I'm beyond pleased to be chatting with Jaye Troop, a talented author who was kind (and brave) enough to host me on her blog in August. So, without further blah de blah, let's get to it. 
                                        Welcome, Jaye! ​

Hi Sue, it’s so lovely to chat with you again. I was honoured to have you feature on my blog in August -
https://www.jayetroop.com/2026/08/guest-author-susan-jean-ricci.html -
and absolutely delighted when you suggested returning the favour although I have to say, this is a bit more daunting! I think I’d rather be asking the questions, but I’ll give it a go - eekk! 

The pleasure is mine, Jaye, and I’m excited to host you today. Nothing to be nervous about, though my questions will strip your professional self down to the bare bones. Readers love that info, right? So, let’s get to it - what can you tell us about yourself?

Of course, and thank you for an easy starter question – I know a lot about me, LOL! I’ve loved books all my life, from childhood visits to the local library to attending creative writing courses as an adult. My passion is writing, but life kept getting in the way until I reached the magic age of 50. At that point, I created a bucket list, and it prompted me to start writing properly – life was still busy, but sleep’s overrated anyway. My first novel, My F in Life, was published in June 2026, and book 2 is now underway, so yay for bucket lists! 

Love the bucket list prompt – a novel idea! LOL. Where did you get your inspiration for this novel?

Middle age can be tricky to navigate, and I was watching friends’ marriages break up, with midlife crisis craziness everywhere (and don’t get me started on the menopause!). At times like that, you either laugh or cry, and I realised how much power there was in humour, so that was what I wanted to write.
If I’m completely honest, I’ve had a lot of fun throwing problems at my poor protagonist and seeing how she reacted (and yes, she does have a mind of her own!). 
I mean, what 50-year-old woman wants their husband to have a pregnant mistress younger than their eldest child? And how many people would enjoy being coerced into online dating by their well-meaning best friend? 
There’s plenty of laughs, but there’s also an undercurrent of real midlife problems, and I love how my protagonist handles things - she’s far better than me!

Fabulous cover, Jaye, I love it! How long did you spend creating your first lines/ chapter, and will you kindly share an excerpt with us?

I spent ages on my opening, because I knew readers made buying decisions within seconds. I was finally happy, but then one of my writer friends mentioned how she would have pulled forward a scene and run the story back a few days. It was such a good idea that I had to try it, and it worked, so I then had more rewriting to do!

This is the opening:

It is just before 3 a.m., and I’m sitting in a taxi, glowing brighter than one of those fluorescent jellyfish you find in deep oceans. Endorphins flood every nook and cranny, turning darkness into light, sad into happy. I’m tingling from head to toe. 

My hair’s still damp from our shower, but inside I’m warm and peaceful. My thoughts aren’t racing, my heart rate’s lower than a hibernating hedgehog, and I can’t stop grinning. Not normal grinning either. Big Cheshire Cat, almost fanatical grinning. I’m surprised the taxi didn’t drive off and leave me stranded on the pavement.

All writers have unique ways of developing their work, so let’s hear yours.  Are you a Plotter or Pantser?

I’m impatient, so I want to be a pantser, but my novels are so much better when I outline them, so I’m a reluctant plotter. If I know there needs to be an inciting incident at this part of the novel here, or a plot point there, then I don’t get a saggy middle (and nobody wants that!). 

However, as I mentioned before, my characters don’t always behave, so there are moments where I become a pantser to get out of a hole they’ve put me in. But that’s fun, and as long as I hit the main plot points, I’m happy.

How do you create character profiles before you write? Do you give them the full bio ahead of time?

I do. In fact, it’s one of my favourite parts! 

I’ve created a template that covers everything from how they look to their education and work backgrounds, favourite music, food, hobbies- everything really. I even do a Myers-Briggs personality test for my main characters, just because it’s fun! 

I know, I sound a bit of a nutter, but if I know my characters intimately, then they become real to me, and I don’t suddenly have a vegan eating a beefburger! 

Great answer, and I love it! Why did you decide to self-publish?

This was a no-brainer for me. First of all, it takes so long to go the traditional route, securing an agent and a publishing deal, and as I’ve already mentioned, I’m impatient. Plus, I’m no spring chicken - more an old boiler!

But as I’ve spent a lot of my adult life being self-employed, I knew I’d enjoy the challenge of making all the decisions myself. It’s been a steep learning curve, but the book is exactly as I’d hoped and I’ve ticked an item off my bucket list. But I can see why authors go to a publishing house, as it would have freed up more time for me to write.

I’ve often heard many fellow authors having nightmares about editing, and I've experienced it, so what is your editing process? Does it make you as crazy as it makes me?

I tend to write and stop halfway through a chapter, so it’s easier for me to pick up the next time. When I restart, I reread/ edit what’s just been written, and continue writing. 

Once a manuscript is finished, I edit it again, multiple times, because it improves with every reread. But tweaking prose is quite addictive, so I’ve had to learn to stop, otherwise I’d never publish!

I sent the draft manuscript to a Development Editor, which led to some rewrites, and then it went to a Copy Editor 6 months later. It was a long process, but I wanted to get it right, so it was worth the effort (and expense!).  

Can you tell us about your cover art?

Gosh, I’ve written a blog post about this because it was quite the eye-opener to me! (https://www.jayetroop.com/2026/09/the-madness-of-designing-book-cover.html). 

But, long story short, I found a brilliant sketch artist who took my crazy idea and drew something far better than I’d imagined! I’m so pleased with it, from the miniature Loch Ness monster in the Scottish countryside to the mini version of my protagonist, struggling to upright a big F (every chapter is a different F causing her problems, from family to finances). This is a close-up, which shows all of Sofie Birkin’s work, which is so lovely.

I’ve been looking forward to reading the blurb of your novel – can you please indulge me and our audience?

​Of course! We follow the story of Jaye Mackay, who suddenly finds her life falling apart as she turns fifty. ‘F’s are back in charge and ruining her life again.

Fitness… 
Her spare tyre’s self-inflating, but she’s allergic to exercise, unless it’s wine bottle unscrewing, where she’s fast becoming an Olympic athlete.
Frustration… 
Why has her soulmate of 30 years shacked up with his young, blonde, skinny (except for his baby-bump) mistress? 
Family… 
One child has flown, the other two are flapping their wings, and Jaye’s left hugging the half-empty biscuit tin and her precious stash of chocolate.
Friends… 
Bestie Didi is fun with a capital F, but she’s pushing Jaye into online dating, reinvention, and ridiculous risk-taking. 
As Jaye fights to hold everything together, she’s forced into deciding whether to return to her safe but imperfect life, or explore a new frightening (or is that exciting?) alternative.

Thank you so much for hosting me, Sue. I really appreciate the chance to chat to your followers, and what a relief - I seem to have survived the interview! 

Jaye, you have been a most engaging, fun, and knowledgeable guest, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know you better. Please share your links so our readers can find out more about you.

I can be found at the links below:

​Website: https://www.jayetroop.com/
X - https://x.com/JayeTroop
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jayetroop/
Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/jayetroop.bsky.social
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/70718489.Jaye_Troop
Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Jaye-Troop/author/B0H4YZY353