1. Let’s start easy. Who is J. Laine in your own words?

I am a mom, wife, author, business owner, who loves making people laugh and cry while reading. I am sassy and sarcastic as hell and will go out of my way to help anyone and everyone laugh or smile on their hard days.

2. You write dark (sometimes lighter) romance. What draws you to the darker side of love stories?

The raw and real feelings that come with tapping into that dark side. Oftentimes it is hard to venture into those scary and often untouched topics and I find my best work comes when I tap into those harder feelings. 

3. Mental health representation is a huge part of your work. Why is that so important to you as an author?

I feel like in the romance book space, mental health rep isn’t really seen. After losing my mom to mental health in 2006, I vowed that I would always try to spread awareness where I could. And when I fell in love with reading and then writing, I felt like the space was severely under-saturated and I often found it was hard to fully see myself in the characters of these incredible stories, so I did it myself. 

4. Be honest. Are you actively trying to make your readers cry, or does it just happen? 😈

I actively try. I want my readers to feel the same exact emotions my characters do. 

5. Which book hurt you the most to write: Accepting Fate, Dismantle & Prevail, or A Merry Little Second Chance? Why?

A book that is not listed. Forgiving Fate, the second book in the Fated to You series. That book destroyed me in ways I never expected. Landon and Allie are dealing with severe trauma and having to tap into that broke me. 

6. If a reader is brand new to your work, which book should they start with and why?

Accepting Fate. It is the very beginning of my universe and a good introduction into what comes next and what will come in the future. 

7. Your favorite tropes include why choose, dark romance, and fake dating. Which trope owns your soul the most?

Why choose. If a book is why choose, it’s an automatic buy. 

8. What trope do you love as a reader but are terrified to write?

Why choose

9. Describe your writing process in three words or phrases.

Chaotic, unpredictable, rewarding.

10. What does a typical writing session look like for you? Dr. Pepper included, obviously.

Sitting at my desk with my headphones on (even if no one is home), blasting my perfectly curated playlist for the current project I am working on and going wherever the characters tell me. 

⚡ Rapid Fire (No Thinking, Only Vibes)

11. Coffee or tea?

Coffee

12. Write at night or during the day?

Night

13. Music, silence, or chaotic background noise while writing?

Music

14. Favorite emotion to emotionally devastate your readers with?

Tragedy

15. One word your readers use to describe your books that makes you smile every time.

Real

🖤 The Author Journey

16. What moment made you realize, “Okay… I’m really doing this author thing”?

When I received my first review for my debut. I remember saying, oh okay, people actually like my writing. 

17. What has been the hardest part of being an indie author so far?

Marketing and breaking through the algorithm. 

18. What has been the most rewarding part?

Connecting with readers and hearing how my books make them feel. 

19. What advice would you give to aspiring authors who want to write dark romance but are scared to go there?

Don’t be afraid to tap into that dark space that you believe may be a bit too far because chances are someone out there has felt or experienced that trauma and they are just waiting for that moment to feel seen in a romance novel. 

20. Has writing ever surprised you, either emotionally or creatively? If so, how?

Yes. Most of the plot twists in my novel come out of nowhere and shock me to my core. I often say my characters take control of my fingers and I am at the mercy of what they tell me to do. 

🖤 Just for Fun (and a Little Chaos)

21. If your books had a warning label, what would it say?

Careful, you will cry. 

22. Which character of yours would absolutely survive a horror movie, and which one definitely would not?

Wesley Hayes would survive and probably be the killer in a horror movie. Lainey would not survive. 

23. If one of your books were adapted, would you want it as a movie or a series?

Fated to You into a series. The Hayes men need to be on the big screen. 

24. What is one thing readers might be surprised to learn about you?

Before I was an author, I worked as an EMT. 

25. Finally, what do you hope readers feel when they finish one of your books?

I hope they feel seen and that no matter how hard life gets, th