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 almost-there trenches,

I know... it probably feels like I've been saying, "I've got exciting things coming," for weeks now. The good news is that I'm finally getting close to sharing some actual news.

One thing I can tell you now is that I've made a publishing decision that's going to let me release more books than I'd originally planned. I'll explain everything once it's official, but I'm really excited about what it means for you as a reader.

It's funny, actually, because this week's Behind the Pages touches on something similar. I'm not waiting because I'm trying to make everything perfect. I'm waiting because some of what I've been working on simply isn't finished being built yet. There's a big difference.

Now for the news I can share...

If you're anywhere near Seattle, I'd love to meet you! I'll be signing at the Readers & Writers Author Event in Seattle event on July 25, and I have two free tickets that include both the author signing and the after-party. If you'd like them, just reply to this email. I'll give them away as a pair. They're first come, first served, so once they're gone, they're gone!

It's also time to celebrate my June winners—woot woot!🎉 Congratulations to Jana E. from Edmonton, Canada, and Doris P. from Salzburg, Austria! I think it's amazing that I get to send prizes all over the world. 💜 Those prizes should be on their way soon. My paper bookmarks are supposed to arrive tomorrow, so I'll package them up with the handmade metal bookmarks and get everything in the mail.

Speaking of prizes...

Last week, I asked you to vote on July's giveaway. The options were a signed copy of one of my books, helping me choose future character names, or one of my handmade metal bookmarks.

The winner wasn't even close. Sixty-one percent of you chose the handmade metal bookmark, so that's what I'll be giving away this month! I have to admit, I'm pretty happy about that because I genuinely love making them.

I'll be choosing two winners at the end of July, so don't forget to answer each week's 52-Week Journey question. Every vote gives you another chance to win.

Now... onto this week's question...

✨ The 52-Week Journey — Week 27/52 ✨

Last week I asked: If the truth changed how people saw you, would you still tell it?

You said: 67% of you said Yes!

This week: Would you rather be haunted by what you lost… or by what you almost had?

Lost

Almost Had

Full Rules, Deadline, & Details Here.

Now I better get back to work to keep building...💜 /KJ

Behind The Pages

Journal with Perfect Crossed out and Progess Quote.

Perfection Isn't the Goal

This week, I thought I'd step away from talking about a specific book or series and give you a little peek into my writing process instead.

One of the hardest lessons I've had to learn as an author is knowing when something is finished.

Not perfect. Finished.

Those two things aren't the same.

Some of you may remember that Hidden in Magic wasn't always called Hidden in Magic. It was originally published as Lost in Magic.

Before it ever reached readers, I rewrote that book over and over again. I think I wrote it six different times while I was learning the craft of storytelling. Every version taught me something, and every version made the next one better.

Then I published it, which most people would think was the end of the story. It wasn't.

I revised it twice more before eventually making the decision to do something that felt a little crazy: I rewrote the entire book from the ground up. Not because readers were unhappy, but because I knew I could do better.

It's out in the world now, and is it perfect?

Hell no.

If I opened it tomorrow, I'd probably find a bunch of sentences I'd like to tweak or a scene or two or ten I'd write a little differently. I honestly think every author could say the same thing about every book they've ever written.

But am I happier with it? Absolutely.

I think that's the balance, not just in writing but in life. We should always be trying to improve. We should keep learning, keep growing, and keep asking ourselves if we can do something a little better than we did last time.

But eventually, we have to let things go. Whether it's a book, a painting, a craft project, a new business, or even a dream we've been working toward for years, there comes a point where we simply have to share it with the world, imperfections and all.

That's one of the hardest things to accept as a creative. Sometimes the bravest thing we can do isn't making it perfect. It's deciding it's ready enough to let go.

Then we take everything we've learned... and make the next thing even better. 💜 /KJ

When is something finally finished? 💜