I recently had the opportunity to read J. Laine’s debut novel Accepting Fate and I think it was the first ARC I ever gave 5 stars to. So to say I was obsessed is a complete understatement.
J. Laine describes her writing style as “writer that breaks your heart but heals it in the best way.” Nothing has ever been said that is more true. Accepting Fate was one book that completely broke my heart but the ending was a pure delight. Her writing will leave your heart on the floor, but nicely pieced back together.
First off, congrats on your debut novel Accepting Fate. How are you feeling?!
All of the emotions. Nervous, Excited, Happy that it’s finally done, and more.
Can you give us a quick teaser about what readers can expect with Accepting Fate without giving too much away?
“I’m here to be used by you. If you’re angry and need to scream at someone, give me everything you have. If you need to release all that stress you carry, I’ll fuck you for hours until you’re so exhausted that your mind and body feels like jello. If you’re too tired to walk from the car to the couch, I’ll be there to carry you. If you’re sad and need to lay on my chest for hours and cry, I’m your pillow. Take whatever you need from me because I can promise you no matter how much you take, it will never be enough. I love you. I’m not going anywhere. Ever. So, use and abuse me, Angel, because we have the rest of our lives together for you to return the favor.”
Accepting Fate is a rollercoaster of emotions. How do you balance the dark themes while still creating a compelling and engaging read?
Balance is the most important for me when reading a dark romance book. So this was a priority for me when writing this. So even though this book is heavier, I knew it couldn’t be all sad, because that would be too depressing. Logan is sassy and Grayson is cocky so I played into those pieces of their personality to bring out those happy/funny moments.
Chemistry between characters can make or break a novel, in particular, a romance novel. Can you share a bit about the dynamic between your main characters and how it contributes to the story's depth?
I think for both Logan and Grayson, they were so dependent on themselves. As well as being there for everyone else. They both needed to realize that it’s okay to lean on others to help them escape their demons. They both want to protect the other from the things that haunt them. So when they allowed those walls to be let down, they realized they were stronger fighting together than on their own.
Accepting Fate takes place in Washington, which is such a cosy atmosphere. How does the environment of the setting influence the story's atmosphere?
I think it fits with the personalities of the characters. Logan and Grayson both hate feeling trapped and closed in, so the vast forest and miles of open road help them feel free. Especially when they go for a ride on Grayson’s bike.
Emotions run high in dark romance. Were there any scenes in Accepting Fate that you found particularly challenging or emotionally intense to write?
Yes. The plot twist as well as the flashbacks were the hardest for me. Tapping into those dark moments and bringing up emotions that I buried down for a while were hard to bring back up.
Speaking of emotionally challenging, how did you mind your own mental health when writing such an emotional story?
Taking a lot of breaks. As the story progressed and the emotions got high, I had to take a week in between so I wouldn’t be putting my dark moods onto a lighter chapter.
Let’s talk characters, Logan is such a strong, inspirational woman and Grayson is such a warm and protective bear. Was there anyone in particular in your life they were mirrored from? Real or fiction!
I put a lot of myself into Logan. Although I didn’t experience everything she went through, I did share some. So for her, I wanted to give her strength that I know I struggled to find for a long time and that I know others may have too. Grayson has elements of my husband in him. His compassion during my panic attacks and his protectiveness really helped me along my journey. But also I am a sucker for tattooed MCs so I had to put these two together.
The dialogue in this book was so natural and it literally felt like I was a fly on a wall. How did you approach crafting authentic and gripping dialogue for Accepting Fate?
I wish I could say some philosophical, pretty answer, but the reality is that I like dialogue more than storytelling in a book. I love when books have the characters speaking and not so much in their heads. Also, I think you can really see a character’s personality shine by how they speak to others, so the dialogue between Grayson and Logan was very important to me.
Balancing dark themes and mental health representation can be sensitive. How did you ensure authenticity and respect for the subject matter?
Some is written from personal experience. I also worked in a field where I encountered victims and used that experience to write how characters reacted to the heavier topics. I also had sensitivity readers for the topics that I didn’t have personal experiences with. They helped me make sure I was writing the scenes correctly and not being insensitive or harsh.
Let’s move on to your process! Debuting as an author is a big deal! What's been the most surprising thing about the writing and publishing process so far?
That there is way more work than just writing the book. I never knew there was so much that goes on behind the scenes. Writing is the easy part. Marketing and finding readers, plus keeping up with social media, is a job in itself.
I’m so curious about your writing journey. What inspired you to become an author out of every other career in the world?
I love this question! This book is fiction but some pieces are based on real-life experiences. I always joked I was going to write a book about it. Then I met my husband who has been writing stories since he was a kid and told me just do it. I kept saying no, but then in 2022 I found that books gave me something outside of being a mom. In January of 2023, my husband kept telling me to try writing and I said F it and tried it, and I soon realized that this was the career that would give me everything I wanted. Staying at home and being able to go to all of my kiddo’s school activities and creating awesome characters for people to fall in love with.
Are there any music, movies, or books that influenced your writing style for Accepting Fate? Any unexpected sources of inspiration?
Yes! Anything by Sam Smith helped me tap into the feeling of Accepting Fate. Also, Pinterest was very unexpected. I would turn on Sam Smith and scroll through Pinterest and then a scene would come to mind. Very odd but very helpful.
Writing can be a solitary endeavor. How did you navigate the challenges of staying motivated and focused while working on Accepting Fate?
It was hard. This story is very emotional and hard to tap into those dark themes. I learned that I needed to sometimes take weeks off. And that I would never be that author that can publish five books a year. Once I convinced myself that breaks are okay and make the writing better, it made a big difference.
Lastly, if you could go back in time before you started writing Accepting Fate, would you do anything differently?
Yes. I wouldn’t let anyone read it until it was done. I am a people pleaser and try to make everyone happy, but that made it hard for me to find my voice sometimes. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it was a struggle to figure out the direction sometimes with other opinions weighing in.
BONUS QUESTION - If you were stranded on a desert island, what one book or series would you bring with you?
Umm so this is embarrassing, but the entire 50 Shades of Grey series (Christian’s version is a must). This series is my comfort read for some odd reason. I have probably read it more than 20 times.
Accepting Fate is out NOW
Click Here to read my full review of Accepting Fate
