From Orbit Books comes the very sad news that author Jennifer Rardin passed away suddenly on Monday 20 September. I am so sorry to hear this news, and my condolences to her friends and family.
Jennifer Rardin wrote one of the best kickass heroines I’ve read. Her Jaz Parks series had a way with building the tension and never allowing the heroine to become weak or scared or in need of constant rescue. Jennifer also hosted one of our haiku contests a few years ago. You can get a sense from her judgment of the winners how funny she was:
Cat Marsters:
I like vampires
Especially when
They fight back a bitJennifer says, “Cat, I picked yours because you might have been channeling my heroine, Jaz, when you wrote it. In fact, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if it’s the last thing she thinks before she stakes a villainous vamp. Congratulations. I hope you enjoy reading the series as much as I’ve loved writing it!”
She cracked me up when we corresponded.
Her obituary asks that donations in memory of Jennifer be sent to Riley Children’s Hospital. (I am disabling the link until I can confirm that it’s the one in Indianapolis.)
In Jennifer’s honor, I offer one more haiku:
Sharp wit’s a rare thing.
The genre has lost some bite
And you will be missed.
