February 4, 2026 at 3:00 PM

Celebrating Julie Kenner

Julie Kenner has built a remarkable career by following her curiosity and refusing to be confined to a single genre. With more than one hundred published books and a global readership, she has proven that emotional truth and compelling storytelling matter more than labels or expectations.

From bestselling romance series to bold new creative directions, Julie’s work reflects a fearless commitment to writing the stories that excite her most. Her career is a powerful reminder that authenticity and creative flexibility can lead to both longevity and success.

In today’s guest post, Julie shares why writing across genres continues to fuel her creativity and what she is excited to explore next.

Why I Write Across Genres (And What’s Coming Next)

A Guest Post by Julie Kenner

One of the questions I get most often from readers is deceptively simple: “How do you write so many different kinds of books?”

The short answer? Curiosity.

I’ve spent my career hopping between contemporary romance, erotic romance, paranormal, dark romance, humorous women’s fiction, and even more… including romantasy which is in the pipe (shhhh! Haven’t officially announced that one yet!). Why? Because I’m endlessly fascinated by the ways love stories adapt to different worlds and different personalities and backstories.

The emotional stakes are always similar—we’re talking love, and that’s deep core stuff—but we change the lens depending on the genre. And one thing I’ve learned going into my 26^th year as a published author is that a seemingly minor change—like, say, changing the genre—often lets you explore an even deeper (or at least different) truth for the characters.

Feeding the Beast

The Beast

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Take The Beast, which releases this this month.

It’s a dark romance loosely inspired by Grimm’s fairy tales, and built around obsession, power, and redemption. It lives in a contemporary world—wealth, control, secrets, betrayal—but the bones are mythic. Fairy tales have always been a way to explore our darkest impulses safely, and The Beast leans into that tradition hard.

Writing it felt like feeding candy to my storytelling brain—the part that loves morally gray characters, dangerous desire, and the slow, painful work of transformation.

If you know me, you probably also know Damien Stark, who first appeared in Release Me. And that’s another series that let me dive deep into a genre I hadn’t yet explored. But I ended up completely absorbed in that power-play lifestyle—a world that fully informed character choices when I was writing it.

And just to show you I’m not exaggerating about that loving-multiple-genres thing, I’ve recently taken a deep dive into another creative space—romantasy.

Talkabout a fun ride. Romantasy lets me stretch in different directions. The emotional intensity is still there, but the canvas is bigger. Magic, prophecy, fate, world-level stakes—they all become tools to explore love, loyalty, identity, and purpose. It’s still about relationships, but now those relationships might determine the fate of realms.

Breaking the Beast

Here’s something I think gets misunderstood about genre fiction: people sometimes see genre conventions as limitations. Rules that box you in. I see them as the opposite—they’re the parameters of a really fun game.

Every genre comes with reader expectations. Tropes. Beats that fans are hoping to see. And honestly? I love that. I love sitting down with a story idea and asking myself: How do I deliver what readers want while still surprising them? Where can I lean hard into a beloved trope, and where can I break the rules just enough to keep things fresh?

Genre parameters are only a hindrance if you let them be. For me, they’re a creative challenge. Dark romance readers expect intensity, moral complexity, maybe a hero who makes questionable choices. Great—now how do I give them that while also subverting their assumptions about where the story’s going? Paranormal readers want world-building and supernatural stakes. Perfect—but what if I ground it in something unexpectedly domestic, like a soccer mom who hunts demons between carpool runs?

That push and pull between expectation and surprise is where the magic happens—and it also keeps the job fresh (and that’s important to me after 100+ books!) It’s like writing a sonnet—the structure isn’t a cage, it’s a framework that forces you to be creative within specific constraints. And when you nail it? When you hit the trope readers crave but twist it in a way they didn’t see coming? That’s the gooey good stuff at the center of the candy bar.

Unleashing the Beast

What connects everything I write, regardless of genre, is character and emotional consequence. I’m not interested in love stories where nothing is risked. I want my characters changed by what they feel and scarred by what they survive. They have to earn their happiness.

Some stories demand realism. Others demand magic. Some want sharp edges and darkness. Others want wonder.

I don’t think writers—or readers—have to choose just one.

That’s why I love being able to move between projects like The Beast, my world built around billionaire Damien Stark, my Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom series, my upcoming romantasy work, and more. Each feeds the other. Writing dark romance sharpens my understanding of power dynamics and desire. Writing romantasy expands my sense of scale and destiny. Together, they keep the work fresh—and keep me excited to sit down at the keyboard every day.

If you’ve followed my work for a while, you’ll recognize familiar themes: strong heroines, dangerous men, emotional intensity, and love that doesn’t come easy. If you’re new, The Beast is a perfect place to start if you like your romance dark, sexy, and intense.

And if you’re curious about where I’m headed next? There’s magic on the horizon. New worlds. New dangers. And new loves worth fighting for.

Stories change. Genres shift. But the heart of the work stays the same.

Happy reading, y’all!!

About Julie Kenner

J. Kenner, also known as Julie Kenner, is a New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal, and #1 international bestselling author of more than one hundred novels across multiple genres. Best known for her internationally bestselling romance series, including Stark and Most Wanted, her books have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and #1 internationally. A six-time RITA Award finalist, she won the honor in 2014 for Claim Me and again in 2017 for Wicked Dirty. She lives in Central Texas with her family and two energetic cats.