Author Q & A

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An interview with Jamie Wesley Author of Fake It Till You Bake It

Q. What is the inspiration for this story?

A. I’ve been a loyal viewer of The Bachelor(ette) since the very first season in 2002. Crazy, but true. One day, I thought “What would happen if the winner turned down the proposal?” And thus Jada was born. I’m also a huge sports fan. Football is a great, but brutal sport. Careers are often much shorter than in other professional sports, and I’m fascinated by how athletes prepare for life after football. I was initially inspired by Michael Strahan, who’s made a great career in media for himself. Then, Microsoft started running a commercial starring former football players who run a cupcake shop, and I knew I had to incorporate that idea into my book.

Q. What is your writing process like?

A. First, I have to come up with THE IDEA. I have many ideas, but most of them are not THE IDEA. THE IDEA makes me sit up straight. I can easily picture the opening scene and other key scenes in the book. The characters start talking to each other, and I feel compelled to write it all down.

I’m more of a plotter than a pantser. Once I have THE IDEA, I write an outline around five pages long that acts as an anchor for me while writing.

Using Michael Hague’s Inner Conflict Arc, I figure out the characters’ backstory and their needs and wants that drive the action in the book.

Then, I write a first draft just to get all my thoughts out. If the scenes are written out of order, that’s okay. This draft is strictly for me. No one will ever read it. If they do, it wouldn’t make sense to them anyway. At the end of the first draft, I catalog all the scenes and put them in the correct order and identify any missing scenes. Then, I write the next draft that could be read by another person.

Q. How do you select the names of your characters?

A. I’m very, very picky about names in general. One of my former bosses called me “The Name Hater.” Lol. My main characters have to have names I love, something I wouldn’t mind naming my kid if I ever had a kid. When I’m watching TV, I often read the credits to see if any names stand out to me. In Fake It, I knew I wanted August to be named after an important Black literary figure. The first name to come to me was Langston Hughes, but I nixed that idea immediately because my baby cousin (he’s still my baby at 22 years old, ok?) is named Langston. The next name to come to me was August Wilson, which is perfect for the character. Donovan came from pro athletes Donovan McNabb and Donovan Mitchell. It’s a name I love. Nicholas had to be Nicholas. How else would I justify his Pretty Boy Nick nickname?

Q. Have you always wanted to be a writer?

A. Yes, but not as a novelist. When I was in high school, I wrote for my school newspaper. I thought I was going to be a journalist. By the time I got to college, my interest had shifted to public relations and marketing. I wanted to write press releases for a living! When I graduated in 2002, the economy was in a terrible place, and I couldn’t find a job. One day, during all that free time,

it dawned on me that since I loved reading romances, I should try my mind at writing one. I jumped right in and was halfway through it when I realized I had no clue what happened next. Eventually, I found a job at an advertising agency and put the book aside. But I never forgot about it. In

“One day, during all that free time, it dawned on me that since I loved reading romances, I should try my mind at writing one.”

When Jamie's not writing or reading romance, she can be found watching TV, rooting for her favorite sports teams, and/ or planning her next trip to Walt Disney World.

2009, after I graduated from grad school and again found a job to be difficult to come by, I knew this was the time to get serious about finishing a book. I went back to that book I started in 2002 and finished it! It wasn’t any good (lol), but I was addicted and knew I wanted to pursue writing as a career. The rest is history!

Q. What is your favorite part of this book?

A. No spoilers, but there is a scene where the hero, Donovan, is feeling all the feels, and he’s not sure how Jada feels. Then, he’s thrown a curveball, and he’s freaking out about it all. I want to give him a hug, but I’m also laughing at him.