Scribe's Desk: Q& A with Indie Author Jourdana Webber

Hello Queens, this month we bring the lovely Indie Author Jourdana Webber that just released her debut novel this month! ✨
I am happy to call her a friend and can't wait to introduce you to this incredible human being that deserves all the hype!

Introduction & Unconventionally, Elle Review

Jourdana and I became friends back when my shop had just started. She bought a sticker from me and shared it on social media, it was the sweetest thing! We started chatting about books, and slowly a friendship grew.

As she opened up on social media about her writing and indie publishing journey in such a vulnerable and real way, I was instantly hooked and so happy to support her however I could. (I even got to design some stickers for her book launch later on, which was such a huge honor!) She also talks a lot about Mental Health and is unapologetically her, which is very refreshing.

Unconventionally, Elle starts out as a sweet, light read, but as the story unfolds it dives into deeper themes like mental health, family issues, loss and death (so a few trigger warnings there). It is also about how life and timing can throw you unexpected surprises in so many different ways.

Elle, our FMC, is constantly reinventing herself until she finally feels like she has found her true self. I would not call it a traditional love triangle because most of the story plays out in a dual timeline, and every relationship has its own time and meaning in her journey. It feels more like love evolves right alongside her.

Spice-wise, it is closed-door, so I would give it a solid 1🌶️.

Ready to dive into her story and her contemporary romance novel? Let’s go!

Jourdana Webber Interview

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Was it a childhood dream, or did it come a little later? 

It was later. I never knew what I wanted to be growing up – I was torn between an archeologist, marine biologist, artist, actress, vet, you name it. Ha. Teachers always commented on my writing and so my sophomore year of college I was like hey, wait, I can major in this. So, I got a journalism degree wanting to work for a magazine like Vogue. Long story short, I never used my degree and instead went into corporate America. I honestly don’t remember my ‘aha’ moment, I think I’d played with the idea of writing a book, but after corporate America, I had to write Elle.

What first sparked "Unconventionally, Elle"?  Was it a character, a scene, or one of those fun “what if” moments?

So, the book in general or the title? The book was me trying to create a character who I wanted to be and channel my dreams into after quitting corporate and feeling like I had very little self-worth. Now, the title --- I was playing around with different word combos and finally I was like wait, she’s unconventional so let’s play with that. I always called the book Elle because I tend to create a working title based on the main character.

You’ve pitched your novel as Legally Blonde meets Sex and the City (which is so fun, by the way) — what made you want to mash up those two vibes? 

My Elle gives me Elle Woods vibes. What, like it’s hard?  My Elle defied expectations and did things other people didn’t think she could do. She came into herself just like Elle in Legally Blonde. FYI: Naming her Elle was a coincidence but now I lean into it!

When I think of SATC I think of city life and found family, and that’s Unconventionally, Elle to a “T”. Carrie Bradshaw and Elle both have their people.

Did you always know you’d write romance, or did you try other genres before finding your lane?

Not at all. I was originally writing a general women’s fiction, but then I decided to add romance to the plot; consequently, falling in love with the formula of it all! I needed a HEA, and by writing romance, I was able to write one for myself and everyone else. I still want to experiment with a murder mystery love story, and maybe some magical realism, as well. I also like to write poetry, but that’s just for me (for now) to process intense emotions.

Who was your favorite character to write?

Finn or Louie. 

Do you think pieces of yourself slipped into any of the characters, or maybe some were inspired by real people in your life?

Absolutely. It’s not a memoir by any means, but the friends in Elle are all a combination of best friends I’ve had throughout my life. Finn is the only one who is 100% based on one person, and he knows it (& loves it), but everyone else is a mash-up. My grandparents inspired Elle’s grandparents, and then Elle herself was written as someone I wanted to be but couldn’t figure out to do it in real life, so I wrote her instead. Louie was also based on my first dog, Vinny. The resemblance is uncanny.

Was there a scene that it was really hard to write, or nearly drove you crazy to get right?

Not one in particular, but definitely with the dual timeline and making sure everything made sense. Lesson learned, I’m never doing another book where I need to keep track of dates and weeks. I had an entire white board as a cheat sheet while writing Elle.

Actually, when she picks her beau for the HEA – that was super tough because I love both MMCs, and I cried when she made her choice. I would have probably cried regardless.

I love how open and vulnerable you are on social media about your publishing journey. As a debut author, what’s been the most surprising part of the process so far?

How many decisions are needed throughout the process, but also, the most surprising part was Elle becoming an instant bestseller. Like, what?!

People in the industry are quick to tell authors/writers that their book is merely a piece of confetti in the world of books. Yeah, sure, there are a lot of books, but if you market your book well and find your audience and readers, you can achieve anything they tell you is impossible.

When readers close the last page, what’s the one thing you hope they carry with them?

That if they feel stuck or are struggling with mental health, to know that they aren’t alone. And that they don’t have to meet some high expectation that society has placed on them. Be YOU and find your own success.

Is there a small detail in the book that might seem tiny, but secretly holds a lot of meaning for you?

There are little sayings throughout from her grandparents, and they are almost verbatim from my own grandparents. They both passed away before Elle was released, so the pieces of them throughout the story are incredibly special. Also, the Manolos.

Do you have a “deleted scene” you secretly love, one you wish readers could see?

It’s currently in my head because I never got a chance to write it in the book. Let’s just say, strip scrabble. Haha

Can you give us a tiny, cryptic tease about what you’re working on next? 

Addie likes shiny things, but she’d marry him with paper rings.

Have you ever had a real-life “Legally Blonde” moment when people underestimated you and you totally proved them wrong?

Yes, when my book became an instant bestseller. Mic drop to all the boys who made me a mad woman.

Do you feel like writing this book changed you in some way? What kind of personal growth came out of it?

Absolutely. I found my voice, my joy and my confidence through Elle’s story. I was able to process with my therapist how to live an unconventional life and believe I have self-worth when I’d been trained and groomed to be in corporate America. 

Elle was written during a time of immense depression and anxiety, and by the time she released, she and I were both healing and ready to take on the world.

If you could sip cosmos with any romance author, past or present, who would it be?

Everyone puts Jane Austen, don’t they? I mean, Emily Henry is basically my Taylor Swift. Though, I’d also sip cosmos with Taylor Swift if we’re being honest.

If Elle could text Carrie Bradshaw for advice, what would she ask?

How to afford an apartment in the Upper East Side on a writer’s salary? Kidding, kidding! She’d ask her what to do when you have feelings for two men, and really can’t choose because they both make you better in different ways…

If your book was a cocktail, what would be in it? 

The Alchemy cocktail at the new 1587 Restaurant.

And finally… what advice would you give someone with a finished contemporary romance manuscript who’s scared to hit “publish”?

If you finished your first draft, congrats! Many people never get that far. Believe that your art, your magic is needed in this world, and by sharing it, you are being rebellious and true to you. So just do it. We need it.

How to Support Jourdana

Hope you loved getting to know her as much as I did! If you want to get to know more about her and series please visit her website and Instagram. You can find her book everywhere that sells book and she also has an amazing audiobook read by Stella Bloom that's available on Hoopla Digital.

Let me know if you end up reading the series or if you read it already, and if you have recommendations for next authors to be featured!