As a three-times entrant in the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off, I am offering spotlights on the blog for my fellow SPFBO9 authors! Jamie Jackson writes sweet fantasy romance, and her entry is …

The Sparrow and the Oak Tree

Unicorns don’t exist, and dragons aren’t real, but the Fae are. And they are to be feared.

Or so the tales say.

As the sole sorceress within the Lion King’s court and kingdom, Isolde is valued for her power, provided she fulfills the king’s commands.

Her task? Deal with a child who has emerged from a forest no one has returned from in over one hundred years. As Isolde works to fulfill her order, accompanied by her nameless guardian, she’ll encounter a creature she’s only heard of through myth and legend…

When he kidnaps her.

Is this one of those “two are right, one is false, guess which one is false” or the reverse things?

Well, onto the Questions!

As a Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) Entrant, you’re not just independently published, but self-published. Can you start by explaining a bit about why you chose that route and how it’s been for you?

I initially chose that route because of the amount of control it gave me over the final product, I say what edits get done, I choose the cover art, I write the blurb. It’s a lot of work but I’m happy with the path I’ve chose to take for the books that I’ve put out.

Something that always terrified me about traditional publishing was the idea I might have to change something I didn’t want to in my book – or not publish! So I get that TOTALLY!

Why did you enter the SPFBO contest? How do you expect to find it? Refreshing your blog’s page every five minutes, or sit back and chill?

This is the second year I’ve entered. I was a little worried about the overall competition, how the authors would interact with each other, but they’ve all been super supportive of each other and cheering each other on even after getting cut and I really like the comraderie. Last year I definitely was checking in to see if there was any progress from my blog almost every day, this year it’s basically sit back and chill.

Yes, it’s as much about the community as the competition! There’s a lot that’s fun about self-publishing 😀

So book titles. Why did you choose the title, The Sparrow and the Oak Tree?

I chose this title for the book because I thought it gave off the sweet sort of romantic feel I wanted to evoke. With the cover and the title both I wanted it to be clear this was a romance.

It is certainly pretty! And I think it does have that vibe!

I won’t ask for your favourite scene since I know some people don’t have those (like me; I never have favourites), but can you share a (non-spoiler) scene you really like and you just can’t believe how awesome it is every time you go back to re-read it?

I would say this quote, rather than a full scene, is my favorite from the book:

“Fuck,” was the first word out of his mouth. “Fuck,” was also the second.

LOL.

What are some elements or themes, or combinations thereof, that really make your book stand out to you?

I think the sweetness of the romance helps it stand out, you can have a spicy romance that still includes clear and enthusiastic consent, that shows chemistry between the characters and have the majority of the adversity they face come from outside the characters while retaining a sweetness to it.

Neat!

Thank you for sharing with us! It was fun to learn a little about your book 😀