New here? I write fast-paced, slow-burn paranormal romance where strong women, good men, and impossible pressure push love to its limits. 💜

The Front Page

Hello from the very quiet update desk,

This is one of those weeks where I’m working on plenty of things, but don’t have anything new and shiny to announce yet. So rather than repeat myself from last week, I’ll just say: progress is happening behind the scenes, and I’m still here, still working, and still typing carefully with my awkward splint and broken finger.

What I do want to talk about is the 52-Week Journey... I love how many of you vote each week. Seeing the numbers for each answer come in has become one of my favourite parts of sending these newsletters, and I always enjoy finding out whether the results go the way I expected… or whether you all surprise me.

But I also need to give a quick reminder about the monthly draw. Last month’s winner didn't respond to the prize email, and I hate when someone misses out simply because my message ended up in spam or promotions.

So please add my email address to your contacts or safe sender list. That way, if I email you to say you’ve won, the message is more likely to land where you’ll actually see it.

Now for this week's question...

✨ The 52-Week Journey — Week 23/52 ✨

Last week I asked: If loving someone put them in danger, would you still choose them?

You said: No with 75%. Wow, you surprised me.

This week: If your heart knew the truth before your mind did, would you accept it?

Yes

Full Rules, Deadline, & Details Here.

And don't forget that for June there will be two winners, and each winner will receive one handmade, hand-stamped metal bookmark, so be sure to enter every week. As always, I’ll ship anywhere in the world. 💜 /KJ

Behind The Pages

A man and a woman in an embrace is a Forge, surrounded by magic.

Week 11 of the In Magic Series Posts — When Being Strong Becomes the Wall

Each week, I alternate between talking about a couple from one of the books and something specific to the series. This week is about Kate and Isaac from book six, Forged in Magic.

Kate doesn’t trust men. Not easily, not quickly… and definitely not with her heart.

She has her reasons because she’s been hurt, used, dismissed, and underestimated. She’s learned the hard way that wanting someone can make you vulnerable, and vulnerability can be dangerous when the wrong person knows exactly where to strike.

I think a lot of people can understand that, even if the details are different.

Most of us have been hurt in some way that changed how we move through the world. Maybe it made us more careful. Maybe it made us question people’s motives. Or maybe it taught us to keep things casual, keep expectations low, or keep one hand on the exit just in case we needed it.

That’s where Kate is when Isaac comes into her life. She wants him, the chemistry between them is obvious, and she’s more than willing to admit she’s attracted to him. What she won’t admit is that he matters. That wanting him has started to feel a lot like needing him. That somewhere along the way, her heart has begun to understand something her mind is still fighting.

Isaac is different. But knowing that and trusting it are not the same thing.

That’s the part I wanted to dig into with Kate and Isaac. Because sometimes the hardest part of trusting someone isn’t recognizing that they’re good… it’s believing they’ll still be good to you once you let them close.

Kate’s head knows the rules she built to keep herself safe: don’t trust too much, don’t need too much, and never let a man close enough to know exactly how to hurt you. The problem is... her heart is already starting to disagree.

Then Kate and Isaac are thrown into a situation neither of them could have predicted. There’s no plan and no easy way out. Just the two of them, trapped somewhere impossible, with trust becoming less of a romantic idea and more of a necessity. And that changes everything.

Kate can keep telling herself she doesn’t need Isaac, but the situation strips away the illusion that distance will protect her. She has to rely on him. She has to believe him. She has to face the truth that trusting someone doesn’t always mean handing them power over you.

Sometimes it means giving both of you a chance to survive. That is where this week’s question fits so perfectly: If your heart knew the truth before your mind did, would you trust it?

I think that’s such a hard question because our minds usually have evidence. Memories. Old wounds. Reasons to be careful. Reasons to say, “I’m not doing that again.” And those reasons matter. Pain teaches us things, and sometimes those lessons keep us safe.

But sometimes the lesson goes too far. Sometimes we stop protecting ourselves from the person who hurt us and start protecting ourselves from everyone. Even the people who have shown up. Even the people who are standing right there, trying to prove they’re not asking us to become smaller, weaker, or less ourselves.

But at some point, trust asks something uncomfortable of us: not blind faith, not ignoring red flags, and not pretending the past didn’t happen. A leap.

The kind where you know you won’t get a guarantee before you choose. You can’t make someone earn your trust forever while never letting them close enough to receive it.

That’s the hard part. Sometimes protecting yourself is necessary. But sometimes, after someone has shown up again and again, the next step can’t be proven from a safe distance. It has to be chosen.

That is Kate’s leap. It’s not about forgetting what happened to her or pretending trust is easy just because Isaac cares about her. It’s about realizing that the past may explain her fear, but it doesn’t have to make every choice for her. Because trusting again after you’ve been hurt isn’t simple. You don’t get one big dramatic moment where everything suddenly feels safe. Sometimes it’s a series of small choices. Letting someone stay. Letting them help. Letting yourself believe their actions instead of only listening to the old fear in your head.

For Kate, trusting Isaac is terrifying because it means admitting her heart may have known the truth before she was ready to face it. But that’s also where the hope is.

Because sometimes taking the leap doesn’t mean you’re reckless. Sometimes it means you’re finally brave enough to believe this time might be different. 💜 /KJ

Off The Page

Here's a bit about what's happening with me outside of writing...

My hubby texted me while Solo and I were walking in the drizzle and cold this morning.

Damn, I really need to find that selfie stick I bought eons ago! (I look a little crazed! 😆)

My hubby's resonse to the photo:

"That is Solo's 'bored but regal look', he is thinking 'off with their heads' and you look giddy at being able to draw your sword!!!" 🤣

The Next Pages...

I've got a few exciting projects in the works!
These covers will change soon... maybe by the end of June!

I know, I know... I keep saying that, but please keep watching.

Until next time.... Wishing you a little hope, love, & magic every day! 💜

Get in touch

kj@kjwarawa.com

https://kjwarawa.com

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What if your heart already knew the truth? 💜