Dear Readers and Friends,

Hello again!

I really want to thank all of you who responded to my last email. I needed advice about Kindle Vella, and you came through. Your replies were pretty overwhelming in agreement that Kindle Vella is NOT everyone's favorite reading platform. :-)

Honestly, it's not mine, either (from a reader and an author's perspective.) I plan on abandoning it in 2025 and returning to regular Kindle/Paperback books. Thank you again for the feedback.

Beta Readers and Advanced Reviewers Wanted

In 2025, I have a lot of stories I plan on publishing, but they still need work. I'm looking for people to join my advanced reading team. Are you interested? (I already have some of you signed up, but you can always sign up again to make sure.) I'm looking for two different types of people, Beta Readers and Advanced Reviewers. Here's the difference.

Beta Reader: You receive my story about 3 months before publication in a google doc or word document format. You read it and make comments, looking for typos, plot holes, problematic dialogue, annoying characters, etc. This gives me time to fix things before publication. You get to be part of helping me create a story that readers, like you, will love.

Advanced Review Team: You receive my story 1 month before publication from StoryOrigin (or a direct email from me with the file) and you read it ahead of publication so you can leave a review about the story on release day (or close to it.) I also appreciate it if you catch errors that slipped through my editing and my Beta Readers.

Books I'll have available soon:

• Grim Reaper Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance (You've already seen the prequel, Book 1 is written and I'm writing Book 2 now.)
• A Girl's Guide to Supervillainy (This will be a 5 book novella series. Books 1-3 are already written. I just need to work out some plot holes before plowing through books 4 & 5)
• Young Adult Dystopian (I have the first book written. Not sure if I'm making this a series or a stand alone yet.)
• (Steamier) Paranormal Romance (maybe it'll be under a pen name)
• Contemporary Romanic Comedy (pen name, this is a four book series)

If you're interested in either option, please complete this form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScqg1Kn3JggEyh9HCDFEwbUxvnY4X7HYMikgP2i-DUpSjuHkQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Short Video Adventure / Overall Social Media Rebranding

My Facebook advertising account was hacked.

It's a long story that I'm still working on, but they managed to spend $1200 on fake ads to sell a product over in Asia. Needless to say, my account is locked, and I'm unsure how I'll connect with readers without being able to run ads. It feels like a setback after overcoming my imposter syndrome and finally getting back into writing—but I'm too stubborn to give up!

For now, I'm focusing on social media, especially short videos. (I know, not exactly the go-to for most of us readers over 40, right?) But I'm giving it a shot, even though I'm an extreme introvert, feel awkward on camera, and have no idea what to talk about. If you have any ideas for what you'd like to see from me, hit reply—I’d love to make a video based on your suggestions! (Seriously. Please.)

If you're on any of these social media platforms, come find me! Hit like on the posts you enjoy to let me know to make more of that type of content. I have a pile of different things I've tried and I'm not sure what I'm going to continue. I guess it'll depend on your feedback.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joynelljschultz (I also have a reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/764679167545848)

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@joynellschultzauthor

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joynellschultzauthor

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/joynellschultzauthor

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@joynellschultzauthor

I’m committing to posting content for a month (at least until I head to Europe—more on that below). So, follow me where you hang out, and let’s see what works best!

What's Next?

I'm not sure how much you'll hear from me until December, because I'm heading to Europe with my hubby on a two month adventure. I'm hoping to get some editing done, but I'm not forcing myself to do anything other than enjoy the experience.

We're heading to Portugal, Spain, and England. Taking a cruise, renting campervans, among other things.

I'll share video/photos on social media (links above) of how I manage traveling with author things if you're interested. Otherwise I'm sure I'll mention it in my December or January newsletter.

Special Offer: Angels of Sojourn Series

Have you read my Angels of Sojourn series? This was the first novel idea I ever had (Blood & Holy Water) and I still love Fin & Ava. Here are some special offers:

• The entire box set (3 shorts in one full-length book) is on sale for $2.99 ($3.99 for Australia) (On Amazon HERE)
• Book 1 - Blood & Holy water is on sale for 99 cents this week. (US/UK only) (On Amazon HERE)
• Broken & Burnt (a side novella) is FREE this week. (Book 1 HERE)
• This short story is always free. (HERE)

Until next time, happy reading!

--Joy

P.S. I thought I'd do something a little different, and keep scrolling to see a fun little piece I wrote when I was working on "Departing: Earth's Only Hope, Book 1" from Quaade's point of view. (Note, the entire book is told in first person, from Skylar's point of view.) Just a little bonus for those of you who read that book.

P.S.S. I'm also trying to grow my readership through a few freebie promos. Here's one to check out this month.

https://storyoriginapp.com/bundles/b0c68346-778d-11ef-b81a-0b97e6e3b4f2

Departing - Chapter 21

Quaade's Point of View

Skylar scooted closer to me on the bench, holding out her palm, waiting. Her thoughts hovered just beyond my reach, like a gift she wanted me to take. Her feelings were an open book, yet I couldn’t bring myself to read them. Not this way.

I stared at her hand, not touching it. The silence between us grew heavy. The bond we shared allowed for complete transparency, but sometimes, transparency was too much. Too vulnerable. Too dangerous.

Standing abruptly, I pushed the tension aside. "We need to get some food," I said, my voice harsher than I intended. "Then I’ll compile a list of Vainovians, and we can talk to the captain about any possible enemies."

I felt her deflate next to me. Rejected. Again. She didn’t need to say it, I could feel it. The weight of it hung between us like a thick fog. I hadn’t meant to hurt her, but it was unavoidable. These emotions of hers—they were like a storm, and I was caught in it, unsure of which way to steer.

Her hand dropped, the moment between us gone, and guilt gnawed at me.

She was silent, but her thoughts screamed. Had she misread me? I almost reached out, almost tried to explain, but my words got tangled up inside me. I wasn’t ready to face what this meant, what she wanted from me. Instead, I retreated into the safety of planning, logistics, and to-do lists.

"Then, after talking with and checking on Xaan, we should train." My voice was steady, a contrast to the turmoil inside. Keep moving forward. Keep the mission first.

But I could feel her frustration building. It wasn’t just frustration—it was determination. I didn’t need to be Vainovian to sense that. She was planning something, and when Skylar made up her mind, there was no stopping her.

When she suddenly climbed up on the bench, making herself taller, I blinked at her in confusion. "What are you doing?" Suspicion crept into my voice. I knew Skylar well enough to know this wasn’t just about height. She was up to something.

“Something I tried before…but the timing wasn’t right. I’d like to try again.”

Before I could respond, her hands were on my face, gentle but firm, forcing me to meet her gaze. Her touch was soft, her skin warm against mine, and for a brief second, I froze, wondering what she was about to do.

Then it happened. She leaned in and pressed her lips to mine.

My body went rigid. The contact felt... strange. Foreign. My thoughts scrambled. What is this? A kiss. It was a kiss. I’d seen it in her mind, watched her dream about it. But to experience it? It felt… wrong. Not wrong because of her, but wrong because of me. This was a human gesture. A human custom.

I pulled back, startled. "Ack! What was that?"

Skylar stepped away, and I could see the humiliation flash in her eyes before she masked it. "It was nothing. Let’s go eat."

I felt her embarrassment, but the words that should’ve come to comfort her were trapped in my throat. I tried to explain, to make sense of what I was feeling. "I mean, I know it was a kiss. I’ve seen it in your mind…but what a disgusting human custom."

Her back was to me before I could take it back. I knew instantly I’d said the wrong thing. This wasn’t just about culture. It was about more than that—about her. She’d taken a risk, and I’d just brushed her off. Again.

As we moved in silence toward the mess hall, I could feel her pulling away. I wanted to fix it, but I didn’t know how. What had I been thinking, letting it get this far? Letting her think I could ever… What? Be like her? Feel like her?

When we reached the mess hall, the sight of the pasta-like food did nothing to ease the tightness in my chest. I turned to her, trying to piece together an apology. "I’m sorry, Skylar. You just took me by surprise. I wasn’t prepared."

She dismissed me with a wave of her hand, her voice casual, too casual. "No worries. A moment of weakness… and it was inappropriate with Xaan sick in the next room. It won’t happen again."

But I could hear it—the edge to her voice. She wasn’t fine. And I had no idea how to make her fine. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but the words weren’t there. I shut it again, frustration boiling inside me.

We sat down at a vacant table, and I hesitated, the spork-like utensil hovering over my food. I felt her watching me, but I couldn’t meet her eyes. Why did this have to be so complicated? I rubbed my lips, shaking my head slightly, as if the motion would clear my mind.

She’d kissed me, and for some reason, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I laughed quietly, more to myself than anything. It wasn’t funny, but it was absurd. Here I was, a member of the Vainovian spacecrew, trained to handle stressful situations—and I couldn’t handle a kiss.

I started eating, pretending it was nothing. But it wasn’t nothing. Skylar was different. She was under my skin, and no amount of logical thinking was going to change that.

If only she knew it had been me making love to her in her dreams for so long.

The question was: what was I going to do about it?

Did you enjoy this?

Hit reply and let me know so I can decide if I'll do it again with other stories. (And I do take requests!) Also, if you haven't read this series, I made the three main novels into a single box set, here: https://amzn.to/3U9edfV