Indie Support Sunday: Jenna Rogers
- May 18
- 11 min read
Did you know that a dream is what inspired Jenna Rogers to write her debut, Where The Sun Lights the Shadows? It’s always so amazing to understand what drives someone to write the stories they do and Jenna goes into detail about the dream that brought to life the story she put into her debut. But that’s not where her writing journey began. It all started in the fourth grade and with Mrs. Drouin, who helped her discover her love for writing.
Not only did Jenna write a friends to lovers, best friend’s brother romance, she’s even started a small town series set in the fictional town of Roots, Texas. The first book Putting Down Roots just released and if you’re a fan of cowboys, this might be the story for you. Inspired by her own experiences with anxiety and other mental health struggles as well as life with a rescue dog her parents brought into their lives—Putting Down Roots might have something for everyone.
Jenna’s books are now available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.
BEING AN AUTHOR
Who or what inspired you to write?
I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember. In fourth grade, I realized my love for reading could translate into writing. I had the power to create my own stories, and it was incredible. My teacher, Mrs. Drouin, played a large role in helping me discover my love of writing. She created all these different songs to help teach us about different writing devices like similes and onomatopoeias. I still remember those songs to this day. I started writing stories when I had Mrs. Drouin as my teacher and continued for a few years after that, but I stopped as I got older and more “practical.”
About a year ago, a dream of mine triggered me to start writing again.
What’s the best and worst part about being an indie author?
I have loved being an indie author because of the ownership I have over my process. I get to choose my own timeline. I get to have final say in what gets included from my book or what gets cut. I get to decide what I want to write. This process has really empowered me and taught me how to trust myself because there’s really no one I can go to for the answers.
One of the more difficult parts of being an indie author has definitely been starting out. There’s a lot that goes into publishing a book once it’s actually written that I think most people don’t think about. Figuring out which step comes next and how long it will take has been difficult for me.
Why did you choose to self-publish instead of going the traditional route?
I did a lot of research when I decided I wanted to publish my book, but at the end of the day, I decided I wanted to publish more for the joy of writing than anything, and I wanted to have the power to create the project I wanted. I have a lot of ideas in my head, and my stories are so important to me. I wanted to make sure they get to come to the world the way I intended them to.
When you’re not writing, what do you do to get the creative juices flowing?
These days a lot of things get the creative juices flowing. Music is one of my biggest inspirations. I drew on several songs to help me create scenes in my debut, Where the Sun Lights the Shadows, and I created playlists for Putting Down Roots while I was writing it too. For the next two books in the Roots series, I actually created the playlists before I even started drafting, and the music shaped the plot a lot.
Every day events in my life have also triggered inspiration. I’ve been out at concerts or hanging out with friends and seen things that have given me inklings of ideas that I often jot down in the notes app in my phone for later. Plus, I like to put my characters through similar struggles to those I’ve had in my own life to help create relatable characters that also give my readers something to take away from the book besides the joy of reading about a beautiful love story.
If you were to recommend books to me (in any genre), what would they be?
The Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy (they’re just fun college hockey romance books that got me back into reading)
The Knockemout Series by Lucy Score (recent reads that I’m obsessed with, particularly the first novel)
Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon (a novel I haven’t seen all over the place, but I really enjoyed the plot twist)
The Sparrow Falls series by Catherine Cowles (I am working my through this series now. They’re romantic suspense, so they’ll suck you in, and the characters are my fav!)
The Two of Us by Taylor Torres (This is another book I haven’t seen everywhere. It’s a second chance romance, and it’s so good!)
What are your top 5 tips or pieces of advice for aspiring authors?
Get out of your own head and go for it. I’ve always been someone who sat on the sidelines and watched everyone else. I started my debut as a fun side project that brought me joy, but once I got further, I realized I could make a difference with my story, and I wanted to share it. It took reading a passage in my own book where I was talking about not letting fear hold you back (and realizing that those were my own words) to give me the kick in the pants to go for it, but it has been so worth it.
When you’re starting out, pick one social media platform and commit to it. Personally, I’ve found social media can be overwhelming at times, and it’s really difficult to balance multiple apps. Pick one and get really good at it before you try to get on all the platforms.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to other authors. I love getting messages from other authors. Being an indie author is such a unique experience, and while friends and family can be very supportive, they likely won’t understand the journey you’re on. It’s very rewarding to talk with other people who are going through the same thing as you, and everyone is so kind and willing to offer advice to one another.
Write the words. Editing is an important part of the writing process, but you can’t edit a book you don’t have. Write your first draft and then start editing. It’s so easy to get trapped in a spiral of editing the same chapter over and over again. Move on. Come back to it after several days or even weeks. Let go of expectations and just keep writing. Often my best writing comes when I’m not worried about making the book perfect.
Don’t be afraid to share your excitement about your book. You should be proud of your book and adore the plot and the characters. You came up with it and decided to share it with the world for a reason. It’s not bragging to show that you’re excited about it and want others to read it. Other people will feed off of your excitement.
ROMANCE AS A GENRE
Why did you choose romance as the genre to write in? What is your favorite thing about the genre?
I’ve always loved love. Even when I was in elementary school and wrote short stories for fun, they usually had a love story in them. When I returned to reading in college, after years of not reading at all, it was romance books that made me fall in love with reading again. I love that they have so much depth while also promising a happy ending. Life is hard, so I love romance books because they give me hope.
What are your most and least favorite tropes?
I have a soft spot in my heart for friends to lovers. I love the development the story gets from having that background/foundation of the relationship first. Ironically, I also love reading enemies to lovers.
I don’t think there’s anything I really don’t enjoy. I’ve found there are so many great writers out there, even when there’s a trope that I don’t typically like, there’s usually someone who can prove me wrong.
What are some tropes you want to write in the future?
One trope that has been calling to me lately is hockey romance. I love reading hockey romance. I really enjoy a hockey romance with lots of side characters and teammates that embrace the FMC, so there’s a good chance I will write something like that one day. I also want to continue to write small town romance and include mental health reps in my books.
What are some topics (sensitive and otherwise) that you think should exist more in romance?
I am personally trying to bring more mental health discussions into books. Putting Down Roots revolves around the female main character’s experience with anxiety and pulls heavily from some of my own experiences with it. I’d like to include some other topics that I hold close to my heart as well such as body image and the mistreatment of animals. One of my biggest goals with my writing is to create stories with relatable characters that help people feel less alone in the world. It’s a beautiful thing when I read a book and can connect with the character, and I want to give that gift to more people.
If you write closed door romance, why did you choose that and what are your favorite ways to build tension between the characters?
I chose to write closed door romance primarily because that’s what I felt comfortable with. I still read open door romance books often, but I think it’s truly special to be able to create a relationship that is built on emotional intimacy. I do use physical attraction to help build tension between characters, but I also use small touches and intense dialogue to create tension.
YOUR BOOKS
What inspired your published stories? How and when did you come up with these stories and plots?
My debut novel was actually inspired by a dream. I have some really crazy dreams, but this dream in particular had something special about it. I had a sort of out of body experience where I was looking at the world through someone else’s eyes. I was having a conversation with this guy who was supposed to be my best friend’s brother, and there was this incredible tension between the two of us as we spoke. There was an element of mystery in the dream because his sister, and my best friend, had recently died, and I was asking the boy all kinds of questions about her death. The dream ended with him finally responding to me with, “I don’t know, the book hasn’t been written yet.” I woke up immediately and started plotting Where the Sun Lights the Shadows.
My next series, the Roots series, was primarily inspired by my own life experience. I was previously working in a job I absolutely hated, and experiencing a lot of anxiety with that job. I woke up every day with this terrible sense of dread, and I had regular panic attacks, so I used the fictional small town of Roots, TX to create an escape for myself. It became a world where it was possible to leave behind a job you hated and be loved even when you’re not perfect. Eventually, the first book in the series, Putting Down Roots, became more than just therapy, it became a world of beautiful characters I fell in love with and a story I had to share.
Can you briefly tell me about your books?
Where the Sun Lights the Shadows, my debut novel, is a friends to lovers story told through dual timelines. It takes place at the lake over the course of 11 years, and follows Emma and Andrew as they explore first love, friendship, and grief. If you love pining, summer, and sweet male main characters that treat their women right, you’ll love Where the Sun Lights the Shadows. Plus, the dual timelines makes this book fast-paced and so easy to binge.
My second book, Putting Down Roots, just released. The female main character, Olivia Parker, comes to the small town of Roots, TX to prove to her parents she’s okay after her senior manager recommends she take a leave of absence from work to work on her mental health. While in town, she quickly finds herself forced into close proximity with a very prickly, but very handsome cowboy, Rhett Lawson. The story follows both their journeys of healing and falling love. It tackles big topics like anxiety and learning how to live your life in a way that makes you happy instead of living it in a way that satisfies other people’s expectations of you. If you love cowboys in wrangler jeans, found family, adorable rescue dogs, mental health rep, and cozy small towns, you’ll adore this book.
Do you already have a favorite character from the stories you’ve written?
This one is probably impossible for me to answer. I absolutely relate to my female main characters in Where the Sun Lights the Shadows and Putting Down Roots the most, but all of the male leads and supporting characters are equally my babies. I love how bold Rebecca from Where the Sun Lights the Shadows (WTSLTS) and Callie from Putting Down Roots (PDR) are. They’re kind of like the version of me I hope to be someday. Dani from WTSLTS and Lauren from PDR are more tender and sensitive, but they are also so caring and easy to fall in love with. And I have to give a shout out to Maverick, the first animal I’d ever written. Man, I fell in love with him, and there’s a scene in Putting Down Roots with him that makes me cry every time I read it.
How much of yourself do you put into these characters?
I put a lot of myself in my main characters. It’s easy to write from a perspective I know very well. I write with the hope of creating authentic characters that people can relate to, and I’ve found when I write from personal experience, it really seems to resonate with people.
What is a story/stories that you really want to tell?
I am super excited to share Putting Down Roots with the world because it shines light on two very important subjects to me, anxiety and the world of animal rescues. I think this book will be very important to share because it will hopefully help others feel less alone and inspire them to make whatever changes they need to help find peace and joy in their lives. The animal rescue side comes from my parents’ dog, Ember. She was rescued when she was only about six months old. She is the sweetest dog I have ever met, but she had a difficult past. I regularly check-in with the rescue she came from, and the amount of dogs they currently have is overwhelming. These poor dogs all have their own backstory that is equally heartbreaking, and I wish more people knew about it.
Is there one common element that readers can find in all your stories?
I can guarantee you there will be a happily ever after with my stories, likely some sort of obstacle or challenge I’ve faced in my own life, and also probably a character that loves ice cream.
What’s next on the bookshelf for you? Anything you can tell us about a future project?
I am currently working on the second book in the Roots series. I’m trying really hard to keep it under wraps for a while longer, but I will tell you that you have definitely met the main characters already in Putting Down Roots. I am also excited to share that you will get to see more of Olivia and Rhett being happily in love together, and there will be a lot more of our favorite girl gang (hello group chat).
When you write these stories, what are you hoping your readers will feel?
I want my readers to feel hope and to feel a little less alone in the world.
AUTHOR’S CHOICE
Paperbacks, hardbacks, ebooks or audiobooks
Contemporary, fantasy, historical or romantic suspense
Single or Dual POV
Standalones, series and standalones in a series
Open door, ajar door or closed door romances—Closed Door Romances; I will read any of them but prefer writing closed door romances
Music or silence when writing—I love to use music to inspire me for writing, but I never listen to it while I’m writing unless I’m writing a specific scene with a song in it.
Water, tea, coffee or….wine?
Cold or warm weather
Write better in the morning, afternoon or night?
Illustrated or photo cover?
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