I’ve known Jana McKewen for a few years. I knew of Jana McKewen even before that. How, you ask? Well, as most people involved in a fandom – any fandom – I have read fanfiction.
Have you ever – on your fifth re-read of your favorite 250K fanfic – gone: this person should publish a book? Well, that’s exactly what Jana McKewen, known as so_caffeinated in the fanfic world, is doing.
“Readers told me for years that I should publish,” said McKewen. “It took a long time to convince me to take a stab at it. I’ve been writing fanfic for more than three decades, but an original novel felt too daunting until the right idea came along.”
When the idea for “Picture It” hit, and the “Scorching Internet Connections” series that it kicks off, McKewen knew she’d found the right story to take the leap with.
“Especially now, we live so much of our lives online,” said McKewen. “We make these connections on social media that translate into the real world. I wanted to explore how the Internet plays a part in people’s relationships.”
In “Picture It,” the heroine turns to an Instagram social media influencer to help get her modeling job back.
“Kate’s life is sort of a disaster,” said McKewen. “I think there’s something really relatable about her reaction to the things she’s been through at the start of the story. She’s trying to protect herself, including her heart. Of course, Adam, the photographer she works with, slips beneath her defenses without even trying. They have this sexy, swoon-worthy vibe together that just takes over. I love their story and I really think it’s going to resonate with readers.”
Today, we’re excited to be bringing you a first look at the cover for Picture It – and can we say, it looks swoon-worthy! I want to meet these people, and I really, really want to know how they ended up THERE.
In keeping with her typical writing schedule, McKewen already has the sequel to “Picture It” drafted. It will release in April of 2021 with tentative plans for a third book to hit shelves before the end of that year. But even with ambitious publication plans, her loyal fanfic readers can count on new chapters delivered to their inboxes again in December.
“Switching to entirely original writing is the plan,” McKewen said. “But I’ve got at least one last fanfic story in me that needs to be told before I close out my AO3 tab. I don’t like leaving things unfinished, even if it means I’m balancing a lot of projects at once.”
As a fan of both, I – and I’m sure a lot of others – can only say thank you.
Pre-order Picture It HERE. You can also join McKewen’s newsletter on her website for contests, exclusive short stories, and information on upcoming projects.
