Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tam DeRudder Jackson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tam, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

I wrote my first book when I was twelve. Because I didn’t know any better, writing it was easy and fun. After spending my first career teaching other people how to write, that childlike naivety followed me into my second career as a full-time writer. I embraced the cliche of the English-teacher-turned-novelist with gusto and delight. Even after attending multiple conferences, reading all the books and blogs, and following successful people on social media, I still had no idea how challenging self-publishing truly is. Nor did I care.

In January 2020, I launched Warrior Romance Press with my first novel, Talisman, Book One in the Talisman Series of paranormal romances. Not gonna lie, starting a writing career at the beginning of a pandemic when every avenue for in-person networking and marketing disappeared overnight daunted me. But I had stories burning to be shared with other people, and I believed in the process, so I kept writing and publishing. In February 2024, I launched my fifteenth book in a new contemporary sports romance series readers urged me to write.

And therein lies my success.

I’m in year four of my first five-year plan. Slowly, my books are finding their readers, and readers are weighing in on what they want from me next. That relationship with readers is the heart of my writing. I don’t know if that’s logical, but my love of writing and being able to make connections with readers are what keep me coming back to the keyboard every day.

Tam, 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?

Prevailing wisdom is to choose a lane and stay in it. Write in one genre or sub-genre to build a recognizable brand. But I like to color outside the lines..

I write romance, but since I love to read all manner of sub-genres of romance, I’m inspired to write in multiple sub-genres as well. One thing I do consistently is to write series. Readers who pick up my books can read them as stand-alones, but know the stories are also bigger.,so they can read more.

Owing to my love of the Arthurian Legends and the history of the Celts, I write the paranormal romance Talisman Series steeped in Celtic mythology. with modern-day Celtic warriors taking on mythical gods and monsters. Currently, this series is seven books long with an eighth book slated for winter 2025–Tracker (prequel), Talisman, Warrior, Prophetess (novella), Bard, Druid, and Rogue are out now. Shaman is up next.Though the lovers in these books are fated mates, their journeys to HEA are anything but smooth. I’m especially proud of Rogue, which was named a best book read for 2022 by the Independent Book Review. Kirkus Reviews says readers of JR Ward and Gena Showalter will love this series.

I’m an avid rock music fan, and one of my hobbies is attending rock concerts. This rock music obsession has led me to write the Balefire Series following the lives and loves of the four members and the manager of the fictional Balefire band. Readers can follow the drummer in Play For Me, the lead singer in Sing For Me, the lead guitarist in Wild For Me, the bassist in Hot For Me, and the manager in Stay For Me. I’m proud of Play For Me being named a finalist in the 2023 Amor Book Awards. Readers of Kylie Scott and Carly Phillips will enjoy this series.

My love of sports–and reader requests–has inspired me to start the Game Time Series following several players on the fictional Wildcats college football team. The first two books–Finding the End Zone and Out of Bounds–are currently available to readers with Offsides coming in July 2024 and Delay of Game coming in October 2024. For readers of Kristen Callihan and Sara Ney, this series is for you. New adult, angst, college drama, and all the feels await readers of this series.

Readers who love tropes such as fated mates, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, opposites attract, and second-chance romance will enjoy my stories. Reviewers consistently point to my world-building, strong, relatable characters, and humor as reasons for coming back to my books. And I don’t hold back on the steam–these stories are consistently four chilis. My goal is always to show readers a good time.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The entire process of writing a book delights me. I love coming up with characters and their stories. As a pantser, I love meeting and following the characters on their journeys in the first draft as though I’m a reader reading the story for the first time. Often, I hear authors lamenting the revision and editing stages of the process, but I find so much joy in honing and polishing the story I dumped on the page in the first draft. If not for the fact that I hire an editor who sets deadlines, I’d probably tinker with a book forever because I love to find more precise words and more interesting turns of phrase as I work through each draft. The writing itself is my reward. Reader response is the lovely bonus reward.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

In the second year of my writing career, I was invited to join a critique group, which has been a god-send. A couple of the writers in my group are ahead of me in their careers, and their generosity in sharing what works for them and what to avoid has truly helped me grow my business. Three things I learned in this group that I wish I’d known about sooner are: 1) the value of newsletters and how to build an email list. Newsletter builders are so effective for growing a list of readers who want to know what you’re working on and who will come through as beta readers and reviewers as you build your relationships with them. 2) Subscribing to marketing opportunities such as Written Word Media and the Fussy Librarian are fantastic ways to get books in front of the right readers. 3) Using a service such as Itsy Bitsy Book Bits to ethically find the right reviewers for your books is invaluable. Via my critique partners, I discovered all of these resources a ways into my journey. Had I discovered them sooner, I think my career would be exponentially more successful at this point.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tamderudderjackson.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tamstales32
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/1531651733710243
• Other: BookBub: https://bookbub.com/authors/tam-derudder-jackson Good Reads: https://goodreads.com/author/show/19849371 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authortamderudderjackson

Image Credits
Austin J. Jackson