Former Pastoral Times journalist Jessica Everingham, now writing under the name Jessica Kate, brings rom-com fans a reminder that love has its own timing in her breakout novel, Love and Other Mistakes.
Jessica Kate is best known in the book world as the cohost of ‘StoryNerds’, a vlog and podcast about all things books and pop culture, recorded from what is now her home town of Toowoomba.
She is now carving her own place in the Christian fiction arena and helping to fill the rom-com genre gap with a novel full of wit, sass, and grit.
‘‘A romance that makes me laugh and snort my strawberry milkshake across the keyboard when I sneak in a chapter at work — that’s just the best,’’ said Jessica.
‘‘My loftiest career aspiration is to create that experience for someone else. There can never be enough of those books in the universe, especially novels that include deep faith and emotion, as well.’’
Love and Other Mistakes follows main character Natalie Groves, who believes she was meant for great things.
But after her fiancé Jeremy Walters breaks off their engagement and leaves town and her father is diagnosed with cancer, Natalie’s grand plans evaporate and God feels very far away.
‘‘American or Australian, we can all relate to feeling betrayed, sidelined and left out, either by loved ones or even God,’’ Jess said.
‘‘We also know that joy when we realise how much we’re loved and wanted. While I’ve also had fun injecting specifics about Australia and Aussie characters into the American setting, the emotion is universal.’’
Love and Other Mistakes releases today with HarperCollins’ US-based Christian fiction imprint, Thomas Nelson.
Jessica is only the second Australian author to be signed by Thomas Nelson, which is based in Nashville.