What’s the first story you remember writing?

Oooooh, I’m a romance author first, but now you get an insight into the other nerdy side of my brain that liked superheroes before they were cool and binges character-driven sci fi like it’s Italian food.

I was about 11 and it was a short story called ‘The Big 5’ where this group of school friends had the superpower of being able to turn into African animals. There was a bully that picked on them but they showed her what’s what when they used their previously-secret superpowers to win the big race at school.

Apparently magically transforming into a lion half way through the Year 6 200m sprints doesn’t disqualify you.

Lol. So that’s why I didn’t win any races at school. 😂

When did you begin to pursue writing seriously?

When I was twenty-one, I shifted to the city with only a part-time job lined up. I figured that until I got full-time work, I’d use those spare hours to have a serious crack at writing.

Who or what has influenced you most as a writer?

Sophie Kinsella (of the Shopaholic series) was the first author I read who made me laugh out loud. Until then, I didn’t realise that comedy could be part of a novel. My writing definitely changed at that point, though I kept my romantic drama roots.

What genre do you write, and what is it that draws you to this genre?

ROMANTIC COMEDIES!!! And THANK YOU NETFLIX for bringing life back to rom coms in the movie realm again!

To be a little more accurate, I guess you could say romantic dramadies (that’s drama and comedy mashed together, guys, like Brangalina.) I do pack a LOT of drama into my pages, for a few reasons:

1. I get bored easily
2. The more drama there is, the more my characters can fight, and then kiss and make up
3. Cheesiness isn’t my thing. Pain’s real, and I wanna show it, plus the truth of God’s hope as well.

BUT I also loooooooove to laugh. Putting the romance of dating and expectations up against the not-so-glamorous reality of life makes me laugh, plus, I adore love-hate storylines, which lend themselves to humor.

My goal is to make you tear up, then giggle, then swoon.

What would you say has been your steepest learning curve on your path to publication?

Dealing with the stress. Hands down, nothing else comes close. And it doesn’t come from any outside source—it’s just I’ve always had insanely high expectations for myself.

I’ve had to put a major effort into finding ways to deal with that so my writing brings me joy, the way God intended.

What is the most daunting thing about being a debut author?

Having no idea if you’re doing it right. That’s why the 2019 debut author support group I’m a part of is phenomenal.

What has been the most encouraging thing you’ve experienced as a debut author?

The Kiss Dare is a ‘sassy short’ I released a few months ago to my newsletter subscribers (if you sign up at jessicakatewriting.com, you’ll get a copy!)

It was the first complete piece of writing I’d delivered into readers’ hands, and getting feedback about how it made them laugh and swoon was awesome. Some amazing authors agreed to endorse it for me, and their comments made me realise that I’ve finally achieved my goal – I’ve entertained the heck out of people with my writing!

Briefly share your book’s life story. When was the story conceived, and how long as its journey been to release day?

When I was a 21 year-old boarding school supervisor, I would walk the boardinghouse hallways, making sure my high school girls were doing their homework, all the while secretly scribbling story notes onto scraps of paper.

My original concept was two people who were both raising a child—but they weren’t a couple and the child didn’t belong to them both. From that, I developed the scenario of Natalie nannying her ex-fiancè’s infant son.

Fast-forward 6.5 years, one full rewrite, five edits and three writing conferences later—and it’s getting published!

What will you be doing to celebrate release day? 

My birthday is the same week as launch week, so I plan to eat my bodyweight in garlic-y food at the restaurant my mate owns.

Well, happy birthday AND happy book birthday!

Thanks for joining me today, Jess!