My hearts, I’m excited to introduce you to indie author Jes Smyth. We met through Kristina Carmela and I can’t wait to get to know her better right alongside you.

Jes is a Chicago-area native with a degree in psychology from the University of Iowa. From a young age, Jes has been an avid reader, writer, and dreamer. She’s also a small artist appreciator, a budding bourbon connoisseur, an accidental poet, and a lover of fuzzy socks. When she’s not wandering the great outdoors, you can find her acting as a somewhat responsible adult, spouse, partner, and mother. She says she writes every day and hopes the stories she creates will resonate with those who find curiosity in the changes life throws our way. Dream for a Second is her sophomore novel.

JEN: Jes, what a pleasure. Thanks for taking the time. Tell us a little about you: what you read, what you write.

JES: My favorite genre is contemporary fiction with a side of romance. I love to read realistic fiction and absolutely create the same kind of stories. I'm a self-published author under my own imprint Wellium Publishing, LLC. I have two books currently published: Time for Once and Dream for a Second.

NOTE FROM JEN: Jes’s imprint’s tagline is “Independently Inclusive.” Established in 2022, Wellium Publishing is a place for aspiring authors, poets, writers, and dreamers to take control of their writing by exploring various possibilities. Check it out!

JEN: I saw on your website, “Well, I, um…” so cute! And so perfect. I think I say a version of that a dozen times a day! Where do you get the ideas for your work? What inspires you?

JES: Life. It's as simple and as complicated as that. On a more micro level, I've had music catapult a slew of ideas, as well as certain poems. Rarely am I seeking inspiration, it often finds me through various modes of creativity.

JEN: What made you want to start writing?

JES: Writing has always been a creative outlet for me, but not a path in life I took seriously. I began writing at the age of fourteen as a hobby more than anything. It was fan fiction of the band Bush. It wasn't until after I graduated college, had done the 9 to 5 and gave birth to my son, that I returned to writing with a passion that felt akin to my teenage years of creating. I decided to go for a bucket list item of mine "write a book and publish it" in 2020. I finished my first book at the end of 2020, and self-published in 2023. My second book was published in 2024. I currently am curating a poetry anthology called "Pouretry" with a first edition publication in 2025. My third book is currently in the very early stages of being drafted.

JEN: Who is your favorite author?

JES: One of my favorite authors is Barbara Linn Probst. I also enjoy some magical realism penned perfectly by Rebecca Serle. My biggest influence depends. I would say any author who has a beautifully written story that ends up living rent-free in my mind. I also find poetry to be lovely bursts of inspiration when my mind is too crammed with my own story creating. As for rivals, I honestly don't have any! I love spreading love and supporting authors in the indie community.

JEN: What other writers are you friends with, and how do they help you write better?

JES: My biggest pal is Kristina Carmela, author of the Nelsonville Series. She and I co-host a podcast called Indie Scribble Circle, where we invite authors on for a roundtable discussion of various topics relating to writing, being an author and the world of self-publishing.

JEN: Tell me about your writing routine: music, snacks, what else?

JES: I'm a morning bird, through and through. With a good cup of coffee and a distraction-free space, I write best after my kiddo is off on the school bus.

I have a wide range of musical tastes, anywhere from rock to ‘90s grunge, to indie alternative, to soul, to jazz, to classical. I work best with and without music. Truly depends on the day!

My favorite beverage is coffee, hands down. I don't snack during writing. Just coffee. And water. And occasionally a pour of whiskey.

JEN: Ha! You didn’t have to tell us about the ‘90s grunge—I gathered that from your Bush fanfic. I love that! I feel like I missed the fanfiction boat. I could’ve written such wonderful tales about Star Wars and Star Trek.

Where are you from? How does your hometown show up in your work? 

JES: I'm from a suburb of Chicago and live about an hour north of where I grew up. I've used my hometown often in my work as inspiration for my settings. My first novel, Time for Once, is set in a fictional town that is loosely based on my hometown. My second book also has locations in there that are inspired by my hometown as well.

JEN: What do you do for fun when you're not creating?

JES: For fun I like to read! Other than that obvious answer, I enjoy time in nature, a solid hour of focused Pilates work, whiskey tastings and reviewing, and spending time with those I love.

JEN: What sort of themes do you most enjoy tackling in your work, and why?

JES: I gravitate toward themes of personal growth and healing. My first book tackles coming of age points of growth and the mistakes made during young love and new relationships. My second book dove into love after loss and the difficulty of letting go and realizing forgotten dreams. As for my third, I'm hoping to look further into this idea of "becoming" rather than simply "being" in life.

JEN: Oh, that’s a lovely thought. I look forward to reading that! What else is coming next?

JES: I am currently accepting submissions from other writers, poets and creatives for my collaborative poetry project called POURETRY.

NOTE FROM JEN: Y’all. The tagline for this is “Pouring the Spirit of Whiskey into Verse: Crafted Words, Distilled Emotions, Poured Poetry”. When I saw the name, I was really hoping it was whiskey! Hell, I may even have to write a poem for that!

Please seek out Jes Smyth in all her worlds! You can find her on Instagram, TikTok, and her website. And please buy her books Dream for a Second and Time for Once.

Are you a human author? A human who narrates audiobooks? A human who designs book covers? Or a human who does PR and promotion for other authors? I'd love to interview you, too. Let me know when you’re ready!