If you read lesbian romances, you’ve probably come across Jae’s work before. She really is an icon in the community. And if, for whatever ungodly reason, you haven’t read any of her books yet, check out this interview to learn more about her, and then buy yourself at least one novel!
And, while you’re at it, don’t forget to follow Jae on twitter!
Let’s start at the beginning. How did you first get into writing?
I first started writing when I was 10 or 11, so it’s hard for me to even remember a time when I was not a writer. I grew up in a family that didn’t read at all—yeah, I know. Weird, right? I spent my childhood in the library, reading every book I could get my hands on, and when I ran out of books to read, I started writing my own…and then never stopped.
Of course, my writing matured and changed as I grew older and realized I’m queer. My books are a reflection of all the books I would have loved to read when I was younger…and that I still love to read. They are full of strong women-loving women who create their own happy ending.
What are your favourite genres to read and write, and are there any genres or tropes you wouldn’t write?
I’m a romance writer and reader at heart, and I enjoy all subgenres of romance—from contemporary to historical and from romantic suspense to paranormal romance.
My favorite tropes are slow-burn romances (I love taking my time to develop the characters and their relationship instead of having them jump into bed in chapter 2), fake-relationship romance, and opposite-attract romances.
The only genre I would never write is probably horror, and the only trope I’m not very fond of is second-chance romances. Whenever I read a second-chance romance, I always feel like I’m not getting to witness an important part of the story. Plus, if their relationship didn’t work back then, what guarantees that it’s going to last now?
How do you get inspiration for your books and what’s your writing process? At what point do you let other people read your drafts and who are they?
Inspiration can come from anywhere—an article I read online or something that happened to me or to a friend. Sometimes, I don’t even know where the ideas are coming from.
The first step in my writing process is always doing extensive research. I love learning new things, so I probably do more research than I strictly have to. Over the years, I’ve learned what kind of undergarments women wore in 1906, that lions (but not tigers) are sensitive to catnip, how stunt people do a fire stunt, how to take care of a prosthetic eye, and many other interesting facts.
Next, I create extensive character profiles for each of the main characters—their families, careers, education, hobbies, strengths, and weaknesses. I try to get to know them well before I start writing.
Writing the first draft takes me about two to three months, and that’s when my team of beta readers comes in. I send them each chapter as I finish it because I prefer to get feedback early so I can adjust the story if it isn’t working.
My beta readers are all avid readers of sapphic romances. Some have been working with me for years, while others help me only with a specific book. I always make sure to have at least one beta reader for any important part of the characters’ identity that I don’t share. For example, in Chemistry Lessons, one of the characters works in a school cafeteria, so I asked a reader who runs a school cafeteria for help. I also made sure to have a couple of trans beta readers because one of my side characters is a trans woman.
Once I finish the first draft, I spend a couple of months revising the manuscript, starting with major aspects such as the plot, the characters, and their relationship and ending with several proofreading passes. After that, I send the manuscript off to my publisher for editing, and more rounds of revisions follow. My goal is always to ensure readers are getting a story that is as well-written, enjoyable, and polished as possible.
Which three authors would you say influenced your writing the most?
I try not to copy anyone, so style-wise, I can’t name any influences. But I can name authors who made me discover my love of reading—Tamora Pierce comes to mind. Her Song of the Lioness series revolves around strong girls and women. I also owe a lot to the authors of the first sapphic books I discovered—including L. J. Maas, Gerri Hill, K. G. MacGregor, Radclyffe, and others. Since I grew up in a tiny little village, with no openly LGBTQIA+ people around, discovering other women-loving women in books was life-changing for me, and they encouraged me to follow in their footsteps and write about women who love women.
And for something that is also very important to us & what we put a lot of emphasis on when blogging. What does ownvoices LGBT representation mean to you?
As a queer woman, I value seeing myself reflected in the books I’m reading, especially if it feels like an authentic representation and not just adding a token queer character by an author who hasn’t lived that experience.
That said, I don’t think authors should necessarily be limited to writing about their own experiences—as long as they do the additional work, hire (and pay!) sensitivity readers, and are respectful of the communities they are writing about. That includes promoting authors within those communities, making sure they are not taking up space but adding space for marginalized authors.
What’s one piece of advice you would like to give your younger self?
I would tell myself to follow my dreams and become a full-time writer much earlier than I did. Not a lot of people can actually make a living writing queer romances, but it is possible if you really want it.
Summarise your most recent/next book in up to 5 words and a meme.
My most recent book is Chemistry Lessons: Two friends. Zero chemistry…right?
If (when!) your books were to be made into movies, who would you like to direct them?
I’m not familiar enough with directors to name names, but I’d definitely want a woman to direct the movie, to make sure the movie doesn’t just cater to male viewers but does the characters justice.
If you could have dinner with one member of the LGBT community, dead or alive, who would it be?
Ooh, that’s a really tough choice. Right now, I think I’d love to have dinner with L. J. Maas, a lesbian author and artist who passed away in 2005. Her book None So Blind was the first LGBTQ+ novel I ever read, so I would love to simply say “thank you” for opening that door for me.
Which of your characters would you most want to fight a zombie apocalypse with?
That’s easy: Griffin from Second Nature. She’s a big cat shifter, so she could decapitate the zombies with one strike of her paw.
Is there a famous franchise or simply a movie/TV show you’d like to be able to write for?
To be perfectly honest…no. While I’m a big fan of TV shows in particular—because they have more space for character development and an ensemble cast with great dynamics—I prefer writing novels to writing for TV. On the screen, you are very limited in how to portray thoughts and emotions. We can’t take the audience into the mind of a character; we can only watch them from the outside. That’s why I often enjoy the book more than the movie, and if I were to switch to writing scripts, I would probably miss portraying that rich inner life of my characters.
Do you have any secret non canon ships in your books you wish people would write fics for?
I hear some of my readers are shipping Heather and Andy from Wrong Number, Right Woman. I never really saw them with each other, but they are both fascinating characters, so pairing them with each other could be interesting.
Rec us some great LGBT books you’ve read recently!
The last book I read was a re-read—Jericho by Ann McMan, which is a hilarious slow-burn romance between a small-town physician and a librarian who figures out she’s not as straight as she thought.
The smartest romance I read this year is Worthy of Love by Quinn Ivins. The book has great neurodiversity—or, to be more precise, ADHD—representation, and I also enjoyed that it’s about characters with everyday jobs and everyday looks.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jae is the author of twenty-two award-winning lesbian romances.
She lives in the sunniest city in Germany, near the French and Swiss borders. The writing bug bit her at the age of eleven.
She used to work as a psychologist but gave up her day job in 2013 to become a full-time writer and a part-time editor. As far as she’s concerned, it’s the best job in the world.
When she’s not writing, she is an avid reader of lesbian books, indulges her ice cream and stationery addictions, and watches way too many crime shows.
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