MAY 2026

Write, sleep, repeat.

Hello, hello!

I feel like I was just in your inbox yesterday, and yet my calendar is telling me a whole month has passed since we last spoke. You know what that means…

It’s time for another riveting update on all things in the JJ universe, bookish and otherwise. So buckle up, buttercup. Let’s dive into what I was up to in May…

Exactly one month ago, I had a book release. I’ve spoken before about the rollercoaster of emotions that ensues when launching a book after months (sometimes YEARS) of work. There’s so much build-up, so much anticipation… and then… it’s just…

Over.

Talk about emotional whiplash! Suddenly, a story that once belonged only to you is out there in the world, and you’re left sitting at your laptop feeling like a deflated balloon slowly leaking air from a hole you have no idea how to patch.

No matter how many times I’ve done it, the publishing aftermath never gets any easier. Which is, quite frankly, rude. I should be better at weathering the high highs and low lows by now… right?

Alas, I am a human. A sensitive one, at that. Not only am I a water sign (Cancer sun, Pisces moon), I’m also a Type-A INFJ chronic overachiever who spends far too much time in her own head… and my head is not always the best place for me to be when times turn stressful.

I tend to spiral over elements that are totally out of my control, and overanalyze everything I’ve ever done wrong. Starting with that time I cut my own bangs during the pandemic with kitchen scissors. (Never again.)

Thankfully, beyond the crushing self-doubt and semi-paralyzing sense of doom, there is also quite a bit of joy in releasing a book. And that, my readers, is all thanks to you. Because as hard as it may be to carve up a little slice of my soul and serve it to you in fictional form, it’s worth it when I read your reviews and hear how you connected with the storyline. Or when I open my inbox and find a message that brings tears (the good kind!) to my eyes, knowing you related so deeply to my characters.

The author-reader feedback loop breathes new life into what starts out as a totally solitary process. My words live on, even though my part in them — the writing part — is finished.

I’m so incredibly grateful to every single person who has picked up a copy of this latest book, or any of my past books, whether here in the US or somewhere abroad. It still astounds me that this trilogy sold in so many languages/countries. (More than 20!) And, hell, it’s entirely possible this may be the only time something so crazy happens in my career. There are no guarantees whatever I write next will find a home with publishers across the globe.

So, instead of spiraling over sales numbers or worrying about what may or may not happen in the future, I’m doing my best to appreciate this rare lightning strike of success as it’s happening. To live in the moment, and commit it to memory before it fades.

(Even if that means telling my annoyingly introspective brain to occasionally shut the hell up.)

There were a few very exciting announcements made this month, which you likely already saw if you follow me on social media. Firstly…

THE SEA SPINNER is getting a FairyLoot special edition.

Woooooo!

I know many of you have been waiting for this news, and I’m overjoyed to officially confirm it. I’ve seen the artwork already, and I know it will be simply stunning in print. A beautiful shelf companion for the FL Edition of THE WIND WEAVER which, to this day, is one of my most prized possessions.

As you can see in the photo above, I hand-signed the entire print run a few weeks ago. My wrist was definitely exhausted afterward, but my heart was beyond full.

For more information about early access and general sale, check out the official announcement or visit the FairyLoot website.

***

The other big news of the month pertains to book three in the trilogy. After several weeks of teasing the title, I was able to reveal it…

Drum roll, please….

THE REALM REAPER

Reign of Remnants #3

February 23, 2027

Are you surprised?!

Everyone was so convinced this one would be called “THE EARTH ____” but nobody managed to guess it correctly, despite hundreds of attempts. (Though your guesses were highly entertaining for me to read!)

I may be biased, seeing as I picked the title, but I really do love it. I think THE REALM REAPER perfectly matches the darker nature of the trilogy’s conclusion. Book three is the most devastating in many ways, but also the most hopeful, romantic, and heart-racing of them all.

When I set out to write this saga, I made an effort for each book to feel like a distinct element in terms of the tone, and the cover art really mirrors that sensory approach.

To me, WIND WEAVER feels like a spark on flint, a curl of smoke, a catching blaze. Fanned flames in the wind. Meanwhile, SEA SPINNER feels like a changeable tide, a sudden squall, a swallowing ocean. A rogue wave that catches you unawares and drags you to the bottom.

Which brings us to REALM REAPER. A book like the earth itself. Roots reaching for light from utter darkness. The first blade of grass breaking through frozen ground. Shifting sands and cracking boundaries. Seeds of conflict sown, dire consequences reaped.

I’ve seen sketches of the cover artwork already and all I can say is OMG. I didn’t think it was possible to match the beauty of the first two covers in this series, but I’m very, very happy to be proven wrong. It’s going to be the most epic of the trilogy. Hopefully, I’ll be able to show it off to you in next month’s newsletter!

PS: if you are a blogger with a Booktok or Bookstagram account interested in helping with the cover reveal, please fill out this interest form.

The weather’s turned warm and breezy here, which I’m absolutely loving. I’m able to exercise outdoors again without bundling up in 27 layers. I even snuck in a few beach days when the temps spiked into the 80s last week! Sun and sand remain the perfect cure for a cold, dreary winter… and those 8PM sunsets aren’t too shabby, either.

With everything starting to bloom, I’m spending more time in the garden. I confess: I am a reformed plant serial killer. I used to murder all of my houseplants on a regular basis. Now that I’m in my 30s, however, I’ve unapologetically embraced my “grandma hobby” era. No more black thumb for me.

No more dive bars or dancing all night, either. These days, you can find me going to sleep early, waking up with the sun, hanging with my cat, puttering in the garden, and sitting on the porch with a good book. If that makes me boring, well… I don’t really care. They say maturing is just reverting back to all the things you enjoyed as a kid. Rediscovering whatever it is that brought you joy at age 12, before you decided it was lame.

The thing is, I spent my 20s trying so hard to have fun. To be cool and chic and impressive. Always with tickets to a show, reservations to a new restaurant, exotic travel plans lined up… When I look back, I can’t help wondering if I actually managed to enjoy any of it?

All those parties I threw, all those trips I booked, all those glamorous dinners… At the time, they felt enjoyable. I remember enjoying them, I swear I do. But they seem almost performative in the rearview mirror.

I’ve been reflecting on that a lot, wondering if I’ve changed or if the world around me has. Maybe both. Or maybe, at the ripe old age of 34, I’ve finally grown up. All I know for sure is, I’ve found more peace in a quiet life and a slower pace than I ever did running around city streets in high heels, chasing after boys who couldn’t love me back.

As women, we’re told to be terrified of aging. Being single and childless is treated as a crime or a personal failure or an act of selfishness. But I’m heading rapidly toward 35 far happier than I was a decade ago, in the best physical shape of my life, financially independent, emotionally regulated, well rested, and hydrated as hell.

Getting older doesn’t seem so scary anymore. In fact, I’m kind of loving it.

One of my favorite activities this month was “Art in Bloom” at the Museum of Fine Art. I highly recommend grabbing tickets next year if you’re in the Boston area!

There’s never a bad time to visit the museum, but during this special exhibit, works of art are paired with local garden clubs who create mesmerizing floral arrangements to accompany them. You then can wander through the various wings of the museum, seeing all of the arrangements.

One of my personal favorites from the exhibit was the Monet painting La Japonaise paired with some gorgeous florals. (Pictured above.)

It was such a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Also, a great reminder of the many ways the same emotions/ideas can be captured and expressed through wildly different mediums.

While the creative well always needs filling, I found myself in need of lighter waters this month. Something to counterbalance the heaviness of the news cycles and algorithms. Instead of action or thriller, I was drawn to easier watches.

I revisited my love of k-dramas with Perfect Crown on Hulu. And despite my utter lack of interest in real sports, I enjoyed several sports-related shows this month... First with S2 of the basketball themed Running Point on Netflix, later with hockey infused Off Campus on Prime. (Excited for Dean and Allie’s season next!)

But as they say, a tiger can’t totally change her stripes, so I did venture down a true crime rabbit hole last week after watching the documentary The Crash. I ended up watching several other documentaries about the case afterward, along with several deep-dives on TikTok.

As for books…. My favorite read of the month was Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, which I discovered after absolutely adoring her work in The Everlasting earlier this year. And I’m currently reading The Poison Daughter by Shiela Masterson — really enjoying it so far!

And just like that, our May recap is at an end.

I’ll be back in your inbox at the end of June for another chat about author life… and maybe even a cover reveal?!

We shall see.

I hope you have a wonderful month, filled to the brim with whatever brings you peace.

Until next time…