Author J.B. Vample is about that college life. I recently spoke with her about the final book in her popular series.
Tell me about your latest book.
My latest, College Life 501: Post-Grad Management, is book number nine and the final installment of my new adult contemporary series, called “The College Life Series.” This last book picks up five years after the characters have gradated college, and gives a glimpse into their lives as full-fledged adults, navigating the world outside of the bubble that is college life. Staying true to the rest of the series, the book has some drama, mixed with funny, lighthearted moments.
What inspired you to write it?
To be honest, when I first started this series at the age of seventeen, I had only intended for it to be eight books long. I had planned on wrapping up the characters’ lives post-graduation by way of a simple epilogue. However, once I published the first book back in 2015, I felt that not only would I be cheating the readers by not giving the characters’ stories a proper full-book wrap-up, I’d be cheating these amazing characters as well. So it was at that time that I was inspired to write the ninth book.
When did you fall in love with the written word?
When I was a child. Though I didn’t know that writing was my gift back then, I knew that I loved to do it. From writing poems to get a handle on my feelings and emotions, to journaling my thoughts, hopes, and dreams, it was just something that I’d always done—even wrote my first short story in middle school. It wasn’t until I got older did I realize just exactly how blessed I was to have this overwhelming love for writing, as well as this overactive imagination. Writing is something that’s a part of who I am, something that I’ll never quit doing.
What’s the best part of being an author?
One: bringing the ideas, worlds, characters that I create in my head to life, so to speak. Through my writing, I have the ability to allow readers to see what I see; to create books that they enjoy reading, characters that they can relate to and become invested in. Another major part: my readers. I have gained a lot of amazing readers/supporters over the years, and even on my worst days, just knowing that there are people out there who genuinely enjoy my books makes me smile. To be told that you are, or even one of a reader’s favorite author, is an honor. One that I don’t take that for granted.
What’s the hardest part of being an author?
Opening yourself up to criticism. When you release your book for the world to read, receiving a few less-than-stellar reviews are inevitable because not everyone is going to like what you write, or even you for that matter. Having a bad review on a book that you put your heart and soul into can be an ego bruiser. However, I know that you can’t please everyone, and to be honest, I don’t try to. In my heart, I know that I put out the stories that I am proud of, so I only focus on the positive.
What books have you read lately and loved?
To be honest, as much as I love to read, since I’ve started publishing, I haven’t been reading other authors’ books as much as I would like. (I will be getting back to that soon enough. I have a few books on my to-be-purchased list.) But one book I’ve read multiple times, is No Compromise by Rochelle Alers.
What book(s) are you most excited to read next?
The next book that I’m looking forward to reading is Seven Days in June by Tia Williams.
Who would you cast in a movie to play your main characters?
Honestly, I’d cast unknown black actors and actresses to play my main characters. That being said, there isn’t anyone in particular that I have in mind. But would definitely love to be part of the casting process.
What’s next for you?
Well, now that The College Life Series is complete, I’ll keep promoting it of course. And since the ultimate goal of this series, besides being a world-known book series, is having the books adapted into a television series, I will be learning how to write screenplays so I can turn at least book number one into episodes. On top of that, I’ll be writing other books of course and plan on dabbling into other genres. As a matter of fact, I wrote a women’s contemporary standalone novel last year—one that I’m truly excited about, and one which I plan on publishing sometime in the future. Stay tuned for more information on that.
Do you have anything you would like to add?
Just that I appreciate you taking the time to interview me. This has been awesome, thank you so much.
Use the Black Fiction Addiction affiliate link to purchase your copy of College Life 501: Post-Grad Management.
To learn more about J.B. Vample, visit her website or connect with her on social media.
Website: jbvample.com
Facebook: Author J.B. Vample
Instagram | Twitter: @jbvample
TikTok: j.b._vample