In a world where love stories ignite our imaginations and heal our hearts, Kayla Jones takes us on a journey through her own experiences that shaped her romance novel, Hold Me As I Land. With a background deeply rooted in both personal and family challenges, Kayla’s storytelling transcends mere entertainment, inviting readers to explore the complexities of relationships and mental health. As the founder of Fontaine Publications, she is dedicated to uplifting fellow indie authors while navigating the hurdles of marketing and self-publishing. Join us as Kayla shares her inspiring journey, the lessons learned from her love story, and her unwavering passion for helping others find their voices through the written word.
- Can you share the personal experiences that inspired your romance novel Hold Me As I Land?
Outside of just loving romance novels, it was actually my own personal love story that inspired Hold Me As I Land. Despite the meet cute of my characters not resembling how my husband and I met in real life, the relationship that they have closely mirrors our dynamic. Even though we butted heads for a while, his patience really taught me a lot about myself, about us, and about what love truly is. I don’t think my characters or the depth of the story would exist if I didn’t get the opportunity to experience the love that my husband continues to show me.
- What motivates you to weave your family and mental health experiences into your creative work?
I think art imitates life. I know when I was going through issues with my family and mental health, I always sought out things that related to my struggles. I think we fall into this trap where we believe we’re the only person going through something when that’s not the case. A lot of people in this world deal with complex family relationships, anxiety, depression, etc. Knowing that other people were experiencing the same thing made it easier for me to understand and to come to terms with. So that’s why I try to weave that into my work because I want to be that safe space for someone else who might be going through something similar.
- What challenges did you face in creating Fontaine Publications and how did you overcome them?
Wonderful question! I’ve faced a couple of challenges with Fontaine Publications, but the main one that I continue to struggle with sometimes is marketing. Marketing isn’t my strong suit. I’m a bit introverted and social media is still a beast that I have yet to master.
I also work full time as well, so that does take some time away from my business and I often get burnt out, so marketing tends to take a backseat. However, I want to find my audience and I’m passionate about helping indie authors. So even though I don’t always have the time to post on Instagram everyday or make a Tik Tok video, I’ve tried to find other ways to market myself so I can conserve my energy. Lately I’ve been focusing more on Threads and I just started my own newsletter to help build my author brand and plug my business (it’s called The Write Blend on Substack if you want to check it out!). I’m also going to start plugging my business more in my community so I can gain more clientele for the graphic and editing side of my business. I think when it comes to marketing you have to find what works for you and always remember why you started. The numbers and metrics (despite what we see) doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you still find a way to put yourself out there in a way that’s authentic to you. The audience you’re looking for will find you.
- How has your experience as a self-published author shaped your approach to helping indie authors?
I think it’s because I understand what it’s like. I know how exciting it is to come up with an idea. How fun it is to write your first draft. How much is sucks to do developmental editing and deal with imposter syndrome. How expensive it can be to pay for editing services or cover art. How daunting it is to market your book when you don’t know the first thing about it. And the joy you feel when you get to hold your finished book in your hands. I fully know what it’s like from start to finish and I think that has truly shaped how I run Fontaine Publications. I want to make my editing services affordable, which is why I’m always open to discounts and payment plans. I want to be able to help with any bumps in the road with your story. I want to open the door for more services to offer indies so that the publishing process isn’t as daunting as it was for me when I first started. And truthfully, I want to inspire every writer to publish something, even if they believe they can’t.
- What has been the most challenging aspect of the developmental editing process for Hold Me As I Land?
Chapter 9. I know that sound weird, but this chapter has put me in a months-long writer’s block. I also think I’ve been having a hard time since I’ve had to add a lot of extra scenes and chapters to the book and flesh out one of the main characters more. It’s been very challenging, but also rewarding. I think because I’m so passionate about getting this right, it’ll turn into something beautiful once I complete the manuscript.
- How do you deal with perfectionism and imposter syndrome while working on your creative projects?
I don’t. You would think after over a decade of writing I would have conquered the feeling of perfectionism and imposter syndrome, but that wouldn’t be true. I just try my best to remember that comparison is the thief of joy and that someone is waiting for my book. I know I have something to say and that my writing is worth being shared. It’s easier said than done and most days it’s a struggle to keep those thoughts at bay, but sometimes you have to just keep pushing through even when you don’t want to. There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel.
- What advice would you give to aspiring authors who are just starting their journey?
Remember your why. That’s going to keep you going even when it gets difficult.
- What future projects or goals are you excited about, both personally and professionally?
Future project wise, I’m super excited to finish HMAIL and the two other books I have planned for the series. I also have a lot of other novels in the works that I can’t wait to start writing.
For my business, I’m just excited to see it grow. I have so many goals for this business and I hope as time goes on, I’m able to achieve them.
And personally, I just want to keep writing and working towards my dreams. I also would love to buy a house one day with my husband and go to Japan!
Personal (IG & Threads): @kaethewriter
Business (IG & Threads): @fontainepublications
Business Website: https://fontainepublications.com/
