If you've been anywhere near Bookstagram lately, you've seen buzz about the Love Along the Way series by J.A. Forde.
From dreamy destinations to swoon-worthy heroes and the kind of slow-burn tension that keeps readers hooked, this series has quickly become a fan favorite.
But how did it all begin?
We chatted with J.A. Forde for all the details about her journey to authorship, her inspirations, and what's next now that her beloved series has wrapped up!
Getting Started & Inspiration
Did you always know you wanted to be an author? What inspired it?
When I joined Bookstagram back in 2022 I had no idea that it would lead me here. But I quickly met and became friends with an amazing community of indie authors and seeing the veil pulled back to what the process looked like and seeing that I could also tell a story like they did inspired me.
A dear friend, Hannah Parker, was my first inspiration and my first cheerleader when I decided to write and there have been many more since but I am so grateful for her.
What book(s) or authors influenced you most while writing your Love Along the Way Series?
I love the styles of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez for their witty banter and stories that are both funny and deep. I love the way Carley Fortune writes setting and I love having my settings feel like they are almost a third main character. There were SO many indie authors who inspired me just in their ability to do the dang thing and it kept me motivated.
About the Love Along the Way Series
What was the spark that inspired this particular series?
The settings for sure. I love to travel and go new places and these books are all set in places that I love and feel a connection to.
Did you know how the series would end before you started writing, or did it surprise you along the way?
Each book has been a surprise. I actually intended to write Breck and Rory’s story first (I actually wrote about 40k words of their book before I tabled it and decided to write Sydney).
Sydney was a complete surprise, I didn’t plot it at all and just let it come to me. I then knew that Breck and Rory would be next and take place in Tahoe but so much of their story changed between when I first thought of them and when I actually wrote it (Breck wasn’t going to be a dad originally actually and they had a very different story going on).
I knew I would end up in Scotland with Jamie eventually, it was the whole reason I wrote him as Rory’s best friend but I had NO IDEA where his story would go and wasn’t honestly shocked with the direction it took.
Which character was the most fun to write?
Willow was such a blast to write, I was so nervous to write a child character but she was amazing!
I also adored writing Breck. But I think Jamie is my favorite.
Which character do you personally relate to most?
There are pieces of each that I love and relate to, but maybe Rory with the way it took her longer than she expected to find what she really wanted in life, to find and pursue that passion. I was 35 when I started writing so that feels relatable.
Who is your favorite MMC you have written (and why)?
I love them all for different reasons but right now it’s definitely Jamie.
On the Ferry to Skye
What do you hope readers will take away from On the Ferry to Skye?
There is a subplot within Skye that showcases love that has been hard-won, fought for, and that is cherished. I hope readers will see that and want to hold on to the love they have, fight for it, desire it so that it will be long-lasting and not fleeting.
If On the Ferry to Skye had a theme song, what would it be?
"Blink Twice" by Shaboozy and Myles Smith.
Who would you pick to play Jamie and Avonlea in a movie adaptation?
Jamie is 100% Sam Heughan and for Avonlea I think Dakota Fanning.
What’s a fun fact about the book that readers might not know?
When I wrote Jamie into On the Slopes of Tahoe I had no idea I was going to make him a dad to a secret child he knew nothing about, even that shocked me when it developed into that haha.
Writing Craft & Process
What does your writing process look like?
I like to write with either instrumental music or the Focus Brain app playing so that I can’t distracted by other words (no music with words for me). I want a cup of coffee by my side, pretty much always. I also like to draft in different places, like coffee shops or outside, or really anywhere but my office. Even on my peloton haha. I like to edit in my office though.
Do you have any quirky rituals when you write?
I love to pull up a Youtube ambience video that feels right for whatever I’m writing. I also love popcorn or sour patch kids.
How long did this book take from idea to finished draft?
I started formulating ideas for this story at the beginning of this year and decided probably in around March what direction it would go. I started drafting in April and it releases in mid-November.
What role did research play in bringing Skye to life?
I have at least been to Skye before so that helped (though I really wanted to take a research trip but it wasn’t in the budget haha). This book did take more research though because I wanted it to feel as accurate as possible to the Scottish culture as I could get.
I used Gaelic in parts of the story, I wanted to use names and places that would make sense, I wanted to ensure I was portraying things correctly… I always had a million tabs open. This book even has a small glossary of Scots/Gaelic terms and a map of the area for readers.
How has your writing style changed over time?
It’s stayed mostly the same but my I have definitely honed my craft and learned a lot.
My ability to self-edit is much better so that it’s not quite as much work for my amazing editors when it gets to them. I am not as wordy as I used to be and have gotten better as saying what I mean once, instead of repeating it.
Was there ever a scene that you loved writing but had to cut?
I think the only book where I cut full scenes was with Sydney and that was because my first draft of that book had open door scenes and they just didn’t feel like they did enough to move the story forward so I cut those and built up the tension and emotional connections instead while making them fade to black. I moved a lot of scenes around with Tahoe but I don’t think I cut anything that I really loved.
The only thing I cut with Skye was a scene that I completely rewrote to serve the characters better and honestly it is so much better for it that I don’t miss the original at all.
Advice & Perspective
Best writing advice you’ve ever received?
You can’t edit a blank page.
Worst writing advice you’ve ever received?
Hmm, this one is hard, probably that writing for readers is more important than writing for yourself.
What do you think the greatest challenge modern authors face is?
Entitlement. I think that unfortunately the age of social media and the current generations feel much more entitled and that also applies to authors: to their time, to their work (faster, shorter, longer, this trope that trope), to their gratitude… I think that there is a lot of pressure on authors to be ‘on’ all the time and they have to be perfect or they’ll get cancelled. It is very stressful and can be really hard and it feels unsurprising when you see authors disappearing from public/social media spaces.
Looking Ahead
Are you working on anything new right now that you can share with us?
I do have another short story in the works that is very fun. I’m still kind of in the ‘what do I do now’ phase now that this series is over (which is very bittersweet). I have a lot of ideas but deciding which to pursue has been harder than I expected. I want to write hockey romance, I have an idea to expand my last short story, I have a few collaborative projects in the works… but I want to do them all and it’s hard to decide where to start.
If you could co-write with any author, past or present, who would it be and why?
I definitely would love to co-write with my bestie Stefanie Steck… she and I have some ideas but you didn’t hear that from me. I love to work collaboratively and think doing a multi-author series would be a blast (this is also something I have in mind too).
A huge thank you to JA Forde for sharing these insights, laughs, and a few surprises with us!
Whether you're already a fan of the Love Along the Way series or just discovering J.A. Forde's heartwarming stories, there's never been a better time to dive in. The first two books are available on Kindle Unlimited, or you can grab physical copies (complete with character art and stickers!) from J.A. Forde's Etsy store.
And if you love finding new books and supporting indie authors, don’t miss our weekly newsletter The Weekly Bookmark just one email a week with bookish news, giveaways, author interviews, and more.
👉 Be sure to grab your pre- order of On the Ferry to Skye from her Etsy Store and follow JA Forde for all the updates on future projects!
And as always, I’d love to hear from you! Drop a comment with your favorite part of this interview, or tell me which character from the series you personally connected with most!
