Guest Author Interview: Jamaica Layne, Her Books and Thoughts on Publishing

Jamaica Layne is a well known, multi-published author of many types of romance. She is the only author I know of who has written M/M Amish Romance. Jamaica, also writing under Jay Hughes, has published with Ravenous Romance, and now her latest, Tender is the Knight, has just been released at Decadent Publishing. Since Jamaica and I are authors at both these publishers, I welcomed her here for an interview. I must say that Jamaica is a fountain of knowledge and has some great words of advice for both published and aspiring authors alike.

KB: Can you tell us how you were first published? What made you decide to become an epublished author?

Jamaica: I actually was first published as a journalist under my legal name (“Jamaica Layne” is a pen name). I wrote for major newspapers in Chicago like the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Reader, as well as for national trade magazines like Cat Fancy, as well as many regional publications and small literary journals like the Missouri Review. I first became published as “Jamaica Layne” with my debut novel, Market For Love, which was released in print by Virgin Cheek/Random House in 2008. But shortly after that novel came out, Random House discontinued the Cheek line, and many other publishers also cut way back on their print publication of erotic romance as well. I decided to pursue epublishing as an alternative because it was obvious that’s where the future was in mass-market fiction. Epublishers are acquiring a lot more fiction these days than the print publishers, who are pulling way back in the number of books they acquire each year, especially when it comes to newer writers. Epublishers have essentially replaced the “pulp” fiction markets of yesteryear. But I’m still open to publishing in print, and my agent is working on getting some more print deals for me.

KB: Would you say you write spicy romance or erotic romance? From your point of view, what’s the different between erotic romance and romance that tends to be on the steamy side?

Jamaica: I actually write all kinds of romance, from “sweet” to sensual to erotic. My latest release, Tender Is The Knight, classifies as “sweet” romance, while many of my earlier releases are either steamy or erotic. I think the main difference between erotic romance and other romance subgenres is the fact that the couple’s sexual relationship is a key element of the romantic story. You can have romance without sex, too, as well as “sensual” romance. It all depends on the storyline and the characters. I try to write an appropriate amount of sex (or lack thereof) based on the needs of the storyline.

KB: You’ve also edited some books, such as the Power Plays Anthology for Ravenous Romance. How is editing different from actual writing, and what’s it like editing another author’s work?

Jamaica: I actually began my professional career nearly 20 years ago as an editor, so I’m accustomed to editing other writers’ work. Having worked as a professional writer/editor in the journalism, corporate communications, and academic worlds has exposed me to a lot of different kinds of writing. Editing is different from writing in that you are working to make another writer’s creation the best that it can be----and that requires a lot of objectivity. You aren’t emotionally invested in the work the way you are with your own writing, for one. You have to look at the work on many levels, for another----from the copyediting level (which is sentence construction and punctuation) to the “macro” level, which involves plot and character development, genre conventions, etc. When you’re serving as an acquiring editor, whether for a short story anthology or for a publisher, you need to understand the market you’re acquiring for, and also be open to new kinds of writing that works in unexpected ways. I enjoy editing because I get exposed to lots of work I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise. Editing can be hard work too, especially when it comes to searching the slush for that rare publishable gem----and that hard work makes me a better writer.

KB: You also write under another pseudonym, Jay Hughes. As Jay, you write M/M erotic fiction. Why write under another name? Also I’ve heard that your first book under your Jay Hughes name, The Shunned, was a big seller. May I ask how well The Shunned did and why make it a Gay Amish Romance? Were you afraid there would be backlash because of this?

Jamaica: My publisher actually asked that I publish MM romance under a different name (preferably male), because it was so different from the other work I was doing for them. To me, the different pen names are really about branding. A “Jamaica Layne” book is going to be very different from a “Jay Hughes” book, and I didn’t want to mislead or confuse my readers. It’s the same reason I only use my legal name for journalism and playwriting.

The Shunned is by far my bestselling book. I grew up in an area with a large Amish community (Ohio), and I also once dated a former Amish man who had left his community to go to college, and I learned a great deal about the Amish lifestyle from him. So I’ve been interested in Amish culture for a long time, and I also have enjoyed reading many of the currently popular Amish romance novels. It occurred to me after reading a news article about the struggles facing gay Amish youth that the Amish world would make a great backdrop for a MM romance. And when I did some research and found that nobody had published one yet, I got right to work!

There really hasn’t been any backlash at all about The Shunned. The Amish aren’t going to be the ones reading it, for one (they don’t read contemporary fiction at all, to do so is against their religion). For the most part all the feedback I’ve gotten is positive and supportive. I’ve even gotten many wonderful fan letters from total strangers who thank me for taking the subject on. I’ve gotten a lot more backlash for my M/F erotic romances than for my Gay Amish Romances, honestly. Which I think says a lot about our culture in general.

KB: Your covers are gorgeous! How much input do you have on them? And if you haven’t liked one of your covers, have you spoken up and had the cover artist fix it more to your liking? What’s your favorite cover so far?

Jamaica: I’ve worked with several different publishers (both print and epub), and most of them have given me lots of input on cover design. Many of the cover designers I’ve worked with (including Dara England, who designed the cover for Tender Is The Knight) have sent me several different “prototypes” that I’ve been able to comment on and help fine-tune into the cover I want. So far, my three favorite covers are for The Shunned and its sequel The Forbidden (both from Ravenous Romance) and Tender Is The Knight.

KB: Your current release, Tender Is The Knight, from Decadent Publishing is about the world of the SCA- the Society of Creative Anachronism. This is the first time I’ve ever heard of the SCA. Can you tell us about this society and what made you want to write about it?

Jamaica: I’ve been involved with the SCA in one way or another since I was ten years old. It’s a historical reenactment group that specializes in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and it has chapters worldwide and well over 100,000 worldwide participants, and growing every year. Being involved in the SCA from such a young age (my parents were involved when I was growing up) sparked my love of history. And several of the SCA’s founding members were also bestselling authors, including people like Marion Zimmer Bradley, Piers Anthony, and Robert Aspirin. I definitely think participating in SCA led to my career choice as a writer.

The SCA is also very committed to the “romance” of the Middle Ages and the lost ideals of chivalry, which makes it a perfect setting for a romance novel. Tender Is The Knight follows the story of a bored young factory forewoman in the Midwest who happens to attend a local SCA event with her best friend, and falls in love with a dashing local knight she meets there (yes, we have knights in shining armor in the SCA, among other things.) She gets caught up in all sorts of adventures as a result. But to find out more, you’ll have to read the book. I’ll give you a hint, though---kings, queens, jewels, swordplay, and political intrigue are all involved.

KB: You’re probably not surprised that I’ve brought up your book, Knight Moves, possibly your most well-known one. This book has gotten many different reviews, some harsh, some pleasing. Is this one of your most popular books to date?

Jamaica: It’s my second most popular one (after The Shunned), but since Ravenous Romance recently sold world trade paperback rights on the book to Red Wheel/Weiser’s Red Silk imprint, it likely will end up outselling all my other titles to date. (Red Wheel/Weiser is doing worldwide print distribution in English, so it has the potential to sell a lot, and the titles already released under this line are selling big). It’s also out in audiobook, and the audiobook version sells really well, too.

Yes, Knight Moves has gotten some very nasty reviews, but that’s only helped make it more popular. It’s a very tongue-in-cheek sexual satire, and therefore not for everybody. Most people either love it or hate it. Fortunately for me, the haters are definitely in the minority! It’s gotten far more positive reviews than negative, and continues to be one of my strongest sellers.

KB: This month is November National Writing Month where both published and aspiring authors are racing to write 50,000 words in a month. What advice would you give to writers who are involved in NaNoWriMo? How do you deal with writing deadlines?

Jamaica: My main piece of advice is to use NaNoWriMo as a way to discipline yourself into writing every day, and not necessarily as a contest to see who can write a novel in the shortest amount of time. Though I do think serious writers should write each and every day, I’m not always a big advocate of hitting a daily word count target, either. Quality is more important than quantity. So if one day you only write 300 words, but they’re the best 300 words you can possibly write, that’s a win. I’d rather an author writes 300 good words than 3000 crummy ones.

I always have a writing deadline, it seems. Between my novels and my day job as a professional writer/journalist, I’m never without a deadline. Deadlines are just part of reality for the professional writer. If you can’t deal with having a deadline hanging over your head (even a self-imposed one), you are in the wrong business. I try to use them as motivation----especially when meeting a deadline is the difference between getting paid or not!

KB: The publishing world is very shaky where the future is uncertain. Where do you see epublishing headed in the next decade? Would you publish with one of the big New York City publishers or do you prefer to stick with epublishing?

Jamaica: I’ve already been published with one of the big New York City publishers (Random House, see above). The big NYC houses aren’t all they’re cracked up to be, either. If your book line gets killed, like mine did (which happens all too often in publishing these days; they also fired my editor right before my book came out, and didn’t replace him), they won’t even bother to get your book into stores. Print publishing is in total upheaval right now, and if you’re a debut midlist author, more often than not you’re going to be disappointed in your sales and promotion, if not have your book cancelled altogether. (I’ve seen it happen, to myself and others). Sure, I got a nice upfront advance, but several of my ebooks have sold more copies (and earned more $$) than my one print title did.

It’s not the publishing world that’s shaky, it’s just that the model is changing. We’re seeing a big shift towards digital, which has really reached a tipping point. Authors also have the potential to earn a lot more money with epublishing than with print books---we’re already seeing that happen with authors like J.A. Konrath and Stephen King releasing digital-only books themselves that sell at insane levels, with the authors pocketing all the money. And ebooks also tend to get better royalty rates than print (e.g., 40% of list, versus 8% of list for print). In the end, it’s all about format. Print is never going to go away, but ebooks are taking a bigger and bigger share of the market every year, and it’s the only sector of publishing that is actually growing. Successful authors will have their feet in multiple markets----print, digital, audio, etc. Just like many authors got their start in the “pulps” of yesteryear, many newer authors are building followings in digital that follows them to print----and vice versa.

KB: Is there any future projects you’re working on you can share?

Jamaica: Right now, I just completed a manuscript for a MM romance called The Valiant One. It’s essentially a gay version of Braveheart, and features a few of the same characters (all historical figures, like King Edward “Longshanks” of England and his son Prince Edward, along with Robert the Bruce of Scotland and Princess Isabella of Wales), as well as some new fictional characters. The movie Braveheart has been criticized a lot for being anti-gay (via its negative portrayal of the homosexual Prince Edward), so I thought it would be cool to tell the story from a different perspective. My agent is working on finding this book a home right now. I also have several books being shopped around New York City’s print market, also by my agents.

KB: If you were a heroine in a historical romance and kidnapped by a sheik, who would be your dream male to play the sheik? And how would you survive in a harem with all those chatty females who are fighting with each other to be the one true love of the handsome sheik?

Jamaica: I’d choose Richard Valentino, of 1920s silent movie fame. He actually did play a sheik on film, which is probably the sexist thing I’ve ever seen! I’d survive the harem by acting like I do in real life----I’d just ignore all the cattiness and be my strong self. Being true to yourself usually works the best. Men respect that a lot more than they do petty, catty behavior. I do, too.

KB: I’m a big Twilight fan. If you were Bella, who would you choose? Edward or Jacob and why?

Jamaica: I’d choose Jacob. I prefer werewolves to vampires. But that’s just me.

KB: Team Furry for the win!

You can read more about Jamaica/Jay's books at her websites:
http://www.jamaicalayne.com/Home_Page.php
http://www.jayhughesbooks.com/

And you can also find Jamaica on twitter @jamicalayne

Tender is the Knight is now available at Decadent Publishing (click here to purchase)

Synopsis: Assembly-line forewoman and Dayton, Ohio resident Lisa Marie Smith’s life just got a lot more medieval. Lisa’s co-worker and best friend, Pegeen Palmer forcibly drags her to an event showcasing Pegeen’s latest hobby---the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), a living history organization that specializes in the Middle Ages. SCA members get their weekend kicks dressing up in medieval “garb” and pretending to be knights and ladies.

Lisa is skeptical at first, but pretty soon she falls for Sir Phillip Reginald of Whitestar, a swashbuckling SCA Knight and top favorite to become the SCA’s most important new King. It’s soon clear that this dazzlingly handsome, super-sexy knight has a dark and mysterious past, and it’s all Lisa can do just to keep her head above water as she gets caught up in the strange, intrigue-ridden world of SCA kingdom power politics. Will shy, emotionally fragile Lisa manage to juggle her day job, her eccentric best friend, and a passionate new relationship with her mysterious knight without coming apart?