January Newsletter
Bodacious cats, surprise parties, and darkness
Lately, I’ve been telling a lot of lies.
Yesterday, while virtually coworking with a friend, I lied when I told her I had a podcast interview to do. In reality, I was boarding a train from Boston to NYC.
That evening, while standing in line at a pizza shop in Brooklyn, I lied when I texted the group chat a photo of the cake I’d made “that day” and placed strategically on my very recognizable kitchen table to make it seem like I was in my kitchen when I sent it.
Today, I lied when I said I couldn’t video chat because I was “taking the day off of work.” Actually, I’m working while reclined on my friend Yume’s bed beside her snoring black cat named Boondoggle. We’re going to go for a run (me and Yume, not me and Boondoggle), then we’ll pick up a cake and balloons.
At 5:30, I’ll finally come clean:
I’m here for a surprise party.
I absolutely LOVE planning parties for my friends. Last year, I planned a video-game themed surprise 30th birthday party and a Winnie the Pooh themed bridal shower. I love visualizing how the decorations will look together. I love tucking unexpected surprises into the decorations (like the guest of honor’s face on the confetti or cake toppers that look like their cats). I love deeply contemplating what flavor of cake will bring my friends the most joy.
If I had unlimited funds, my friends would live in constant fear of when they would walk into their next surprise party because I would throw them on a weekly basis.
When my mom was pregnant with me, my parents decided not to find out my sex before I was born. They said “at this age, there are so few surprises left in life.” To that, I say: not if I can help it. If there’s one thing about me you need to know, it’s that I’ll always keep you on your toes.
January Goals
January is like catnip for people who like to plan. I’m one of those people with a scarily detailed Google calendar who loves trying out different physical and digital planners to set yearly, quarterly, and monthly goals. For someone with a brain that feels as chaotic as mine, this kind of planning is important to helping me feel in control and minimize overwhelm (which can easily paralyze someone with ADHD).
I know that in last month’s newsletter, I said I’d talk about my goals in January. But after I sat down to think about it… I didn’t end up setting any goals for 2026.
I had a lot of ambitions in 2025. Some of the things I wanted came to pass (like selling another adult horror novel), some things happened but in ways that were different than I expected (running a half marathon), and others didn’t happen and probably never will.
I won’t lie, part of the blame for my shortcomings undoubtedly falls on me—I played too many video games, spent too long scrolling on my phone, and slept in instead of working out on probably too many Sunday mornings.
But other things came up that simply mattered to me much more than the arbitrary goals I’d set for myself. My friends had health problems. I had health problems. Two of my dear friends got married. I made new friends and wanted to prioritize spending time with them.
2025 taught me that I have a lot less control over my life than I’d like to believe. It’s a terrifying but also liberating thought.
So this year, my “goals” are actually just silly things on a little Bingo sheet that I hope to get around to.
I’d like to go ice skating at least once in 2026. I’d like to do at least one thing that scares me. I’d like to finish my origami challenge that I started and promptly abandoned in December. I’d like to spend some time in nature every day. These are all moments that happen in between lots of hard work, of course. 2026 definitely won’t be a year of only fun and games. But I do want to prioritize the things that will matter more to me in 50 years than whether or not I promptly answered an email.
What I actually did in January
This month, before this top-secret spy mission, I took a (not secret) trip to NYC to visit friends. I had possibly the best breakfast of my life at Thai Diner. Please admire the french toast with Thai tea butter and crispy rice eggs.
I made new friends and ate darkness with them. This isn’t a joke, this was literally just called “darkness” on the menu.
It’s black sesame pudding with black rice, and it was delicious but messy.
I got back into my running routine and actually started to see improvements.
But then, of course, there was a massive snowstorm. Now I can only run on a sheet of slush or in the middle of the road because of all the snowbanks. At least seeing the sunlight reflect off the new snow brings me unparalleled joy. Winter is such a blessing.
I just turned in another revision for my next YA book. This took up most of the month, and was one of the most challenging revisions I’ve done so far. It was an emotional process which I don’t want to talk much about right now, but please know that I feel really good about the final product. This book is by far my silliest one yet. Here’s a small excerpt:
The prince turned toward the doorway. “Guards!” he called. “You may begin.”
“Begin?” Uncle Makoto said warily. “Begin what?”
Haku appeared and opened the doors, letting in a parade of human-sized frogs.
Everyone scrambled back as the frogs leaped across the room, holding pieces of luggage over their heads. Half a dozen frogs rushed through the room carrying suitcases, silk bags, and… was that a grandfather clock?
“Why are there giant frogs here?” I said.
The prince blinked. “Well, small frogs can’t carry my luggage,” the prince said. “I’ve enlarged them for this purpose.”
I’ve also just seen some cover gorgeous cover sketches for this book, which I can hopefully share with you soon!
Bat Eater is on the preliminary ballot for the Stoker Awards!
For those who might not know, the Bram Stoker Awards, presented by the Horror Writers Association are considered “the premier recognition for writers of horror and dark fantasy.” I’m not considered a nominee for the awards until the next round, but it’s still incredible to see my book on a list with so many authors who I deeply admire.
Japanese Gothic has a new US publication date!
My spooky samurai haunted house story is now coming to you on April 14th, 2026! Tour details coming soon.
Japanese Gothic received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal!
You can also check out the interview I did for Library Journal here!
Japanese Gothic is on the New York Times and USA Today lists for Most Anticipated Books of 2026!
As you can see, there’s a lot of excitement around Japanese Gothic! I’ll be doing a tour this time around, so keep an eye out for more info!
Preorder Links:
Japanese Gothic (US) (4/14/26)
Japanese Gothic (UK) (30/04/2026)
Signed copies of all my books (request signature in order comments; US only): Porter Square Books
What I’m Reading:
I’m unfortunately in a bit of a reading slump. I read a couple books that weren’t for me, so I don’t have much to report for this section. As an author, I don’t believe in speaking poorly of my colleagues in public, and think it’s much better to hype up the books that I like instead of criticize the ones that I disliked.
To be clear, this is my stance on reviewing books as an author, not as a reader. I think readers should feel free to share their honest opinions online as long as they don’t tag the author in a negative review. But as an author, if I post a negative review of someone’s book, I run the risk of ending up on a very awkward panel with the author of said book in the future.
So instead, this month, I’d like to know what you all are reading. Are there any books that absolutely captivated you this month? I’d love to hear about them!
What I’m Watching:
I just started season 2 of Fallout. This show is such an incredible balance of funny and earnest. It’s a bit surreal to watch a show about the apocalypse in times that feel quite apocalyptic, but as a story I appreciate it.
What I’m Playing:
One of my friends introduced me to a mobile game called Cats & Soup, which has now taken over my life. You basically hire a bunch of adorable cartoon cats to chop carrots, squeeze lemons, stir soup, etc. and use the funds to buy the cats their own onsens, hammocks, and flower fields.
That’s all from me this month!
All my best,
Kylie