In our weekly feature, we will take you behind the scenes with some of the talented authors who have been interviewed on Beyond the Pages by Deb McIlroy & Erin Shea on our YouTube channel. Get a glimpse into their creative process, inspiration, and the stories behind their stories. Stay tuned for exclusive insights and anecdotes from the minds behind some of your favorite books.

What was your motivation for writing your latest book? Can you elaborate on the process behind it?

I’m what I like to call a chaos writer. I don’t plan, so it’s all pantsing, and it’s all in the moment. The characters take me on a trip, and I have no idea where we’ll end up. People loved Chase from book one, so I knew I’d include him, and then the idea of Ren came to me. After that, so much freewriting.

This week, we have the pleasure of chatting with Jordyn Barnes, the talented author of The Hollywoodland series.

A series of interconnected stand-alone contemporary romance novels that look at life and love in Southern California.

Could you describe your writing routine and how you maintain focus and creativity throughout the process?

Headphones are a key part of the routine, usually just to block the world out and help me focus without the noises of the world throwing me off. I just started a new job, so it’s writing during lunch, then again as soon as I get home. If the worlds are flowing, I write till I’m too tired to keep my eyes open.

Which themes resonate strongly in your writing, and what draws you to these particular themes?

My tagline is “giving broken characters their happily ever afters” because I write characters people can relate to, since we’re all broken in some way. Broken doesn’t always mean mentally messed up, it’s more than that. Big, small, broken is still broken, and I want everyone to know that they deserve a chance to be seen, and a chance to be loved.

What message or impression do you hope to convey to your readers through your work?

It’s romance, I want them to get in their feelings, let them out of the box for a while. I want leg kicking, crying, raging, all of it. But I’m happy if they just have a good time reading it.

What is your approach to crafting character arcs, and how do you ensure that they are relatable to readers?

This will make some people unhappy, but I don’t worry about their arcs until after the first draft is done. Then I go write out the arc of the character and make sure it makes sense. By doing that, I’m able to focus on their relatability more than their journey, and tweak what I need after that.

What has been the most surprising or rewarding part of your writing journey so far?

I’m an extreme introvert, so going out on this limb was completely crazy to me. But I was recently at a book signing and this woman was there TWO HOURS early to see one of the other authors and me. Knowing people are reading my book is a huge boost to me, knowing they LIKE IT enough to wait for me to sign it? My brain still doesn’t comprehend that. So it’s definitely all the people I’ve met along the way.

What are the common misconceptions people have about being a writer that you would like to address?

That its easy, that you don’t do anything but write, that it’s not full of stress. But also, it’s totally worth all of that if you keep your head above water. And sometimes, you won’t. Sometimes you’ll drown, you’ll throw your mouse across the room, and you’ll tell yourself you’re done. Then you’ll walk away and come back to it, or you don’t. I always tell people to write for themselves. If they sell a book, awesome, if they don’t, they still MADE something, and they should be proud of that.

What advice would you give aspiring authors when it comes to writing?

Don’t give up. Find the authors group that will help you, find authors in your genre, or in your local area, and ask questions, we’ll help. Especially if you’re self publishing, that crap is HARD, but you’re not reinventing the wheel, so let us help you get it rolling if we can.

Buy the series Here

The Hollywoodland Series

Never to Suffer

She reunites with the one that got away.

He finds a man who understands his secrets.

They’re a couple who just became a quad.

Are any of them prepared for this?

Dani and Xander always knew they wanted more in their relationship, but finding the right fit proves harder than either of them thought. After breaking up with their most recent girlfriend, Dani loses faith while Xander proposes a long-shot that just might work.

Dr. Theo Clay spends his days helping Hollywood elite face their problems, and ignoring his own. Coming to LA was never his first choice, but he’s made it work. Lately, though, something keeps drawing him into his past as life does the impossible—offers him one more chance to make wrongs right.

Skylar Beck needs to make amends and build their crumbled support system before they stumble. The only way they can do that is to go back home to Los Angeles, a city full of temptation. Fresh out of rehab, a chance encounter from their past offers them their first dose of hope in years.

Coming June 2025

How do you tackle the challenge of pacing in your narratives? What techniques do you use to keep readers engaged?

That’s a struggle, because pacing isn’t the same for everyone. Some people want action right from the start, some people like to ease into the story. I know my books start a bit slow, but I’m working on that in future books, or trying to. It’s one I’m still worried I struggle with.

In what ways do you incorporate feedback from your peers or readers into your writing?

Alpha and Beta reader feedback fuels so many changes. If they like the story, they inspire me to add more, make it bigger and better, but stay on the same track. If they find parts they don’t enjoy, I take a real, long look at that part and see if I can adjust it to make it resonate better. You can’t take everyone’s advice every time, but having extra eyes should be a help, not a hindrance.

How do you make your settings come alive in your stories? Are there particular methods you use?

I’m a bit odd on that one, too. I don’t focus on the setting too much. Like I don’t white room the reader, but I try to give them more on an insight into the character and leave something to the imagination. I’ll describe somewhere fun they go or little details about their rooms. But then other places I’ll leave it to the reader. Do you want to know what the beach looked like, or do you want to know how Ethan felt while his toes sank into the wet sand and Steve took his hand?

Could you share an experience where you faced significant criticism, and how did it affect your work?

Something I’ve learned from talking to other authors and in my own very short experience (so far) as one. There’s no such thing as a tiny bit of criticism. A reader says my book starts slow? I don’t write for two weeks because I’m convinced I suck. The harsher they get, the deeper it digs in and fuels the imposter syndrome. Spite helps! But so does brushing it off (you’ll never really forget those words and you’ll think about them too much) and keep going. Don’t give us criticism or tag us in it unless we directly ask you to, or pay you to. Seriously. This is hugely important to the mental well being of authors. Tears us down, but don’t tag us.

What role does a supportive writing community play in your life as an author? How has it influenced you?

They’re my sounding boards, my idea helpers, and most importantly, so many of them have become my friends. They’re so incredible. I’ve become more confident thanks to them, and found my strange little niche of them, too. They share similar fears, fight the same mental block monsters, and battle the big mega stores alongside each other, it’s a beautiful thing when you find the right group.