Why am I passionate about this?

I have been enthralled with legends of medieval knights and ladies, dark fairy tales and fantasies about Druids, wizards, and magic since childhood. I fell in love with French in junior high school and continued studying the language throughout college. My debut novel, "The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven"--the first of a trilogy-- is a blend of my love for medieval legends, the romantic French language, and paranormal fantasy. It is a retelling of the medieval romance of "Tristan et Yseult", interwoven with Arthurian myth, dark fairy tales from the enchanted Forest of Brocéliande, and otherworldly elements such as Avalonian Elves, Druids, forest fairies and magic— with a decidedly romantic French flair.


I wrote

Book cover of The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven

What is my book about?

A dark fantasy paranormal romance adaptation of the medieval French legend of “Tristan et Yseult” (Tristan and Isolde), interwoven with…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of A Court of Thorns and Roses

Jennifer Ivy Walker Why did I love this book?

This seductive book is a paranormal fantasy adaptation of the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast,” but with dark elements such as a cruelly sadistic queen, a dangerously macabre villain, and a fiery, passionate romance between the beastlike hero and the brave female warrior who overcomes her fear to heal his broken heart and save the Fae realm from impending doom. I’m a French teacher, and I love how the original version of La Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast)—which was penned by the female French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve—was adapted into a steamy paranormal dark fantasy romance.

By Sarah J. Maas,

Why should I read it?

16 authors picked A Court of Thorns and Roses as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

Experience Feyre Archeron's journey all over again with the beautiful collector's edition of A Court of Thorns and Roses, the seductive first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series by Sarah J. Maas, featuring a deluxe new package, an updated map, ribbon pull, and more! When nineteen-year-old Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin-one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world. As she…


Book cover of The Mists of Avalon

Jennifer Ivy Walker Why did I love this book?

A spellbinding book that brings to life the legend of King Arthur, told from the perspective of the women in his majestic reign, such as the Lady of the Lake Viviane, the fairy Morgane la Fée, and Arthur’s mother, Queen Igraine. A captivating portrayal of the fantasy realm of fairies, Druids, medieval paganism, and the conflict with emerging Christianity. This book profoundly influenced me as a young reader and subsequent writer of fantasy and paranormal romance.

By Marion Zimmer Bradley,

Why should I read it?

10 authors picked The Mists of Avalon as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Here is the tragic tale of the rise and fall of Camelot - but seen through the eyes of Camelot's women: The devout Gwenhwyfar, Arthur's Queen; Vivane, High priestess of Avalon and the Lady of the Lake; above all, Morgaine, possessor of the sight, the wise, the wise-woman fated to bring ruin on them all...


Book cover of The Phantom of the Opera

Jennifer Ivy Walker Why did I love this book?

This passionate paranormal romance between a talented soprano singer and a macabre musical genius blends mythical aspects of a legendary ghost haunting the Paris Opera House. I was enthralled by the supernatural forces and deliciously dark seduction of Christine Daaé by the unlikely Romantic hero, the Phantom. I enjoyed how the chivalrous Raoul, le Vicomte de Chagny, nobly battles the diabolical Phantom like a medieval knight defending his Lady. I read this classic in its original French language version while obtaining my MA in French literature, and I loved both the English translation as well as the modern musical film adaptation.

By Gaston LeRoux, Lowell Bair (translator),

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Phantom of the Opera as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The novel from the early 20th century that inspired the Lon Chaney film and the hit musical. In the 1880s, in Paris, the Palais Garnier Opera House is believed haunted. One night, a young woman, Christine, is asked to sing in place of the Opera's leading soprano, who is ill; Christine's performance is a success, and she is recognized by the Vicomte Raoul, a childhood playmate and love. Raoul and the Phantom then battle for Christine's heart, as the Phantom demands more and more from her.


Book cover of Lord of Sherwood

Jennifer Ivy Walker Why did I love this book?

The legend of Robin Hood always fascinated me as a young girl, and this paranormal fantasy adaptation offers a smoldering romance set in medieval England in the enchanted Sherwood Forest. Based upon the legend of Robin Hood, this novel blends history, magic, passion, politics, and sacrifice in a compelling, captivating tale of the fabled archer reborn.

By Laura Strickland,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lord of Sherwood as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Curlew Champion, master archer, has always known his destiny. With his cousin, Heron Scarlet, he will become a guardian of Sherwood Forest and further his people's fight against Norman tyranny. But the third member of the triad is still to be revealed, the woman who will complete the magical circle and, perhaps, answer the longing in Curlew's heart.

Anwyn Montfort has fled disgrace in Shrewsbury and come to Nottingham at her father's bidding. He wishes her to make a good marriage and settle down. But the wildness that possesses her refuses to quiet. She knows she's been searching for something…


Book cover of A Curse So Dark and Lonely

Jennifer Ivy Walker Why did I love this book?

An intensely emotional retelling of Beauty and the Beast, this novel features a modern-day heroine who risks death to save a stranger in Washington, DC, and is pulled into a paranormal fantasy world where she falls in love with a monstrous man cursed by an evil enchantress. I have always loved French Romanticism, where an unlikely hero suffers for love and finds redemption through forgiveness. A Curse So Dark and Lonely is a retelling of the famous French fairy tale, with much of the same passion found in Victor Hugo’s Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame).

By Brigid Kemmerer,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked A Curse So Dark and Lonely as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

A New York Times bestseller! "Has everything you'd want in a retelling of a classic fairy tale." - Jodi Picoult In a lush, contemporary fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Brigid Kemmerer gives readers another compulsively readable romance perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer. Fall in love, break the curse. It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the…


Explore my book 😀

Book cover of The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven

What is my book about?

A dark fantasy paranormal romance adaptation of the medieval French legend of “Tristan et Yseult” (Tristan and Isolde), interwoven with Arthurian myth, Druids, Avalon, Elves, forest fairies, diabolical dwarves, and dark tales from the enchanted Forest of Brocéliande, birthplace of Merlin, Lancelot, and the Lady of the Lake Viviane.

Book cover of A Court of Thorns and Roses
Book cover of The Mists of Avalon
Book cover of The Phantom of the Opera

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Barbara Gayle Austin Author Of What You Made Me Do

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Interested in curses, opera, and Knights of the Round Table?

Curses 76 books
Opera 60 books