Indie Support Sunday: Jessica Carrasquillo

I’m not sure there are enough words to express how much I admire Jessica Carrasquillo as a human being and an author. From the stories she tells, to the creative ways she markets her books—I truly believe there’s nothing Jessica can’t do. It’s how I found her account and then fell in love with her books. 

When I first read The Manchineel (yes, I’ve read it more than once), I was fascinated by the world that she created and the beautifully flawed characters she’d written. In a world of people hating on (my most hated term) “unlikeable female characters”, Elyse was the perfect balm to the noise. She’s messy and complicated and maybe even a little twisted. But she’s perfect. Her story and the journey she goes on will make you put down the book countless times just to clap for who she is.

Jessica isn’t afraid to dive into the dark and gritty stuff, which makes her books that much more interesting. Looking for stories that blend romance, psychological thrillers and mysteries? Then you’re in the right place. Her first two books are in Kindle Unlimited right now. Chosen Daughters is the third and releases March 25th, make sure you preorder your copy today!

BEING AN AUTHOR

Who or what inspired you to write?

I’ve always loved to write since I was a kid. As I grew up, it was a good outlet to express myself as an otherwise shy and weird kid. 

What’s the best and worst part about being an indie author? 

The best part of being an indie author is having complete control over my creative process and marketing. The worst part of being an indie author is having to do it all myself. I’ve recently enlisted some help, which takes some of the stress off, but it’s still a lot of work to write, create, market, keep up a website, run a business etc. when I already have a full time job.

Why did you choose to self-publish instead of going the traditional route?

I’m impatient. I have a career and I didn’t know if this is something I’d even be good at, so I wanted to give it a try on my own. I wish I could afford to do it full time but right now it doesn’t pay very well. 

When you’re not writing, what do you do to get the creative juices flowing?

I am one of those people who could get on a long flight with no entertainment and be totally fine because I can just let my mind wander. Everything gets worked out in my brain. Creatively I also like to draw and paint. Not very good at it but I try. Marketing has also been an interesting outlet for me to be creative. I like making promos in Canva.

If you were to recommend books to me (in any genre), what would they be?

Hmm, it depends on what you like! If you’re into thrillers, I’d suggest The Forgotten Series by Julian Kennedy. Spicy romance where folks get hunted for sexy times? Willing Prey by Allie Oleander. Spice that makes your stomach hurt? Astray & Exile by Poppy Fitzgerald. Contemporary romance with adorable and funny banter? Sunshine with You by Layna James will be out soon and I was lucky to beta read that. Pretty prose and characters you never expected to fall in love with? An Appreciation of Cats by Des DeVivo. Fun and whimsical yet heartfelt fantasy? Dad Magic by Benjamin Twigg.

What are your top 5 tips or pieces of advice for aspiring authors?

1. Write every day.

2. No matter what you do, you will not please everyone so you might as well write what you want, how you want.

3. Don’t let the business of writing ruin it for you. Most people don’t become instant bestsellers. Most people struggle to get their books into the hands of readers.

4. Don’t let perfection be the enemy of progress.

5. People will be mean, but keep your grievances in the group chat. 

ROMANCE AS A GENRE

Why did you choose romance as the genre to write in? What is your favorite thing about the genre?

I write romance that crosses over into other genres. The Manchineel and Chosen Daughters are both romantic psychological thrillers. Mysteries of the Southern Gothic technically isn’t a romance in a traditional sense, it involves love stories that are mixed up in a mystery. Love stories are the most interesting stories in my opinion. 

If not romance/subgenres of romance, what genre would you like to write in?

I think everything I write will have a romantic tie in, my readers know they’re getting love, murder, or madness. Sometimes all three. Romance, mystery and psychological thrillers are the most fun to write in my opinion.

What are your most and least favorite tropes?

Miscommunication trope is my thirteenth reason. Forbidden love, though? That’s my weakness. Overcoming social, cultural, or political barriers for love? Now that’s romance at its peak.

What are some tropes you want to write in the future?

Maybe a second chance romance. I’ve had some ideas involving an enemies to lovers romance with a grumpy-sunshine dynamic and some paranormal elements. I’d like to get more into the paranormal in general. 

What are some topics (sensitive and otherwise) that you think should exist more in romance?

I like reading characters that feel real. One of the reasons I love Ulysses is because he’s been a fuck up most of his life, and he struggles. He’s not perfect. 

If you write open door romance, why did you choose that and what inspires your sex scenes?

Personally, as a reader, I enjoy a little spice. When a story builds up to a pivotal romantic moment, a fade-to-black can feel anticlimactic. To me, realism is more engaging. People have sex in real life. It’s literally how we all exist. I’m not judging preferences, but I’ve never understood why society is more comfortable with graphic violence than with intimacy. An author can describe someone being disemboweled by a monster in vivid detail, yet writing an explicit romantic scene is met with shame or censorship. It just seems a little backward to me. I try to write open door scenes that are sexy but have emotional depth, storytelling purpose, and strong character development without making it feel excessive or gratuitous. 

YOUR BOOKS

What inspired your published stories? How and when did you come up with these stories and plots?

My debut, The Manchineel, was inspired by gardening accounts I followed on social media. I also watch a lot of murder shows and became fascinated by women who got away with their crimes, either because authorities underestimated them or because their methods were so meticulous that detection was nearly impossible.

That led me to a question: what would the perfect crime require? How could a woman use a rare, deadly plant that only grows in a remote part of the world and bring it somewhere no one would recognize its symptoms? How could she manipulate those symptoms to mimic something entirely different, throwing even the most experienced medical professionals off track?

Can you briefly tell me about your books?

In The Manchineel, Elyse channels her passion for plants into a growing social media career, but she is haunted by a dark past and the voice of a man she thought she had silenced forever. Ben, a seasoned attorney and Hollywood business manager, is trapped in an unhappy and dangerous marriage to Ana, the daughter of his powerful, Weinstein-like boss. With his career and life on the line, Ben suffers under the weight of his choices, until he meets Elyse. A business meeting turns into something more as they bond over their shared Cuban heritage, and an unexpected attraction blooms. What starts as a connection soon twists into a deadly plan.

Mysteries of the Southern Gothic is a true crime podcast hosted by Rosario Martinez and Shawnee Lewis. Their search for gripping stories and unsolved cold cases leads them to Ulysses, a troubled mental health counselor whose sister vanished twenty years ago. As Rosario and Ulysses dig deeper into the mystery, their professional boundaries blur, drawing them into something personal. But when the truth about Ulysses’s upbringing in a cult—the Church of the Ninth Order—begins to unravel, buried memories resurface, relationships are tested, and the past proves more horrific than they ever imagined.

Chosen Daughters continues Ulysses’s journey. Love pulls him back to the Church of the Ninth Order, leaving him stranded in the very world he fought to escape. There, he meets Esme, a young woman forced into the cult as a child, with little hope of ever returning to the outside world. When she is chosen to marry a much older church leader, Ulysses intervenes, setting off a chain of events that pulls him deeper into the Order’s sinister politics. As secrets come to light, taking a stand could cost them both their lives.

Do you already have a favorite character from the stories you’ve written?

I love all my characters differently, but I do have a partiality to Ulysses. He’s just a stand up guy. His moral philosophy and sense of personal responsibility is something I wish the real world had more of. 

If you were to cast your book for a movie/television show, who would you cast in the lead roles?

I don’t want to influence anyone’s vision of the characters! I’ve had a few people message me with guys on social media they think could look like Ulysses and they vary but they all fit the man-bun, tattoo, pretty eyes aesthetic. It’s implied but not said on the page that Esme is Latina, so an actress with darker features—dark hair and eyes.

How much of yourself do you put into these characters?

Readers of The Manchineel will be frightened to learn that Elyse and I have a lot in common. All my characters have a little bit of me. Elyse has my neurosis and warped sense of justice. Ulysses has my moral philosophy of responsibility to others. Rosario has a cynical edge to her that’s entirely mine. Esme’s sweetness should not be mistaken for weakness. 

What is a story/stories that you really want to tell?

I’m working on an installment in The Manchineel universe that bridges it to Mysteries of the Southern Gothic. 

Is there one common element that readers can find in all your stories?

Love. Murder. Madness. At least two at all times. Maybe all three.

What’s next on the bookshelf for you? Anything you can tell us about a future project?

I have a lot of friends' books I need to read but life keeps getting in the way. I’d also like to give readers an ending to Elyse and Ben’s story.

When you write these stories, what are you hoping your readers will feel?

I just hope readers connect with my characters. I hope they feel empathy for them.

AUTHOR’S CHOICE

• Paperbacks, hardbacks, ebooks or audiobooks

• Contemporary, fantasy, historical or romantic suspense

• Single or Dual POVDual POV

• Standalones, series or standalones in a series

• Open door, ajar door or closed door romances—Kick that bitch open

• Music or silence when writing—Silence but only because ADHD

• Plotter, pantser or plantser

• Water, tea, coffee or….wine?

• Cold or warm weather—Cold weather which sucks because I live in FL

• Write better in the morning, afternoon or night? I’m a night writer

• Illustrated or photo cover?

Jessica can be found on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. You can also sign up for her newsletter and visit her website for more!