We chat with debut author Jaysea Lynn about For Whom the Belle Tolls, which is a hotter-than-hell romantasy about forbidden love, dark magic, and a young woman’s fiery adventure in the Afterlife, perfect for fans of Sarah A. Parker and Callie Hart.
Hi, Jaysea! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! I’m obviously a massive book nerd, but I tend to have a ‘jack of all trades’ kind of curiosity so there’s a lot I know a little about. The ‘sea’ in my name is thanks to my sailor dad, and in possibly the most obvious plot twist ever, I also ended up owning and living aboard a sailboat for most of my twenties. I’ve worked in a variety of jobs, from food service, to retail, to sales, to construction, and fishing in Alaska, and have drawn creative inspiration from all of them. I’m a coffee snob, a cat lover, and have recently developed really strong opinions about tupperware.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve loved stories as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest memories are of my parents telling me stories, and of having really vivid gameplay with my toys. Game of Thrones had nothing on the drama of my dolls! I’ve always hated physically writing, because my penmanship is terrible, so when I discovered typing at a very young age, it was like I’d discovered the secrets of the universe. My dad actually found the first story I ever wrote and printed not that long ago. I was around 6 or 7, and it was a creation myth for how the woods came to be. It’s been a form of self expression and a passion ever since!
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: I think it was a Beatrice Potter book!
- The one that made you want to become an author: Eragon by Christopher Paolini
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: I think it was called Tunnel in the Sky. It was an old sci-fi book I found in the wall of a building we were demolishing. I was 11 or 12, and I’ve been searching for it since!
Your debut novel, For Whom the Belle Tolls, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Surprisingly cozy, funny, and intimate.
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect some emotional gut punches, as well as pun-tastic humor, a slow burn friends-to-lovers romance that can get spicy, and a whole lot of healing and character development. It’s an urban romantasy that can feel like a hug at times!
Where did the inspiration for For Whom the Belle Tolls come from?
The book is based on a series of skits I did on TikTok set at the Hellp Desk, but is set before the events of those skits, so I had a lot of room to play. Lily was the original character of the series, and I always knew the basics of her character and story, but I wanted to know the full thing. I planned for it to be a short writing exercise, but realized very quickly that Lily, Bel, and Sharkie, were complex characters with complex stories, so I kept writing!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
There were a handful of scenes that were always incredibly vivid in my mind, and I wasn’t sure if they would make the final draft, but all of them did! The opening scene of the book is one, and the others are a bit spoilery, but I can give some hints: rain, a library, a shower of sparks, flowers, and a colorful door. Getting to explore the Afterlife was a delight, and the characters made writing each day fun. It felt like getting to hang out with friends!
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
I had to take several breaks during the writing process, for various reasons. Sometimes life got in the way, and I didn’t have the time or emotional energy to dedicate to the story, but sometimes I hit moments with the characters that I personally wasn’t ready to tackle. Writing can be very therapeutic for me, and while my story is very different from any of my characters, some of their struggles were close to my own. I needed to step back to get my head right before trying to articulate it appropriately for the book.
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
I planned on being a self published author pretty much from the beginning, and never really considered pursuing a traditional publishing deal. I enjoyed the learning curve and the challenges of self-pub, but it definitely wore on me more than I expected. Shortly after the launch of the ebook, I started getting emails from some lovely folks in the trad-pub world, and what started as “I mean sure, we can have a conversation,” very quickly turned into “I have an agent and we’re going to auction.” It was a whirlwind I’m still reeling a bit from! I got to meet so many incredible people in the industry, and the teams at Saga, SImon Maverick, and Simon & Schuster have been wonderfully supportive and patient with me!
What’s next for you?
I got to sign a three-book deal for this series, so I’ve been nibbling away at the second book already! It’s been fun to get back into the Afterlife again, and get to know some new characters. After this series, I’d love to pursue some other ideas that I’ve been carrying around for a long time, one of which has been in my head in one form or another for almost fifteen years. There’s a map for that world I drew on a little notepad while my mom was having a medical procedure done that I’ve managed to hold onto for a decade. It’s all scruffy and beat up, but I keep it pinned by my desk as motivation to write. That world definitely leans more towards the fantastical, and I think I finally am developing the ‘writing muscles’ to do it justice.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
I’m looking forward to a few rereads, Jurassic Park, The Hobbit, The Legacy of Heorot, and possibly C.L Wilson’s Weathermages of Mystral series. For new books, I cannot wait to get my hands on everything Opal Reyne puts out, as well as Bewitching Rhaego by Victoria Aveline, Caught Up by Navessa Allen, and Mate by Ali Hazelwood.
