In honor of Read-A-Romance Month and Romance Awareness Month, this August we’ll be sharing the insights of romance authors who have been navigating the world of the genre and writing all about love in their latest novels. For this month’s issue, we took a look at the entire romance bookish community and what makes it so special in this article, and interviewed internationally best-selling romance author TL Swan to learn more about her writing approach and widespread impact in this article. Here, you can read the full interview with Carolina Jax. For her website and social media, see below!
How would you define your specific writing genre and niche? What first got you interested in this writing style and how did you decide to pursue this niche in your authorial approach?
I write dual POV because I love to hear the story from both sides. I want to know the misunderstandings or the deep down ‘afraid to say it out loud’ feelings, from both characters.
How did you first get into writing romance novels – why romance? Do you have any stories you’d like to share about your initial experiences in this particular genre and how they have influenced your journey going forward?
I love to read everything romance and as I read more, I felt like the stories started coming to me. I had written little pieces here and there but finally decided to take the plunge and start a book. It took almost two years for that first book to come to fruition but I did it!
What does your writing process typically look like? Where do you gain inspiration from, especially because there is a depth and complexity to these stories that set them apart from traditional conceptions of romance novels?
I see the story as if it’s a movie. I envision certain scenes, can hear the characters talking. I won’t start writing until I have a pretty decent background on them.
How much of yourself – if any – do you put into your books? Have your experiences and interests as a reader influenced what or how you write?
My first series has a lot of myself in each story. From my favorite football team, to deeper parts like my husband being in the military, I will sprinkle a bit of me throughout each.
How do you come up with the names for your characters? What about the titles of your books?
The titles come while I’m writing. All of a sudden I’ll write a one liner where I’m like ‘that’s the title!’ And the characters come about as I go, as well. I’ll start with a name but sometimes it changes based on the personality that comes through.
How do you approach determining the nature of the plot or the trope(s) that you pursue in a given novel? Do you tend to stick with what is popular among readers or what is trending at the moment? Are there other key decisions at any point in the writing process that you tend to struggle with?
Despite being told to write to market, I don’t. I write what I like to read. It makes it easy to write the story because I’m already in love with the trope or storyline.
Would you consider branching out into a different niche? Do you fear pushback or the loss of an audience from doing so?
I would like to write darker romance but I fear I wouldn’t do it justice. I don’t think I’m there yet, I’m known for spicy hallmark, small town stories so if I was to go deeper, I believe I would have to switch pen names.
When writing a novel, how do you decide whether or not it will become a series? Is it sometimes difficult to envision a future for a narrative or characters, or do subsequent books come naturally? Do you plan to write a series in advance/prior to starting the process, or is that a decision that comes later?
I love to write a series because I love to follow through on all the characters. A lot of times I will read a story and fall in love with a couple and then you never hear about them again. With my series, we follow the entire family and get glimpses of how each couple evolves as the stories progress.
To what extent would you say that writing in this genre is a group effort? Or how does having a greater network of writers and collaborators benefit your work and help you grow as a writer?
I have an amazing network of authors that have become great friends. They are huge mentors and people I look up to. I trust their opinions and definitely use them to bounce ideas off of. A lot of times, if I get stuck on a storyline, I’ll run it by one or two of them, and they can help talk me out of the hole and into something that moves the story along.
What is it like to write in direct collaboration with another writer as a duo? How do you synthesize each of your visions to create one final product of which you both are proud and happy with?
Alexandra Hale and I just did this. We wrote two stories for a collaboration. I wrote the brother and she wrote the sister. We joined the families and each wrote an HEA using the family and friends to move the story. It was a learning curve for us as we had to be on point with each character’s personalities, but the feedback we got has been incredible.
What is your experience with newsletters and the impact of participating in newsletter swaps for increasing visibility?
I do about four newsletter swaps a month. I believe it’s beneficial in getting seen by new readers, but it also develops a camaraderie between the authors.
Tell me about events and conventions in the romance writer community. How have these shaped your time as a writer? What has your personal experience/take-away been from attending as an author or even as a fan/participant?
I have my first signing coming up in August. It’s a small group of seven authors in an intimate setting and I’m looking forward to it. It’s very scary for me having to be ‘in front’ of people so I think starting out small is key. For 2025, I have two larger signings but will be with my author besties so I think I’ll have a lot of fun.
Social media, particularly TikTok in recent years, has played a huge role in book promotion with the advent of “booktok” and the progression of online fandom activities that have existed for decades. How has social media provided a platform for promoting/marketing your books and creating a fandom space for your novels? Do you have any notable stories in mind about your works going viral or skyrocketing in other ways through TikTok, etc.?
I’ve struggled here since day one. At one point or another, Instagram took off for me, while the other platforms did nothing. Then, a Facebook Reel will get popular while the others tank. Just recently I’ve had a couple of TikTok videos move into 50k views and I’ve noticed a direct result in increased sales and page reads. It’s a huge tool that, when it works, generates instant business. But for every thousand videos, I’ll get 5 that actually work. It’s frustrating to know that when it works, it works but until then, you have to just keep plugging along.
Readers are more connected to authors than ever through social media and independent publishing. How do you feel about this sense of connection and attainability? How do fans and their feedback (i.e., reviews) impact your writing process, whether directly or indirectly? Describe what it’s like having an ARC team, beta team, etc. and being able to receive trusted feedback from your readers.
When I first came on the scene, I had about 25 people on an ARC team. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was surrounded by seasoned authors who directed me. I slowly group my ARC and street team and now my direct street team is about 65 people. I’ve found amazing friends and have 4 trusted BETA readers. We talk daily and they help me through every writing aspect there is. My reviews have been beneficial … I enjoy reading both negative and positive. The negative helps you grow and the positive keeps you growing. I know authors say ‘reviews are for readers’ but I feel they’re a great way to grade your work.
What impact do book influencers have on your own marketing and writer experiences? Are there particular influencers whose presence is particularly notable? Is it inspiring to have mood boards and other content made about your books? What about being included in “to be read” lists or “currently reading” lists?
When I have a release, I have certain street team members who will do a mood board, or special edit for the books. I love to see this because it shows me what the reader is seeing through my words.
Do you feel a sense of pressure having a dedicated fanbase who cares about your stories? Discuss any concerns you might have that come with this, especially since sharing your narratives with the world can be an extremely vulnerable exercise
Absolutely. My first book was a spicy Hallmark feel good story. Each book that continued in that series got into deeper topics until I got to the last book, which wrapped up the series. It was heavy and dealt with a sensitive topic. I was afraid to put it out but I knew it was crucial to the story and the series, as a whole. I wrote what I felt was right and shared with my team my vulnerabilities so they knew where I was coming from.
Although social media has definitely helped to dismantle negative perceptions of romance novels (i.e. views that “they’re not real books”), what is your stance on these sorts of beliefs? How do you think the genre more generally, or your particular niche of romance novels, disproves popular stigmas?
Social media has a take on everything, and everyone on social media thinks their opinion is right. But when you fall into the BookTok, you find those readers are voracious and will eat up anything that’s out there. The millions of readers have disproved the stance that romance isn’t a real genre. I believe everyone has their own opinion but with the numbers I’ve seen, it’s very clear romance is the most popular. I think people want to be lost in the story of love and a happily ever after. Life is rough, we need an escape.
In what ways do you think romance novels are significant for readers to engage with or have access to, whether this be in terms empowerment, gender dynamics, representation (i.e. for BIPOC or the LGBTQ+ community), exploration of sexuality, or otherwise? What power do you think these stories can have for readers and communities at large?
There is a story for everyone. So if anyone is looking for a certain representation of themselves, you’re sure to find it. I also don’t think there is any stigma on that … if it’s there, people will find it and read it.
How do you curate a cohesive aesthetic and visuals for your stories and series? What about the creation of merchandise that pairs with your stories? What sorts of artists and creatives do you normally have to consult for your vision to be realized?
I will design my ideas in Canva then take them to an artist for a cleaner look. I’ll download pictures that I find on Google or Pinterest and then search for ‘likeness’ to bring my idea to life.
Going off of this, explain the process of seeking out and attaining cover photos/art for your books. What is it like to choose designs and models that best fit your story? Do you find it troublesome finding real people that align with the characters in your mind? Do you pick the model(s) before or after writing the character or couple? What about illustrated/discreet covers and special edition covers?
I write my characters then search for pictures which does make it difficult. A lot of times I will end up changing a bit of their aesthetic to fit the picture I’ve located. On the other side of that, I’ve found pictures before that needed a story written for them! Those are the most fun … I found a picture of a man with a bunch of tattoos. His attitude came through in the picture and I had to write him in as a bad boy hockey star. It worked perfectly!
Describe what it’s like to be an independently published novelist. What obstacles have you encountered with this approach? Advantages? How do you handle the “business” aspect of being not only the author, but the publisher and promoter of your stories?
I never knew all the behind the scenes that went into writing a book. I wrote the story and thought that was enough. But when you add the editing, cover, promotion … it’s a whole job that I was not prepared for. Luckily I’ve had great help and advice with other authors that have gotten me through the learning curve. I’m still learning different pieces of the whole pie, and being that it’s an ever changing business, we’ll probably never have it all figured out!
Do you work with a PR company? If so, how have you navigated that relationship in order to get your books promoted?
I’ve worked with a PR company on a book to book basis. It’s important to know who their readers are before jumping in. If they are a company who has a majority of dark romance, and you write spicy small town, it’s not going to be feasible in gaining traction. It’s important to do research just like anything else, when deciding to work with someone. With that being said, it’s important to find a PA that is on the same wavelength, as well. I currently work with a PA service who are incredibly supportive and have other authors of the same genre. We all push together and it’s been an amazing experience.
What has your experience been as an indie author encountering pirating and copyright issues with companies like Amazon or Apple Books?
It’s impossible to keep up with keeping your work from being pirated. There are companies to use that will search and fight to take your work from those sites but as fast as one comes down, two more go up.
Are you publishing your books in audiobook form? If yes, what has this process been like?
I have no interest right now in doing audio. For me, I just want to get the stories out before I work on pushing older stories into a new format.
Is there anything else you’d like to share that hasn’t been covered in the questions?
It’s ok to fail. It’s ok to start over. It’s ok to question everything you do, and then rework everything you do. Finding the right circle is huge, that support is needed to get through the days of self doubt.
Website: carolinajaxwriter.com
Facebook: facebook.com/carolinajaxauthor
Instagram: instagram.com/carolinajax_author
TikTok: tiktok.com/@carolinajaxauthor
Email: carolinajaxauthor@gmail.com