Author Interview - Jocelyne Soto
Hello friends and lovers!
I’m back with another interview! This time, we have Jocelyne Soto, who is not only a kind hearted soul, but a friend I met through our instagram writer community and she deserves all the hype!
We’re starting off this amazing Friday with Jocelyne, whose HOCKEY romance just went live! I am beyond proud of her!
Hockey romance novels are all the rage right now, so be sure to check it out. For now, let’s get to know Jocelyne better.
Let’s get started!
About You
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
Well, I’m a 28 almost 29 [years old] romance author from California. I like to read romance when I’m not working or writing, and in the last couple of years I’ve picked up candle making as a hobby. How I got into candle making is beyond me, but it’s fun; and even in the works of building a website, as if being an author isn’t stressful enough, lol.
I became a romance author because it's a genre that I love to read and wanted to add stories to the space that you don’t really see.
One of my goals is to be able to open up a bookstore in the bay area that caters to romance readers.
What does a day in your life look like?
So I’m not a full time author. I work full-time as an administrative assistant and I’m only an author part-time.
Typically, when I’m in the middle of writing a book, my day is going to work from 8 to 5 and writing during my lunch and when I get home. I try to write whenever I can.
I usually take a Sunday or Saturday to plan out all my social media, otherwise I won’t post anything. There’s no real rhyme or reason to my day.
How many books have you published?
As of January 5 of this year, I have published 14.
12 of those are full length books and 2 are novellas, but only 8 are currently published. It blows my mind a little bit at that number. I still feel like I’m very new in this profession.
When did your first book get published?
My first book was published in December of 2019. It was a 12 chapter novella to introduce my first series. It terrified me, because even though it wasn’t a full length book, it was still written work that was being put out into the world. It was well received and I’m currently working on bringing it back.
About Writing
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I was starting my fourth year of my undergraduate degree when I first thought about it. I think it was summer of 2015. I was taking a summer course and in the course, we had to create a blog for a project and for some reason I thought it was a good idea to use the blog to write down an idea I had. Originally, it was an idea for a movie but then I started writing it like it was a book, thinking it was a good Idea to make it a book, instead. I started filling up notebooks with this story and I finished it two years later. I let it be and then started typing it out. It wasn’t until late 2018 that I finally decided to take this book and do something with it. I had the idea before, but that was the first time I really started putting things into fruition to become an author.
What genre do you write?
Fictional Romance. And as for subgenre, everything from contemporary romance to dark romance. I decided a while ago that I wasn’t going to limit myself from writing just one specific subgenre.
What part of writing is the most fun for you?
Coming up with a story and thinking of ways on how to make it different. I always love coming up with the idea. The execution, not so much lol.
What is your writing process like?
Are you more of a plotter or a pantser?
I’m a panster through and through. I tell myself that I’m going to plot the next book and put in the work to make writing it as easy as possible, but it never happens. Usually when I come up with a book idea, I write down the character names, the location, and like three sentences of what the book is about.
Usually the book plays out in my head like a movie, so when I write, I have an idea of what is going to happen. I see the characters interact and sometimes act out the dialog that is said with myself. It’s fun trying to say things the way a character does. I’ll take notes as I write and tweak a few things here and there.
Ninety percent of the time it works out how I have planned, but there is always that ten percent in each book that things don’t work out and changes are made to best suit the story.
Which of your characters you've written do you relate to the most and why?
There’s two.
Selena from Worth Every Second and Katalina from One Day. Both of these women have a part of me in them. Their personalities, the way they dress, the way they talk, all have a small piece of me. When I first thought of their individual stories, I couldn’t help but see similarities in them that I see in me. It wasn’t intentional, it just happened that these two are the ones I relate to the most.
WORTH EVERY SECOND is a complete standalone. A college romance that features a cocky football player that is a too hot to handle.
One Day is a STANDALONE Full Length Novel. This story is one where it's possible that it will have an ending you won't expect. HEA is included*
About your book
Tell us about your upcoming book
My next upcoming book is Skating the Blue Line releasing May 11th, 2023. It's book one of a new series and I’m so excited for it.
It's a contemporary, hockey romance centered around the captain of a Chicago based team and a ballerina. One night can change everything, especially when one night results in two little blue lines staring back at you.
As for tropes, it’s a surprise pregnancy, hockey romance, close proximity and has bipoc representation in the female lead. This series has been in my mind for years and it's finally coming to life!
Skating The Blue Line is Book 1 of the Chicago Dark Knights Series. It can be read as a complete standalone.
If your book were made into a movie today, which actors would play your characters?
I honestly have no idea. Is it weird that I may see the book play out as a movie in my head but I don’t see faces?
What spice level would you consider your book to be at?
I would say a solid 3 or 4 on my own spice level. Some books definitely have a lot more spice than others.
Here's a little quote from Vicious Union!
“Have you ever been fucked against a window? For all the world to see?”
“No,” Serena says against my lips and I can’t help but grin. I move my hand from her waist back to her pussy, finding her even wetter and needier than before.
“It turns you on, doesn’t it? The thought of people being able to see you all the way from the street?” I know it does. I can feel it in how her body is responding to all of this.
“Yes,” she pants out when I move my lips down to her neck.
“Good,” I bring my hands to her ass, lifting her up so she can wrap her legs around me. “Because I’m going to fuck you for the whole Las Vegas Strip to see. They will get to see exactly what I do to this little body of yours.”
** VICIOUS UNION is book#1 of the Flor de Muertos Series. This story can be read as a completely standalone and at anytime in the series. **
Do you have a favorite book or series of yours that you wish more readers knew about?
Worth Every Second. The story, the feels, everything about it makes me wish more readers knew about it.
What tropes can readers expect to find in your novels?
Any and every trope. Friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, age gap, forbidden, anything really. The only thing that you may not find—just yet—is small town or MC. I haven’t had an idea for those just yet.
Where can readers follow you?
Basically everywhere! Lol. Here are the links!
Website - www.jocelynesoto.com
Instagram - authorjocelynesoto
Facebook - authorjocelynesoto
Twitter - AuthorJocelyneS
Tiktok - @authorjocelynesoto
Pinterest - authorjocelynesoto
Newsletter - SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER
Retailers:
Concluding this interview, what would you like your readers to know?
I like to describe my writing as heartwarming chaos. If you read one of my books there will definitely be spice and romance but also emotions and things you won’t see coming.
Author Bio
Jocelyne Soto is a writer born and raised in California. She started her writing journey in 2015 and in 2019 she published her first book. She is an independent author who loves discovering new authors on Goodreads and Amazon. She comes from a big Mexican family, and with it comes a love for all things family and food. Jocelyne has a love for her mom’s coffee and writing. In her free time, she can be found reading a romance novel off her iPad or somewhere in the black hole of YouTube.
It was so great having Jocelyne on my blog!
Show Jocelyne some love, comment below, or better yet follow her on social media, check out collection of books!
Happy Tuesday!
Xoxo, Vivian Mae
