Jaymee Jacobs's Blog

My 2020 Vision

What am I doing writing about 2020 when we’re already one week into February?

Well, y’all, let me tell just how crazy everything has been lately!

Let me just recap my January for you:
On Friday, January 3rd, I had my on-site interview with a company down in Pittsburgh for an open position.On Tuesday, January 7th, I got the offer from HR that, pending a satisfactory background check and drug test, I was hired.On Friday, January 10th, I got the call from the hiring manager that I cleared everything, and we scheduled my first day of work.On Monday, January 13th, I turned in my two-weeks notice at my now former job.And on Tuesday, January 28th, I began my first day of work in downtown Pittsburgh.As you can see from that list, this all happened so fast. My last two weeks at my prior job were spent trying to get the entire office organized and everyone informed on my responsibilities and what they’d have to take over. After 11 years, 7 months there, the list was long. But on my last day, my coworkers, their families, and my family all came out to dinner to celebrate my new job and all the new opportunities on my horizon. It wasn’t until I got home from that dinner that I realized how much was going to change for me.

But the reality sunk on my first day, when I showed up to work in a skyscraper and got a whirlwind tour of the floor. I then promptly forgot. But everyone has been so nice and welcoming, offering any help to aid my adjustment to this new corporate lifestyle.

This "corporate" job feels anything but considering how nice everyone is. So far, I've been treated to lunch twice, attended a trivia game over lunch and helped my team win and earn a reputation for being a millennial smartypants, got another free lunch because I helped organize a lunch meeting for my department, attended a welcome breakfast, and have already gotten praised by my two direct bosses for my effort and insight.

If I'm being honest, though, it's been quite overwhelming too. It was great at first, when there wasn't much that I could do. But then I've gotten thrown into it all. I have a lot more freedom at this job to get my tasks done, which is both a relief and a weighty responsibility. So it's kinda no wonder that I found myself sick at 3:00PM this past Friday, probably from overextending myself as I continue to learn and adjust.

But at least being sick gives me a change to finally update everyone!

As I continue to adjust to the commute and my new job, I will be able to get back into working on what was referred to in my last post as my "top secret project." I was a bit foolish and that that this would be a smoother transition than it's been. The job itself is not hard, but the volume is higher than my last job. The commute is long, and I didn't plan for the motion sickness to interrupt my concentration. And by the time I get home, there's not really time for anything else than dinner, a chore or two, and then snuggling with the kitties until bedtime. I think I'll be looking to move closer over the summer, but that is a decision to make in the coming months as things settle down.

Anyway, for those of you who are in my FB reader group, you'll know that I've released the titles for what is now The Sweet Nothings Series: Nothing's Forever (book 1), Double or Nothing (book 2), and Nothing Else Matters (book 3). These will be released in quick succession, which means I won't know when that will be until I'm almost done with book 3. It could be awhile, but I think it'll be worth the wait! And then, I return to the Dallas Comets series for book #7.

I'm also beginning the prep for my first signing of 2020, Rockin' Romance Readers in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, April 25 (purchase tickets here; pre-order form here). I'm very excited to be an attending author this year after I went last year as a reader and thought it was such a well-done event. If you have a chance to make it, you should!

Then, six months down the road from that, you can find me at Tempted and Tantalizing NYC  on October 10 (purchase tickets here; pre-order form coming). I am equally excited for this one because this event has such a good reputation!

Well, I guess that's the outline for my author goals for 2020: my trilogy, maybe the next Dallas Comets book, and two awesome signing events. It didn't quite so ambitious back in the fall when I was planning it out, considering I didn't know I'd be switching jobs and things would be changing so drastically.

Feel free to share your 2020 plans in the comments! Or let me know if you're planning on attending these two signings!

Happy reading!

Classy, Crafty, and Super Sassy

After releasing two books in the span of two months, I've been doing a bunch of different things. Some of it is working on what I've been calling my "Top Secret Project." I think it's gonna be a trilogy, taking place on a new team.

I'm trying to get the entire trilogy ready for a quick release schedule. If I can manage it, I'll have it out by the end of the year, but no guarantees!


I've also been enjoying my summer! Last year, I felt like I had wasted my summer. I didn't want that to happen this year. So I instituted Pool Day, which was every Wednesday at the community pool (weather permitting, of course).

I went to see one of my favorite bands, Jimmy Eat World. I went to the zoo with my friend and her little one. I've already been to the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival once, and I'm sure I will be going again.



What else? I've tackled a huge project that's been sitting on my shelf for far too long. What's that? Scrapbooking my semester abroad in London, England!

Scrapbooking is my new favorite hobby. It's basically playing with memories and stickers! Here are some of my favorite pages!


I've had such a great time looking back on these days abroad. I've changed so much since then! Those months were incredible and helped to shape so much of who I am now.
Next up? I need to scrapbook my Paris trip!

Another project on my agenda is to go through my closet and donate some old clothes. I have way too many things that I don't wear, and it'll feel good to purge some of that. And just in time to switch the wardrobe from summer to winter! The weather is absolutely beautiful in this corner of PA right now.
I want to hear how your summer is going! What have you been up to? Tell me in the comments below or tag me on social media!
Jay

If April Showers Bring May Flowers, Do May Flowers Bring June Bugs?

Y'all. May was a crazy month.

I had so much fun in Niagara Falls and Gettysburg, attending those two author events (Romancing the Falls and Rockin' Romance Readers, respectively). Mama J came with me, and we had a blast hanging out with Lisa B. Kamps again, meeting Christine and Victoria of Sweet & Sassy Reads, and loading up our shelves with books by new-to-us authors!

Oh yeah, and I had a book come out, too. :)

So even though May was awesome, I'm a little bit glad it's over. I'm still celebrating my latest release, but I'm also getting to work on what's to come.

Things I'm up to:

Proofing the paperback copy of  Dump and Chase  before announcing that paperbacks are for sale!Working on getting the paperback for "Christmas Crosscheck" up and hopefully available for pre-order (I hear it's kind of complicated; for those in the know, Amazon changed their paperback process and I hear some people aren't able to have pre-orders for hard copies).Getting prepped and ready to celebrate Christmas in July! Stay tuned for details.Organizing my 2020 schedule! Yes, already.Working on my top secret project that doesn't have a name because I don't have titles yet. Yes, titles, which means more than one book is involved!Jotting down the ideas that won't stop coming about Dallas Comets book #7 (which does have a title, but I'm not revealing that just yet;) ).Dreading my upcoming dentist appointment.Ugh, what am I going to make for dinner tonight?Oh, you probably don't care about those last two things!
Proof copy!
If you read Dump and Chase, maybe you found a couple Easter eggs in there. One of them has to do with the project I'm working on now. It's not a Dallas Comets book, but it's still gonna be about hockey. So, any guesses on what it might be? I'll be dropping hints in my Facebook group as I work on the project before the big reveal.

Oh yeah, and maybe I'll be giving away a signed paperback of Dump and Chase in my group in the near future. :)

And of course, I'm trying to plan something fun this summer. Maybe not a full vacation, but something fun and relaxing. What's everyone else got planned for the coming months? Share some inspiration with me and tell me!

Meanwhile, I'll be huddled in my office to get some work done.

As always, happy reading!

Big Things Are Happening [Finally]!

It's been a while since I've blogged, mostly because I had nothing to say. But I'm happy to say that now that I do!



I've hit a major breakthrough with Dump and Chase, book #5. It's almost done! Just a few more chapters to go, and then it goes out to alpha/beta readers, and then it'll go out for ARCs. (Are you a member of my ARC team? If not, you can still sign up!)

What does that mean as far as a release date? End of May, early June. I'll know more once the chapters are done and I get back the initial feedback.

You guys have no idea how good it finally feels to have a more concrete idea of when this book will be out (I've only been writing it since... 2017!) I've fought through a lot of impostor syndrome along the way; it's hard to feel like a writer when the writing isn't happening like you want it to. I've barely been on social media as a result.

And just in time! Because "Christmas Crosscheck" is releasing on its own on July 25 for a Christmas in July celebration! "Christmas Crosscheck" was my contribution to the USA TODAY bestseller, Hockey Holidays. On July 25, the story will be available again as book #6 of the Dallas Comets series—including some additional chapters. Want to know how Christmas Day unfolds for Bryan and Georgiana? You'll have to read it to find out!

Buy links will be coming soon, in the next few weeks. Keep an eye out on social media so you can preorder! Also, links will go out via my newsletter, so you can sign up for that as well if you aren't already.

After that, I'm taking a mini-break from the Comets to work on a top-secret trilogy set. Anticipated release will be in fall/winter 2019. I still have a lot of kinks to work out there though, so that's all you'll be getting from me on that subject for a while.

I hope y'all can sit tight just a little while longer, because I'm very close to sharing Ben and Lennox's story. There's something different about this one, something special, and I hope you'll think the wait was worth it.

Hang tight,

Jaymee

Kissing 2018 Goodbye / Bring It On, 2019!

Listen. New Years always freaks me out. Any occasion that encourages me to look back at the past while simultaneously looking toward the future is just... super stressful. I've said it before (I say it at the end of every year!) that December is crazy between work and the holidays and social engagements.

My natural tendency is to think about all the things I didn't do and chalk it up as failing to accomplish my goals. As I reflected on my 2018, I went back to write last year's blog post about resolutions, and I kept it simple last year: rein in my spending. And, in some aspects, I accomplished that. I cut down on ordering pizza when I felt too lazy to cook, I didn't add (very much) to be TBR pile by buying books I knew I wouldn't immediately start reading, and I only saw a handful of movies in the theatre (of course I made exceptions for Marvel movies, and my mom and I went to see Book Club because it looked too good).

But I totally fell flat on the writing front. While I didn't publish my goals, because I didn't want to embarrass myself if I didn't accomplish them, I definitely planned to release at least one full-length novel in 2018. I've been working on Dump and Chase for over a year now, and it's nowhere near finished. My current goal is to get it released in early 2019, but the goalposts change every day, when I fail to hit my daily word count.

That's not say I didn't do some awesome author things this year. I attended three events all across my home state of Pennsylvania, during which I got to meet my writer friends and new readers. I was in two successful anthologies which raised a ton of money for charities. And of course the biggie was becoming a USA TODAY best-selling author.

And—personally—I got to do some fun new things. I visited two new-to-me cities (Dallas and DC), saw two NWHL games, went to Pens games with Jennifer Lazaris, one of my fave writing buddies and all-around awesome person. We've had some writing sessions while she's been visiting Pittsburgh, and she helps me focus!

Plus, I finally found out one of triggers that caused my stomach issues. To me, that was just as big as hitting the USA TODAY list! Getting my gallbladder out wasn't enough; turns out, I have dietary fructose intolerance. And as long as I don't ingest fructose, I feel great! It's a pain in the butt sometimes—do you know how many things have high fructose corn syrup in them?!—but it's no different than a person with Celiac Disease saying no to gluten. I just have to say no to high-processed foods (I'm going to miss my Sour Patch Kids!) and certain fruits and veggies. And honey. And molasses.

Flynn got the rest of his teeth removed, and he's been happy and healthy ever since. No issues with him not eating! He plays more, chases his sister and annoys her, and cuddles with his momma.

So, was 2018 epic like I had predicted? ...Kinda? I don't know, to be honest. It had its ups and downs. But I'm accepting it and rolling forward.


Okay, so I looked back. Now it's time to predict the future! Just kidding. I'm not predicting anything, or making promises. In fact, I'd argue that I'm not even making resolutions. I am, however, stating my intentions for 2019.


I seem to do things in threes, and my intentions are no different. For the first one, I had played around with a couple different ideas. Now that I'm fructose free, I have to pay attention to ingredients—which means it's a lot easier to prepare my own food with natural, whole ingredients than it is to examine food lists for premade foods or restaurant fare. Of course, I have a list of some go-to's when I need a quick bite: Panera, Chipotle, Five Guys, and my favorite local pizza place. But everything else can be iffy.

Plus, eating out is my biggest budget buster. Whether it's getting out of the office on my lunch break or grabbing something quick on my way home from work or chores, to optimize my precious personal time, I eat way too much premade food.

And the thing is, I love to cook. I just don't have the time for it.

Well, not anymore. Because in 2019, I'm gonna cook more! It'll save me money, make me feel better because I'll be sure to avoid that pesky fructose, and I'll enjoy finding new recipes and tweaking them to make my own master cookbook. Oh yeah, and bragging rights every time I get a compliment!

Number two was easy. Be nicer to myself. I have a tendency to be hard on myself when I miss my deadlines. But you know what? It's hard to work full time, run a household, write stories, and maintain a social life while not getting burnt out. Because once I burn out, I have a harder time getting back into my groove after I recuperate.

If I'm being honest with myself, I think I spent a lot of 2018 feeling burnt out, but trying to push forward anyway. Which really felt more like dragging a screaming toddler through a toy store than anything actually productive. So maybe I should not do that anymore, right?

So if I don't hit my word count, it's not the end of the world. I'll just try again the next day. And note I didn't say "try harder the next day," because that's how you get burnt out!

I really, really wish I could be the type of writer who could write thousands of words a day after spending eight hours at work, and write out chapters as fast as I can read them. But... that's just not who I am. I have tried to be that kind of author, but I couldn't make it happen—and when I try too hard, I burn out and lose my flow.

So if I don't finish my chapter on time? I'm not gonna kick myself. If I cave and grab a burrito bowl from Chipotle instead of making a dinner from scratch, I'm not going to get angry at myself for not sticking to my resolution. Because it's not about making sure every day is a success; it's about keeping the focus on the overarching goal. When I lose sight of that... well, then I struggle and don't release full-length novels. I want that to change in 2019.

Lastly, it's always a goal of mine every year to travel somewhere new. As I mentioned before, I went to Dallas for five-ish days last January and then DC with my cousins in August. The year before was Nashville. The year before that was Myrtle Beach. Where will 2019 lead me? Not sure; I haven't decided yet. I have plenty of time to decide. But no matter where it is, it'll be somewhere I haven't been before!

Okay, so, that's it I think. I reflected a lot, and I projected even more. Tonight, I'm going to celebrate making it through one more calendar year and kiss 2018 goodbye. Feel free to share your plans and your intentions for 2019!

Ya girl,

Jaymee

Get Ready for Hockey Holidays!

It's November! And while I usually refuse to celebrate the holidays until after Thanksgiving (which is my favorite of the US holidays, and I think it's truly underappreciated!)—but this year is different. Why? Because 'this the season for Hockey Holidays!

He's sooo pretttyyyy...
I've joined a team of hockey romance authors to bring you this epic anthology. And my contribution is "Christmas Crosscheck," which tells the tale of Georgiana and Bryan's first Christmas together. And—spoiler alert!—there's a proposal. You'll have to read it find out the rest!


The anthology, for which all proceeds will be donated to a hockey charity, will release on November 13, so there's still plenty of time to pre-order to make sure you get this book on your eReader ASAP on release day!

And we'll be celebrating like crazy next week. First up, on the 13th, we'll be in the L. Woods PR Romance Room starting at 7. And then the party continues on the 14th in the Reader's Lounge. If you're not already in these Facebook groups, you're gonna wanna join so you can party with us!


It's been a hard week here in Pittsburgh. I was in Squirrel Hill Saturday morning at the time of the Tree of Life congregation shooting, and I've been taking it especially hard. I've had different friends living in the area throughout the years, and my days and nights there were always fun. The best part about Squirrel Hill is the diversity and open-mindedness. I hope we never lose that.

It's not easy choosing to set aside the heartbreak and look toward the good. But it is a choice to celebrate all the good coming down the pipeline, including this anthology.

I'll still need time to grieve and get over this, but we are Pittsburgh Strong, and steel is stronger than hate.

Catching Up

It's been months since I've blogged, and I'm not really sure why. It's not like I haven't started any posts; I have. And it's not like I don't have things to say, either.

I spent the summer working hard on a novella and a short story. The novella is included in the Holiday Hockey Romance Anthology (releases November 13; pre-order now!), and the short story one of the 33 in Shades of Pink, a breast cancer charity anthology, available until the end of the month with a donation. We're so close to hitting our goal! Please consider contributing.



And although I worked hard to meet my deadlines for the anthologies, I had some fun too. In August, I went to D.C. with my cousins for a long weekend, and it was an amazing time. I'd never been before, and I had fun checking out all the monuments, eating so many different (and new to me) things, and had a general blast with my cousins.

Supreme Court Eating Alligator... tastes like chicken Shakespeare's First FolioFave pic with a fave cuz!Eating Rabbit.. tastes like chicken
The Int'l Spy Museum


And in September, I went to Authors in the Steel City with some fellow hockey romance authors. Melody and I have been at several events together, and it was great to meet Kat Mizera and Tiffani Lynn, too.

At Authors in the Steel City
And, after stomach issues that still wouldn't stop (even after I had my gallbladder out last year), I had some more tests run and found out that I have dietary fructose intolerance. It's like lactose intolerance, but with fructose instead of lactose. I feel great when I'm #FructoseFree! However, sometimes I forget to read ingredient labels and end up eating some of the bad stuff—and I suffer for it. I'm learning to be diligent, to always ask what's in something and to pass on it if I'm not sure, and that I'm much better off cooking my own meals than gambling on convenience foods.


And now, after all that stuff, it's October, and the season has officially changed. It's time for hockey, hoodies, pumpkin spice lattes, and going back to work on my infinity scarf. Oh, and a baby blanket for a friend's impending bundle of joy! I have plenty of projects on the horizon, as well as (of course) writing Dump and Chase. I trying out a new writing schedule, and today was Day Number One—and I'm chalking it up to a success. I'll be writing and hanging out on social media more. So I'll be seeing you around.

As always, happy reading,

Jay

Dude. May. WTF.

May has been... an interesting month so far (and we're only one-third of the way through. Phew!).

If you're friends with some authors on Facebook or Twitter,  you've probably seen the insanity and the accompanying hashtags. It's not my intention here to go into the matter; there are plenty of places online to get the details. And while I did a little rage-venting on my own profile, I don't want to publicly feed into this riotous frenzy while the courts and attorneys are working toward a resolution. I do, however, want to take a moment to say that the indie author community is a supportive, close-knit group that I'm proud to be a part of. And it's because of readers like you, who choose to support not only myself but so many authors who work hard and try to give you the best possible books.

Okay, moving on.

So, what have I been up to? Well, I've been buzzing around, prepping for my trip to Philly this weekend. I'll be at Unmask the Romance in Phoenixville on Saturday!


Tickets are still available for any of you latecomers!

What else? I've been enjoying my time with Flynn. Now that he's essentially toothless, he's blossoming into a whole new cat! He's feistier, chasing Anna around in a total role reversal for those two. He's scarfing down his kibble with an appetite I didn't know he had. And while he's filled out and gained back the weight he'd lost when it hurt too bad to eat, I'm not exactly sure where he's putting it all.

I'd wondered how his personality would "change" after his teeth were removed and the pain was gone (or at least mostly gone). I expected him to come out of his shell and become more playful and perhaps more cuddly too. He's not as cuddly as I would have hoped, but he's still my sweet boy—even if he's got a bit of an attitude now!

And of course I've been writing too. I'll be honest and admit I've gotten sidetracked and am way behind on my schedule (I should be writing right now! Doh!), but I'm still in love with this story. Is too soon, and maybe bad luck, to admit that Dump and Chase is my favorite book I've written so far? Because it totally is. And that's just more motivation for me to get back to work and get it out to y'all as soon as possible.

In the meantime, I have to get back to packing. Why does it feel like short trips are so much harder to pack for? I wonder what I'll forget to bring with me....

Autism Awareness Month Blog Hop

Autism Fact:  People from all nationalities and cultural, religious and social backgrounds can be autistic, although it appears to affect more men than women.




I figured I’d be doing a good thing by participating in RJ Scott's Autism blog hop and raising awareness about autism and living with the disability. But then I realized I didn’t know much about autism at all; I’ve never personally encountered someone who I knew was autistic or even on the spectrum. So how could I help raise awareness when I myself was barely aware of the stats and facts about autism?

Realizing my ignorance, I reached out to a friend of mine who has a Masters in special education and has worked hands-on with autistic children—and she had tons to say about the developmental disability and how we approach it.

Autistic individuals often are judged and even pitied. Adults blame meltdowns and tantrums on bad parenting. They are teased by their peers and ridiculed. Strangers stare at them.

During April, autism is brought to the forefront and we are confronted with the reality that autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the world. We are presented with “success stories” of folks who have learned to function in our world despite their (as we see it) shortcomings. We are reminded that we must react with compassion, not pity or irritation.

But unless we personally cope with or encounter autistic people in our daily lives, we forget to be patient and kind. We revert to our ignorance. We begin to look at those with autism as people who are “less than” or “difficult.” However, if you have autism or have a loved one who does, you know that’s not true, and there’s no forgetting or ignoring. People who have autism live with it twelve months of the year—not just one—and they deserve much more from us every single day.

My friend who teaches autistic children taught me that I must always be compassionate toward those who have or live with autism, and it is my hope that everyone with autism encounters nothing but kindness and patience as they live each day in every month.



Giveaway 
Thanks for stopping by my blog for the hop! I'm giving away winner's choice of any eBook in my Dallas Comets series (excluding Dump and Chase, since it's not out yet). 
Just comment below with your e-mail address (so I can contact you if you're the winner). Comments are moderated, so they will not be published or made public. Your e-mail address will be kept confidential, and will not be used beyond entry into this contest. 
I will pick a random winner on May 1st, after Autism Awareness Month is over. 
Good luck to all! And be sure to check out all the blogs on schedule for the blog hop! 
Happy reading, 
Jay

My Kind of March Madness

This month has been insane! I can't even believe we've got only a week or so left in March.

We started off with a bang at the Angels & Sirens event. I got to hang out with some amazing hockey romance authors! Sometimes writing can feel very solitary, so it's always a great experience to hang out with other writers. And these ladies are AWESOME! It's been a long time since I'd laughed so hard.

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From L to R: Melody Heck Gatto, RJ Scott, Lisa B. Kamps, Katie Kenyhercz, me, V.L. Locey, and Stephanie Julian.
Sitting at my humble table, awaiting the readers!
The next weekend was St. Paddy's Day—and my cousin's wedding day! I had a great time with family, and helping my beautiful cousin get ready for her big day.
I hosted an out-of-town cousin for the weekend, and we had such a blast catching up and growing closer.

Of course, not everything in March was all gold and rainbows. Flynn had another flare-up of his stomatitis, meaning an emergency vet visit and making an appointment for the second round of extractions. Not only were his gums inflamed around his remaining teeth, but his toothless gums were red too. This probably means that he'll have mouth issues for the rest of his life, and we'll have to find ways to manage a lifetime of pain.

Now that he only has two teeth left (his bottom canines), he's acting much happier. He's even trying to eat kibble again already! He's my sweetheart, and I hope that he continues to improve as the days go by.
I'm not having much luck getting pics of his toothlessness.
All the while, my day job is crazy busy right now. It makes writing a little more difficult, but I still have tons of ideas brewing! Be sure to stay tuned for updates, which I'll announce as I have them.

With any spare time I have, I'm burying my nose into my laptop. The writing is slow going, but I am determined to get the best possible story out to you as soon as possible! Stick with me, guys; I'm gonna make sure it's worth the wait!