December 2020

Merry Christmas!

Our gas-log fireplace with a fire burning for the first time. A tile hearth and the very edge of our lit Christmas tree.
Our fireplace works! Who knew?

Merry Christmas and happy holidays! This year has been a little rough (massive understatement), but I hope you are enjoying some peace and happiness as the year draws to a close.

This is the first year we’re not visiting our family for the holidays, and I think it would be a lot rougher if I hadn’t been on deadline this month. But I’ve worked for 25+ days straight, so time sort of lost all meaning.

BUT…

THE BOOK IS DONE!!!! 🎉🎉🎉

Well, the rough draft is done, as of about 8:30 last night. It still needs some pretty serious edits, but at least I made it to the end. Everything else can be fixed, so huge weight lifted. If you’ve been around for a while, then you know that writing this year has been super difficult for me. At the beginning of December, I wasn’t sure I would hit my early January deadline because I needed to write so much.

But I did it!

I wrote nearly 44k words this month. For comparison, in November, when I was also super worried about the deadline, I wrote 12k. (You can see why I was worried.)

I’m chalking it up as a Christmas miracle.

We don’t have any big plans today, since it’s just Mr. M and me, but we bought some nice steaks for dinner, and now that the book is done, I’m going to enjoy a day off. Edits can wait until tomorrow.

I hope you and yours have a good day, and if you’re not seeing family this year to keep others safe, know that your kindness and generosity is appreciated. 💕

Happy holidays, and I wish you all the best in 2021!

The Queen’s Triumph Serial is Complete!

Part of the serial story The Queen’s Triumph


The Queen's Triumph. A space opera serial. www.jessiemihalik.com

Thank you so much for following along as I posted the third and final part of Samara and Valentin’s story. I hope it brought you a little bit of joy in this very difficult year. :)

The whole serial is now available for binge reading, but don’t wait too long because it’ll disappear into the vault in a week or so.

If you’d like a copy to keep, the edited book is out now:

The Queens Triumph Cover. Queen Samara in battle armor, looking at the viewer, holding a gun in front of a planet with rings.

When the Quint Confederacy’s biggest traitor threatens everything Queen Samara Rani holds dear, she vows to show him exactly how she earned her deadly reputation—and why one should never cross the Rogue Queen.

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There weren’t a huge number of changes during edits, just some tightening up of scenes, a bit of additional information, and a short bonus epilogue.

And, of course, all of the redacted scenes. 😏😘

Now I have to disappear into the writing cave because New Shiny is due at the beginning of January. I won’t be posting too much for the next few weeks while I’m on deadline, so I hope you all have a happy and healthy holiday season!

The Queen’s Triumph is Here!!

Don't cross a rebel queen…
The Queen's Triumph, available now! www.jessiemihalik.com
Image is the book cover on a blue and pink illustrated sky filled with stars.

Happy book birthday to The Queen’s Triumph! The edited ebook is now available for purchase from your retailer of choice. Print books are available from independent bookstores (via special order, ISBN: 9781641971645), B&N, and Amazon.

In addition to the edits, which tightened up the story and added a few more details, the edited book also includes a short epilogue that will not be posted to the blog, so if you want a little peek into the future, grab yourself a copy. :)

Get your copy!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Bookshop

The Queens Triumph Cover. Queen Samara in battle armor, looking at the viewer, holding a gun in front of a planet with rings.

Queen Samara Rani knows she’s likely walking into a trap, but agreeing to meet with Commander Adams is the fastest way to get within striking distance of the Quint Confederacy’s biggest traitor and her sworn enemy. Adams attacked her home and destroyed her ship, and if he’s not stopped, he will ruin the tentative peace between the Kos Empire and the Quint Confederacy—and Samara’s chance at future with Emperor Valentin Kos.

Samara is determined to serve up some well-deserved payback, but she is no longer a lone assassin, and despite her protests, her friends and allies refuse to let her undertake such a perilous mission without them. Even Valentin, usually the voice of reason, refuses to stay behind. Samara is loath to put her friends in danger, and taking a team carries its own risks, so she makes plans to keep them safe, no matter what the cost.

When Adams threatens that safety, and everything she holds dear, Samara vows to show him exactly how she earned her deadly reputation—and why one should never cross the Rogue Queen.

Get your copy!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play

And for everyone following along with the serial, never fear, it wraps up later this week. Once finished, it will stay up for about at week to give everyone time to read, then it’ll disappear into the vault, so don’t wait too long. :)

Edit: For those asking, an audiobook is not planned at this time. It might happen eventually, but I don’t have time to manage it right now, so don’t expect anything soon. Sorry, audiobook fans! :(