At the Heart of It All: How J.C. Cervantes Honored Her Writing Spirit and Became a Bestselling Author

I’m thrilled to share my Q&A with J.C. Cervantes. J.C. and I first crossed paths 10 years ago, when she had already published one middle grade novel and was looking to advance her career. We worked together on a few different partial manuscripts that didn’t quite progress—but then, in 2017, she landed a book deal with Rick Riordan Presents. Today, J.C. is the New York Times bestselling author of several middle grade and young adult novels, and her adult debut is releasing in May. 

You published your first book, a middle grade novel called TORTILLA SUN, back in 2010 with Chronicle Books. Could you tell us a little about this novel and what inspired you to write it?

This book is my love letter to New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment that inspired me in so many ways, from the breathtaking landscape to the beautifully diverse cultures; there really is no place like it. But the truest inspiration came from my youngest daughter who asked me to write her a story while she was at school. That’s exactly what I thought I was doing until the story expanded beyond scope, and I realized that just maybe I was writing a book.

When we first crossed paths 10 (!) years ago, in 2013, you had several manuscripts in the pipeline. Then, in 2017, an entirely new manuscript you wrote called THE STORM RUNNER was acquired for a new imprint at Disney-Hyperion, Rick Riordan Presents. Could you describe your writing journey during those four years? For example, did you hear about Riordan’s new imprint and try to write a novel that would fit with its mission? Or was it a happy coincidence that THE STORM RUNNER happened to be the kind of story he was looking for?

Oh, those were challenging years filled with rejection but also growth. I learned how to write in a different way. I learned the industry more fully, but mostly I learned that my spirit needed writing and that no matter what, I would continue the artist’s journey. The Rick Riordan imprint was an example of serendipity. When my agent reached out to see if I might have anything to submit as a proposal, I told her I had the beginnings of something, and truly that’s all it was—a few notes jotted down in a Word doc stashed in a “maybe” folder. After some polishing, she submitted the first three chapters and a synopsis. We got a call the next day. It was a dream come true. And I will be forever grateful to my editor, Stephanie Lurie, and Rick for launching my writing career.

When TORTILLA SUN first sold, you had a different literary agent from your current agent. Could you share anything about what it was like to part ways with one agent and then sign with someone new? There was a time when writers stayed with the same agent throughout their writing careers (in the same way workers used to stay with the same company). Would you say that it’s become more common for writers to find new representation at different points in their career?

I think it is so incredibly common to part ways with your agent, and writers do so for myriad reasons. For me, it was a professional decision based on what I wanted my career to look like in five, ten years. But it’s a tough process. First you have to part ways (which I did amicably) and only then can you begin to query other agents, so it can feel like a step back, but you have to trust your gut and just keep moving forward, knowing that your art will find its place.

For several years, you focused on middle grade fiction. Then, in 2022, you released your first young adult novel, FLIRTING WITH FATE, and you have another young adult novel, ALWAYS ISN’T FOREVER, coming out this summer. Your adult novel, THE ENCHANTED HACIENDA, is publishing this spring. And the second book in your middle grade duology, DAWN OF THE JAGUAR, is due out this fall. Is it tricky to now write for three different age groups and audiences? To have so many books release in the same year?

At the heart of it all, I’m a storyteller. Of course, there are conventions within each category, but at the end of the day I want to write a great story. Does that make it easy? Absolutely not, but shifting from MG to YA to adult was never a “strategic” move. When ideas come to me, I begin to peel back the layers organically regardless of genre or age category and then I let them develop as they wish. I think anytime you have more than one book a year it can be emotionally and sometimes physically taxing, but it’s also such a blessing to bring these stories to life with such amazing editors and houses.

You’ve written both series and stand-alone novels. Is one format more exciting—or challenging—than the other? When you first wrote THE STORM RUNNER did you know it was the first book in a series? Or was it a stand-alone novel that you later developed into a series, once it was clear that your readers couldn’t get enough of Zane and his adventures?

I had NO IDEA it was going to be a series, never mind one that would inspire a spin-off duology. Thank God. Had I known I had all those books to write in front of me I would have panicked. With that said, writing a trilogy was the hardest thing I have done to date.  I was intentional in not writing a single plot with a single villain across the series, so that made it even more challenging to create a throughline across the trilogy. You wouldn’t believe the things I forgot between books. Yes, even character names.  

You’ve also contributed to anthologies, including THE CURSED CARNIVAL, to which several of your fellow Rick Riordan Presents authors contributed as well. Do you communicate with these and other authors often? Do you think it’s important for every writer to be part of a writing community? 

I adore my RRP colleagues. They are some of the brightest, most creative minds I know. I have definitely developed strong friendships with some as well as others in the industry. And while that kind of support is important, it’s also okay if you prefer to go it alone. It’s also important to note that support can also come from people who aren’t in the industry and every journey is different.

Are you working on any new writing projects at the moment? Or do you have your hands full publishing and promoting your current novels?

I have TWO exciting projects that I am working on that I can’t talk about yet, but let’s just say, they are my favorite brands of writing (and magic). I cannot wait to share more!

Can you share any advice to writers in the query trenches who have yet to land an agent or book deal?

When I was in the trenches, when I was facing rejection, I wanted to give up. I wanted to want anything but writing. But here’s the deal. My stubborn spirit wouldn’t let me, and that desire wasn’t only about publishing a book as much as it was my need to create, and to ultimately share my work with an audience. I waited years for the right opportunity and now, looking back, I would have waited longer because this journey has been remarkable and uplifting and challenging in so many ways. My advice would be to focus on you, your heart, and the stories that are planted there. Don’t empower the fear—give it a seat at the table, realizing that it will always be there but that doesn’t mean we have to give it an authoritative voice.