Interview with Author Jasmine Silvera

The next fabulous author who spoke with us about being an indie author is Jasmine Silvera! She is the author of six books, and we’ve been lucky enough to have met Jasmine in person at a few book conventions, and we were thrilled when she wanted to work with us on the Indie Author Spotlight Project. She spoke with us about the inspirations behind her stories, her advice for fellow indie authors, and more. 

Jasmine Silvera writes stories about the things that go bump in the night, including headboards. A California native, she mostly loves living in Seattle but refuses to give up her umbrella. She is the author of the fantasy romance series The Grace Bloods and its prequel trilogy Tooth & Spell.

What was your inspiration for the Grace Bloods series? 

I lived in Prague for almost two years, and much of my inspiration came from the city itself—it’s truly a magical place with a rich occult history. The Prague Castle sitting on the hill overlooking the city seemed like the perfect place for a brooding, ageless hero to lurk. I read a lot of paranormal romance—Nalini Singh, LA Banks, and Elizbeth Hunter are three of my favorites!—and I’d seen a lot of magical heroes and knew I wanted a slightly different, maybe a bit more sinister direction. “Putting the Romance back in Necromancy" was the early tagline for Death’s Dancer!

Where did the idea of using dance as a way to attract the gods within your story come from? 

I went about it fairly backward—I knew I wanted dance to be involved in the book before I understood the how or why! But in many cultures dance has been used in religious and spiritual practices to communicate about, receive messages from or even communicate with divinity. That was my biggest ‘what if’ moment while I was plotting (no, it wasn’t the sexy guy that raises the dead!) What if the magic in this world was tied to gods and if dance was the way humans accessed it? And then Isela came to me and I was off! 

In Death’s Dancer, Isela has chronic pain due to her issues with her hip. What made you decide to include her chronic pain as a part of her characterization?

Often characters start with a ‘why’ and in Isela’s case it was “why would someone continue to do an activity that causes them so much pain and is gradually breaking them down physically?” I’m a (very) amateur dancer who is lucky to know a few more serious dancers willing to talk about their experience. In my research, I found that though we often think of dancers as very elegant and delicate, like most athletes, they are incredibly tough and resilient. It’s not unheard of for them to suffer chronic pain in silence because their livelihoods depend on using their bodies in intense ways most of us can’t imagine. Writing Isela was an opportunity for me to learn about the nuanced reasons behind that decision and explore the world from the perspective of someone who lives in that choice. 

What draws you to write paranormal romance? 

I grew up on a steady diet of comics, fantasy books, and movies. Discovering paranormal romance and fantasy romance felt like coming home, and most of my stories have been set in some sort of magical world (either closely related to our own or very different) Plus two things I always wanted more of were Brown Girl heroines and kissing, and now I get to write both!

How do you set the vibe when you sit down to write your stories?

These days, I'm too busy for vibes! When I get writing time, it's often between other things, so I make my routine as uncomplicated as possible. One constant is that every book has a playlist, which I almost always listen to = get me "in the mood" with the characters and emotions before and while I work.

What is some advice that you’d give to aspiring authors who are thinking about indie publishing?

Be realistic about how much time and energy you can give to the things that go into the publishing part and get help when you needed it. Don't be afraid to talk to other indie authors.

What’s the best advice you have for writing a romance?

Read, read, read. You're not reinventing a genre, you're adding an entry into the conversation it creates. Approaching with respect to what came before you and a desire to elevate, improve and inspire the next generation of writers is the best way to  part of the community!

What genre have you not written yet that you’d be interested in?

Horror romance. I've been getting into the darker, grittier things and I think I'd love to try my hand at writing one. But then some days I just want to write a breezy rom-com. Very Gemini of me.

What do you hope readers will take away from your stories?

I often think that I write aspirationally about relationships. I hope readers get inspired to imagine and take steps toward the kind of relationships that fulfill, inspire and uplift them—be they romantic, familial or friendship!

What's one writing rule you believe in and one you think is made to be broken?

Start as close to the action as possible is one I repeat to myself at the beginning of almost every scene.Show don't tell is one I think we could take it easy on! Some of the most beautiful passages in literature set scenes and describe characters and emotions. Gorgeous language is always worth it. As long as you don't go overboard, there's nothing wrong with having a little fun.

What do you have coming next to keep on our radars?

I've been hard at work on a sword-and-sandal inspired epic romantasy about an outlander who comes to the heart of an Al-Andalus-inspired empire and is taken under the wing of the emperor's rebellious heir to compete in the annual games. It's a big departure from the magical Prague, but a lot of fun to research, imagine, and write! 

You can support Jasmine's Indie Author Spotlight collection through May 14th, 2026! Click here to shop now!