By: Sarah Azman
Jenee Dutary’s new young adult contemporary fantasy novel, Fire and Death, releases 9/22/26, and we couldn’t be more excited! The book is the first installment of the Fire and Water series.
Dutary is a multi-genre author and editor who lives in North Carolina with her two kids and spouse. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her cheering for the NC Hurricanes hockey team!
Listen in on our conversation with Dutary, where she dishes on what inspires her writing and her love of hockey-based spicy romance.
What inspired you to write your upcoming novel, Fire and Death?
I used to sneak out of my house around 3:00 a.m. and go for walks. The night was still, the city was peaceful, and with it came a sense that I was never really alone. As a fantasy lover, in those moments, I wondered if all of the stories weren't that far from the truth, and I wanted to capture that feeling.
The main character, Aideen, was pushed into existence after I read a series about a really badass woman. The woman was strong and commanding, and I realized I wanted to read a book about a young adult badass–someone I could relate to on a deeper level.
What can you tell us about Fire and Death? What is it about?
Aideen believes that she is responsible for the death of her mother and her childhood friend. Determined to keep anyone else from dying, Aideen plans to escape to the West Coast for college and leave her haunted past behind. But when her best friend Emily goes missing, running is no longer an option.
The police offer nothing but dead ends, so Aideen takes the search into her own hands, joined by the one boy she’s spent years keeping at a safe distance. Terrified of losing him, too, Aideen follows a trail of clues Emily left behind … straight into a clandestine world of monsters.
To save her friend, Aideen partners with a ruthless vampire and an unpredictable shifter, and must face the horrifying possibility that the thing she’s been running from isn’t chasing her at all. It’s inside her.
Who would enjoy Fire and Death?
Fire and Death is for fantasy fans, especially people who enjoy YA urban fantasies. Fans of Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Emma Noyes' Soul of Shadow would enjoy Fire and Death.
Have you always wanted to be a writer, or did your plans change?
Always, right after I got over the veterinarian phase.
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
High school was when multiple manuscript ideas started living rent-free in my head, and they were all I could think about. I had let other people read my pages, and they actually liked them, which really encouraged me to keep going. During my senior year, I pitched Fire and Death to agencies for the first time (although back then it was known as Healing Blood), but it was far too long at 140k words. I back-burnered Fire and Death, but the feedback I received from short stories I wrote in my creative writing courses at university encouraged me to keep writing.
No matter what I did or what season of life I was in, writing stayed with me, and I knew I’d make it my career one day.
What were the biggest rewards and challenges you experienced while writing Fire and Death?
My memory and mind are my biggest enemies. I can either focus really well or not at all, and I am terribly forgetful. I'm normally balancing way too many things at once and find it difficult to keep on top of, but somehow I get it all done. Having the time to write AND sleep more than four or five hours? If anyone has figured out the secret to it, I'd love to know. Balancing work, family, friends, and home with writing is a struggle. The biggest reward was when I'd make myself laugh, or cry, or be amazed over a line I didn't even remember writing.
Where do you find inspiration for your stories or characters?
Music. I'm a big music advocate and love finding songs that represent my characters and scenes, and also inspire the rest of what's to come.
If Fire and Death was a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?
“Maybe” by Sick Puppies, “So Will I” by Phillip Phillips, “Chasing Shadows” by Alex Warren, “Don’t Give Up on Me” by Andy Grammer, “What’s Left of You” by Chord Overstreet, “Play Dirty” by Kevin McAllister, “The Fear” by The Score, and so many more.
What is your favorite genre to read?
You'd think the answer would be fantasy, but lately I've found myself reading a bunch of smut–hockey romance or dark romance in particular.
What’s next on your TBR (“to be read”) pile?
My TBR is miles long. Yes, even the physical TBR. Smut aside, Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber is the next one up.
If you could recommend one book to everyone, what would it be?
I recommend Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross to everyone. That's my most palatable book suggestion … haha.
What’s the last great book you read?
My most recent great read has been The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, although Heated Rivalry and The Long Game by Rebecca Reid have owned my mind and dreams for weeks now.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Keep learning and growing your craft. Write for yourself, but the moment you want others to read it, be open to receiving their feedback. Be open to all feedback while sticking true to the heart of your story.
What are you working on next?
Right now I'm working on book 2 of the Fire and Water series!
Where can readers learn more about you?
I can be found online at JeneeDutary.com or @JeneeDutary on the following social media platforms: X / Bsky / Insta / Threads.
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