Inside Writing Science Fiction/ Fantasy

Known equally for his chart-topping work as a contemporary saxophonist and his acclaimed science-fiction novels, Joyner operates at the intersection of sound, story, and emotional truth. Where many artists spend a lifetime refining one voice, Joyner moves fluidly between disciplines—composer, producer, performer, and author—allowing each to inform the other.Over the course of a nearly two-decade career, Joyner has quietly built a résumé that commands respect: three Billboard #1 hits, eight Top Five singles, international touring across more than 30 countries, and collaborations with legends including Angela Bofill, Najee, Jean Carne, Ronnie Laws, Keiko Matsui, Peter White, and the late George Duke. Yet accolades have never been the destination. Evolution has.That evolution comes into sharp focus with Every Part Of Me, Joyner’s debut release for Shanachie Entertainment, arriving January 16, 2026. Entirely written, produced, and largely performed by Joyner himself, the album is less a collection of tracks than a fully realized narrative—drawing from funk, soul, R&B, rock, and contemporary jazz to create a body of work that unfolds with the pacing and emotional arc of a novel.The record marks a turning point. More personal, more transparent, and more deliberate than anything he has released before, Every Part Of Me reflects an artist no longer interested in editing himself for comfort or convention. Themes of fatherhood, belonging, resilience, and renewal are woven throughout the music—not as confession, but as clarity.“People often see the results, not the rebuilding,” Joyner says. “This album is about allowing every part of myself to stand in the light—the artist, the father, the dreamer, the man still becoming.”That sense of authorship—creative and personal—is what ultimately defines Jackiem Joyner. Whether through a saxophone line or a sentence on the page, his work invites listeners into something deeper than genre: an experience shaped by honesty, craft, and the courage to keep moving forward.

The Rose Queen was a fantasy finalist for 2019 IAN Book of the Year, and also a finalist for the 2019 Literary Classics Book Award. In addition, it was named as one of the best books of 2018 by the reviewer website Bookshine and Readbows. What makes it so intriguing? Perhaps it's because the Beast doesn't always wait for Beauty. Sometimes, Beauty IS the Beast. Princess Mirabella is betrothed to a repulsive old man a year after her mother's death. She refuses the marriage, only to find out her betrothed is a sorcerer as well. He takes his revenge by transforming her into a savage and frightening beast, giving her an ultimatum: she has three years to solve the mystery of her curse—or die. Exiled to her mother's estate to hide the scandal, Mirabella learns that the sorcerer was not alone in keeping secrets. Her grandfather was murdered before Mirabella was born, and her mother's death is looking less and less as if it came from natural causes. The only point in common to all their ruined lives: her father, the king. Faced with a conflict between saving her family and saving her own life, the choices Mirabella makes will change the future of the kingdom—and magic—forever.

An alien warrior. A human woman in hiding. In the snowy wilds of Utah, prey and predator are about to fall in love.Lena Harper thought escaping to her family’s remote cabin would bring peace. Instead, she finds herself haunted by memories she can't outrun—and stalked by something far more dangerous than the mountain lions her uncle warned her about.Draeken is a Xar’nok hunter, on Earth for what was meant to be a routine expedition—a thrill-seeking escape with his battle-bonded brothers. Hunt. Track. Conquer. No attachments. No complications. But when an ambush leaves him wounded and alone, he stumbles into the one thing he’s never trained for: a human with fire in her eyes and sorrow in her soul.She should be prey.He should be a monster.But fate has other plans.As snow blankets the mountains and danger draws near, trust blossoms where fear once lived. Lena must decide if she's ready to fight for herself—and for a creature not of this world. And Draeken must choose between duty, survival... and a woman who sees past the predator to the heart beneath the armor.Action-packed, steamy, and full of aching tenderness, Prey Bound is a sci-fi romance for anyone who ever dreamed the alien might be the one to save you—and maybe even love you.

WHAT IS SPLATTERPUNK?If you want to understand what makes splatterpunk so different from the horror that came both before and after, your best bet is to read the authors who pioneered the form. It wasn’t just the visceral intensity of their literary assaults on convention. All the key writers – Clive Barker, Joe R. Lansdale, David J. Schow, and John Skipp and Craig Spector – were ferocious stylists, with original voices that completely stood out from the crowd.In THIS IS SPLATTERPUNK: THE JOHN SKIPP PRIMER, you’ll find 15 of Skipp’s most powerful, passionate, unbridled, and influential splatterpunkian short stories, from his early years in Twilight Zone magazine to the present day.Skipp also includes a definitive essay on the history and core elements of the movement – which he defines more as a “spontaneous eruption of the arts” – with additional notes on each story, for context.But mostly, it’s about Skipp’s unflinching empathy – his ability to put you inside the skins of his characters, make you feel what they feel every speck of the way – that makes THIS IS SPLATTERPUNK: THE JOHN SKIPP PRIMER an essential read for lovers of fearless fiction, and the perfect companion piece to his film.

Sometimes God leads us through fire before revealing the lightning within.Dr. Michael Jenkins thought his greatest battles were behind him. After surviving a terrorist attack that changed his life forever, he returns home determined to heal and reconnect with family. Instead, he is pulled into the mysterious realm of Aras, a world unlike anything he has ever known.There, danger lurks in the shadows, powerful forces stir, and the line between courage and fear grows thinner with every step. As Michael struggles to survive in this unfamiliar land, he begins to understand that his scars may hold purpose, his trials may carry meaning, and his faith may be the key to something far greater than he imagined.Tales of Aras: Becoming Fire & Lightning is the first installment in an exciting, clean speculative fiction series designed to entertain, build rich and memorable worlds, and introduce unforgettable characters who remind readers that God is always at work, even in the most unexpected places.Adventure awaits. Purpose calls. Faith endures.

Expanding epic fantasy world and escalating stakes.In a realm where magic, monsters, and betrayal shape the fate of nations, one man must confront the forces gathering against him.Callum Walker survived the trials that would have destroyed most warriors—but survival was only the beginning. As ancient powers awaken and rival factions close in, the fragile balance holding the world together begins to fracture.A dark queen rises. Powerful forces gather. Armies move in the shadows.Callum and his allies must navigate dangerous alliances, primeval forces, and the growing realization that the war for the future of their world has already begun.But some battles cannot be won with steel alone.And the greatest threat may come from powers no one fully understands.The Convergence continues the Callum Walker saga with high-stakes adventure, sweeping fantasy worldbuilding, and a hero forced to face the cost of destiny.

Set on Cowal Peninsula in southwest Scotland in the 17th century, Between the Tines follows the family of Clan Lamont as they are drawn into a brutal confrontation with Clan Campbell, whose relentless ambition leaves a trail of fear and devastation in its wake. As Arran Lamont fights alongside his brothers and lifelong friends, Lain and Sean, in the war-torn regions around them, he is tested by betrayal, loss, and the steady destruction of everything his clan has built.Even in the darkest moments, the heart of the Lamont family beats strongly through the women who hold the community together—Allie, Ariel, Lady Mary, and Isabel—offering charity, stability, and spiritual strength when hope is hardest to find. Their resilience becomes a cornerstone of the clan’s will to survive.From Highland games to clandestine raids, from feasts to fog-shrouded battlefields, Arran’s transformational journey is one of loyalty, courage, and a love that quietly grows stronger through the turmoil. But as the Campbells tighten their grip and the land burns around them, Arran and Lain are forced to rethink their fight. What begins as open warfare shifts into rescue missions, covert strategies, and the fragile beginnings of a daring plan for their people’s future.Haunted by the horrors he’s witnessed and bound by duty to those who remain, Arran faces an impossible choice: continue a war that may consume them all…or lead his people toward a new beginning across the ocean, where survival may come at the cost of everything he knows.

A world on the brink of change. Freedom stripped away for the greater good and a only a handful of brave people willing to risk their lives and their minds to save their world from being controlled by the Echolink designed for the good but hijacked to create a hive system benefiting only the elite.

Gehenna isn’t on Google Maps and there’s no Angel Annihilation for Dummies. To Miriam Feldman, list lover extraordinaire, this is an irritating oversight.It’s fine. She’s got this mission under control. Sure, her instructions are vague, and her team is trigger-happy, but she’s got plenty of motivation to carry them to victory.Vengeance counts, right?Plus, if ridding the world of celestial menaces doesn’t top up Miri’s karmic bank, then stopping a vampire contagion will definitely earn her some good will.Unless it gets her killed. That’s a distinct possibility.One which she refuses to worry about since she’s got her shiny new relationship with a sexy wolf shifter to enjoy. And honestly, his family dysfunction is making hers look pretty damn insignificant.How’s that for positive thinking? She’s going to nail this.Happily-ever-after, here she comes.Ace of Shades, the thrilling finale, features a later in life romance, a heart-pounding mystery, and a magical midlife adventure.Read the complete series now.