J. PENNER DISCUSSING DEATH MEETS CUTE WITH K.T. PIKE May 22nd at 7:00PM

Join us for a special in-store event with author J. Penner celebrating the release of Death Meets Cute. The evening will feature a conversation with the author, moderated by local author K.T. Pike, followed by an audience Q&A and book signing.

Your Ticket includes a copy of Death Meets Cute, which publishes on April 28th. Pick up your book in store on release day so that you can dive in before the event! 

This is a ticketed event. Tickets are available exclusively with the purchase of Death Meets Cute from The Spine & Vine Bookstore.

• Only customers who purchase the book from The Spine & Vine will be admitted.
• Space is limited, so we recommend ordering in advance to secure your spot.
• Purchasing from The Spine & Vine helps support future author events.

Book Signing & Personalization Guidelines

• Limit: One (1) personalized book per customer.
• Personalization includes name (and date, if requested).
• Additional books may be brought for signing, but will be signed only.
• The author will sign all copies of Death Meets Cute.

Ordering a Signed Book (Attending the Event)

1. Add this product to your cart. 
2. Select "In-store Pickup"
3. Your book will be ready for you to pick up by April 28th, 2026 (PUB DAY). *Don't forget to bring your book back to sign on the day of our event, May 22, 2026. 

Ordering a Signed or Personalized Book (NOT Attending the Event)

1. Add this product to your cart. 
2. Select "In-store Pickup"
3. In the "order comments" box write "signed only" or to whom your book(s) should be personalized (i.e. "To: Ms. Smith"). As each customer is limited to a single personalization, please specify which book you would like personalized in the order comments. Requests for anything beyond a name, like a note or quote, are up to the author's discretion and are not guaranteed. 
4. Your book will be ready for you to pick up at The Spine & Vine Bookstore after the event on May 22nd, 2026.

Meet the Author: J. Penner

Writing from her sun-kissed home in San Diego, J. Penner crafts cozy fantasy filled with warmth, magic, and heart. With a cat on her lap and a pen in hand, she invites readers into gentle, magical worlds where connection and charm take center stage.

Selected Works

• Adenashire Series:
  • A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic
  • A Fellowship of Librarians & Dragons
  • A Fellowship of Games & Fables
  • A Fellowship of Curses & Cats
  • A Fellowship of Academics & Arts
• Standalone: Death Meets Cute

About the Moderator: K.T. Pike

A graduate of University of California, San Diego with a BA in Biological Anthropology, K.T. Pike is a dedicated Dungeons & Dragons player and Dungeon Master. As a local Library Branch Manager, she supports local writing groups and authors, fostering a vibrant literary community.

Selected Works

• Catching Qat (Book One of the Drakkaen Nakkla series)

About Death Meets Cute

I am more than capable of being evil today. I think…

Iris Weyward wants to be bad. Truly bad. Terrifyingly, gloriously villainous. But after helping her sisters unleash a spell to throw the realm into chaos, Iris is left feeling strangely empty—and still not the villain of her dreams. So, she sets off for the quiet town of Fraywell to build her wicked legacy alone. 

Things start promisingly: a crooked little cottage, a reputation for curses and potions, and a healthy dose of fear from the locals. But when her ogre bodyguard disappears, Iris needs new muscle. Good thing a fearsome orc just toppled over in her yard. Naturally, she decides to reanimate him. It's a perfect solution. 

Only, Talon isn't the brooding warrior she was hoping for. He's gentle. He bakes. Worst of all, he's nice. But Iris can't possibly have a thing for her new employee. She's supposed to be the most wicked witch in town! 

While Iris struggles to turn Talon into the enforcer she deserves, her sisters arrive seeking help—their magic is fading, and the cause may be closer than any of them realize. The timing couldn't be worse, and falling for an orc wasn't supposed to be part of her villain era, but it might turn out to be the best spell she's ever cast…