1--What is the title of your latest release?
FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
For One Night Only is a second-chance romance about Valerie Quinn, a bisexual actress with a bad reputation, who reunites the pop punk band that made her famous as a teen to generate some positive press. But getting the Glitter Bats back together for one last show doesn’t just mean facing the found family she walked away from, but navigating lingering feelings for her co-founder and first love Caleb Sloane, the anxious sweetheart whose heart she broke when she drove him from the industry.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I live in the Pacific Northwest, so for a while I considered having the entire novel take place in Seattle. (After all, it’s the birthplace of grunge, and seemed like a natural backdrop for a story about a rock band!) But as I got to know the characters, it made sense for most of them to live in Los Angeles, especially with long careers in the industry. With its music scene and massive venues, LA also seemed a fabulous place for a one-night-only reunion concert!
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
(FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY has two protagonists and is told in both Valerie and Caleb’s points of view, but I’m going to choose Valerie for these questions because she’s the catalyst for the whole story.) And I’d absolutely hang out with her! I think we’d have fun. Valerie would get me out of my shell, and that’s probably something I need as an introverted author!
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Outspoken, passionate, impulsive
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I wrote FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY after a period of deep burnout, and the process of writing it really taught me all over again how essential it is to fill my books with things I love: character traits, settings, tropes, and even pop culture references. Drawing from my “love list” (I didn’t coin that term, but I think it’s such an apt descriptor) was so essential to finding joy in the writing. If I’m including things that excite me, it keeps the hard parts of drafting and revising fulfilling. For example, I have a background in music, so I drew from that extensively as I crafted the world of the Glitter Bats. I really hope that passion shines through!
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I try to wait until I’m done! But if I’m stuck or haven’t worked on a project in a while, going back a few chapters and editing helps me regain my momentum. I use it as a tool when I need it!
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
My favorite indulgence is something sweet. I can never say no to homemade chocolate chip cookies, lemon bars, or a bakery cupcake!
9--Describe your writing space/office!
I have an at-home office that I love! The walls are painted royal blue and covered in bookshelves, and it has both a desk for me and a space for my dog to hang out. But I also really love writing in a coffee shop—and not just because fancy coffee is another favorite indulgence. Something about the vibes of a café are so perfect to my process. I can plug in headphones, cue up my writing playlist, and convince my brain I’m there to work. As a people-pleaser, I get super self-conscious that people (yes: strangers who don’t care that I’m there to write) can “see” when I’m off task, so writing in public makes me very productive.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Meg Cabot! She has explored so many genres and age categories, all while writing books that feel so incredibly distinct to her style, and that’s definitely something I aspire to do in my own career. I also really admire how willing she has been to share her experiences—when I was younger, I religiously read her blog, and the writing advice she included was the first thing that made me believe this path was possible. She changed my life.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
The Hunger Games. During my last year of college, I spent all my time pouring over dense texts for my English classes. A friend lent me the original Hunger Games trilogy and I tore through all three books over spring break—it reminded me of how much I loved fiction that made me think. From there, I started reading for pleasure again, and I finally decided it was time to start writing. My first ever finished manuscript was even dystopian! It took a while for me to discover my passion for writing contemporary romance, but it all started with Katniss.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I was working when I got the call from my agent to let me know my book sold, which is the plight of an author with a day job! I had to step away from my desk and take a break, because I started sobbing. This was such a long journey for me—I wrote seven manuscripts over ten years before selling my debut—and it’s very emotional when your dreams happen in real time. I feel incredibly lucky that I get to do this.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
Romance, naturally! But I love romance in all subgenres: contemporary, historical, fantasy, even horror. Give me a love story and I’ll follow you to the last page.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. Talk about a forbidden romance worth rooting for!
15--What is your favorite season?
Autumn! I am in perpetual want of sweaters and pumpkin spice lattes and leaves crunching under my Dr. Martens. The crisp air makes me want to put on a stock pot of homemade soup and read by the fire while it simmers.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I like to celebrate it quietly, but cake is essential.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
At the time of writing this, I’m still obsessing over the second season of Rings of Power. We’re huge Lord of the Rings fans in our house, to the extent that we rewatch all six Peter Jackson films every December. Rings of Power just hits all the right notes and is so beautifully done.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
It’s not always super fancy, but it would be disingenuous to say anything other than pizza. We eat it every Friday night, and it always signals the end of the week and quality time with my spouse. I also just really love cheese.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
I love to bake—everything from family recipes handed down from my late grandmother to trying viral New York Times cooking articles! I also really enjoy playing cozy video games, like Stardew Valley, and going on hikes with my spouse.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
I plan to keep writing romance! I can’t share much about my second book yet, but I think readers of FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY will be excited about where we’re headed next.
Glitter Bats #1
GLITTER BATS REUNION CONCERT—SOLD OUT!
When two former bandmates—and bedmates—are thrust back into each other's lives in a fake dating scheme for publicity, they'll be forced to face the music.
After her recurring role in tabloid headlines, Valerie Quinn’s musical TV show is on the network chopping block. Desperate for good press, she hastily reassembles her wildly beloved pop punk band, Glitter Bats. A reunion concert could be the former lead vocalist’s ticket to a media makeover, especially if it renews public speculation around her iconic situationship with bassist Caleb Sloane.
The only problem? They haven’t spoken in six years.
Caleb had the makings of a rock god, but fallout from the messy Glitter Bats breakup left him broke, anxious, and resentful of the industry. But when Valerie shows up at Caleb’s doorstep with that devastating smile and a plea for help, he reluctantly agrees to put on one last show.
So what if the fandom assumes the two of them are back together too? They’ll play along. You know...for the press.
Making music together not only revives the harmony between them, but also the discord that led to the band’s downfall. With their futures—and the Glitter Bats—in the balance, can they survive a romantic reprise?
Romance Music | LGBTQ [Berkley, On Sale: January 7, 2025, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593817711 / eISBN: 9780593817728]
Jessica writes steamy, heartfelt romance about ambitious women and the people who fall in love with them. Her romance obsession began with strong influences from Jane Austen, Meg Cabot, and early 2000’s rom coms. In November 2021, Jessica was selected as a Pitch Wars mentee for adult contemporary romance. Her debut novel, FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY, will release from Berkley/Penguin Random House on January 7, 2025. She has a second book forthcoming from Berkley Romance.
In addition to writing, Jessica has a passion for music—she’s a mezzo soprano with a BA in Music and a deep love of Broadway. Her spare time is spent going to concerts, watching Star Trek, trying new cookie recipes, playing cozy video games, and exploring the Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her spouse and their magical reindeer herding dogs. She can be found with an iced oat milk latte in hand regardless of the weather.
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