Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jillian Dexter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Jillian, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?
I actually came up with the idea for my first book, Behind the Bench, when news broke of Jessica Campbell being hired as the first female NHL coach in history. I’ve always loved writing and reading romance, and the day she was hired I realized that I’d never read a romance book with a female hockey coach before. What started as a personal outlet for me, grew into something more once I shared my story with some early readers. The passion I had for my story and for writing, quickly became a new endeavor for me. Personally, it’s not about book sales for me. It’s more about doing what I love and writing stories that may impact my readers. That’s how I gauge my success.
Jillian, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
For people who haven’t read my books yet, the first thing you should know is that I am a hockey player, writing hockey romance. I will eventually branch off into other sports, but as a former player and coach, I have a lot of stories to tell. I hope my readers can feel my passion for both hockey and romance when they read my books.
My Green Bay Bobcats hockey romance series focuses on Women in Sports. Not only will they be the focal point, but I’ll also highlight the struggles and adversity they may go through being a female in a man’s world. I pride myself on my authentic hockey scenes, but I also want to make an impact. I want women to feel seen and understood when they read my stories.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding aspect is when a reader reaches out to me directly and says something along the lines of, “your book really impacted me” or “I’ve never related to a character as much as I related to yours.”
Connecting with my readers is the most important and rewarding part of being an author. There a little parts of me sprinkled throughout my story, but representing and having my readers feel understood is my goal.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
The hockey romance genre is huge right now. I think something that sets me apart and helped build my reputation was the fact that I played hockey my entire life and coached after I graduated college as well. I also offer up beta reading to other hockey romance authors- meaning I will read their work, especially their hockey scenes, to make sure they are as accurate as possible. I’m always trying to pay it forward.
Also, I really love interacting with my readers. I try to respond to any reader who reaches out to me. I think being so communicative and open to them has helped build my reputation and grow my readership.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jillianarlyauthor.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillianarlyauthor
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=jillian%20arly
Image Credits
Cover Art Illustrator- Elen Bushe