JULY 2025

Birthdays, books, and beach days…

July, July, July.

Scorching sunny days, 8PM sunsets, and 100% humidity. I’m writing this month’s newsletter to you with fingers stained slightly pink from eating way too many cherries, while sipping on an iced chai latte approximately the size of my head.

Since we last spoke, I’ve celebrated some big life milestones, said some painful goodbyes, revealed a new book title + cover (see it below!), and acquired a nice base tan courtesy of several afternoons with my butt parked in a beach chair, paperback in hand.

If you have a few minutes to spare, grab a drink, sit down with me, and let’s dive into the details of life lately…

See that big stack of bound pages in the photo above? That, my friends, is the final, formatted manuscript of THE SEA SPINNER, book two in my fantasy trilogy.

530 pages of pure spoilers.

This stage of the publishing process — the “pass pages” stage — is not for big edits or structural changes. It’s for catching small typos, making tiny tweaks... Essentially, it’s the last time for an author to set eyes on their work before it goes to print.

I spent the first stretch of this month reading over the story start to finish, savoring every word before it’s officially out of my hands. I’m happy to tell you, I still love it as much on the hundredth read as I did when I first wrote it, over a year ago.

When I sat down to draft this sequel, I was determined to avoid making the second installment in the trilogy a so-called “filler” book. And, whew, I think I succeeded. It’s truly a wild ride from beginning to end, packed with action and some crazy plot twists that are going to make you guys so, so mad at me when you finally get to read it.

Today, however, you’ll be happy, because you get your first look at the absolutely phenomenal cover art…

Is it not magnificent?!

Months ago, when my publisher asked me what I envisioned for this cover, I said the artwork needed to reflect the tumultuous storyline on the pages inside. THE SEA SPINNER is, in many ways, a tidal shift for this trilogy, and the artist, Tom Roberts, did such a fantastic job capturing that vibe. (Yes, before you ask, I am in fact already feral to see what he will come up with for book three.)

The official release date is April 28 (USA)/April 30 (UK). I know it’s a very long wait (don’t blame me, I don’t get any say in these decisions!) but the best news is you can already pre-order on Amazon, B&N, or whichever retailer you’d like.

There’s been lots of bookish excitement, but otherwise life in the world of JJ has been rather chill this month. I celebrated my 34th birthday on July 3rd with friends and family at the beach, soaking up the sunshine and sipping a nice bottle of Sancerre.

Since I was born so close to the Fourth of July, my birthday always feels like a natural extension of the holiday, rolled up in all the neighborhood barbecues and fireworks displays and small town parades... When I was a little girl, I actually believed the fireworks were just for me. (Aren’t they, though?)

The middle of the month was dedicated mostly to finishing revisions of the book three first draft, polishing up all the messy bits and fleshing out the parts I wrote in my mad rush to reach THE END.

Want to know a secret? I still have yet to allow any living soul to read book three. Why? Well, I suppose I’m feeling a bit protective of the epic finale. A part of me wants to keep it close, to savor it while it’s still just mine, and no one else knows how it all comes to a close.

Very soon, it will be sent off to my agents and editors for proper feedback… but not before it goes to my mom. Throughout my career, she is always the first person to read my books — probably because she’s the only one I trust to be totally honest with her opinions. She is never afraid to hurt my feelings, which is something I really value. (After I’ve stopped crying, LOL.)

With revisions behind me, I’ve finally started writing something new, which I obviously can’t talk about yet. I’m in the very beginning stages of plotting and idea gnashing. Still, I’m very excited about what I have so far, and it just feels good to be writing again.

I’m Type A: I simply don’t function well without a project.

One sad update: since we last spoke, I had to say a very tough, very sudden goodbye to my beloved dog Scout. He was the most beautiful boy, both inside and out. A gentle giant at almost 100 lbs. Pure love walking around on four paws.

11 years were not enough.

I miss him every day, but I’m relieved he is no longer in pain.

I’ve been reading up a storm lately in a vain attempt to unplug from constant doom-scrolling and apocalyptic news cycles. Everything from thrillers to romantasies to sci-fi space operas to literary fiction.

Some recent favorites include: The Wedding People by Alison Espach, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell, and an advanced copy of Ember Eternal by Chloe Neill, which comes out this November.

If you have great summer reading recs, please send them my way! (Did you know you can reply right to this email?)

Truthfully I haven’t been watching much this month. I never do in the summer — for some reason, I feel oddly guilty “wasting” time I should be spending outside, since in a few short months Massachusetts will once again be a frozen tundra. There’s a weird urge to maximize every available hour of sunshine.

Totally illogical?

Yes, but try explaining that to my brain.

Still, I recently did get to the theaters on a rainy afternoon to see The Materialists. (I liked but did not love it.) I also enjoyed the Yosemite thriller/mystery Untamed on Netflix and, like the rest of the world, became instantly obsessed with K-Pop Demon Hunters upon my first viewing.

That about wraps it up for this month, friends.

One quick housekeeping note before I let you go — moving forward, I’m shifting this newsletter to the last Wednesday of every month, instead of the second. (The content and structure will remain the same.)

I hope your July was wonderful, and August treats you even better. Try to enjoy it while it lasts. Like Taylor Swift says, it really does slip away like a bottle of wine…

Until next time…