Title: Becoming Mistress Maye: A provocative and empowering novel for any woman who has felt the pressure to conform to society’s beauty standards.
by C.J. Love-Jones
Genre: Women’s Fiction/Domestic Life Fiction
Length: 250 pages paperback/ 70K words
Pub Date: Available for pre-order now. Release Date Nov 17th.
$.99 on sale now through release week.
Description: In a world that tells women to hate their bodies, this empowering novel celebrates beauty beyond size and the power of self-confidence.
Shelbi Mae has spent her life chasing the perfect body. After countless failed diets, programs, and promises, she is heavier and unhappier than she’s ever been.
Desperate for change, Shelbi turns to an unconventional life coach who challenges her to stop counting calories and start looking inward. As she sheds her old beliefs, her journey takes a daring and unexpected turn into an underground world where acceptance isn’t tied to size.
As her desire to feel beautiful pulls her deeper into this taboo realm, Shelbi finds herself in a dangerous dance with seduction and power, risking her marriage, her safety, and the woman she thought she knew. When the illusion unravels, Shelbi faces an impossible choice: has becoming Mistress Maye cost her everything—or is it the only way to discover her true self?
For readers who love bold, provocative stories of self-discovery, empowerment, and transformation. Becoming Mistress Maye tackles body image and sensuality with unflinching honesty, leading readers on a journey where inner strength is born in the most unexpected places.
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3UbPuHY
Author Interview Questions: C.J. Love-Jones.
New Release: Becoming Mistress Maye
- At what point did you decide to be an author, and what was your path to publication?
I’ve read and listened to countless interviews from other authors, and one thing stands out—a common thread I share, is that: if there’s anything else you can do besides writing, do that, because writing (and publishing) is immeasurably difficult. I fall into the category of writers who have to write. It’s not just a choice—it’s an obsession.
I started writing seriously in 2012, and by 2015, I had published my first book. That year, on my thirty-fifth birthday, I hit #1 on Amazon in the genre of biographies and memoirs. It was a pivotal moment when I realized I should have started writing twenty years earlier. But like many, I was distracted, afraid, and had another career. I never saw a clear path to getting my books into the world—until self-publishing became a viable option. That opened the door, and once I stepped through, I knew there was no turning back.
- Describe your writing process. Do you outline, plot, and plan, or is your writing more organic?
I had no formal training as a writer and nearly failed every English and writing class in high school and college. So, in 2012, when I first sat down to write, it took me three years to finish my first book. I poured out 200,000 words, then sifted through the mess to find enough gold nuggets to shape into a story. I quickly realized this approach was unsustainable if I wanted to publish more than one book every century. So, I made a commitment to refine my process.
For the past six years, I’ve consciously honed my craft—trying new techniques, adapting, pivoting, and growing, knowing that eventually, I’d find a rhythm that aligned with my goals and my lifestyle. I’m sure my process will continue to evolve, but for now, I’ve streamlined my approach, and I’m proud of the schedule I’ve created and what I’m creating.
I’m an outliner, but the final product never reflects the initial outline, it always changes. I commit to a minimum of 15K words/week, which could be vomit draft all the way through final polish. I go through about 6-10 drafts of each manuscript before it goes to beta readers, developmental editor, copy/line edit then proofreaders.
- What do you do when a new idea jumps out at you while you’re still working on a book? Do you chase the squirrel (aka “UP syndrome”) or do you finish your current project first?
Unfortunately, I learned this lesson the hard way. When I first tried my hand at fiction, I jumped in with what seemed like a fantastic idea—but without an outline. When I hit the sagging middle, bored myself, and wrote into a corner, I abandoned ship for what I thought was a better idea. Until, of course, I reached the same sagging middle on that one and moved on to a third manuscript. Now, I have three different 80K-word manuscripts, each with significant structural issues that might never be fixable. So, I committed to a thorough outline and a full write-through—even if it’s a vomit first draft. From here on, those are my two non-negotiables: a comprehensive outline (which might evolve) and a commitment to push through to the end, even if it’s ugly. It always gets better.
- What have you found to be most challenging about writing women’s fiction/contemporary romance?
I started in non-fiction, and I used to think, “Fiction writers have it made—when they’re stuck, they can just make stuff up! I have to work with facts and still make it entertaining.” Oh, how wrong I was. Both forms are challenging, but “making stuff up” isn’t easy by any stretch—at least, not if it’s going to meet my standards for quality. Writing fiction has proven to be a long and unending learning curve, revealing that crafting a cohesive, engaging story, no matter the genre, is anything but simple.
- Tell us what you enjoy most about writing.
Why do you write? I’ve asked myself this a million times. Why do I want to show up and write every day? Why this story? Why spend my time this way? And the answer always returns to a few core reasons. Gloria Steinem said it best: “Writing is the only thing that, when I’m doing it, I don’t feel like I should be doing anything else.” I write because it’s exactly what I want to be doing, regardless of the outcome. And when I ask myself why else, the answer is: to know myself.
Writing is how I discover and understand both myself and the world around me in a way I can’t achieve through any other medium—not through painting, singing, talking, relationships—nothing else. And, of course, I write to entertain—myself and, hopefully, others. I’m a born entertainer, though I’ve become more introverted over time, choosing this quieter, solitary medium to express myself suites me well. Writing gives me the perfect space to create, connect, and entertain in the way that feels most true to who I am.
- Is there anything you would like people to take away from your book?
I think every reader takes away something unique from the books they read. Fiction is often open to interpretation, and as authors, we can’t fully predict what a reader will create in their mind or take away from the story, regardless of our intentions. I accept this.
But for Becoming Mistress Maye, if there’s one takeaway I hope for, beyond the obvious themes, it’s this: it might be easy to judge Mistress Maye (Shelbi) for her choices, and perhaps hard to relate to her, because her chosen hobby isn’t one most people would pursue. But then, neither is riding a hobby horse or carving trolls from putty—quirky, niche interests that may not appeal to everyone but harm no one. Shelbi discovered something, however unconventional, that truly ignites her. And if she’s not hurting herself or anyone else, who are we to judge her for that?
Author Bio
2017 & 2021 Readers Favorite book award winner. Amazon best-seller, non-fiction. Independent publisher. Wine drinker. Plant eater. Pit bull momma hell-bent on saving animals.
C.J. lives in Fargo, North Dakota don’t cha know, yeah you betcha she does. Where she was born in a blizzard, has two dogs, one husband and three children. She is contemplating starting a family band and forcing them to travel and sing for old people like her parents made her do. Thus far she hasn’t, but she threatens and shows them embarrassing photos of what their fate could be if they don’t fall in line.
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