I certainly wasn’t kidding when I said 2026 was going to be busy. We’re not even two months in and sheesh–your girl is already exhausted.

But in the best way.

A Huge Thank You to My Readers

If you’ve already ordered or read Taken by Surprise, thank you so much for your continued support. Your messages, reviews, and feedback have been incredible. Every note from a reader reminds me how lucky I am to get to do what I love.

How Taken by Surprise Came to Life

Here is a little background on how this story came to fruition.

If you know me, you know I love a book set in a hotel. (But seriously… what is my obsession with hotels being the primary setting?) And yes–before you ask–my next full-length novel releasing this year is also set in a hotel. I wasn’t kidding. I guess this is my personality now.

Anyways, I had this scene stuck in my head: two men breaking into a woman’s hotel room because they needed to use it for surveillance. I knew the idea wasn’t meant to fill a full-length novel, so I kept pushing it aside… but it refused to be ignored. It kept simmering in the back of my mind until it practically demanded to exist on the page.

And who am I to argue with creativity when it speaks to me?

Meet Rose, Isaac, and Zane

That persistent idea came to life in the form of Rose, Isaac, and Zane–and wow, were they fun to write.

If you’ve read both Beneath Your Lies and Taken by Surprise, you probably noticed that Taken by Surprise leans more light-hearted. It has more witty banter, more comedic moments, and a slightly more playful tone overall. In many ways, it feels reminiscent of Lights Out and Tourist Season–books that blend suspense with character-driven charm.

Will We Ever See More of Them?

I don’t typically lean toward writing multi-book series, but I’ll be honest–the potential is definitely there. Writing a novella comes with its own perks and challenges, and these three made it tempting to keep going. I’ve thought about continuing their story, but for now, it’s just a figurative idea living rent-free in my chaotic ADHD-powered brain that’s overflowing with concepts but occasionally struggles to sit down and, you know… actually write.

I Want to Hear from You

If you’ve read Taken by Surprise, I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts:

• Would you want more of Rose, Zane, and Isaac?
• Do you prefer your dark romance with a bit of comedic relief?
• Or are you firmly on team “the darker, the better”?
• And here’s a fun one: did you catch how the story ties back to Beneath Your Lies?
• Even better–did you catch a potential hint about how it will connect to my next novel? This one is more difficult, but I’d love to hear your guesses.

For those of you who’ve known me for years, I bet you never thought you’d catch me behind a blog keyboard again. RIP to my old blog, My Mellow Chaos–gone but forever mellowly chaotic in our hearts.

But here I am, back at it and spilling my random thoughts all over the internet once more. You probably noticed the NJO website’s major glow‑up. Huge shout-out to my designer, Kira, who does the absolute most and somehow reads my brain better than I do. Truly—Kira, I owe you my life.

This updated space finally feels like me: the author I’m becoming, the stories I want to tell, and the path I’m walking into. It’s cleaner, bolder, a little spicy, and a lot more intentional. Honestly, it feels like the start of something real.

I never planned for 2025 to be a big year. And then—thanks to some loving shoves from the people in my corner—it suddenly became the year I became a published author. I spent most of last year learning on the fly, figuring out what in the world I was doing, and trying to keep up with a dream that was moving faster than I expected.

Now? I’m ready.

2026 is already shaping up to be a very busy year in so many ways. I can’t wait to share more of this journey with my readers, fellow authors, and the whole bookish community.

Thank you for being here, cheering, reading, and believing. Let’s make it unforgettable.