Jane Maree is a storyteller, Jesus-lover, self-professed jack-of-all-trades, and believer in at least six impossible things before breakfast. Raised on fairy tales, scraped knees, and makeshift swords, she has yet to outgrow any of them. Music teacher and virtual assistant by day, she writes and narrates speculative fiction… also by day (she’s one of those morning people), and can often be found drinking a lot of tea and planning her next adventure to the wilds of outback Australia.
JD: Tell us about the Nebulous Saga. (Y’all, it’s so good!) Where can we find it? (I made it easy…you can find it here.)
The Nebulous Saga is my pirates-in-space science fantasy story, and it’s available to listen to now on all major podcast platforms!
Treasure Planet meets Hamlet in a quest for vengeance and truth through the depths of space.
(Jenn: Pirates in space? Yes, please!)
No one survives the Void.
Deep in interstellar space, the notorious pirate Captain Dolion of the Nebula stalks his prey. For ten years he has pursued the Nova Alliance in his vengeance for the deaths of his parents. Ten years he has hunted. Ten years he has dreamed of only one thing:
Death to the Nova Alliance.
But meeting Jesse Kieffer, cursed with mysterious powers, will force him to come to terms with his humanity, and risk losing—or gaining—the only thing he has left to live for.
JD: Where did you get the idea for this project, and what made you decide to put it into podcast form?
Two years ago, I was challenged to write a story about rabbit pirates in space, and I just can’t back down from a dare… though I did tweak the idea, and there are absolutely no rabbits in The Nebulous Saga, bahaha!
The story was originally released with Havok Publishing as a six-part flash fiction series in 2021. It’s absolutely thanks to Magnus Carlssen (now a dear friend) that it became an audio drama at all.
Magnus championed the project into audio in 2022, adapting my stories to script and paying our phenomenal cast and doing so many of those behind-the-scenes things that go into producing something like this. After an exclusive subscriber release with Packhowl last year, we’re incredibly pleased to now be signed with Realm Media for distribution on all platforms across the world!
JD: What have you enjoyed about putting a story out in podcast form?
What haven’t I enjoyed?? It’s all been so incredible! But hearing my story brought to life through the dialogue of the amazing voice actors is enough to leave me absolutely speechless to this day. It was so astounding to sit in on the recording sessions and give direction, and then just watch them absolutely crush it every time! I’m in awe of their talent and I shed a tear or two almost every time I listen to their work.
JD: What is a challenge you have faced?
Every creative knows this feeling: imposter syndrome. It is terrifying to share a story I love so much!
And the feelings of doubt haven’t just been around The Nebulous Saga specifically. The knowledge that people were actually reading/hearing my stories suddenly gave me a fear of failing expectations, and honestly crippled my creativity for a while. I’m only now—after a long break—beginning to rekindle that spark and figure out what writing looks like for me now in this stage of my journey.
In the last few weeks I’ve started working on a new project that I’m dying to share with everyone, but I’m keeping it a secret for a while so I can remember the joy of simply creating, with no expectations or strings attached.
JD: I see when we sign up for your newsletter, we get the first chapter for Once Upon a Kingdom. Do tell! It sounds so clever!
This story first began a few years back with the idea “what if the damsel in distress doesn’t need saving… what if the prince needs saving because of the damsel?” I had such fun writing this story of flipping cliches, brotherhood, and a dash of romance.
Unfortunately, Once Upon a Kingdom has been largely ignored as the last couple of years have been increasingly busy, on top of my imposter syndrome from sharing The Nebulous Saga, but I hope to dig it out from the dusty shelf one day!
JD: What are your plans for it (i.e. when can we read it)?
I hope to pursue traditional publishing—though whether with Once Upon a Kingdom or another of my many drafts and ideas, I don’t know. But rest assured that I do hope and plan to share more of my stories with the world one day!
JD: Where else can we find your stories?
Other than The Nebulous Saga, I have a spin-off flash fiction series Tales of the Void set in the same world that is available to read on my website janemareeauthor.com.au! I’ve also got short stories featured in the two most recent Havok Publishing anthologies—one fantasy about a boy from the ocean kingdom discovering his powers, and a comedy about the Mona Lisa (you’d have to read it to get how that makes sense, haha).
JD: In addition to writing, you are an audiobook narrator. How did you get into that?
I was raised on read-alouds and I’ve always enjoyed doing accents and acting, so I’ve been vaguely interested in narrating for years, however it was only last year that I officially caved and started to do it professionally!
In short, I asked all the voice actors and narrators I know a lot of questions, and then was incredibly blessed to be approached by Quill & Flame Publishing House to be an in-house narrator for their company—and the rest is history! I’m still pinching myself that I get to do this as a job.
JD: I’m sure you love all the projects you’ve narrated, but any favorites?
I have a special place in my heart for Wishes by Brittany Eden because it was my first ever audiobook. I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten better every book I’ve done since then, but it was so dreamy and whimsical, and I loved getting to dust off my British accent to narrate it.
JD: What does a day in the life of an audiobook narrator, a writer, and a musician look like?
Busy! Haha—it’s always a juggling act to keep all my jobs in order, and each day of the week is different. The most generalised schedule might look something like this, but way less organised than this makes it seem:
6.00: Ocean swim or a little workout
6.45: Cup of tea (the first of many) and a bite of breakfast while I read my Bible
7.45: Publish social media posts (for myself and/or virtual assistant clients)
8.30: Audiobook recording or editing (depending what stage I’m at) until my voice and/or motivation starts to give out haha
11.30: Bits and pieces for clients (answering emails, sending invoices, creating graphics, scheduling posts, etc)
1.00: Lunch and probably more random tasks (taking bookstagram photos, planning content, writing or proofing captions, photoshopping)
3.00: Head out for an afternoon of teaching music lessons OR set the mood and get some writing in!
JD: You also offer editorial services. Tell us about what you offer.
I’ve been freelancing as an editor for around six years (a number that utterly shocked me as I calculated it just now). I love helping authors develop their strengths so they can tell truly meaningful stories, and I’m honoured to have had the opportunity to work with many writers, both new and veteran, with all types of edits, from big-picture developmental edits to the fine-tuned technical proofreads.
Because I’m balancing so many different jobs, these days I don’t often take on new clients, but I am still an acquisitions editor with Havok Publishing on their Fantasy Friday team, which is always a lot of fun. I’m also working with The Black Piper this year on their anthology Tales of the Black Piper.
JD: What is a common mistake you see newer writers make?
Skimping out on the detail of emotion is a big one. I say this all the time in my edits: get your readers connected with the main character! That means showing what the character is thinking and feeling in a way that allows the reader to experience the story alongside the character. Slow down and zoom in—don’t worry so much about the big things happening around the character as much as the small things happening within the character. That’s not to say you shouldn’t describe what happens around the character too… it’s all about that balance.
JD: If you could give one piece of advice to your younger writing self, what would it be?
I’ve had chronically flat and un-scary villains all my writing life until very recently I suddenly realised the blindingly obvious fact I’ve been missing all along… Villains are characters too! Develop them and get to know their personality and motivations and desires the same way you do all the other characters.
JD: I see you help writers with marketing. What is one tip you’d give any prospective clients?
Engage with your audience! Honestly, you can have the most beautiful bookstagram photos and the most stunning book covers, and it won’t do you anywhere near as much good as making genuine connections with your readers. Even if you don’t have a book out yet, now is the perfect time to be building those relationships. Support other authors and make friends! (Introverts, I can see you pulling faces. The good news is you can do this from the comfort of your own home. I believe in you!)
Jenn: A huge thank you to Jane for being here today! Go listen to her show, and get ready to hear her narrating the upcoming awesome book by E. A. Hendryx, Suspended in the Stars.
Social links (some/all/none/whichever you prefer or use):
Facebook and Instagram: @thejanemaree
Goodreads: Jane Maree
Podcast: realm.fm/shows/the-nebulous-saga
Website: janemareeauthor.com.au
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