Author name: Jessie

Jessie Mihalik has a degree in Computer Science and a love of all things geeky. A software engineer by trade, Jessie now writes full time from her home in Texas. When she’s not writing, she can be found playing co-op video games with her husband, trying out new board games, or reading books pulled from her overflowing bookshelves.

Server Updates

I’ve moved the blog to a new server! I think everything changed over successfully, but let me know if you run into any issues with commenting, viewing posts, etc.

The new server uses SSL, so you’ll see https:// at the start of the address (and a lock in the address bar). You may also have to re-enter your name/etc in the comment form because the cookies likely got reset.

And don’t forget to enter the Polaris Rising ARC giveaway! My TBR pile is getting bigger and bigger as I read all of your comments. :)

Polaris Rising ARC Giveaway!

ARC Giveaway Graphic

Book two has been sent off to my beta readers for initial feedback, so I’m free of the deadline cave for a little while. To celebrate, I’m giving away three signed ARCs (advance reading copies) of Polaris Rising! See below for details on how to enter!

Here is the back cover copy. If you’ve seen the galley copy, this will look very, very familiar.

Polaris Rising Cover A space princess on the run and a notorious outlaw soldier become unlikely allies in this imaginative, sexy space opera adventure—the first in an exciting science fiction trilogy.

In the far distant future, the universe is officially ruled by the Royal Consortium, but the High Councillors, the heads of the three High Houses, wield the true power. As the fifth of six children, Ada von Hasenberg has no authority; her only value to her High House is as a pawn in a political marriage. When her father arranges for her to wed a noble from House Rockhurst, a man she neither wants nor loves, Ada seizes control of her own destiny. The spirited princess flees before the betrothal ceremony and disappears among the stars.

Ada eluded her father’s forces for two years, but now her luck has run out. To ensure she cannot escape again, the fiery princess is thrown into a prison cell with Marcus Loch. Known as the Devil of Fornax Zero, Loch is rumored to have killed his entire chain of command during the Fornax Rebellion, and the Consortium wants his head.

When the ship returning them to Earth is attacked by a battle cruiser from rival House Rockhurst, Ada realizes that if her jilted fiancé captures her, she’ll become a political prisoner and a liability to her House. Her only hope is to strike a deal with the dangerous fugitive: a fortune if he helps her escape.

But when you make a deal with an irresistibly attractive Devil, you may lose more than you bargained for . . .


Want to guarantee yourself a copy when it releases? Preorder now! :)


To enter to win an ARC, here are the rules. Please read them all! Incomplete entries will be ignored.

1. The entry period starts now and ends on September 28, 2018 at 12:00PM CDT. You must be eighteen or older. Open to US and international readers.

2. Leave ONE top-level comment below and tell me about a book you’ve enjoyed recently or your favorite book. Duplicate top-level comments will be deleted. You are welcome to reply to other comments, though, because those won’t count as entries.

3. Comments must be on the blog post on my site (www.jessiemihalik.com). Comments on Facebook, Goodreads, etc. won’t count.

4. Come back after 9/28 and see if you’ve won! Winners must claim their book. Instructions will be included in the winning post. Any books unclaimed after a couple weeks will be rolled into a future giveaway.


Want even more chances to win? Sign up for my author newsletter! I’ll be giving away an ARC a month from now until release. That’s five more chances to win!

EDIT: CONTEST CLOSED! Winners will be announced soon!

Book Two is Done!!

To be clear, the first draft is done. It still needs edits and polishing. But the bulk of the work is done because I find edits far easier than blank page drafting. Behold the result of months of work:

Book Two Word Count: 105209

It came in around 10k more than I was expecting for the first draft, but I still have some wiggle room (book one is around 116k).

Now I’m going to go collapse and not think for the next twenty-four hours. At least.

Books Out Today: Magic Triumphs and The Governess Game

I’m peeking out of the deadline cave to let you know about two new books out today!

Magic Triumphs Cover

First up is Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews.

It’s the final Kate Daniels book and it brings everything: cute baby antics, huge battles, and the humor that Kate is famous for.

Here’s one of my favorite Kate lines from the book: “Besides, if you can’t trust an ice giant driving a creeper van with a dead body inside, who can you trust?” —From Magic Triumphs, page 111.

Fair warning, I’m friends with Ilona and Gordon, so I’m biased, but this book is incredible. I loved every page!


The Governess Game Cover

The second book I’m recommending on the my love for the author alone, because I haven’t read it yet (it’s on my Kindle and I’m desperate to start). Edit: Read it in one sitting. Loved it!

Tessa Dare is one of my favorite historical romance authors and the snippets I’ve read of this story indicate it will be no exception.

We first met Alexandra in The Duchess Deal (another favorite and a steal at $1.99 right now!) and I can’t wait to read her story.

If you want a larger preview, chapter one is available!


As always, books are very subjective, so read a sample before buying to see if it’s right for you.

Also, DO NOT POST SPOILERS for Magic Triumphs. If you must chat with someone, Ilona has a spoilers thread on her blog. Knock yourself out over there. :)

RWA2018 Signing Recap

I had such a fun time at my first RWA conference! It took me a week to recover from the people overload, but I don’t regret a second of it. :)

I’m thrilled to report that my first ever signing was a success! I signed close to 150 copies of Polaris Rising in an hour. It was crazy awesome!

Thank you to everyone who came by and took the time to pick up a copy. Especially when I was in the same room as Beverly Jenkins, Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, and so many more incredible, amazing authors. Before the signing, it was all I could do not to run around fangirling like crazy.

It was my first time seeing PR in print, and I have to say, I was blown away. It looks INCREDIBLE in person, y’all. Look at this table. Look. At. It. ?

Signing table

Who could resist? I couldn’t, and I might have made a very unprofessional squeeing sound when I saw it. In fact, if you want to see a face of pure joy, look no further. …