I’m writing you from the corner of my local coffee shop drinking a coffee with orange and cream. Yesterday, the kids and I frolicked in a stream, caught crawfish, and read books while we picnicked. It’s one of the last weeks of summer, and we’re doing everything we can to soak it up before school forces us back into routines.

Idk about you, but I both love and hate routines. They don’t come naturally to me. I’m a Type C (Chaos) personality, which means my favorite days are ones like yesterday where there’s no expectations and no plans and we end up on a random adventure.

Yet there’s peace in routines. I’m way more productive with my writing in the fall than I ever am during the summer, and I’m sure that’s entirely because my days settle into a routine like this:

• Wake up at 5:30 AM

• Quiet time reading Scripture and praying

• Snuggle the dog and drink coffee

• Wake up the kids and freak out hustle until we arrive at school at 8:00 AM

• Collapse into my car

• Drive home or to one of Frederick’s amazing coffee shops (we are GLUTTED with incredible options—right now my favorite is Gravel & Grind because of their spicy mocha) and write furiously until my body reminds me I need food

• Eat, Chores, Dog (my version of Eat, Pray, Love)

• Pick the kids up at 3:00 PM

• DINNER-HOMEWORK-RESET-PAPERWORK-EXTRACURRICULARS-SPORTS-SNACKS-LAUNDRY-PACK-LUNCHES-DANCE

• Snuggle and bed

And not at all because I actually have time to write every day :). I’m curious what type of person you are—do you love the unstructured nature of summer, or are you a routines and expectations type of person?

The Prettiest Girl on the Shelf

I’m so excited to announce that Bookish Signs is doing another stunning stained edges edition for Teach Me to Prey!

You might remember their bloody violin edges for Boys with Sharp Teeth. It’s probably my favorite stained edges on a book EVER. Amber hit another home run this time!!!

Teach Me to Prey is a New Orleans gothic and the bayou’s dark, claustrophobic setting is incredibly important to the plot. Our cast gets lost deep inside Barataria searching for a serial killer’s hideaway…and I’m OBSESSED with how Amber brought the dense, vibrant life of Louisiana’s bayous to life on her edges!

This copy is only available in limited quantities through her shop, and only guaranteed to those who preorder so get yours today! I’ll be signing (and doodling) on every single order through Bookish Signs <3. Preorder here.

New Art!

Love is you failing me and me choosing you. Love is me hurting you and you choosing me. Love makes your heart into a hand grenade with the pin pulled and then wraps the other person’s hand around the trigger.

I LOVE THIS ART OF THORN & TARA BY NATHCREARE ON IG!!! Please join me in screeching!!!!!

When I had COVID back in 2025, I went on a slightly-ill-advised spree of commissioning art while in haze brain mode. Nath was one of the artists I reached out to. They painted the most exquisite art of Rian & Tara ever—

—and I knew as soon as I saw it that I’d have to ask Nath to paint Thorn & Tara, too.

I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED AHHHH!!!

Question, though: if all you saw about this book was these two pieces of art, which boy would you choose as the final LI? This is a psychological test of your emotional stability, btw, so think carefully and look at all the details, then let me know.

Then read the book (link goes to Netgalley to request!) and let me know if you were right!!!!

MUAHAHAHHA

Updates

I finished proposal pages for my next YA novel, currently titled Hot But Sad Rich People on an Island Doing Terrible Things.

As you can see from my extremely amazing title alone, it’s very Jenni-core and I’m extremely hopeful it gets picked up so I can share it with you someday! This is my first time submitting a book on proposal, so if anyone’s interested in what that process is like, I’m happy to share more.

My weekend plans:

Behold my face.

I’ll be at Spark in the Park again this weekend, and I’m so excited! Park Books has copies of Boys with Sharp Teeth (in paperback, with the gorgeous art inside!!!) that I’ll be signing. I’m also bringing art cards and fun goodies for my 2027 release, Most Accomplished Liars.

Another VERY JENNI TITLE MUAHAHAHAH!! More on that book, co-written with one of my best writing friends Jamie, later! I’ve bombarded you enough today.

Currently Reading

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez — I just finished this one and LOVED it. It was my first book by Jimenez, but it won’t be my last. I’m a huge fan of closed door romances, as I think it forces the author to dig deep into the emotional and mental arcs the characters go on. Physical chemistry is important, and I loooove reading that done well, too, but my particular high of choice is when two people smash minds. Hrnnnng. Anyways, Abby nailed it with this one. Highly recommend!

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer — I keep chuckling haha, this one is hilarious and so ridiculous. I’m writing an adult novel in my spare time right now and thoroughly enjoying digging into some adult books that I’ve let languish on my shelf to go whole hog on YA. (YA is still my favorite and forever home <3)

A Note

Thank you to all of you who’ve recently ordered the paperback of Boys with Sharp Teeth or preordered Teach Me to Prey or Most Accomplished Liars. As a new author working on selling her fourth book (!!), your support means the world. It’s quite literally life-changing.

I’m off to work on my next thriller with Jamie. Wishing you all a beautiful summer day, whether you hate summer or not. Phbbbt!!

<3,

j

Preorder Teach Me to Prey

Preorder Most Accomplished Liars

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This summer, I’m partnering with the Carroll County Public Library to teach a class on how to not just write a book but sell it. It’s this Saturday, June 27, from 1-3 PM at their Exploration Commons, and it’s free!

From the library:

Join New York Times bestselling author of Boys with Sharp Teeth Jenni Howell to learn the ins and outs of publishing today. From traditional publishing with a major market to the fast-paced world of indie and self-publishing, she’ll discuss how to get your book in front of readers and the roadblocks and challenges you might face. She'll also discuss some key strategies for making your passion project stand out in a crowded market. There will be a Q&A included.

We’re going to cover all the insider info I’ve learned about how to get a book not just written but sold—including going over the almighty pitch, querying strategies, agent must-know, and trad v indie. Some of my best writer friends are amazing indie authors, and I’m so excited to share what I’ve learned from them, too.

There’s still seats left, but they’re going fast so make sure you register!

If you can’t join us but have questions, drop them in the comments or dm me on socials. I’m always open to sharing everything I can. I’m where I’m at because of the help of other writers, and I will be paying that forward for the rest of my career.

Updates

We just got back from the beach a little bit ago, an epic family trip with 19 of us in one house. It was one of the best weeks of my life. My sisters and I relieved childhood memories and made tons of new ones with our kids, and it helped me slow down and remember that summer can be restful.

^{One of the beaches we explored this month!}

Because honestly, it doesn’t usually feel that way. Ever since selling Boys with Sharp Teeth, my summers have been spent on a madcap race to hit a drafting deadline by the end of them. I’ve written poolside, hiding in bedrooms, and well past 12 A.M. I’ve scrambled for weekend retreats in tiny hotel rooms and putting together childcare for once-a-week days at the library.

Teach Me to Prey was drafted in these frenetic bursts last summer! It was, actually, incredible to write that one during a single summer, as I knew that I wanted the book to ooze heat and humidity. Every character sunburned and sweltering, please and thank you.

Lorrie perches at the front of the boat, one hand raised to shade her eyes, the other pointing at cypress knees and sandbars she wants Rian to steer around. Thorn hasn’t spoken since we set off. He must have left, content with my total lack of progress. I risk a glance back at Rian.

Sweat darkens his curls and drips slowly down the bare planes of his chest. Sunburn heats up his shoulders, even though he stands fully under the shade of the boat’s tin roof. He reaches blindly toward the cooler near his hip and digs out a bottle of water, twisting off the cap and groaning as he dumps it, all at once, over his face.

I snatch a wave of my hair from the wind and separate it into three parts. I knot the parts into a spiral that matches the water’s dancing trails. Box stitches, next, for the firm lines of his stomach. A myriad of little knots hide beneath the thick layers of my hair, tucking away truths about Lorrie and him. I don’t have to collect them anymore—I want to, and that changes everything.

How’s that for a sneak peek haha!! I loved visiting New Orleans and the bayou to write this book, and am sincerely hoping to get to travel back to celebrate its release.

If you haven’t preordered it yet, it’s on sale until tomorrow, June 26, at Barnes & Noble for 25% off! Free membership required; use code PREORDER25 at checkout.

However, if you’d like a signed & personalized copy with art, I highly recommend preordering from my local independent bookstore Curious Iguana. They have it on sale for just over 10% off year-round until release because they’re amazing like that <3.

She’s a BEAUT. My deal with the fae for gorgeous covers is still going hard!!!

To celebrate Teach Me to Prey’s release, I’m writing a very fun Choose Your Own Adventure short story where you get to find out which of the boys you’d match up with. It’s hosted online with a special password link that only preordering readers can obtain… so make sure to keep your receipts!

New Books

The paperback release of Boys with Sharp Teeth is less than 2 weeks away!! I’m so excited to hold a floppy copy of the boys. I’m a huge fan of paperbacks over hardbacks—there’s no feeling like breaking that spine for the first time—and also LOVE that with the B&N sale, a copy of Boys is only $10!!

All editions come with exclusive art printed inside as well as a bonus chapter from Henry’s POV, and a sneak peek at the first chapter of Teach Me to Prey!

Preorder from my local indie store, Park Books, and I get the sneak even more goodies in.

• 1 of 3 beautiful vellum page overlays

• An art bookmark

• A print of Adrian x Marin art by lyyzis_art

• A vinyl Huntsworth Academy sticker so you, too can pretend that you go there!

Park Books ships internationally!

AND

AND

HAHAHHAHA

AND

(I can’t believe there’s an AND, how do I have three books coming out!!)

I get to announce the release of my next book, a YA thriller I co-wrote with one of my best friends and closest critique partners, Jamie Howard. We call ourselves Team JR How (yes, we both have middle names that start with R and yes, we are going to be incredibly easy to shelve at the library! ) and are so proud to share Most Accomplished Liars with you!

This is my first ever book that will have SPRAYED EDGES as the first edition printing!!! They go away after the first edition, though, so make sure you preorder to get those pretties! There’s one theater mask for each of the four Liars, and if you look closely, you can see some masks on the front cover, too. I’m obsessed with the details our team took the time to include.

Here’s the blurb!!

A group of students at an elite boarding school finds out their lies just might be the death of them in this twisty psychological thriller from New York Times bestselling author Jenni Howell and Jamie Howard—perfect for fans of Karen M. McManus!

At Grimshaw Academy, an exclusive private school for the privileged, reputation is everything, which means every student has secrets they’d do anything to keep. The members of a tight-knit acting troupe know this better than most. After the mysterious death of their classmate, they’ve closed ranks and kept their mouths shut.

Their production of innocence has the very highest of stakes, but relationships within the group are fractured. To reconnect, the teens ditch school after prom for a bonding retreat. But when they arrive at their destination, instead of the luxury rental they booked, they find a creepy abandoned summer camp.

Someone with an axe to grind has brought them to the perfect killing ground, and getting out alive will take the performance of a lifetime.

Writing this with Jamie was a blast—and also one of the hardest things we’ve ever done. It started off as an unhinged group chat moment and spiraled out into suddenly, somehow, within a week, words on the page. Our amazing agent Claire Friedman was this book’s champion from the moment we first sent her a hey…so……we did a thing oops! email. She never looked back, working through multiple drafts with us until we found our groove.

It’s a dream to publish this with Kara Sargent at Simon Pulse. Y’all, it’s the same imprint that did Goosebumps and Fear Street! We’re basically best friends with R.L. Stine now!!

^{A memento from one of our earliest drafts, where the book started with a newspaper excerpt about the mmmmmurder! Now it begins with Beckett’s POV…and that hammer falling. Muahahaha!}

Liars is included in the Barnes & Noble sale as well, for 25% off the hardback!

If you want a copy signed by me and Jamie with art of the Liars included, preorder from Park Books (ships international). Buy local, buy indie, buy art!

Thank You

Preorders mean everything to an emerging author. They don’t just help us continue to write (I am absolutely working on my next YA, and how well these books do has a lot to do with how well publishing that goes!) but they also can tell our publishers how hard to push to market our books. You all showed up hard for Boys with Sharp Teeth and changed my life because of it.

I will never, ever forget!! I love you all <3. Thank you for taking a risk on a new author, and thank you to all of the readers who’ve already dug into Teach Me to Prey and said the most amazing things on Goodreads like:

I’ll leave you with that—and maybe, getting to see you this weekend for my publishing class—because after all, I’ve got a book to draft! But this summer, for the first time, I don’t have a deadline for it. This summer…I get to dream at my own pace.

Here’s hoping you’re choosing to dream, as well!

<3, jenni

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Just a quick note today, as I’m deep in the middle of planning my fourth book. It’s been a fascinating process that someday I’ll be psychologically distant enough from to share, but for now know that I’m double-fisting coffee and getting all my steps in but they’re around the couch, around and around and around and around and around because that’s my thinking spot.

And I am dizzy!!

BUT today is the start of Barnes & Noble’s preorder sale, one of the absolute best times to snag a copy of my 2026 releases! It only lasts until March 26, so 3 days to get 25% off Teach Me to Prey AND the paperback release of Boys with Sharp Teeth.

The sale is for members only, but the membership is free. Follow these links to order online!

Boys with Sharp Teeth Paperback

• Exclusive art printed inside the book of our favorite unhinged male lead

• Sneak peek at Teach Me to Prey’s first chapter

• Bonus chapter that’s just as darkly luscious as you’d expect of these three

*An Instant New York Times Bestseller*

We Were Liars meets The Raven Boys in this warped reimagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray about dark revenge, twisted desire, and the sinister secrets lurking behind the walls of an elite boarding school.

"A darkly delicious spiral where each page makes you crave more." ―CG Drews, author of Don't Let The Forest In

"A stunningly lush, utterly compelling, darkly beautiful debut!" ―Ginny Myers Sain, New York Times bestselling author of Dark and Shallow Lies

Teach Me to Prey Hardback

Art from Teach Me to Prey isn’t she GLORIOUS?!

A reluctant teenage killer, the alluring demon she’s bound to, and the headstrong boy she’s sworn to kill are tangled in a web of dangerous desire and sinister secrets in this dark psychological thriller from the New York Times-bestselling author of Boys with Sharp Teeth.

One heart for another. One life for another. And only her soul to pay.

Two years ago, Tara Corbane made a deal with a demon. Each lunar eclipse, she must feed him a lover’s heart torn out by her bare hands—and in exchange, he keeps her sister’s dying heart alive. A desperate deal that Tara fears is making her more and more like Thorn, the twisted but tantalizing demon she's sworn to hate.

Thirty days before the next eclipse, Tara heads to New Orleans, where her newest target awaits. But Rian Connach, the handsome heir to a real estate empire, is nothing like the others. He's single, for starters, and isn't out for love but vengeance. He's hot on the trail of the serial killer he blames for his girlfriend’s gruesome death—a trail that will lead directly to Tara.

As the eclipse draws near, Tara finds herself trapped in a game of cat and mouse. To save her own skin, she must win the trust and ruin the mind of the beguiling and broken boy hunting her, all the while fighting her feelings for the demon whose secrets threaten everything she's ever believed about him, and herself. With Rian getting closer and closer to the truth, and Thorn warning of vicious consequences if she doesn’t fulfill their bargain, time is running out to answer the ultimate question: Is Tara the predator, or the prey?

Preorder here for 25% off: Teach Me to Prey Hardback

You’ve probably heard this before, but preordering means so much to authors no matter where we are in our career. Preorder numbers can mean the difference between retailers choosing where (or even if!) to stock your book, and where to place it in their store when they do. Y’all showed up AMAZINGLY for Boys with Sharp Teeth, and her preorder numbers were exactly why she hit the NYT list!!!

I will never, ever stop screaming thank you <3 <3

As part of my thanks, I love to sneak little goodies in for everyone who preorders. I can’t reveal full details yet, but I’m planning REALLY fun goodies for Teach Me to Prey preorders—like a Choose Your Own Adventure game and a digital art file!

That’s all for me for now, but if you’ve ever got any questions about publishing or writing or any of the BTS action on my books, shoot me an email reply or leave a message in the comments. I promise I read every single one!

<3 j

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I’m also writing this holding back a scream, because my next book is finally a thing I can talk about!

I mean!! LOOK AT HER!!! Once again, my cover team at Fierce Reads has done the most AMAZING job designing a cover that so, so perfectly captures the vibes of the book. Thank you L. Whitt for designing and Elena Masci for the gorgeous art. (Wait ‘til you see what Elena’s created for the full wrap oh my word.)

Right now, I’m all done except for final polishing edits, and TMTP is going out to some of my most favorite authors for reading & blurbs. Send good vibes. I’m freaking out. I HOPE THEY LIKE IT. SHOOT, I HOPE YOU LIKE IT, TOO. AHHHH

Preorder from Barnes and Noble — The absolute best support right now is early preorders. They mean everything for shelf placement, store buy-ins, and publisher efforts, so thank you, thank you, thank you <3.

…And now it’s time for THE SUMMARY!!

A reluctant teenage killer, the alluring demon she’s bound to, and the headstrong boy she’s sworn to kill are tangled in a web of dangerous desire and sinister secrets in this dark psychological thriller from the New York Times-bestselling author of Boys with Sharp Teeth.

One heart for another. One life for another. And only her soul to pay.

Two years ago, Tara Corbane made a deal with a demon. Each lunar eclipse, she must feed him a lover’s heart torn out by her bare hands—and in exchange, he keeps her sister’s dying heart alive. A desperate deal that Tara fears is making her more and more like Thorn, the twisted but tantalizing demon she's sworn to hate.

Thirty days before the next eclipse, Tara heads to New Orleans, where her newest target awaits. But Rian Connach, the handsome heir to a real estate empire, is nothing like the others. He's single, for starters, and isn't out for love but vengeance. He's hot on the trail of the serial killer he blames for his girlfriend’s gruesome death—a trail that will lead directly to Tara.

As the eclipse draws near, Tara finds herself trapped in a game of cat and mouse. To save her own skin, she must win the trust and ruin the mind of the beguiling and broken boy hunting her, all the while fighting her feelings for the demon whose secrets threaten everything she's ever believed about him, and herself. With Rian getting closer and closer to the truth, and Thorn warning of vicious consequences if she doesn’t fulfill their bargain, time is running out to answer the ultimate question: Is Tara the predator, or the prey?

WHAT DO YOU THINK????? AHHHHHH!!! I’m not going to lie, this book was hard to write and challenged me to grow so much as an author. It’s much more romantic than Boys was. It’s just as twisty. It’s got two love interests, too, but this time I gave them both their own POVs (cackles maniacally). And I freaking LOVE THEM.

Rian, my detective boy, is convinced he’s got it all together but let me tell you what this Scot isn’t just a hottie he’s a hot mess express.

Thorn, my yearning demon, has hundreds of years of practice being a toxic, terrible person and only about two years being a yearning simp so it’s going super well for him.

And Tara, my soft girl serial killer, looks like a cinnamon roll, is a cinnamon roll, will absolutely kill you, and then will send you an apology note because she really does feel bad and hopes you understand it was necessary and she would do it again. And again. And again. Okay, maybe she isn’t a cinnamon roll… XD

My local indie, Curious Iguana, is THE place to preorder from if you want a signed copy! They hosted preorders for Boys with Sharp Teeth too; I’ve loved working with them from day 1 of my author career and am so excited to be back together again. They only ship within the USA, but every copy ordered from them has:

• signed

• personalized

• premium art print (TBA)

• bookmarks (TBA)

Preorder from Curious Iguana (and its on sale as of time of this post!)

PS: Curious Iguana also has signed & personalized copies of Boys with Sharp Teeth year-round! Order here <3

Advanced Reader Copies

Many of you were advanced readers for Boys with Sharp Teeth, and your hype and excitement were irreplaceable!! I can’t say thank you enough.

If you’re interested in reading Teach Me to Prey early, whether or not you read BWST, all you need to do is make sure you’re following me on Instagram and reading these newsletters. My publisher is aiming for eARCs coming out on Netgalley and Edelweiss in the spring—and as soon as I’ve got concrete news, I’ll make sure to update you here and on my Instagram.

In the meantime, make sure you’ve added Teach Me to Prey on Goodreads. That’s the fastest way to know about every Goodreads giveaway, and it also helps with publisher buy-in to know people want to read this baby!

Upcoming Events

I’ve got some VERY fun upcoming events this year, and we’re only getting started! Please let me know if I’ll get to see you at any of them <3 Meeting y’all is the best part of every event.

I’m SO excited for Third Coast Book Festival!! Erin A. Craig told me about it—she’ll be headlining yaaaaaas queeeeeennnnnn—and I suckered one of my best writing friends, D.L. Taylor (author of The Beasts We Bury duology) into sharing a hotel room and joining me, so we’ll both be there. Meet us at Central Park Place!

As a native Marylander, I was honored to be invited to be a panelist for SoMLA’s Conference this year.

Adam Cesare (Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Clown in a Cornfield), Roselyn Clarke (one of my favorite people and author of Now She’s Dead), and myself will be on the YA Horror Panel from 1:40-3:30 on March 25, with signings after.

Come see me get totally creeped out, ha, because while I LOVE writing scary things, as soon as I’m away from the keyboard I’m an absolute chicken. My laptop screen is a magical force field of protection. Outside I’m vulnerable. The things that go bump in the night can catch me. Help.

I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL IN GAITHERSBURG AND NOW I GET TO BE A FEATURED AUTHOR AT THEIR BOOK FESTIVAL HELP

That’s all the details I have for now about this one, other than Shana Targosz, one of my favorite Middle Grade authors and friends, will be there too!! Save the date to come see us <3.

Jenni’s Recommendations

I’ve got a few great recommendations to yeet at you (and then I’m going to yeet myself off this newsletter).

My favorite book recently: An Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia McKillip. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure what the plot is. But by golly do I not care. THIS PROSE IS GORGEOUS. The sensory details! The lyricism! The figurative language!

My favorite writing trick: Discord! If you’re struggling to get the words down, find yourself a writing Discord and join some sprints. When I’m on not on a tight deadline, I sometimes find it difficult to focus. Jumping in on a 20-minute sprint with other authors helps me smack myself into writing mode. Brigid Kemmerer runs them almost daily on her open community (and I LOVE HER HI B!!). I’m in them with her as much as possible, so you’ll see me there, too.

My favorite book up for preorder: All Her Ghosts by Cynthia Prith. My blurb for this one was basically one long string of obsession.** I loved it—the prose is beautiful, the characters are addictive, and the world building and plot kept me guessing.

That’s all from me!

in love,

jenni

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*I love prairie dogs, if you were wondering. Freaking adorable animals. I go to our local zoo just to watch them bebop around and it makes me smile every time, so, yes, if you’re one of the friends I saw today (hey hey) that was a compliment!

**My blurb, lol: “Obsessed” is too weak a word. All Her Ghosts is the book I’ve been craving, with its Hell-shaking romance, jaw-dropping action, and characters so freaking delicious I ate them whole. All I have left to say is more. Now.

HA. Seriously though, if you read Boys with Sharp Teeth first off, ilu. Second off, you’ll know that time is truly a wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey concept for me. I wanted that for that book, as it’s meant to be a surreal reading experience. I wanted you lost inside Marin’s mind and emotions fully, trying to figure out what was real and what was not, deciding whether you would trust your failing reason or fiery emotions.

Then my 2026 book came along and it’s got the tightest timeline I’ve ever written, with an actual countdown on each chapter for my FMC pov. I had to know dates. I had to track hours. I couldn’t just set the entire book at 2 a.m. for vibessssssss.

THE AUDACITY.

Anyways, copy editors are heroes. This book has been through 2 1/2 full rewrites in a year. I kept a calendar and close track for the first draft. Then my second draft had a deadline of just two months. The third only 1 1/2 months. Revisions under two weeks.

Let’s just say…I stopped counting fictional days because I was too busy counting IRL days!! Now it is finally time to care about Time. And my team is going all in and doing the COOLEST chapter headers to mark passing time, too!!

I’m so excited about this book. I cannot.

I can’t share the cover or title yet (though some of you more sleuth-y types have definitely found the title!!) but if you like soft serial killer girls, tormented (actual) demon boys, and cursed love between killers and their next victim (who also happens to be the boy hunting her down), you’re going to love this book.

Also, it gave me an excuse to spend a week in New Orleans last August researching the bayou and hanging out with one of my favorite writers ever, D.L. Taylor! The second book in her duology, The Beasts We Raise, comes out February 2026 and I can’t wait. I LOVED the first book!! If you haven’t checked her series out yet and like YA fantasy, you’ve got to give it a try.

Giveaway!!

Okay, enough yapping (can you tell I’m avoiding my copy edits)! I’m celebrating making it to copy edits on my 2026 book by running a giveaway on my Instagram!

Every day of copy edits, I’ll be posting either an excerpt from the new book OR a fun fact / teaser. At the end, one commenter on ANY post will be randomly chosen to receive the very first read of my new book!

It might be an eARC, a paper ARC, or a galley…tbd. But regardless, it will make it to that lucky reader first among all, as a thank you to you all for cheering me on from the very start.

All you have to do to enter is follow me on IG and comment on literally any of the 12 Days of Copy Edits posts. The more comments, the better your chance of winning—but no spam, please. <3

Supporting Authors

I couldn’t be more grateful for the way you all have come around me this debut year. It’s been an absolutely incredible experience—and I don’t just mean because Boys with Sharp Teeth launched and immediately hit the New York Times. That’s incredible. And I am honestly still in shock about it.

But it’s the posts, the dms—it’s when you share my book with friends, or plan book clubs, or send me a photo of BWST in your local library. It’s the reviews and events and conferences and workshops. It’s you choosing to spend your time with my characters, when you’ve got so little time and so many books.

Posting reviews, sharing online, and spreading words is honestly the most incredible gift to me as an author. There’s so little I can do. There’s so much we can do together.

I appreciate you more than words can say, so I’ll stop trying to say them.

You are what I’m most thankful for this year.

K ILU BAAAIIIIIIII

<3 j

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But first, a quick note that TODAY ONLY, my publisher has put all ebook versions of Boys with Sharp Teeth on sale for only $2.99! Yup, this isn’t an Amazon sale, this is a Macmillan Goldbook Special, so that means it works on Nook, Kobo, Apple Books, and Google Play too because IT’S THAT AWESOME HA.

Here’s the master link! Please share with anyone you know that might be interested in checking out my unhinged, emotionally devastating, dark academia tale and know I’m over here grinning like a banshee <3 And yes, it says the full price on this page—the discount is on every single linked retailer!

And now, for the main event!

I’m so excited to announce that I’m partnering with Carroll County Public Libraries of Maryland to offer a free creative writing course for teens!

My first love is teaching—straight out of college I taught history at public and private schools to grades 6 all the up to AP Seniors. It was an honor and a blast. Every now and again I hear from one of my old students about the INCREDIBLE things they’re up to these days, and my heart absolutely explodes.

I can’t wait to get to combine my love for teaching with my other passion, writing. The course will cover materials requested by the teens on the Westminster Branch’s Teen Advisory Board, which makes me EVEN MORE EXCITED because I’m not just getting to teach writing, but pour into your individual questions and goals for right now. GAH. YAY.

The official deets. Registration and more information here!

I’ll also be at the Mount Airy Public Library in October, as well as hanging out in St. Louis, MO with the public library for a course in September! More details to come on those events as they’re announced.

hmu if you have interest in a live online course as well <3.

Snippets

What I’m Reading:

Bingsu For Two by Sujin Witherspoon — Y’all, this Korean coffeeshop romance has all the feels! It’s adorable and hilarious with outstanding character work. If you’re on a K-Pop Demon Hunters binge, check it out. I haven’t seen KDH yet—I’m saving it for my reward when I finish my edits for book two. NO SPOILERS OKAY.

What I’m Watching:

The only TV I religiously watch, ofc. Somebody Feel Phil. NOM.

What I’m Writing:

I’m working on my second round of developmental edits for my next book, releasing in 2026 with Macmillan’s Roaring Brook Press. It’s been absolutely incredible working with my editor Kate on a book from ideation on. She’s pushing me hard—and so are the deadlines, so excuse any slight lack of coherency in this post—and I’m working doubly hard to grow.

That’s one of my favorite things—and one of the most horrifying things—about writing. It never ends. There’s never a point at which I’ll be able to stand there and say, ah, yes. I have achieved totality of skill. Now I just write perfectly. LOL. NO.

I’ve just started. Boys with Sharp Teeth is the first book that I’ve ever finished. This book—whose title I hope to share with you soon—is only my second. I feel like I’m trying to sprint up a mountainside scree and the loose gravel keeps slipping out from under my feet. I’m bloodied and bruised, and I’m nowhere near the top. Some days, it’s hard to breathe. Some days, it feels like I’ve fallen much farther than I’ve climbed.

I hope you find your soul work. I hope you fight hard. I hope you put your own bloodied hands back on your mountains and climb beside me, step by step.

Because the views.

The fresh air.

The burn deep, deep inside muscles I’m only now discovering God gave me.

It’s all worth it. And it will be for you, too.

Love ya!

<3 j

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Also, I have TWO DAYS until my next big event and TWO DAYS until my own race to finish my second book begins, so today I get the joy of taking it easy, learning from someone who’s been there, done that, crushed it while we sip on really huge coffees and I forget to hydrate.

New York, New York

First things first!! Boys With Sharp Teeth is coming to New York City THIS WEEK!

We’re going to be hanging out with the amazing Goldy Moldavsky, author of The Mary Shelley Club, Fly Fest, and many others—including her newest release, the wickedly romantic Of Earthly Delights. I can’t wait to celebrate BOTH of our books together, chat all things writing, character, vibes, and viciousness. We’ll both be answering any of your questions and launching a very, very fun giveaway!

Of Earthly Delights sounds amazing, doesn’t it?

Aspiring artist Rose Pauly is not happy moving from her home in New York City right before her senior year of high school. But on her first miserable day in Connecticut, she meets Hart Hargrove. The two share an immediate, undeniable connection.

Hart introduces Rose to his slice of paradise–the immense private garden nestled behind the Hargrove family mansion. There, the two spend a fever dream of a summer together. But as their bond blossoms into love, Rose can't shake the feeling that all is not as it seems.

When Rose uncovers the truth about the garden, she's forced to question how genuine her love story truly is. But Hart can't bear to lose Rose, and he will stop at nothing to save their relationship.

Posing haunting questions about beauty and desire, this is an atmospheric and darkly romantic tale that will enthrall readers.

Yes. This book is not a want but a need. RSVP for our event together here.

Giveaway sneak peek!

I have so much publishing news that I can’t quite share yet, but suffice to say that there’s going to be fun things coming from my heart to your eyeballs in 2026 and 2027! To celebrate, Goldy and I are doing a giveaway of annotated copies of BOTH our books. It’s going to live on instagram, and will be launched this week, so make sure you follow us there to get your chance to enter <3.

What I’m Reading

As an author, it’s weird to talk about books I’m reading online sometimes. I’d love to chat more about it at some point, the smooshing together of reader and writer spaces, but for now I’m going to have a little addendum on newsletters where I share books I’ve read and particularly enjoyed.

• Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell — holy heck this MG is gorgeous. Incredible depth of character and world in a book that feels like a breath of fresh air. I don’t care if you typically read MG or not, read this. It is a classic already.

• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins — our mother Suzanne, i am so sorry i slept on your series for 20 years but also i’m not, im sitting here somehow unspoiled on anything except that Peeta became a rock at some point and at another point says something about a baby, and the GIF with the girl scout signal, and now I’m a book and a half in and I AM NOT OKAY. if you want to see me be visibly not okay, lol, i am keeping a reading diary on tiktok and post every time i read a chapter hahaha

• A Land So Wide by Erin A. Craig — I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! It comes out in September and is a CREEPY but still beautiful reimagining of pioneers, frontier history, vampires (kinda?), and cryptids with eyes that will make you rethink every time you’ve ever seen a creature’s eyes glow at night. So good.

What should I read next?

k love you bye

jenni

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I write to you today with a ridiculous amount of wonder in my heart. First off, happy Independent Bookstore Day!! Local indies are some of my favorite places in the world, and today I get the privilege of joining Queen Takes Book, a new and vibrant indie bookstore in Columbia, MD, to celebrate! If you’re around, please come party with us. I’ll be there at 4 for an author signing and am very much looking forward to meeting you and getting book recommendations for my summer TBR. I've got a BUNCH of travel coming up and always read ravenously while I’m away, so lay them on me.

AND THEN TOMORROW!!

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

*breathes*

Laini Taylor is a legend!! I’ve been a member of her Patreon for a while now, and her gently wild creativity and relentless pursuit of joy in art have been a balm to my hectic soul. If you’re a writer, or a fervent reader, I absolutely recommend checking out her community.

Tomorrow, April 27, at 2:30 EST, she’s hosting a book club to celebrate the launch of Boys with Sharp Teeth! You do not have to have read the book yet to join; the discussion will be spoiler-free. There will be time for Q&A, too. So, if you’re interested in hanging out OR like me, you’re just a massive fan of Laini, please join us!

It’s free and open to the public, but you do need a passcode. Here’s the link.

Meeting ID: 862 4447 4714
Passcode: sharpteeth

Hope to see you there!

<3 j

PS: If you can’t make it, I’m beebopping around the country this summer. Here’s a quick summary of my tour dates—plus a few more TBA that are shaping up to be incredibly fun. ehehehehehe :)

RSVP here for the ticketed events! All are free.

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It’s April. Who let that happen!!! Confess!!!

Boys with Sharp Teeth releases ONE WEEK from today, and already I’ve been getting messages that y’all are seeing it in Barnes & Nobles across the country!! Indigo has also shipped their orders!!

So many of you have already preordered, and for that I want to pause and say thank you. Your early and consistent love for this dark, devious book is one of the biggest reasons why so many exciting things are happening for it! I wouldn’t be here without you, and I won’t ever stop being grateful.

When I first starting writing this book, even dreaming of getting a literary agent with it felt downright audacious. Now, just two years after signing with my agent, there’s two special editions (and maybe one more ehehehe), it’s been named one of Barnes & Noble’s best books of April, a Goodreads “read this” YA for April, and a most anticipated book of 2025 for Paste Magazine, readwithcindy, The Nerd Daily, Books-A-Million, Indigo!, and more!!

HWAT.

No, really, WHAT.

Me @ y’all <3

Preorder Incentives!

If you preordered from Curious Iguana (US), West End Lane Books (UK), or Bookish Signs (int’l), you’ll receive a signed copy with two gorgeous art prints of Marin and the boys.

EVERYONE who preordered, though, can enter your receipt and email at the form here to receive a bonus chapter from Henry Wu’s point of view!

Here’s an excerpt from that chapter, because nothing is more fun on Tuesday than a good tease :)

His eyes widen, as much as they can. I tuck the image away like a treasure. He gives me so little. Everything about him is so tightly controlled, to punish me. To keep me hungry. He knows how much I need to know when I’ve hurt him, and so he holds it back. I run my free hand over his closely cropped hair, trailing my fingers down the side of his jaw. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

hehe

Also, for my DMV loves: Barnes & Noble of Frederick, Columbia, Gaithersburg, and Congressional Rockville will all have signed copies available soon! I’ll post on my IG when I’ve visited each!

Me Meeting You!

I’ve been hearing from so many of you that you’re planning to come to one of my events this spring / summer, and I cannot WAIT to meet you!!! Or, if we already know each other (lol hi to my sisters who subscribe) I can’t wait to see you <3

Here’s a quick summary of everywhere you can find me over the next few months:

• April 8, 6:30-7:45 PM (Frederick, MD) — Launch event with Curious Iguana bookstore at the C. Burr Artz Library. Free to attend with copies available for purchase at the event! I’ll be in conversation with author Charlene Thomas and have an open Q&A and signing. Light snacks and refreshments provided. Amazing glorious custom handmade soaps inspired by Henry & Adrian, made by sos.sapo, will be available for the first 40 guests.

  

• April 12, 12-1 PM (Columbia, MD) — Signing and chat at Barnes & Noble. Come hang out at the Columbia Mall with me over lunch break :)

• April 30, Time TBA (Columbia, MD) — Indie Bookstore Day celebration with Queen Takes Book. So, so excited to celebrate with this gorgeous new (1 year old this month!!) bookstore in my area

• May 5, 6:30 PM (Ann Arbor, MI) — FierceReads Sour Tour at Schuler Books

• May 6, 6:00 PM (St. Paul, MN) — FierceReads Sour Tour at Red Balloon Books

• May 7, 6:00 PM (Austin, TX) — FierceReads Sour Tour at BookPeople

• May 8, 6:30 PM (Denver, CO) — FierceReads Sour Tour at Pauline Robinson Branch Library, books sold by The Bookies Bookstore

• June 21, Time TBD (New York City, NY) — ThrillerFest, find me at the Debut Author Breakfast & my book the bookstore. I’ll update my IG with details!

• July 19, Time TBD (Westminster, MD) — Teen Writers Craft class and Q&A with Carroll County Public Libraries Westminster Branch

• August 16, 6:30 PM (Bethany Beach, DE) — Book Signing at Bethany Beach Books

Please let me know with a comment here or dm on IG if you’re planning to come to any of the events so that I can stave off anxiety with daydreaming about meeting you instead ahaha! Help. (I’m really excited, but have never done any of this before, and have no idea what to expect, so expecting YOU is exactly the balm my soul needs <3)

Until next week, when my book becomes your book,

<3 j

There’s just a little over one month until Boys with Sharp Teeth releases into the world, and I have been feeling all of the things. I’ve been anxious, terrified, melancholic, and exuberant. Mostly that last one.

So, so much joy.

And after a summer, fall, and early winter of every word I wrote feeling like a nail through my chest, of setting impossibly high standards for my writing because I almost needed it to fail, of questioning not why I do this but if I deserve to—this joy is a gift I hold in awe. It’s precious, and it’s bleeding through into my rewriting of my second book, a contemporary fantasy that’s more romantic (and…nervous laughter…darker) that I forced onto the page in those dark months.

At the core of that joy, tucked deep inside the tissue paper and wrapping, sits you. So many of you have shared reviews of Boys with Sharp Teeth. I’ve been bombarded by encouraging messages on socials, and I’ve LOVED seeing this book finds its readers. Find you!!

So, especially since so many of you aren’t local to me, I wanted to make sure that you all were part of celebrating. I’d love for you to pick what bonus content is released for international preorders!

Preorder Campaigns

First off, here’s the main swag available and where you can get them:

Preorder U.S. here — Curious Iguana is running a special sale on the book, too! And you can choose to pick it up if you’re coming to my launch event with them on April 8 in Frederick MD! Isn’t this art scrumptious? HRNNNNG.

Preorder U.K. here!

There are also two GORGEOUS special editions. Owlcrate opens their sale on an exclusive dark academia box featuring Boys with Sharp Teeth and goodies from the monsters of the genre (a Babel locking journal? An If We Were Villains teapot??) tomorrow, March 4, to all YA subscribers first. General public gets access on March 6 as supplies last!!

I MEAN LOOK AT IT—

And this edition too???? GAH!!! WHAT!!!!

Look at it!!! Bookish Signs & More made the most delicious stained edge edition!

Help me pick preorder bonus material!

OKAY *breathes* and now to the main event—if you clicked through on any of these to preorder you are a gem <3—I am so, so excited to get y’alls input on which idea I should run with for international preorder goodies! Whatever you pick will be delivered by the end of April (giving time to avoid spoilers, as all of these will be absolutely chock-full of spoilers) electronically to readers who submit their preorder receipts to this form. Open internationally!!

SO. To quote The Joker:

And. Here. We. Go.

Thank you so much for helping me, btw. I hate making decisions. And I’m rewriting my second book which means I’m making like 10,000f,a00,0,0fo,a0f,as0fa000 decisions a day so Thanks For Making One For Me.

Now I’m going to go write this scene where everyone has a waking nightmare at the same time and they end up in each' other’s arms since you’re taking care of this 😌.

<3 y’all—

j

Barnes & Noble just announced their preorder sale, and BOYS WITH SHARP TEETH is included! The deal is 25% off all preorders for Members (a free program), with an extra 10% off for Premium Members (a non-free program, go off with your bad self B&N) for all online orders placed this week.

Naturally, I have been screeching and don’t know what to do.

the link

If you want to preorder, I highly recommend jumping on this sale!! They don’t go cheaper than this!! There will be signed copies available from my local indie closer to release, but if you keep your preorder receipt / records I’ll have a special preorder swag campaign that includes signed bookplates and art, so you won’t miss out on me scribbling on your book ha!

Do people want that? Is that a thing?? I am an almost-forty-year-old mom, people want me to sign things? I am still not used to this. I will never be used to this.

ALSO Y’ALL last thing:

We have given over $20,000 in donations since I signed, and we aren’t done. Every time you share about my book, or read the ARC, or preorder, or add to Goodreads I want you to know that you’re part of that <3. Greg (my hubs) and I are committed to giving as much as possible from every book I sell—so far, here’s some of the things you’ve helped make possible:

Fighting modern day slavery with the International Justice Mission, an organization that not only works to free the over 50 million people in slavery today but also to CHANGE LAWS to end slavery worldwide

Helping pay for mental health care in our local community

Working to end homelessness and addiction in Frederick, MD

Offering education and daily meals in northern India

Providing medical assistance, emergency supplies, education and LOVE in Northwest Territories, AUS

Thank you <3. And PRAISE GOD.

love & coffee~

j

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I have never written one! I don’t know what I’m doing! In fact, I have held off on writing an author newsletter for approximately a bagazillion days precisely because this act, right here, that you are reading, is what triggers the greatest imposter syndrome in me.

Embarrassing myself online by trying to understand how the TikTok toktiks? No problem, my aol username was the German word for bathroom. Public nonsense is nothing new.

Knowing strangers are going to be reading my book in less than a year? Also fine, that’s why I wrote it—in the hopes that some of the joy and pain I felt while writing it will be felt by people I’ve never met before.

Talking to people irl about my book? Sure! I’ve talked to them about way more complicated things, like stratigraphy! And my failed attempts at making dim sum because I can’t figure out hot water dough! And the inevitability of death!

But sending something into your email inboxes, something that you told me you’d enjoy having by pressing that wee orange subscribe button…

Can’t do it.

So, expect these to be few and far between unless I figure that out — or unless you give me ideas on what to write about in them, like my lasagna recipe or memories of my guinea pig in second grade, or why that one character in my books refuses to eat chicken tenders despite how fantastically delicious they are. Then I’ll feel obligated, and it’ll be your fault.

THERE IS A POINT. WE ARE AT THE TIME FOR THE POINT NOW, JENNI.

No, no more talking. We ride for Gondor…and war!!

Or eARCs, same thing, same thing.

FIERCEREADS HAS GIVEN ME A SET OF eARCs of BOYS WITH SHARP TEETH TO GIVE AWAY AND I THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE NO BETTER PEOPLE TO ASK FIRST THAN YOU, MY CHAOS CREW! *ahem*

Final Cover for BOYS WITH SHARP TEETH, coming this winter from Roaring Brook Press

What’s an eARC?

eARCs are advance copies of the book, still in the final-final stages of editing, that publishers prepare and send out to a select group of readers. Obviously in the hope that they will suffer greatly love the book and be excited to share with their friends and following as release date comes near, but also just for the wild joy of finally, finally having a book to share.

It’s one of the few chances to peek behind the veil and see what’s happening with a book before it goes on sale. When I get the chance to read an eARC, it feels like magic!

Cool, how do I get this magic free book?

If you’d like to apply for a chance to receive an eARC of BOYS WITH SHARP TEETH from FierceReads & Roaring Brook Press, just click here and fill out the short form. There are limited copies available for this round, though if interest is strong they may release another set—so if you’d like to get your hands on Marin’s story before anyone else, make sure to fill out the form or head to Netgalley and apply there.

WE WERE LIARS meets THE RAVEN BOYS in this mind-bending YA debut about dark revenge, twisted desire, and the sinister secrets lurking behind the walls of an elite boarding school.

Seventeen-year-old Marin James has spent her entire life living in the shadow of the exclusive Huntsworth Academy. And when her cousin’s dead body is found in a creek on school property, Marin knows exactly who’s to blame: Adrian Hargraves and Henry Wu, the enigmatic yet dangerously alluring leaders of the school's social elite.

Swapping her ragged T-shirts for a crisp prep school uniform, Marin infiltrates Huntsworth to seek justice. But her quest is quickly muddied by a confusing attraction to her new life, and to the two dysfunctional and depraved boys who somehow understand her better than anyone ever has.

When Marin uncovers a supernatural secret the boys are hiding within Huntsworth's ivied gates, the lines between right and wrong, love and hate, and nightmare and reality begin to crumble -- and nothing is as it seems.

Welcome to Huntsworth Academy.

That’s all for me! I will now go run and hide under my desk.

Farewell and all that jazz,

<3 j

Part of the problem is that I never read these. The first How I Got My Agent that I ever read was Paul Jeong’s (hey, Paul!), because we got agented on the same day and frankly, I was freaking curious. I like his book. I think I like Paul. (I do, I’m trying to be chill, someone warn him.) 

It was COOL. It was INSPIRING. 

This isn’t going to be cool. I’m not cool. I’m a thirty-something mom who loves shark overalls and drinks way too much coffee and likes to pick up the phone and talk to scammers but will die if she has to call the doctor’s office for an appointment for herself. 

But maybe, if I’m lucky, it’ll be inspiring. 

I started writing when I was pregnant with my fourth kid and had pregnancy-induced insomnia and anxiety and took it all out on fictional characters in fanfic at 2 AM when everyone else was sleeping. The characters got stabbed and half drowned and forced to kiss and kidnapped and burnt cooking rice but I… I fell in love with words. Especially those spicy little metaphors. I had two amazing fanfic friends who encouraged me to try writing something original. So, I went for a Little Mermaid retelling first – one step closer to original – and discovered the hard, sad fact that Ariel in any other context is loathsome. Sebastian was not kidding when he told us to pin that girl’s fins to the floor. She belongs in the ocean. I queried it anyways. To four agents. 

It did not go well.

I burnt it (burning things is fun, I highly suggest) and started the BOOK OF MY HEART. Oh, woe betide those of you writing the book of your heart. Full of sound and fury, this beastie was a vision. I wrote it, and rewrote it, and studied craft, and got pummeled by CPs, and got wrecked in the query trenches and picked myself back up and got picked up by my friends and burned everything and did it all again and again and again until all told I had sent 108 queries, wrote 11 drafts (7 full rewrites, blank page, everything toast), and got 2 full requests. One from a schmagent. The other ending two weeks later in a rejection. 

The rejections hurt on this one, because I had learned to dream.

BURN IT DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWN.

But I had learned things. Most of all, I learned that the market has no interest in a lyrical story about mafia casino heirs and their struggle to assassinate their father. Yes, this was the book of my heart. Yes, you can learn things about me from that and no, those things are not about my father. He is the most precious, intelligent, heart-warmingly wonderful man on the face of this earth. Hi dad. I love you.

ONWARDS. 2022 found me writing the most batshit book I’d ever tried, because if heart doesn’t work, go balls to the wall batshit. And someday I’m going to finish it and sell it and force you to read it. But instead, back then, I listened – this is a key truth, listen to people who’ve been there – to wise advice from a friend and mentor who’d been agented, left her agent, and mentored books for longer than some of my kids have been alive who told me, and I quoth, “Jenni, no.” 

Thus armed with rejection before I so much as graced the trenches, I endeavored to write as simple and as commercial as I could. A thriller with a single POV, a lush murder mystery, a rich, wandering, murdery voice, two sociopathic love interests and the most gorgeous philosophical obliviating where nothing is precious and everything and everyone is hell bent on self-destruction. And, first draft done, I decided to do #moodpitch and test the waters. BEAR IN MIND I had never once had agent interest in these Twitter events (and I had done every single one I qualified for since I started writing, because the only bad shot is the one you don’t take), only writer/reader interest. These are the waters I was testing. Readers. Please also BEAR IN MIND this was a terrible idea. 

You will begin to notice a theme.

I got 6 agent likes. I screamed incessantly. I finished a second draft and a full revision in two weeks. I sent them off. I began to query, and got more fulls. I was dying, shredded from the inside out with how well it was going. 

And then the rejections started to come. Because, of course, one does not simply walk into publishing. 

My first act was solid. My prose, lovely. But the second act was the fire swamp with a tiny hut in the middle for the six-fingered man, except I had promised everyone that we were going to Malibu with Rousseau so he was a real surprise and no one knew whose father he killed. I’d like to think the third act was gorgeous but the reality is none of the agents read it. 

They did, however, give amazing feedback on what I messed up in the second act (it was the six fingered man), rich in details. Thank you, agents, for that. You changed my life by taking the time to tell me why you said no, even though at the time I desperately didn’t want to hear it. I wandered in despair for a hot 24 hours after the third nearly identical rejection–then, bolstered by my writing friends, who were screaming at me that I could do this!!!--asked the agents that still had my fulls to wait for revisions. They all agreed. 

I spent the next 4 months devouring craft with MSMF, rewriting the book 3 more times, went to an in-person retreat with Maggie Stiefvater who nailed me on my prose and showed me exactly how to hammer the nail where it hurts and ONLY where it hurts, had my CPs rip the MS to shreds over and over again (second acts, y’all, they are where the hockey sticks of h.e.double originate) and finally, finally figured out how to write a book. 

The last week of January I did #kidlitpit – ONCE AGAIN BEFORE I WAS ACTUALLY DONE BUT AT LEAST TIME THIS TIME I WAS ALMOST DONE – and got three likes, one from a dream agent. I got a full request 1 hour after sending from the dream agent. I immediately queried my top list, 6 agents in total. Including an agent that I queried mostly on a whim because she was so far beyond a dream she was a wish. Please, I thought, while in reality I knew that expecting anything more than a kindly silent CNR was like trying to catch wind. 

Two days later, that agent asked for my full. I couldn’t breathe. Too much wind in my hands. I spent the weekend revising the final third of my manuscript in a fever dream. I sent it to her two days later–then queried the others on my top list, 29 agents in total.

A week after that, my wish agent offered. 

I was in the hospital with my oldest daughter who’d been having intense chest pains. Got the email at 7 AM, three hours after we’d arrived in the ER. Screamed. My daughter and I hugged and danced and talked about my book. I shook, and called my husband, and giggled with nurses and yelled at my writing friends online until my fingers went numb. My daughter and I got to go home that same day, and I talked to the agent on the phone the very next day. 

I asked for two weeks, and ended up with 16 more fulls and two more amazing offers from absolute dream agents. One specifically offered because she’d also read my earlier full, given the feedback on why it wasn’t working, and was blown away by how far I’d taken the revisions without losing the heart of the book (BURN IT DOWN, learning and pivoting and creating new life from the ashes is GOOD and agents KNOW IT). I got to talk with a film agent, and speak with authors that I’ve admired and been inspired by since I started. It was the most wild two weeks of my life, and the fact that it ended by being able to call the first offering agent back and hear HER joy over getting to work together felt like the first snow of the year falling on a school day. Magic, impossible, glorious, undeserved and yet absolutely meant to be. 

I’m an Inkwell author. 

The thought still makes me cry. I love my agent, Claire Friedman. She’s a nerd, and hilarious, and the smartest person I’ve ever met, and even faster and more intense than I am. This book is out there, and we’re already working on the next one. I couldn’t have a more perfect match– in work style, in enthusiasm, in expertise, and in love for the darkest, most esoteric, most delightfully lyrical horror I can dream up. 

Moral of the story is–in publishing, there’s always going to be fire swamps with weird six-fingered men that shouldn’t be there absolutely making themselves at home. But there’s also always going to be dreams. And they’re just as sharp as Inigo Montoya’s blade. 

And you know what? 

Embrace the fire swamp. See what it can teach you. After all, it’s freaking fun to burn stuff.

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