Walker Kane didn’t believe in monsters ... Until they took his daughter.

Beneath the streets of Edinburgh, an ancient evil waits. Each year, the Grendsluagh—a prehistoric monster of insatiable hunger—demands a human sacrifice in exchange for the city’s continued prosperity. A secret society known only as the Cabal has overseen this sinister ritual for centuries, binding Edinburgh to a grim legacy of terror.

When ex-military search and rescue officer Walker Kane’s estranged daughter Emily is taken to sate the Grendsluagh’s appetite, he plunges into a race against time through a treacherous underworld of danger.

Aided by a mythology-obsessed librarian and a daredevil urban explorer with secrets of her own, Walker and his makeshift team must face nightmares at every turn to reach Emily before she is devoured. The deeper they delve into Edinburgh’s serpentine catacomb, the more their resolve is tested—by the mutated monsters of the volcanic depths and the violence of the Cabal.

To save his daughter, Walker will sacrifice everything—even his own humanity—in a heart-stopping confrontation with the monster at the heart of the labyrinth.

A stand-alone action-adventure horror novella from USA Today bestselling author J.F. Penn. Join the exploration into depths that were never meant to be disturbed. The secrets of the CATACOMB are waiting to be unearthed—if you dare.

Written by J.F. Penn. Digitally narrated by Jayce from ElevenLabs. Produced by J.F. Penn

The perfect wine requires the darkest sacrifice.

In the rolling hills of Somerset, England, an ancient evil ripens alongside the grapes of Standing Stone Cellars…

Chapter 6 of Blood Vintage, A Folk Horror Novel. Written by J.F. Penn, Narrated by the digital voice of J.F. Penn, created with ElevenLabs.

Rebecca never expected her architecture career to lead to the secluded rural village of Winbridge Hollow. But after a violent clash with eco-activists, she flees the chaos of London, desperate for a new start.

She seeks refuge at Standing Stone Cellars, a vineyard renowned for its award-winning wines and mysterious history, nestled in the shadow of ancient oaks and standing stones that have watched over the land for millennia.

But this vineyard is no sanctuary.

From the primal fires of Beltane to the chilling shadow of Samhain, Rebecca finds herself ensnared in an ancient cycle of sacrifice and rebirth. The disappearance of her fellow workers amidst evidence of blood rites forces her to confront a horrifying truth: Standing Stone’s exceptional vintage is nourished by more than just sunlight and soil.

As the veil between worlds grows thin, Rebecca must make an impossible choice: embrace the dark legacy of the vineyard and secure her place among its guardians, or risk becoming the next offering to the insatiable Horned God that demands his due.

Blood Vintage is an atmospheric descent into folk horror, where the line between sacred and profane blurs with each sip of wine. 

Lose yourself in a world where pagan rituals and modern ambitions collide, and discover the terrible price of belonging in a place where the very earth demands blood.

Introduction to the audiobook, Successful Self-Publishing, Fourth Edition. Written and narrated by Joanna Penn.

Want to self-publish your book but don't know where to start? Worried it's too complex or you don't have the right skills?

This updated and expanded Fourth edition of Successful Self-Publishing provides everything you need to successfully self-publish your book in ebook, print, and audio formats, plus proven marketing strategies to reach more readers.

Written by award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Joanna (J.F.) Penn, this practical guide shares the exact methods used to publish more than forty books and build a multi-six-figure author business.

In this comprehensive guide, you'll discover:

A quick-start roadmap for self-publishing your first book

Step-by-step instructions for publishing professional-quality ebooks, print books, and audiobooks

The sites and services to trust and how to avoid the scams

Marketing strategies that work for both fiction and non-fiction

New in the 4th Edition:

Updated publishing platforms and opportunities

Expanded section on direct sales, special editions and crowdfunding

Practical guidance on using AI tools effectively as an artisan author

Whether you're writing your first book or you're an experienced author looking to expand your publishing business, this guide provides actionable steps without overwhelming technical jargon.

Start your indie author journey today with confidence. Try Successful Self-Publishing!

A merciless desert. An unstoppable storm. Time is running out.

The Desert Sanctuary promises an exclusive escape for the ultra-wealthy, a five-star oasis in Death Valley's unforgiving landscape. But when a devastating sandstorm cuts the resort off from civilization, paradise becomes a prison—and then a killing ground.

As the storm rages and the resort burns, eight lives collide in a desperate battle for survival:

An adventure guide haunted by the child she couldn't save

An ex-military security chief obsessed with preparing for civilization's collapse

A billionaire pursuing immortality through illegal young blood treatments

His trophy wife harboring lethal secrets and desperate plans of her own

A social media influencer with a fetish for environmental sabotage

A celebrity chef whose hunger for exotic meat leads him into a deadly trap

A writer whose search for Spanish colonial treasure unearths horrors better left buried

A resort owner watching her empire crumble as the desert she tried to tame awakens with a vengeance

Behind the luxury resort's façade lies a web of lies, betrayal, and murder. As flames consume the hotel and the storm strips away all pretense of civilization, each survivor must decide how far they'll go to escape—and who they'll sacrifice along the way.

In this pressure cooker of primal instincts and deadly ambition, the only law is survival, and the only way out is through hell itself.

Digitally narrated by the voice of J.F. Penn, produced by Simon Patrick using ElevenLabs Studio.

Writing a book is hard work. You need a reason to carry you through the tough times.

Why do you care about this subject so much that you want to invest the time, emotional energy, and maybe money in order to write it?
What will keep you going through the process of writing, publishing, and marketing?
What is your why?


Here are some reasons people write non-fiction books.

Excerpt from How to Write Non-Fiction, Turn Your Knowledge Into Words, Second Edition, written and narrated by Joanna Penn

What was drowned will be drowned again…

Marine archaeologist Dr. Evelyn Price has spent her life uncovering the mysteries of the deep ocean. But when a violent storm uncovers an ancient timber circle off the coast of England, she faces a discovery that will challenge everything she knows.

As the tide rises and storm clouds gather, Evelyn and her team race against time to decipher the strange symbols on the wooden pillars, before the sea comes to claim its own once more.

Seahenge is a gripping archaeological short story that blends cutting-edge science with ancient myth. It will leave you questioning what really lies beneath the waves…

https://jfpennbooks.com/collections/seahenge/

Prologue of Spear of Destiny, written by J.F. Penn, narrated by Veronica Giguere. Available at https://www.jfpenn.com/destiny

A desperate quest. A holy relic. A race against time.

When a mysterious relic is stolen from a museum in Vienna, ARKANE agents Morgan Sierra and Jake Timber embark on a deadly race against time to recover the legendary Spear of Destiny — the holy lance that pierced the side of Christ.

As they follow clues through Nazi ruins, Tibetan temples, and Washington, DC’s greatest monuments, they uncover a sinister plot that threatens to unleash an unstoppable darkness upon the world.

But Morgan also carries a curse in her veins, a shadow placed upon her that now threatens her niece’s life. To save her, Morgan must find the Spear and unlock its fabled healing powers. Standing in her way is the fanatical Jericho Command and their elite leader, Gabriel, a man both blessed and burdened by strange powers and a mysterious past.

From the ashes of World War II to the mystical peaks of Tibet, from ancient crypts to the hallowed halls of the Library of Congress and the Capitol, Morgan and Jake must brave every danger, solve each puzzle, and face down enemies both human and demonic in their quest to find the Spear before its terrible power is unleashed.

Time is running out and the fate of the world hangs in the balance — will Morgan and Jake prevail or will the forces of darkness triumph?

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J.F. Penn comes a gripping and explosive thriller that delves deep into the heart of an ancient mystery and a chilling supernatural evil. An unputdownable story of supernatural suspense, Spear of Destiny is a rollercoaster ride into the dark legends of the past and the shocking evils of the present, with only a cursed relic lying between salvation and damnation.

Spear of Destiny is book 13 in the ARKANE action adventure thriller series. It can be read or listened to as a stand-alone story even if you have never read another in the series. There are also binge-worthy bundles available in the Add-Ons so you can read or listen in order if you prefer.

Available at: https://www.jfpenn.com/destiny

Some secrets should stay buried.

When renowned architect Arania Webb returns to Bristol Zoo — once her childhood sanctuary but now a derelict ruin — she discovers her late father’s hidden underground lab, which harbours a dark obsession.

Inside, she uncovers his journals documenting twisted experiments to fuse arachnid DNA with humans, creating unnatural creatures that blur the line between species. As Arania descends into the shadowy depths and explores further, she realises the terrifying extent of her beloved father’s attempts to play god.

With demolition charges set to raze the derelict zoo in minutes, Arania has little time to process the ethical transgression and madness that drove her father down an unholy path before the truth is buried forever.

But when the site manager stumbles upon her macabre discovery, Arania knows she must act swiftly to protect her family’s legacy — and her own future.

Will she find a way to escape the ruins with her father’s monstrous secrets? Or will the horrors hidden beneath the zoo ultimately consume them both?

In this short story, J.F. Penn weaves a tale of dark secrets, genetic aberration, and a legacy that blurs the lines between ethical transgression and scientific ambition, a narrative that is as much about the inner darkness of human nature as it is about the monsters we create.

This is a sample of the audiobook, written and narrated by J.F. Penn.

On the winter solstice, an ancient evil demands its due in the heart of Bath.

When down-on-his-luck busker Evan takes to the streets of Bath during the Christmas market, he hopes his music will earn him enough for a warm meal and bed for the night. But after a violent robbery leaves him broken and destitute, Evan unwittingly awakens an ancient evil that demands blood sacrifice in return for vengeance. 

Lured into the dark depths beneath the city by a mysterious woman who is far more than she seems, Evan discovers the long-dormant spring of the Celtic goddess Sulis. 

Will he escape the ravenous deity or become her latest victim, a midwinter sacrifice to revive her cursed waters?

USA Today bestselling author J.F. Penn masterfully blends folklore and the supernatural in this chilling short story set amidst the history and shadows of the ancient city of Bath.

Introduction of Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words, written and narrated by Joanna Penn

www.TheCreativePenn.com/shadowbook

We all long to write boldly, without filters or fear.

To spin stories that capture the messy beauty of what it means to be human. Tales that lay bare the truth of living — darkness and all.

But something holds us back.

Whispers of “Who do you think you are?” and “You don’t have permission to write that.” Our own self-censorship and the judgment of others keep us from writing freely — and sometimes, from living fully.

But all great art taps into darkness, and your most compelling work emerges when you embrace your full humanity—both light and Shadow.

In Writing the Shadow, I’ll guide you on an intimate journey to explore the darkness and discover the gold lying hidden in its depths. Gold that may be the source of your best creative work in the years ahead.

The Shadow is calling. It’s time to turn your inner darkness into words.

Part 1 goes into the various ways you can tap into your Shadow. Since it lies in the unconscious, you cannot approach it directly. You need tools to help reveal it in different ways.

You will find ideas here — ranging from personality assessments and identifying Shadow personas to mining your own writing and exploring your true curiosity — as well as ways to protect yourself so you don’t get lost in the dark.


Part 2 explores how the Shadow manifests in various aspects of our lives. I discuss the creative wound and how it may still be holding you back in your writing life, as well as aspects of traditional and self-publishing, then expand into work and money, family and relationships, religion and culture, the physical body and aging, death and dying.


Part 3 explores ways that you can find the gold in your Shadow, and turn your inner darkness into words through self-acceptance, letting go of self-censorship, deepening character and theme in your work, and opening the doors to new parts of yourself.