Writing – Page 5 – Jessie Mihalik

Capture the Sun Event Poll & Snippet

May 2, 2023 / Capture the Sun, Snippet, Writing

Hey all, happy May! We’re just a month and a half away from the release of Capture the Sun, which is exciting and terrifying. My publisher is talking to BookPeople about possibly doing an in-person signing and Q&A in Austin the weekend after the release (June 25), and I need to know how many people might come.

My initial guess of one person is probably low, but I really have no idea, so I’m running a short poll. You’ll notice this poll doesn’t have a “no” option—that’s on purpose. I know most of you won’t be able to make it, so please only answer if you really think you might be able to come.

And for those of you who are just curious, you should be able to see the results without voting. :)

Edit: Poll closed, thank you!

I have no idea if this poll will work in the email that goes out with blog posts, so you’ll probably need to visit the site directly in order to vote. If, for whatever reason, it still doesn’t work, you can drop me a comment!

And, as payment, here’s a tiny snippet. Seven weeks to go!! 🎉

Nilo fixed us a quick breakfast, which we both ate without comment, then we worked in comfortable silence for a couple of hours until the sun sank behind the trees. I stood and stretched with a groan. Digital research was a necessary evil, but I’d much rather scout targets in person. If Kee were here, I’d happily hand off the digital work to her while I went and poked my nose exactly where the empress didn’t want it.

Homesickness tugged on my heart. It wasn’t a feeling I got often, but when I did, it was always for my time on Starlight’s Shadow. Tavi, Kee, and Eli were family, and while I was usually happy just knowing that they were somewhere out there, doing well, occasionally I missed them with a fierceness that stole my breath.

“If I go outside, am I going to get eaten by a demon?” I asked.

“No, but take your comm. It’s easy to get turned around in the woods.”

I laughed. “Oh, I’m not going into the trees, thank you very much. I can get plenty of fresh air on the porch.”

“The forest is magical at night.”

I shook my head. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“Give me a few minutes, and I’ll go with you.”

“No, that’s okay,” I said a little too quickly. The last thing I needed was to spend time in the dark in a magical forest with Nilo Shoren. All of my good intentions to avoid temptation would disappear faster than our clothes.

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

Capture the Sun Chapter Two!

March 21, 2023 / Capture the Sun, Writing

Nilo groaned and heaved himself onto his elbow so he could peer down at me.
"You're dangerous."

"I warned you," I said with a laugh. "It's not my fault that you didn't listen."

Preorder Now!
Out June 20, 2023

www.jessiemihalik.com

We’re less than three months away from the release of Capture the Sun, which means it’s time to celebrate! If you head over to the book page, you’ll find a shiny new chapter waiting for you!

Every time I revisit parts of the book, I’m reminded of just how much I love Lexi and Nilo together. She’s prickly, he’s charming, and I adore them both as they stab their way to happiness. This book also wraps up the trilogy arc, so if you’ve been patiently waiting for some much deserved comeuppance for certain characters, your time is nigh (no spoilers!). :)

If you haven’t preordered yet, now is a great time. It’s like a gift to future you! And if you order from BookPeople, you’ll get a signed/personalized book, plus a bookmark and stickers, while supplies last!

If preorders aren’t your jam, please consider requesting it from your local library. Many libraries allow patrons to make purchase requests, and often they’ll put you first in line for if/when they buy the book, so wins all around! Plus using your local library shows there is demand, which can help them keep funding, and we certainly need all the libraries we can get right now.

Libraries are the best! I’m reading Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai from my local library right now, and it’s absolutely lovely. I stayed up reading way, way too late last night, and I left the characters in a precarious situation, so I’m desperate to get back to it tonight.

On that note, I’m off to make some words, since despite my best efforts, this book refuses to write itself. It would be so much easier if it would just jump from my brain, fully formed, like a literary Athena. Wouldn’t that be great? Ooh, maybe I could write that story.

Authorial truth: Nothing ever looks shinier than a new project while deep in the middle of a current project. :)

Signed Preorders for Capture the Sun!

March 10, 2023 / Capture the Sun, Writing

If you’ve been waiting to order Capture the Sun until the signed preorder campaign went up, then I have good news! Today, BookPeople added the signed preorder page to their site! Not only can you order a signed and personalized copy of Capture the Sun, but you can also add any of my backlist books (in the same order), and I’ll sign/personalize them all!

Plus, the first fifty-ish orders of CTS will come with a bookmark and stickers!

When you’re ordering, be sure to put your personalization request in the comments of the order (during checkout). And to make things easy, here are direct links to my backlist books, so you can add them to your cart:

Happy Friday, y’all! 💕

Books & Broadswords: Chapter 2

February 16, 2023 / Serial Fiction, Writing

Part of the serial story Books & Broadswords

Books & Broadswords, Chapter 2, on a purple background of dragon scales, with a crest of swords crossed behind an open book.

The dratted knight was once again waiting at the next bend in the road. For the past two hours, he’d ridden ahead, as directed, but only as far as he could see me, or very slightly farther. Then he waited for me to approach before riding forward once more. He hadn’t said a single word to me, hadn’t even lifted an arm in greeting, but he was escorting me nonetheless.

It was two parts infuriating and one part intriguing.

“Wait,” I called as he turned to continue. “If you’re going to keep this up, you might as well ride with me.”

His smile rivaled the sun, and my stomach did a weird little flip that I’d never felt before. Maybe the food at the last tavern hadn’t agreed with me.

“Are you heading to Slyphon?” he asked.

I hadn’t been, but I guess I was now, so I nodded.

He gave my cart a dubious glance. “It’s three days on foot. Do you have sufficient supplies?”

He couldn’t know the crates in my cart held only books, so I lifted my chin. “Of course. Do you?”

He patted the various saddlebags and bundles strapped to Percy. “I always carry extras, just in case.”

Then the exasperating man dismounted and tried to hand me the reins, even as Percy danced sideways. “I will pull your cart while you take a break,” he offered. “Do you know how to ride?”

“No, and I don’t need a break.” Belatedly, I remembered my manners and tacked on, “Thank you.”

We started forward again, a soft symphony of clinking armor, shod hooves, and creaking wheels.

…

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Books & Broadswords: Chapter 1

February 13, 2023 / Serial Fiction, Writing

Part of the serial story Books & Broadswords

Books & Broadswords, Chapter 1, on a purple background of dragon scales, with a crest of swords crossed behind an open book.

Happy Valentine’s week, y’all, and welcome to the first chapter of a new serial, a romantic fantasy short story about a woman on a quest to buy books and the handsome, persistent knight who interrupts her day.

This one is for my brother, who gave me the idea. Usually, ideas flow off me like water, since I always have more ideas than time, but this one stuck in my head, and since he wasn’t going to write it—despite me telling him to!—I wrote it for him. Love you, baby bro, and I hope you like what I did with your story. :)

Because it’s a short story of just under 10k words, the chapters are correspondingly short, some exceedingly so, but I’m going to post a couple a week, so you won’t have to wait so long between them.

And finally, this story has no connection to any of my other worlds, including the fantasy romance I’m writing. It’s strictly just for fun. :) Happy reading!

I set the royal mark on the counter, and the merchant’s eyes glowed, first with greed, then regret. “I can’t make change for that,” he murmured, his gaze on the gold coin. “You’ll need to go to the bank.”

“I don’t want change,” I replied quietly, trying to keep the barely contained excitement out of my voice. “I want books.”

The merchant laughed and swept an arm toward the corner of the shop I’d already perused. “You could buy every book I own, and I’d still have to make more change than I have. Go to the bank.”

“I will take them all. Use what’s left to pay off the balance of whoever needs it most.”

His eyes widened. “You’re serious?”

“I am. I made a list of the copies I want. Do you have boxes I can use?”

The merchant nodded and hurried off to find some empty boxes before I changed my mind.

He took the gold coin with him.

I started making stacks of books. When he returned with two large crates, we loaded books into them with quick efficiency. He helped me carry the first crate outside, and he frowned at my handcart.

“You won’t be able to haul all of this by hand,” he said, then sighed. “With the change you’re owed, you could buy a pony and wagon. Wait here, and I’ll get someone to find one for you.”

I stopped him with a hand on his arm. “No need. The cart has a clockwork-assist. I will be fine, but I appreciate the offer.”

The merchant looked skeptical, but he helped me load the rest of the books without a fuss. Then he watched me pull the cart away, easy as you please. Finally, he smiled and waved. “Thank you! I’ll have more books next month, if you’re interested.”

I waved back at him. “I’ll check in the next time I’m in the area.”

I passed a few people on my way out of town, but none of them paid me any mind. The road was empty and the sun was warm, so I made good time. It was midafternoon when distant hoofbeats broke the silence.

The rider was pushing their horse hard, so I moved to the edge of the road to give them room to pass. I shook out my arms and used the excuse to take a break and enjoy the sun.

…

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