J.K. Jones

Hi there! I'm J.K. Jones, and I write dark romance that digs into the messy, brutal reality of cartel life and the damaged souls trying to survive it. (Fair warning: my books aren't for the faint of heart.)

Growing up in a border town, I was always fascinated by the complex dynamics and raw humanity behind the headlines about drug violence and cartel warfare. Not the sanitized Hollywood version – the real stories of people caught between loyalty and survival, love and revenge. The stories that keep you up at night wondering "what would I do in their shoes?"

I started writing Miguel's story in "The Bully and the Vultures" after a particularly intense bout of insomnia had me creating these characters who wouldn't leave me alone. Miguel González walked into my head one night, all barely-contained rage and deep wounds, and I knew I had to tell his story. His journey from a beaten-down kid to a man hardened by violence isn't pretty, but it's honest. And when readers connected with his pain and his desperate love for his sister Valeria... well, let's just say I knew I'd found my calling.

My writing style? Raw. Gritty. Sometimes uncomfortable. I don't sugarcoat the darkness in my world or try to make my characters more palatable. They're messy, morally grey (okay, sometimes straight-up morally black), and they make terrible choices for what they think are the right reasons. But underneath all that darkness, there's always a thread of hope. Because I believe that even in the darkest places, love can take root and grow – though it might look nothing like the love in lighter romances.

"The Bully Without Shame" continues Miguel's story, but from a completely different angle. I wanted to explore what happens when someone is so thoroughly broken that they have to rebuild themselves from scratch – and what that does to the people who loved who they were before. (Side note: The number of tissues I went through writing certain scenes in this book was honestly embarrassing.)

When I'm not torturing my characters (and by extension, my readers – sorry not sorry!), I'm probably binge-watching true crime documentaries, stress-baking cookies that my husband swears are "too spicy" (there's no such thing), or playing with my rescue pit bull, Zeus, who's the biggest softie you'll ever meet despite looking like he could be a cartel enforcer himself.

Look, I know my books aren't everyone's cup of tea. They're not meant to be. They're for readers who want to explore the darker side of human nature, who aren't afraid to sit with discomfort and question their own moral boundaries. If you're looking for light, fluffy romance, I'm definitely not your girl. But if you want stories that will challenge you, characters that will haunt you, and love that burns so hot it leaves scars... well, pull up a chair. We're going to get along just fine.

I'm currently working on my next book (hint: it involves a character some of you have been very... vocal about wanting to know more about), and I can't wait to share it with you. In the meantime, you can find me on Instagram where I post probably too many pictures of Zeus in his ridiculous bow ties and share snippets of works in progress.

Fair warning though – once you step into my world, it's hard to look away. These characters have a way of getting under your skin and staying there. But hey, the best stories always leave a mark, right?

Welcome to the dark side. We have cookies. (Spicy ones.)