We chat with author Jen St. Jude about their new book release If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come, which is YA debut about a queer first love and mental health at the end of the world-and the importance of saving yourself, no matter what tomorrow may hold.
Hi, Jen! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m a queer writer living in Chicago with my family and catlike dog. I (probably unsurprisingly) love reading, and am also a big fan of women’s sports; especially basketball and soccer. I’m an Aquarius through and through.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve really always loved stories! I played dolls for hours and hours as a kid, and in first grade they let us write and illustrate little books they bound with plastic spirals. I was so proud of them! I mostly wrote about Mary Kate and Ashley, I think. My illustrations left much to be desired. It wasn’t until high school, though, where I realized I might be kind of good at it. And it wasn’t until college when I thought it could actually be a permanent part of my life.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
a) The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner
b) More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
c) Cantoras by Carolina de Robertis
Your debut novel, If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Emotional, questioning, yearning, crushing, hopeful.
What can readers expect?
This is a really important question for this story, which has thriller elements but is more of a quiet story. It also grapples with heavy concepts. Content Warnings: Mental illness, depression, suicidal ideation, suicide (not on the page), homophobia, sexual harassment, gun violence, religious bigotry.
However, my team and I put a lot of care into the book to make it a soft place to land. In this story’s pages, you also find humor, love, light, and so much hope. And, in my opinion, my marketing and publicity teams have done a really wonderful job promoting it to the right audiences with nuance and awareness of its content. Despite all our efforts, I can’t promise it’s for everyone. My wish is for readers to take care of themselves and make sure they’re checking in with themselves if it starts to feel like too much.
Where did the inspiration for If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come come from?
There were many things that inspired this book, but perhaps biggest of all was my own depression and mental illness. I started writing with only questions. I found some answers, and more questions still. This novel grew with me through my own healing and self-discovery. I’ll add the very first version of this was a one act play about a young family on a beach, trying to have one perfect day before an asteroid hits. That’s still in there, though not at the center of it all.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I truly do love all my characters in their own way (well, almost all of them), but my favorite scenes to write and re-read are the ones with Avery and Cass. Though I love them together, I almost love the scenes where Avery is hopelessly in love with Cass most of all. It shows her wanting something, and loving her even when she doesn’t expect anything in return. I think that’s really beautiful and hopeful.
Can you tell us a bit about your journey of getting If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come published?
I spent six years trying to write a first draft (with many breaks in between), and once I had one, I started querying. I had a hard time with that, in part because it needed polishing (this book would see five or six more drafts before it got an agent) but also because I was unsure which genre it fit in best, or if it was a book for young adults or adults. Ultimately, I think it’s for both audiences, but in publishing you have to really learn the existing markets and figure out what their boundaries are. (Whispers: And then maybe push them a little once you’re in the door).
What’s next for you?
I’m working on my next book, scheduled to come out from Bloomsbury in 2025. It’s about climate change, mental health, friendship, and a hot headed soccer player pretty much always in fight mode.
Lastly, are there any 2023 book releases our readers should look out for?
This is always the best question! I’ve been pretty loud about a lot of my so-far favorites but how about I list some I haven’t read yet and am super excited for: If I Have to Be Haunted by Miranda Sun, All the Dead Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley, Field of Screams by Wendy Parris, It All Syncs Up by Maya Ameyaw, The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson, The Wheel of the Year by Fiona Cook, and This is the Way the World Ends by Jen Wilde.
