Jenna Streety (she/her) is a romantasy author creating spellbinding tales full of love stories worth swooning over and epic battles that tear your heart out. Originally from California, she’s a recent British Columbia transplant finding constant inspiration in the surrounding forest instead of the desert heat. When she isn’t writing stories full of soulmates and stardust, she’s casting spells in the woods with her husband and their son named after the stars, Orion.
Born in Southern California to a Canadian carny and a beauty pageant queen, I grew up fast around a fantastical variety of people going in and out of my very own “full house”.
Hippies who refused to wear shoes, entrepreneurs who shrugged off the 9-to-5 grind, small Hollywood stars, and artists of all walks of life were regular guests in my life.
Unfortunately, an exciting upbringing leaves little room for crucial foundations. In a “no child left behind” era, I was—you guessed it—left behind. With no support for my dyslexia, I was still at a first grade reading level by the fifth grade.
Enter my very own Ms. Honey, my sixth grade English teacher Mr. Luce. With the rise of the hit series ‘Twilight’ and a teacher who finally gave a damn, I discovered a deep love for reading, writing, and storytelling that have followed me throughout my life.
For years, there was this growing passion for writing and my Virgo-brain that desired a perfectly accomplished to-do-list. That carried me through the darkest years of my life, including a traumatic brain injury that stole most of my childhood memories.
However, my amnesia couldn’t take away the painful reminder of losing three of the most crucial people in my life. My grandfather, uncle, and father (who were all, strangely enough, named David).
I continued to find solace in the stories I read and wrote. They were my escape and constant companion when everything else in my life felt uncertain.
All that pain contributed to my emotional attachment to storytelling and fueled my desire to work just as hard as the people who believed in me—especially the ones beyond the grave.
Growing up with a mix of entrepreneurs and artists taught me the importance of working hard for your goals, but there was still one important element missing. I worked hard, achieved the ‘steady’ corporate lifestyle a child of an immigrant is always told to strive for, but I still felt . . . empty.
I was unfulfilled. I went to college, but I dropped out three times. I was promoted to Project Manager at an international marketing firm, the stuff of my teenage dreams, but it never felt right.
So, what do you do when you’ve achieved all the dreams you’re told to strive for and still feel like you’re not satisficed with your life? Some people crash out (I tried that), others work even harder to find that missing purpose (but overworking is what killed my dad), some detach from work entirely (I had bills to pay so that was impossible).
My only option? Stare at the wall wondering where I was going wrong in my life.
A flash of light in the darkness.
The one constant, shining light in all the chaos of my life was always my partner. In 2024, we became husband and wife in the stunning hills of Solvang, California with a small group of our closest friends and family.
It struck me then: how could this one part of my life feel so right even while everything else seemed so wrong?
I quickly realized that my relationship worked because I was following my heart with each decision. There weren’t any worries about what other people would think of our small guest list or concerns over not doing the right thing. I knew what we wanted and we worked hard to get there—together.
Then I just had to figure out how to do that with the rest of my life. No pressure, right?
In an effort to follow my heart instead of listening to what I was “supposed” to do with my life, I posted a new type of video on my YouTube channel. It began my journey documenting how much I could change my life in six months. It wasn’t meant to take off or inspire others. It was merely a form of accountability. A way to change my life on my own terms and in the direction I actually wanted my life to go in.
However, that video dropped at the same time as a major crossroads in my life. By episode two of the series, I was laid off by that “steady” corporate job with no notice. It was almost like the Universe was screaming at me that this was my time.
I only had to be brave enough to take the chance. On myself. On my dreams of being a full time author. On truly changing my life in only a matter of months for the better.
Like any hero’s journey, there is always that moment of self-doubt. That chance to walk away from your goals or step into a brighter future. One built brick-by-brick with your own two hands. Something entirely focused on that dream hidden in your heart.
While I knew the exact future I wanted, I wasn’t sure if I was ready. Yes, the Universe practically waved a giant sign in the form of being laid off that told me I was entering a new era, but cosmic beings rarely have a grasp on the stark reality of the world.
I still needed to eat. I still needed a roof over my head. I still had bills and credit cards to pay.
Chasing your dreams isn’t always lucrative and I had no illusions about that. Since I first picked up a pen to write, I was told being an author wasn’t the path towards financial freedom or success.
So, I found herself staring at the ceiling yet again, questioning my next move.
Sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger, but staring at that ceiling is still where I am today. Only difference is that in the summer of 2025, I took the plunge and uprooted my entire life to start fresh in British Columbia. (So the ceiling is Canadian now, and the cliffs are real.)
I’m also working on part two of the six months to change my life challenge. My debut, Between the Shadows and the Dawn, came out in June of 2025. Oh, and I was laid off a second time and this time it wasn’t so my job could be handed over to AI. No, I was terminated because of a surprise pregnancy and had my tiny miracle on July 14th, 2026. That means I’m pursuing this author thing full time now . . . because I’m on maternity leave and have no job to go back to anyways.
I’ve already gained so much in this early part of my journey. I know I’m not willing to work somewhere that doesn’t light me up on the inside anymore or stay in a place that my heart is screaming is wrong for me—even if that means moving to a whole new country.
I’m still chasing that dream of being a full time author, not just postpartum and unemployed, and I’m just getting started . . .
Coming soon to the newsletter are the alternative scenes from Between The Shadows And The Dawn if the slow burn wasn’t so slow burn.
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