Notable author: Ronie Kendig

  I have been reading and reviewing Ronie Kendig's books since 2010 when I reviewed her first book. I have reviewed pretty much every book she has done until she started self-publishing.  

 Her first book was a suspense novel titled Dead Reckoning. It was updated and added to in 2016. It was a great read, and I was immediately hooked on her books. She switched gears a bit later in 2010 when she came out with the first book in her popular Discarded Heroes Series. With that series, she became known for writing military/special ops fiction, which is what she has mostly written since then.

Nightshade is the first book in the series, and is about the team leader, Max. He has PTSD issues, and is separated from his wife. It is an awesome story, and I have re-read that one a few times. The Discarded Heroes Series is also where the Metcalfe family is introduced. One of them gets his own series later, and Kendig's latest series is titled The Metcalfes.

The covers for the Discarded Heroes Series has been redone, and I am not a fan. The originals had the characters pictured on the covers. The new covers just have silhouettes. 

Ronie also writes what is called speculative fiction, aka science fiction. I am not a fan of that genre', so I have not read those even though she is one of my favorite authors. There are three books in the Abiassa's Fire Series, and two so far in the Droseran Saga.

Favorites of mine:

Discarded Heroes, which I mentioned already.(Aren't the original covers better?) :)

A Breed Apart. This is a trilogy about military war dogs. Though I am far from being a fan of dogs, I loved this series and found it fascinating how dogs are used by the military. That series was written in 2016-2017. In October, she is starting a series based on that, A Breed Apart: Legacy. The first book is titled Havoc. She just released the description and book cover.

The Breed Apart Series is also getting new covers soon.

The Tox Files. Another trilogy. She branched out with this one including supernatural themes that added a lot to the books. The series revolved around Cole "Tox" Russell and his team.

The Metcalfes. There are six Metcalfe siblings, and they all have cool names. Canyon gets his story in Wolfsbane, the third book in her first series, The Discarded Heroes. That is the book where the whole Metcalfe family is introduced. Leif gets a whole trilogy about him in The Book of Wars series. Then the remaining siblings each get their own book in the series simply titled "The Metcalfes." The whole series is about sex trafficking, and how each sibling fights it and rescues those trapped in it. Amazing series. And each book is titled the name of the Metcalfe featured.

As I mentioned earlier, Ronie's next book is due out in October: Havoc, #1 in The Breed Apart Legacy Series.

More about Ronie:

An Army brat, Ronie Kendig grew up in the classic military family, with her father often TDY and her mother holding down the proverbial fort. Their family moved often, which left Ronie attending six schools by the time she’d entered fourth grade. Her respite and “friends” during this time were the characters she created.

It was no surprise when she married a military veteran—her real-life hero—in June 1990 and recently celebrated their 30th Anniversary. Despite the craziness of life, Ronie finds balance and peace with her faith, family, retired military working dog VVolt N629, and Benning the Stealth Golden a short train ride from New York City.

Ronie has a deep love and passion for people, which is why she earned a degree in Psychology from Liberty University. Ronie speaks and teaches across the country and mentors other writers.

Since launching onto the publishing scene in 2010, Ronie and her books have hit bestseller lists and garnered awards and critical acclaim, including:

2020 Realm Award – Science Fiction – Brand of Light

2020 Alliance Award (Reader’s Choice) – Brand of Light

2020 INSPY Award Short List – Storm Rising and Brand of Light

2019 Realm Maker Award – Fantasy – Fierian

2017 RT Reviewers’ Choice Winner – Crown of Souls

2016 RT Reviewers’ Choice Winner – Conspiracy of Silence

2016 ACFW Carol Award Finalist – The Warrior’s Seal

2015 RT Book of the Year Finalist – Firethorn

2015 INSPY Shortlist – Firethorn and Embers

2015 Lime Award Winner – Firethorn

2012 Christy Award Winner – Wolfsbane (Contemporary Romance)

2013 HOLT Medallion Winner – Trinity: Military War Dog (Best Book by a Virginia Author)

2013 Selah Award Winner  – Firethorn (Fiction – Suspense)

2013 Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award Winner – Trinity: Military War Dog (Romantic Suspense)

2012 Lime Award Winner – Firethorn (Suspense)

2012 Carol Award Finalist – Wolfsbane (Romantic Suspense)

Christian Retailing’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards Finalist – Nightshade

2011 Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award Finalist – Nightshade (Romantic Suspense)

Top 25 Christian Fiction Suspense, Mystery, and Thriller Writers by FamilyFiction (Sept 2011)

2011 FamilyFiction Readers’ Choice Awards – New Favorite Author & Novel of the Year.

INSPY Award Shortlist final in Mystery/Thriller (Dead Reckoning)

2010 Lime Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction (Nightshade)