Interview with Author M. Jayne LaDow

Describe yourself in three words.

Curious, cozy, candid

What are three facts about you?

After 33 years as a middle school English teacher, I traded lesson plans for love stories full-time.
I keep an active pen pal correspondence and send snail mail all over the world—because nothing beats getting a real letter in your mailbox.
At home, I share space with three cats: Gino, George, and Jonsey, who supervise (read: interrupt) most of my writing sessions.

What is your favorite book from childhood?

My favorite childhood book is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Even as a kid, I read it as a love story—the tree gives everything it has, again and again, for someone it loves. I think that's stuck with me more than I realized; selfless, all-in love shows up in pretty much everything I write now.

When you read, which authors are your go-to authors?

Penny Reid, Helen Scheurer, and K.F. Breene—I love how each of them blends humor, heart, and spice without ever taking themselves too seriously.

What book has made the biggest impact on your life?

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain had a huge impact on me. It gave me a lifelong love of small towns, adventure, and humor—all three of which show up in my writing to this day.

Do you have any book related tattoos?

I have a tattoo that reminds me, every day, that I am brave and strong—a design wrapped in flowers blooming straight out of an open book. It's a little reminder that the stories I tell grow into something beautiful.

What is your favorite TV show or movie?

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Hacks. They both center on sharp, funny women navigating creative careers and tricky relationships.

What subject could you talk about all day?

Virginia Beach, VA history is a genuine passion of mine—I write the Tides of Truth mystery romance series set in my hometown, and I could talk for hours about the local landmarks, hidden histories, and stories tucked into this city's past.

What is your dream vacation destination?

My dream vacation is a 10-day National Parks trip by Amtrak, stopping at five different parks along the way. There's something about train travel I love—the slower pace, the views unfolding outside the window—and I can't think of a better way to take in the beauty of the USA than watching it roll by from a train car.

What do you do for fun when you aren’t writing?

I live in Virginia Beach, so summers usually find me on the beach—book in hand, letting the sound of the waves do all the work of relaxing me.

Are there any causes you support or which are important to you?

I volunteer regularly with the Food Bank of Southeast Virginia. Seeing children dealing with food insecurity during my years as a teacher broke my heart, and it's stayed with me ever since. Now that I'm retired, giving back to the communities and people who need it most feels like one of the most important things I can do with my time.

How did you discover writing as a possible career?

When I retired, my mother-in-law moved in with us, and we spent our afternoons together watching TV. During those quiet hours, I started writing stories and chapters of my own. I'd read romance my whole life, so naturally, I decided to write romances featuring teachers—just as a hobby, just for fun. But it quickly became clear I wasn't going to stop. So I took a publishing class, set up my business, and jumped in headfirst.

How did you choose your pen name?

My real name is Mary Jayne—but 'M. Jayne LaDow' has a nice ring to it, don't you think? At the time, my mother was in her 90s, and since she had impeccable taste in literature (and in maiden names, apparently), I borrowed hers as a little tribute. She gave me my love of books; the least I could do was give her a byline.

Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Almost all my characters are teachers in some form—not surprising, given my 33 years in education. After spending that long in classrooms and staff rooms, I've got no shortage of material (and honestly, half of it is too good not to use).

What is the weirdest fact you've found when researching for a book?

The weirdest fact I've found while researching: my own neighborhood here in Virginia Beach was once a POW camp for German soldiers during WWII. I drive past the spot almost every day and still can't quite wrap my head around it.

What trope is your favorite to write?

My favorite trope to write is enemies-to-lovers. There's nothing better than sharp, sparring banter—and nothing delivers that quite like two people who absolutely cannot stand each other... until they very much can.

What is your favorite thing about being an author?

My favorite thing about being an author is connecting with readers. Any chance I get to meet someone face-to-face who's read my books—that's the moment that makes it all feel real, and it never stops being thrilling.

What is your writing process?

I'm a plotter through and through—spreadsheets, deep character profiles, the works. Then I draft, trying to keep everyone on track... though my characters have a habit of going rogue, which sends me right back to the spreadsheet to update the plan. I write chronologically from start to finish, and once the draft is done, revising is honestly my favorite part.

What time of day are you most creative?

I'm most creative in the mornings—that's when the ideas flow best for me.

What is your ideal writing environment?

My ideal writing environment is simple: home, alone, curled up in my recliner with a cup of tea.

As an author, what challenges do you face?

One of my biggest challenges is gaining traction in the market. I've written six books now, and despite trying ads, promotions, and other marketing strategies, not much has really moved the needle. What works best for me, hands down, is connecting with readers in person.

What is your least favorite part of being an author?

My least favorite part is putting myself out there with a new book... only to watch it get swallowed up in a sea of a thousand other titles. It's one of the toughest parts of this job.

If there was one thing you could change about the writing/publishing industry, what would it be?

If I could change one thing about the publishing industry, it'd be reviews. Authors rely so heavily on them, yet so few readers leave one—even readers who tell me directly how much they loved a book often never post a review. That gap between 'I loved this' and an actual review is one of the biggest hurdles indie authors face.

What advice would you give aspiring authors?

My advice: write because you love it. Everything else—sales, reviews, recognition—is just icing on the cake.

What is something you’d like to write, but haven’t yet?

Something I haven't written yet: full-on Romantasy. I love epic fantasy—the world-building, the stakes, the magic systems—and let's be honest, adding smut only makes all of that better.

Which parts of yourself are reflected in your characters?

The teaching background is the obvious one, but honestly, my characters all carry a piece of me. In Pop Quizzes and Stolen Kisses, Rachel Bright is autistic—and surprise, so am I. It's not something I set out to write as a 'message,' it's just part of who I am, so it ended up part of who she is too.

Which of your characters have special meaning to you?

Dani Jones in my book A Pilgrimage of Whispered Truths, holds a special place for me because I actually wrote the first draft of this story back in the '90s—and at the time, the main characters were essentially my husband and me, with several of my teaching friends woven in as characters too. The book has been heavily revised since then, but Dani still carries that piece of me. Reading her now is a little like looking at an old photograph—the details have changed, but I can still see myself in there.

How do you come up with character names?

Ha! Honestly? I pick names that sound great yelled out during a steamy scene. If it doesn't pass that test, it doesn't make the cut.

What kind of readers enjoy your books?

My ideal reader is someone who wants their books to feel like a friend—whether she's a teacher (current, former, or adjacent) looking for steamy, laugh-out-loud workplace romance with tropes she loves, a Virginia Beach native or visitor craving a slow-burn mystery soaked in '90s nostalgia and local landmarks, or a paranormal romance fan who wants heat backed by real world-building. Across all three, she's a reader who values voice and community as much as plot—someone who'd happily subscribe to a newsletter, join an ARC team, and stick around for the long haul, not just the next release.

What is something you love to hear from your readers?

One of my favorite things to hear from readers is when they tell me they see themselves in my books—that they recognize themselves as the hero of the story. That kind of connection is exactly why I write.

Where can readers find you online?

https://www.hopp.bio/mjayneladow

Do you have any ARCs or free downloads readers might be interested in?

https://dl.bookfunnel.com/d1pb8wtyfz

What is your latest/upcoming release?

My next two books are Bound & Hexed, book one in a brand-new paranormal romance series set in Crystal Hollow. It follows Rowan Mira, a woman who finds herself bound to Elias Crowe through an ancient Ilara bond —one that ties her fate to his, whether she likes it or not. As she's pulled into the politics of the Council and the threat it poses, she has to figure out what the bond really means, both for her power and for her heart. It's coming out in October 2026. And A Masquerade of Broken Truths, book two in the Tides of Truth series, brings Dani Jones back to 1997 Virginia Beach. A new case—new masks, new secrets—pulls her right back into the kind of mystery this city seems to specialize in, all while her relationship with Gavin Larkhurst continues to deepen. It releases in November 2026.

Closing Thoughts...

If you've made it this far, thank you—I hope getting to know a bit more about me adds something to the stories themselves. Writing has become one of the great joys of my life, and every reader who picks up one of my books—and especially those who take a moment to leave a review—means more to me than you know. Whether you're here for the laughs, the small-town mysteries, or the magic, I hope you find a little piece of yourself in these stories.

Steam Level

3 - 4 Open door scenes per book