Interview with Jessica L. Tate
Published 2017-04-20.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
Hanging out with my husband! Either we'll binge watch TV shows or a new movie or we'll go out and take walks. We like hanging out. Otherwise I might be making bottle cap charms or listing items on eBay or Etsy. I like to stay busy.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
Ooh, well, this happens all sorts of ways. I have friends who recommend books to me all the time, so when I'm in a book buying mood, I'll turn to them. Either I'll ask directly, or I'll just nose around their Twitter feed to see if they shared a book they loved recently. I used to discover a lot through blogs, but once I stopped blogging it was Twitter I discovered books on.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Oh, goodness! I think it was one about 101 Siamese Cats... because I wanted to make 101 Dalmatians about cats instead of dogs. Well, that's the earliest one I remember anyway. There could've been others before that.
How do you approach cover design?
The first thing I do is ponder over my characters and similar covers in the genre. Then I'll search stock photo websites for ideas. And then I'll contact my cover designer, Marie Landry. Bounce some ideas around, see if some of the photos I have in mind might work. For my poetry it was much harder because I wanted something unique, something handmade and not a stock photo. I actually got a sketchbook out and started doodling. Then I drew a dandelion and thought that it might turn out much better if I used a stock photo. And the rest is basically the same as the above.
What do you read for pleasure?
Mostly romance novels. I'm a sucker for romance. I also read some YA, poetry, and even comics like Sarah's Scribbles. Those are like candy to me.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
I've only ever had a Nook, so I can't say whether I like or prefer Kindle. I do use both apps on my phone a lot.
When did you first start writing?
Ever since I could read? Hahaha. Seriously writing, not until my late teens and early twenties. My poetry was my primary desire early on, but I turned to fiction writing in my mid-twenties.
What's the story behind your latest book?
My latest book is a compilation of poetry that I wrote when I was twenty. It is mostly about the frustrations associated with some difficult choices and circumstances I was in regarding my boyfriend at the time. Family disapproval, mutual friends upset... it was a mess. And in turn, I was a mess. So I wrote my poems to get it all out, to find some sort of way to make it through, to feel better. And it helped, a lot.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
The control I have over what I publish. I like being able to decide what I want or don't want to change. I use beta readers and have a critique partner, but I'm not required to take all their advice. They help with a lot of issues with my early drafts, but there are certain suggestions I don't take. If I was traditionally published, those might be requirements instead of suggestions. I don't like the idea of having to change something in my story/poem to fit what a publishing house wants, especially when it takes away from my initial meaning.
What are you working on next?
My next project is currently a novella under a pen name, but I'll also be working on compiling a second set of poems to publish hopefully by the end of 2017 or early 2018. It just depends on what is really speaking to me and makes me feel motivated.
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Books by This Author
The High School Sweetheart
by Jessica L. Tate
The Bluecastle Inn is opening in a few weeks and I don’t need distractions. Guess who happens to show up? Westley Powell: my high school sweetheart and the last person I want to see right now. Since my father decided to hire him to help me get the inn ready, I have to see him practically every day. The two of us clearly haven’t gotten over each other, but can I trust him to stay this time?
Now You Can See
by Jessica L. Tate
Young Adult fiction author Jessica Sankiewicz makes her poetry debut with a compilation of poems from her twentieth year.
Now You Can See tells the story of a young woman caught between two worlds: one that she desperately wants to remain in and one that is preventing her from being there. Her journey to reach some sort of clarity is explored in these poems.
Not Until Tonight
by Jessica L. Tate & Jessica Sankiewicz
Haley spends her weeknights going to the bar across the street from her apartment. It's the only thing that winds her down at the end of a long day. She has a drink and talks to the bartender, Skylar. When Skylar asks Haley to pretend to be his girlfriend for one night, she doesn't hesitate to say yes. At the end of the night, will they be willing to turn a fake relationship into a real one?