Books

Capture the Sun Page Proofs

My inbox held a fun little surprise this morning: the first pass pages for Capture the Sun! This is when my little story starts to really look like a book, because it’s the formatted version that will go to print. For example, here is the title page:

Capture the Sun's title page, with the title text in an outline of a burning sun.
Click to embiggen

Isn’t it pretty?? 😍 It isn’t final final, so it could still change, etc, etc, but it usually doesn’t.

The text also is pretty much done at this point, and I’m limited in the number of changes I can make. But this is my last chance to catch any remaining typos or errors, so I’ll be reading the book straight through one more time. Good thing I adore Lexi and Nilo. :)

It’s funny how brains work (or my brain, at least). Because I read every book I write as a book about four times—before sending in the rough draft, after edits, after copyedits, and during page proofs—and that doesn’t even count all the time I spend writing and editing, and I still forget characters and plot. If I went back and read Polaris right now, it would probably be like reading a whole new book.

It’s the same with books other people have written. I’ve literally read the same book twice (not on purpose!) and only had the occasional thought of, huh, this seems kind of familiar, I wonder what other book I’ve read like this? I look in Goodreads, and lo and behold, it was this exact book.

But I guess it means everything is always shiny and new, so it’s not all downsides. 😂

If you want to hear me talk more about writing and my process, I did an interview with Cosmic Circus and they put it up as a podcast, but you can also just listen in the browser. I did this interview back in October, I think, and I’m pretty sure I was in editing hell, so fair warning: I ramble. But hopefully it’s an enjoyable ramble. :)

Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays from our house to yours! I hope this holiday season brings you peace, joy, and all the best presents from Santa. 💕

A picture of Mr. M and me with a festive background. Happy Holiday from House Mihalik!

I’m so grateful for your enthusiasm and support this year, and I can’t wait to see what 2023 and beyond brings! With that in mind, I maaaay have included a new tiny little snippet of Capture the Sun below, but you won’t tell my editor, right? ;)

Happy holidays and happy reading!


I blinked my eyes open to a room filled with dim light. When I lifted my head, I saw that the glass panels had darkened, shading the room from the blazing sun outside. I glanced down at Nilo and found him watching me with an unreadable expression. “What time is it?” I whispered, unwilling to break the fragile peace.

“Midmorning,” he replied just as softly.

I hummed an acknowledgment and then lay back down. Nilo froze as my head returned to his shoulder, then he slowly, carefully wrapped his arm around me. I wasn’t touch starved, not exactly, but it’d been a while since I’d trusted anyone enough to just cuddle.

Not that I trusted Nilo completely, but I trusted that he wouldn’t take advantage of this.

“You don’t have to stay, if you want to get up,” I murmured a few minutes later. Then I reluctantly added, “I should probably get up, too. We have things to do today.”

Nilo’s arm tightened around me. “I’m exactly where I want to be. Stay. Just for a little while longer.”

Eclipse the Moon Sale & So Many Cookies

The ebook of Eclipse the Moon is on sale for $4.99 on Amazon only, for a limited time. I don’t know how long the sale will last or why it’s only Amazon, but if you’ve been waiting for a sale and you have a Kindle, now’s your chance!

Later today I’m having a happy hour with friends from my former company, so yesterday I spent the day baking because we always do a cookie exchange. After a two-year hiatus, I forgot how much work it is.

And I forgot all the tricks I’d learned but didn’t put into the recipe. 🙈

I cut my millionaire’s shortbread while the chocolate was a little too soft and it’s not very pretty, but at least the kiss cookies turned out nice. Behold, one of two wire racks I filled up:

Several dozen peanut butter kiss cookies on a wire rack

I use the America’s Test Kitchen recipe for both, but I think I might look for another millionaire’s shortbread recipe. They’re super good, but also super crumbly, so I think maybe the shortbread base needs updating. And we’re not going to talk about how many sticks of butter I used, lol.

Do you bake holiday treats? What are your faves?

Capture the Sun Chapter One!

An intergalactic thief must join forces with the charming teleporter who stole her last job—and may now be her only hope for saving her former crew.

Preorder Now!
Out June 20, 2023

I turned in my copyedits yesterday, which means that if you mosey over to the Capture the Sun book page, you’ll find a freshly copyedited first chapter. Happy reading!

Every time I read this book, I’m struck anew by how much I love it, especially since writing it was a bit of an endurance test. But I think it turned out great, and I hope you do, too! If you’d like to ensure your copy arrives in a timely fashion, here are some handy preorder links: 😉

Get your copy!
Signed books from BookPeople
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google Play | Kobo | Bookshop

Signed book preorders will be happening, but probably not until sometime in the new year. I’ll post the link when I have it.

Now I’m probably going to work on my fantasy romance for a bit because the short story started giving me trouble, and I need a change of pace. Plus I’ve been itching to write it, so that’s always a good sign.

Speaking of fantasy romance, I read The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy in two days this week and adored it. Two bitter enemies end up anonymous pen-pals thanks to magical mail, and they find they have more in common than they thought. I never expected to cheer this hard for a main character who was an undertaker, and yet, it was a delight. Plus, it’s on sale for $2.99 right now! As always, try a sample first to see if it’ll work for you. :)

Capture the Sun Cover Reveal!

The cover for Capture the Sun is starting to roll out to retailers, so I guess it got approved, lol. I’m usually the last to know, and I’ve been sitting on this for months, so I’m super excited that I can finally share. 🎉 Behold Lexi and Nilo!

Capture the Sun Cover, featuring a man and woman in silhouette against a fiery orange sun with a futuristic city in the background.
Click to embiggen

The sun, the city, Luna… I love it all! In case you’ve missed it, this is the third and final book in the Starlight’s Shadow trilogy, and it’s publishing in June 2023. But preorders are up now, if that’s your jam. :)


Acclaimed author Jessie Mihalik returns with the thrilling conclusion to her Starlight’s Shadow trilogy. An intergalactic thief must join forces with the charming teleporter who stole her last job—and may now be her only hope for saving her former crew.

As a recovery specialist, Lexi Bowen’s jobs typically require more trickery and thievery than honest work. Her former captain might not approve of her flexible morals, but stealing artifacts for rich assholes pays the bills, and Lexi’s had enough of war and death. The FHP left her to die once; she doesn’t plan to give them a chance to finish the job.

Unfortunately, her latest contract takes her to Valovia itself—and right back into the orbit of Nilo Shoren, a Valovian teleporter who already cost her one payday and nearly stole her heart.

Armored against his clever charm, Lexi plans to get in, get the job done, and get out. But when her former crew goes missing in Valovian space, Lexi will have to work with Nilo to figure out what happened—and stop it—before the galaxy’s two superpowers can use the disappearance as an excuse to return to war.

Get your copy!
Signed books from BookPeople
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google Play | Kobo | Bookshop

Hunt the Stars, Eclipse the Moon, and Capture the Sun on a teal background.

Look at all three book together!! Aren’t they gorgeous??? 😍 I’m so thankful to the team who made them happen, which leads me to my next point…


On a less fun note, the HarperCollins Union workers are currently on strike for better wages because HarperCollins has refused to negotiate with them for nearly a year, and I support the striking workers 100%. The union is NOT asking readers to boycott HC books, but if you like books by HC authors and want to help the people who make them happen, here’s a thread of ways you can.