Chloe refuses to compromise when it comes to romance and success. Powering through her sophomore-level college business classes, she’s done with the effort of distance-dating her high-school sweetheart. But when he proposes just as she hits it off with a hunky basketball player, she worries following her heart could send her bright future to the bench.
I'm pleased to welcome author Maria Jane to The Writing Desk:
My latest book is a contemporary romance in the Perfect romance series by Maria Jane. It follows two characters, Elle and Tanner, who meet at work. Tanner is part owner of their firm and Elle is wary of dating him. He wins her over and their connection grows fast and bright until Elle meets Tanner’s mother. Accusations fly. Old wounds split open. Suddenly, Elle is tumbling through a flood of hidden ties and painful truths, each one cracking the fragile trust between them.
What is your preferred writing routine?
I like writing every day to move a project forward. Writing every day keeps me thinking about the characters, plot, and I get immersed in the world. I prefer a quiet space and my go-tos are Diet Coke, for caffeine, and chocolate, which is always great for blood sugar! 😊I’m a semi-panster, so I have plans for where the story is going but fill-in scenes along the way. If I get stuck a walk is the perfect solution.
What advice do you have for new writers?
I think everyone has their own system that works for them. Find your system and stick with it. Some authors make detailed outlines, and others have a few plot points and the rest comes as they write. The most important thing for me is having support people like editors, proofreaders, beta readers, ARC reviewers, and a cover artist that you can trust. A good publicist is a great addition to the team as well.
What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?
I love interacting on book platforms like Goodreads and Bookbub. Engaging readers on social media is fun too. But for nurturing those readers that will follow you and read every book you publish, a newsletter and connecting via email can’t be beat. Offering a free short story for new readers to try your work when they join your newsletter is a great way to engage readers. I have this set up as a pop-up on my website. There are also promotions through reader magnet platforms like Book Funnel that can help you build a newsletter.
Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research
Most of my research tends to center around fantasy characters and character lore for my YA fantasy series penned under Tricia Copeland. I have found so many amazing folk stories, legends, and information about different types of characters from selkies and nix, kelpies, The Rusalka, The Borda, The Grindylows, and so many more.
What was the hardest scene you remember writing?
My hardest scene to write was when I had to kill one of my characters. I cried through writing the whole scene and every time I had to go back and review and edit. Then I cried again when I proofed the audiobook. It was heartbreaking for me. I get very attached to all my characters and having to lose them is very emotional for me. This particular character was important for a main character so I was grieving not only for the character themselves but for the other characters and their grief and loss.
What are you planning to write next?
I am one-third into my next book in the Perfect romance series. The book is tentatively titled “My, Not-So-Perfect, Cop” and follows another friend in the Perfect series friend group. As the title suggests, the book features a main character who is a police officer. The female MC is Dani, who’s a teacher just finishing her first year of teaching after college. Gareth is her love interest and we’ve learned a little bit about Dani and Gareth’s history in the first book of the series. I’m excited to see how the story comes together as a HEA.
Maria Jane
Maria Jane
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About the Author
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