JC Montgomery never planned to become an author. The idea showed up on its own a couple of years ago, when a scene from what would become The Knight Series popped into her head, unlocking an imaginative side she’d spent years ignoring as an adult.
Eventually, she couldn’t ignore it anymore and started writing it down. Becoming an author was never something she’d talked about growing up, so deciding to publish a romance novel at 40 surprised her as much as it surprised her family and friends. She later found a story she’d written back in second grade, complete with an author bio she’d made up at the time, proof that maybe the ambition had been there all along, just waiting for the right moment.
Let’s dive into her journey, her creative process, and everything that’s shaped her writing along the way.
How it all started
For months, JC Montgomery wrote in private and told no one. She was talking with her husband one night about books she likes to read when he mentioned, almost in passing, that writing a book was something she could do too. Those words stuck with her, and she ended up telling him about the writing she’d been doing in secret. The look on his face and the way he reacted is something JC Montgomery says she’ll never forget. He believed in her, in something she thought was silly and felt very self-conscious about, and that belief, along with his genuine interest, is what kept her going.
Authors who’ve shaped JC Montgomery’s writing style include Kristin Hannah, Jodi Ellen Malpas, Kate Stewart, and Rebecca Yarros. She’s drawn to writing that’s rich in description and paints a clear picture in the reader’s mind, but also likes wildly imaginative storytelling, and thinks these authors bring both. Stories with heart and healing are how her own mind works when she’s building a story, and she sees that same quality in their work.
How JC Montgomery writes
JC Montgomery doesn’t work with an outline. She lets things develop as she goes, letting the story take hold of her imagination without boundaries. She might write a scene from the middle of the book when she’s only just started, or write the epilogue long before she’s anywhere near that point in the story, simply because the idea came to her and she had to get it down. For the author, an outline would limit her creativity, since scenes tend to present themselves on their own once she lets her imagination run.
Her stories don’t all start the same way. The Knight Series began with a specific scene in the middle of the story, with the characters and plot developing separately from that point. Montgomery’s current manuscript began by focusing on the main female character. Another manuscript started from a song she heard and a conflict between the hero and heroine. A third idea, still forming in her head, comes from a story she wrote as a child that she plans to adapt into a modern romance.
JC Montgomery doesn’t put her own experiences directly into her characters, though a setting is sometimes based on a real place she’s visited, since that helps make the location feel more real. The experiences themselves stay fictional. She describes her own life as traditional and simple, while the stories she writes go well outside those lines, which is exactly how she likes her fictional worlds to be.
That said, she thinks she picks up character traits from the people around her without meaning to. She’s drawn to strong, independent women who have flaws but whose strength and grit help them push through, and to alpha males who tend to be protective and quiet. The author says she has people like that in her own life, and their way of being sometimes filters into her characters.
Writing in the chaos
The author’s writing day is random. Writing happens when she has time, since she runs her own company and works outside her role as an author. When she does write, she uses a journal and says about 90 percent of what she writes is done by hand first and then typed into a computer. This also helps her editing process, since she typically edits sentences in the journal before entering them into a Word doc, then edits it again.
Once a story is fully out of her head and written, she edits it from beginning to end on the computer, then prints it out and edits again on paper. JC Montgomery admits she wishes she could say her routine involves a quiet space, but most of the time she’s writing around the noise, movement, and frequent interruptions of her three kids, and that seems to work for her.
She likes to write outside when she can, and enjoys a coffee, or sometimes a cocktail, while writing. JC Montgomery writes best when relaxed, but takes whatever free time she can get. Ideas can also show up while she’s falling asleep, which sometimes means getting out of bed to write them down before they’re gone. The one constant, more than coffee or quiet, is her notebook, which she keeps with her wherever she goes. The author usually doesn’t play music while writing, though hearing a song while driving can spark an idea.
When ideas stop coming, JC Montgomery closes the notebook. She doesn’t like to force the story, since that doesn’t feel natural to her, and taking a break is always the best move when she can’t picture the next scene or where things go from here. The story comes back when it’s ready, and it’s always better as a result. To get back into a creative headspace, she’ll sometimes reread sections she’s already written, which helps get the flow moving again.
Facing self-doubt as an author
There have been moments JC Montgomery felt like giving up, not because the stories weren’t there, but because, in her words, imposter syndrome is a monster. The self-doubt that comes with writing is real, and pushing through it matters.
A good review or a kind message from a reader helps a lot, as does having other indie author friends who help pick her up when she needs it. The author also credits readers who post something inspirational or offer a good reminder of why authors enjoy writing their stories in the first place, saying she couldn’t do this without the support around her.
JC Montgomery’s advice to authors afraid of negative reviews and self-doubt is that there’s no way to fully escape either, but you don’t have to let them overshadow your love of writing. Self-doubt comes with almost anything people do in life, so it matters to focus on the good in your work and stay willing to improve.
Her debut showed her she can write, even though there’s room for improvement and polish, and that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good story. Negative reviews aren’t everything, and one bad review isn’t a reason to quit. Everyone finds their own audience eventually, and you won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. She points out that she’s read terrible reviews of books she loves, written by bestselling authors, so bad reviews happen to everyone, and shouldn’t be allowed to derail anyone’s dreams.
Lessons in self-publishing
Because she wrote and published in secret, JC Montgomery didn’t set up social media accounts soon enough and skipped ARCs, beta readers, and an editor before her release date. She thinks this held back her progress at first and meant she had to work much harder over the following year, though she calls it a big learning experience that has left her better prepared for future releases.
Writing a book is the easier part of the process, and selling it is much harder. With so many good books out there, it’s tough to be seen, though not impossible. Learning to navigate the social media community, leaning on support from other indie authors, and being open to some investment all help. Marketing remains the bigger challenge for her, one she’s still hoping to understand better.
The most successful promotional strategy for JC Montgomery so far has been a book tour, or blitz, involving multiple bookstagrammers who showcased or reviewed her book over a two-week period. That created more content that readers saw repeatedly during that stretch, which seemed to help compared to earlier sales periods.
Looking back, not having ARCs stands out as a mistake, since she now sees how much that kind of buildup matters for both gathering reviews and creating anticipation before release. The author has also become more open to using Kindle Unlimited, something she avoided early on because she wanted her ebook available on more platforms. Those other platforms haven’t proven very lucrative, and she thinks KU will help her reach more readers.
For promotion, Instagram is her main platform. She has Facebook and X accounts too, but is less active there, and finds the Instagram community the most interactive and supportive. She also enjoys running giveaways on Instagram, calling it a fun experience every time.
Balancing writing and life
Balancing writing with motherhood and a job is challenging. JC Montgomery works and balances that alongside motherhood, marriage, and other activities, which makes finding time to write difficult, but she makes it work. She writes a lot in the evenings when possible, and on weekend mornings over coffee, fitting it in when she can.
JC Montgomery typically has time off in the summer and writes more during those months. Her responsibilities can stifle her creativity, but she gets by, telling herself that one day this will be something she can focus on more, and that for now she just takes the time she can get.
The author’s main piece of advice for authors trying to balance writing with work and family is not to let word count become a source of stress, since that turns writing into a job, which isn’t what she wants it to be. It’s her creative space, her release, something special to her. JC Montgomery encourages authors not to forget why they started writing in the first place, since even when work and family take priority, a story stays in your mind and eventually gets written. It isn’t going anywhere, at least not for her; her own stories live in her head on repeat.
To avoid burnout, JC Montgomery tries not to put pressure on herself to keep writing, since the writing comes when it wants to. She also avoids comparing herself to other authors and how many books they publish, reminding herself instead that she has a job and three kids, so she needs to be patient and let the creativity flow naturally. There will be a day when she has more time for writing, and until then, she’s trying to wait for it patiently.
Case study: Bringing The Knight Series to life
There’s one more detail worth sharing here: Miblart had the honor of designing the covers for The Knight Series, JC Montgomery’s very own debut. The series follows a passionate love story, one where two people are drawn together even as their past pushes them apart, and where holding onto that love means facing everything unresolved behind them.
Book one — Knight of Enlightenment
For the first book, the author wanted an object-based cover showing romantic setting with a touch of suspense, that blends countryside and city. She envisioned a dusk-lit scene with silhouetted oak trees and wildflowers on a hillside, soft floating petals, and the title rendered in a silvery.
The design came together perfectly on the very first attempt. The only adjustment the author asked for was removing a few extra petals.
Book two — Knight of Sunshine
For the second book, JC Montgomery asked for a ranch setting with a rustic barn and sprawling oak trees, along with a meaningful touches of bulb flowers like tulips and daffodils. She wanted a dark-to-light contrast on the cover to reflect the romance and the characters’ own light and dark sides.
It seems our designer was really in sync with the author’s vision, which was wonderful to see. After the first concept, she asked for the barn to be changed.
Now, let’s enjoy the full series together!
What’s next
JC Montgomery is currently working on Simone’s story, the sister of Clayton Knight, who was abducted and endured the early stages of sex trafficking. Simone is strong, healing, and hunting down the people responsible for hurting her. It’s another romantic suspense novel, a standalone within the Knight Collection, with mystery, a compelling hero, and heartache.
A glimpse into what is being written:
“The coolness of the underground labyrinth is anything but fresh and whimsical. It is chilling, and I know whatever lies ahead will only bring more ice to my veins.”
Romance is where JC Montgomery is staying, since she loves it, though she plans to shift focus within the genre. Right now, she’s mostly writing romantic suspense, but wants to try romantasy in the future, with ideas already forming even if she’s not sure yet where they’ll lead.
A message to her former self
Asked what she’d say today to her past self, back when she was only dreaming of publishing her first book, JC Montgomery’s answer is simple:
As for the author’s biggest dream, it isn’t a film adaptation, even though she admits most authors like the idea of one. It’s simpler than that: thousands of reviews, while still holding a 4.5-star average. Baby steps. She just wants people to read her book, enjoy it, and want to pick up the next one.
To wrap up
That’s a glimpse into who JC Montgomery is, both on and off the page. We’d love to hear which part resonated with you most, so let us know in the comments.
Want to stay connected with JC Montgomery and follow along with her author journey?
Here’s where to find her:
And don’t miss her books so far:
