethyst Lantern series. This book is not young adult like the first two; it’s adult, and it’s a prequel starting in our era, spanning time.
The Dawn of Dusk and Twilight is a prequel starting in our present, spanning centuries, with the characters facing the end of the world, their many dramas, and how they built hope from despair, for the future.
Andraste, Bendin, Doc Bozzard, and yes, the infamous Skaarden make appearances here. As told in The Inn at the Amethyst Lantern, Night Living came about after a series of calamities over centuries, not just climate disaster. Many events took place during that time gap.
You’ll learn how this group and their friends and associates (and competitors!) ebbed, flowed, fought, and loved from The Golden Hour (just before everything ends as we know it) to The Dawn of Dusk eras, and into the twilight and full Night Living of the future.
This is a heartfelt tale of the adults who shaped Gen Lightworth and the Fireflies’ futures, with their own rich and complicated histories. How did they each use their unique strengths and weaknesses to build the Lunarpunk utopia of the Amethyst Lantern world…or threaten its future?
Myna: You have two other books out this year. Can you give us a quick teaser for each?
Jendia: The Vale of Seven Dragons is an epic fantasy adventure. This is the tale of a rebellious princess and a loyalist prince, seven lost dragons, and the beginning of the end of their world as they know it. Dungeon Crawl at the Haunted Mall is a real Choose Your Own Adventure book! Also my middle grade and game writing debut.
Delve into the gnarly guts of a long-dead mall in this gloriously weird and whacked-out romp, where friendship, 80s music, and food court slushies are your weapons of choice against spandexed supernatural creeps.
Myna: Your work has been widely recognized. Tell us about your awards and nominations!
Jendia: I have no writing awards, only for art!
I became a Nebula and BSFA finalist for The Inn at the Amethyst Lantern and also a BSFA finalist for The Secret of the Sapphire Sentinel, and a third BSFA finalist for a short story called “Copper.”
Myna: I think readers would also like to hear about Stars and Sabers Publishing. What is your role with the press? What sorts of projects does the press focus on?
Jendia: I am founder, CEO, and head of Roaring Spring Productions, LLC and its first imprint, Stars and Sabers. Stars and Sabers publishes horror, fantasy, science fiction, and thriller books.
Myna: Which mode of transportation would you prefer: electric seahorse, cyborg dragon, raven-starship hybrid, or something else (explain!)?
Jendia: Car or train! I’m old school. Although the living dragons of my book The Vale of Seven Dragons would be fun.
Myna: Would you rather live in a magical forest, an advanced urban high-rise, an enchanted underwater city, or a complex alien world? Or do you have another perfect living space in mind?
Jendia: I’ve written about alien worlds with magical forests, so probably that.
Myna: Do you have a pet, or other non-writing hobbies/activities?
Jendia: I have a budgie named Artoo.
My hobbies are also part of my work: extensive artwork, design, and occasional travel.
Myna: Do you have a question you’d like me to ask the next person I interview? What things are you curious about in other writers or editors?
Jendia: What do you love aside from writing?
Myna: What’s next for you?
Jendia: Game writing and game design, more science writing projects, getting my mixed media art ready for sale, networking locally in the TV and film industry as well as the space community, and planning ahead for autumn projects and potential travel.
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Jendia Gammon is a Nebula and three-time BSFA Awards finalist author of horror, fantasy, thriller, and science fiction novels and short stories. She is also CEO of Roaring Spring Productions, LLC and Editor-in-Chief of its first imprint, Stars and Sabers Publishing. She has also written under the pen name J. Dianne Dotson. Born in Southern Appalachia, Jendia now lives in Los Angeles with her family. Jendia participates in public speaking, panels, and workshops for conventions and events around the world. She holds a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Jendia is also a science writer and an award-winning artist.
Find all of Jendia’s links here.
Myna Chang 