If you’re looking for swoony, modern love stories with heart, look no further than Finley K. James. A daughter of the southern Midwest, Finley brings warmth, wit, and a touch of mischief to contemporary romance.
With five published books and counting (plus a book of free-form powtry), her catalog offers something for every romance reader—whether you crave small-town charm, harbor punk-rock dreams, or the love getting lost in the kind of heart-wrenching tension that keeps you up way past bedtime. All of her titles are gathered in one easy place: books.finleykjames.com.
Finley is full of surprises. “I broke eight toes at once when I was 18,” she says, proof that her real-life adventures are as dramatic as her fictional ones. And despite being mildly allergic to both cats and chocolate, she shares her home with two cats and happily indulges in chocolate anyway because sometimes these risks are worth taking.
Let’s get to know Finley a little better:
What part of the process pushed you closest to giving up?
That would be editing. I kept removing scenes only to add them back only to remove them AGAIN. The process drove me up the wall because I was so indecisive of how I wanted it to go.
What do you hope readers feel after the last page?
Hopefully satisfied! I truly hope every reader comes away from reading my books content with how it went, the length of the story, the characters and the arcs. I also hope they feel like the love I write about is real and attainable.
What is your writing routine?
I have 3 kids. I have no “routine” lol. I basically just sit down at the dining table with my laptop whenever I can and do my best to get some words on the page (interrupted by chasing the toddler around, keeping him from getting into things, and stopping arguments between the teenagers.)
How has writing changed how you see yourself?
Oh, this is easy: I’m much more attuned to how I feel and what I’m thinking and how I internalize the world around me.
What story or idea is tugging at you now?
I’m actually bouncing between three different full-length-novel ideas that are equally enticing! One is a single-parents rockstar romance, the other is a rockstar x tour photographer romance. There’s also my winter-themed novel revolving around Santa Claus’s son. I also have a winter-themed novella I’m working on. (These are only 4 of… 38 stories I’m working on.)
How would you like this work, or your body of work, to be remembered?
I’d like for my works to be remembered as satisfying reads that show the kind of love you deserve. I’d like for them to be remembered as realistic and well worth reading over and over again.
Share a favorite line or passage and why it matters:
I’m going into the “deep cuts” here and bringing something forth from my very first book. “I don’t want anything you don’t want to give me. If there’s even the slightest doubt in your mind, if it feels like I’m coaxing you into a relationship, then it isn’t worth it. I just want you in my life however you will be. No expectations, no pressure.” It’s so important to me because it’s the kind of love I always wanted growing up–the kind that doesn’t demand anything, the kind that’s unconditional–and it’s the kind of love I found with my husband.