What's Jessica up to? - Episode 1
- jessicaryanauthor
- Jul 4
- 3 min read
Welcome to my series “What's Jessica up to?”, where I will be updating you about what I’ve been doing and what I plan to do next. In this episode, I’ll be going over:
- My first month as a published author
- Upcoming events in July
- Future Plans
My First Month as a Published Author
I made it through my first month as a PUBLISHED AUTHOR!
I’m still pinching myself. My debut thriller novel, Painter’s Beach, was released on June 1st, 2026. My first month as a published author met and exceeded my expectations! Here are some fun stats that I still can’t believe:
- I sold 84 copies of Painter’s Beach
- I had 1,657 page reads on Kindle Unlimited
- Painter’s Beach is available in 3 bookstores, including:
o Black Rose Bookshop
o Spellbound Bookstore
o The Bookmark’It
- I have a 4.5/5 rating on Amazon & 4.2/5 rating on Goodreads
- I have 6 planned future events this year
I attribute this success to the great conversations and people that I’ve met at my events, and to my author friends, ARC & BETA readers, friends and family for their support. Love you all!
Upcoming Events in July
Cancer season is here!
The month of July is normally my favorite month of the year because not only do I enjoy fireworks, hanging by the pool and warm summer nights, but the first week of July kicks off my birthday! Normally, for my birthday, I plan a getaway such as a staycation at a beach resort. I like to toss life aside, dress down in my swimwear, and accessorize with a cocktail in my hand while wading in a body of water. But this year has been a little different… This June, I not only released my debut novel, but I also started a new career in cybersecurity. Between my book release, four events, a mural project and a new nine-to-five job, I have completely worn myself out. Although June was full of success and excitement, I am ready to enjoy this year’s birthday simply by doing nothing.
With that being said, I have one event planned in July that I am very excited about! I will be doing an author signing at Novel Tea Bookshop during Ormond Beach’s Christmas in July Event. I hope to make some bookish Christmas ornaments, and as always, a signed copy of Painter’s Beach would make a great gift for anyone, anytime of the year!
Jessica Ryan at Novel Tea Bookshop during Christmas in July
A Book Signing Event
July 25th, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
150 Tomoka Ave, Ormond Beach, FL 32174
Future Plans
Although I’m exhausted physically and mentally, and I’m taking a break in July from the busy event schedule, that doesn’t mean I will be losing momentum. I have a lot of plans for the future and other books in the works.
Painter’s Beach will be getting a hardcover. I am in the process of formatting the hardcover, in hopes of having one available for distribution around September. In addition to the hardcover, I will also start working on a special art edition of Painter’s Beach, which I plan to have something by Christmas. There might possibly be preorders for the special edition. Other than the initial pre-order, copies of the special art edition will only be available at my in-person events next year!
The question I hear most from my readers is: When’s the next book coming out? Well… two things. One, I am planning a book release now for a poetry collection. (I’ll be putting out a special blog post on this soon!) Two, I started writing a new book! I had a few books already in the making. Some were small ideas, some had characters already planned and chapters already written, but as of a couple of weeks ago, I birthed a completely new idea. The teaser for this book idea will also be in a future blog post. It’s in its infancy, but I can confidently tell you, it will be EPIC! It’s a good thing I am taking a little break in July, because that means I will be writing!
Welp, that’s all, folks. I hope you enjoyed my update, and you will stick around for more of my blog posts in the future!
Happy Fourth of July!
I hope everyone is having a safe and fun holiday weekend!
-JR