For me latest Author Spotlight, I’m joined by the wonderful DJ Jamison. We talked about creating small towns that are characters themselves, working on two projects at a time, and how characters evolve through series.

Over to you, DJ…

First things first, please introduce yourself!
Hi, I’m DJ. I’m an author of nine years, a wife of 22 years, and the mother of two boys, 18 and 15. I always loved fiction and wanted to be an author, but I was convinced at an early age that it wasn’t a path I could pursue. Then I discovered the romance genre and online self-publishing platforms. I’d left my journalism career, so I decided to give it a try. I never imagined what an incredible author career I would create or all the amazing readers who would enjoy my books. It really has been a dream come true for me.

Working in my basement wearing jammies was a dream I never knew I had, but it’s also quite fulfilling haha!

Tell us a little bit about your writing style.
I write low-angst, tropey, fun contemporary M/M romance–but with meaningful character journeys that give it substance! I’ve gone through some evolutions as an author, and in the past couple of years, I’ve been writing more quirky small-town romances with tight-knit groups of friends, nosy neighbors, “punny” business names, and old ladies who make a nuisance of themselves but have big hearts!

I really enjoy the world building in these types of books where the town is like another character that readers enjoy. But I also have quite a few books in my catalog that are not so focused on the small town aspect. Thrust into Love, for example, is about college students and app hookups that go awry in all the best ways.

Describe your books in only three words.
Heat. Humor. Heart.

What’s your next book about and when’s it coming out?
My next book to release will be Pretty Buoy on July 24. It’s set in the small town of Swallow Cove, where my last book, Dock Tease, kicked off a new series. Pretty Buoy was such a great experience for me. It’s about Skylar, a guy recovering from a toxic relationship and rediscovering his inner strength, partly with the help of his new love interest who was willing to hand over control to make him feel safe. It’s got great tropes like “fake boyfriend” and “bisexual awakening” and “lingerie kink.” But most importantly, it’s got emotional growth, healing, and reclaiming power that has been taken away. I love the character journey in this one! It’s also got some major swoon appeal. Brooks is a big, strong, “straight” guy, but he woos Skylar’s cat to earn his trust, he offers up his body to make Skylar feel safe exploring intimacy again, and he gives up his own power to support Skylar’s need to find his. He’s a total dream man!

Out of all your books, which one are you most proud of?
Wow, I can never answer this question. I tend to be prouder of the more emotional ones, I think. Room for Recovery is about two HS seniors, one with internalized homophobia and the other dealing with bullying. They both grow through a lot, and their HEA is very hard won. 7 Minutes in Kevin (yes, go ahead and laugh at the title) is actually a really meaningful story about a femboy who always shines brightly but doesn’t feel totally comfortable in his hometown until he organizes its first Pride event and performs drag with the support of his family, friends, and a boyfriend who stands by him even when it’s hard. Pretty Buoy will definitely also be joining the list of favorites.

What or who (or both) has influenced you most as a writer?
Well, in a general sense, reading a lot has influenced me. I read mostly all romance, but across subgenres, and a lot of different authors. More specifically, May Archer definitely influenced my small-town romances. It was because I enjoyed some of her series that I finally understood what small-town romance was really meant to be and I decided to experiment with the subgenre. It’s a ton of fun, and I owe the inspiration for it to May.

What inspired you to start writing?
I’m a lifelong reader. I wanted to write stories that would touch other people the way those stories touched me. I’m an introvert and not the most socially graceful person, but I got to live so many experiences through stories, and that’s an incredible gift. I could only hope to do the same for others who need that feeling of connection or love.

What’s your writing process like? Do you have a typical “writing day”?
I currently write four days a week, and I get up and write first thing in the morning. I write one chapter on my primary work-in-progress. This year is my first year having a second project. I write one chapter on it as well, though sometimes that is done after lunch. It depends on how easy the writing is coming that day. I use the 5th day–in the middle of the week–to work on admin, marketing, and other things. But it’s also to give my brain a break so I can sustain writing on two books at a time without burning out or hitting mental blocks.

What comes first for you – the plot or the characters?
Hmm, I think it’s usually characters. I may have a rough idea of a premise or trope I want to pursue, or themes I want to explore, but it all has to work with the characters. Especially for later books in the series, I would say their characters develop throughout the series and that greatly influences what their eventual plot will be. 

What’s a book that you wish you’d written?
I am not sure if this means an actual book someone else wrote that I could only wish was mine? I don’t really actively wish for that. I tend not to covet what other people have, but to set goals for myself. There are of course books I admire and think are beautifully written. I love the fantasy works by Tavia Lark. I’ve thought, if only I could write royal fantasy! But generally, I pursue my own stories, not others’.

If you could only write one trope for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Hmm. Gosh. I guess forced proximity, probably. I love it when characters have to live together. It makes it so much easier to torture them with longing before they fall head over heels! If you need something even tropier than that, it’d be fake relationship. Those two things combined are always fun to write!

What would be your three desert island books?
Just three? Seriously? I’m not much of a re-reader so this would be really, really hard. But ok, definitely gotta take Beyond the Sea by Keira Andrews to keep my hope of rescue alive, right?! Maybe I’d take Ocean’s Echo by Evarina Maxwell to escape into a totally different science-fic world. Last of all, I’d take Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros because the mc is so strong and fights to survive, and hopefully it’d motivate me to do the same!

If one of your books could be made into a movie/TV series, which would you choose and who would you cast?
Hmm, probably Games We Play as a TV series. This is about characters who all kind of stumble into love with the help of party games like Never Have I Ever, Truth or Dare, 7 Minutes in Heaven. But it’s also about a tight-knit group of friends set in a small town with a big cast of characters. I have a spin-off in the same town, so the series could keep going for a while! As for casting, I am not one who keeps up with celebs, so I’ll leave the casting to the experts!

What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Do you have a secret passion or hobby that we don’t know about?
Ha, if only! Sometimes I wish I had more hobbies, but aside from coloring in adult color books, I don’t do much else. I like to have family quality time. Go swimming, go out to eat (too often), or do day trips. I play bar trivia once a week and I’m pretty terrible at it, but on the plus side, I did learn a lot of the world flags so I could contribute something to the team haha. Mostly I just read every night.

Finally, what’s your favourite dinosaur?
Velociraptor. Smart and deadly, especially when called “clever girl” 😉

DJ JAMISON lives in the Midwest and writes M/M romances about everyday life but extraordinary love featuring queer characters. DJ loves creating quirky small towns full of puns and humor, colorful casts of people, and meaningful character journeys. She spent more than a decade in the newspaper industry before pursuing her first dream to write fiction. She is a lifelong introvert and avid reader, and she continues to get social fixes through books and a screen more than any other way!

For more information on DJ and her work you can visit her website and sign up for her newsletter, and follow her on Instagram, and Facebook. You can also join her Ko-Fi for extras and early access, and her Facebook Reader Group for the latest news and updates.