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Catfish in Paradise: Interview with Joi Jackson

Y. M. Nelson: Hello, Nerdy Romantics! Today we have Joi Jackson, author of Catfish in Paradise, which y’all, I’ve talked about this before. I’m loving this book, okay? So, we’re gonna talk to her about this book, and of course we are going to talk about why she feels Black women deserve love, ’cause that is the name of this miniseries.

So y’all, stay tuned. We’re talking with Joi Jackson

Y. M. Nelson: This is the Nerdy Romantics Podcast, and I’m your host, YM Nelson.

Y. M. Nelson: All right, Joi, how are you doing today?

Joi Jackson: I am great. How are you?

Y. M. Nelson: Oh, I’m doing pretty good. Pretty good here, but I’m really loving your book, okay? I love this book and I- I’m telling you, I love it even more now that I have your bio. So, let’s read this bio, and I will tell you why I love it even more now. Kanika Bailey writes under the pen name Joi Jackson, a romance author who believes love stories should be as smart, savvy, and unexpected as the women who star in them.

Yes. She writes contemporary romance with a tech twist, y’all, featuring heroines who code, hack, and innovate their way into happily ever after. And yes, we are gonna talk some more about that. She also has a soft spot for mystery and suspense, but no matter how many plot twists she throws in, she always finds her way back to romance.

When she’s not writing, you’ll find her enjoying the sun on a beach, falling down rabbit holes about the latest tech trends, or getting lost in a great book. Find her where romance meets innovation and happily ever afters are a given. Yes. Thank you. Of course, happily ever afters are a given. Y’all know better than that, listeners.

Y’all know better than that. Let’s not ask why is it, why should romance have a happily ever after? Let’s not ask that. We know better

Joi Jackson: don’t understand that argument. It’s like,

Y. M. Nelson: Right

Joi Jackson: a mystery wasn’t solved at the end

Y. M. Nelson: Right? Or a murder mystery doesn’t have a dead body. Like, who does that?

Joi Jackson: Yes. Right. Right

Y. M. Nelson: Who does that? It’s so crazy. It’s a genre convention. Get over it, people.

Joi Jackson: Right.

Y. M. Nelson: Oh

Joi Jackson: write that, don’t call it a romance.

Y. M. Nelson: Exactly. Exactly. But I’m so glad that you writing romance with these tech twists in here and these tech geek heroines. I love this. ‘Cause y’all, we on Nerdy Romantics podcast, so I love a good nerdy romance.

Joi Jackson: Yeah,

Y. M. Nelson: So-

Joi Jackson: that. I was like, “I would love to be on that podcast.” So, thank you

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[00:03:29] The story behind the Love, Lies, and Catfish series

Y. M. Nelson: We are happy to have you here, especially with Catfish in Paradise. I read Catfish in Paradise, and I loved it. And I had not read your bio, so I did not know that you like to feature heroines that code, that do hacking and things like that.

And this heroine does, and I was just, like, totally like, “Yes!” And she has her own business to boot, y’all. Yes. I love this. So, what made you write Miss Lewis, Aja Lewis?

Joi Jackson: Aja

Y. M. Nelson: I say it? Aja Lewis. Why did you want to write her this way, or did Aja just say to you, “Listen, I am a person who codes, and I own my own business”?

I mean, how did she come about?

Joi Jackson: So, I had this, I, I was watching Catfish, the show on MTV,

Y. M. Nelson: Yes

Joi Jackson: read his his story, the guy that created this show, because he was actually catfished. I was like that’s kinda fascinating that, you spend all this time online, you, you meet these people and you connect with someone, and come to find out Ain’t none of it right.

Y. M. Nelson: Right

Joi Jackson: “Okay, well, instead of having to go and confront someone on national TV, in, in public, what if there was like a firm that would do that for you? And, you could tell them that this is the

I think I’m dating. Can you check them out?” And so that’s kind of where Expose, which is the agency that Aja owns, began. And it started off, London is her cousin, and London’s story is the first book, To Catch a Catfish.

Y. M. Nelson: Okay

Joi Jackson: was in my head for a long time. And she was like, “You know what? I am a plus-size girl, and I like, I’m a geeky girl, and I like dinosaurs, and I like all of these things that are not the norm for Black people, and I want my story told.”

And I’m like, Okay. So, let’s tell your story.” So that was To Catch a Catfish. That’s London’s story. And she gets a job with her cousin Aja at Aja’s firm. And shenanigans ensue, and so she gets her happily ever after. And then Aja was like, I need you to tell my story next.” And so, I said, “Okay.

Y. M. Nelson: Mm-hmm.

Joi Jackson: Talk to me about what your story is.” And I got this tip from another author that you should have couch sessions with your characters. So, you like have them

In and sit on your couch, and you talk to them like a therapist. And you just ask them questions, and you see what comes out. so that’s what happened with Aja. And she was, She is a very successful entrepreneur, and she’s got her own firm. And on the surface, everything looks great, but she also has a lot of baggage because her mother abandoned her when she was young. Her mother just, she couldn’t do it. She just, one of those people that has children due to pressure, and she just decided that she didn’t want that life, and so she basically just took off.

Y. M. Nelson: Right.

Joi Jackson: I thought that was kind of an interesting concept because you hear about men doing that all the time. But I wanted to make it kind of flip the script a little bit and have the mother leave and kind of what kind of is that for daughter that she leaves behind. So, she’s grown up with her father, and she’s got her grandmother Nezzie, and so these are the two people that raised her.

And so Just kind of her story. She’s been grinding building this business. She has not had a vacation in, like, four or five years, and this vacation to Barbados is kind of forced upon her. And so, she meets Del, and Del is Bajan, so he’s originally from Barbados but he’s living in Atlanta, and they are opposites, where Aja is very type A, very kind of uptight.

She doesn’t do things for fun. Del is a lot more laid back, so he’s more like, “Eh, you know.” from the islands, they’re more laid back. They’re island time. They’re like, you know,

Y. M. Nelson: Yes

Joi Jackson: you know. And so, I like the idea of having them balance each other out and, kind of learning from each other and things like that.

So, kind of that’s where the idea stemmed from.

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[00:08:12] Barbados, Bajans, and “Cheese and Bread!”

Joi Jackson: And I I visited Barbados the first time as a cruise stop. I’m a cruise person, so I love a good cruise. And

Y. M. Nelson: All right!

Joi Jackson: Visited Barbados and I was like, “I really like this pl- I love the vibe here. I wanna come back.” So dragged my husband back to Barbados for a week and I was like, “Yes, I want, I really want to base a book here.” And so that’s what I did.

And love Barbados. I thought the people were so warm and friendly, like, the history of the place and all of that. So, it was a great place and I was like, “I wanna have my book be based here, and I wanna, tell the story from this lens.” So, it’s mostly based in Barbados, but it’s also based in Atlanta, which is where Aja and London live.

And yeah, that’s Catfish in Paradise.

Y. M. Nelson: I love the whole premise of it. I love the fact that, part of it too is set in Barbados. But now this is just a little thing, and this is total side note, I’m totally going off script here, but please explain cheese and bread to me. You… I have not… I heard, I s- Del says that in this book.

He’s like, “Cheese and bread!” And I’m like, “What?” And she says, Aja says, “What?” I

was like, “Yes, that’s what I’m s- that’s what I’m saying.” But then I heard, for some reason I was watching a a rerun of Living Single, and Russell says it. He’s like, “Cheese and bread.” And I’m like, “Now what… I, I don’t understand. Where does it come from?”

Joi Jackson: So, I think the best thing is, like, I looked at expressions, I wanted to give it, and I thought that was such a unique one. And I was like, ’cause I did the same thing. I’m like, but they were formish- former British colony, so

Y. M. Nelson: Ah.

Joi Jackson: like that’s got British origin. So, know, very much British influence there, and I think that’s where that came from, ’cause it’s,

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah. Yeah, right. It’s like, what? Cheese and bread, that’s just random. That’s random. It’s like, wait a minute, that’s random. That doesn’t make sense. But yet, but it’s so funny when he says it. And when Aja says, “What?” That’s exactly what you’re saying as the reader, unless, you’re from the Caribbean and or, whatever.

You’ve heard it. But I hadn’t and I was like, “Oh my gosh, this is wild,” but I love it.

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[00:10:48] Del and Black men as life coaches

Y. M. Nelson: But I’m gonna pull that into, to here. I love how Del is so authentically written, and I ha- I have to know, I mean, is he based on somebody you know? Did you have to do research for this? Was it just…

Excuse me. Was it just you immersing yourself in the culture after the cruise? How did that come about?

Joi Jackson: so, he’s like a combination of characters, and I just I watched videos, and there were a lot. Apparently, people, the boredom during the pandemic, there were a lot of like, videos in Barbados that went around the island and stuff like that. So, I used that to kind of fill in what I had done, ’cause, I didn’t get to see everything in my time there.

It’s this … He’s really a combination of characters. All of my male characters have a little touch of my husband in them. and just like other men that I may have known, maybe there’s a touch of my dad in them, too. So yeah, they’re usually a combination of characters that I come up with, and I’m just like I had Dale sit on the couch, and I’m like, “Well, would he say that?” And I’m like, “Well, would you say that?” And he’s like, I wouldn’t

Y. M. Nelson: No.

Joi Jackson: So.

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah. I love it when the characters talk to us, y’all. We’re not crazy, this just characters talking to me.

Joi Jackson: not. I promise I’m not.

Y. M. Nelson: That’s n- that is such a normal writer thing. Like, when I hear people say that I’m like, “Yep, you’re a writer.”

Joi Jackson: Yes. Yes.

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[00:12:28] The Love, Lies, and Catfish Series

Y. M. Nelson: So, so but at least from this one, even though you have your characters talking to you, sounds like from this particular book you went off concept first y- because of the Catfish show. Or is that how the seri- because your whole series, everybody, the whole series is called Love, Lies and Catfish Series.

So, is the whole series based on that concept, not just this book?

Joi Jackson: Right. So, because they work at this firm that investigates dating

Y. M. Nelson: Mm-hmm.

Joi Jackson: for people, there’s a case in each book that they solve. So, they have to figure out who the catfish is and kinda get to the bottom of things.

Y. M. Nelson: Okay

Joi Jackson: There’s some intrigue and there’s some drama in there.

But I just really wanted to have a feel-good romance that was very, people in their soft life. You

Y. M. Nelson: Yes

Joi Jackson: struggling. They have problems, but they’re not struggling with money problems, so they’re,

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah

Joi Jackson: class. They’ve got jobs, and they’ve got lives, and they’re able to do things.

So that’s not their issue. Their issue is more universal, like dealing with that parental abandonment and dealing with the fact that, like in the first one, London basically her fiancé runs off to Vegas with their … Her dad gives her money for her wedding, and her fiancé basically runs off with the money to Vegas to become a professional poker player.

Y. M. Nelson: Wow

Joi Jackson: And so, she’s bouncing back from that. And then Aja finds out that the mother that she known, that abandoned her when she was very small, has died and left her of her, possessions. And so, she’s gotta go to Barbados and figure it out. So, there’s that, and it’s like she’s coming to know the woman that she never knew. And then also, she’s she’s got Del there, and she’s learning about him too, so she’s falling for him in the process. So, she’s got … And plus, she’s actually on vacation for the first time in, know, five years. So

Y. M. Nelson: Right.

Joi Jackson: going on.

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah. I like how you said soft life, and I also like the fact that Del is kind of part of that soft life, he’s like a… I can’t remember if you actually said his occupation, but in my brain, I’m thinking life coach. Is that… Okay, is that… Okay. So, a Black man being a life coach. I, something about that, I love that, and I love the fact that it goes, to me, against stereotype, okay?

And that he is a lot more soft life, a, than she is. ‘Cause again, she has not taken this vacation. She has been working hard, and she has these issues with her mom that she actually needed to face. So

Joi Jackson: kind of thinks his career’s a joke. She’s like, “Life coach?”

Y. M. Nelson: Right. Like what? Exactly. So, I love the fact that he’s kind of the epitome of soft life here for her and brings her more into it, is that by design and is that how your heroes are?

Joi Jackson: So, my heroes are always going to love their women down. So, 100% they, I, I make these men that got your back 100%, so you know you can count on him. But I wanted him to be like her counterpart and kind of introduce her to living life and letting go a little bit and knowing that she can depend on him. know, and she doesn’t have to hold onto the reins so tightly because you think about it, she’s an only child, she’s the owner of this firm, so she’s got these people that are depending on her for their livelihood. So, she’s got a lot of pressure on her, I wanted her to find someone that would be her safe spot, that’s what Del is

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah. He very much is and very much in touch with feelings and all of that kind of stuff. I love that. I just, I love that so much. I love seeing heroes like that. But do you write alphas? W- would you write an alpha? Have you written an alpha? Because I know there’s some folks on here love their

Joi Jackson: you know what? My next, when the next Catfish novel I have an alpha in there and

Y. M. Nelson: Oh, boy.

Joi Jackson: Yeah, and they’re kind of both alphas. ‘Cause it’s, it, the next one’s gonna be her best friend Zaria, who is in the book.

Y. M. Nelson: Mm-hmm.

Joi Jackson: it’s gonna be her story, and it’s based in New Orleans, so digging into New Orleans culture and stuff like that.

I’ve been to New Orle- I love New Orleans. I was like, it just makes sense for me to base a book there. So

Y. M. Nelson: Yes

Joi Jackson: story. But yeah, the next one he’s more alpha. He’s more, way more aggressive and, but he’s still got that soft spot, so he’s,

Y. M. Nelson: right. Okay. So, he’s not a alpha ho, like a total jerk or whatever. He’s gonna be down for her.

Joi Jackson: Right, right

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[00:17:47] The tech geek angle (Nerds!)

Y. M. Nelson: I love this. Oh, this is great. So, let’s talk a little bit, because I did mention this as I was reading your bio about heroines who code, hack, innovate. So, are you a coder? Where did this come out that you want your heroines to be into computers?

Joi Jackson: Well, it came from the fact that I have been into computers. I don’t actually code. I tried it. It- at lines of code makes my eyes cross, so I’m not… I appreciate those that can code, but that’s not for me. But I’ve been in tech. I’ve been a tech consultant and business analyst for a number of years, and I wanted a heroine that is more like me.

More geeky, more, nerdy. Just y- w- when I was growing up, a lot of the books, and you know there was not a whole lot for us, to choose

Y. M. Nelson: Yes.

Joi Jackson: you know, if you wanted to see Black people in love, it was not a ton to choose from back in

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah

Joi Jackson: But it just always seemed like they were the same kind of type, and I never saw anyone like me, they were always, slender, light-skinned, curly hair, and all of that. And I just wanted to do something different and show that, somebody out there for everybody. We hope. My husband said there’s a lid for every pot. So, I took that to heart,

Y. M. Nelson: Yes

Joi Jackson: I was like, “I want a heroine like me.”

Like, that is doing different things, that’s into different things, that’s not the typical woman of the romance novel. And I want her to be able to save herself. So, I will have, points where the hero saves her, but a lotta times she’s saving herself because she’s able to do that. She’s…

They’re gonna be intelligent, and savvy, and they’re gonna be able to figure things out. I just want them to be badasses, so

Y. M. Nelson: Right. Yeah. I like it. I like it a lot. And yes, I agree. I mean, we need to have more more difference as far as romance goes because yes, there wasn’t a lot, and they all looked the same way and it’s no. We don’t all look the same way, but somehow, we

Joi Jackson: Oh.

Y. M. Nelson: got here so somebody was in love.

Joi Jackson: wrong, I appreciated that we were represented in novels because that took a long time too for

Y. M. Nelson: Yes

Joi Jackson: more variety in the novels that we were able to buy. I just, I was like, “You know what? Maybe there’s a place here for the not typical heroine.” And so, I wanted to showcase that

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah. I like that. And and I agree, which is kind of why I write the, the heroines that I write because I wanted to see myself more in novels,

Joi Jackson: right

Y. M. Nelson: And that just didn’t come across with the, the few that we had when I was growing up. But but so I like this. So are we going to see from you, like, all coders or are we going to…

Are we mixing it up? Are some of them gonna be gamers? Are all of all of the heroines gonna be nerds? I mean, so far, the ones that I’ve seen, they are. So, but I’m reading all in the same series that I- from you right now. So yeah.

Joi Jackson: Yeah, so I’m gonna switch it up. So, the next one, Zari is more of a sales, she’s the sales rep at the company, so she’s not quite as technical,

Y. M. Nelson: Mm-hmm.

Joi Jackson: she’s still on top of her game in terms of what she does. And then I have the fourth book will be Lavender’s book, and Lavender is a former hacker, so

Y. M. Nelson: All right.

Joi Jackson: yeah.

Y. M. Nelson: we gonna get badass.

Joi Jackson: Yes

Y. M. Nelson: Yes. Well, all of them are, but

Joi Jackson: And you know

Y. M. Nelson: but yeah

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[00:21:54] The “Maxine Shaw effect”

Joi Jackson: I think when you’re able to see, it is fiction, right? But I think it’s also aspirational. When you’re able to see that there are Black women doing these different things. I mean, I want someone maybe someone that’s younger that’s maybe looking for or thinking about a career or something to consider, a tech career if that’s what they’re interested in.

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah, I agree

Joi Jackson: I want to… You can’t really see it for yourself sometimes until you see it out in the world. And so, I want my books to do that too, to kind of help them consider that they too could go into the tech world and a career out of it,

Y. M. Nelson: yeah. I love that. Yeah. The the Maxine Shaw effect, which Erica Alexander has said is a real thing. Like, people were seeing Maxine Shaw be a lawyer and they on TV yes, it was a fictional series, but they came out of it empowered wanting to be a lawyer, Black women

Joi Jackson: Yeah, speaking of that, I wanted to I was more so Khadija. I wanted to have my own magazine.

Y. M. Nelson: Yes, me too.

Joi Jackson: I was loving that Khadija had a magazine

Y. M. Nelson: Yes. I know. I was like, “Oh my God, Khadijah.” And she writing and she’s like, “I gotta get this out before whatever.” Oh, yeah. That was me all day. All day, every day I wanted to be Khadijah. With a l- with a little bit of Sinclair because she was acting,

Like, “I think maybe I could do the acting.”

So that’s kinda where the fiction writing comes in, ’cause being a hard-hitting journalist is one thing, and being a fiction writer, you could do a little bit more. You can do a little more fun stuff with that.

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[00:23:37] The masters of our own worlds -Fiction writers

Joi Jackson: do you ever, like when you’re writing and you’re thinking as maybe something’s not working and you’re trying to figure it out and you’re like, then you sit back and you’re like, “Wait a minute, the controller. I created this. It’s fiction. I can do whatever I want, basically.”

Y. M. Nelson: Right. It’s like, why can’t I just make this up?

Joi Jackson: Right. I’m like, I could just make it up.

Y. M. Nelson: Right? Oh, gosh. But then when you write about something like, gosh, I was writing about something in Charlotte and the thing doesn’t exist. And, once you put a book out, you think in the back of your mind, “What reader is gonna read this and be like, ‘You know that doesn’t exist on that street?'” I’m like…

A- and that’s what happens after the book come. After you put out a book, you’re thinking some reader is gonna say XYZ, but then you’re like, “It’s fiction, and I’m making it up. I can do what I want.”

Joi Jackson: Right, right. So, I’ve played kind of fast and loose with like they’re in Midtown Atlanta and I’ve just kinda created a little world that like I’ve got Piedmont Park but then I’ve got fictional restaurants they go to and stuff like that. So, it’s a

Y. M. Nelson: Right

Joi Jackson: of real and fake.

Y. M. Nelson: And fake yeah. Yeah, I…

Joi Jackson: purpose

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah, exactly, yeah. I do it because it’s like I see that there, that should be there, but even though it’s not there, I’m like, “I’m gonna make it be there.”

Joi Jackson: Yeah, it’s like I need it to be there. So yeah, that’s what we’re doing.

Y. M. Nelson: Oh, gosh. That, and I don’t wanna name some place and next thing somebody’s like, “Oh, gosh what happened at this place?”

Somebody’s like, I want you to take this out. Defamation.” Something stupid.

Joi Jackson: too. So

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah, so making it up. But I will tell you one thing. When they got to Barbados, I wanted to stay wherever they were. Like, is that a real place? Can I go there and stay at that resort?

Joi Jackson: I stayed at the Club Resort, and that’s

I built that off of.

Y. M. Nelson: Okay

Joi Jackson: know, and again, I enhanced or embellished where I needed to, like, but yeah that’s based at the Club Barbados

Y. M. Nelson: Oh, wow. Okay. So yes, now I have a place to go when I get there.

Joi Jackson: Yeah.

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[00:25:58] The best side character: grandma Nezzie

Y. M. Nelson: I love that ar- and I loved how… So, this is getting a little bit off of Aja and Del. I love how you wrote Nezzie. And she is I loved her. I just, and she just made me laugh, like, the whole time. She made me laugh. She’s like the grandma that’s like, “Listen.”

Also, like Khadijah’s grandma because remember that episode with Khadijah’s grandma and she had her a boyfriend, and she was sneaking out? I was like, “Yes, this is the grandma. This is the grandma.” I mean, she’s great.

Joi Jackson: So, let me tell you this. Like, in my first book I have an evil grandmother, and so in this one I wanted to kind of redeem. And so, I have a cool grandmother, and she’s based a lot on my grandmother, and she, my grandmother passed away earlier this year. But she was the coolest grandma ever.

She kept a man, and she stayed in the streets. Like, I went over to her house, I went over to her house one Saturday ’cause my dad had a duplex and my dad lived in one side and my grandmother lived on the other side, so we went back and forth all the time, right? So, I went over to see my grandmother one morning she’s like, “Ooh, I’m not feeling too hot.”

I’m like, “Grandma, what’s wrong?” I’m like, “Y- you, okay? We need to take you to the doctor. What’s going on?”

And she like, “Ugh. I went out last night and I don’t know who I thought I was, but that Hennessy told me to get on the dance floor, so I did.”

And I’m like, “Wait a minute. You basically said you hung over that’s what you’re saying?” I was like, “I knew I couldn’t hang with them young women. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Y. M. Nelson: But she did it, anyway.

Joi Jackson: She did. She did. And I was

Y. M. Nelson: And she told you about it too

Joi Jackson: I mean, I was, ’cause I was worried. I’m like, “Is she hungover?”

Y. M. Nelson: My gosh, th- she’s making me feel like, okay, now I can do it when I get a little bit older, right? I can still get it. I can still pull them even when I get a little bit older.

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[00:28:25] Black women living the soft life

Y. M. Nelson: Oh, gosh, it’s just, I love seeing older characters, especially Black women. I- And she’s living a soft life, too. She has… She basically is.

And, right at this moment, Aja seems like the only one that’s not. But she’s go- she’s gonna get there. Y’all just gotta read. But she’s teaching Aja a little bit about what it

means to be happy and to just live life. Like, don’t be so hung up about everything, she’s… Del’s saying the same thing , but Nezzie’s saying the same thing from her side, and also modeling it, because she’s a Black woman. And so, I love that we have these, these models here of that in this book, es- especially now when I think a lot of Black women are feeling…

I think a lot of Americans, period, are feeling like they’re not living a soft life. But,

Joi Jackson: Right

Y. M. Nelson: definitely a lot of Black women, and may have felt this way for a long time. We don’t all have to be superwomen, right?

Joi Jackson: right. We don’t. We can take the cape off. So

Y. M. Nelson: right. It’s like, and it’s okay to take the cape off, which even if you love wearing the cape, right? Because Aja loves doing what she does. She loves her business, and she loves doing what she does. But you can take that off and love something else too,

Joi Jackson: Right,

Y. M. Nelson: then, and then lay back in it too.

Joi Jackson: right. So

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah

Joi Jackson: yeah, and Nezzie was– she’s probably a little bit more laid back than my grandmother, ’cause my grandmother would worry about things. And dad on the other hand, my dad was like, “If it’s out of your control, if you’ve done everything you can do, don’t worry about it. Stop

Y. M. Nelson: Right.

Joi Jackson: stuff that you can’t control.”

Y. M. Nelson: Right

Joi Jackson: And he would tell my grandmother that, and she wouldn’t listen, but you know.

Y. M. Nelson: That was her one little thing. Yeah.

Joi Jackson: yeah

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[00:30:38] The mystery side of Joi’s books, aka who’s the catfish? and other Joi signatures

Y. M. Nelson: But still, I love this. I love this for you, and I love this for Aja too. I was like, “Oh my gosh, she is doing it.” But we are talking all around the catfish in paradise, and y’all, we are doing that on purpose because if you haven’t read the book, there is a little bit of mystery there.

And yes, I will say this as a reader, when I went in, I was like, “Well, well, if she owns this business, she’s not gonna get catfished. And if Del is the love interest, is he gonna catfish her? But he’s got some stuff going on himself.” And yes, he has maybe one or two things going on himself, but we’re not gonna talk about who the catfish is or anything like that.

Y’all just need to read the book. There is a catfish, and there is a catfish in paradise, and I really love how you integrated the bit of mystery and suspense here. But you wouldn’t necessarily call this a romantic suspense, Joi, right? Or would you

Joi Jackson: Probably not. Probably light. Yeah, I feel like it’s probably a little bit more cozy than

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. And comedic too. I’m like, yeah. I was just … Yes, I did

Joi Jackson: I don’t feel like I’ve tried to write like a romantic comedy, but

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah. As genre-specific romantic comedy, yeah.

Joi Jackson: in, so I’m like, “Eh,

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah. So yeah, and I do that too. So that’s why I don’t necessarily, like for me, I don’t necessarily say romantic comedy or categorize mine as that. It’s a funny romance. And y’all, this is what I feel too. It’s a funny romance. It has those elements of comedy.

It has some elements of mystery and suspense, especially at the end, which I absolutely love. Is this kind of your MO? Is this how you write? When we pick up a Joi Jackson book, are these some signature things from you?

Joi Jackson: Yeah, those are my signatures. I’m very I love friendship based, so there’s that found family kind of thing. Usually, I have some contentious family ties in there, but there’s usually, like, a strong family bond in there.

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah

Joi Jackson: friends I like to have the friend groups in there. I want to… What’s coming out is a little bit more darker mystery. Like this one that I’m, the next Catfish one is gonna be a little bit darker.

Y. M. Nelson: Okay

Joi Jackson: I wouldn’t call it, like, dark romance or anything like that. But yeah, so mine are, like, more cozy romance, a little intrigue, a little, travel intrigue, geeky stuff.

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[00:33:45] The nerdy and the geeky (and I drop a mini movie review)

Y. M. Nelson: Geeky, yes, and I love that. I love that. Okay, so, the the other thing I wanted to ask, you were saying cozy. There was something else I wanted to ask you about that

I, and I can’t remember what it was now, so I’m just gonna go on to the next thing.

Oh, the nerdy and the geeky. So, we gotta know about the nerdy and the geeky here ’cause we are Nerdy Romantics Podcast. Like, are you into all the nerdy, the geeky? Are you into, like, nerd pop culture things? Is there something that you really like out there?

Like, the Avengers Doomsday trailer just came out. Did you, were you one of the freak-outs? Like, what’s your nerdy, geeky thing?

Joi Jackson: So, I’ve, I did enjoy the Avengers series. Like, I love a good movie, so that was kinda my thing. I have my moments when I geek out about things. I’ve been on this Wild West thing, so I’ve been reading a lot about the Wild West.

Y. M. Nelson: Yes!

Joi Jackson: And it’s interesting, like I really wanna know more about, like the women, ’cause like

If you were not prim and proper, like you were not a school teacher or something, chances are a lot of these women in the Wild West were prostitutes, right?

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah.

Joi Jackson: I’m finding that intriguing, like these women are going and they’re opening brothels, and I wanna know more about their stories, because I just find that so fascinating.

Y. M. Nelson: Right?

Joi Jackson: so yeah, I have things that I geek out on. I’m good for watching a documentary on some randomness like the ocean exploration,

Y. M. Nelson: yay

Joi Jackson: like that. I went, I don’t know if you’re familiar with Fernbank Museum. So, they have a dinosaur exhibit, and so was looking at that. I loved Jurassic Park when it came out. So, and I, my husband’s like, “You know it’s like the, the sixth one.” He’s like, “You know it’s gonna be terrible, right?”

And I’m like, “I don’t care. I wanna see it.”

Y. M. Nelson: Right. Of course. We’re going to see it, yeah.

Joi Jackson: dinosaurs, so

Y. M. Nelson: Right. There was something, I saw a trailer for a movie that had some dinosaurs in it, and I was like… And it was, they were setting it up to be a horror movie. Anne Hathaway is in it. Oh, gosh. I think it’s called, somebody’s going to in some comments is probably gonna correct me on this.

So

Joi Jackson: correct

Y. M. Nelson: yeah, somebody’s gonna correct me. There’s something about Oak Street, like The Last House on Oak Street* [The End of Oak Street] or something like that I think is the title.

Joi Jackson: I haven’t seen that one yet, or that trailer

Y. M. Nelson: And

Joi Jackson: yet

Y. M. Nelson: yeah, I just saw the trailer because I just went to see Supergirl, like, a couple of days ago, and they had that trailer in it. I actually liked Supergirl.

Joi Jackson: Okay.

Y. M. Nelson: I liked Supergirl. Now-

Joi Jackson: you know, are like, “Eh,” so

Y. M. Nelson: Right. And y’all, we’re gonna talk more about this on the podcast, so don’t get all crazy that I’m just gonna say a few things and I’m not gonna say anything else, ’cause we’re gonna have a whole episode on it. I might be the only one on that episode, but we gonna have a whole episode on it.

But I thought that, the people who didn’t like it, they didn’t like it I know for p- political reasons, but also, it’s like this is a basically an action-adventure, like, revenge story. Like, there, there’s a lot of, there’s a lotta fighting, there’s a lotta blowing up stuff. It’s like there’s a lotta, “I’m going to get you ’cause you’re a bad dude.”

It’s a simple plot. It’s like, that should be right up your alley, but because it’s a girl, if it had been a guy, they probably would’ve liked it. But because it’s a girl, that’s why you didn’t like it. But I think on the other side of it, the people who aren’t spewing ridiculousness about why they didn’t like it is maybe they didn’t see a lotta plot in it, and the, it’s true.

There’s not a lot of plot. It- it’s kinda like,

Joi Jackson: it’s,

Y. M. Nelson: Princess Bride. “You killed, you…” Right? You killed my brother, now you’re gonna die,”

Joi Jackson: right

Y. M. Nelson: it’s kinda like that you know? It’s like, it’s very popcorn. It’s very popcorn movie. And the person that I went with he’s been on this podcast y’all, it’s Miller.

So, he was saying, there’s, he feels that same way kinda like about car chase movies. After a few minutes, the car chase becomes kind of boring. It’s like, “Can we move on, and can we have some layers in p- in the plot?” And there’s not a lotta layers there. So, I see that part of it. I don’t see the other part of it other than the fact that people are like, “It’s a girl.”

Joi Jackson: Heaven forbid

Y. M. Nelson: right. It’s like, this is ridiculous. And then them comparing one Supergirl to another Supergirl, like the CW Supergirl, they’re it’s two different inspirations. It’s two different adaptations there.

Joi Jackson: Yeah. I could see

Y. M. Nelson: So

Joi Jackson: so, I might have to go check that one out

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah. I mean, I liked it. It was a, it was a good ti- if you like seeing people blow up stuff and people fighting and CGI flying all around and other stuff like that, and you just need that popcorn kinda, like you said, the popcorn kinda movie, you just need that action, that’s the one to see in my opinion.

Joi Jackson: Okay. Well,

Yeah, I like stuff like that. I love a good action movie. I like of course, romantic comedies, so

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah

Joi Jackson: go from one extreme to the other. So, like I’m a big Hallmark fan, Christmas in July, Christmas, Hallmark Christmas. But then I also like, like forensic shows and cold case and

Y. M. Nelson: Yes.

Joi Jackson: shows.

Y. M. Nelson: Yes

Joi Jackson: like I’m either watching one or the other. There’s not really any in between.

Y. M. Nelson: You’re right

Joi Jackson: always like, “What’s wrong with you?”

Y. M. Nelson: Right?

Joi Jackson: “I don’t know.”

Y. M. Nelson: Like, you just don’t understand. But they’re firing different parts of my brain, though. Is that what it’s doing for you? It’s, like, exciting different parts of my brain

Joi Jackson: be in a cute little love story and then sometimes I’m like, “Okay, I wanna see them reconstruct this murder and how this all happened.”

Y. M. Nelson: Yes

Joi Jackson: “That’s fascinating.”

Y. M. Nelson: Right now, I am watching The Beast in Me on Netflix, and it is it’s thriller… They’ve got it listed as thriller, which I haven’t gotten to the thriller part yet. I’m ju- I’m just one or two episodes in, but I think I’m two episodes in. But it’s definitely, like, that, got that murder mystery, like, who di- you know, whodunit kinda thing, or did this person really do it?

Is this person evil? Is this person not? And then the main character of that that’s played by Claire Danes, she’s a writer. And of course, it’s like I love to see tortured writers. It’s like, okay, that’s how we really are. We’re not this… We don’t just go skipping into Penguin Random House or wherever and get the big advance and, we don’t do that.

We’re tortured.

Joi Jackson: It is. It’s blood, sweat, and tears.

Y. M. Nelson: Yes. And she really is. She’s like… This is the first episode, y’all, so I’m not giving nothing away if you wanna see it. But yeah

Joi Jackson: out too.

Y. M. Nelson: she is yeah, she’s, like, tortured writer. She’s got some stuff going on in her past too, but also, it’s like she’s asking her agent, she’s like… Or editor. It’s sh- either her editor or her agent.

I think it’s her agent. Can you give me an advance?” And she’s like, “No, I can’t give you an advance. Can you give us, like, three chapters?” And she’s like, “Three chapters?” You know how it is. It’s like, “Oh, my God. No, I can’t give you three chapters. I only got three sentences. I wrote these three sentences, like, I wrote them over, like, three different times.

Like, it took me an hour to come up with

Joi Jackson: I

Y. M. Nelson: this.” Right?

Joi Jackson: don’t have anything. I have nothing. I don’t know

Y. M. Nelson: I have been on the same chapter of this book three for, like, a month. A month, y’all. Joi, I know you can relate because are people asking you for book three of this series? And where are you on th- on this series? Tell us

Joi Jackson: yes.

Y. M. Nelson: about where you are

Joi Jackson: So, I have a, writing group. So, it’s three of us. Well, it- three of us solid. We have different people floating in and out,

Most Sundays, and we get together and we write. And everybody’s working on their own project, and two other writers they finished their books, and I’m feeling the pressure.

They like, “So what are you work- what are you doing? What are you working on? You…”

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah. And they giving you that look.

Joi Jackson: in my life. I

Y. M. Nelson: Right, exactly

Joi Jackson: for y’all that y’all are finished and all, but I don’t know.” They just out here, these characters are out here in New Orleans just I don’t know. So

Y. M. Nelson: Right. But that’s the beauty, y’all, of being an indie author. Like, we can dilly-dally a little bit. At least we don’t have a agent, breathing down our back on that. Well, at least for me, I should say.

Joi Jackson: Yeah, no, I’m indie published, so I

Y. M. Nelson: o-

Joi Jackson: my own publishing company. So, I’m

Y. M. Nelson: Awesome.

Joi Jackson: myself.

Y. M. Nelson: Yes. Yeah. And it’s like, “Oh my, okay, I see the numbers daily. I need to get this next book out.” Yeah.

Joi Jackson: Yeah. You

Y. M. Nelson: And two, I think, when you hear from readers, it also feels a little more personal, readers out there. So y’all, we feel it. We feel it, and we want to know what you are feeling out there.

Joi Jackson: Right.

Y. M. Nelson: maybe Joi doesn’t wanna … I’m not speak- let me not speak for you, Joi. Let, let me let you speak for you. So how do you feel about that?

Joi Jackson: I want the feedback. I wanna, see what’s working and what’s not. Be nice, be kind. Just

Y. M. Nelson: Yes

Joi Jackson: It’s just not helpful, “This book sucked.” That’s not helpful to anybody. Just

Y. M. Nelson: it’s not

Joi Jackson: “I didn’t … This wasn’t believable, and I didn’t relate to this,” that’s more helpful.

So just rule of thumb when you’re reviewing and want reviews. As authors, reviews help us

Y. M. Nelson: Yes

Joi Jackson: they help other people decide whether this book is gonna be for them or not. So, if you wanna support indie authors, go write a review. It doesn’t take you anything to do. You can just go write a review and, know and for me, of course, if you loved it, definitely, but even if you didn’t like it, just you can say so too.

So

Y. M. Nelson: Right. You know. Yeah, exactly. Write a review. And, if you didn’t like it or why you didn’t like it might be a good thing there, right?

Joi Jackson: Right

Y. M. Nelson: somebody might love what you don’t, right? So

Joi Jackson: one author that said that she writes erotica and got a review that it was too much sex in the book

Y. M. Nelson: It’s erotica, y’all.

Joi Jackson: I’m like that’s the point.

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[00:45:47] Heat Level of Joi’s books

Y. M. Nelson: Speaking of that, and speaking of things that, may be attractive to readers tell us about the heat level of your books and where you like to be at the heat level of your books. I’m gonna let you speak on that.

Joi Jackson: so, I feel like mine, if you’re looking at, like, chili peppers, that’s kinda like the

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah, we do

Joi Jackson: writer scale. I’m probably at, like, one or two chili peppers. So, you’re in the room, but

Y. M. Nelson: that’s out of five, y’all, I’m assuming. Out of five? And that’s out of five?

Joi Jackson: out of five, so

Y. M. Nelson: Okay

Joi Jackson: like, one or two. So, you’re in the room and, there’s action going on, but we’re not going into graphic detail. So that’s about where I am, so you can see the little steamy. My mom has read my books which was kinda surprising. like I, I don’t know how I wanna feel about it. I was like,

Y. M. Nelson: you’re right.

Joi Jackson: like, “Oh, I’m like

Y. M. Nelson: Like, no.

Yeah, my mom, she wanted the first book when I first, she wanted the first copy of the, my first book. She wanted the first copy of the second one, too. But I said, “If you do read it, Mom, we will not discuss this.”

Joi Jackson: Yeah, we’re not gonna discuss anything. Right

Y. M. Nelson: But just remember, I’m an adult and you want grandchildren, so there you go. But yeah. So, for everybody out there, now you know where the heat level is on Joi’s books. I think that the entertainment level is at a five of five. These are so entertaining. And I really love the representation.

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[00:47:40] Why showcase Black women deserving and receiving love?

Y. M. Nelson: So, because this is Black Women Deserve Love, and we have to know was it on purpose?

I know from a representation standpoint you wanted to see people that look like you. But as far as the love standpoint, is there… Or is it on purpose that you write, A, Black romance, and B, that you write your hero-heroine relationships the way that you write them?

Joi Jackson: Yes. So, they’re intentional. I said, that I wanted to write Black romance. And so that’s what I write. No, read what you like, write what you like, but that’s the lane that I’ve decided to be in. And, I’m married to a Black man, and I just wanted to depict that, know, just let Most of my readers are gonna be women, just women read romance. But I wanna, to remind Black women that it’s it’s possible and

Y. M. Nelson: Mm-hmm.

Joi Jackson: of it, the aspiration that goes back to the aspirational piece of it, you know, finding

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah

Joi Jackson: loves you for who you are, even if you are not a size two or you are not…

I deal with colorism in the first book, so and that was a big thing too, despite you being the shade that you are, loves you for you no matter what you look like. There’s somebody out there that can love you, and

Y. M. Nelson: Right

Joi Jackson: to change for them, right?

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah.

Joi Jackson: So, if

Y. M. Nelson: Right

Joi Jackson: you’re changing because you want to.

It’s something you want, but you’re not changing for them

Y. M. Nelson: I love that. Yeah. And that’s much needed, especially in, in romance. We need to see that. We need to see that period everywhere but especially in romance. We need to see that.

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[00:49:37] Rapid Fire Questions

Y. M. Nelson: So, before we end things, I have a few rapid-fire questions, so just let me know the first thing that comes to mind.

Joi Jackson: Okay.

Y. M. Nelson: You know, so when I ask these. Okay, here we go. And because I know you geek out a little bit, some of these might be geeky and nerdy, okay? So, first question: Star Wars or Star Trek, or neither, or both?

Joi Jackson: I enjoyed Star Trek

Y. M. Nelson: Ah, a Trekkie!

Joi Jackson: Probably should go back and watch the Star Wars movies, yeah, Star Trek

Y. M. Nelson: Oh, I love this. Okay, Marvel, DC, or something else?

Or none of that. You’re not a comics person

Joi Jackson: I mean, so mostly Marvel, but I do love Wonder Woman

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah, I know.

Joi Jackson: I mean, I’m just saying

Y. M. Nelson: So now that we know that you are gonna write an alpha, this might be a little bit this might be a little bit hard to answer. Do you like alphas or betas or cinnamon roll heroes, or maybe a mix?

Joi Jackson: Like, I like a good cinnamon roll, but I see the allure of an alpha.

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah

Joi Jackson: you know, just sometimes you just want somebody to like, rev you up a little bit

Y. M. Nelson: Right?

Okay, so what is your favorite trope?

And if it’s different between writing and reading, let us know

Joi Jackson: I always love friends to lovers. Yeah. And I also, my second favorite would probably be an enemies to lovers, which is kinda weird. I

Y. M. Nelson: No. Yeah. ‘Cause of

Joi Jackson: relationship, you know?

Y. M. Nelson: what you just said about your heroes, I could see that. What is, well, you kinda already talked a little bit about this, but what is your nerdy guilty pleasure? That’s, I know you said right now you’re into w- western

Joi Jackson: Yeah, so again, just learning about history

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah

Joi Jackson: Especially like women in history. So, we can thank Beverly Jenkins for that.

Y. M. Nelson: Exactly. I was gonna say, are you a Mrs. Bev fan? Like, who isn’t? You did?

Joi Jackson: meet her. Oh my God

Y. M. Nelson: Oh my gosh. Can we have the story?

Joi Jackson: Yes. So, I did the Conyers Festival last year. No, that was this year. Oh, my goodness. That was in April. And she came and she had an exclusive event at Conyers Book Festival. I I got to meet her and she was so sweet. Like, everybody was in the room. It was a room full of women with their books and they were kinda, the organizers were kinda like, if you guys could kinda like limit it to two books.”

And Ms. Bev was like “no.”

Y. M. Nelson: No. Eh,

Joi Jackson: here

Y. M. Nelson: nice

Joi Jackson: me. “Y’all have helped me put my kids through college and you’ve been supporting me. I will sign every book.” And I was like, “Ah.” So, she signed

Y. M. Nelson: I love that!

Joi Jackson: My books and she was so nice and just, she was funny and she and it was just a great experience. So yeah.

Y. M. Nelson: Oh, I love that. Everybody that has met her that has said, has a story just said how nice she is and just down to earth she is. I’m like, “Oh, I can’t wait to meet her.” Okay.

So, who is your favorite book boyfriend to r- who was your favorite book boyfriend as a reader, and who’s your favorite book boyfriend of yours as a writer?

Joi Jackson: That’s a hard one. So, I’ll go as a writer I have another character that is, his name is Dre, and he’s a stripper, and I feel like he’s my favorite ’cause he’s,

Y. M. Nelson: Oh?

Joi Jackson: younger. He’s only, like, 30. So yes.

Y. M. Nelson: Ah.

Joi Jackson: So probably be my favorite because, he’s a cinnamon roll, but he’s got the body and all that to…

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah. Yes.

Joi Jackson: My favorite book boyfriend as a reader it probably would be a Beverly Jenkins one. Okay, like, did you read the Le Veq series?

Y. M. Nelson: Oh, I haven’t yet

Joi Jackson: Okay, so it’s like these three brothers, and I love all three of them, but they’d probably be my favorites.

Y. M. Nelson: Oh, I like this. You know we gonna find these books, y’all, and we gonna put ’em in the show notes. So anyway. And Dre hasn’t been written yet, so we’re we’ll be waiting, right? Dre,

Joi Jackson: No,

Y. M. Nelson: or is, has been written?

Joi Jackson: It’s called Sunshine and Silk Boxers.

Y. M. Nelson: Okay, everybody got that? Yes. We’ll put it in the show notes. And when… what was the book that you read and you thought, “I wanna write this”?

Joi Jackson: I wouldn’t say that it was Beverly Jenkins per se, because sh- she mostly writes historicals

Y. M. Nelson: Oracle, yeah

Joi Jackson: I was like, there’s probably like a lot of research that has to go into those, so maybe that’s not for me. But you know what? Maybe Terry McMillan back in the day.

Y. M. Nelson: Mm-hmm.

Joi Jackson: I loved like her dialogue and I could just picture before the movies came out and all that, when the books were popular,

She wrote so that I could see the characters and I could see it playing in my head and I was like, could do this.

Maybe I could.”

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah. Yeah

Joi Jackson: wanna do this because I love these depictions of women, Black women and their relationships and all of that

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[00:55:50] Joi’s next book and signing events

Y. M. Nelson: I like that. So, where, what are you working on now? Where can we find your books? Or if you’re doing any signings or anything like that, what do you have going on now?

What can we look forward to, I should say?

Joi Jackson: yes. So, as I said, I’m working on the next Catfish novel and it’s kicking my butt, but I’m gonna get it finished. I’m trying to, I’m trying to have it out by my birthday. I’m almost… I can see the finish line, but you know, we got things to do.

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah.

Joi Jackson: But I’m working on that. I will be speaking.

I also do authors and workshops, so I will be speaking at Sisters in Crime the 8th of August, and they’re doing a one-day workshop, so I’ll be there talking about series bibles.

And I just found out that I got accepted for Black Romance Book Fest next year. So, I will be there in

Y. M. Nelson: Yes.

Joi Jackson: Yes

Y. M. Nelson: I love that. I was, you know I was gonna ask you. I was like, “You gotta be, you gotta be a shoe in there.” Were you, is this the first time you’re going or have you been already?

Joi Jackson: So, I didn’t go this year. Those tickets sold out fast

Y. M. Nelson: Very fast. Oh my gosh

Joi Jackson: You gotta be on it. But I went the first year and I had… I was able to get, like, one of the last tickets I think, ’cause my people I write with, they were trying to get tickets too, and they were, like, sold out.

So, I attended one day last year and I was just blown away by all of just a sea of Black women readers, and

Y. M. Nelson: Amazing

Joi Jackson: the line for Kennedy Ryan’s signing was wrapped around the hotel.

Y. M. Nelson: Wow

Joi Jackson: was just so– It was very humbling to see readers, because I’ve always been a reader and, sometimes ridiculed for it ’cause I wanted to go sit and read a book rather than be outside playing or whatever. I’m getting lost in a book. So wasn’t always favorably treated for that too. So, to see my people all in one place, all enthusiastic and interacting with the authors, seeing all the authors, and just seeing all of that in one place was just, it was amazing to me.

So, I was

Y. M. Nelson: Awesome.

Joi Jackson: to be a part of this.” So

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah. I love that. I love that for you. And y’all, when those tickets go on sale, y’all gotta be on it, ’cause them things go fast, fast, fast.

Joi Jackson: Yeah

Y. M. Nelson: And a- and when we say it’s not for everybody, like, it’s not for everybody. Not everybody is going to have the money for the tickets, y’all. I’ve seen this on social media.

Not everybody’s gonna have that money. I don’t have that money right now for the tickets, but if I did, I would go. But the tickets, if you have the money, and you can afford it, it’s so worth it to go. So worth it to go. Yeah.

Joi Jackson: it’s just, if you’re a reader and you’re, you wanna be around like-minded people that love reading and love books and love romance it’s the place to be. And I get that it’s pricey. I get that. But there’s also value, like if, especially if you’re in Atlanta or near Atlanta, if you wanna come down and just kinda hang out

Y. M. Nelson: Dang. Yeah.

Joi Jackson: and stuff like

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah

Joi Jackson: the, in the vicinity, too…

‘Cause I think there’ll be I know that people are organizing things related to it that are not necessarily at the venue, so there’s opportunities there too.

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[00:59:49] Where we can find Joi’s books

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah. That’s cool. They recognize that this is, yeah, this is worth it. I’m glad that’s happening. So where can we find your books?

Joi Jackson: Oh yeah,

Y. M. Nelson: and

Joi Jackson: that.

Y. M. Nelson: Oh, no, it’s okay. Actually, I was gonna ask you if you had any contact information that you wanna put out for readers or where we can find your books, that kinda thing

Joi Jackson: So, I am available where books are sold, so Amazon, Barnes & Noble, all of the online retailers, Apple. My site is purplepeacockpress.com. So, you can find me there. My social is on Instagram, I am authorjoyj And What else? I’m not really on TikTok, but I should be. That’s another episode.

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah. I’m not on TikTok either. But I was on TikTok and I took myself off TikTok, and yes, that’s another whole episode. That’s a whole thing. I- Instagram is where you like to be, I’m assuming, if you’re gonna be anywhere.

Joi Jackson: Yeah, you know,

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah. Not everybody’s as, on socials and stuff, does all of that

Joi Jackson: And there’s so m- there’s so much advice out there that you need to be where the readers are, but there’s so many places now, and you’re only one person, unless you have a team, which I don’t. So kinda be where I’m comfortable. So

Y. M. Nelson: exactly. Yeah. I’m with you on that. And also, y’all Joi’s books are at your local library as well. At least this one was, Catfish in Paradise, because this is where I found this one, on Hoopla. So y’all

Joi Jackson: Hoopla if the library has selected.

One of the biggest things was, like, I went and left a copy, a physical copy of my book at the local library and they’re like, “Yeah, we’ll evaluate it. Fill out the form. Leave the book.” So, I was like, “Okay.” I didn’t know to expect anything. But when I walked in and saw my book on the library shelf in the

Y. M. Nelson: Wow.

Joi Jackson: was like

Y. M. Nelson: Oh my gosh, yes. Y’all, y’all don’t know what kind of feeling that is. That is a, such an awesome feeling. Ah!

Joi Jackson: And I wanted to like tag people like, “I wrote this,”

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah.

Joi Jackson: I was like, that’s weird. I won’t do that.

Y. M. Nelson: Yeah. But you do, you want to so bad, don’t you? Oh, gosh, that’s awesome.

But yes, so support your local libraries everybody and and support Joi. If you can buy the book.

It’s everywhere.

Joi Jackson: I appreciate the support and thank you for having me on. I… was such a fun conversation

Y. M. Nelson: This was an awesome conversation

Joi Jackson: I know, let’s keep in touch.

Y. M. Nelson: Hi. Isn’t it great when you find awesome reads like the ones on this episode? If you liked getting these book recs and want more, then subscribe to Nerdy Romantics newsletter at ymnelson.com back slash subscribe. Nerdy Romantics Newsletter not only has nerdy and romantic recs, but sneak peeks and exclusives of my spicy, nerdy romances and love stories.

I love talking about sci-fi, superheroes, fantasy, and romance books, movies, and shows with my friends. So, share this podcast with your nerdy, romantic friends. Thanks for listening and for watching.

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