Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Booth.
Hi Jessica, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
From the time I was a small child sitting in my parents’ laps, I’ve been fascinated by books. As I grew, my fascination teetered on obsession as I tore through novel after novel. I looked to authors as my personal heroes. When I entered college in Louisiana, my dream was to one day become a book editor. I jumped back and forth between pursuing an English degree and a Communications / Professional Writing degree. Ultimately, I graduated in Communications. I fell into print periodical work immediately after graduating, working on magazines that covered everything from local politics to fashion and weddings, to roses. I loved the work but still felt pulled toward fiction writing.
Life happened, as it often does. I put my writing dreams on hold after I got married and had to focus on my career. And then along came four children in four years. Back then, I struggled to make enough money to keep us afloat, at one point holding down three communication jobs.
But in 2019, a magazine editor job opportunity in Cincinnati gave us the chance to turn things around. Our family of six moved the 850 miles from Shreveport, Louisiana, to Cincinnati, Ohio. With that move, our family finally found the jobs we needed, and our children found a soft place to land.
With the ease in financial stress, my love for books and literature was able to flourish again. I started bookstagramming (posting beautiful photos of books and writing reviews on Instagram). My follower count quickly began to grow. Through that platform, I met some amazing women who were also bookstagramming in Cincinnati. Together we formed an in-person book club. That club, which started with about eight people, has swelled to 40+ and helped women form friendships across Southwestern Ohio.
The more I read, the more I was encouraged to pursue my dream of writing my own novel. My 2022 New Year’s resolution was to finally pen the book that had been living in my head. Not only did I manage to write it, but I found an editor, queried, and eventually self-published with great success. My book launch event in Cincinnati this past October was well attended, and now my book is selling globally. I’m nearly done drafting my second novel and can’t wait to share it with everyone.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of my biggest struggles was finding the time I needed to write. I work full-time and am a mom to four children under age 11. However, once I got started, things got a little easier. My children and husband love that I write and will (usually) try to make the space for me to do so (though I do catch little eyes peering over my shoulder from time to time). Learning the publishing industry has also been a challenge. There are many paths to launching a book into the world, and I’m still learning and growing in those skills.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Although I’ve worked as a magazine editor for 15 years and love it, writing fiction has my heart. As an author, I’ve self-published my first book, A Match Made in Autumn. It’s a southern romantic comedy with a heavy mystery side plot. It’s full of all things pumpkin spice and autumnal, and it will tug at your heartstrings. It took the bookstagram community by storm last October and November. I’m grateful that it’s been met with such high praise.
I’ve always thought that Christmas gets all the love with an overflowing number of Christmas romance movies and books. Autumn needed its own love story, and that’s what sets my book apart.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Just keep going. Writing a book has been my dream since childhood, but it always seemed like some nebulous thing that wasn’t actually possible to do. One day I woke up and thought, “Books get written every single day. And there are real people out there writing them. Why can’t I do it?” And so I made it my mission to work on my book a little every day. Some days that meant re-writing a sentence I had already penned. Other days that meant frantically getting 3,000 words on the page. Every day looks a little different, but every day is also another step forward.
Pricing:
- A Match Made in Autumn, $18.99
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jessicaboothauthor.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readbelievelove
Image Credits
Margaret Swensen
