In Last First Kiss, Jordan Carter devoted his life to advancing his career at his family’s event-planning company after being heartbroken by Jamie Peters. The two kissed when they were teenagers, but not too long ago, Jamie told Jordan he isn’t the right man for him as he navigates who he is. Now, a year later, the two of them are reunited when Jordan works a high-profile wedding in which Jamie is the man-of-honor.
Even though Jordan is still trying to figure out who he is, he is very certain of who he loves. Can they overcome this and have a relationship? Or will he be heartbroken again?
We spoke to Julian Winters about writing this novel, working with characters he has written before, and the importance of writing demisexual characters in LGBTQIA stories.
Eulalie Magazine: How do you make sure you stay true to the characters when you feature characters from your previous work?
Julian Winters: Characters, like humans, are ever-evolving. I do my best to stay true to a character’s personality whenever they’re introduced into a story, but also leave room for their wants, needs, and goals to shift. For Jordan and Jamie, I thought I knew them in I Think They Love You, but when it came time to tell their love story, so much changed, and I loved the journey they took me on.
Eulalie Magazine: There aren’t a lot of stories featuring demisexual characters. Why was it important for you to add them to your story? Do you think there’s still little to no knowledge of them in the media?
Julian Winters: So often, when people are talking about the LGBTQIA+ community, there’s a lot of emphasis on just the “G” and sometimes “L.” There’s a tendency to forget all the other parts of the queer community. I wanted to give focus to anyone who identifies as demisexual or ace. To make sure they are given the power they deserve and their happily-ever-afters in romance stories. I think there’s still so much more space for queer representation as a whole in media, but especially for demi and anyone under the ace umbrella.
Eulalie Magazine: What inspired you to create characters like Jamie and Jordan?
Julian Winters: I wanted to show that the queer community is a spectrum, not a monolith. That our love stories and how we come to our queerness are not always the same. From the very beginning, I knew that Jamie was a fun, chaotic pansexual himbo with a big heart and very confident in his sexuality. For Jordan, I wanted to write a character who needed more time to understand and grow into who he is. I didn’t want his journey of love and identity to be about coming out; rather, it was about learning who he is and inviting others into his space.
Eulalie Magazine: What would you say to young authors who want to write queer stories but might be afraid of doing so?
Julian Winters: I would say that the best stories, experiences, and successes in life come from challenging fear. From acknowledging the “what ifs” without letting them stop us. Queer stories have been and will always be needed. They’re life-changing. In a world that continuously tries to silence and erase queer identities, these stories remind readers of the power of hope, community, and loving ourselves—and others—wholeheartedly.
Eulalie Magazine: Would you like to feature these characters in other projects? Or do you want to explore new characters?
Julian Winters: I’d absolutely love to write about Jordan and Jamie (and Denz and Braylon from I Think They Love You) again! I’ve been getting a lot of requests from early readers to find out more about Javi. Maybe one day? But I’d also love to explore new characters in new worlds, and I hope romance readers are eager to follow me into those stories.
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Lara Rosales
By day, Lara Rosales (she/her) is a solo mom by choice and a bilingual writer with a BA in Latin-American Literature known as a Media Relations Expert. By night, she is a TV enjoyer who used to host a podcast (Cats, Milfs & Lesbian Things). In addition to Eulalie Magazine, you can find her work published on Tell-Tale TV, Geek Girl Authority, W Spotlight, Collider, USA Wire, Mentors Collective, Instelite, Noodle, Dear Movies, Nicki Swift, and Flip Screened.