Author Meet & Greet: Jae

Welcome back, everyone!

August is upon us and I am happy to announce I finally have a release date for my latest novel, This Time. This paranormal romance is a must read for every true romantic who believes love knows no bounds. Get yours on kindle or print August 16, 2018!

I have to say that Cindy Bamford absolutely killed it with this cover design! I love it!

Now, with this book finally finished, I will turn my attention to fine tuning my screenplay before working on the next novel. I will also be looking into options for producing my own audiobook of This Time, so that should be an adventure.

In other news, I’ll be headed to Atlanta and Dragon Con for Labor Day weekend. I cannot wait to indulge my inner fangirl and meet up with my con friends again. This one is without a doubt my favorite comic con. There is literally everything from comics, books, tv, animae, movies, wrestling, and more. Plus, it’s 24/7. If cons are your thing, I highly recommend checking it out. If you’ll be attending, feel free to say “Hi” if you see me.

Also, I will have some print copies of the new release with me, or you can message me about ordering any of my books to pick up at the con.

On to this months Meet & Greet. I am excited to welcome the award-winning author of slow-burn romances with strong female characters, Jae, who is hot off another Golden Crown award. This time, she won for Long Contemporary Romance for her asexual romance novel, Perfect Rhythm. The Germany writer has penned dozens of novels over several genres and has brought us Lesbian Book Bingo, which has helped promote the reading of all genres of LGBTQ books.

Hello, Jae, and welcome!

You’ve mentioned in a previous interview that your mood determines your choice in ice cream flavors, but if you could create your own custom flavor with mix-ins, what would it be?

It would probably be peanut butter ice cream, since I rarely get that in Germany, with pieces of caramel and banana.

Do you have other sweets you enjoy? If so, what?

Believe it or not, I’m not a huge fan of chocolate, so I’d have to say cookies—but a kind that doesn’t have chocolate.

Besides ice cream, do you have a favorite meal?

Many! Right now, it’s probably a toss-up between the paneer salad at my favorite Indian restaurant and a vegetarian Yufka at my favorite Turkish restaurant.

Do you feel your background as a psychologist helps you in any way in your writing? If so, how?

Oh yes, I think it helps a lot. Believable, three-dimension characters are at the core of each and every good book, so I spend a lot of time thinking about my characters’ psychological makeup. What are their strengths and their weaknesses? How did their family, their childhood, and their past relationships shape them and make them react the way they do today? What motivates them?

I always try to create characters who are three-dimensional and who aren’t perfect. They have a fear to overcome or a lesson to learn, and they help each other grow so that they really deserve their happy end.

Okay, let’s talk office supplies- what’s your must have, cannot live without item? Is it a specific brand?

I think I see a pattern here. You’re hitting all my weak spots—ice cream and office supplies.

My must-haves are a good notebook (or a dozen), a smooth fountain pen, and an ink I enjoy. I don’t write my manuscripts long-hand, but I do take a lot of notes or scribble down pieces of dialogue, and there’s just something about that feel of a fountain pen gliding over paper that inspires me and makes the ideas flow.

I could list all my favorite brands, but I think that would be drifting too much into geeky territory.

If you could be any one of your characters, who would you be?

Oh, that’s tough. There are traits that I admire in all of my characters, and they all get their happy end, so they’d all be good choices. If I have to pick one, I’d maybe go with Luke from Backwards to Oregon. She’s just so honorable and loyal and a decent human being, and while it might sound old-fashioned, those are traits I strive for myself.

In all your writing research, what has been your favorite new experience or challenge?

I love research and learning new things, so it’s really all of it.

Two of the most challenging research processes have probably been the research for Just Physical and Perfect Rhythm. Jill, the main character in Just Physical, has MS, so I spent a lot of time not just learning about the disease but also talking to people who live with it and finding out what it means to them and how it affects their everyday life. It taught me to never take good health for granted.

The research for Perfect Rhythm took me several years on and off. Holly, one of the main characters, is a homoromantic asexual. People on the ace spectrum get so little representation in fiction that I wanted to make sure I portray Holly accurately. Researching asexuality really broadened my horizon and taught me new things about human attraction and sexuality.

You have a varied writing background. What is a topic or genre you aspire to write?

There’s barely a genre that I wouldn’t write, maybe with the exception of horror. One type of genre that I’d really like to attempt one day is a science fiction novel. I grew up reading Star Trek novels and other sci-fi, and I’ve written fan fiction set in sci-fi settings as a child, so that’s something I can see myself getting back to one day.

Do you have a favorite place you prefer to write at?

When I’m at home, I prefer to write at my giant, L-shaped desk that gives me enough space to spread out my notes. For a change of pace, I enjoy writing in coffee shops. There’s something about that background noise of hissing espresso machines and the clanking of mugs that I find inspiring. I also find writing on the train really productive. My first couple of novels were mostly written on my commute to work and back.

Do you have any tips on getting into the heads of your characters as you write?

I do character sketches to get to know my characters before I start writing a new story. I write down everything I know about a character. Some of it is little things that still tell us a lot about a character—how do they take their coffee, what kind of car do they drive, and—very important—what’s their favorite ice cream flavor? Some of it is more psychological—what is the one thing she has to learn during the course of the novel? Who’s the person she’s closest to and why? What’s the most important event from her childhood, and how does it still affect her?

I always try to keep in mind what experiences, disappointments, successes, and old hurts they have had in the past and how it influences their lives and actions today. I try to get out of my own head and into that of my point of view character. I always ask myself the question: Would a person like this really do or say this? How would she view the world? What would she notice when she enters a room she has never seen before?

What’s next?

I just sent the final version of my next book, a contemporary romance titled Paper Love, to my publisher. Paper Love is a workplace romance set in a stationery store in Germany. It combines a lot of the things I love, including stationery and the city where I live. It’ll be published in August.

I’m also doing research for the next book in the Fair Oaks series, a sequel to Perfect Rhythm, right now. And the next book after that will be another novel in the Portland Police Bureau series. I definitely won’t be running out of ideas anytime soon.

Any fun facts you care to share about yourself?

Like the main character in Paper Love, I have a fraternal twin sister. She’s straight but very supportive, and when she beta reads the German versions of my novels, I pretend she’s skipping the sex scenes. J

Lesbian Book bingo is a great idea. How are you doing on your card so far?

Oh God, don’t ask! There are people who sent in their seventh card, and I haven’t even finished one! That’s the only bad thing about being a full-time writer—it leaves you little time to read. I have read about half a dozen novels for book bingo so far. But I’m hoping to catch up and finish my card when I’m going on vacation in November. I’m hoping to do nothing but take walks at the beach and read all day for three weeks.

Thanks so much, Jae, for taking the time to share with us. Be sure to check out her work. You won’t be disappointed. All links for her website, newsletter, and books are below.

Next month, I’ll have the pleasure of having a real-life sit down with fellow Gainesville author, Rae D. Magdon, whose award winning stories span from fantasy and sci-fi to mysteries and thrillers.

Until next time, all the best,

S.W.