LIFE LATELY

Hello from the writing cave…

FAIR WARNING: this particular JJ newsletter is going to be different from past JJ newsletters.

Because, well, to be totally honest with you, this year is going to be a bit different. I thought it was only fair for me to prepare you, my readers, for what’s to come. So, if you have a few moments, grab a cup of coffee or your favorite fizzy drink, and settle in.

Let’s chat.

I’ll get the big stuff out of the way first. Way back in 2022, something happened. Something that changed my life. I took a leap into the unknown and wrote a book outside my normal genre. Far, far outside. Like… in a whole different world, one I made up, one with elemental magic and mythical monsters and epic battle sequences and brooding, untrustworthy villains with dark hair and even darker intentions…

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

This was a book I’d been dreaming about writing for YEARS, but never allowed myself to actually dedicate the time to putting down on paper.

But why? you ask.

Well, for a few reasons. For one, I was scared. Scared to leap out of my safe contemporary romance bubble into the wide, wild world of romantasy. Scared to alienate or anger my loyal readers. Scared to take a break from constant production to follow my heart instead — steady royalty reports be damned. Scared to call my agents and say, “I want to write a high fantasy trilogy, and I want you to try to sell it to a traditional publisher so it’s in book stores all over the world... It’s me, JJ… I’m the problem, it’s me.”

My agents, angels that they are, did not laugh at me. Instead, they got to work. And in 2023, after a few months of biting my nails while it was out on submission (or “on sub” as people say in the book biz) to different publishers… they successfully sold my trilogy to Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House, who will publish here in the United States… along with more than a dozen other AMAZING foreign-market publishers, who will get translated copies on shelves in places like the UK, Germany, Australia, France, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Portugal, and too many others to list without boring you to tears.

TLDR: I’ve signed a three-book deal for a romantic fantasy series. Book one, THE WIND WEAVER, hits shelves all over the world in April 2025.

Here’s the official announcement:

To say this is an actual dream come true for me is an understatement of the highest degree. It is so exciting, I feel like my heart might burst out of my skin at any given moment… which was INCREDIBLY INCONVENIENT during all those months I had to keep things a secret from you guys.

Needless to say, I’m thrilled I can finally talk to you about it, and start sharing some little tidbits about the series. I obviously am not allowed to share the official cover or blurb yet — BUT HOLY CRAP I’VE SEEN THEM AND THEY ARE AMAZING SO PREPARE YOURSELVES — but I can share the basic story pitch.

“Rhya, a halfling, discovers she is one of four reincarnations of elemental power, and is destined to restore the balance of magic…”

So, think… THRONE OF GLASS meets AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER meets THE WITCHER… Then throw in some enemies-to-lovers, torturously slow burn romance… And some wickedly cool world building… And a troublesome ancient prophecy…

EEEEK! I cannot wait to scream every single detail from the rooftops once I can share more. That will happen in the weeks and months to come. A lot of those timeline decisions are out of my control — which in itself has been a big adjustment for me. I’ve spent the past few months going through all sorts of fun new parts of the publishing process, ones that I’ve never experienced before.

As an indie author, it’s typically just you and your laptop against the world. I’ve gotten used to handling everything myself, from the actual writing to the edits to the cover design to the formatting to the marketing. It’s been strange to have lots of those duties taken out of my hands and placed into the competent grip of an established publishing team. (Though, I will admit, at times it’s been tough for a Type A person like myself, who enjoys control of all things, to let go. To throw my hands up and simply enjoy the ride.)

In any case, book one, THE WIND WEAVER, is off to the printers, officially out of my hands. I’m deep in the trenches of book two — the title of which is TOP SECRET INFORMATION — and loving every single minute of it. I’ll be entrenched in my writing cave for the next few months, as I’m scheduled to turn the completed manuscript in by August. Book one is BIG — clocking in at 150,000 words, or around 600 pages — and book two is poised to be equally thick. If not thicker. A veritable doorstop, folks. I have a feeling it’s going to take me every bit of allotted time to get this story into the shape I want it…

But I don’t mind.

I love it.

Case in point: my Pinterest aesthetic inspo-board at the moment…

Other than writing, life has been pretty quiet. I know 2025 will be a blur of travel and book-related trips, so I’m happily staying put for a stretch. Focusing on craft and letting my passport collect some dust, for once, instead of jetting off in search of inspiration.

And New England isn’t such a bad spot to be stuck for a while. Spring has finally arrived after a long and dreary winter that was reluctant to release its grip on us. No snow this year — just rain, rain, and more rain. I know it’s a pain to shovel, but I for one missed the flurries and flakes. That feeling you get when you wake up and find the whole world coated in a layer of pristine white…

It’s magical.

But there’s a magic to spring, too. The daffodils are creeping up through the thawing ground, the trees are starting to bud. I can feel some of those lingering winter blues lifting off my shoulders as the birds chirp outside my window during early-morning writing sessions. It makes me feel hopeful for everything that’s to come, and reminds me to be patient… even when changes are measured in months and years instead of minutes or days.

Good things come to those who wait. (And to those who take the terrifying leap into the unknown, chasing after far-flung dreams that once felt impossibly out of reach.)

I hope, wherever you are, life is being kind to you. Thanks for being in my corner. I’ll be in touch soon with more updates for you about this exciting new chapter in my life. xx

Much love,