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[jdeowrites]

I haven't done an event in a year! But I'm doing one next week, organized by my lovely German publisher Arctis and the youth jury that nominated TJ POWAR's German edition for the German Youth Literature Prize (!!!). This event is probably more for German readers, but if any fellow Anglophones are interested, I can guarantee that any part where I am speaking or being spoken to, will be in English. lmaoo.

May 6, 2024 at 1pm EST: [VIRTUAL over Zoom] I'm doing a reading and discussion with my German translator Meritxell Piel (we will both be reading excerpts!), moderated by youth jury The Book Eaters. People in attendance will include the youth jury as well as some select reading clubs, bookstagrammers/booksellers, and also you, if you would like to join ;)

Anyway, if you want to participate, send Arctis an email: socialmedia-arctis@w1-verlage.de and they will send you the Zoom link!

[jdeowrites]

On being an author in a tumultuous Trad Pub landscape

This is very much a... me talking to myself post, not a news post. Skip if talking about publishing is not your interest. :)

If you’re in on publishing discourse, then you know some of the biggest news of the week has been layoffs in the industry. Perhaps the most shocking was the abrupt closure of HarperCollins’ Inkyard Press, which was communicated to authors and agents through a mass email (Inkyard, if you don't know, is a YA imprint, which used to be called Harlequin Teen.). Some of those authors had gotten their edit letters or had marketing meetings with their publishing teams just the day before. The especially terrible part being, of course, that all those Inkyard employees were also let go. And it was a surprise to them too (yikes).

(Here is a Goodreads list of a bunch of Inkyard authors you can help support!)

It sucks for so many reasons—for all those authors and employees—and while I’m just an observer to this, not having any titles with HC myself, a lot of people I know were affected. And for myself? It did make me reflect on my priorities as an author in this industry. We have truly no control over what could happen on the publishing side of things. There is stuff going on at a corporate level that is… way unrelated to the work I am doing. That has nothing to do with art and everything to do with capitalism and shareholders and higher-ups making their business decisions in NYC offices. 

For myself, over the past few years, one of my major struggles has been figuring out what books I am going to write, when I have felt the pressure to write certain things or to change my works in certain ways, to create things which are more “marketable”. I have nearly bent to these expectations many times, before realizing how unhappy I was and leaving it to go work on something I was actually passionate about. This has delayed my career but I knew it was the right decision for me. And yeah, this Inkyard news really just cemented that for me: there is no point in trying to please anybody except myself with my stories. Because the institutions I’m trying to please don’t actually care at the end of the day.

Even if you and your work do manage to get past acquisitions, that’s not the end of it. Anything could still happen. Your editor who was so enthusiastic about you might leave, and/or your imprint could close like Inkyard did. Or maybe other things happen that majorly affect you, like, your marketing/publicity budget might suck. Your book might tank. It might be received badly. The marketing trends could change and suddenly your book is Out of Fashion before it’s even printed. Or things could go bottoms up at your publisher—for whatever reason, things happen—and your book never even gets printed at all.

And here’s the thing: even if you write books that are easier sells, those risks still exist. There are no guarantees. Which is why, each time I feel the pressure to bend my stories into something else, I try to remember that. If I lost it all, would I regret not just writing the book the way I wanted to in the first place? 

I find posing that question offers a significant amount of clarity. 

And that’s the key, I think: figuring out where that line is for yourself, between the freedom you want for your art, and the realities of the industry we have entered. Trad pub is a business and you have to play the game to whatever extent you can stomach. You don't know whether that will pay off or not. Some people have to write to market since writing is their main job, so they're constantly playing this game, and that's totally okay too. But if you're more like me, that's not the case. If you're like me, you're thinking, okay, so publishing is fickle, trends are unpredictable, and I don’t control any of it. That is either horrifying or... incredibly freeing.

For me it means this: write the books you want to write. Don’t compromise on the stories of your heart. It’s you who has to go to sleep every night for the rest of your life knowing you wrote it. It’s your name on the cover. It’s your life’s work. Your legacy.

Make it matter. Publishing industry or not.

[jdeowrites]

Life Doesn’t Change After You’re Published, and other kinda-truths

It’s been one entire year since my debut novel, TJ POWAR HAS SOMETHING TO PROVE, was published on June 7, 2022. My little YA contemporary about a girl and her body hair, but also about so much else. 

It sometimes feels like no time has passed at all—like just last week I was on my way to my little local book launch with friends. I remember that day so clearly. I got my hair (on my head, ha) and nails done for funsies, and my brother came to town for the launch. On our drive to the bookstore I was happy and excited, but also had jitters in my stomach because I wore a dress that ended just above my knees—with my very hairy legs exposed. Yes, this was despite not having removed my leg hair in years, and despite having worn shorts so many times in the interim without any discomfort. I knew why, of course: It was because now I was wearing an outfit typically very strongly associated with femininity (a dress) and somehow it felt like the two things couldn’t go together. I mused that here was further evidence that unlearning harmful things society had taught me was going to be a lifelong venture. Which was an interesting, amusing, and somewhat fitting realization to have on release day. 

I still force myself into that discomfort often. In some ways, as I said to my audiobook narrator last year (Mayuri Bhandari, she’s amazing), I even feel some responsibility to do so. Whenever wonderful, open-minded readers say to me, “I didn’t even know brown girls grew that much hair,” I think to myself, well, then it’s even more important that I show them.

To not feel, as an artist, completely divorced from my own work once it was public was one of the many surprises of having a book out. People always say that life doesn’t drastically change once you have a book published; and that, I was prepared for. Frankly I was more than happy with that idea--I’d spent so much time on promo in the lead up that I was exhausted, and looked forward to a quiet post-release. I missed my writing. 

But although there’s no magical life-changing switch, I’ve found that things have changed. Just slowly, and subtly, as satisfying and long-lasting change often is.

I’ve talked at length about how the content of the book changed me. But in a general sense, I can think of many things in my day-to-day life that have changed since being published. For example, having friends in real life snapping pics of my book at stores across the continent; having people in real life ask me about my writing (a bit of a horror really); being tagged in blog posts and Twitter threads where people talk about their favourite books; getting DMs from people gushing about the book; talking to teens as a published author about books; having readers stand in front of me and excitedly tell me all the things they loved about my book while I smile silently thinking is this real? Is this real?; the opportunities I’ve had to sit down with other authors and laugh and compare notes and realize hey, we’re all going through the same weird-ass publishing machine; being asked to blurb other authors’ books; walking into random bookstores and seeing a copy on the shelf; being invited for lit festivals and interviews and to give talks and such as an established author. But most of all, it’s in the simple joy of knowing, every day, I am a published author. That has changed me. It’s a new piece of my identity. Once upon a time, it was my wildest dream. It’s a special privilege to be able to say I’m now dreaming of new things.

So, if you’re one of the people who’ve read TJ POWAR HAS SOMETHING TO PROVE, thank you so much for giving my little book a chance. It’s been amazing to see its impact over this past year, and I can only hope it will reach even more readers as time goes on. And for everyone who’s asked me what’s next... I can’t wait to share. Eventually. ;)

[jdeowrites]

Coming back to say: I had the most wonderful time!!

I was blown away by the attendance of my virtual publishing workshop. It was my first time doing such a talk and a lot of people seemed to find it useful, which made me happy because it’s quite hard to tell how a presentation is going to go over until it’s happened, lol. Huge thanks to Ardo Omer, FOLD kids coordinator, who moderated the workshop and Q&A afterwards!

And then it was a pleasure and honour to speak to an audience of high schoolers for the first time (!) with fellow authors Liselle Sambury and Kevin heronJones. This was my first time speaking to an audience of young adults and that was special in its own right. Also, it was my first time meeting Liselle and Kevin and they were both wonderful. Liselle was our moderator for the panel and came with really, really thoughtful questions. Never underestimate the power of an excellent moderator.

Over the course of the couple of days I was there (FOLD graciously hosted me! Thank you FOLD!), I got the chance to go to other events and chat with other artists too. It’s always a highlight coming to these in person events and getting to see other creators and learn about their own books and experiences. As someone who tends to be more of a solitary writer, it’s pretty rejuvenating too. 

And by the way: You can still catch my events (and many more) virtually until June 7, from anywhere in the world, with a FOLD virtual ticket!

FOLD 2023 Events!

Excited to announce I’ll be at the Festival of Literary Diversity in Brampton, Ontario this year! I’ve got two events brewing:

May 1, 2023 at 4pm EST: [VIRTUAL] WORKSHOP: Writing 101. I’ll be doing a workshop about my journey in traditional publishing and tips for those who are new to the industry or maybe just want to hear another person’s experience. I’ll be doing a bit of a presentation and then a Q&A at the end too! Official description: In this workshop designed for writers curious about the publishing process, Jesmeen Kaur Deo will provide insight on her personal publishing experience as a debut author moving from query to print. 

May 4, 2023 at 10am EST [IN PERSON and VIRTUAL] PANEL: Great Escapes and Expectations. Official description: Being a teen can be tough. From managing the weight of expectations to dealing with big topics and world issues, it can feel like life is too big and too much to handle. In this panel designed just for students, four young adult authors discuss the ways reading and writing can be a tool for escape and entertainment, as well as a powerful tool to tackle everyday issues.

Note that this festival is ticketed; however, the virtual pass gets you in to watch lots of panels (20+, including both of mine) live or virtually anywhere in the world, whenever you want until June 7. And the in-person passes allow you to attend all the events both virtual and in-person. You can find passes through the links above.

I’m looking forward to being at the FOLD and seeing some authors I very much admire. Hope to meet some of you there too, in person or virtual!

[jdeowrites]

FOLD 2023 Events!

Excited to announce I’ll be at the Festival of Literary Diversity in Brampton, Ontario this year! I’ve got two events brewing:

May 1, 2023 at 4pm EST: [VIRTUAL] WORKSHOP: Writing 101. I’ll be doing a workshop about my journey in traditional publishing and tips for those who are new to the industry or maybe just want to hear another person’s experience. I’ll be doing a bit of a presentation and then a Q&A at the end too! Official description: In this workshop designed for writers curious about the publishing process, Jesmeen Kaur Deo will provide insight on her personal publishing experience as a debut author moving from query to print. 

May 4, 2023 at 10am EST [IN PERSON and VIRTUAL] PANEL: Great Escapes and Expectations. Official description: Being a teen can be tough. From managing the weight of expectations to dealing with big topics and world issues, it can feel like life is too big and too much to handle. In this panel designed just for students, four young adult authors discuss the ways reading and writing can be a tool for escape and entertainment, as well as a powerful tool to tackle everyday issues.

Note that this festival is ticketed; however, the virtual pass gets you in to watch lots of panels (20+, including both of mine) live or virtually anywhere in the world, whenever you want until June 7. And the in-person passes allow you to attend all the events both virtual and in-person. You can find passes through the links above.

I’m looking forward to being at the FOLD and seeing some authors I very much admire. Hope to meet some of you there too, in person or virtual!

[jdeowrites]

German cover of TJ Powar Has Something to Prove

Just quickly dropping in to say I recently got to reveal the lovely cover for the German translation edition of TJ POWAR, which will be out in March 2023! Isn’t she fabulous?! 

[Illustrated by: ELENA GARCIA NUÑEZ]

[Image description: TJ is front and center with her long dark hair spilling over her shoulders, face propped up in one hand with an almost bored, insolent expression as she stares at us. She has a unibrow, hair on her chin, and a hairy arm. She wears a purple scarf which matches the purple background. The title reads in white handwritten font: Der beste Beweis bist du selbst. Author name, Jesmeen Kaur Deo, is typed in capitals above it.]

I wasn’t a part of the cover design process for the German edition, but I was totally wow’d when I got it in my inbox. So excited to hold one of these copies in my hands! And maybe even try my hand at reading some of it (although that miiiight be stretching my long-forgotten high school German skills. Just a little bit.)

[jdeowrites]

Coming back to say I had such a WONDERFUL time at this festival. It was very well run, and I had a lot of fun interacting with not only readers, but volunteers, librarians and the other authors (including such Canadian legends as Maude Barlow, and Zarqa Nawaz!)! I really enjoyed all the talks I attended, and my own was really fun, too. My partner in conversation, Sara, came with such thoughtful questions—some of my favourite interview Q’s to date! And there were such thoughtful audience questions too.

It was also my first time meeting strangers who enjoyed my book, in real life. That was extremely surreal. PLUS it was my first time seeing my book on a library shelf:

All in all, it was an unforgettable, fun weekend. Lethbridge/Southern Alberta is beautiful too, by the way. It’s been a hot minute since I was in the Canadian prairies. As a local told me, there’s this mountain you can see in the distance from Lethbridge, and that mountain is in the U.S. state of Montana. Ah, prairies. Never change.

Anyway, I’m really grateful I was invited to attend and was able to come! (and if you were there, thank you!!)

(P.S., this decadent Saskatoon berry cheesecake I got from Lethbridge’s Mocha Cabana Bistro deserves its own mention.)

Word On the Street Festival Lethbridge!

I’m so excited to be heading to my first in-person literary festival! There’ll be many amazing authors to see at Word On The Street in Lethbridge, Alberta, so if you’re in the area on the weekend of September 17, it’ll be a good time. And I’d love if you came by and said hi!

SEPT 17, 2022 at 3pm MDT [tentative time; will update if changes] - Lethbridge, Alberta. For my panel, I’ll be chatting about my journey, reading an excerpt, and taking questions. I’ll also be signing books afterwards (copies of TJ Powar will be available for purchase there, but you can bring your own too!).

Find more information on the festival here.

[jdeowrites]

Word On the Street Festival Lethbridge!

I’m so excited to be heading to my first in-person literary festival! There’ll be many amazing authors to see at Word On The Street in Lethbridge, Alberta, so if you’re in the area on the weekend of September 17, it’ll be a good time. And I’d love if you came by and said hi!

SEPT 17, 2022 at 3pm MDT [tentative time; will update if changes] - Lethbridge, Alberta. For my panel, I’ll be chatting about my journey, reading an excerpt, and taking questions. I’ll also be signing books afterwards (copies of TJ Powar will be available for purchase there, but you can bring your own too!).

Find more information on the festival here.

[jdeowrites]

TJ Powar Has Something to Prove Virtual Celebration!

When TJ Powar released back in June, I did an in person launch, but didn’t do a virtual event. So I’m doing one now... a little belated, sure, but we’re just going to have fun with it. I’d like to invite all my online friends who couldn’t come to my in person launch to come celebrate 2 months of TJ Powar being out in the world! Adiba Jaigirdar and I will be chatting about our books and high school and writing and whatever else comes up. I also want to welcome you to come with your questions. We will be happy to answer them! And if you have questions about TJ Powar in particular, I’ll be happy to answer them too!

AUGUST 13, 2022 at 1pm EST. Register for the free event here —you can also pick up a copy of our books at that link too if you like! ;)

[jdeowrites]

Virtual Event to Celebrate Adiba Jaigirdar’s paperback release of The Henna Wars!

The Henna Wars originally published in 2020: a rom com about two teen girls with rival henna businesses. I adore Adiba’s writing! I remember checking this one out from my library and inhaling it all in one Saturday, back in early 2020 when I was a hopeful writer who had just sent my latest book (TJ Powar) to my agent. It boggles the mind that now, a little over 2 years later, I am celebrating The Henna Wars’ paperback release with the author herself! Plus, Joya Goffney will be accompanying us, and it is not an exaggeration to say I am dying to read her latest release, Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl. 

JULY 30, 2022 at 1pm CT (2pm EST). Register for the event here and don’t forget to pick up your copy of The Henna Wars!

[jdeowrites]

Virtual Event!

JULY 15, 2022 at 7:45pm EST. Join me, SK Ali, Sona Charaipotra and Louisa Onome on this lovely YA Coming of Age panel as we talk about our books! Registration for the BookTalk conference is free and they have multiple other cool panels with other authors!

Register for BookTalk Here

[jdeowrites]

if there's a spider in the room, who would scream/back away/run and who would kill it/take it outside? (pairs in the room: TJ & Charlie, TJ & Simran, Charlie & Nate, TJ & Chandani, TJ & Piper, Simran & Rajan, Simran & Nate, TJ & Nate, Chandani & Piper, Simran & Chandani, Charlie & Simran, Charlie & Chandani, TJ & Rajan)

ALRIGHT @ruhwubby i'm gonna answer ALL your asks all at once under the cut ;) also, if I pass on answering something, unless I state otherwise it’s bc I already wrote something that addresses the question, that might see the light of day at some point.

for everyone else, very spoilery territory for TJ Powar ahead!

For the spider q:

TJ&Charlie – pass ;) I know that’s hyperspecific but I swear

TJ&Simran – Simran would put it on her hand and carry it outside. TJ would scream.

Charlie&Nate – Nate would put the spider on Charlie to attempt to freak him out. He would be unsuccessful.

TJ&Chandani – they both scream & panic. Eventually the spider scuttles away.

TJ&Piper – Piper squashes it with her heel without blinking

Simran&Rajan – they don’t do anything with it, Simran just moves her books out of its way and Rajan spins a backstory for it out of nothing like “I bet he’s a homewrecker” when they see the spider scuttling away from another one rather fast.

Simran&Nate – Nate takes the spider outside uneventfully.

TJ&Nate – Nate pretends to put the spider on TJ to freak her out. He is VERY successful. but then the spider bites him due to the ensuing freak out and TJ is like "that's your fault"

Chandani&Piper – Piper squashes it again.

Simran&Chandani – Simran takes it outside calmly, amidst Chandani screaming.

Charlie&Simran – Neither do anything. they are the most chill duo tbh

Charlie&Chandani – Charlie takes it outside, amidst Chandani screaming.

TJ&Rajan – Rajan takes it outside... Eventually, after torturing TJ a little bit.

did TJ and Charlie go to two proms (each at their respective schools)? (*whispers* feel free to give us as many details as you want hehe)

oh yes they went to both. They were the most fashionable couple there.

when would TJ tell her parents that she and Charlie are dating? when would Charlie tell his parents that he and TJ are dating?

I will pass on part A. Part B: he doesn’t say anything until the next time he brings TJ over, then he tells them just beforehand. His mom already knew Charlie liked her because he told her so a year or two back when she asked.

what was the final word count of TJ POWAR HAS SOMETHING TO PROVE?

About 92k!

how well can Charlie handle spicy food? (on a scale of 1-10)

he’s a 7 I would say. He handles a respectable amount of spice but also knows when to stop and he’s not going to pretend he can go further than that.

when Charlie curses (thinking of the waxing scene haha), does he opt for the word "fuck" or "shit" first?

LMAO I love this q. definitely f bomb in the waxing scene.

how did you choose TJ's name/nickname?

I’ve known multiple Punjabi people who’ve shortened their names this way but they were always guys. I love how spunky those nicknames feel; it felt like it would suit this character. And Tejindar is the name of a relative of mine—so Tejindar “TJ” Powar was born.

who says "I love you" first— TJ or Charlie? when do they say that to each other? (please feel free to give us as many details as you want hehe)

TJ says it first. A few years into their relationship maybe, after many ups and downs between them (long distance is hard). Charlie would be thinking it, but he wouldn’t say it first because he thinks it might freak her out. and honestly, the fact that she says it to him catches him very much off guard, because he never expected her to.

what was Charlie's reaction upon logging into his Instagram account and seeing the post Brandon liked? (did he lose sleep? did he reevaluate every interaction he had with TJ before she found out it wasn't him? how many hours of sleep did he lose)

all of the above, but most of all he was just PISSED. He doesn’t show it outwardly, of course, just quietly exacts indirect, subtle revenge. Charlie can be quite devious when he wants to be.

what would TJ's social media handles look like? (lowercase everything or uppercase when you have the choice (like on Twitter)? would she put number(s) in hers or stick to periods and underscores? i am curious about her ~aesthetic~)

she would be throwing narcissistic puns all over the place with her last name, like idk “tjpowarful”  and stuff like that lmaoo. Probably lower case handles.

when Charlie visits TJ at Western, what is the first thing he does when he sees her? when TJ visits Charlie at Queen's, what is the first thing she does when she sees him?

The honest answer to this question is not PG-13.

how often do TJ and Charlie see each other after starting university?

Probably only every few months after their initial attempts to see each other. Starting uni is hard!! So much stuff to do!!! Huge life changes!! Transitioning to adulthood!! And it would be hard for them, especially so because they barely had any time to establish their relationship before they had to leave. I see them as a kind of on again off again for the first bit of their relationship. But those trials and tribulations only make them stronger in the end when they always eventually come back to each other.

who says "I miss you" first— TJ or Charlie— after their last day of summer together/after they leave for university?

I went back and forth on this one. I think it would depend on the circumstance, it's really a toss up.

when picking out the ring, do Charlie and TJ go together, or does Charlie select the ring for TJ by himself?

LMAO love this casual ass question. They go together after they agree to get married. They both gotta agree on their rings!!

does Simran eventually hang out with TJ, Chandani, and Piper? if so, how does it go and what do they do?

Yes!! The summer after high school. they probably take simran to get a manicure or something. she’s never had one before. Simran’s kind of like “it doesn't matter” when the nail lady asks what colour she wants and TJ, Chandani and Piper argue about which colour would look best. Simran’s pretty low maintenance and wouldn’t do it on her own except when Tj and her friends bring her, but she does like the look of it!

so Charlie has a stepdad. *tactfully* what's the, uh, story there?

Divorced, not dead! Charlie is on good terms with both bio dad and stepdad.

 "It's ridiculous how her heart jumps, seeing as she just hung out with him yesterday." what did TJ and Charlie do that day (yesterday)?

They probably went on a casual coffee date after school! and then made out in the car. Obvie.

how and when did you come up with the brilliant rant TJ went on at the end of the final debate? (was it something you realized before writing the book, or while planning/outlining the book, or as you were drafting?) and did you always know that TJ and Charlie would be Side Opposition in the final debate?

Thank you! It was something I realized before writing the book. And yes, they were always going to be side opposition. The challenge was figuring out the journey there.

what would TJ and Charlie's wedding be like? (would they have two wedding ceremonies, one for each culture, or would they have a combined wedding ceremony that includes aspects of both cultures? (i've seen both versions and was curious hehe) or something else?) where would their wedding take place?

Two ceremonies! And probably in Kelowna, or wherever they are living at the time/where their family and friends are closest to.

when did you realize that every contemporary romance/romcom in existence has the compliment "you're beautiful" said to the main character by the love interest? (because i cannot stop noticing it after reading TJP and i am so thankful and in absolute awe that TJ and Charlie are truly the first fictional pairing i have ever read that doesn't exchange those words. like that is incredible tbh)

LMAO i'm glad you like that babe! ;) of course with tj, who starts out placing so much value on her beauty, it was very important for her love story specifically to not emphasize her looks. Charlie is his most attracted to her when she’s at her “ugliest”. Because that’s when she’s at her most daring, bold, unique… all the things he was always drawn to about her.

not a question but Jesmeen is THE most lovely name to ever exist (i'm not even joking like i'm SO serious) and i just wanted you to know that

HAHA I’ll let my family know they did good :P thank you.

your characters are stuck in an escape room. how does that go? groups of four are as follows: - TJ, Simran, Charlie, Nate - TJ, Simran, Chandani, Piper - TJ, Charlie, Chandani, Piper - TJ, Simran, Charlie, Rajan - Simran, Charlie, Chandani, Piper - Charlie, Nate, Chandani, Rajan

ok im gonna answer these based on each person instead bc they're fairly consistent

Simran is the one who figures out pretty much all the clues if she’s in the group

Rajan doesn’t give af mostly and just wanders around examining irrelevant details of the escape room,but he does come in clutch and figure out one of the hardest clues when everyone else (including simran) is stumped

TJ and Charlie when put together are competing to figure out the clues fastest, when not together are still v competitive bc they look at the leader boards before they enter the room to see what's the time to beat

Chandani suggests using their “phone a friend” cards after 30 seconds

Piper is the normal one in the group who is enthusiastic and helping everyone with clues and shining lights where needed and stuff

Nate is making snide comments about the quality of the escape room props the whole time, so you'd think he's not paying attention to the game but he can multitask. he helps crack many clues in between roasts

a bunch of writing-related questions! do you write out of order or in order? or a mix of both? do you outline or immediately start drafting? (are you a plotter/pantser/plantser?)

mix of both! Generally in order, but if the inspo comes to write a certain scene/snippet of something first, I will write it right then!

I often do very crappy, very vague rough outlines before starting a first draft. just to get a sense generally of where i'm going. but often with later drafts i write out more detailed outlines

I feel I’m a plantser—in general I know the major events/emotional beats of the story beforehand, but write towards those moments in a spontaneous way!

thanks for the q's! :)

[jdeowrites]

TJ Powar Has Something to Prove is out!

I have to admit, I’m kind of surprised the book came out on June 7, the release date that was set a year ago (due to supply chain issues during the pandemic, a LOT of books have been pushed back). Another special thing about the release date: June 7, 2019 was the day I officially started writing this book. I knew where I wanted the book to go but was just setting off on the journey of how to get there. I really had no idea at the time how this telling this story would change my life for the better in so many personal ways. And now, three years later on that exact date… it’s out in stores for anyone to pick up. Feels pretty poetic. And surreal. 

I had my launch event on release day and it was wonderful. The turnout was better than I expected! I got a chance to talk about the book, read an excerpt, and answer questions. And, of course, sign books. 

My wonderful Canadian publicist Sam Devotta also organized for me to go to a few bookstores to sign their stock and that was also an excellent time.

I’ve also just casually gone into a few Indigos to look for and sign the book—it’s always a wonder to see it there when they have it in stock. Just casually sitting on the shelf, nbd, not like it was my childhood dream to have that happen or anything! :’)

I’ve also met some cool people and booksellers who have all been so kind. And now that release week is winding down, I’ve had the opportunity to reflect. Debut month was extremely busy for me. Doing all the promo, including interviews and podcasts and articles, was a lot (and still is, I’m not done yet. Lol)! During debut week, I took time off with the goal of just enjoying, and have done exactly that. I knew that nothing really at this point was in my control, and therefore tried to focus my goals for the week inward. Meeting friends, doing events, taking time to relax and travel, celebratory dinners, etc. But I have to say I have been pleasantly surprised by things that happened outside of my control—mostly by the people I already knew, who supported me so much. There have been multiple times this week where I’ve genuinely had no words because of how much friends, both in real life and online, have shown up for me in so many different ways. I’m lucky to have them, to have community. They have truly made my debut week wonderful. 

And so that’s it, I guess! I’m looking forward to slowly transitioning back into writing (I’ve taken over a month off from it to do promo! GASP), but I of course hope people will continue to discover and enjoy TJ Powar Has Something to Prove, and I will be here to talk about it if you do! It is my debut novel after all, and a special book to me for so many reasons. 

I would never have been able to guess the path I took here. I’ve been wanting to be an author since I was a kid. It came true, but not in the way I expected even six years ago when I started writing seriously with the goal of publication. It’s been an interesting journey with many unexpected twists and turns. But, those are often the best kinds of stories.

(above photo credit: my brilliant photographer friend, Arushi Sachdev; taken at my launch event!)

[jdeowrites]

In Person Launch Event!

JUNE 7, 2022 at 7-8pm EST. For my Southeast Ontario friends, I’ll be at Novel Idea Bookstore to chat, sign books, shoot the shit, and eat snacks with you! It will be a small and casual lil event, really just to celebrate the release of TJ POWAR HAS SOMETHING TO PROVE aka my debut novel (gasp! It’s almost hard to believe it’s only a week away from being on shelves!). Hope to see you there!

I will also be signing copies at a few Toronto Indies next week--I’ll drop details about where to pick them up when I can!

[jdeowrites]

Upcoming Events!

I know it’s been forever since I posted—but I have some cool events coming up!

APRIL 29, 2022 at 7pm EST: I’ll be at the YALLWEST virtual Let’s Go to the Beach panel with Olivia Abtahi, Kristina Forest, Grace K. Shim and Lillie Vale! We’ll be talking our books, romance, and beach reads. Plus all attendees are entered to win a book bundle of our upcoming releases! 

Register for YALLWEST panel here.

MAY 14, 2022 at 1-3pm EST: I’ll be on a fabulous Desi KidLit panel with Naz Kutub, Adiba Jaigirdar, and Deeba Zargarpur. We’ll be talking inviting South Asian identities into our stories!

Register for Desi KidLit panel here.

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I hope I’ll be able to do an in person signing or two around my book release date (June 7, 2022!) too, and if that works out, I’ll keep you guys posted!

[jdeowrites]

TJ POWAR Cover reveal and excerpt are live!

Some news from last week that I’d been meaning to post here, since it’s already out in the universe: TJ POWAR HAS SOMETHING TO PROVE has a release date! TJ’s debate will come to order on June 7, 2022. And we have a cover now!

I’ve been curious and excited for what the team at Viking would cook up for a cover, and we went through a few different ideas and iterations. I have to say the one we ended up with really embodies the spirit of the book. It’s daring and bold and in-your-face, just like the main character herself. The cover designer is the incredible Kristie Radwilowicz, and the artist is Fatima Baig (I low-key fangirled when my publisher got her on board. Go check out her Instagram, she’s amazing.). Kristie and Fatima truly did such a great job. And when I think about this being on bookshelves, for teen girls to pick up and look at, it makes me kinda emotional.

Are you ready? Okay…

[Book cover description for screen readers: The cover is bright and colorful, with an illustration of TJ Powar smirking at us with her hair down and other hair we don’t often see, too—unibrow, mustache, knuckle hair. She’s holding up the same kind of cue card one would use for public speaking, where the tagline “It’s about to get hairy.” is written. The book title, TJ Powar has Something to Prove, is written next to her, as well as author name “Jesmeen Kaur Deo”.]

Still interested? Here’s the synopsis!

A charming rom-com about high school debater TJ Powar who—after becoming the subject of an ugly meme—makes a resolution to stop shaving, plucking, and waxing, and prove that she can be her hairy self and still be beautiful…but soon finds this may be her most difficult debate yet. Perfect for fans of Netflix’s Never Have I Ever.

When TJ Powar—a pretty, popular debater—and her cousin Simran become the subject of a meme: with TJ being the “expectation” of dating an Indian girl and her Sikh cousin who does not remove her body hair being the “reality”—TJ decides to take a stand. She ditches her razors, cancels her waxing appointments, and sets a debate resolution for herself: “This House Believes That TJ Powar can be her hairy self, and still be beautiful.” Only, as she sets about proving her point, she starts to seriously doubt anyone could care about her just the way she is—even when the infuriating boy from a rival debate team seems determined to prove otherwise. As her carefully crafted sense of self begins to crumble, TJ realizes that winning this debate may cost her far more than the space between her eyebrows. And that the hardest judge to convince of her arguments might just be herself.

Read an excerpt here!

Preorder here for U.S.!  Preorder here for Canada!

[jdeowrites]

Baby’s First Book Deal

Sooo… about that YA contemporary I’ve been working on.

(x)

As a young teen, I devoured countless books, TV shows and movies where girls living in fantasy worlds were forced into skin-revealing dresses; where girls in dystopias and apocalypses shed clothes for romantic scenes; where girls in contemporary settings changed into swimsuits for an impromptu swim, all without any warning beforehand. And I couldn’t help but wonder, didn’t they ever worry about their body hair showing? Did they get waxed in between chapters and it just wasn’t worth mentioning by the author? Or was this something that didn’t matter to most people? Or did these girls just not have body hair? I remember reading The Hunger Games and thinking it was a breath of fresh air when Katniss was waxed and plucked to be deemed pretty for the Capitol. Finally it was on the page. So maybe it wasn’t all in my head after all. 

But I knew it wasn’t just in my head, because the only other time I saw body hair on femme people was when it was played off for laughs. Understandably, this all really screwed with me growing up. So maybe it’s no surprise that eventually I would decide to write a book about it.

Fast forward to early 2019: I emailed my agent with a couple of new book ideas including: “high school debaters (I used to be on the debate team and there's so much potential drama!) and body hair beauty standards for girls. Possibly both in the same book?”

I held my breath when I sent that. I needn’t have worried; she was really into the idea. I started writing it in June 2019. Which was also the start of what I suspected was going to be a very challenging school year (I was right about that for more reasons than I knew at the time). I did this on purpose because I thought it would be a light, fun book to escape into. I was partially right. It was really fun to write all the high school drama, debating, and romance. It did help me through some hard times. But it was also unexpectedly painful.

Because it was so personal. In order to confront the issue of body hair, I had to confront the shame and stigma and subconscious biases drilled into me my whole life. I had to analyze my own concept of what beauty is, and its significance to a person’s self-worth, their worth in the eyes of others, and how those things overlap. And digging so deep into my own trauma was excruciating. I had to force myself to do it sometimes… and to write it without a filter. There were times that I’d re-read a passage and think, "This is too much. I should tone it down a bit." But those were the times it was most important to me to keep going. 

It was March 2020, the early days of the pandemic, when I had a draft I had run by betas and felt good about sending to my agent. I was so nervous. Was the subject matter too cringey? Would it be too unrelatable for most people? Was it even marketable?

Well, my agent loved it a lot. She said it made her cry. Which made me cry. It was just such a relief to know that someone else could identify with this book I had been so honest in, that I had poured some of the most personal parts of my soul into.

We went on submission that summer (for the uninitiated, that means your agent submits your book to editors at publishing houses. AND THEN YOU WAIT.). I had a good feeling about it, but as always I tried to manage my expectations. That didn’t stop me checking my email every 5 seconds but, you know. An effort was made.

We were nearly two months into sub when It Happened. I won’t bore you with the details of my life, but I was in the middle of a 26 hour shift when I got an email from my agent: “Call me!” Is all she said (oh the suspense). I sort of knew at that point. I stared at that email for quite a while, debating whether to wait until the next day when I was off work to get in touch, because as it was I knew I could become busy at any moment. But I couldn’t wait, of course. Patience? I don’t know her. Anyway, I called my agent. 

She told me we had an offer, and proceeded to read it out loud. Cue me crying silently in a tiny windowless room. Literal happy tears dripping down my chin as she talked, which has never happened to me before. I didn’t know how to process it. It was a surreal night after that.

Then we let other people who had the manuscript know, and suddenly there were more editors from different houses who wanted to talk! The next week was… a lot. Along with having a series of calls with a bunch of editors, all of whom I loved to pieces, I was also dealing with a 50+ hour work week, prepping for an exam, writing the exam (in the middle of which a preempt offer came in), an 11 hour road trip, and moving to a new city. I’ll probably remember that week for the rest of my life for the utter chaos it was… but hey, it all worked out. (also, funny thing: my deal announcement came out in the middle of a cross-country road trip. publishing stuff only happens when I’m busy, apparently!).

And now I get to say words I’ve only dreamed of: My debut novel will be published in summer 2022 by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House! Although it’s been a long time since I received this news, every so often I remember that it’s HAPPENING—that I get to go on this journey of publication, of being a debut author—and it feels brand-new and exciting all over again. There’s so much to look forward to! And I have so many more stories I’m excited to tell.

But I’m glad this book will be my debut. Somewhere along my process of research, writing, learning, and discussing with others, this story changed the way I viewed myself. I had not thought that would happen—I set out to write this story for other people, not for me. But it happened anyway.

My singular hope for my debut novel is that it can do that for someone else. If just one hairy girl picks up this book and understands there was nothing ever wrong with them, everything was worth it. Everything. I hope that happens. 

And if not, well, this book has already changed one person’s life: mine.

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