Dear Readers and Friends,

I have a new newsletter format. I hope it helps organize my thoughts a little better. What do you think?

--- ☕📖 Inside the Lair ☕📖 ---

Big update time: Misfit (Book 3 in "A Girl's Guide to Supervillainy!") is officially out of my hands and in the care of my beta readers 🎉😬

Last month, I mentioned Hannah’s book was being edited—now it’s being read, judged (lovingly), and emotionally reacted to as we speak. This is the stage where I pretend to be calm while mentally rewriting scenes in my head at random moments.

Assuming all goes smoothly, Misfit publishes January 29, 2026, and yes—it’s already up for preorder. (Link HERE.)

If you’re new to the series, A Girl’s Guide to Supervillainy follows five women who lost everything in a so-called heroic disaster—and decided to stop trusting heroes to deliver justice. They found their power, chose each other, and became the Ladies in Leather.

This is the book where things start getting personal. Hannah steps into leadership with the Ladies in Leather—just as her home life implodes, a mad scientist escalates, and her dangerously observant neighbor starts asking questions she really doesn’t want to answer. Add in feelings she didn’t plan for, and Misfit becomes the point where cozy chaos turns into oh no, this might actually matter.

It's funny that all five of these books were initially supposed to be only novella length, but each of these women have such a story to tell that they got a little out of hand. All three books so far have come in at about 300 pages, with Hannah's being the longest so far. (330 pages)

Once beta feedback comes back, I’ll be diving straight into edits… with one small complication. (More on that below.)

--- 🔒👀 Classified Intel 🔒👀 ---

🚨 COVER REVEAL: MISFIT 🚨

(Drumroll. Evil laugh. Possibly both.)

She can calm any storm except

the one she’s been carrying since

everything she loved fell apart.

This story lives right at the intersection of control and chaos—where secrets start slipping, boundaries blur, and Hannah realizes that being in charge doesn’t mean being prepared. Her world is loud, complicated, and one bad decision away from blowing up—emotionally, professionally, and romantically… and I hope this cover captures that energy.

This is Hannah’s moment. She’s bold, she’s capable, she’s a little dangerous—all while dealing with grief and a little anxiety. Seeing her on the cover feels like watching her say, Yes, I’m in charge—and no, I don’t have everything under control.

Misfit is:

• A supervillain romance with secret-identity tension
• Neighbors-to-lovers with forced proximity and way too much awareness
• Found family chaos when leadership gets complicated
• A story about surviving loss, reclaiming yourself, and daring to want more again

If you’ve already preordered, thank you for supporting this series more than I can say. If you haven’t yet, now you officially know what the book looks like sitting on your e-reader 👀

--- ✈️🌏 Through the Portal ✈️🌏 ---

Right as beta feedback starts rolling in… I’ll be on the other side of the world.

We’re heading to Asia for five weeks, traveling through Japan, South Korea, and China, which means I’ll be attempting edits from hotel rooms, trains, and anywhere with decent Wi-Fi.

Will this be chaotic? Yes.

Will it involve jet lag and too much coffee? Also yes.

Will it somehow work anyway? I’m choosing to believe it will.

I'm lucky that both my children (23 and 21 yrs old) are coming with us. Unbelievable.

If you’ve been to any of these places and have favorite cities, must-see spots, or foods I shouldn’t miss, hit reply and tell me. I love hearing from you—and I’ll probably be reading your emails from a café at an unreasonable hour.

Honestly, editing this book while bouncing between countries feels very Hannah-coded: everything happening at once, mild chaos everywhere, and somehow still getting the job done.

Thank you for being here, for loving these villains, and for sticking with me through every hidden world, secret identity, and happily ever after.

More soon 🖤

— Joy (aka Joynell Schultz)

Writing you otherworldly stories where love is the greatest magic.

P.S. The links for all The Girl's Guide to Supervillainy! books are HERE. Misfit on Amazon is HERE.

P.S.S. - If you enjoy supporting indie authors, like me, here are a few promotions to check out. You're sure to find something new and exciting to read.