Today we’d like to introduce you to Jade Kim Monsen.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been writing stories since the 3rd Grade. It has always been a part of my life. It’s how I process this world we live in and how I connect with others. Lots of folks might say that writing can be isolating, and while at times that’s absolutely true, I see it as a way to feel less alone.
I have a blog/newsletter called Jade Kim Writes (https://jadekimwrites.substack.com/) that I have been posting on weekly for years now. Half of the newsletter is more non-fiction where I write about things like relationships, motherhood and parenting, and just trying to make sense of this life as an adult. The other half is more fiction-based where I share creative short stories along with book and publishing updates.
It wasn’t until last year that I decided to publish a full length novel. It’s called Milk and Blood, and it’s the book I wish I could have read when I was thinking about having a baby. I just felt like a lot of the information out there was either very serious non-fiction how-tos like What to Expect When You’re Expecting or very fluffy filtered versions of motherhood that claimed it was all rainbows and butterflies. I was starving for a real story of a mom who could admit it wasn’t easy, it wasn’t perfect, and while it was still totally awesome, it was hard, and complicated, and everything in between. So I set out to write that book, and published it last year.
This year, I’ve changed it up a little bit, and I’ll be publishing a YA fantasy novel called Nylos in the Cache coming August 5th, 2025. It’s a story about looking for love and finding friendship, told through magical creatures whose freedom is threatened by unintended consequences and greed.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not! But weirdly the challenges have kind of catapulted my dream of becoming a published author. I had had ideas for books and scraps of pieces here and there back in the day. I knew I wanted to write a book, but kept pushing it off. Then, when my first child was about 3.5 months old, my husband was in a terrible accident. He was on bed rest for 7 months going through a series of surgeries and recovery. My son and husband actually learned to walk together at the same time, which is strangely poetic in itself.
But getting through that to the point where my husband is now walking unassisted just kind of led to that cliché realization that life is short. Anything can happen. So every day with my husband, when our family is together, feels like the luckiest day. But it also is a reminder for us to not put off the things that matter most like our family, like our dreams, and my dream had always been to write and publish a book.
My husband, David Monsen, actually continued to go to school during his recovery. (The University of Utah was incredible in making it possible for him to continue his education during such a difficult time.) He graduated with a BA in English and went on to be the primary editor for both of my books, so it really was a team effort. I couldn’t have finished them without his support, but also his professional help and attention to detail.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
So my newsletter is my bread and butter. It’s how I connect with my readers in real time and have that open discourse on the internet. I’ve had readers follow me there for over a decade, and I’ve made so many friends over the years. This year, my Substack newsletter was top 20 in Substack’s Rising in Literature list.
I published a book last year, Milk and Blood. Milk and Blood reached the top 15 books in parenting on Amazon. My YA fantasy book Nylos in the Cache will be released August, and I couldn’t be more excited.
I’d say that I’m known for being very honest, raw, and vulnerable in my writing. I don’t shy away from complicated topics. Since writing and publishing Milk and Blood, I have had everyone from family, friends, to total strangers approach me and share their stories of parenting. Everyone has their story, and I feel sometimes by opening up first in a meaningful way, it allows others to find a space to share. I have had acquaintances tell me they could relate to my book on motherhood, then share their story, and then we have a good cry together. It’s just so hard, and I think we still have a long ways to go before we have a safe space to talk about things like postpartum recovery, pregnancy loss, fertility, needing more support as new parents, and so much more.
So I’m really proud to help keep that conversation going and make it a safer place for more people to share their own stories. If a post on my newsletter or a chapter in my book makes a single person feel less alone, then all the late nights writing with a babe in arms after working a full 9-5 day… all of it will have been worth it to me.
Even my fantasy book takes on a lot of complicated themes, and honestly sometimes it’s in fantastical worlds that larger truths are revealed. The book includes mixed races, non-binary characters, straight and queer romance, and found family. But it also explores depression and mental health, the good and evils of religion, and the benefits as well as harmful effects of technology.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I think my writing style is always honest and raw, and I think sticking to my truth is very important. I don’t think I can call myself successful if I’m not writing about something that is real enough to make people feel things. I once read that reading doesn’t make people happy, it makes them feel things, and I totally agree with that.
And I take this honesty and authenticity seriously not just in the topics I choose to write about (even if it is just for an escape), or my voice as a writer, but also how I write and create stories in a world that’s being totally drowned out by the new and exciting capabilities of generative AI.
AI is here to stay and it’s ever present in the modern world. I understand that and am following it closely. However, it’s important to me that my writing is my own and any “success” that I achieve does not come to fruition by indirectly stealing the creative work of others without their consent or compensation through the use of generative AI.
Pricing:
- Paperback
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jadekimmonsen.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadekimmonsen
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whereisjade
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jadekimmonsen
- Other: Newsletter/Substack: https://jadekimwrites.substack.com/
Image Credits
Bobbi Ledyard at White Moon Studio
