Joanna Maciejewska

Last weekend, I had the pleasure to pack yet anothe package. This time, it was my urban fantasy series, Shadows of Eireland.
The package is on its way to the reader now, and I think it might be time to order more books: the stock is running low!

Did you know I’m releasing a new piece of story every month on my newsletter?

Each month will include a chapter or two and the subsequent novel will be published after this year ends!

Newcomers also receive BestGhost and Off with their Sleds just for checking me out!

🔗 below

A rhododendron bush with it's leaves curled against the cold and covered in snow.

Cold rhodies with snow hats outside my office window.

Day 2 of lines from my work! Enjoy a suspenseful early line from Dueling Shoulder Angels, available in eBook, paperback, hardcover, and audio!

Agreed. I think we had it easier, because we started long distance... Nowadays? If husband's out for work for a few days, I already start wondering how did I make it MONTHS without him. 🤣

I went full decaf over 5 years ago, so I'm not sure if it counts as an addiction in my case, but sure! ;)

A painting in its early stages, showing a pale woman with white-gray hair and pupil-less empty white eyes, wearing a black gown and standing in front of an icy blue background. While her face is already painted in acrylics, the paint then fades out and becomes rougher, showing the watercolor paper beneath. Two brushes and a teal paint tube are placed next to the portrait to show its small size.

Sometimes, that very first color layer just WORKS and it makes me incredibly happy...

New book illustration WIP, acrylics on coated paper

Image of a cup topped with marshmallows and text hot chocolate day.

Today is Hot Chocolate Day, and it's also 21F/-6C over here, so it feels like a perfect day to celebrate, right?
Do you drink hot chocolate? How do you prepare it?
Mine is a mix of hot milk, Nesquik, and… hot coffee (proportions of coffee and milk are 2:1, if you're wondering).

You got this! 🧨

Sounds similar to my story! <3
Met online, he's American, I was Polish living in Ireland at the time. 5 years of long distance relationship, seeing each other 1-2 per year. Then a year together in Ireland. A year apart again. And now 10 years in the US, happily married.
Wish you all the best!

🥰That feeling when a reader buys all the books in your series at once.
🥰That feeling when a reader buys each book after a while as they read through the series.
🥰That feeling when a reader buys your book, period.

A promo image showing all four books from the Cruel Gods series including The Thirteenth Hour, The Children of Chaos, The End of Time, and Tales From Across the Domains, the short story collection. Text on the banner says: The Cruel Gods trilogy - Now on Itch.io! Fantasy of bad manners, tea, top hats and naughty words.

To celebrate leaving Kindle Unlimited (and also my birthday!), all of my Cruel Gods books are now on Itch.io, and for this weekend only, they're part of an Itch bundle! Get all four books with a 35% discount!

If you hate buying books on Amazon, this is for you:

itch.io/s/179524/the...

I'm just too old for this, stupid phone apps that don't work, and printers that can't get their shit together.
Not mentioning brand as I've gone through all of them & the story is always the same.

I miss the printer I had 10 yrs ago.
I had to either plug in my laptop to it or carry the documents on an USB drive, but it WORKED EVERY SINGLE TIME.
Today? All lights on the printer are on. WiFi connection indicator stable. And I'm still getting "printer offline" notification when I want to print.

Barry Windsor-Smith

It was time for a new pinned post 🙂 Especially that more books are coming!

An image featuring 9 books by Joanna Maciejewska: By the Pact, Scars of Stone, Shadows over Kaighal, and Demon siege as Pacts Arcane and Otherwise, complete epic fantasy series, Humanborn, Myth-Touched, and Snakebitten as Shadows of Eireland, a standalone fantasy thriller Memories of Sorcery and Sand, and Scourges, Spells, and Serenades as fantasy stories, free for subscribers.

Did you know I have 9 books out? Check them all out at authorjm.com/books

A huntress in a jungle

It's not that I don't make any art with intention or an idea what I want to do, but a lot of my 3d art is also just experimenting and discovery. After all, every new 3d model purchased is an excuse to test it and maybe learn something new in the process. And if not? I got a picture done!

Cover of Scourges, Spells, and Serenades by Joanna Maciejewska and text: In a world where drummers keep your heart beating, an immortal man with a secret is trying to die. Sign up to get this and other stories for free or pick up a copy from your favorite online store. Unsubscribe any time.

Here's a reminder that the best way to stay in touch with me and get sneak peeks and exclusive author life updates is to sign up to my newsletter. And you get a short story collection too!
authorjm.com/newsletter

I have it with the door locking, both home and the truck. I usually just go back and check (always locked), because peace of mind is worth that extra walk, so I don't obsess about it for the next hours.

To me, thinking about stories in the shower is plotting.
This way, I don't sit down to an empty page and no idea what I'm going to write.
I don't do the traditional "30 pages of outline" kind of plotting, but I do plot.

Aww, thanks. Glad to have brightened your day!

Promptly goes back to thinking about stories.
Looks at the shampoo bottle.
"No, I'm _not_ falling for that again."
Picks up the soap instead and goes back to stories with a resigned, "I guess it's 'wash everything twice' day."
2/2

Author's life:
In the shower, Joanna is thinking up a new story instead of paying attention to what she's doing.
"Did I wash my hair? I think I did. But maybe I didn't? F* it. I'm washing it now."
Five seconds after shampoo connects with hair.
"I _did_ wash my hair."
1/2

I totally get it. Last year, I binged through the Murderbot (yet again), because I needed a comfort read... or a whole series of comfort reads. 😁

Enjoy! :)
And you reminded me that I paused reading the series on Gunmetal Magic. Have to get back to it at some point.

Text on blue background: what are you reading this weekend?

What are your reading plans? I just started a fantasy audiobook, I have a library loan ending soon, and a library hold just became available. It might be a lot, but since we have a winter storm warning, there might be a lot of time for it too. My e-reader is charged! What about you?

Anyone Can Vote in the Hugo Awards — And Here's How - Reactor You — yes, you! — can nominate work and vote for the winners of the 2026 Hugo Awards!

Anyone can nominate and vote:
reactormag.com/anyone-can-v...

Cover of Memories of Sorcery and Sand by Joanna Maciejewska with text "nomination eligible."

Recently, my fellow authors reminded me that things don't happen if you don't talk about them, so here I am, telling you that my last year's novel, Memories of Sorcery and Sand is eligible for this year's Hugos, if you've read it and enjoyed it enough to consider nominating it.

Cool, I'll keep tagging then. This way you can get to it once you're online. And I'm glad you're still enjoying them.
Agent Ridiculous made me think of some absurd sci-fi story... :D