Welcome to May!
It’s almost summer and I have so much exciting news: I mentioned last time that I have big plans to get my books out there into the world since traditional publishing is far too slow to get everything I’ve written printed.
Publication Announcement!
I have details on Harlan and Wald’s story to be published October 2025— but you have to promise to keep a couple of secrets until I announce them officially? Deal? Awesome.
The title of the book is Too Cursed To Kiss and even more exciting it’s a standalone of a three book series called The Nightshade Hearts. Book two will be Sorrel and Ranth’s story. More on that soon! I’ve having a ball assigning art for the books, so I’ll have some of that to share next time too :)
Too Cursed To Kiss is now with the editor and I should be finalizing the draft by the next time you hear from me. The little tweak I may have to make is to tone down the spice but I’m waiting for the early reader feedback to come in. Advanced Reading Copies will officially be coming in August but if you want to read an earlier version email me!
In case you are concerned, because it seems a lot is going on, Valravyn is still scheduled for 2026 and I’ll be working hard on it in the fall—more on it then. Our renovations have been delayed so I hope my new shiny office will become a place of much progress starting next month when I get to move. 
What I'm Reading
and the delightful comedic fantasy (a necromancer who has lost his memory and wakes up with everything on fire—literally.) Dreadful by Caitlin Rozarkis.
What I'm Watching
Romance Drama lovers (think evening soap opera style) run don’t walk to Ransom Canyon (on Netflix) for cowboy eye candy with a side of twisty family drama. I’m invested and they’d better serve up a season two because the cliffhanger was evil.
Teaser
I’ll leave you with a little snippet of a work in progress — Contemporary Romance project Bella. (Keep it on the low down because no one even really knows about this one yet).
Until then~ Best Wishes,
Joanne
_______________________
Excerpt From ‘Bella’
©2025 J. Morgyn White
Like most nights, sleep wasn’t coming anytime soon. I opened a feed and made a green smoothie with the last of the kale. The good news was it was farmer’s market day and I could hit it, before going to yoga. Healthy body, healthy mind my mama always said bless her skanky heart. She was in Rio for Carnival with her treat of the season aptly named Roger.
Living in Northern California had perks and winter vegetables was one of them. While Swiss Chard, kale, and collards were easily had now, the quality of leaves grown in organic tended ground and harvested by caring hands, had to make the vitamin and mineral content higher, at least that made sense to me, and it was worth a little extra UV exposure to get healthier.
Early morning light and some niacinamide, hyrdralonic acid with a TFC8 suspension concealer fixed all imperfections from an all-nighter. The jaunty hat and the sun glinting off my velvet glossed lips were perfection. I posted across social platforms then lightly jogged weaving through the throngs of the packed market to get in line at Full Moon Farms. The line was already about twenty people but they had all the usual winter fare.
I grabbed a couple of leeks for dinner. I made a killer leek quinoa risotto. “Love that color on you,” I said to the willowy woman in front of me, who had a daffodil halter top on under a matching terry hoodie. She had the advantage of height and thinness in a crowded tent.
“Thanks, I never know about yellow.”
“Oh you’re rocking it. It compliments your highlights,” I said, selecting a couple of lemons. She picked up a winter squash.
“That would be a great color on you too. I can’t do peach, it’s totally wrong for my too-white skin.” I laughed. The only thing I hated more than banal conversation was being trapped in a line that was barely moving.
“Think there will be anything left?” I joked, but I stood on tiptoes to get a clear line of sight at the lettuces. There was only one glorious bunch left and four people in front of us. This was not a line, this was a competition and I played to win.
I put my phone to my ear. “Hey Heidi, what’s up? Oh my God. Really? Where are you? I can come right now. Oh my God, oh my GOD. I’ll be right there.” I said, raising my voice for full effect. I shoved my phone in my pocket and touched the willowy yellow outfit woman on the arm, “My friend just got a call. Her father’s being rushed to Memorial. Heart attack they think, I have to drive her. Mind if I cut?”
“Oh no, sure, go ahead. I’m so sorry about your friend. I hope her father will be okay.”
“Yeah me too.”
I tapped the next person on the shoulder. I got up two more. The man in a biking shirt with a fanny pack had just picked up my kale.
“Hey, that’s my kale, I hate to do this but it’s an emergency. Can I just cut in front of you and pay. I have to drive my friend to the hospital?”
The bike-guy glanced up, his eyes unfocused as I removed the kale from his hand.
“Sure,” he stammered, entirely not sure what to do with being confronted with conflict.
"Hey, I’m in a hurry," I said, dropping the lemons, leek and kale in front of— some guy with a three day old beard and a stained t-shirt I wouldn’t clean my counter with.
“You just cut in line,” he said, the English accent a huge surprise.
“You’re not Cheri. Where’s Cheri and Pete?”
“I have no idea who Pete is. Cheri is no longer with Full Moon.”
“What do you mean, she owns Full Moon.”
“She owned Full Moon. That’ll be $22. “
I held out my phone and he shook his head. “Sorry no Square today.” He tapped the sign taped to the tent pole. Sorry, Our Square account is offline. Cash or Checks today.
“But I always use my phone…”
“Don’t you and your stolen kale have to be somewhere?”
I pulled the case off my phone, cracking a nail but slapped down the $20 I kept for —emergencies. “Fuck that hurt. I said, examining the broken tip. Can I owe you the rest?”
“Sorry, we don’t keep tabs open.”
We locked eyes. His were a watery blue. He raised his eyebrows and his forehead wrinkled above heavy brown eyebrows. They were really straight.
“I uh.” My cheeks heated.
“How about I keep the kale and you can have $5 change. Have a nice day.” He placed a five in front of me and handed my kale to bike-guy.
Furious I picked up the fiver and the bag, accidentally spearing a woman with my leek on the way out of the tent. I swear steam was coming out of my ears.
No one talked to me that way and lived.
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