Meet Author Jade Shade

Jade Shade is a poet, storyteller, gardener, wife, and mother. A Black woman based in Florida, she writes about the things that are often difficult to say out loud. She has always experienced the world more deeply than most, and for a long time, she struggled to find the words to explain why. Writing became her language when everything else felt overwhelming.

What inspired you to start writing?

Survival. Survival inspired me to start writing. It's sometimes very difficult to put my emotions into words so to keep from bottling it all in and losing my mind, I turned to writing. Seeing my feelings laid out on paper helped me to make sense of what I was feeling and lit a creative spark within me.

Did you choose traditional, indie, or hybrid publishing? Why?

I chose indie publishing without hesitation. Since this was my first time publishing an actual book (I've published individual poems and a scientific paper previously), I wanted to be sure that I would have full creative and marketing control from start to finish. I'm also not a huge fan of external deadlines, so being able to move at my own pace actually helped protect my peace and preserve my creative process.

Where do your story ideas usually come from?

Many of my ideas come from experiences that I've either lived or observed very closely. My work isn't exactly a diary, but I try to touch on the things that my audience has experienced, especially if their experiences are much like my own. For example, my upcoming novella Ladybug's Garden came from a memory of kneeling in the dirt behind my home, staring at a struggling garden I had planted in memory of my mother, and wondering why it felt like such an impossible task. The best ideas don't always come fully formed. Some come as feelings first, then I just follow the feelings until they become a story.

Which of your characters do you relate to the most?

It's definitely Maya Brown-Robinson from my upcoming novella Ladybug's Garden. I relate to her the most because she is the most autobiographical fictional character that I've written. She's a character who's navigating grief, guilt, and the complicated love between mothers and daughters. She is someone who feels things intensely but sometimes struggles to express them in the typical ways that people expect. She finds peace in her garden and in the quiet, sensory details of the world around her. Creating and showing Maya to the world is one of the most vulnerable yet liberating things that I've done.

Which of your books is your favorite and why?

It's six in one hand, half a dozen in the other for me! I love Echoes of the Empty because it's raw, visceral, and in a style that I'm most comfortable in, which is poetry. However, I also enjoy Ladybug's Garden because it gives me a chance to conquer the challenge of writing a novella and keeping a very personal promise, which was to publish my first major project and dedicate it to my own mother, Emma L. Williams. It's almost like a letter to my mom that I never got to share with her.

Why did you choose to write in your current genre?

I didn't choose either genre; I think both poetry and prose chose me. Poetry because it feels the most natural for me. It helps me sort out my observations and emotions in a way that's easy to digest. Prose comes into play when my emotions are too gargantuan to be contained within a few stanzas. Prose helps me to explore my creative capabilities while offering me the challenge of stepping out of my comfort zone, and I love a good challenge! Sometimes, I like to combine the two and see what forms.

What book changed your life?

Hands down it would have to be I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. I remember reading it in high school and thinking to myself "This woman was put through the wringer and still she rose (pun intended!)." She wrote about things that were considered taboo during her time and put her whole self out there fearlessly. She and her work taught me that books were more than just words in bound pages; they have the potential to mold and change people for the better when the right message is in them - pure, unfiltered, and life-changing.

What do you do when you're not writing?

When I'm not writing, I'm either reading, spending some much needed time with my husband and kids, or working in my garden. Sometimes, I like to take a step back and observe the world around me and reflect on how I went from a small town country girl to living in the city with all the lights and the hustle and bustle that comes with city living. When the noise gets too loud, I like to pause and take a sniff from my small jar of lavender. It helps to calm my nerves and get me back to where I need to be.

How do you connect with your readers?

I connect with my readers by being as honest as possible in my work as well as on my socials. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Threads, and Goodreads as @jadeshadewrites, and on my website at jadeshade.carrd.co. I also have a Ko-Fi page(www.ko-fi.com/jadeshadewrites) where supporters can follow my writing journey more closely. Anybody can write some pretty words on a page and call themselves a writer, but I believe that the best writers are able to connect with their readers and make them think "I'm not alone. Someone actually gets me."

What would you like to say to your readers?

I would like to say thank you. Thank you for sitting in the shade with me. Thank you for trusting me with your time and your heart. Echoes of the Empty was my first offering to you. Ladybug's Garden will be my most personal. I hope both find you exactly when you need them. Now come sit a spell in the shade with me.

Follow Author Jade Shade on the following platforms:

Facebook- Jade Shade Writes

Instagram- Jade Shade Writes

Threads- Jade Shade Writes

Goodreads- Jade Shade Writes

Where can Author Jade Spade's book be purchased:

Amazon

Author Catalog:

Echoes of the Empty: Poems of Quiet Fracture - A Chapbook