Jayne Allen
Author Interview - Jayne Allen
Author of Black Girls Must Die Exhausted
It’s been called “'Sex and the City' meets 'Blackish'” and has been referenced as a contemporized version of the blockbuster classic, "Waiting to Exhale." The story centers a black female protagonist, Tabitha Walker, who is attempting to “have it all” when sudden complications of adulting force her to deal with the weighty layers of womanhood in a novel way. In the midst of her challenges, a colorful and complex cast of characters come to her aid, including her two best friends, and her grandmother, a white woman who has had to come to her own understanding of how race has affected the generations of the blended Walker family.
Author Interview - Jayne Allen
Author I draw inspiration from: Toni Morrison
Author Interview - Jayne Allen | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: Definitely at the beach!
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Eva Mercy (protagonist and my new favorite not-an-actual-real-person-writer from Seven Days in June, forthcoming in June 2021 written by Tia Williams)
Author Interview - Jayne Allen | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: I knew I wanted to be a writer when I found myself writing song lyrics and poems rather than class notes in law school. I knew I wanted to be an author when I realized I was spending all my time making notes for book ideas rather than meeting notes at work!
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Hardback - I think of books as works of art, so the more "pieces" (e.g., dust jacket + book) the better.
The last book I read: Luster by Raven Leilani
Author Interview - Jayne Allen | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: Pen & paper to outline, computer for manuscript
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Rachel Chu (from Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan)
Author Interview - Jayne Allen | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: I can't imagine not - I'd be writing something, somewhere because I can't stop myself. Maybe I'd be an esthetician with a skincare line or a standup comic, or maybe both doing comedy while helping people have beautiful skin (I'm a skincare junkie).
Favorite decade in fashion history: Now, because I love that sneakers are the new heels.
Place I’d most like to travel: Bologna, Italy to eat the pasta dishes of my dreams.
My signature drink: Spicy margarita (preferably consumed wearing a bathing suit, but I'll settle for a salt rim)
Favorite artist: Prince
Number one on my bucket list: I want to host a destination gathering with all of my readers so we can all meet in person one day and chat about adulting while we drink (or I drink) margaritas.
Anything else you'd like to add:
Find more from the author:
I'm JayneAllen on Substack https://jayneallen.substack.com/
I'm @JayneAllenWrites on Instagram
@JayneAllenSaid on Twitter
Author Bio: Jayne Allen began the realization of her lifelong dream to become an author in 2011 alongside her career as an attorney in the music and technology industries. Along that journey, she self-published 3 non-fiction books and the 2 fiction books that would form the foundation of the Black Girls Must Die Exhausted trilogy. She enjoys writing stories that contextualize contemporary issues to give readers an experiential opportunity to better understand the society we live in and to view the humanity that connects us all.
